Filtration Update

Hey all! Thanks for continuing to support our little coffee shop. This summer was full of surprises and we're looking forward to a more relaxed pace over the fall.

After the issues with water quality plaguing Pittsburgh, we have been looking for better solutions for our drip coffee and espresso. We have been happy to work with WateRx - a company based out of Cincinnati that utilizes advanced technology to create cleaner drinking water. The system removes all bacterial content, lead, rust, sulfur, chlorine, mercury and pesticides. The healthy mineral content of the water remains, leading to tasty and high-quality H20. All of our fixtures are connected to the filtration system, so we are happy to brag about our water!

We are gearing up for holiday season, so sweatshirts and long sleeve tees are back in stock! If you are unable to stop by the shop to pick one up, we are happy to ship - if you'd like one mailed to you please get in touch; constellationpgh@gmail.com.

Constellation will be closing early on Wednesday, 11/22, and remain closed Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th. We will be back in business on the 25th. Have a wonderful holiday!

Summer Recess

Hi Everyone!

We are so honored to have been nominated as one of your favorite coffee shops in the Pittsburgh City Paper. Thank you for the support and votes, folks!!

At Constellation, we are a small staff. To enjoy our Summer season to the final dregs, we are closing shop and heading out of town for a long weekend. The shop will be closed Friday August 25th through Monday August 28th. We will be back in action Tuesday morning!

Cheers!

Summer is here!

Hey Pittsburgh! I hope the summer season is lifting everyone's spirits with warm days and bright evenings. To celebrate, make sure to come in for a shot of Summer Blend espresso from Ceremony Coffee Roasters - sweet and creamy sorbet like texture, with a bright flourish of apricot acidity.

Speaking of summer fun, we are happy to see our bike parking fully occupied on the regular! If you're wondering how your bike could fit you better, please swing by on Sunday July 2nd for a meet and greet with Adam the Fitter. Having a bike that fits perfectly isn't just for folks who put in 200 miles a week, it's great for commuters and leisure riders, too!

If you've got a garden and need compost, please help yourself to our spent grounds anytime you're in the shop. We've always got a few bags to spare, and coffee grounds make a wonderful contribution to healthy compost. Also, make sure to check out Sustainable Pittsburgh's upcoming #sustainsmallbiz campaign. From July 1st to 15th, purchases at Sustainable Small Businesses can qualify you to win fun local prizes and goodie bags.

Iced drink season is in full swing, we will see you soon for that delicious iced coffee or cold brew! Thank you for your support!!!

International Women's Day

On March 8th, National Women's Liberation is working to plan a Women's Strike for women across the states. I am proud of this act of solidarity and chance to continue the energy started with the Women's Marches in January.

Unfortunately, for a lot of women, striking is not an option. Many families, particularly in female-run households, are living hand to mouth. I think it's important to call attention to the remaining wage disparity between male and female workers, so on March 8th, we will be open. We will be charging for drinks based on what you earn. As women in the states make about 77 cents on the dollar, all folks who identify as female will enjoy a 23% discount on March 8th. Cheers!

Water Safety Concerns

Hi everyone! Due to the recent press releases from PWSA, we are taking all the possible steps to ensure the safety of our products. Tomorrow, February 1st, we will be open regular hours, but will only be serving Chemex and tea until we have a temporary water system installed with potable water before 10am. We unfortunately will not have drip coffee until after PWSA fixes the issue. After the issue is resolved, we will be upgrading our four-stage filter (which does a lovely job removing mineral content, but not bacteria!) to a filtration system that also removes microbial and bacterial content. As always, thank you for your support!

Looking back, moving forward

I've always loved the celebration of the new year and the month of January. Not only because for Western PA, this means snow (and snow days!) but also because of the thoughtful nature of the New Year. The resolutions to shed the concepts we have outgrown and define ourselves and our projects according to how we have progressed always feels seasonally appropriate during the long winter nights of the northern hemisphere.

As I've been spending time thinking about what's next, I wanted to take a look at what have been some of the guiding stars in the formation of Constellation. I am also happy to announce that we've been listening to your feedback throughout the year, and the timing feels right to announce that we will now be open until 5pm on Sundays. We also have a few more tricks up our sleeve for the New Year, so stay tuned and thanks for your enthusiasm and support of the shop!

My modern adult female self may completely object to the, ahem, objectification on "I Dream of Jeannie," but I would never object to making my entrance in a puff of pink smoke! The 60's aesthetic has always been appealing, the fonts are graceful, fun, and just the right amount of kitschy.

We wanted ordering coffee to be as simple as grabbing a plate of french fries at the concession stand. Being inspired by the nostalgia of summery afternoons spent at the amusement park or ballgame, we aim to present a casual, sunny approach to familiar favorites. 8-bit video games and their fonts always seem to bring this time to mind.

I think the most obvious component of our brand may come from the name itself. Constellation means a lot to us, not only because of our love of all things astronomical, but also because a Constellation is a gathering of bright things; a navigational element. Trying to imagine a day without coffee is like a night without the stars. We are here to help you make more sense of your universe.

Where would we be without Twin Peaks?! Come in for a sweet treat and a damn fine cup of coffee - we hopefully have less drama than The Great Northern, but we certainly have just as many characters!

Three years of fun!

Thanks to everyone who continues to support Constellation - we couldn't be more grateful to serve the community!

This past Spring and Summer have kept us all on our toes. You may see some new faces behind the bar, and added snack options, like yogurt and granola, and some changes to our recipes, like our new and improved mocha. We have also been working on adding outdoor seating, we'll keep you in the loop as we continue to make progress with the city!

We are honored to be featured among Pittsburgh favorites (Edgar's!! Thai Gourmet!! Millie's!! Lidia's!!) on the Glassblock cooking show. Thanks to Dave Bernabo for supporting local food, and sharing the joy and enthusiasm for great food and drinks!

We would love to take the time to celebrate the good feelings of the season with a drink special. It will be three years of business this Friday, October 14th, so we will be offering slices of honey poached pear and black pepper cardamom almonds alongside your espresso. In addition, all milk and espresso drinks will be just $3. Cheers to a great season and all the wonderful things to come!

Spring 2016

We are happy to be starting Spring with plenty of wonderful news!

If you haven't tried Ceremony's Annual Blends, Spring Blend is not to be missed! This coffee starts off with a smoky, billowing aroma, like a cool morning breeze, and as it settles in your mug it warms up to a lovely sweet peachy finish, like afternoon sunlight. It's the perfect way to welcome the season!

Also, we have heeded customer requests for something savory, and something more substantial to eat. We now have croissants (butter, or ham and cheese!) from Mediterra Bakery on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Naturi yogurts and M&R Kitchen Granola will also be available anytime during the week. Our delicious muffins, scones and other goodies from Threefifty Bakery will also be available anytime during open hours. Join us for a delicious coffee and locally prepared snack! Yum!

Every Friday, we will be the drop off spot for bouquets from Gold Dust Floral. Janessa's Pop-Up events have been so popular that now her work is available every weekend. The beautiful bouquets are available for just $15, and as summer approaches, her blooms include more and more locally grown varieties.

We are also excited to announce a new tea service. We have started working with San Francisco based Song Tea, and have been enjoying tasting and learning tons of great info about the world of tea! Song Tea works directly with producers to source all their options from China and Taiwan. These teas are like nothing we have tasted before - the focus on processing makes them each a unique experience. It's very exciting to enjoy a tea that gets the same attention as a single origin coffee.

From a green tea that is grown on a wild mountainside, making it naturally organic, to red teas that are bruised and sorted by hand to bring out the most flavor and only the most consistently sized leaves, to a rare and unique Taiwanese oolong that was roasted for over a week at very low temperatures to maximize sweetness and caramelization, Song Tea is doing an amazing job sourcing beautiful and interesting teas. We are honored to have them available at Constellation!

We are having lots of fun keeping things fresh at Constellation, we hope to see you soon, and thank you for making us a part of your day!