Forward Craft & Coffee

The Verdict

Forward Craft & Coffee is not primarily a coffee shop that happens to serve beer — get that assumption out of the way before you visit. Located on Atwood Avenue in Madison's Eastside neighborhood, this is a craft beverage operation that treats both sides of the equation seriously. If you're on the east side and want a spot that works for a morning pourover and a late-afternoon beer without feeling like either is an afterthought, this is a reliable call.

What to Know Before You Go Back

If you've been once and defaulted to whatever was on tap, the spirits program is worth your attention on the next visit. Forward leans into craft cocktails built around specific spirit categories rather than a generic well-bottle lineup — the kind of approach you'd expect from a dedicated cocktail bar, not a neighborhood coffee-and-beer hybrid. That positioning makes it more directly comparable to spots like Black Rose Blending Co. than to a standard Eastside bar. For context on what a committed spirits program looks like at the national level, Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, Jewel of the South in New Orleans, and Julep in Houston set the benchmark for what intentional spirit-forward programming can be , Forward operates in that spirit, scaled to a neighborhood room.

The Atwood Ave address puts it in a walkable, residential stretch of the Eastside, which shapes the crowd significantly (more on that below). It's not a destination bar in the way that something downtown might be, which is partly why it works , the regulars are genuinely local, the room doesn't perform for tourists, and the pace is unhurried enough to actually enjoy what's in your glass.

For current hours, seasonal coffee offerings, and what's rotating on tap or behind the bar right now, check directly with the venue , programming shifts with the season and the database record for Forward is sparse on live operational detail.