Roast! West Coast: Recent Episodes

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Who: Matthew HankesWhat: Heart Transplant RecipientWhere: Northern IdahoConnect: https://donate.transplants.org/story/MatthankesWhat we were drinking: Matt: Plain ol’ coffeeR!WC: Craft 42 Roasters Ethiopia Gesha Estate

The first episode of the Coffee With Podcast features Matthew Hankes, Heart Transplant Recipient. Matt is a pretty normal guy who experienced an extraordinary thing. He spent an hour talking about finding out he had a heart condition known as ARVC—Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy—at age 15, the lead-up to the transplant, and what it looks like from the other side.

Matt asked that if anything is taken away from this podcast, it is the need for more donors on the transplant list. Sign up, make sure you’re on the transplant donor list, or learn more about what that entails at https://donatelife.net or go directly to registration at RegisterMe.org.

If you have questions about being an organ donor—for example, who can be a donor, how donation is viewed by various religions, or even what can be donated—click the button below. It is likely that Donate Life℠ will have the answers you seek.

IMPORTANT LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• Matt Hankes fundraiser - https://donate.transplants.org/story/Matthankes Tax-deductible donations are distributed directly for medical bills through the National Foundation for Transplants, Inc.

• The United Network for Organ Sharing - https://unos.org/

APRIL IS NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH

Coincidence? Yes. Important? Yes.

Some statistics from Donate Life℠ about transplants:

• 4,000+ individuals are waiting for heart transplants.

• Heart transplants need to be performed within 4-6 hours of being recovered.

• More than 100,000 individuals are on the national transplant list.

• A person is added to the list every 9 minutes.

• In 2021, 6,000 individuals weren’t able to stay healthy long enough for their number to be called—about 17 people on the transplant died per day.

• In 2022, the 1-millionth organ transplant was performed in the United States, more than any other country in the world.

THANK YOU

On the other side of this story is a donor. Someone chose to donate their heart, becoming a hero to the many people who love and care about Matt Hankes. There are those out there mourning the loss of their person. There isn’t much to be known about the donor outside of the fact that their heart was the right heart for Matt. Thank you to them for giving what they could to help others.

COFFEE WITH

Coffee With is a new podcast from Roast! West Coast. It’s on—or will be—all the fun podcasting platforms. Unlike Coffee People and Coffee Smarter, the guests won’t be from the coffee industry. Instead, we’ll share the coffee experience with friends, strangers, and maybe even enemies with a good story to tell.

If you know someone with a good story or two to share, please send us a note at: coffeewithpodcast@gmail.com.

CHECK OUT THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Roastar • Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters • Hacea Coffee Source • Crossings Coffee

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S7:E11

Welcome back to Roast! West Coast. This coffee podcast started in 2020 with a Google meeting video chat I recorded on my phone with Steve Rayle, Founder-Owner-Head Roaster at Zumbar Coffee & Tea. Steve didn’t know me, but he agreed to spend an hour sharing his story with me. I’m not sure why other than we were stuck in a pandemic, and we were all getting a little stir-crazy.

At the time, I thought I’d interview a few local coffee professionals—primarily for my own self-entertainment—and that would be it. Fast-forward a few years to now, and we’ve crossed the 150 shows barrier. The Coffee Smarter segments I thought would be short five-minute episodes have spun off into their own full-length show.

Things have changed, but not everything. I’m still recording from the same bedroom closet I’ve converted into a small studio. Chris O’Brien from Coffee Cycle Roasting is still my personal Coffee Sensei. I still really love getting a cup of coffee and getting the opportunity to hear and share the stories of coffee people.

The final show of Season 7 will come out next week, featuring the husband and wife co-Founders and co-Head Roasting team Libby and Victor Arreguin of Romantics Coffee. The schedule was changed, and I found myself missing working on the show. You’d think I’d embrace the little break, but my love for this coffee effort runs deep. So here we are for a little interlude enabling me to update you on some Roast! West Coast news, and have a cup of coffee together.

Here is the exciting news that I’ve been sitting on for a moment:

• The Roast! West Coast coffee podcast is being renamed Coffee People. You’ve probably already heard me say that at the top of the show. With the new Coffee Smarter podcast, it made sense to restructure it as this newsletter and podcast continue to grow.

You’ll see a new Coffee People tab at the top of the website, and if you want, you can choose only to subscribe to that thread of interviews with really interesting coffee industry (and industry adjacent) professionals.

• Coffee Smarter has been retooled to focus on coffee education that will enable listeners/readers to make a better cup of coffee at home. We’ll still dig into some deeper coffee science and industry challenges with the experts on special episodes of Coffee People.

• Bill Kennedy and the San Franciscan Roaster Company have joined our epic roster of Industry Partners. He joined the partner crew as an unsolicited supporter after our recent interview. It was an emotional boost for me at a moment when I was a bit overwhelmed by some of the challenges I face being an entrepreneur. I’ve talked about the beauty of the San Franciscan roasters on the show, and I’m looking forward to not only learning more about the machines but seeing the SFR Co. team in person at the Specialty Coffee Association convention in Portland, April 20-23rd. If you’re going to be there, find them at booth 253 on the vendor floor.

• Finally, look for a lot of upcoming collaborations with a new Season 8 Industry Partner, Roastar. They are a coffee packaging company based in Wausau, WI. Wausau is my hometown, but I wasn’t familiar with Roastar until I met one of their teammates at Coffeefest LA last fall.

Roastar provides the bags, pouches, and cans our coffee comes in. They work with roasters on all facets of the packaging process, including collaborating with some awesome packaging designers. In addition to becoming an Industry Partner, they are going to be the Presenting Sponsor of the Coffee People podcast! We’re going to collaborate on a new design column in the newsletter featuring both the best in coffee packaging design and interviews with the artists and designers who create them.

I’ll also be heading up to the SCA convention in Portland, and every afternoon, I’ll be taking over part of the Roastar booth to interview conventiongoers about their coffee journey and much more on Roastar in the near future.

I’m going to end this little interlude by saying Happy St. Patrick’s Day. My morning started out with coffee, and I’m planning to end it with Irish Coffee using a recipe from Talking Crow Coffee Roasters’ recent newsletter. They specialize in decaf coffee. After lunch, I’m a decaf guy, but I have one minor twist.

Here’s my twist. I’m adding an ounce of Irish Whiskey and an ounce of First Light Coffee Whiskey.

And you know what, it’s a holiday, I’m not going to wait. I’ve gotta wrap this up.

Don’t forget to listen to the most recent Coffee Smarter episode on the Melitta pour-over coffee brewer!

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E10

Guest: Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee CompanyFrom: Oceanside, CAInstagram: @ignitecoffeecompanyWebsite: www.ignitecoffeecompany.com

For a long time, this sign was affixed to the front wall of the future Ignite Coffee Company space in downtown Oceanside.

Behind the scenes, Tyler was optimistic that the shop's grand opening was just around the corner.

But construction ran long. Permits needed to be attained. Supply chains were (still are) interrupted. June 2022 became Halloween became, hopefully before New Year's.

It took longer than anticipated, but on January 11th, 2023, Ignite Coffee Company opened its doors with coffee and locally-made donuts. After a year worth of work, the work of serving coffee can finally begin.

Tyler relied on support from his friends and family and on his faith to persevere even when the future of his cafe was uncertain.

Listen to Tyler’s first appearance on the R!WC podcast from April 6, 2022.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E9

Guest: Bill Kennedy, San Franciscan Roaster CompanyFrom: Carson City, NVInstagram: @sanfranroastersWebsite: www.sanfranroasters.comWhat they drink: “I order what everybody else orders….just a straight cup of coffee.”

Buying SFR Co. was an All or Nothing proposition for the Kennedy family. That’s a risk often associated with entrepreneurial pursuits. Still, when I asked if he had moments where he questioned the decision, he reiterated the need for grit and perseverance. He also said that you need to believe in what you’re doing, and he did.

What he and San Franciscan team were doing, are doing, was working to create roasters that are excellent at roasting coffee, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. They want to build roasters they’d want to use and continue innovating improvements along the way. It sounds simple, but it was refreshing to hear conveyed so plainly in today’s corporate culture of planned obsolescencenly.

Bill clearly loves coffee. He expressed a theory that joy in your work leads to a higher quality of craftsmanship. You can see the durability of the machines, and you’ll hear about it when you talk to roasters using the machines.

The roasters don’t lack for design aesthetics either. Every roaster has a plaque—often in their iconic gold color—emblazoned with the phrase, “Art & Ingenuity.” It’s a reference to the San Franciscan approach to building machines and to the art of roasting coffee. Their machines are built with the idea that the relationship between the roaster and the machine is part of what creates great coffee. That symbiosis leads to a machine imbued with soul that is then imparted into the coffee, dropping down into the cooling tray.

That means their roasters aren’t for everyone. Their client niche is people who are passionate about coffee, passionate about the craft and have a commitment to the process. Romantically, that sounds like every coffee roaster I know. Still, there is also room in the industry for more automated processes, more streamlined designs, and more tech-heavy bells and whistles.

As Bill analogized, there can be multiple approaches to art that is successful. In the same way, there can be multiple approaches to roasting coffee that is successful. Whoever is roasting in their own unique yet excellent way, SFR Co. strives to be the tool that gets them there.

Over here, on the consumer side of things, we’re a part of the experience, hopefully feeling the connection between the coffee bean, coffee roaster, and the coffee roasting machine.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• San Franciscan will be at the Specialty Coffee Association Expo in Portland, April 20-23, 2023. If you’re there, you can find them at Booth 253.

• Bill got his coffee drinking start by adding cream and sugar—ALWAYS cream and sugar, but after his brother got involved in the coffee industry he took a two week cold turkey detox off the coffee additives. Since then, he’s been a black coffee drinker.

• Tasting coffees and breaking down their flavor profiles has become a compulsion of sorts. Bill is a Q-Grader, and breaking down a cup of coffee is a sort of happy place.

• Once, early on in the episode, I said the San Francisco Roaster Company, but it is San Franciscan Roaster Company. I don’t know why I said San Francisco, and I apologize. It was a slip of the tongue. Speaking of…

• I talked a lot during this episode. I try not to do that, but Bill is the kind of guy who tells stories, and makes you want to share yours.

• You either get it done, or you get it done. Wilford Brimley in Seinfeld.

• Their client niche are people who are passionate about the coffee, passionate about the craft, and have a commitment to the process. It is Bill’s job to communicate the value of the roasters his company is building. He believes customers will part with their money if they can see the value.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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This episode was originally published January 18, 2023

S7: A Grand Opening Pop-in

Guest: Erin Nenow, Ascend Coffee RoastersFrom: San Marcos, CAInstagram: @ascendroastersWebsite: www.ascendroasters.com

I love the pop-in. Pre-Covid, I used to pop into people's homes all the time for a surprise visit. There were no expectations, and since I usually brought coffee or a six-pack, I was often welcomed with open arms. The pandemic changed the reality of the pop-in, but it motivated me to find other ways to connect.

You're here, so…I think it worked.

Erin faced a big question: How do we create something sustainable in the face of uncertainty?

She decided to put her own stamp on things and create opportunities by embracing change. She started Ascend Roasters. Even then, after placing the wheels in motion to create a new business, the situation with Old Cal Coffee and her relationship with business partners changed, forcing her to course correct.

I've been back to Ascend a few times since the grand opening. The future is still wide open. The future roaster location is still moving forward. Her experience is an excellent reminder that being flexible is just as important as staying focused. It's a fine line to walk. Without a doubt, there will be more plans, more changes to said plans, and more opportunities to pursue in her future.

At the new Ascend Roasters, things are different yet still the same.

Reach your peak with Ascend Coffee Roasters, known for their dark roasts and their cold brew refill packs. Ascend Roasters is a woman-owned and operated company that wants you to work coffee into your self-care routine. Buy coffee and learn more by clicking the button below to go to ascendroasters.com.

PREVIOUS EPISODES FT. ERIN

This isn’t the first time Erin’s been on Roast! West Coast. Check out the previous episode here:

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E7

Guest: Kayleigh Bortolussi, Slow Hurry CoffeeFrom: Northern border of Western Ohio & Eastern PennsylvaniaInstagram: @slowhurrycoffeeWebsite: www.slowhurrycoffee.comWhat they drink: “Like three drinks…”–a single shot of espresso, a drip, and a latte.

The life of a cup of coffee is reflected in the name Slow Hurry. The life of the coffee bean begins at the farm. The process is slow, so slow, at the beginning. It takes months, even years,* for a coffee plant to be grown from the ground and begin fruiting coffee cherries that are worthy of the coffee we’ve become accustomed to.

After picking, the fruit is still processed over days, even weeks. It has to be shipped, across continents, across oceans until it reaches a green coffee importer. Those beans will find a home with a coffee roaster, who eventually drops them into their machine.

Things begin to speed up. The coffee is roasted, packaged, potentially shipped again, and put in the queue. Finally, someone will order a coffee or a latte or a cappuccino, and WHAM! Those beans are whipped out at the coffee bar. Their life has entered the speed zone.

It’s a slow hurry. The least we can do as coffee drinkers are to take a moment, even a brief one, to appreciate the efforts of the farmers, importers, roasters, and finally, baristas and coffee entrepreneurs like Kayleigh as that liquid passes beyond the barrier of our lips and becomes part of us.

*It can take three years for a coffee plant to produce fruit that can be harvested.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Her fav show as a kid was Ninja Turtles…NINJA TURTLES!

• Kayleigh has spent more than a decade working in coffee. She started at Starbucks,* which we have to thank for being the gateway to craft coffee for so many third-wave coffee professionals.

• The Starbucks Coffee Master program, which Kayleigh went through, is a big deal in the Starbucks world. Graduates were given black aprons instead of green to indicate their status as a Coffee Master and their desire to continue learning about coffee. For a few years, the program was disbanded, but coinciding with the return of Howard Shulz to the leadership team and the feedback from Starbucks employees, the black apron has returned.The Starbucks educational programs never went away. In fact, they’ve been growing. The Coffee Master black aprons are now bestowed on employees who complete all the courses at the Starbucks Global Academy (online). Non-employees can also register to take the classes.

• It can be a challenge to find a middle ground between super slow, precise brewing techniques that result in the best-tasting coffee and providing customers with the convenience and speed to which they’ve grown accustomed. Slow Hurry is an effort to find that space.

• Parenting while being an entrepreneur is a different challenge. I grew up in a family business. I joke that I wasn’t a kid, just a future employee, but that is just a joke. I don’t know how my parents managed to run a business and raise three rowdy kids!In reality, growing up in a family business was a great gift. I saw the results of my parent's efforts daily. I learned how to communicate with a world of different people. My brothers and I have all grown up to pursue entrepreneurial avenues using the foundational skills we learned as kids. Most importantly, early on, it kept us all close together. When we were young, we were always underfoot, and as we got older, we were part of the team. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

• Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. If you’re doing something cool, other people, brands, and businesses often want to be associated with you.

• Kayleigh uses Third Wave Water dissolved in water to minimize a major variable when serving coffee at a pop-up event. Third Wave sells mineral packets curated to create the right mix of minerals that will turn distilled water into the ideal water for coffee.

I have been using Third Wave Water for the first time this week. It’s anecdotal, because I’ve also been using some new-to-me coffee brewers, but I have been really impressed with the coffee I’ve been making.

• What does the future hold? It’s a loaded question for us all. For Kayleigh and Slow Hurry Coffee, continued growth in 2023, and on the horizon, a full service coffee van.

*This is kind of surprising considering the hardcore local sentiment in the neighborhood and the proliferation of local coffee shops and roasters has reached near saturation levels. One two block square stretch has more than seven places where you can get a good cup of coffee. Three of the seven are coffee roasters!

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• Coffee Cycle Roasting was recently sampled and featured in the Wacaco* newsletter. Check it out and find out what is CCR’s most recent coffee release in their monthly newsletter.

*Portable espresso machine makers.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E6

Guest: Alan Escalante, Twin Lens Roasters & Film LabFrom: La Puente, CAInstagram: @twinlensroastersWebsite: www.twinlensroasters.com

Alan was making his way as a photographer and getting into events and weddings. I say from experience that wedding photography is INTENSE. Imagine telling a recently married couple that there was a disk error and you lost all the images of the first kiss, and you might get an inkling of the pressure. You’ve only got one chance to get it right. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and Alan’s career path became less clear.

I didn’t watch James Hoffman’s excellent coffee videos on Youtube or even know who he was when I got into coffee, but Alan did. He started watching coffee videos beginning with one on the French press and fell down a very long rabbit hole. One in which his love for the tactile experience of film photography was matched by the physicality of roasting coffee.

I was motivated by a more visceral emotion, anger. I was mad at myself for giving up on an opportunity in the industry because I didn’t feel I had the knowledge to succeed. I went searching for coffee education and stumbled right into my coffee sensei Chris O’Brien at Coffee Cycle Roasting.

The point of the comparison is that we all have our own path to knowledge. It’s okay to have your own relationship with something you’re passionate about. The journeys we take, the challenges we face, and the helping hands that propel us forward are variables in the science experiment that is our lives. Mine led me to talk and write about coffee. Alan’s led him to coffee roasting and being a barista. We both ended up here sharing a cup of coffee.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• This show looks insane. A real Ren & Stimpy-vibe for those of an older generation.

• Film is tactile, as is coffee roasting. There are lots of parallels in the science and timing of developing the final product. In both, the scientist (roaster or developer) is taking something that is partway done—green coffee or shot film and running a science experiment to produce the final product.

• Being intentional is a key component of shooting film photography and roasting coffee. The greats combine science and art to create something others may not see.

• Is Twin Lens the side hustle, or is working for the regular paycheck at the coffee shop the side hustle?

• Alan roasts at the California Roasting Collective in San Marcos to keep the business nimble and without the overhead required to buy equipment as he grows. Many of the roasters who’ve appeared on this show have gotten their start in co-roasting spaces.

• It took Alan a year of practice before he felt it was time to share his coffee with people. There was a lot of practice and a lot of trial and error. Creating something and offering it to the world–be it roasted coffee or a podcast, ahem, ahem—requires one to be vulnerable and open to critique.

• Let businesses and/or individuals know when you appreciate what they are doing! Someone on the other side of that interaction will feel it deeply.

• Alan uses a La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine at pop-up events. Despite the name, the Linea Mini is a beast of a portable countertop espresso machine that costs $5,900!

• This image ©La Marzocco USA

• There has to be a little bit of dreamer in an entrepreneur.

• Twin Lens is NOT JUST A COFFEE ROASTER. They are also a film photography lab.

• Alan wants to use his company platform to teach people about photography and coffee, so they love those arts as much as he does.

365 SNAPS

In a pure coincidence, one of my creative projects for 2023 has been to photograph my coffee with an instant photograph each day. With the onset of digital photography, I lost some of my passion for taking pictures. If forced to think about it, I’d venture that some of the tension had been lost.

This last month has been the beginning of a reclamation of my love for seeing things in a different way. I’ve been posting on the @roastwestcoast Instagram, and I’ll be sharing monthly galleries right here in the Roast! West Coast coffee newsletter.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• I like supporting my R!WC Industry Partners and I love seeing the creative work of a community’s Makers. This weekend I can (and will) do both by visiting the Coffee Cycle and Ascend Roasters Maker Markets.

• Find Coffee Cycle at 1632 Grand Ave in Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA.

• Ascend Roasters is located in Restaurant Row at 1080 W San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, CA.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER • CASTRO • PANDORA • LISTEN NOTES • DEEZER • PODVINE • CASTBOX

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S7:E5

Guest: Caroline Manimtim, Cozy Canine CoffeeFrom: San Diego, CAInstagram: @cozycaninecoffee & @rhys.peanutbuttercupWebsite: www.cozycaninecoffee.com

Let’s get this out of the way first. Cozy Canine Coffee is for humans, not dogs.

Humans have an intricate relationship with animals. We use them as tools. Animal meat has long been a staple of the human diet. We talk to crows…err…that last one may just be me. There is a murder of crows in my neighborhood that is quite friendly. We keep them as pets.

The word pet doesn’t feel like enough. The dogs that have been in my life are part of my family. More so than some of my actual extended family members. Dogs can seem—real or imagined—more empathetic, caring, and aware than other animals. They also need us (the humans) for food, exercise, and even purpose.

That need doesn’t go away when things are challenging. It is a symbiotic relationship. They can console and support, and in return, you provide. Even when you want to stop moving forward, pets keep you going. They need you.

Caroline and her husband adopted Rhys from an animal rescue. He isn’t just a pet or just a dog. He is part of the family and part of the inspiration for Cozy Canine Coffee. With CCC, Caroline isn’t just selling coffee. She is engaging and supporting a community that finds value in the relationship people have with pets.

Like the connection with an animal, the impact of coffee doesn’t stop. You may only be one person, but you are needed in the chain between farm and consumer. You can uplift the links around you.My favorite thoughts from today’s episode:

• It’s okay to be afraid, and still do the thing.

• It’s never too early to start something that you’re passionate about.

Besides, what’s the worst that can happen?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Caroline had a very positive coffee experience with her grandpa at a young age, where a splash of decaf with milk and sugar was a reward for getting up early before school.

• Craft beer was her gateway to craft coffee. There are similarities in the language, the skill of tasting, and the concept that despite being categorized as the same, there are infinite flavors that can be experienced.

• The coffee you don’t like may still inspire a reaction and emotion. It may motivate you to ask, “Why?”

• Entrepreneurs can benefit from having a varied career path because they collect skills—like graphic design or managing employees, or setting up a website—that they can use in the creation of their own thing later on.

• Let yourself be mentored, and alternatively, be a mentor. Don’t be a gatekeeper to information or opportunity. Read this post about how Caroline is honoring her mentor Bartelby Bloss.

WHAT DO YOU DRINK WHEN YOU ARE OUT IN THE WORLD?

I have asked every guest that question, and for the first time, I forgot. Thankfully, we live in a magical world where we can connect on numerous platforms at all hours of the day. I reached out to Caroline via e-mail.

From Caroline:

Fun question! Depends…I like a good oat cortado or drip [coffee], but if a barista is really excited about a specialty latte, I’ll try it. I loved creating drink recipes as a barista and flavor combinations, so I love seeing others’ creativity.

I also forgot to add that by the time the episode drops, we’ll be selling coffee bags at Nibble Chocolate too!

Also, I don’t know if I articulated this sentiment as clearly as I wanted, but Rhys brings us so much joy and love. That’s why we wanted to give back to rescues so that those animals get a second chance with their new families.

Animal Rescues Cozy Canine Supports: (Links provided by Cozy Canine Coffee)

• Helen Woodward Animal Center - Donate - Pet Adoptions - Event Calendar

• San Diego Humane Society - Ways To Give - Adoptable Animals - About San Diego Humane Society

• The Animal Pad - Donate - Adopt - Volunteer

• Passion for Pitties - Donate - Facebook - Instagram

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Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

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S7:E3

Guest: Tonya Nanetti, Coffee InsurrectionFrom: Buna Specialty Coffee, Lisbon, PortugalInstagram: @coffeeinsurrection, @tonya_coffee_travelWebsite: www.coffeeinsurrection.com

I grew up in a restaurant, by most accounts, a pretty good one. As a kid, my friends were the cooks, servers, bartenders, and even regular customers. If I had to guess, those customers got a kick out of me crawling around under booths looking for loose change. Later, when I was washing dishes or bussing tables, I’m sure the team struggled to hold back a sigh when the boss’s kid made a snarky comment.

I remember feeling like I was part of something every time I pushed past the pirate painted on the back door. And I was.

I’ve spent the rest of my life trying to build communities that have imbued the same warmth that my memories seem flooded with. Meeting Tanya made me feel seen.

With Coffee Insurrection—the website she co-founded with her boyfriend Endri—she’s connecting coffee lovers and cultivating a community of new coffee friends online and in real life. They are also documenting their coffee experiences. It’s a global effort. Seriously, the list of roasters on the site is extensive.

As the Head Barista at Buna in Lisbon, she’s doing the same at the local level. Creating a space where you’re a regular by the second visit is an ambitious goal. By her accounting, they’ve managed to do it. As a customer, you can feel that kind of care when you walk through the door of a great cafe. I hope to feel it walking into Buna someday when I’m lucky to travel across the Atlantic again.

Speaking of…

How wild is it that coffee can connect strangers around the world? That’s what I was thinking during my chat with Tanya. I was sitting in my closet podcasting booth in Southern California. 5,600+ miles away, Tanya was smiling into her computer camera as I welcomed her to the R!WC Coffee People podcast.* By listening to this show in your corner of the world, we are now connected to you. What a world.

This coffee podcast has been growing. You may have heard there is now a separate Coffee Smarter podcast devoted to making better cups of coffee at home. This season we’re interviewing some amazing coffee professionals from the West Coast but also from, well, from beyond the coastal region. It felt right to start working into a new name. Throughout Season 7, Roast! West Coast will become Coffee People, presented by Roast! West Coast*. I thought you should know.

LISBON RECOMMENDS BY TANYA

• Buna Specialty Coffee…obviously.

• Dramático coffee shop

• Buraca Roasters

• Olisipo Roasters

LESSONS I LEARNED (OR RELEARNED) DURING THIS PODCAST.

• Reach out. What do you have to lose?

• Keep traveling. Keep exploring. Keep connecting.

• Tradition can impede growth. Don’t get caught up in how it has always been.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• Congratulations to Erin Nenow for cutting the ribbon at Ascend Coffee Roasters in San Marcos, CA.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E1

Guest: Becca Awld, Lil Baggins Coffee RoastersFrom: San Diego, CAInstagram: @lilbagginscoffeeWebsite: www.lilbaggins.com

*Enter promo code NEWBIE at checkout. New customer discount applies to orders over $13. Valid for one time use only per email address. Not valid with any other discount codes.

Welcome to Season 7 of the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast. Things are a bit different this season. The show is focused on Coffee People. As the podcast has grown, so has our audience. This season we're expanding our guest list beyond the West Coast. We'll be featuring coffee professionals from throughout the United States and even overseas in an effort to continue growing this craft coffee community.

Don't fret if you are here for coffee education. This show will still dive into the challenges facing the coffee industry and include educational episodes, but based on feedback from the audience, we've spun off the popular Coffee Smarter episodes into its own show.

The goal of the Coffee Smarter podcast is to enable listeners to brew better cups of coffee at home and a better coffee experience overall. The podcast is more focused and designed to be listened to while you're enjoying a cup of coffee.

Season 1 is dedicated to coffee brewers like the French press, Chemex, and v60 pour-over. We'll cover full immersion and pour over drippers. We'll dig into the history of at-home coffee brewers, how they work, and even their impact on the flavor of the coffee.

The founder and Head Roaster at Coffee Cycle Roasting in Pacific Beach, San Diego, California, Chris O'Brien, will join us as our Coffee Smarter expert on every single episode. Episodes drop Wednesday mornings.

Be sure to follow Coffee Smarter on your favorite podcast platforms. Subscribers to the R!WC newsletter will receive the episodes in their in-box just like always.

Some things in Season 7 will remain the same. For starters, we’ll talk to great guests like Becca Awld of Lil Baggins Coffee Roasters.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Becca was a late bloomer to coffee drinking (see what I did there). The gift of a Starbucks gift card has been continuing to pay dividends. Despite an overwhelming first craft coffee experience, Becca kept at it.

• Becca and her partner Matt began roasting coffee at home on a tabletop coffee roaster. Roasting in an upstairs apartment created some sitcom-worthy shenanigans, including the creation of the Super Flap 5000, a.k.a. a sheet of cardboard used to push smoke out the window.

• The Lil Baggins branding is not a Lord of the Rings reference, but it has come up because fans of the coffee have associated the two on their own. Rather, one goal of the branding’s cartoons and comedic imagery is to keep it fun.

• We are not alone in our mistakes. There is a good chance—nay, a guarantee—that someone else has been there before. Becca roasts coffee at the California Roasting Collective, which is a coffee roasting co-working space in San Marcos, CA. Roasters at all different levels of experience are in the building and creating a unique community of coffee colleagues. Whether at a coffee roasting collective or practicing your brewing techniques at home while listening to a podcast, we’re always learning and growing.

• Lil Baggins is asking for your requests on what type of coffee they roast in 2023. Let them know @lilbagginscoffee on Instagram.

• Perfect Strangers was a great TGIF sitcom.

FROM THE SHOW

I asked some of this show’s experts which drip coffee maker they would recommend for those who don’t want to brew their own coffee in a manual brewer. Across the board, they offered a piece of advice and a recommendation.

• Be sure to buy a good burr grinder ensuring consistently well-ground coffee beans.

• Check out Moccamaster drip coffee makers. Their various versions start at about $250. You can find decent coffee makers for cheaper, but it was noticeable that this one kept coming up when I asked coffee professionals for their recommendations. Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting specifically mentioned the maker’s water temperature controls and preciseness as reasons he would consider it for at-home use.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• Ignite Coffee Company got their final health permits (finally!) and opened the doors of their new cafe in Oceanside, California. The San Franciscan Roaster looks awesome, and the space looks great. I got to see it while it was under construction, and I have to admit, I wasn’t sure it would look as good as it does. Great job to the Ignite team. I’m drinking a mug of Ignite Colombia at home while writing this post! Check out the new space on Main St in Oceanside, or if you’re out of town, order a bag at www.ignitecoffeecompany.com.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Help us grow by subscribing to this newsletter!

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S7:E3 - BONUS EPISODE

Guest: Chris O’Brien, From: San Diego, CAInstagram: @coffecycleroasting Website: www.coffeecycleroasting.com

Every time I think the season is over, a cup of coffee sucks me back in. In this case, it was the opportunity to touch base with my personal coffee sensei, Chris O’Brien. Chris has been part of the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast as an expert guest from the beginning. As I’ve mentioned on the show, it was my conversations with Chris that inspired this show in the first place.

Moving into 2023, he’ll be even more embedded into the R!WC world as my co-host on the Coffee Smarter podcast. Together we’ll work towards enabling the listeners of the show to make better cups of coffee at home, along with a more enjoyable coffee experience.

That doesn’t mean that Roast! West Coast is going anywhere. R!WC will continue to bring you the inspiring stories of coffee people. Expect more interviews with the innovators and entrepreneurs involved in the coffee industry, including roasters, cafe owners, baristas, marketers, researchers, and farmers. Prepare to be inspired.

Thanks for continuing to support R!WC. Happy holidays.

Ryan

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

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S7:E2 - BONUS EPISODE

Guest: Netty Taylor, RayJen Coffee LLCFrom: Bandon, ORInstagram: @rayjencoffeellcWebsite: https://rayjencoffee.com/

“Anytime somebody is trying to make their world better, I’m all-in.”

Netty Taylor, RayJen Coffee LLC

I left the conversation with Netty inspired–inspired to try something new. I’ve started drinking more espresso and coffee drinks in addition to my standard black batch-brewed cup of joe.

I also left the conversation thinking about my personal interaction with the internet. I’ve since been motivated to engage online in a healthier way. For example, I took a month-long news hiatus, and instead of scrolling social media while enjoying my morning coffee, I’ve been reading, um, books.

I’m not prescribing the same to anyone reading this newsletter or listening to the podcast ON THE INTERNET, but I’m fairly excited to find that with a little effort, I can change my habits. Now, if I could only get back on track learning Spanish.*

I find it fascinating when kids follow in the footsteps of their entrepreneurial parents. I think a lot of it has to do with growing up and seeing businesses being built. A kid with enterprising parents goes into the working world knowing it is possible. They’ve seen the rewards and challenges. They’ve been absorbing the experience without realizing it. I also think there is a bit of risk-taking that gets passed down, but I have no research to back that up.

As for Netty, she went out into the world. She followed her passion for motorcycles into a career as a mechanic. The opportunity to join the family business and to live in a community like Bandon, Oregon, inspired her to move to the coast. Her son grew up in the roastery and is now in the business himself. Perhaps his journey will lead him to follow in Netty’s footsteps.

Side note: I love Bandon, Oregon. It was the first place I ever saw a whale despite living in Southern California for the past decade. There is a pod of Orcas that spend their summers feeding in the channel leading out of the harbor instead of continuing south on their migration. The stretch of coastline between Bandon and Newport, OR, is a hotspot for both Orca and Gray whale sightings.

*Also, on the internet with the Duolingo App. The internet isn’t bad, but like any relationship, it helps to maintain balance. If you are online, you can shop for RayJen Coffee or support the brand by snagging some of their new merch here:

FROM THE SHOW

• Rainforest Alliance: In addition to working on climate solutions and environmental protections, the RA is focused on developing sustainable agriculture, protecting human rights in rural areas, preventing child labor, improving working conditions, and increasing prosperity in the rural communities that engage with forests.From the organization, “We envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.”

• Breve: a breve is an espresso drink similar to a latte, but instead of milk, a breve is topped with steamed half and half and a layer of milk foam. Half and half has more fat than milk, which leads to a thicker, creamier, coffee drink. The breve is comprised of equal parts espresso and steamed half and half, and is an Americanized version of the traditional Italian latte.

COFFEE SMARTER

Be sure to follow Coffee Smarter on your favorite podcast platforms.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• Marea Coffee—small batches, roasted to order—is going to be relaunching after a long hiatus. I’ve seen a preview of their new website, and it is looking good.

• Steady State Roasting’s holiday gift giving guide videos have been quite entertaining. Way to go, Elliot. You’re crushing it. Follow @steadystateroasting on Instagram.

• For those who are looking to get a little dark over the holidays Ascend Roaster’s Holiday Blend is available until 12/30/2022. Tasting notes of maple, candied pecan, and dark chocolate. Order on ascendroasters.com.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S7:E1 - HOLIDAY BONUS EPISODE

Guest: Michael Barthmus, Sivetz Roasting MachinesPreferred coffee drink: AmericanoFrom: Hood River, ORInstagram: @thesivetzWebsite: https://www.sivetz.com/

Thanks for checking into the R!WC newsletter. I hope this finds you enjoying a mug of coffee while wearing cozy pants and watching a fire, or campfire, or a video of a fire on your favorite streaming platform. That’s what I’m doing over the holidays.

I’m also traveling and taking advantage of the trip to explore new coffee shops and roasters across the west. Shout out to Cygnus Coffee Bus and Copeka Coffee in Palisade, CO, for the great morning cups of coffee today.

This bonus episode of the R!WC podcast features Michael Barthmus, Owner and CEO of Sivetz Coffee Roasters. At least, that is what he’s doing now. He previously owned and operated Doppio Coffee in Hood River, OR.

That cafe is still open, but Michael wanted to step back from the day-to-day grind that comes with running a retail operation. Like many entrepreneurs, he decided to do something just as, if not much more, challenging in the revitalization of the Sivetz Roasting Machine company.

Thanks for listening to the show, and if you’re able, take a moment to relax this holiday with a cup of coffee.

FLUID BED ROASTERS

Fluid bed coffee roasters, like Sivetz Roasting Machines, use a bed of hot air to heat a batch of coffee beans. The beans are rotated by the forced air allowing for all sides of the bean to be roasted evenly.

The heat from the roaster is transferred directly to the bean from the hot air. This is different from a drum roaster, in which beans are heated by both hot air and direct contact with the heated drum (conduction and convection heat).

The Sivetz SRM15 is the first new roaster to come out under Michael’s ownership and with the steadying hand of engineer Bob Oldfather. It expands on the original roasters that were in production by enhancing the design and user experience and by updating the technology for a new generation of roasters. The current roaster has built-in roasting software, but it is also compatible with the expansive programs available currently (see below).

Up next for Sivetz is improving the company’s sustainability and developing a larger 30-kilogram roaster to meet the demand for larger roasting operations. What’s up next for Michael? I hope it is a pint from pFriem Brewing and a nap in front of the fireplace.

A MINOR LIST OF CURRENT COFFEE ROASTING SOFTWARE

In addition to monitoring your roast profiles, today’s coffee business software is often inclusive of all aspects of the business, from tracking inventory to creating a database of cupping notes and much more. Cropster and Artisan are the two most commonly mentioned on the podcast.

• Cropster - “Cropster helps you monitor and manage every part of your roastery, doing the busy work you don't have time for. Track your green coffee with automatic inventory adjustments and easily stay on top of cupping notes, production plans, production volumes, roast profiles, run out dates, and traceability.”

• Artisan - “Artisan is an open-source software that helps coffee roasters record, analyze, and control roast profiles. This software can automate the creation of roasting metrics to help make decisions that influence the final coffee flavor.”

• RoastLog - “RoastLog suite of tools streamlines the coffee roasting process. From green coffee inventory organization and sample management, to roast profile and cupping notes, RoastLog semessly unites the roast production process.”

BARISTA MAGAZINE

Roast! West Coast was recently featured by Barista Magazine as one of the four coffee podcasts that are essential listens. We thank author Tanya Nanetti for including us with some other great shows to add to your feed. Click to read the column.

COFFEE SMARTER

Coffee Smarter is a new podcast under the Roast! West Coast Coffee Podcast. We’ve had Coffee Smarter segments on the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast from the beginning, but our show has grown. We’re splitting it in two.

Coffee Smarter will focus on coffee education that is entirely geared toward making a better cup of coffee at home. These episodes are more succinct and focused, but with all the Roast! West Coast coffee banter you’ve come to expect.

Be sure to follow Coffee Smarter on your favorite podcast platforms.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

• Some big expansion news coming for Ascend Roasters. Stay tuned!

• Ignite Coffee Company finally has their last health department inspection scheduled before the opening of their long awaited cafe and roasting space in Oceanside, CA! Grand Opening is anticipated for early in January 2023.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP20

Guest: Jack Quint, Head Roaster & Founder, Deltina Coffee RoastersFrom: Oceano, CAInstagram: @deltinacoffeeWebsite: www.deltinacoffeeroasters.com

“I think it [dark roast] is a little bit of a lost art.”

Jack Quint, Deltina Coffee Roasters

How do we choose where to live? Is it for the job? Family? Community? Lifestyle? How do we weigh those pillars against each other, and how does being an entrepreneur impact those choices?

I ended up in Southern California, but it took growing up in Wisconsin and stints in New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Los Angeles to get here. It wasn’t just the relative warmth the coast offered but a job offer (for my wife), our housing opportunities, family influence, and so much more.

For the podcast, today’s interviewee Jack Quint was sitting outside his roastery. It was a brilliant morning. During the video chat, the foggy marine layer broke, and a ray of sunshine illuminated the metal wall behind him. That it was during a particularly passionate monologue about the coffee he’s chosen to roast didn’t seem accidental. I’m not a big believer in fate, but…maybe…maybe.

There aren’t a lot of hard and fast rules about the path we take in our careers and life despite what social norms, family, or our own preconceptions may lead us to believe. The point being is that Jack seems to be right where he’s meant to be—roasting coffee for the community of Oceano and those who find themselves on the coast of California.

FROM THE SHOW

• I mentioned that Jack is the second Chicago-based CPA turned coffee roaster to join the podcast. The first was Taylor Fields, founder of Nostalgia Coffee Roasters. Taylor started Nostalgia Coffee as a coffee truck, but this week, she opened the company's first brick & mortar location in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego. That interview with Taylor was one of my favorites that season. She opened up about a wide range of topics, including the impacts of being an entrepreneur on a relationship, being a woman in business, and the fear of giving up stability for a passion. If you missed it then or are looking for some inspiration now, I highly recommend you check it out. Check it out here:

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER • CASTRO • PANDORA • LISTEN NOTES • DEEZER • PODVINE

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S6:EP19

Guest: David Yardley, CEO & Co-Founder, MoonGoat CoffeeFrom: MoonGoat has two locations in Orange County, CA. One in Costa Mesa and another in Garden Grove.Instagram: @moongoatcoffeeWebsite: www.moongoat.comVisit: MoonGoat has two locations. One in Costa Mesa, CA and another in Garden Grove, CA.

I would say specialty coffee is defined by quality more than anything else.

David Yardley, MoonGoat Coffee

Chatting with David was a real treat. First, it was just nice to be back in the podcast booth. Secondly, I appreciated his positivity about the coffee marketplace, generally, but without ignoring the real challenges facing the industry over the next century. Maintaining positivity in the face of challenge is a true skill, and I left our chat feeling more optimistic.*

My big takeaway from the chat was that MoonGoat Coffee is taking a comprehensive view of the potential coffee market they serve. They are trying to reach established craft coffee drinkers who want unique specialty coffees. They are also reaching out to entry-level craft drinkers with their soon-to-be-released instant craft coffee.

I’m still deciding how I feel about applying the craft term to an instant coffee. Still, if innovations by craft coffee companies will draw in more consumers who’re buying big box store coffees now, I’m willing to engage the premise. Worst case, farmers are being paid fair wages for coffee; in the best case, they are getting paid, and there is a new gateway coffee. This is a big tent. Everyone is welcome.

*This is not my natural resting state.

FROM THE SHOW

David mentioned two organizations MoonGoat supports as part of their effort to create a better coffee community, including:

• Growers First - A non-profit advocate for farming communities, particularly in Central America. They are a faith-based organization that develops “…strategies that meet the economic, agricultural, educational, health, and spiritual needs of poor farming communities, resulting in long-term, sustainable transformation.”While most of their work is in Central America, the non-profit’s homebase is in Laguna Beach, CA. You can see a list of their completed and current projects by clicking here.

World Coffee Research is an organization that does what they call “purpose-driven work” that has the potential to improve coffee productivity, coffee quality, climate resilience, and farmer livelihoods.”They definitely focus on the science but are also a great resource for coffee education. The resources they make available (and that I often use) cover everything from sensory vocabulary to how farmers can account for their carbon output. Link to WCR Resources Page.

A turning point in David’s career was the inaugural coffee science seminar at the UC-Davis School of Engineering. That seminar has grown into a full on undergrad, graduate, and continuing education program with three facilities dedicated to coffee science.

COFFEE VOCAB

• Split Bags: It’s exactly what it sounds like. More than one roaster collaborates to purchase a bag of green coffee—often 50-60kg—which they then split between themselves. It is a popular strategy among micro-roasters, home-roasters, and beginners, as a way to buy quality beans that won’t go to waste without going over budget.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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You have likely noticed we’re currently on an interlude near the end of season 6, but the show will return with a brand new interview on Thursday, November 3rd. That is one week from today, with an interview with the team behind Moon Goat Coffee in Orange County.

COMING SOON

So…this is new.

SUPPORT R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER • CASTRO • PANDORA • LISTEN NOTES • DEEZER • PODVINE

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S6:EP15

Guest: Christopher Owens & Doug Meils, Right Quick RoastersFrom: Los Angeles, CAInstagram: @rightquickroastersWebsite: www.rightquick.la

Right Quick Roasters is a new business. Christopher Owens and Doug Meils are the entire staff. They do all the jobs. They are the head roasters and the human resources department. They are marketing, administration, operations, customer service, packaging, delivery, design, and every level in between.

This happens when you start a business. Your resume says one thing, but the reality is much more complex. At least in Christopher and Doug’s case, they’ve already done most of those jobs, and they have each other to depend on.

When partnerships work, the heights that can be achieved are much greater than one person can scale alone. See Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak starting Microsoft. When partnerships stop working, the fallout is much greater too. See Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak at Microsoft.

Partners often depend on each other’s skills. More than that, they depend on each other to be honest and push each other to do more than might be comfortable.

Christopher and Doug specifically address these value ads in today’s podcast. They have different skills, yes, but more than that, they acknowledge that they are both still learning and growing. They leave room for each other to share, be vulnerable, and bring ideas—good or bad—to the table, knowing that it is in service of making their coffee effort better.

FROM THE SHOW

• In San Diego and like cool, handcrafted stuff? Check out the Coffee Cycle Maker’s Market Sunday, October 9th from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Click this link for event details: CCR Maker’s Market.

• Check out Las Lila’s on Instagram here: @laslilascoffee

• Steady State Roasting has a new monthly newsletter. Check it out. Click here to sign up (scroll to the bottom of the page).

NOT FROM THE SHOW

• In this episode, I mentioned a growing envy for Christopher and Doug’s partnership. I really appreciate the value of collaboration. You may have heard me reference a business partnership I was a part of that failed. Coincidentally, I was blogging about the start-up experience and keeping a semi-consistent journal. If you’re interested in learning more about the impact caused by one business partnership not surviving, you can read the journals—which were not edited for grammar at the time—on LinkedIn. Here are two posts that deal specifically with me discovering my business partner was leaving the business and another on how that impacted me.Read the post: Divorce.

Read the post: The Fallout.

• Roast! Industry Partner Camp Coffee Company has a loyalty program. It’s not new but it feels like a good time to remind you. Lots of coffee roasters offer some sort loyalty rewards, and for as much coffee as you drink, you should definitely be maxing them out. At Camp, the rewards range from free coffee and food to merch.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

If I’ve learned anything at all about coffee in the six seasons I’ve hosted this show, it is that getting a good cup of coffee is all about minimizing the variables that can eff up your cup of coffee. To pull a great espresso, you need properly ground coffee, and a well-executed tamp to avoid channeling.

Tamping is the act of compressing finely ground coffee grinds into the coffee bucket that then locks into the espresso machine. A coffee bucket is more accurately referred to as a portafilter, and it is where the grinds sit while an espresso machine is forcing water through them. To quote Chris, “if we don’t have fancy terms for things, nobody takes us seriously.”

To which, I might say, I’m not sure people should take Chris or me seriously.

An uneven tamp causes over and under extracted coffee in the same espresso shot. That can make it difficult to identify what went wrong!

Common flavor note of over-extracted espresso: barbecue sauce.

Common flavor notes of under-extracted espresso: salty, metallic, and sour.

Channeling happens when water finds a crack or is pushed onto an unevenly tamped portafilter. Water will find the path of least resistance causing portions of the grinds to come into more contact with the water causing over and under extracted portions of the espresso shot.

When tamping manually, push until the coffee pushes back. Meaning don’t over push or put your whole weight on you elbow or wrist to prevent injury.

FROM THE SHOW

The Knock Box is exactly what it sounds like. It is a designated container with an edge or often a rod through it that you knock or tap the portafilter against after pulling an espresso. The coffee puck (grinds) will pop out of the portafilter into the container, preventing a big mess or having touched an unsanitary surface.

Chris described an image he once saw explaining the pressure an espresso machine puts on coffee as similar to three ballerinas dancing on the portafilter (recreated below). There are various espresso machines, including steam, lever, pump, automatic, and more. Ultimately they are all creating a process that does the same action: push hot water through the coffee grinds using pressure.
I most commonly see the amount of pressure needed to make an espresso (again, smart people can disagree on the details) is 8-10 bars. 9 bars is the standard accepted by the World Barista Championships. Bars (like psi) are a measurement of pressure. One bar is roughly equal to 14.50 psi (pounds per square inch), meaning 9 bars are equal to 130.5 pounds per square inch.

A standard 58mm portafilter has just under three square inches. There are a lot of numbers here, which can get confusing. I’m certainly confused, but the image makes it easier to understand. Espresso machines put much more pressure on a coffee puck than a person can by tamping—roughly three ballerinas worth.

I can’t explain Laminar Flow as easily as Destin from Smarter Every Day. This is a great Youtube channel to watch if, like me, you think science is fascinating but don’t have a natural aptitude for it.

Chris recommended the book Water For Coffeeby Chris Herndon & Maxwell Dashwood for anyone wanting to learn more about how water chemistry impacts the flavor and character of a cup of coffee.

Watch the first 20s of this video to see the BOSe Tamper in action.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

If you’ve ever wondered what motivated me to put the work into Roast! West Coast, Canvas Rebel online magazine was kind enough to recently feature an interview with me in their magazine. Learn more about my podcasting and writing efforts, and where this creative journey is headed. Read the article here.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP13

Guest: John Pierson, Founder at Servant Coffee Roasters
From: Denver, CO
Instagram: @servantcoffee
Website: www.servantcoffee.com

That’s kind of the evolution of Servant coffee and where we got the name, was that we always felt like we need that daily reminder to serve other people first before ourselves.

• John Pierson, Servant Coffee

Nothing ever goes as planned, at least not exactly as planned. During the interview with John, I kept thinking about the adjustments he made—some minute, some huge—that brought him to the precipice of entrepreneurship.

I’m not sure that it matters if the adjustments are made due to conscious, well-thought-out choice or adapting to the pebbles and boulders spread out before him.

There is an equilibrium between all those decisions, actions, and reactions that had to be maintained for his life path to lead him to the decision point where he made a choicechose to leap from a career in the energy industry. Another series of pushing and pulling guided him into roasting. Yet another put himself on the line and take on the responsibility of business ownership.

Then the pandemic hit. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned.

Another push-pull ensues. For Servant Coffee being a young roaster—still small and nimble—made it easier to pivot. Their original customer’s needs were changing with Covid, so Servant had to change course. They identified new potential customers to add through grocery markets and kept moving forward. Another boulder avoided.

FROM THE SHOW

I could write 10,000 words on the value of travel, but that seems unnecessary in a world where there are photos. A visit to a coffee farm in Colombia was instrumental in John’s path to opening Servant Coffee. Now, sending the team on origin trips is an important component of connecting with the producers of the coffee they roast. John’s wife, Sarah Pierson, is a travel-based entrepreneur who operates Purposeful Wanderings, a purpose-based travel agency. Check out www.purposefulwanderings.com.
The photos below are from Servant Coffee’s 2021 origin trip to the Gihanga Coffee Project in Rwanda.

The photo over John’s shoulder during our video chat was of the iconic Christ the Redeemer stature atop Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca National Park overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. That photo was much, much better than this one I was able to source.

While it is obviously not the same, Servant’s logo does include some similar features including the icon on top of a mountain peak.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

R!WC Industry partner Mostra Coffee was recently featured in Locale Magazine as the place to go for coffee in Bankers Hill. “Whether you’re opting for a classic Americano or their signature Campfire Latte, there’s no better way to start your day in Bankers Hill.” Click to read the article.

Wallethub.com released their annual Best Coffee Cities in America list including 4 West coast locales in the Top 5, including San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Honolulu. More on this list in the next newsletter.
I’m not arguing about Honolulu not part of the West Coast. It’s literally our furthest west coast!

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP12

Guest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle Roasting
Role: Founder & Head Roaster
From: Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
Instagram: @coffeecycleroasting
Website: www.coffeecycleroasting.com

I started this podcast episode by asking Chris a question about his cafe’s 5th Anniversary direct trade coffee releases expecting a quick, “They’ll great! You’ll love them!” sort of answer before we moved on to the Coffee Smarter questions of the day. That was a mistake. I know from years of experience as his colleague and friend that direct trade, fair treatment, and pay for coffee farmers is a passion for Chris.

I can confirm the roasting of the direct trade coffees went well. I drank the Honduras Gesha from Juan Urquia Farm Saturday morning and ate a cupcake for good measure. Juan Urquias and his business partner Liliana Cardona visited Coffee Cycle earlier this year.

After a coffee sampling and some back and forth between the farm and the cafe, Chris purchased several bags of coffee to roast with more anticipated in the future. Juan sent the Gesha as a special gift to honor their new partnership.

You know that game Six Degrees of Separation? With my morning coffee yesterday, I only needed two to trace coffee back to the source—me to Chris and Chris to Juan. That’s a pretty cool feeling of connectedness. It’s available to us anytime we buy an ethically sourced cup of coffee, buy groceries at the Farmer’s Market, pick up beer at the brewery, or even make an effort to buy books at the indie book shop.

I’m not the best person to be advocating for connectedness. I’ve often gone out of my way to disconnect! Most of my careers have involved a lot of direct engagement with strangers. At some point, I began to crave the silence that comes from sitting home alone on the couch with a book and a cup of coffee. I have, at times, claimed to be an introvert.

And yet, I find myself seeking out connections through this podcast, through my cup of coffee, and getting excited to engage with every new show guest, listener, or stranger with a story to tell. The two sides of my personality are in a never-ending dual in which they both seem to think they’ve won and both lost.

They’re not wrong.

FROM THE SHOW

The price of milk to both producers and consumers has gone over time. Coffee farmers haven’t seen the same sort of consistency. In a fun sort of time waster, TasteOfHome.com created a list enabling readers to see the cost of milk from roughly the time period they were born. See the list here.

Coincidentally, Yahoo! Finance collected the same info for a cup of coffee (from other sources. In the year I was born, an average cup of coffee cost $1.04. Generally, the price has raised by a few pennies (adjusted for inflation) each year since 1940. Find the price of a cup of coffee the year you were born here.

AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF THE COMPOUNDS IN COFFEE

Acids

Salts

Caffeine

Sugars

Sugars, salts, and acids have the most easily identifiable flavors. Adding sugars in the form of sugar, cream, and syrup will change the flavor of your coffee. Add too much, and you risk masking the natural sweetness of the coffee and may diminish the other flavor notes. That said, the best coffee to drink is the coffee you enjoy. If adding a bit of milk or cream makes coffee more enjoyable for you, then go for it!

Pro-tip #1: If you’re trying to wean back on the additives to your coffee, cut the sugar before the cream. Coffee already has naturally occurring sugars that add sweetness. Ask your barista for advice on which coffees have more sweetness than others.

Pro-tip #2: Milk isn’t all bad. If coffee bums out your tummy, the milk can help balance some of the acidity of the coffee.

Pro-tip #3: An easy way to reduce the additives in your coffee is to experiment with traditional espresso drinks. Create a ladder of drinks to try reducing the milk as you go—latte, cappuccino, macchiato, cortado, espresso.

ANAEROBIC PROCESSED COFFEE

Chris mentioned anaerobic processing during the podcast, and I wanted to clarify his meaning. Tradition coffee processing (washed, natural) is primarily done in the open air. The processing of the coffee leads to fermentation of the sugar found in the coffee cherry.

Anaerobic processing is different because the coffee beans are pulled from cherries and tossed into a big stainless steel tank. The mucilage left over (coffee cherry gunk) is collected and spread over the coffee beans. Some producers will even add flavor compounds during this step. The tank is then sealed. Any oxygen in the tank will be quickly converted to carbon dioxide or pumped out.

The coffee then stews in its own juices for awhile while the sugars are doing their fermentation magic. The process is more controlled than traditional processing methods and easier to replicable. Producers using the anaerobic process can develop intense flavor profiles that may be fruitier and less bitter.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP11

Guest: Andrew Scott, Founder and Head Roaster at Inflection Point Coffee
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @ipcoffee717
Website: https://inflectionpoint.coffee/

Oh, this has been the best. Yes, it's been difficult. It's been stressful, but it's a different stress when it's for your own company…It's that stress of ownership. It's okay. I know that I'm dealing with this. It's mine, and I'm going to grow it or not, or whatever it is. It's my stress, and I get to own that. It's my actions alone that are going to, like, shift that, alleviate it. I only need to be as stressed as I want to be.

Andrew Scott, Inflection Point Coffee

There is a romance to the grand idea of starting a business in the garage. It’s worked before. Apple was started in a two-car garage in Los Altos, CA. Google, a two-car in Menlo Park, and Hewlett-Packard, a single in Palo Alto, CA. Disney started in a small shed masquerading as a garage in Anaheim, CA.

It’s not just that there is a bit of magic out there in the space away from the reality of meals and television and family and any number of distractions. The garage is where work gets done. It’s no different than the mental transition that comes with putting on a uniform or heading into the office to sit behind a desk. The garage is where work gets done.

It isn’t a coincidence that garages in Southern California have become famous for the number of world-changing businesses that have come out of them. First, the cost per square foot to rent or purchase space is prohibitive for many start-ups and has been for decades. Second, the weather is conducive to year-round work (or play) outside.

Andrew Scott got his start roasting coffee in Chicago.* His Wife gave him a basic Behmor coffee roaster as a gift for Valentine’s Day. It’s his origin story. His new hobby became a passion and part of his work until, one day, it became his work. However, it might not have had they stayed in Chicago.

The winters in the Midwest can be notoriously cold and the wind whistling through the garage brutal. In Andrew’s case, his path led him to electric roasting, which enables him to use solar power, which is beneficial both for the cost of use and for creating a more sustainable business. California’s plentiful sunshine and relatively warm weather** make both possible.

The point is that sometimes our path is often diverted by our environment—not to mention circumstance, chance, and, if you believe in it, fate. I found myself quite inspired by this week’s podcast interview with Andrew Scott and grateful for his willingness to share more than his story.

*I drank my first cup of coffee at Star Lounge Coffee Bar—an off-shoot of Dark Matter Coffee Roaster—in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. It was an awesome experience, and more than a decade later, I’m still grateful for the care the baristas took in guiding me.

**Relative is the key term. I’m wearing a stocking cap as I write this column because it is a cool 70 degrees. The lack of humidity makes 70 feel cold. My apologies to my Wisconsin brethren.

FROM THE SHOW

The Friends show has been off the air for almost two decades, and yet it is still so popular that you can tour the set of the Central Perk Coffee Shop on Stage 48 at Warner Bros. Studios. In the late 1990s, cafe’s around the country were adding soft lighting, pastries, and plenty of cushioned lounge areas in hopes of drawing loyal customers to the cafe experience.

I don’t have my father’s luck either.

When you start to go down the path towards opening a food/beverage production business like a coffee roaster or a food/beverage service business like a coffee shop or cart, you will quickly be overwhelmed–at least momentarily—by required permits and health code restrictions. Even just finding the right information for your business can be hard.
Toast (a restaurant point-of-sale) software company put together this list of general permits you will likely need wherever you are to get started. It’s an easy to consume starting point, but if you’re serious, you’ll very quickly end up on your local government website. They may even have a handy brochure like this one at your local town hall or library:

It will be a lot of information to consume from not terribly well-organized government websites. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification. Often there can be very helpful local officials whose job it is to help new businesses navigate all the rules.
In San Diego County—and many others—the Health Department will require a Food Plan Check. This is a big one and will be the one that determines whether or not you finally get to operate your business.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP10

Guest: Alden Hozouri, Crossings Coffee Roasters, CAFÉ LaTERRE
Role: Founder & Head Roaster, Operator at
From: North County San Diego, CA
Instagram: @cafe.laterre & @crossingscoffee
Website: https://www.cafelaterre.com/ & https://www.crossingscoffee.com/

V60

At home, I generally brew my coffee in one of three styles: Aeropress, French press, and V60 pour over. This video from Steady State Roasting nearly exactly* encapsulates how I brew a V60, except I’m not sitting down, and I often forget a swirl in my morning fog.

*See Coffee Vocab Below.

COFFEE VOCAB

Pulsing - A type of pouring technique where you take breaks during your pour instead of continuously pouring until you reach your desired total volume.

This is the only real difference between what I do at home and what the Steady State Team does at home. Instead of pouring the entire balance of water in one shot for the final pour, I use the pulsing technique. I’m not sure when I started doing it, but I think it adds some aeration to the brewing process, and it looks cool.

FROM THE SHOW

In S1:E7 of the R!WC podcast, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle took us on a deep dive exploring grind size, burr versus blade grinders, and the Ice Cube Theory. All About the Grind.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

It is officially Pumpkin Spice season. No amount of coffee pretension can (nor should it) stop the onslaught of pumpkin spice that will be consumed over the next month. Merriam-Webster has officially recognized this juggernaut by including it in the dictionary this month—along with 369 other words and phrases. See all the new words on Merriam-Webster. Shoutout to Sprudge.com for bringing this to our collective attention.

Roast! Industry Partner Coffee Cycle Roasting, in the Pacific Beach (PB) neighborhood of San Diego, is turning 5 this week. The Beach & Bay Press did a nice feature on their journey and detailing the community they’ve built. They’re releasing two new direct trade coffees in celebration and there is a rumor floating around that there will be cupcakes. Read the article in Beach & Bay Press.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

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S6:EP9

Guest: Ryan Espi & David Elizondo, Co-CEO’s of First Light Whiskey
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @firstlightwhiskey
Website: www.firstlighwhiskey.com

First Light Whiskey has won a bunch of SIP Awards. What are they?

The SIP Awards stands apart as the only internationally recognized consumer judging spirits competition. Catering to the opinions and palates of the discerning public, the SIP Awards presents a unique, spirit judging competition, unaffected by industry bias. This pragmatic and refreshing model of evaluation provides an honest stage for feedback and recognition where top brands showcase their achievements. www.sipawards.com

Basically, it’s the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards for booze. Consumers are the judges, but not all consumers can be judges. There is a curated group of about 300 consumer judges (it changes annually) who are not affiliated in any way with the spirits industry. They are sent sampler kits to try (see video below) and then return their judging forms.

The awards are a bit confusing. Instead of the standard bronze, silver, and gold, competitors can place in bronze, silver, gold, double-gold, platinum, and platinum-best-in-class. In 2021, First Light Coffee Whiskey won a Platinum Award, and their Dark Roast blend won Double-Gold. Basically, they place two whiskeys in the very top spots in their category.

I made a First Light Whiskey Chocolate Whiskey Cake. It was so delicious, I wrote about it for the local newspaper. Click here to read the article and see the recipe.

I usually pour a shot of Bulleit and a 3/4 shot of First Light Whiskey into a glass over a single ice cube, but you might want something with a bit more flair. Coffee Whiskey Cocktail recipes by First Light Whiskey can be found here: https://www.firstlightwhiskey.com/cocktails

Ryan and David want you to give their coffee whiskey a chance. Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Don’t forget Mostra Coffee offers free batch brew coffees to Educators (plus 10% off total order) every single Tuesday. Just show your school ID at any location.

Speaking of Mostra Coffee…Save the Date - Saturday, October 29, 2022, Mostraland 8th Anniversary Party event details have dropped, and you can sign up to be notified when tickets are available here.

I’ve been forcing myself to get outside to enjoy my cups of coffee. Despite the late summer heat, mornings on the West Coast have still been quite nice. Tag @roastwestcoast on your #coffeeoutside snaps.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

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S6:EP8

Guest: Alden Hozouri, Crossings Coffee Roasters, CAFÉ LaTERRE
Role: Founder & Head Roaster, Operator at
From: North County San Diego, CA
Instagram: @cafe.laterre & @crossingscoffee
Website: https://www.cafelaterre.com/ & https://www.crossingscoffee.com/

This week’s Coffee Smarter episode will be of special interest to anyone setting up a coffee bar in a small space or kitchen, but the considerations Alden suggests paying attention to apply to coffee spaces of any size. I’m always interested in the thought processes behind how a space has been designed. Besides coffee roasters, my Instagram feed is primarily filled with tiny homes and old homes that need to be saved…and dogs being dogs.

Thanks for listening to the Roast! West Coast podcast. If you’ve enjoying R!WC, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other listeners find the show.

R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid supporter of this content! Thank you for your support.

MENU BOARD OF THE WEEK

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Speaking of pursuing excellence, Steady State Roasting is Hiring! Send your coffee resume to hello@steadystateroasting.com

Camp Coffee Company turned 3 years old this week! Congrats to Jason Simpson and the team at Camp. If you find yourself in Oceanside, CA stop by and say hello! Read about Camp Coffee on the R!WC Bean Journal.

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP7

Guest: Ryan Espi & David Elizondo, Co-CEO’s of First Light Whiskey
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @firstlightwhiskey
Website: www.firstlighwhiskey.com

The inspiration for the name First Light Whiskey comes from the surf report. It is a reference to the very first rays of sunlight that dance across the waves. They represent the start of a new day and of a new adventure. Being out there early will enable you to catch the best waves. You’ll know in your heart that you’re seizing the day, but it isn’t for everyone.

Some days the waves will be choppy. Some days you’ll wake up sore and tired. The reefs are sharp, and the rocks are not welcoming. Some days it will be cold, and your bed will be so cozy. Hell, you don’t really know what’s down there on any given morning. It is a risky proposition. The reward for getting up anyway are mornings with perfect overhead lefts, communing with dolphins, and sharing hot coffee on the cliff after experiencing a true moment in nature.

A core tenet of the First Light Whiskey ethos is: Embrace the Unknown. Entrepreneurs face a never-ending string of challenges. Some are big, and some are small, but the rewards are great. The journey requires fortitude and a willingness to wake up each day and choose to paddle out.

Enjoy Part 1 of this interview with the First Light Whiskey co-CEOs. Part 2 will drop early next week.

Ryan and David want you to give their coffee whiskey a chance. Get 15% off First Light Whiskey at Barbank.com with DISCOUNT CODE: RWC

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Coffee pods are convenient as hell, but there is no way around the waste they produce. Claims of biodegradability are questionable, and the process often requires commercial-grade composting machines. The Swiss company Migros is attempting to create a less wasteful alternative. They’ve just launched the Coffee Ball.

Per SustainableBrands.com, “The compressed Coffee Balls are encased in a tasteless, colorless, seaweed-based coating that gives it structure and protects it from flavor loss — completely eliminating the need for traditional capsule casing…
…The thin, plant-based protective cover isn’t consumed and remains on the ball of used coffee after brewing. The whole Coffee Ball—casing and coffee—is fully garden compostable (the company says they decompose into valuable humus within four weeks). In contrast, biodegradable capsules are still made of plastic — which can take months, if not years, to fully decompose.”

The Coffee Ball isn’t available in the United States…yet.

Industry Partner Coffee Cycle Roasting was featured on KUSI in San Diego this week. Check out the spot and then order some Coffee Cycle roasted coffee!

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP

Guest: Ryan Sullivan, Mostra Coffee Company
Role: Director of Coffee Operations
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: https://www.mostracoffee.com/

It is good to be reminded that if your local roaster is serving the same house coffee over time, it isn’t really the same coffee. For example, Mostra’s Ghost Bear blend of coffee—available year-round—will have minor flavor variations depending on changes occurring during the growing process, like weather or processing, again during the roasting phase, and again during the brewing phase. You could order the same coffee once a month and always have a similar, familiar flavor that isn’t exact.

Roasters like Mostra that are shooting for a target flavor profile in a blend can help minimize the changes in their search for consistency by accounting for the flavor of the green coffee beans they purchase and by adjusting the controllable roast variables—things like time or temperature.

To really appreciate craft coffee and the skill of roasting craft coffee, I encourage you to embrace the nuance.

15% off at MostraCoffee.com this weekend using code: LABORDAY15

RYAN SULLIVAN’S QUICK TIPS FOR NEW ROASTERS

Don’t try to be bigger than you are. Avoid overbuying green coffee

Cup everything you roast. Cup it blindly.

Be flexible in order to adapt to variables.

Focus on quality when buying green beans. You can’t take a bad base product and make it fantastic. You can only make it a little bit better or a lot worse!

COFFEE FEST LA

My photos from the event turned out to be terrible. Here is a video from happy Baristas making Japanese-style iced filter coffee instead, because it is hot on the West Coast.

Coffee Fest PNW in Portland is coming up at the end of September. Check out the details here.

COFFEE VOCAB

Charge Temperature: The temperature the roaster is when you drop the green coffee beans into the roaster drum—like pre-baking an oven. A charge temperature that is too high can cause the roasted beans to be underdeveloped and if it is too high there is the risk of burning the beans. Read more about charge temperature impacts on Giesen.com.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

I’ve never been to Burning Man Festival (happening now in the Nevada desert), so I never knew that there was a massive coffee shop staffed by more than 1000 volunteers at the festival epicenter. Per the linked article from SFGate.com, the coffee enterprise at Center Camp was one of the very few places where money traded hands.
In part due to the environmental impact of the cafe—30,000 disposable cups and 25,000 gallons of greywater used—and in part due to an effort to uphold the ethos of Burning Man’s giving culture, this year's fest did not include the coffee shop. Instead, in a blog on their website, festival organizers encouraged attendees to plan ahead for their coffee needs. Perhaps by stopping by one of the estimated 150+ indie coffee shops that pop up during the five-day fest.

Industry Partner, Ascend Roasters was featured in the O-Side News this week. Read the column here.

Mark your calendars for National Coffee Day (September 29th).

MENU BOARD OF THE WEEK

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP5

Guest: Spencer Lambas, Founder/Head Roaster of Wilder Coffee Roasters
From: Coeur D’alene, ID
Instagram: @wildercoffeeroasters
Website: https://www.wildercoffeeroasters.com/

“I do what’s right for me and my family, and what’s right for my customers, and if there’s ever like a disconnect with that, then I just walk away from that situation.”

Do you remember your first coffee drink? What was the first drink you fell in love with—Americano, black coffee, or dirty chai latte? For this week’s guest Spencer, it was the iced white chocolate mocha with a blast of raspberry syrup.* It was his gateway drink.

It doesn’t matter what gets you started. It’s where you go with it.

Spencer’s has been a changing path. Early in his career, he was on a trajectory that seemed to be leading toward ministry, but his plans changed when he found his values were not being met. An entrepreneurial opportunity as a coffee roasting wholesaler presented itself, and he took it.

Since then, he’s eschewed the traditional expectation that to succeed in business, one has to follow a plan and seek out continual growth.

“ I sound like a broken record, but you know not having a strategy is kind of my strategy.”

It seems to be working, and Spencer is, in a word, thankful.

*As Coffee Smarter expert, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle has reminded us time after time, coffee blended with sugar and dairy and served over ice is basically an ice cream drink.

FROM THE SHOW

Siphon coffee is a form of brewing that utilizes heat under a glass brewer featuring two glass chambers connected by a tube. The upper chamber contains the coffee grounds, and the lower chamber contains water which is heated to a boil.

Heating the water creates vapor pressure (steam), forcing liquid up into the upper chamber, where it mixes with the grind. The brewer is then removed from the heat source, and as it cools, the brewed coffee is pulled back down through the tube, leaving the grounds in the brewer above.

I love the Fern Plant Shop. Somehow, all of my photos have disappeared, but I found a few on the @ferncda Instagram account that begins to give you an idea of what you’re walking into when you get a cup of coffee at Wilder Coffee Roasters.

THINGS I SAW AT COFFEE FEST LA

Effen brand Espresso Martini’s in a bottle (coming soon to a liquor store near you).

Robot Barista.

Latte Art Competition IRL.

Chocolate made from coffee beans.

Robot waiters on wheels.

Mostra Coffee’s Ryan Sullivan giving advice on how to win Roaster of the Year.

A boutique down the street called, “Brotox.” They offer botox…but…for bros.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Check out the most recent edition of the Bean Journal featuring Ascend Roasters at Old Cal Coffee in San Marcos, CA.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP4

Guest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source
Role: Co-Founder & Green Coffee Buyer
From: Anaheim, CA
Instagram: @haceacoffeesource
Website: https://haceacoffee.com/

It’s great to get the perspective of a green coffee buyer. It helps get into the mind of both sides of the coffee transaction, the farmers, and the roasters.

A coffee plant takes 2-4 years to be production-ready. Newer varieties will grow faster because…umm…science. Once mature, a tree can produce for upwards of 50 years, assuming the trees aren’t attacked by coffee rust or an out-of-season frost, or drastic weather event. However, the number of cherries a tree produces will decline, and the flavor will change as the tree ages.

Farms will counter declined production by periodically cutting a tree or section of coffee trees down. The process—called stumping—inspires new growth and increased production. They’ll continue that process until a tree is no longer producing cherries as needed, at which point that section of the farm will be replanted with new coffee plants beginning the cycle over. More on trees below.

You’ll be happy to know Jared and I did get together for coffee this week. This show started during covid and as such, I’ve had quite a few conversations with people, even repeat guests like Jared without actually meeting them! Both Jared and I will be at Coffee Fest LA this coming week. Don’t hesitate to say, “Hello.”

FROM THE SHOW

Jared’s recommendation this week: Arcade Coffee Roasters in Riverside, CA. They have two locations, but Jared specifically called out The Bakehouse. The food on their social media accounts look pretty stellar. @arcaderoasters

Per Jared, a varietal is a genetic mutation of a coffee plant that occurs naturally, and a cultivar is a coffee plant variation that has been developed by humans through crossbreeding. The terms are often mixed up or used incorrectly.

Wisconsin’s tipped employee wage requirement is $2.35, not $4.35, and the general minimum is $7.25.

R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid supporter of this content! Thank you for your support.
R!WC is celebrating Season 6 with 16% off new PAID subscriptions until September 1st, 2022.

TREES

A tree can be a shrub and a shrub can be a tree. A shrub can also be a bush, but a bush is unlikely to be a tree. Oh, and apparently banana trees are none of the above. They are an herb. So now that we’ve got that all figured out…

The terms tree, bush, and shrub are generally applied based on appearance. Trees are often tall, single trunk, woody plants and shrubs have multiple trunks, are short, and rounded in shape. Bushes are similar in description to a shrub but there are (likely passionate) arguments for when to use the term based on the plants location and whether or not the foliage is touching the ground. The term used is a linguistic choice and some plants can visually grow either way. There isn’t a hard and fast rule.

I found two articles on TheSpruce.com that helped clarify some of the variations. Read about Trees Vs. Shrubs and Shrubs Vs. Bushes.

During the show, I mentioned two books about trees that I strongly recommend. I accidentally said, “The Secret Life of…” when I meant “The Hidden Life of…” I only mention it because there is a book with the title, The Secret Life of Trees, that I have not read and can’t vouch for.

The first book walks through the relationships between trees, nature, and humans from the perspective of the author, and incorporates his observations with scientific study. The second interweaves the story of multiple protagonists in terms of their relationships with trees. It’s a book as dense as a pine forest, and Powers does a good job of bringing it all together in the end.

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben (non-fiction)

The Overstory, by Richard Powers (fiction)

I’ve interviewed two coffee farmers on this show and we spent more time talking about trees. Jay Ruskey, the founder of Frinj Coffee and Good Land Organics spoke to me twice. First about his entrepreneurial journey (streaming below) and second specifically about the impacts of climate change on coffee plants and farmers.

Kyle Rosa is one of the farmers in the Frinj Coffee network of small, domestic farmers and the owner of Breakers Coffee+Wine in Del Mar, California. He joined the show to chat more about why he gave up his career to be a farmer and what the first few years of prepping his coffee plants for production were like.

MENU BOARD OF THE WEEK

I have an affinity for typography and text design. It isn’t something people often think about, but as coffee shop customers, we’re confronted with both every time we look at the menu board. I recently realized I have an inordinate number of photos of coffee shop menus. I’ll be posting them here.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP3

Guest: Eddie Alaniz, Founder at Coffee Conspiracy Co.
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Instagram: @coffeeconspiracyco
Website: https://coffeeconspiracy.co/

I was introduced to Coffee Conspiracy Company by Mateo Nunez (Thoughts & Process Coffee) after his coffee was featured on Eddie’s cold brew bicycle. I don’t think Mateo realized it, but I’m a bicycle guy. For more than ten years, I was a full-time bicycle commuter, and I’ve even worked on a bike.

My first job in San Diego was riding a cargo tricycle filled to the brim with samples from a local organic dog food company. I would ride from my home to all the dog parks in the beach communities handing out samples and petting dogs. It is up there with the best jobs I’ve ever had.

The point being is I’m always excited when someone turns to the bicycle when pursuing an entrepreneurial effort the way Eddie has. His business is unique in more than just the number of wheels it is on. He has narrowed his coffee bike cafe offerings to just two* offerings—cold brew and cold lattes on draft.

Eddie’s currently working to transition his brand identity to be more of an e-commerce retailer with the bike cafe as his daily customer engagement. It’s a reminder that an entrepreneur needs to continually pivot to meet the needs of their customers and bottom line.

*Coffee Conspiracy Co also sells whole beans online and offers free shipping on orders over $50.

FROM THE SHOW

Dan Streetman is the founder of Bird and Bear Coffee Company. Eddie credits him with enabling him to learn how to roast coffee for his company.

Breve is an Italian word for short or brief, and breve coffee drinks are espresso with a slightly smaller amount of steamed half and half instead of traditional milk. The half and half—which is often a mix of whole milk and cream—creates a rich, creamy micro-foam and a naturally added sweetness.
If you just order a breve, your barista will likely default to a latte so be sure to be specific if, like Eddie, you’re looking for a variation of the cappuccino.

At Coffee Fest LA, Eddie is joining the Ground Control team on the vendor floor. Ground Control is a new company offering a batch coffee brewer that can produce a wide range of coffees, including hot coffee, cold brew, and even iced lattes. This video from Prima Coffee Equipment goes into the specifics much more in-depth than I can without actually having the machine on hand!

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Jason Simpson, Founder of Camp Coffee Company (Oceanside, CA) and friend of the R!WC podcast was featured on CanvasRebel.com early this month. Be sure to check out the article to learn more about him and Camp Coffee. If you’re really stoked the read, listen to the interview we did with Jason back in season 2 of this podcast!

R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid supporter of this content! Thank you for your support.
R!WC is celebrating Season 6 with 16% off new PAID subscriptions until September 1st, 2022.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S6:EP2

Guest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source
Role: Co-Founder & Green Coffee Buyer
From: Anaheim, CA
Instagram: @haceacoffeesource
Website: https://haceacoffee.com/

“Right now, I’m noticing Bolivian coffee, kind of emerging…on the other end of things, like, I’m working with someone from Uganda because I think there’s a lot of potential there.”

• Jared Hales

I'm just getting back into the swing of things, and there is so much to do and so many paths to take that I'm feeling a little scattered, even overwhelmed, and I've noticed that coming out in the interviews and coffee smarter chats that I've been recording.

I think that is good because it is the tangents where I stumble onto questions and answers I wasn't expecting. That's how we ended up talking about coffee origins on the horizon and my less than great summer experience making coffee with the Aeropress. Not that I'm blaming the Aeropress brewer!

Since I've been home, I've been brewing myself an Aeropress coffee on the days I don't find myself at a local coffee shop. The results have been significantly improved. Even when using the exact same coffee I brewed at camp.

It would have been easy to dismiss the brewer as one I didn't like, but instead, I decided to give it a puncher's chance by using it at home, where I could control more variables. What I suspect is that the hand grinder I was using this summer wasn't quite doing the job and leading me astray with inconsistent grind particles.

There is a life lesson in there somewhere.

FROM THE SHOW

Aeropress Prismo attachment Jared mentioned is from Fellow brand that serves two primary purposes. First, it creates a no-drip seal, which eliminates one of the few complaints you hear from Aeropress users. Especially those who use the press in the traditional fashion and not flipped upside down. Second, the coffee is forced through the seal in the center, creating more pressure and an espresso-like cup of coffee. Learn more and purchase from Fellow.

Did you know a traditional English silver utensil set might include 15 different types of spoon? I found more than sixty different types of spoons in all, and there are probably more. Bone marrow spoon, anyone? After going down a spoon rabbit hole—there are special spoons for mustard and cocaine, by the way—my biggest takeaway from Jared was that a coffee spoon has to have a deep enough bowl to get enough coffee into your mouth during a cupping so that you can spread the coffee across your taste buds.
I also learned that there are a lot of different components to a spoon, so I made this quick diagram. For the purposes of cupping/tasting coffee, you’ll want a spoon with a deep enough bowl.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

I stopped by the future home of Ignite Coffee Company this week to meet the founder, Tyler Whitehead, and see the progress on the space. It was a good reminder that opening a cafe—a temptation I regularly struggle with—isn’t easy.

The lease on the space was signed back in the spring, but Tyler only just recently got the city-approved permits to start his build-out. When they did, as is often the case, there was so much more work to be done than anticipated. Today, the space holds some oversized crates with his new San Franciscan roasting machine and a whole lot of dirt that came out of a trench dug for the plumbing where the future coffee bar is going to go.

If you’ve ever worked in a coffee shop or as a bartender, you’ve inevitably heard dozens, if not hundreds, of people tell you how they’ve always wanted to open their own place. If that person is you (and it has been me lately), think about the trench in the photo above and the months of rent that Ignite has been paying while waiting on the right papers to get signed. I know I will.

Tyler, we’re behind you 100%, and I can’t wait to stop by for a cup of 50/50 on drip sometime soon.

R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid supporter of this content! Thank you for your support.
R!WC is celebrating Season 6 with 16% off new PAID subscriptions until September 1st, 2022.

MENU BOARD OF THE WEEK

I have an affinity for typography and text design. It isn’t something people often think about, but as coffee shop customers, we’re confronted with both every time we look at the menu board. I recently realized I have an inordinate number of photos of coffee shop menus. I’ll be posting them here.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

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S6:EP1

Guest: Chris Vigilante, Founder at Vigilante Coffee
From: Hyattsville & College Park, MD and Oceanside, CA
Instagram: @vigilantecoffee
Website: www.vigilantecoffee.com

“Well, I always tell people you gotta count the failures before you count the successes, because it’s a whole series of failures leading up to the success.”

• Chris Vigilante

The hard part is maintaining faith that the next attempt will be a success. At least, it has been for me. Every time I’ve failed has been hard—emotionally, physically, and financially. Yet, there is something inside that eventually overrides any desire to play it safe and leads me back to the metaphorical, entrepreneurial edge.

Speaking of…

It feels great to be back for season 6 of the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast! I got lucky that Chris was my first interview of the season. He was open and willing to share his story—the good and bad—even though I had to admit that I judged his coffee roastery and, by extension, him by the name.

In my defense, Vigilante Coffee (Oceanside, CA) opened during a particularly fraught moment during the pandemic where tensions were high between businesses, customers, and communities trying to reconcile what was turning into a much longer pandemic than many believed was possible during the first wave of coronavirus.

Lesson learned, or at least remembered. Don’t judge a book by its cover.*

Season 6 of the show will feature an entirely new slate of interviews with coffee professionals. Our returning Coffee Smarter experts are going to cover a dearth of topics, including the life cycle of coffee plants, coffee spoons, espresso accessories, mistakes first-time roasters make, cold brewing techniques, and how to use a color meter, and so much more.

For paid subscribers, expect an onslaught of Bean Journal articles, and for anyone wanting to connect, a series of in-person events in Southern California and beyond.

All the discussion of failures and the desire to push forward in this week’s pod hit me hard. I recently left my full-time job to pursue this podcast and write books full-time. It’s a different type of entrepreneurial pursuit than opening a restaurant or cafe. Those challenges feel known and, therefore, almost comfortable. This one, building a podcast and writing this newsletter, feels downright scary.

And yet, something keeps pushing me forward, and it isn’t the cups of coffee I have each morning. Thanks for being here, for listening and reading, and for being part of the Roast! West Coast coffee community. I hope to clink a coffee mug with you someday, somewhere. Preferably at a local coffee shop.

*Full disclosure: I often choose actual books based on their covers. It isn’t a foolproof system, but it is fun to follow the art.

FROM THE SHOW

Some Bonus Notes from Chris Vigilante:
• Live music on Saturdays!
• Free, open-to-the-public coffee cuppings on Thursday mornings. Sample coffee with the roasters at Vigilante Coffee.
• VC releases new, single-origin coffees every two weeks.

I’m familiar with the concept of Win-Win-Win relationships from reading Yvon Chouinard’s books The Responsible Company and Let My People Go Surfing. The latter of which I used to give as a gift to the employees who completed my hospitality management training program. I strongly recommend both books, although The Responsible Company is a bit more technical and dry.
If you’re looking for a shorter synopsis, listen to Yvon on the How I Built This podcast hosted by Guy Raz on NPR.org. Even if you plan to read the book, it is a good interview, and then you’ll end up reading in his voice.

Chris mentioned a book he recommends for entrepreneurs called The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber. The subtitle of the book is “How to turn a great idea into a thriving business,” and the author looks like a skinny version of John Hammond, the wealthy businessman with a passion for dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.
If you don’t have a local bookstore, search on the used books for sale website AbeBooks.com for a copy of the original or revisited versions. I warn you the word “Guru” is used in several descriptions of the book. I borrowed a copy from the local library and will let you know if it gets a thumbs up or thumbs down from me soon.

B-Corps or Benefit Corps have come up on the show before. Essentially, the B-Corp is a type of business structure that enables a business to include a commitment to the environment, social justice, and doing no harm (among other positive impact goals) into its business structure. This type of corporate structure enables a business to consider more than just profits when meeting its fiduciary responsibilities.
B-Corps are not the only businesses that aim to do good, as evidenced by Vigilante Coffee, and becoming a B-Corp is challenging. However, this B-Corp finder is a great place to start if you’re looking for a business that matches your values and you don’t already know of one. Often, I find my favorite businesses are already B-Corps or meeting those standards. Find a B-Corp.
R!WC is a listener & reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid supporter of this content! Thank you for your support.
R!WC is celebrating Season 6 with 16% off new PAID subscriptions until September 1st, 2022.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Steady State Roasting started a Youtube channel. Later this month, they will be sharing some behind the scenes on the inner workings of the roastery and how their drinks get made. Follow them now so you won’t miss the videos when they drop.

Mostra Coffee for the win! If you listen to the pod, you know my Wife works in special education, and I’m constantly in awe of her and the team at her school. The work they do truly makes the world a better place. It makes me happy when local businesses (and an Industry Partner!) reward educators. Click here to see all the Mostra locations.

There are plenty of articles detailing studies that research the health impacts of coffee. This recent column on Live Science attempts to condense the conclusions of many into one place. The bigger takeaway that habitual coffee use can help improve heart health and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes but drinking coffee doesn’t necessarily ensure a longer life span. Read the full article on LiveScience.com.

CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:Classics

Guest: Bev Magtanong & Jelynn Malone, Mostra Coffee Company
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: www.mostracoffee.com

While we're between seasons, Roast! West Coast will be re-airing some Classics episodes with some new commentary provided by host Ryan Woldt from the road. This week, I recorded the new intro to this interview from an RV in Post Falls, Idaho. Thanks to Matt & Leigh Anne for letting us basecamp out of your backyard.

Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong are the Co-Founders along with Sam Magtanong and Mike Arquines of the acclaimed Mostra Coffee Company in San Diego California. I spoke with this inspiring duo right about when the first covid lockdown was hitting me pretty hard, and hearing their cafe running in the background got me pretty emotional. It was a great reminder that coffee is more than coffee. Coffee is connection and community.

SEASON 6 ON THE R!WC PODCAST

I haven’t just been camping and drinking coffee this summer. I’ve been hard at work prepping for Season 6 of the show. I’ll be recording new interviews in mid-August and launching the season the first week of September. Plus, I’ll be making regular appearances at this shows industry sponsors to give out R!WC swag and talk to you about why you love coffee.

Get excited. Some of the confirmed guests for Season 6 include:

Coffee Smarter Experts:

Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle Roasting

Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee

Alden Hozouri, Cafe La Terre

Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee

Ryan Sullivan, Mostra Coffee Company

R!WC Guest

Chris Vigilante, Vigilante Coffee Company

Eddie Alaniz, Coffee Conspiracy Co.

Andrew Scott, Inflection Point Coffee

Spencer Lambdas, Wilder Coffee

David Yardley, MoonGoat Coffee

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CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:Classics

Guest: Joe Bettinger, Cape Horn Coffee Importers & Marea Coffee
Instagram: @marea.coffee
Website: www.mareacoffee.com • www.capehorncoffee.com

While we're between seasons, Roast! West Coast will be re-airing some Classics episodes with some new commentary provided by host Ryan Woldt from the road.

This week, I’m re-airring an interview with Joe Bettinger, all around Coffee Guy. He is the head roaster and co-founder of Marea Coffee—an online sales only roaster, and a coffee broker for Cape Horn Coffee Importers. It’s a job the enables him to travel the world, sampling great coffees, and then sharing them with the rest of us. It is a pretty great gig.

Thanks for listening. Drink good coffee. Tip your barista. Live the dream.

FROM THE SHOW

Listen to the interview with Ian Nelson, Q-grader at DOMA Coffee in Post Falls, ID.

Congrats to Tom and Kayte for opening Luckie Coffee! We interviewed them earlier this year while they were in the waiting and planning phase.
NOT FROM THE SHOW

“Regular coffee drinkers had lower chance of dying in 7-year period,” is a headline I really enjoyed seeing in the Washington Post. Read the article by Linda Searing to learn more. Click here to read.

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CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

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While we're between seasons, Roast! West Coast will be re-airing some Classics episodes with some new commentary provided by host Ryan Woldt from the road. The first is an interview with Steve Rayle, Founder, Owner, Head Roaster, and Entrepreneur of Zumbar Coffee & Tea in Southern California.

This is the very first episode of the Roast! West Coast Coffee podcast which is why it is being re-aired in full. Thanks for listening. Drink good coffee. Tip your barista. Live the dream.

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE OTHER PLATFORMS

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CLICK ON THESE R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNER LINKS

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP20

Guest: Lily Quiros, Coffee Consultant
From: San Diego, CA
Website: https://www.lilcoffeegeek.com/

There are so many directions this podcast episode with Lily Quiros could have gone. While it can be tempting to go down the rabbit hole, the one theme I kept coming back to is that Lily is not one thing.

She is a coffee consultant, a professional who can help guide new and established businesses through (and beyond) the pitfalls that they come across. She is a Mom. You can just hear the kids in the background near the end. She is a partner, and while you don’t hear it during the episode, I was witness to her and her husband navigating work and childcare duties during a break in our interview.

She is an entrepreneur, although that may not have been the original plan for her career. Consulting is a funny business to explain, but it boils down to being a guiding hand for others as they navigate their own career and business path. It means being someone others trust with their livelihood and often their hearts. My entrepreneurial efforts always start as passion projects. I have to love them because otherwise, why wouldn’t I choose to do something easier!

Since we’ve spoken, Lily has added a unique wrinkle to her business. She’s offering a subscription service. I haven’t seen this before, at least not offered in this form, but having met Lily, it makes sense that she is looking to create longer-term connections with her clients and their brands.

If you’re looking to start a coffee business, maybe this is the sign…err…button link you’ve been waiting for.

FROM THE SHOW

During the first year of the pandemic, more than four million women, including many mothers, left the workforce. The need for childcare and school closures was a big reason. However, as schools began to reopen in the past year, the return to work hasn’t been as quick of recovery, with many women remaining out of the workforce as the United States is pushing its way beyond the pandemic.
Next season on the R!WC podcast, Lily may be returning, specifically to discuss being a working mother who is also an entrepreneur. We’ll talk more in-depth about her family’s decision to have her stay home during the pandemic and how she does or doesn’t find work/life balance.

Until then, check out this interview on NPR.com featuring Angela Garbes, author of LABOR: Mothering as Social Change. Click here to read the interview.

The HACCP food safety plan (“Hass-up”) that Lily was talking about early in the interview is the system a production food service business has in place to mitigate food safety risks and hazards related to chemical, physical, and biological factors.
HACCP is an acronym for “Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.” If you’re interested in learning a lot more about the plans, I found this a fairly reasonably understandable overview. Click here to go to SafetyCulture.com.

Lily mentioned consulting on a coffee pod concept like the Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine. The Dolce Gusto is a series of automated coffee machines that take prepackaged pods to make a single cup of coffee. Similar to the Keurig machines.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

The history of coffee is truly epic. This is a bonus link to an article in Fresh Cup Magazine written by Valerie Clark about how coffee has impacted revolutions throughout history. It only scratches the surface, but it is a good primer for how coffee can impact the trajectory of the world. Click to read the article on Fresh Cup.

FROM THE ROAD

The first coffee shop I visited in Madison, WI, was Colectivo Coffee on Monroe St. Colectivo has been around a long time, but there were only a few when I moved from Madison 12 years ago. Now there are 20 dispersed through Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. I’ll be featuring my visit here in next week’s Bean Journal column.

R!WC Industry Partners

I love that Steady State Roasting actively supports other local. They just got in a bunch of new screenprinted SSR merch, which was all printed by Sean Tully at Forward Screen Printing in Vista, CA—just down the street from the California Roasting Collective facility co-owned and operated by Steady State’s Elliot Reinecke.
The best way to get your gear is at the shop with a cup of single origin coffee. Some gear is exclusive to the store. The second best way is online…with a cup of single origin coffee.

We are only weeks—fingers-crossed—away from the opening of Ignite Coffee Company’s grand opening in Downtown Oceanside, California. I was introduced to Lily by ICC’s founder Tyler Whitehead who gave her consulting help a rousing thumbs up. Stay tuned to https://ignitecoffeecompany.com/ and @ignitecoffeecompany.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

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Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP20

Guest: Mateo Nunez, Founder & Head Roaster at Thoughts & Process Coffee
From: Orange, California
Instagram: @thoughtsandprocesscoffee
Website: www.thoughtsandprocesscoffee.com

R!WC listeners get 15% off their first order using the discount code: RWC

Mateo Nunez is not shy. He reached out via social media to say hello. Fast forward a few months, and he’s on the show making my job easy. His micro-roastery, Thoughts and Process Coffee produces about 60 lbs of coffee every two weeks. That might not sound like much, but Mateo also has a full-time job as a United States postal worker. Coffee is his side hustle and his passion.

I can empathize. When your hobby becomes more than a hobby, but your job is still paying the bills, it is the passion that pushes you through. Early mornings, late nights, weekends, and even breaks during work disappear as you, Mateo, and myself are immersed in the thing we see as our future career.

Mateo’s journey through coffee started with family. Then years after he left his barista job, he found himself brought back into the life after his mother passed. Coffee became an outlet for his grief. Drinking and learning became roasting and sharing, which became creating and selling. He stays connected to the memory of his mom as he sees his personality traits overlapping with hers as his coffee company efforts grow. She wasn’t shy either.

FROM THE SHOW

Atomo Coffee is a beanless coffee—yes, you read that right—that promotes itself as being less impactful on the environment. If the coffee is not made from coffee beans, what is it made of, you might ask.

"Upcycled Date Seeds are soaked with a proprietary blend of ingredients (including grape, chicory, tea sourced caffeine and other natural flavors), air roasted and brewed to deliver the most innovative, tasty and sustainable cup of coffee available." www.atomocoffee.com

So…is it coffee, or is it date juice? Do you care? I sense a tasting experiment coming soon. Atomo just released their new cold brews, which you can read about on Thrillist.com.

During our interview, Mateo mentioned the Ground Control batch cold brewer used by Coffee Conspiracy (Santa Cruz, CA). The brewer is pretty wild, and the company claims it can brew a gallon of iced lattes in eight minutes using immersion, agitation, and a vacuum. It is a pretty wild-looking system.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

The unionization of the Starbucks labor force has been in the news for the better part of 2021 and 2022, but it isn’t only major corporate chains that are seeing employees pushing for change. NPR featured two indie coffee shops in the Milwaukee area that have gone down different paths in response to a union push. Read the article on NPR authored by Andrea Hsu.

Don’t forget to sign up for a paid subscription so you can read the latest edition of The Bean Journal. I’ve been stockpiling columns! Lots of coffee explorations ahead.

Roast! West Coast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

R!WC Industry Partners

I just joined First Light Whiskey’s Flamingo Clubon their website. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m still excited. Scroll down on their home page and enter your e-mail address to join.

We’re getting closer and closer to the opening of Ignite Coffee Company’s Oceanside shop. You don’t have to wait to try the beans, tho. Personally, the Nifty 50 blend and the Sumatra float my boat.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

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S5:EP18

Guest: Jen Byard, Founder of Communal
From: Multiple locations: North Park, South Park, Oceanside
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communalcoffee/
Website: https://www.communalcoffee.com/

Of all the interviews that I’ve done on the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast, this conversation with Jen Byard is the first where I felt my motivations for starting businesses were directly aligned with the interviewee. Even the words she used to describe why she’s passionate about her company are the words I would have used—collaboration, spaces to create, teamwork, and community.

Jen’s Communal locations were each developed to offer something needed in their locations. The neighborhoods influenced the design, menus, and marketplace as she tried to figure out what needs she could fill while block letters and a clean design aesthetic created a throughline between the businesses. They are definitely not cookie-cutter, but they are also very clearly Communal.

What’s new at Communal: All three Communal locations have launched new Summer Menus and extended hours. They stay open late, until 9:00 PM Sun - Thurs and 10pm Sat -Sun in Oceanside. Go for the coffee. Stay for the Happy Hour (4:00-6:00 PM) at Oceanside and North Park. More details at the links to the website and social media above.

FROM THE SHOW

Paid subscribers can read The Bean Journal which features coffee experiences, including this one at Communal in Oceanside, CA.

Check out Visit Oceanside’s Coffee trail and plan accordingly. Don’t miss out on Camp Coffee Company or Ignite Coffee Company near the pier!

R!WC Industry Partners

Mostra Coffee’s newest roasts just dropped, including aBurundi Kayanza Gahahe, a Sumatra Tano Batak, and an Ethiopia Uraga Raro Boda.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea has an Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Bedhatu Jibicho Natural with tasting notes of plum, spice, and chocolate that has been haunting my dreams.

Steady State Roasting: Order The Cold Fashioned. You won’t be disappointed. Cold brew, honey, and bitters served with a slice of orange.

Camp Coffee Company: FYI: They serve vegan pastries from Split Bakehouse.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

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Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E1: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: SCA Water Standards
Guest: Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee Company
Title: Executive Director of Coffee
Instagram: @LoftyCoffeeCo
Website: www.loftycoffee.com

Despite its clear appearance, the water we drink is filled with stuff. That stuff goes into the coffee you drink because most of that coffee is water. So…maybe we should take a harder look at the water we’re using in our coffee. At least I should.

FROM THE SHOW

The SCA technical specs for water, if you’re into that kind of science, are below. Click the image to download the original .PDF from the Specialty Coffee Association.

Third Wave Water is a company that creates mineral additive packets that can be added to distilled water to create water for coffee brewing that falls directly into the SCA water requirements above. Check them out here: thirdwavewater.com

The SCA sells a water quality handbook for $45 on their website.

ABORTIONFUNDS.ORG

I obviously want you to subscribe to this show. If you find value here, you can choose the paid option, which supports the creation of this podcast and newsletter. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has chosen that option. You’re a huge reason this show is going into the sixth season.

Roast! West Coast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

But there are bigger things going on in the world. Frankly, there are always bigger things going on than this podcast, but this week, in particular, there are big things. So if you do decide to sign up for a paid subscription, I’ll send another donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds at Abortionfunds.org, or you can go right to abortionfunds.org and do so yourself.

The Network is actually a collection of more than 80 organizations that work to remove the barriers, some big f*g barriers, that may prevent someone from seeking abortion services or women’s reproductive health services. My wife and I donated to the organization earlier this year because we weren’t sure where the greatest need for funding was. The National Network of Abortion Funds which you can donate to at abortionfunds.org, helped solve that problem. They connect a diverse community of advocates across the country.

Thanks for subscribing to Roast West Coast and for supporting women’s reproductive rights, which should just fall under the general banner of rights, but somehow…

Here we are.

R!WC Industry Partners

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

To celebrate Nick Berardi competing for Mostra at the World Roasting Championships, Mostra is offering and awesome deal. Enter the code ROASTCHAMP at checkout to receive 22% OFF all online coffee bag purchases. In addition to the free stickers, all orders over $35, will automatically qualify for FREE shipping.

Ascend Roasters is creating twin packs to help you explore different varieties of coffees. Gt two bags with different roast and bean varieties at a discounted price when purchased together. Details at: www.ascendroasters.com

Camp Coffee Company has this wild looking new butterfly pea flower drink. It is made from actual blue flowers and the color changes with the PH balance that it is mixed with, like lemon juice will turn it purple. Per Camp Coffee, it is rich in antioxidants and may be linked to several health benefits, including increased weight loss, better blood sugar control, and improvements in hair and skin health.
Yes, please.

Links to Roast! Industry Partners: Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

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Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E16: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Nitro Coffee and Camp Coffee
Guest: Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee Company
Title: Executive Director of Coffee
Instagram: @LoftyCoffeeCo
Website: www.loftycoffee.com

Roast! West Coast is on the road this month. So far, we’ve camped, and we’ve coffee’d in Utah and Colorado. Already we’ve had quite a bit of excitement, including a chipmunk interrupting this episode, a long rain storm inspiring some First Light Whiskey and Coffee Cycle Roasting coffee cocktails, and a more than a great visit to Durango Coffee Company. I had an excellent Kenya light roast drip, and my wife doubled down on two Nutella lattes.

The first leg of this trip is pretty fast-paced. I planned with portable pour-over coffees from Libra Coffee and Marea Coffee. I’ve also had Steady State’s version in the past. These outdoor-inspired coffees have been pretty enjoyable. I still prefer a fresh ground pour-over or French press, but I can’t argue with the convenience. The Momentum version from Marea is my favorite so far.

FROM THE SHOW

The little ball in the Guinness Draft can does NOT have nitrogen in it. The nitro is already added to the can. The widget (as the ball is called) is actually just a piece of plastic with a hole in it. When you open the can, the pressure change creates a chemical reaction that forces the beer through that little hole creating the fizzy bubbles that create that unique, creamy head. I learned more about the process on the How Stuff Works website. You can read that here.

R!WC Industry Partners

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

To celebrate Nick Berardi competing for Mostra at the World Roasting Championships, Mostra is offering and awesome deal. Enter the code ROASTCHAMP at checkout to receive 22% OFF all online coffee bag purchases. In addition to the free stickers, all orders over $35, will automatically qualify for FREE shipping.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP15

Guest: Nick Berardi, Head Roaster at Mostra Coffee Company
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: www.mostracoffee.com

It isn’t an accident that part two of the interview with Nick Berardi is dropping this week. While you’re reading this or listening to the pod, the Mostra team will likely be touching down in Milan, Italy, where he is competing in the World Coffee Championships - Roasting category. Where ever you are drinking your coffee today, be sure to send some good vibes his way.

In this episode, Nick details his coffee competition experience from his victory roast in Boston, and we touch on the mental health impacts of working in the hospitality industry. It is a topic I planned on writing further about today but was overwhelmed by the directions I could go.

Maybe tomorrow.

For today, thanks for listening and being nice to your baristas.

FROM THE SHOW

One pound of coffee equals 453.59 grams. I generally use 18-22 grams of ground coffee bean to make my morning cup.

There are so many links related to the World Coffee Championships which are happening this week in Milan, Italy (June 23-25) but this is the big one. You’ll find event details, options for streaming live online, rules, cupping rooms, and so much more, that I haven’t been able to dig through it all yet: https://worldofcoffee.org/registration-information

R!WC Industry Partners

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP14

Guest: Nick Berardi, Head Roaster at Mostra Coffee Company
From: San Diego, CA
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: www.mostracoffee.com

My dad and I don't agree on a lot of things. Politics, for example. He votes one way, and I vote another. He likes to fly. I prefer to drive (or bike). I like to read, and he likes movies. I drink coffee from my local craft coffee roasters. He drinks Maxwell House at home and whatever is in the black-handled pot at the diner.

One thing we do agree on is having coffee together—sitting in lawn chairs on the patio or at the bar of a cafe or leaning up against the workbench in the garage. Drinking coffee with my father is one of the things I look forward to most in the world.

I'm going to see him in a few weeks. It will be the second time I've laid eyes on him in real life since Covid hit. He'll invite me over for a cup of coffee. He'll meet me in the driveway for a hug first, and then I'll wait outside while he goes inside to pour the coffees. He'll return with full mugs. Visible steam will float skyward.

During the first cup, we'll get through the basics—what is new and what is not. Who's doing what. Why I'm doing that. Our first cup will be enjoyed, sipped slowly, and sometimes forgotten while we talk. Eventually, my mug will be empty, and so will his.

He'll offer me another, and I'll nod. When he returns, we'll be back at it, but our volleying will speed up a notch. There will be a bit more poking of the bear with jabs about those things we disagree on, but we'll be so happy to be together those digs will wash away, and the coffee will disappear even faster.

"Just a half," I'll reply when he asks if I want one more. When he returns, his cup will have just a splash to be communal, and mine will probably be full, just in case. It will be good to be together. We'll lapse into silence, and our sips will slow back down so we can savor this moment. We'll look out at the road, and at each other, and at the road, and at each other.

Finally, the coffee will be gone, and we'll still be a father and son who don't agree on much but do agree on one of the most important things. When we're able, we drink our coffee together.

Coffee is about coffee, but it is so much more. Coffee is about community, and it is about communing. My interview with Nick Berardi could have quickly delved only into the specifics of coffee roasting and what it takes to win a roasting championship, but from the jump, his journey was all about the people in his coffee community pushing him forward and the people he could reach through his coffee efforts.

Enjoy part one of this interview, and check back next week for part two. Nick will share more about the championship experience was like, how his life has changed (or not), and what made his final roast at the Boston event so special.

Happy Father’s Day.

Thank you for reading Roast! West Coast. This post is public, so feel free to share it.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

This is wild. A company is trying to make carseat headrest coffee machines. Hop into your Uber and get a hot coffee? Umm…Maybe… This car coffee maker is on Kickstarter now, but has gotten off to an inauspicious start.

Read the article on Sprudge.com.

R!WC Industry Partners

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

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S5:E13: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Climate Change Impacts On Green Coffee Sourcing
Guest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source
Title: Co-Founder & Green Coffee Buyer
Instagram: @haceacoffeesource
Website: www.haceacoffee.com

I learned (or relearned) a lot during this episode. For example, there is no honey nor any bees* involved in honey-processed coffee. Cherry gets depulped and left to dry with the mucilage oozing off the coffee bean, which is actually a seed. The coffee air dries on raised beds for about two weeks, with the mucilage/pulp gooping off like honey. During this time, fermentation is happening, and in an ideal world, a honey-processed coffee will end up having a combination of fruity, syrupy sweetness traits found in a naturally processed coffee and the clean, clarity of the washed coffees.

I learned that changing weather patterns are forcing farms to modify when coffees are being processed. Changes in the dry and/or rainy season duration impact when coffee can be processed or dried, which, in turn, changes the entire operational effort. The spiderwebbing effects of climate change seemingly know no end.

I also reminded myself that I should put out what I want to get back from the world. Right now, I want some good coffee, so I’m going to go knock on the neighbor's door and see if they want to share an Aeropress brewed batch of coffee from Steady State Roasting. I think that's how it works, right?

As far as I know, no bees get caffeinated during the processing of coffee.

FROM THE SHOW

Coffee cherries drying on a concrete pad:

Coffee drying on a screen:

Here is an example of the coffee de-pulping machine Jared and I chatted about on the show. You can see the wheel looks similar to a cheese grater. The distance between the wheel and the grate the cherries are dropping through can be adjusted, allowing for some pulp to remain on the bean as it would with a honey-processed coffee. Video courtesy of Mayorga Coffee on YouTube.

DEFINITION: Agronomy

Jared recommended Naysayer Coffee Roasters founded by Chris and Beth Vecera in Napa, CA as a roaster to check out. Their logo is a glass half full, if I’m not mistaken.

R!WC Industry Partners

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E12: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Climate Change Impacts On Green Coffee Sourcing
Guest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source
Title: Co-Founder & Green Coffee Buyer
Instagram: @haceacoffeesource
Website: www.haceacoffee.com

Right now, on the green coffee sourcing side of the industry, there are real-life consequences of changing climate in the form of weather events like frost or storm or extended rainy seasons that impact the availability of coffee globally. The frost in brazil last year, the worst in half a century, is an example. That bad weather has existed isn’t new, but how often these unpredictable weather events happen is.

Changing weather patterns forces producers to change their growing and production schedules, reducing efficiency and yields. Added growing seasons increase labor costs and, ultimately, will force farms to make difficult choices on which coffees they grow.

There was a great column in the Washington Post this week written by Marissa Garcia about Coffea Stenophylla, a formerly lost coffee species, and climate impacts on the coffee industry.

Stenophylla, may have the potential to be the future of coffee as it is much hardier than arabica and can grow at a higher range of temperatures. The stenophylla coffees that have been produced, roasted and brewed just meet the minimum scores to be considered specialty, despite only having a very short runway of experimentation on the growing side.

Jared mentioned the anticipated growth of the coffee industry as its popularity grows in formerly non-coffee drinking countries like India and China, which will create massive logistical problems in trying to meet demand. Marissa’s article gives us some hard numbers. According to the column, by 2050, coffee demand is expected to triple from 165 million bags of coffee to 500 million.

Beyond finding coffee plants that will not only survive but thrive in a changing climate, there are also impacts on supply chain logistics. Storms alter shipping routes. Flights get delayed. Rising seas impact warehouse space near ports, which are already backed up into oblivion, causing delays to roasting production operations.

Roast! West Coast is a reader-supported publication. Help Roast! West Coast grow by becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The list is never-ending, which brings me to my final thought as I drink this medium-roasted Burundi from father and son home roasters, David and Andrew. I’m struck by how much more I appreciate drinking coffee when I take the time to be intentional and appreciative of each cup.

When I’m drinking coffee while writing a script or a story or designing a new book cover, my coffees just disappear, and then I refill, and they disappear again.

When I take the time to sit without obvious distraction and make the thing I’m doing, be drinking coffee, not only does it take me longer to drink a cup, but I feel more connected to the world around me. While I’m drinking and enjoying and seeking out flavors in my mouth, I’m also more aware of the world around me, the passing of the moments, and feeling at ease for one of the few moments I remember to be at rest each week.

I appreciate that cup of coffee for the time it gives me to be present, and when I’m done, I generally don’t need a second or third cup. In a changing climate, taking the time to value the fruits of the world around us seems like a good effort to undertake.

FROM THE SHOW

In addition to discussing the impacts of climate change on coffee producing countries and sharing the news about Coffea stenophylla being a potential future substitute for Arabica coffee, Marissa Garcia’s column discusses how robusta coffees may have been underutilized. Read full article in the Washington Post.

The July 2021 frost event in Brazil eliminated 10% of the worldwide coffee crop causing a massive disruption that is just being felt by coffee brokers. Daily Coffee News reported on the event at the time and included this image that shows how the coffee plant looked after the frost. Read the full article on DailyCoffeeNews.com

R!WC Industry Partners

Ascend Roasters upped their packaging game. Check out the new design on Instagram @ascendroasters.

First Light Whiskey gave us a list of ways to be friends with the ocean in honor of World Ocean Day.
"Adventure, inspiration, peace, joy…These are just a few words that describe what our oceans mean to us. First Light is dedicated to helping preserve our planet's living landscapes.
Here are three of our favorite ways to make an impact locally here in San Diego.
1. Join or donate to a good organization. We partner with @1percentftp giving 1% of our annual revenue in support.
2. Join a beach or park clean up. We work with the @sandiegoriver foundation to create team bonding days centered around nature preservation.
3. Be sustainable. Avoid leaving trash or waste behind when you’re enjoying nature. Use reusable cups, straws and utensils as much as possible!
Cheers to Worlds Ocean Day, see you on the beach 🤙🥃
If you love Camp Coffee Company, make sure you’re signed up for their loyalty program: Earn 1 point for every $3 spent per transaction, plus
• 15 points - Free drink, Grilled Cheese or Camp Toast
• 25 points - Camp Mug
• 50 points - Camp T-shirt
Just ask the barista about the program when you order and they can help guide you!

Zumbar Coffee & Tea will be closing early each day this weekend. Get your coffee before 01:00 PM!

Steady State Roasting’s Space Traveler blend coffee bags are back. They’re easy brewing for those of you on the go or at the campsite. I can’t find them on the website, but keep checking at www.steadystateroasting.com, or just head to the shop in Carlsbad, Village to pick up a box for the summer.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

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S5:EP11 - EPISODE 100

Guest: David Foster, Co-Founder of Kiln Coffee Bar
Where: Grand Junction, CO
Instagram: @KilnCoffeeBar
Website: https://www.kilncoffeebar.com/

It is fitting that the 100th episode features a roaster that I’ve been visiting for quite a bit longer than I’ve been doing this show. Kiln Coffee Bar is a destination stop for me and my Wife during our holiday travels. We plan our drive so that we can wake up and go to Kiln for our morning coffee.

Kiln Coffee Bar is a de facto community hub in downtown Grand Junction, a community that has been growing and evolving over the past decade. The coffee roaster has been growing and evolving too.

Early on, David says something—almost under his breath—that stuck with me as being true for all entrepreneurial efforts. When I ask about his role at the company he owns with his twin brother, he replies that the roles are constantly shifting.

One of the reasons I’ve always found myself back in the hospitality world, be it as a barista, bartender, or general manager, is because every day brings a new challenge that demands a different skill. If I already had that skill, I would get to teach one of my team members. If I didn’t, then we would get to learn something new together. Eventually, the team supported me as much as I was supporting them.

“We care about the product, and we care about them as humans.”

David Foster, Co-Owner of Kiln Coffee

David and his brother Jonathan Foster started Kiln together. According to David, being an entrepreneur and starting a business isn’t something that he might have initially decided to do despite always having the dream of opening a coffee shop. Having the support of his brother made everything easier.

Running a business means having your attention pulled in a million different directions at once. By pooling their efforts, David primarily works in the coffee shop, and Jonathan runs the roaster and does the books. The Foster brothers have been able to take more time to pay attention to the little things. In turn, everything else in the shop shines a little bit brighter.

THANK YOU

You have been foundational to the success of this podcast and are a major reason I’ve been able to produce 100 episodes. It is a milestone that I can’t way to look back on fondly. Those of you who listen to the podcast and subscribe to the newsletter has provided me with emotional boosts that feel kind of like hitting a home run in Little League. When I meet random listeners in a cafe or see a barista with one of my stickers on their water jug, I’m filled with gratitude and pride and inspired to push forward.

Thank you all for listening, for supporting this show, and this shows sponsors, reading the newsletter, and caring, even a little bit about the entrepreneurial journey of others and about your morning cup of coffee. That simple cup connects you to an entire network of coffee professionals around the world.

It is a pretty awesome and fairly delicious power that you wield. Use it wisely.

If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and newsletter, please consider signing up for a paid subscription. In honor of the 100th episode, you can subscribe for 50% off for as long as you decide to subscribe. Subscriptions go directly to supporting the creation of this podcast and newsletter, enabling the show to continue growing. Thank you for your support.

COFFEE FUELED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Tea was the drink of the masses, but after the Boston Tea Party drinking coffee became a show of patriotism in America. At the Green Dragon Tavern—deemed “The Headquarters of the Revolution”—in Boston, coffee was served alongside alcoholic beverages. This was common throughout the colonies, where those planning the revolution would meet for the coffee and stay to plot the future of America. Read more about coffee-fueled revolutions on History.com.

FROM THE SHOW

I take baseball fandom very, very seriously. For the record, I cheer for the Milwaukee Brewers, and listen to almost every game on the radio. Announcer Bob Uecker is a national treasure.

David Foster co-hosts a podcast primarily about disc golf and sometimes about coffee, called The Grind: A disc golf podcast. Listen on Spotify.

The craft coffee businesses David shouted out on the show:

City Brew, 31 locations throughout Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

Pachamama Coffee Collective - Sacramento, Davis, and Placerville, CA

Best Slope Coffee Co., Fruita, CO

Dark Heart Coffee Bar, Loveland CO

Cimarron Coffee Roasters, Montrose, CO

Cat & Cloud, Santa Cruz, CA

Merit Coffee Co., Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, TX

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Workers at Intelligentsia stores in Chicago are following Starbucks employees lead, and filing to unionize. This marks the first time one of the big craft brands has had a union effort brought forth. Read about it on Sprudge.com.

R!WC Industry Partners

Ignite Coffee Company’s official opening day has been shifted to August 2022…ish.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea is where I had my first ever French press coffee. I regularly buy their Hummingbird Blend to make my own at home.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E0: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Barrel-Aged Coffee & Future Innovation in Coffee
Guest: Ryan Sullivan, Mostra Coffee
Title: Director of Coffee Operations
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: www.mostracoffee.com

Hey, everyone.

I just wanted to thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast. Next week, I’ll be dropping the 100th episode. Frankly, I’m shocked the show has made it this far. I’m grateful that you are still listening but telling your friends about the show.

This podcast is about coffee, but that is not all it is about. It is about entrepreneurship, career passions, life choices, and the sharing of stories. All of the guests on this show have a story to tell, and it is an honor to share them with you.

I don’t know why, but it feels like 100 episodes will be a tipping point. This show has come so far yet has only just begun.

Or something like that.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I can’t wait to chat with you again next week.

Best,

Ryan Woldt

Roast! West Coast

Roast! West Coast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

R!WC Industry Partners

Steady State Roasting x Pizza Port Brewing Bacon & Eggs Coffee Porter release is available at Pizza Port’s six locations right now. Limited release.

CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring a part-time employee. Send an email to info@cafelaterre.com for more information.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP9

Guest: Samir Benouar, CEO/Owner
Company Name: Milka Coffee Roasters
From: Sacramento, CA (Downtown)
Instagram: @Milka_Coffee
Website: https://www.milkacoffee.com/

The coffee I was drinking during the interview was a Milka’s Rwanda Nyamasheke Gasharu. It was lovely.

The Sacramento River is the largest in California at 400 miles long. In downtown Sacramento, the shorter (only 30-miles) American River flows down from the snowpack of the Sierra Nevada mountain range merging in with the waters of the Sacramento. Together they flow towards the Sacramento River-San Juan River Delta just northeast of the San Francisco Bay area, which stretches out through the various bays towards the Pacific.

The rivers are continually pushing west towards something larger than themselves. In that way, being an entrepreneur is like flowing along with one of those NorCal rivers.

Samir Benouar's Milka Coffee Roasters is housed in an Italian Queen Anne-style Victorian building. The building's interior design is a living project featuring various textures, colors, and an evolving landscape. The business is also ever-evolving. There is always moving, improving, and tweaking to be done as the needs of the business and the community meld together.

Samir wants to inspire other Sacramenton's to do cool things that enhance the city and, in turn, inspire the next generation of creative entrepreneurs and community members to stay.

Despite our early technical difficulties, it was a pleasure to spend an hour chatting with Samir. It is easy to see how his demeanor and optimism led him to an entrepreneurial career in service. The first Milka Coffee took years to open due to renovation and the demands placed upon owners of historical or landmark designated homes.

The second cafe, an all-outdoor space, is coming along too, but when I ask about an opening date, Samir tosses out a month in fall and laughs. He knows the day will come when it comes.

If, for some reason, his coffee journey comes to an end, I have no doubt his infectious enthusiasm for his hometown will translate into a career with the Chamber of Commerce. After our conversation, the first thing I did was look up home prices in Sacramento!

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Milka Coffee Roasters is unique in that they have a no-tipping policy. The policy means they include tips, taxes, and fees into the price of their coffee and pay the Baristas a set salary. Baristas then know how much they earn each paycheck without waiting for tips to be calculated, helping them better plan their lives and avoid the fear of working a slow shift.
FROM THE SHOW

June is Pride Month. Pride Month is an extension of Pride Day coming up on June 28th. The day is a remembrance of the Stonewall riots known as the Stonewall Uprising.
The riots were a response to the police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village in New York City, on June 28th, 1969. For six days, protestors demanded the right to live openly about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest. It was a watershed moment in American history, and one year to the day, the first gay pride marches took place around the country.

Since then, we’ve come a long way, but there is still a long way to go towards equality in America. The history surrounding the riots is really interesting, and it is a great starting point for learning more about Pride Month. For example, the Stonewall Inn was owned by the Mafia, and the criminal syndicate often owned gay clubs.

The books I’ll be hawking at Coffee Cycle Roasting on Sunday (6/5) are Eli & Jane and the follow-up, Future Eli & Future Jane. The series follows the titular characters as they journey along the road together, first as strangers and eventually as something more, enjoying plenty of coffee along the way.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring a part-time employee. Send an email to info@cafelaterre.com for more information.

Sunday Funday at Camp Coffee Company with Stroopwafel s’mores. Yes, please.

Ignite Coffee Company’s updated doors opening celebration is now slated for July 2022.

Space Traveler is the Steady State Roasting coffee I was drinking while working on this episode. Great for every day coffee drinking.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram and rate the show on Apple Podcasts.

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S5:E8: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: US Coffee Tasting Championships
Guest: Ryan Sullivan, Mostra Coffee
Title: Director of Coffee Operations
Instagram: @mostracoffee
Website: www.mostracoffee.com

In a random coincidence, I met Ryan Sullivan—Director of Coffee Operations at Mostra Coffee Company—for the first time in the parking lot at Coffee Cycle a few days before we recorded this episode. I recognized him from a TV spot he had done following the US Coffee Championships.
He and Chris used to work together at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters. Chris and I worked together at Coffee Cycle. Now, I have this podcast in which I reached out to Ryan. The coffee industry is both large and yet fairly small. The more interviews I do, the more I see the connections between coffee pros, and the more it is noticeable that there are some people who influence and connect large swathes of the industry.

The crew that worked under Chuck Patton at Bird Rock has gone on to become leaders in coffee. Multiple times in one week, guests on my show referred to the team at Cat & Cloud Coffee (Santa Cruz, CA) as inspirations for what they do now.

Ryan joined the show to talk about the competitive coffee experience and how it compares to the day-to-day coffee tasting he does for Mostra Coffee. The competitive circuit is a niche within the industry that helps set standards for the rest of the industry to strive for.

Ryan will be back next week to talk about bourbon-barrel coffee and innovation in the industry. Before then, listen to the previous interview I did with Bev Magtanong & Jelynn Malone, Co-Founders & Co-Owners of Mostra Coffee Company.

FROM THE LAST SHOW

During the episode featuring Karen Eland, Coffee Painter, I mentioned I had been inspired to pick up a paintbrush. I did a bunch of trees and a bunch of colorful backgrounds before getting on a coffee cup and cactus kick. My need for instant gratification makes me a less than an excellent painter, but they could be worse…right?

FROM THE SHOW

I listen to the Hysteria podcast. They dropped this episode, “Laws>Prayers,” in response to the Uvalde school shooting and the condolences offered by politicians who also refuse to vote on new gun laws. It was simultaneously devastating, angry, and yet hopeful. I definitely recommend it. Hosted by political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco.

R!WC Industry Partners

Mostra Coffee’s newest roasts just dropped, including aBurundi Kayanza Gahahe, a Sumatra Tano Batak, and an Ethiopia Uraga Raro Boda.

CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring a part-time employee. Send an email to info@cafelaterre.com for more information.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP7

Guest: Karen Eland, Coffee Painter
From: Bend, OR
Instagram: @coffeepainter
Website: beerpainter.com, Coffee Painter on Etsy, Beer Painter on Etsy

It wasn’t until after I reached out to Karen that I realized I wasn’t sure what I would ask her about. I’ve not interviewed an artist on this show before, and I was confident my normal questions like, “What’s your roasting philosophy?” wouldn’t apply.

Scrolling through galleries of her work made me realize that I was wrong. This show has been focused on the niche industry of coffee, but passion and care for the work is a universal topic. What drives, what inspires, and what puts us on a path to where we are questions that apply regardless of the career.

Look for more about this interview with Karen, Imposter Syndrome, an introduction to new Industry Partner Ascend Roasters, and even photos of some paintings I was inspired to try in the next newsletter coming out later this week.

FROM THE SHOW

When brewed, ground chicory root is dark and has a dark color similar to coffee. It was popularized as an alternative to coffee in Holland in the mid-1700s. In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte encouraged the use of chicory in an effort to make France entirely self-sustaining. Chicory coffee has no caffeine, which may be one reason why it became less a replacement for coffee, but an additive to coffee.

Chicory is just one of many coffee substitutes that have been popularized over the years, including dandelion coffee, chickpea coffee, and Postum, which was a caffeine-free instant coffee alternative developed by cereal maker C.W. Post out of roasted wheat bran and molasses. It was marketed as a healthy alternative that wouldn’t cause irritability or nervousness, among other afflictions he attributed to caffeine.

There is so much Mantovani Orchestra on Youtube. I’m starting to think that I’ve been living all wrong. Why haven’t I been listening to this while writing podcast scripts?

The murals and art coming out of Karen’s collaboration with @katiedaisy_artist are pretty incredible. The shots below are from Karen’s Instagram (link above), and they have a joint instagram: @florandfawn.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

In an example of life imitating art, a woman in New Jersey is suing Dunkin’ Donuts after a tray of coffee spilled on her lap in the drive-thru giving her serious burns.Read the full story here.

R!WC Industry Partners

Mostra Coffee’s Nick Berardi (and future guest of this show) was profiled in the San Diego Union Tribune for his victory at the U.S. Coffee Roaster Championships in Boston recently. Click to read more.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E6: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Cowboy Coffee & Coffee Outside
Guest: Chris O’Brien
Title: Co-Founder, Coffee Buyer/Broker
Instagram: @coffeecycleroasting
Website: www.coffeecycleroasting.com

I love having a cup of coffee at camp. There is something about the smell of wilderness, be it pine or mist or desert. I enjoy lighting the camp stove, waiting for the water, and slowly grinding a cup of coffee. My wife is usually still asleep, so I try to be as quiet as possible.

While waiting the four minutes for my coffee to brew in the French press, I’ll listen to the morning birds chattering away. I’ll soak in the smells of the forest. I’ll close my eyes and relish the reprieve from my cell phone, which stays on airplane mode until we head for home.

The coffee is good. It is always good as long as I’m at camp. Sometimes it is great.

FROM THE SHOW

It is true that Renato Bialetti was interred in an oversized Moka pot. His father invented the coffee brewer, but Renato had long been the face of the brand. It is a caricature of him that can be found on the side of every pot.

I couldn’t find the Swedish egg coffee drink that used the egg white as a binder only, but I did find plenty of egg coffee recipes attributed to the Swedes, including this one shared by Real Good Coffee Co. in Seattle, WA:

How to make egg coffee:

In a saucepan, bring your 8 cups of water to a boil.

While you wait for the water to boil, get a bowl and mix coffee grounds with the raw egg. Some people leave the eggshells, too; It gives the coffee a very distinctive flavor. It’s gonna be filtered anyway, so don’t worry.

Turn down the heat once the water is boiling and pour the coffee and egg mix into the hot water. Once it’s all there, turn the heat up again and let the mix boil for 2 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat source and pour one cup of cold water over the mix (this is to help loose coffee settle and float down).

Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes; the longer it sits, the stronger the brew.

Pour into a decanter or coffee pot using a sieve or a paper filter to prevent any grounds or eggshells from sneaking into your drink.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

A man in Italy called the police when he thought his espresso was too expensive. They fined the coffee shop. Read the article in The Guardian.

R!WC Industry Partners

In LA and craving Mostra Coffee Company? Now available at Matte Black Coffee in the heart of DTLA.

First Light Whiskey will be pouring samples this weekend at the SD Distiller’s Guild Festival. Tickets required.

Some news about a new Industry partner coming soon!

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

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S5:EP5

Guest: Ian Nelson, DOMA Coffee
From: Post Falls, ID
Instagram: @domacoffee
Website: https://www.domacoffee.com/

My biggest takeaway from my interview with Ian Nelson is that he put the goal of becoming a Q-grader—among other career goals—on himself. He challenged himself to meet a standard he wasn’t yet at but thought might be attainable.

As an entrepreneur, I’m always setting goals for myself. I don’t always meet them, but when I miss one, I recalibrate. Reset my goals, and move forward again. I’d like to say that it is just pure self-motivation that moves me forward, but that would be a lie.

Often, I feel this burning sensation of anger and guilt that I didn’t meet said goal encompassing my brain. Learning to control that feeling and funnel it into something productive has been a lifelong challenge. One of the only ways to quench it is to push myself to learn something new or take on a new challenge.

In that way, I can relate to what Ian was feeling when he made a mental calibration that turned his coffee compass towards becoming a Q-Grader. That is where the comparison ends. The Q-Grader program is intense, and I still want to enjoy drinking my coffee every morning.

COFFEE QUESTION TO CONSIDER

Do environmental factors like music impact your coffee drinking experience? What about your more intentional coffee experiences, like cupping?

FROM THE SHOW (there is a lot of it)

The Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) issues the Q-grader certification program and testing, and at its core is an organization dedicated to creating a standard language and set of identifiable characteristics to identify quality in coffee. From there, the work of the CQI fans out into education, coffee professionals networking, and providing technical services to producers, processors, roasters, cafes, and more.
They also offer the Q-mark, which “is the only third-party evaluation and verification that demonstrates to consumers the quality of the specialty or fine coffee they are purchasing, and the only one administered by CQI.” Monies raised from the Q-mark program are used to provide educational services to coffee producers.

Palate Vocabulary: A cool term coined by Ian (at least during the show) referring to the the flavors one is able to identify when tasting coffee.

One of the Limited Edition Release coffees Ian mentioned is dropping soon (around 05/23) on DomaCoffee.com. It is an 88-point, Anaerobic-processed coffee from the Pichincha region of Ecuador.
Tasting Notes: cherry, magnolia, and tropical fruit.

From DOMA Coffee: This coffee is a special one, even for our Limited Edition lines, and it starts at the coffee farm in Ecuador. The beans at Finca Cruz Loma farm enjoy a temperate and tropical climate just north of Quito in the northwestern part of Pichincha, and farm owners Galo and Maria Alexandra have worked to earn their reputation for quality. Featured producers in Ecuador’s national barista competition, third place winners in the national Taza Dorada quality competition, and other regional accolades all speak to the great taste that Galo and Maria Alexandra have created with their specific growing and processing methods.
Coffee for this particular roast experienced an anaerobic washed process at the farm. Anaerobic processing is unique from honey, natural, or fully washed processes in that the beans are subjected to an extreme no-oxygen environment. Why? It gives the growers ultimate fermentation control and allows them to bring forward coffee characteristics that just aren’t possible with other processes.
This specific lot underwent a combination of anaerobic fermentations, first as a whole cherry within 24-48 hours of picking and then after de-pulping, where parchment was sealed in an air-free tank for 12 hours. The effect is a coffee that’s noticeably more delicate, layered, and floral.
After roasting at DOMA, we find this coffee to exhibit tasting notes of cherry, magnolia, and tropical fruit. We have a very small offering of this high-scoring coffee, so get your bag now! It’s one every coffee lover should try for the experience.

The Huskee cup is made from recycled coffee bean husks and a plastic polymer. I was surprised that there was plastic involved. That would normally be a deal breaker for me, but I’m keeping an open mind considering Huskee Co.’s B-Corp* status, HuskeeLoop, and HuskeeSwap programs.
HuskeeLoop is their attempt to have any of their cups near the end of their lifespan returned to the company or a participating cafe to be repurposed into a new product.

HuskeeSwap is a cafe-based program in which you, as the owner of the HuskeeCup, can go into a participating cafe and swap out your cup for a new one at no charge. The cup you leave behind will either be washed and reused or move into the HuskeeLoop. DOMA Coffee is a stockist of the Huskee Cup.

*I’m a big fan of the B-Corp certification program, which enables corporations to include mission state ideals around social justice, environment & sustainability, charitable giving, and more into their corporate structure. This means making a profit is not the only legal obligation they have to their stakeholders. Search for US-based B-Corps here.

Protect Our Winters (POW) is a climate change policy advocacy group that was started by one of my favorite snowboarders, Jeremy Jones. They work on the presumption that solving the problems of climate change are possible with a combination of technological and financial solutions, political will, and a cultural shift in how society views climate change. To get you stoked to fight climate change, watch the clip of Jones ripping down a mountain in Alaska from the Higher film and then click the link below.
Learn more about POW here.

Check out Ian Nelson’s band, Kadabra at: https://kadabraband.bandcamp.com/

NOT FROM THE SHOW

As someone firmly in what some describe as middle age and what I describe as today, I pay attention to cholesterol. Coffee isn’t the first thing you might think of when examining your diet for excess cholesterol, but coffee oils (diterpenes) may impact your numbers. For many, the impacts may be negligible, but for some, like me, who are predisposed to having bad cholesterol (Thanks, Dad), I’ve changed how I brew my coffee in an effort to reduce the coffee oils I take in. Read more about the study here.

R!WC Industry Partners

Coffee Cycle Roasting is hosting a Bike to Work Pit Stop in Pacific Beach THIS THURSDAY! Register early to get your BTW2022 T-shirt and support going by bike.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

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S5:E4: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Cleaning your coffee brewing and grinding equipment
Guest: Chris O’Brien
Title: Co-Founder, Coffee Buyer/Broker
Instagram: @coffeecycleroasting
Website: www.coffeecycleroasting.com

I try to bring my own mug to the coffee shop. BYOB and prevent another single-use coffee cup from hitting the landfill. The problem is that I’m not great at remembering to bring them in to clean. So they sit in the car, and the little bit of coffee that was left in my mug dries and begins to stain.

My water kettle is glass. Inevitably the scales building upon the spout become difficult to remove, no matter how hard I scrub. I wash with soap and water, but the scales remain.

This week my mailbox was full of new coffee to try. New coffee means more beans traveling through the grinder as I try to dial in the brew. Twenty-two grams of beans go through the grinder at a time. Inevitably a few grains get left behind. I try to remember to purge the grinder chute, but often I’ll go through a few batches before I remember to tap on the housing knocking the grounds stuck inside loose.

In theory, it doesn’t seem like much maintenance to keep my coffee equipment clean, but every time I forget another mug in the cup holder of the car or heat up another kettle of tap water, it becomes that one chore that I can’t make myself do for another day. Luckily, I have Chris O’Brien to help me out.

This week Chris talks us through some of the basics of keeping your at-home coffee equipment clean. Enjoy the show.

FROM THE SHOW

These are the grinder cleaning tablets Chris talked about during the show:Grindz Coffee Grinder Tablets on Amazon. While I was on Amazon, I also found this coffee machine descaler cleaner which seemed relevant to include here.

The movie with Christian Slater was called Hard Rain, not Hard Water, and it also starred Morgan Freeman, Dennis Quaid, and Minnie Driver. I warn you now if you watch this trailer, you’ll be downloading this film asap.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

The old stereotype of coffee being used to mask the scent of drugs made the news this week when a 1/2 ton of cocaine was found in a Nespresso warehouse in Switzerland. The street value of which is estimated to be over 11 billion dollars. Read the article.

R!WC Industry Partners

Coffee Cycle Roasting is hosting a Bike to Work Pit Stop in Pacific Beach. Register early to get your BTW2022 T-shirt and support going by bike.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP3

Guest: Carol and Eric Blanchett, Talking Crow Coffee Roasters
From: Sultan, Washington
Instagram: @talkingcrowcoffeeroasters
Website: https://talkingcrowcoffeeroasters.com/

“I don’t want to have cruddy decaf either. It’s like, why bother?”

Carol Blanchett

We could do decaf! Eric and Carol had that lightbulb moment during a roaster training course. Their motto—Coffee is for everyone. Caffeine isn’t.—came later.

Chatting with the Blanchetts is fun. They occasionally finish each other’s thoughts and have clearly thought about how their relationship and business intertwine. Despite having differing coffee origin stories, they found a gap in the coffee market where they could thrive. At Talking Crow Coffee Roasters, they focus on specialty decaffeinated coffee. Decaf that tastes good and is roasted with care.

Caffeine is only one potential component of the coffee experience. Some coffee varietals are naturally less caffeinated than others. Robusta is significantly more caffeinated than Arabica, but Arabica is the common varietal associated with specialty coffee. Laurina is a specialty Arabica coffee prized for having only a third or even half as much caffeine as a more traditional bean. It’s often described as having a delicate flavor profile and can be hard to find.

How coffee is brewed also makes a difference. A single shot of espresso has less caffeine than a drip coffee or, for that matter, a chocolate bar.

Coffee is an experience. Where you fall on the spectrum of that experience is a place unique to you. If you find yourself seeking out a cup of craft decaf coffee, Talking Crow is catering to you. For those of you needing a little kick in your cup, they’ve got you covered there too. There will be no chants of Death before Decaf! here.

FROM THE SHOW

Eric and Carol learned how to roast by taking courses with the Specialty Coffee Association. Check out their roasting classes here.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, a new study is supporting the theory that drinking coffee can help prevent kidney stones.
“Our findings show that going from, for example, one cup a day to 1.5 cups per day, reduces the risk of kidney stones by 40 percent,” said co-author of the study, Susanna C. Larsson, PhD, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. “Our findings strongly suggest that regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of kidney stone formation.”

The Swiss Water process of removing caffeination from green coffee explained by Swiss Water:

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

A great piece on Mostra Coffee’s U.S. Coffee Roasting Championship Nick Berardi in KPBS. Read the article.

Coffee Cycle Roasting: @ChezWhatever will be at CCR on Mother’s Day (Sunday, 5/7/2022) at 8:00 AM for a flower bouquet pop-up.

CAFÉ LaTERRE is dropping new spring drinks right now.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:E2: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: The Coffee Cherry
Guest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle Roasting
Title: Founder/Head Roaster
Instagram: @coffeecycleroasting
Website: www.coffeecycleroasting

FROM THE SHOW

Cascara - The dried husks of coffee cherry skins that have been pulped and left to dry. Sometimes blended with hot water to make a tea-like beverage. The flavors of cascara are not the same as coffee. According to Atlas Coffee Club, the flavors found in a cascara tea can be “rosehip, hibiscus, and mango with some notes of tobacco.”
If you are interested in trying a cascara tea, ask your local coffee roaster where you can find the best products locally, and don’t confuse cascara with cascara sagrada, which is an herbal supplement that is readily available to help you maintain regular bowel movements.

Check out The Bean Journal!

COFFEE VOCAB

Chaff - the collection of dried coffee bean skin or parchment that flakes away during the roasting process.

Peaberry - a coffee bean that developed inside of the cherry as a single see and not with a partner bean to press against. Without the pressure inside the cherry, the bean develops an oval shape without the more common flat side.
I drew this diagram of a coffee cherry with a peaberry inside for myself while talking to Chris. I’m not planning on giving up this podcast to become a full-time artist anytime soon.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Mostra continues to draw attention to the San Diego-region. They were named (again) to the Thrillist Best Coffee Roasters in America list. This podcast is supported by Mostra and we were named to Feedspot’s list of the top coffee podcasts in America. Coincidence? You decide.

Coffee Cycle Roasting: @ChezWhatever will be at CCR on Mother’s Day (Sunday, 5/7/2022) at 8:00 AM for a flower bouquet pop-up.

CAFÉ LaTERRE: See you tomorrow!

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S5:EP1

Guest: Kenny Fletcher of Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters
From: Vancouver, Washington
Instagram: @papertigercoffeeroasters
Website: www.papertigercoffee.com

I’m always nervous about the first interview of the new season. I feel out of practice. I usually drink too much coffee. I worry about technical problems with the audio. I worry that the guest and I won’t click. I worry that I look weird in the video chat. My anxiety spikes with a few flip-flops, and then we begin.

Pretty quickly, it feels like old hat. I’ve done nearly 90 of these episodes, after all. It helps when the first interview is with someone like Kenny Fletcher of Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters.

A paper tiger is an old political term about something that looks big and scary but ends up being just paper, not scary at all. The term is an English translation of an old Chinese phrase popularized in the 1940s by Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. He often referenced the term when talking about the United States, the atom bomb, and geopolitical politics.

The term has gone wide since then, and I kind of love the concept. So many things in our daily lives feel scary, but when examined up close or with just a slight change in perspective, they become not so scary at all. So much of entrepreneurship can feel like a paper tiger—permits, business loans, marketing, changing trends. Often with a little guidance and some focus on the details, the fear disappears, and the work begins.

Sometimes it is best to learn as you go. Ignorance can be bliss at the beginning. If you knew all the pitfalls, you’d never make the leap! After you’ve already leapt, you’ve got to make it work.

Very early on in our conversation, I realized that Kenny is the type of person who often says simple yet insightful things without realizing their power. He’s a quote machine.

Here are a few of my favorites.

“We’re going to do the best possible job every time someone is coming in the door because we appreciate that they are coming through the door.”

“We’re not just going to be in the community. We’re going to be part of the community.”

Kenny’s coffee roasting experience led him to a unique opportunity—teaching deaf or blind students from a local school how to roast coffee. On the podcast, he gets emotional talking about how the community stepped up to help supply the equipment needed and again recalling how he learned very quickly that any hang-ups or fears he may have had to teach the students were his own. They were ready to rock n’ roll.

His theory on teaching to the individual and meeting the students where they are is how I wish all schools were run. He points out that everyone has the capability to learn, but sometimes it takes the willingness to think outside the box to find the right teaching technique that will enable the students to succeed.

FROM THE SHOW

Check out this feature video on Vancouver, Washington coffee roasters including Kenny Fletcher and Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters.

The Washington School for the Deaf is located just down the street from Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters. When the annual Liger coffee collaboration roast comes out, I’ll be sure to let you know.

THE BEAN JOURNAL

The Bean Journal is a new section on Roast! West Coast, where I’ll be featuring what coffee I’m drinking and the experience at the cafes and coffee roasters where I’m drinking it.

I shared the first journal entry—about Seaborne Coffee—with The Coast News. Look for future editions in the tab on the top of the homepage. Read the column here.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

This is legit crazy and a great example of how there are people working on a whole ‘nother level. Scientists are using spent coffee grounds to create more sensitive receptors to measure brain waves.
“…there is a potential for significant real-world impact. Traditional electrodes are made of carbon fiber, which are difficult and expensive to produce, often requiring the use of harsh chemicals. Used coffee grounds, on the other hand, are cheap and ubiquitous and provide an environmentally-friendly alternative.” Read the article on Sprudge.com.

The Starbucks unionization saga continues. National Labor officials have alleged that the company has engaged in unfair labor practices in response to unionization efforts that have been on-going nationwide over the past year. The Starbuck’s flagship location in Seattle became the most recent location to vote to form a union. Read the article on SanDiegoUnionTribune.com.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

First Light Whiskey: Did you know FLW started as a university class project? SDSU recently featured CoFounder David Elizondo who developed the business in a marketing class. Read the full article here.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

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S4:EP21: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: ExtractionGuest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee SourceTitle: Co-Founder, Coffee Buyer/BrokerInstagram: @haceacoffeesourceWebsite: https://haceacoffee.com/

Jared dropped a candidate for the best quote of the season in today’s episode:

We’re all just drinking seed juice getting high on insecticide.

I’m sorry…what?

That is what I was thinking, so I did a little digging. There were quite a few scientific explanations, but I’m not terribly adept at parsing the nuances of science. The Laidback Gardener (Larry Hodgson) summed it up succinctly.

…the coffee plant (Coffea arabica and others) produces it [coffee] in order to protect itself from predatory insects? When under attack by unwanted invertebrates, moreover, the coffee plant increases the dose of caffeine, often producing enough to kill the intruder.

Caffeine extracts applied to various insects (milkweed bugs, caterpillars, mosquito larvae, etc.) cause agitation, reduce appetite, inhibit reproduction, and can even lead to death.

That is pretty badass, but the story doesn’t stop there. Caffeine in coffee is kind of like a multi-tool. The coffee plant’s flowers produce a lower dose of caffeine that attracts pollinators like honey bees.

Eleven Coffees shares a UK study that shows how bees’ neurons responded to caffeine by improving their learning and memory ability.

When honey bees learn to associate the coffee plant’s floral scent with food, they are more likely to return to those flowers. This increase in foraging efficiency leads to more effective pollination. You can find that study on the National Library of Medicine website.

Despite the advantages provided to the coffee plant, there is at least one insect that is immune to its defense mechanisms, the dreaded coffee borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampei). An infestation can wipe out an entire crop, devastating coffee farmers. The beetle is native to Africa but found in every coffee-producing region. That same Eleven Coffees article shared that the beetles can ingest the caffeine equivalent of 500 espressos per day due to a unique gut bacteria.

I’m sorry…what?

The beetles are tiny, only 1.4-1.6 millimeters long. The females bore into a coffee cherry, eating away the inside of the coffee bean, causing it to rot. The damaged cherries often fall from the tree before they are fully grown. The Espresso Coffee Guide has a lot of technical info on the impact of the coffee borer beetle, including photos of the bug.

The photo below shows a coffee borer beetle crawling into the hole it bored in the top of a coffee cherry.

Caffeine in reasonable quantities not considered to be dangerous to adult humans. It can even be beneficial. According to the Mayo Clinic, humans can safely drink about 400milligrams per day. That is roughly the equivalent of six espresso shots or four cups of black coffee. We clearly can’t hang with the coffee borer beetle.

Everyone will have a different level of caffeine tolerance. Still, higher quantities of caffeine impact our central nervous systems in ways similar to the bugs impacted by the caffeine in coffee plants. Drink too much caffeinated coffee, and you might suffer headaches, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, fast heartbeat, muscle tremors, or even the inability to control urination.

These kind of tangents that come up during conversations on the Roast! West Coast podcast that I love. If you want to learn about coffee extraction, listen to the show!

CAFFEINE IN COFFEE PLANTS: ARABICA VS ROBUSTA

When it comes to caffeine, robusta has the lion’s share with nearly double the natural caffeine content. The seed of the coffee plant has the most caffeine. Despite, the extra boost, Arabica accounts for between 60-70% of coffee consumption worldwide. Generally, robusta’s bitter taste—in part due to the extra caffeine—has caused humans to view it as the inferior tasting coffee.

A significant portion of the annual robusta crop is allocated towards lower-grade coffees, think instant or freeze-dried pre-ground coffee on the grocery store shelf.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Mostra Coffee is in the running for SD-UT’s Favorite Coffee Shop. Vote for them here!

Mostra Coffee’s Nick Berardi won a big deal roasting award. To celebrate Mostra is giving you a discount. Use code: NICKWINS to get 15% off at Mostra Coffee until Sunday 4/17.

Camp Coffee Company is hiring a new Shift Manager. Details on the Coffee Jobs Thread.

Leap Coffee’s 6th anniversary means $6.00 off the purchase of 2 bags of coffee for you until 4/17. The online code will be: BDAY6

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

TIP YOUR BARISTA

The proceeds of every sticker sold will be used to tip a barista.

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S4:EP20

Guest: Kevin Shin & Jason Walker, North County RoasteryFrom: 129 S. Coast Highway, Oceanside, California 92054Instagram: @north.county.roastery

The North County Roastery motto is “Strong & Bold.” After interviewing Kevin and Jason, I’d say that it is more of a state of mind than a direct reflection on every coffee offered. You’re just as likely to see light, fruit-forward Ethiopia coffees on the menu as you would balanced single-origin Peru featuring caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Kevin’s passion for coffee began the way many coffee heads get their start. He tried a cup of craft coffee, and it was a revelation. He became “…one of those guys” that asks more questions than there is time to answer over a single cup of coffee.

I often find that opportunity comes both with sacrifice or condition. In my case, often self-imposed. In Kevin’s case, he had the opportunity to pursue his dream of opening a roastery if he opened and developed The Switchboard restaurant in collaboration with The Fin hotel first.

He got to work, but Covid-19 hit before either business could open. He put on blinders and pushed forward. The only way past the moment was through it.

Jason had a slower burn to his passion for coffee. Traveling to coffee-appreciating countries like Australia and living in areas that focused on other craft products, like wine, gave him the language and desire to find his own way to make a mark, but it took a few detours.

The world conspired to bring the two together to create some new history in a location already steeped in it. Ultimately, all of our journeys—be it in coffee, entrepreneurship, or passions—exist on fine slivers of interconnected thread stretching back into history.

The corner building featuring The Fin, The Switchboard, and North County Roastery opened as Hotel DeWitt in 1927. Later it was renamed The Dolphin Hotel and became a location of some ill-repute. The building has taken on yet another life. You’ll find North County Roastery, where Masters Automotive Supply once was on the north end of the building.

For more than 90 years, entrepreneurs have staked their claim on this corner. Without that history, we may not be able to be inspired by Kevin and Jason’s stories today. Enjoy the show.

FROM THE SHOW

The Cortadito is a Cuban variation on the Cortado—equal parts espresso and steamed milk—that substitutes heated sweetened condensed milk for steamed, lightly texturized milk. Fresh milk was not regularly available throughout Cuba, inspiring the innovation.

Earlier this week, I stopped at Acento Coffee Roasters in the Bay Park neighborhood of San Diego and enjoyed this cortado with almond milk. Almond milk can be a pain to create proper latte art with, making this a pretty impressive effort.

Bradley’s House Sobriety Living Center is the goal of The Nowell Family Foundation. Inspired by late Sublime front man Bradley Nowell, the organization provides addiction recovery services to the music community through the combined strength of the industry, and those who have been touched by the power of music. North County Roastery is working on a coffee blend, aptly called Bradley’s House Blend to help raise monies for the Foundation. I’ll share the news when the coffee is officially released. Learn more about TNFF fundraising efforts.

If you’re interested in roasting, NCR will often invite guests in for a Roast-Along. Reach out directly to North County Roastery on Instagram!

NOT FROM THE SHOW

READ: Eater San Francisco shared the story of California Kahve’s—a coffee shop in a vintage camper—recent entrepreneurial challenges, and their move from San Francisco to Stinson Beach in Marin County. Read the article.

CONGRATS

Industry Partner Mostra Coffee’s Head Roaster, Nick Berardi, FREAKING WON the United States Roaster Championship in Boston at the Specialty Coffee Association convention this week. Use code: NICKWINS to get 15% off at Mostra Coffee until Sunday 4/17.

The Top 3 competitors were all from the West Coast! Check out all the winners here onDaily Coffee News.

LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Camp Coffee Company is hiring a new Shift Manager. Details on the Coffee Jobs Thread.

Leap Coffee’s 6th anniversary means $6.00 off the purchase of 2 bags of coffee for you until 4/17. The online code will be: BDAY6

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

TIP YOUR BARISTA

For every sticker sold, I will tip a local barista the proceeds.

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S4:EP19: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Green Coffee for BeginnersGuest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee SourceTitle: Co-Founder, Coffee Buyer/BrokerInstagram: @haceacoffeesourceWebsite: https://haceacoffee.com/

FIRST: SORRY ABOUT THAT

I just received this notice from Substack, which is the platform this newsletter is hosted on:

I noticed I had received multiples of a previous newsletter email. I assure you, I’m not trying to load up your inbox. I’m actually trying to reduce the number of newsletters I send! I’m this will get worked out shortly, but my apologies for the extra emails on behalf of Substack.

It is always exciting (and nerve-wracking) to interview a new guest for this podcast. I almost always learn something new and generally enjoy the conversations. However, until the interviewee is on the line and we’re chatting, I don’t know if we will hit it off, if the conversation will be interesting, or even if they really want to be interviewed.

When I can bring someone back and build a rapport, like Siri and Chris, who’ve appeared many times as Coffee Smarter experts, that is when I know I can really have fun. The newest Coffee Smarter episode of the R!WC podcast was the first featuring Jared Hales of Hacea Coffee Source, but it wasn’t our first chat. I interviewed him as a guest earlier this season. Even then, during our first interview, I kept thinking, I hope he comes back for a Coffee Smarter episode!

Jared is a Green Coffee Buyer and Broker. His company acts as the middle link between farmers/exporters and the eventual roasters. His job is to find the coffee, build relationships, and transport the coffee to their warehouse in Anaheim, California, so it can get sold to a roaster and eventually get brewed into a delicious cup of craft coffee that we drink.

I wasn’t wrong that Jared would make for a great Coffee Smarter expert, and I hope this is just the first of many coffee conversations we share. One of the biggest takeaways from the pod was how important storage is with green coffee. The lifespan of a green coffee bean before it becomes “Past Crop” is about 12 months, but its peak flavor could disappear much sooner if the storage isn’t up to par or last much longer if it is.

In an email, Jared shared his tips for green coffee with me and added a note, “I have tasted coffee that was amazing for more than three years in storage! …Past crop is a condition of a coffee bean, not a quality.”

TIPS FOR GREEN COFFEE STORAGE

Direct from Jared Hales:

Store in an airtight container or a container with a one-way valve (similar to roasted coffee).

Store out of direct light.

Avoid extreme humidity or dry environments. Ideal storage is about 60% humidity.

Avoid storing in extreme temperatures (hot or cold).

Avoid storing in your fridge or freezer: This topic is debated, but for the most part, our coolers have some pretty funky smells in them, and beans are essentially sponges of their environment.

Green coffee can last easily 6-12 months if stored well and isn't usually considered a "past crop" until older than 12 months.

Check the harvest date of the coffee before you buy it and plan accordingly to avoid storing coffees more than 12 months after their harvest date.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

READ: Science Says Use the 1-Cup of Coffee Rule to Solve Difficult Problems.This was an interesting read about how coffee/caffeine can stimulate our problem-solving abilities. Here is an excerpt: “…a 2020 double-blind study published in Consciousness and Cognition found the caffeine equivalent of one cup of coffee improves problem-solving abilities…a cup of coffee didn't necessarily improve creativity or divergent thinking. (Divergent thinking involves free-flowing, spontaneous, non-linear idea generation. Not just thinking outside the box, but thinking with no box.)

…drinking a cup of coffee resulted in faster problem-solving by insight—think "Aha!" rather than step-by-step analysis—which they speculate may be caused by the faster mental processing that is associated with caffeine.”

TIP YOUR BARISTA

For every sticker sold, I will tip a local barista the proceeds.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Camp Coffee Company is hiring a new Shift Manager. Details on the Coffee Jobs Thread.

Mostra Coffee’s Director of Coffee Ryan Sullivan is competing in The United States Cup Tasters Championship. It is an intense competition in which he’ll have be identifying tastes, smells, variations, and so much more in a cup of coffee against some of the best coffee tasters in the world.He’ll be joined by Mostra’s Head Roaster, Nick Berardi, who will be competing in the United States Roaster Championship where Competitors grade coffee, make roast plans, and then literally roast their compulsory coffee on-site.Shout out from us, and the best of luck to them both.

Leap Coffee’s 6th anniversary is Friday, April 15th. They’re offering a special coffee sale in-store and online, running Monday 4/11 through Sunday 4/17, for $6.00 off the purchase of 2 bags of coffee. The online code will be: BDAY6

Leap is also releasing a new coffee next Friday in honor of their birthday and all the awesome strong ladies who’ve brought us to where we are today. This Washed Honduras Gea Organic celebrates female producers at origin, and boasts sweet floral flavors that are perfect for springtime. An automatic 15% off discount on this coffee during the launch weekend (Friday 4/15 - Monday 4/18), in-store and online. Discount will automatically be applied at checkout for online shoppers.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue, and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can, please buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP18

Guest: Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee CompanyFrom: Oceanside, CaliforniaInstagram: @ignitecoffeecompanyWebsite: https://ignitecoffeecompany.com/

This week’s guest on the R!WC podcast, Tyler Whitehead, has been going through the start-up roller coaster. Listen to the show to hear his emotional reaction to the potential for his brick-and-mortar coffee roastery lease to fall apart.

Tyler mentioned he got into coffee late. He didn’t start drinking coffee until he was in college. I’m going to counter by saying I didn’t start until I was 30 and now I host this podcast and write this newsletter all about coffee and the people that make the industry go.

I might have started earlier if my college coffee shop was Mostra Coffee Company, the 2020 Micro Coffee Roaster of the Year (and one of this podcast’s Industry Partners)!

Once he set his sights on coffee, Tyler still needed to learn how to roast. He turned to YouTube. Every up-and-coming generation has benefited from the collective education created by the successes and failures and lessons learned by the previous ones.

With YouTube and online class opportunities, today’s entrepreneurs can teach themselves just about anything…if they are motivated enough. With his goal to be 1% better every day, Tyler will need to stay motivated.

His goal as a person, a coffee roaster, and entrepreneur is to try and be 1% better every day. It is an admirable trait but is much more difficult to achieve than you might think. When you’re working and striving towards something, especially in business, there are often long plateaus, even times where you take a step backward, and being able to manage those moments both mentally and emotionally to continue working with intentionality is often an indicator of success.

Tyler has some built-in foundational support in the form of his family, who first were examples, then teachers, colleagues, and supporters of his coffee company. He’s added to that foundation by being active in his hometown community of Oceanside and his church.

It wasn’t part of the original plan, but soon his brick-and-mortar location will be open. By staying flexible, he has been able to make the most of opportunities as they come, and who knows what will come next?

R!WC is a reader-supported publication. If you appreciate this content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

FROM THE SHOW

Tyler learned a lot from the Mill City Coffee Roasters YouTube Channel. If you’re looking to get into roasting, they offer a free Roaster School video course. Check out the first episode:

COFFEE NEWS

READ: The growing of coffee and coffee production has a direct impact on the land and ecology of a community. An experiment in Costa Rica is showing how spreading coffee pulp–the waste product left over from coffee processing–can help regenerate deforested land covered with invasive grasses. Read the article in National Geographic

READ: Coffee makes us poop. It is a not-so-provocative phrase if you’ve ever had a cup of coffee. Now there is some evidence to prove it, albeit from small studies. CNN’s Kristin Rogers pulled together some data and interviewed the medical experts. Read the article on CNN.com

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Camp Coffee Company (Oceanside, CA) has new vegan pastries from Split Bakehouse for April—Peach Bellini Danish, Confetti muffin with vanilla bean funfetti streusel, Ube streusel and cream cheese glaze, and Carrot cake scone with cinnamon streusel and cream cheese glaze. They have new extended hours so you have more opportunities to pop in.

Steady State Roasting has a new YouTube Channel. Check out their first video:

Coffee Cycle Roasting is hosting their annual HippyCrit bicycle ride. This ride is geared towards cyclists and involves multiple hill climbs up Mount Soledad in La Jolla before ending at Deft Brewing in Bay Park for a beer. Only 10 tickets left.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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S4:EP17: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Espresso RoastsGuest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle RoastingTitle: Founder/Head RoasterInstagram: @coffeecycleroastingWebsite: www.coffeecycleroasting

It is pretty mesmerizing, right?

The biggest takeaway from the episode occurred right in the beginning. When you see the term espresso on a bag of coffee beans, it refers to a style of preparation, not a particular kind of roasted coffee bean. It is a bit of marketing, a bit of tradition, and meeting the customer where there are.

I would argue that today’s coffee drinker has a much higher level of coffee knowledge through exposure to third-wave coffee shops and roasters and the increased availability of excellent coffee, if not at a local cafe, then via the internet.

REASONABLY PRICED COFFEE GRINDERS

Reasonably is a relative term. What is reasonable to me may not be suitable for you. For this effort, I mean high-quality at less than several hundred dollars.

You’ll notice all of these are burr grinders. The cheapest grinders will always be blade grinders. Avoid those if you can.

$79-99 - Bodum Bistro (conical burr): Despite being on the lower end of the burr grinder price range, this grinder tested better than more expensive grinders in terms of grind consistency and the ability to create a relatively fine grind.

Two models have the same grinder mechanism, but the more expensive one has a few extra features, including an anti-static glass container for catching the grinds. The lower-priced version is the first coffee grinder I ever purchased. I still use it at home, but it is pretty messy.

$170 - Baratza Encore (conical burr): This grinder is a heavy-duty workhorse. It has the quality of a commercial grinder at a consumer price. You’ll often see Baratza grinders in coffee shops (for pour-over bars, in particular) because their consumer-level grinders are very consistent even with the added quantity. They also have a reputation for having excellent customer service.

$240-300 - Urbanic 070s (flat burr): I’m taking this cue from Chris who sells this grinder (and only this grinder) at Coffee Cycle Roasting and 2x Latte Art Champion Lance Hedrick who both recommend it.

When ordering directly from the company, the Niche Zero grinder that Chris recommended to a friend is about $730 when considering shipping and the British pound-to-dollar conversion rates. I’ve seen it available elsewhere online, but not for less than that.

HAND PRESSURIZED ESPRESSO MACHINES

Despite the awkwardly sensual videography, this is a pretty good recap of some of the top hand pressurized espresso machines on the market. Hand pressurized espresso machines often overlap with travel or portable ones if you’re searching the interwebs.

COFFEE VOCAB

BAR (unit of measurement for pressure): You might be more familiar with PSI, which is how you might measure the air pressure of a bicycle tire. PSI measures the force of something in pounds per square inch. A BAR of pressure measurement is the metric version of PSI, but it measures in kilograms per square inch. 1 BAR = 14.5 PSI.

TIP YOUR BARISTA

For every sticker sold, I will tip a local barista the proceeds.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it. Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Leap Coffee is launching a new drink on April 1st called the Tarrolatte that is made from a powder derived from the taro root. It has a sweet flavor is similar to that of vanilla ice cream, and its distinctive soft purple color just makes it so fun to drink!

Steady State Roasting has started a Tik-Tok video channel. Check it out here: tiktok.com/@steadystateroasting

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

COFFEE JOBS: Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue, and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can, please buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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S4:EP16

Guest: Chad Bell, Achilles Coffee RoastersFrom: San Diego, CaliforniaInstagram: @achillescoffeeWebsite: https://achillescoffeeroasters.com/

“What have I done today…” Chad muttered after I asked for his job title. It is a common thought for a boss, any boss. Chad’s superhero power is juggling multiple challenges simultaneously and not panicking. Like many in the industry, he thrives on the stresses and challenges of hospitality. Sometimes they are one and the same.

Chad has an engaged presence, even through a video chat. He is engaged and open, and if he weren’t slinging coffee, it would be easy to imagine him barking leadership techniques into a hands-free microphone while a roomful of future managers clap and stomp their feet before breaking into spontaneous applause.

About halfway through our interview for the podcast, Chad starts talking about his focus on the company’s future. It mainly revolves around two things.

Selling coffee. That is what Achilles Coffee Roasters does.

Refocusing on building a team of baristas who are well-paid, well-trained, have growth opportunities, and even health insurance.

If I were at a different stage in my hospitality career, I’d be buying the Kool-aid.

Achilles was the greatest of all the Greek warriors. He was felled when a single arrow pierced his heel. It was his one vulnerability after being dunked in the River Styx (also referred to as Hades) as an infant. The archer, Paris, was kind of a weasel.

Despite all his heroic’s, Achilles is best known in modern culture for his one weakness. Granted, it seems likely that many using the term Achilles heel didn’t make the connection to a (possibly mythical) war that occurred an estimated 3400 years ago.

With Achilles Coffee Roasters, Chad highlights the strength and heart that made Achilles famous, traits that have inspired books, operas, movies, and even architecture throughout history. He then took advantage of the pandemic to strip away the company’s Achilles heel—distraction. He is turning weaknesses into strengths.

FROM THE SHOW

Press pot coffee is another name for coffee brewed in a French press or coffee press. The precursor to the modern French press brewer was patented in 1852 by two inventors, Mayer and Delforge. The name French press is used primarily in America. In France, it is called a cafetière à piston.

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters in Columbus, Ohio, where Chad had his first quality coffee experiences, is still there. They’ve been roasting since 1988, which makes them a member of the old guard when it comes to coffee roasters. Since Chad’s time, they’ve expanded as well. They have five locations throughout greater Columbus, including their first in Grandview Heights.

Roast Coach Coffee cart is also still open in the heart of downtown San Diego. I didn’t realize it when we were chatting, but I’ve been to that cart numerous times!

So…did I use it right on the show?

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Joe Bettinger (referenced in this podcast episode) is a coffee broker and buyer for Cape Horn Coffee Importers. He seems to have things figured out. He travels to beautiful coffee-growing countries on behalf of domestic coffee roasters to drink the best coffees and see beautiful places.

If you’re looking for someone who likes to talk coffee, share coffee experiences, and go to origin farms as often as possible to represent your coffee roaster in buying green coffee, Joe might just be the right guy. Check out www.capehorncoffee.com or shoot a message with the subject line reading “Attention Joe!” to: traders@capehorncoffee.com

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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S4:EP15: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Barista CompetitionsGuest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle RoastingTitle: Founder/Head RoasterInstagram: @coffeecycleroastingWebsite: www.coffeecycleroasting

It was nice having Chris back on the show. He and I have this bad habit where we plan an hour for a relaxed podcast recording, but then we talk for an hour before we actually start recording, and afterward, we keep saying some variation of, “I’mma let you go, but before I do…”

And on and on it goes.

What I love about doing this podcast is that I am truly learning along with you. I’m just as surprised as anyone when an innocuous question about barista competitions leads into a conversation about the economic value and impact—positive and negative—of coffee culture.

Coffee has a way of greasing the wheels of conversation. That’s a saying, right?

The primary competition we discussed was the World Barista Championship. It is a celebration of the skills baristas can master in their craft. Competitions are generally judged on three different coffee presentations—one each for espresso, cappuccino, and a competitor’s signature drink. Beyond the coffee, the competitors are judged on their presentations, ability to convey what they are doing, technical skills, and style.

In the 2018 World Barista Championship performance (above), you’ll notice that the competitor uses a blender hidden behind the EK-43 grinder and references the carbonic maceration coffee processing method.

It might seem like an extremist version of being a coffee bartender, but it really does condense down what it can feel like to be in the fishbowl behind the bar. Check out the movie Baristas for a longer, more in-depth look at that prep and emotion that goes into preparing for competition.

CARBONIC MACERATION

In season 1 of this show we did a brief episode about coffee processing.

TIP YOUR BARISTA

Barista is an Italian/Spanish word for bartender. You tip your bartender, don’t you? Don’t you? Tip your baristas. They are crafting that coffee for you. Where would your day be without it?

For every sticker sold, OWL will tip a local barista the proceeds.* 3” sticker with thick, durable vinyl protects against scratches, water, and sunlight.

*If you are a barista, hit me up on Instagram. Give me a follow, and I’ll send one (or a few) out to your coffee shop gratis. @RoastWestCoast

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

COFFEE JOBS: Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

.

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S4:EP14

Guest: Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee SourceFrom: Anaheim, CaliforniaInstagram: @haceacoffeesourceWebsite: https://haceacoffee.com/

What do you see when you look at the Hacea Coffee Source logo?

I saw an avocado, then a carabiner, and after Jared clarified the inspiration, I saw a motorcycle drivetrain.

Would you pronounce Hacea as Ha-see-uh or Ha-say-uh? Would you pronounce it differently altogether?

When you’re working with family, everything is up for debate. In this episode, Jared mentions that one of the unique characteristics of working with family is that there are a lot of similarities in all partners. That can work against a business if the only shared trait is, say, stubbornness, but if they share more positive traits, say, work ethic, passion, and a willingness to at least try to see what each other sees, well, skies the limit.

Based in Anaheim, California, Hacea Coffee Source is uniquely suited at the crux of the hub serving all of Southern California. Their genesis during the pandemic has kept them flexible, and Jared’s long-term relationships in the coffee industry have given them a leg up.

Jared doesn’t beat around the bush when describing what his company does. They are middlemen—it may be time to change that term—in the coffee supply chain. On one end of the chain, they connect with farmers, brokers, and coffee co-ops to import green coffee to their warehouse. On the other, they sell and distribute that coffee to roasters buying green coffee.

Because coffee is a commodity crop, Hacea Coffee Source is buying and selling coffee sometimes far in advance based on the expectation of a crop yield and demand for the product. Coffee comes in containers that can hold 42,000 pounds of coffee beans, so it is important the Hales be in constant awareness of where they are when balancing their sales against their purchases.

To offset the risks of buying and selling, and because it is a passion, Jared has developed a series of coffee education classes. More than 700 students have gone through courses covering coffee brewing, roasting, and general education. When I ask him for the strangest question he’s ever been asked, he doesn’t have one, and when he gets stumped, he chooses a Zen-like path. Sometimes, maybe the answer is no answer.

On the R!WC podcast, lots of roasters talk a lot about how the supply chain impacts their ability to prepare, plan, and provide the best coffee experience for their customers. This has likely always been an issue, but the pandemic has pressed its thumb on the scales in a bad way.

Logjams in ports and pandemic restrictions for both people and imports have slowed transport times down. One hitch in the chain is likely causing havoc somewhere else. This is where Hacea has inserted themselves as a link in the chain, partnering with the farmers and roasters who turn a cherry into the coffee that fills your mug every morning.

FROM THE SHOW

Hacea comes from a mash-up of Jared’s family name “Hales” and “Rubiaceae.” Rubiaceae is at the root of the coffea plant family tree. The incredible illustration below is from CoffeeImports.com. There you can download the image for free or buy a poster for $15.Look at the base of the trunk to see Coffee Rubiaceae and follow the trunk up into the branches to find the coffees we know and love today.

The Tricolate Brewer looks fancy, like glass house or modern art fancy.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

This is a recent article about the rise of craft coffee in India. Chris O’Brien and I are going to dive into coffee in India in a future Coffee Smarter episode that will be in part inspired by this article, “A specialty coffee wave is brewing in India,” on BBC.com: Read the Article

I wrote a guest post on how to promote yourself and your work—outside of social media—through the lens of writing a newsletter—for Fictionistas on Substack. Check it out:

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Mostra Coffee collab’d with Bottle Logic Brewing (Anaheim) on "FOMO,” an Ethiopia Anaerobic Honeyed Sidama coffee. They stored it for months in spent bourbon barrels that previously house their coffee beer collab called Fundamental Mostra. The tasting notes include: Chianti, Frangipane, Nonna's Pizzelle Cookies, Rambutan, and ButterscotchOnce aged, the beans were carefully extracted, inspected, sample roasted, and finally, precisely production roasted to ensure they brought out the full spectrum of flavors that can only be achieved when bean meets barrel. Unfortunately, FOMO sold out before I could share it with you. Less than 24 hours since they shared it. Follow their Instagrams @mostracoffee and @mostratme for the most up-to-date new releases.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

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Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP13: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Milk & Latte ArtGuest: Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee CompanyTitle: Director of CoffeeInstagram: @loftycoffeeco, @SDCoffeeNetworkWebsite: www.loftycoffee.com

This is the first podcast episode I kind of wished was done on video. Not because my beard was trimmed to perfection, but because I got to see Siri as she explained the details of steaming milk and creating latte art over the chat.

The biggest takeaway: Don’t get ahead of yourself. This is the wax-on, wax-off Karate Kid theory of everything. You could probably jump right into trying to make a heart (or, in my case, a blob) on the first day you start pulling espresso, but you’ll never really get good. Take some time to make sure you’re using the tools and understand the variables that go into making a good coffee drink.

Variables for steaming include the type of milk, the pitcher, the ambient temps, the rising temperature of the milk, and the placement of the steam wand under the surface of the milk.

Variables for latte art include the cup being poured into and the skill of the barista. The barista is making constant micro-adjustments accounting for the speed and height of the pour in relation to the interplay of the milk on the brown espresso canvas.

There is so much science that goes into making a coffee drink. Siri gets into the chemistry of fat and protein breakdown when introducing heat and air from the steam wand. I have to really think through this part of the show, but basically, the proteins create structure, and the fats create texture and add sweetness.

Once you’ve got steaming milk down, you’ll be farther along than me. It takes practice to learn how to do well, and it takes practice to stay in shape as a milk steamer.

When you start attempting some latte art, you’ll inevitably have some milk blobs that don’t look good (but still taste great). You might even get frustrated, but then, what is that? Is that a heart? Holy hell! You did it!

You’ll be hooked. Those swans and flowers and dinosaurs will be topping your morning espressos in no time. Unless you’re like me and you decide to leave the latte art to the professionals. I go to the coffee shop and enjoy the show.

SIRI’S PRO-TIPS:

Keep your milk and pitchers as cold as possible to give yourself more time to steam/aerate the milk.

The texture is more important than latte art. Get the texture down first because if the texture is off, then the entire beverage is off.

Use scales to measure the correct amount of milk for the coffee drink you’re creating.

Choose your milk or milk alternative, knowing that more fat in the milk = more need for air from the steam wand. Less fat = Less need for air. It will be easier to steam and foam milk with a lot of fat, like whole milk, and harder with fat-free or non-dairy kinds of milk.

Use the right-sized pitcher for the volume of milk. When steaming milk, you are adding heat and air, which will add volume.

Use a simple clip-on thermometer to help monitor the milk temperature. Some coffee-specific ones will even have appropriate temperatures marked for you.

FROM THE SHOW

It isn’t easy to teach the basics of latte art in an audio only podcast. Thankfully we have former Latte Art World Champions with Youtube channels. It is amazing what you can learn online for free. Siri mentioned that sometimes she would find inspiration on social media. Drink making, be it lattes or cocktails, seem to be a popular topic on TikTok and Instagram.

DEFINITIONS

Siri used two terms in this episode that I wanted to define or at least clarify.

Breve (or Caffé Breve): is a variation of a latte where the steamed milk is replaced by half & half to make a richer, foamier drink. Half & half is half milk and half cream. It has more fat proteins and is frothed for longer than a latte making for more foam at the top. (www.coffeehustle.org)

Hydrophobic: In chemistry, refers to a product that doesn’t mix well with or dissolve into water.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

CAFÉ LaTERRE is turning 1! Click the photo to let CLT know your favorite charity and have a chance to win a $50 gift card.

COFFEE JOBS: Mostra Coffee Company and Camp Coffee Company are hiring baristas. Check out the Coffee Jobs Thread!

Subscribe to this newsletter for updates on future in-person appearances and a chance to be a guest on the show!

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

COFFEE JOBS: Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP12

Guest: Jay Freedman, Compa Coffee RoastersFrom: San Diego, CaliforniaInstagram: @compacoffeeroastersWebsite: https://www.compacoffeeroasters.com/

Compa is short for compadre. A compadre is a close friend or companion. Spend an hour with Jay Freedman of Compa Coffee Roasters, and you get the feeling that he is compadres with anyone and everyone who walks through the front door of the roastery or the roastery’s companion cafe Hawthorn Coffee in San Diego.

Jay came to coffee after working fighting fires. I sometimes joke that being a manager in hospitality is just putting out one fire after another, but that is just a throwaway joke. Fighting wildfires, especially here in California, has become a full-time job and one that takes a toll. My soapbox statement of the week: we need to create more full-time career positions for wildfire fighters in California.

As for my conversation with Jay, we covered a lot of ground. Most of it wasn’t specific to coffee. He talked a lot about empathy and his goals as a manager to uplift his team. We discussed how every person has a different metric to determine the success of their business, career, and even life.

I hadn’t realized it, but many of the moments I spend with my cup of coffee each morning are spent pondering that very question. I think the coffee is my token, enabling me to take on those deep philosophical questions. Of course, sometimes coffee is also just a coffee.

Jay also hosts his own podcast on behalf of Compa Coffee Roasters. Check it out on Youtube.

FROM THE SHOW

The black Power Ranger does seem pretty cool.

Scott Rao writes books about coffee roasting and coffee preparation. He is pretty famous for it. I own a few of them including his guide for baristas. He got his start opening his own roastery in his early 20s. Selling it. Moving to New Zealand for awhile. Opening another restaurant and coffee shop. Selling it. And then writing books as a coffee expert.

Lance Hedrick is a former latte art world champion and has a great YouTube channel. He does a lot of very in-depth product reviews and, obviously, latte art education videos. This Urbanic 070 coffee grinder got really popular after he recommended it.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

For a limited time, Camp Coffee Co. in Oceanside is honoring St. Patrick’s Day by adding Irish Cream Syrup to the menu. Add it to your favorite drink before it’s gone.

Thanks to Zumbar Coffee for letting me hang out on the patio last week.

Subscribe to this newsletter for updates on future in-person appearances and a chance to be a guest on the show!

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

COFFEE JOBS: Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP11: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Tasting CoffeeGuest: Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee CompanyTitle: Director of CoffeeInstagram: @loftycoffeeco, @SDCoffeeNetworkWebsite: www.loftycoffee.com

There are so many things from this episode and from the world of coffee to share that I’m just going to jump into it. If you want to taste coffee like a pro, follow these steps:

Smell the dry beans before grinding.

Pour hot water over the grinds. A crust will form.

Break the crust using a coffee cupping spoon to push back the grinds in the coffee cupping bowl.

Smell the wet aroma. Really get your nose close and take in the scents wafting around you.

Use the spoon to SLURP some coffee. Slurping will help you to spread coffee across your entire palate. The air flowing in will spread out the flavors across all of your taste buds

PRO-TIP: Taste as the coffee cools to avoid burning the tongue and to better identify subtle, nuanced flavors and/or off-flavors that you may not be able to process when the coffee is to hot.

*These are some official cupping tools, but a soup spoon and small soup bowl could work too…Just saying.

While you are tasting, you are looking for the following qualities in addition to flavors and after-taste flavors:

Acidity

Body

Sweetness

Bitterness

There are a lot of tools to help you in this process. If you’re just starting out, the coffee flavor wheel is the big one. Start in the middle and identify more general flavor characteristics and work your way out. I really like this one from Counter Culture Coffee.

A new-to-me tool is an aroma chart. Siri was talking about the Le Nez du Café Revelation kit, which has charts, descriptions, and the aromas themselves distilled in alcohol to refer to. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) also has its version of an aroma kit. Both are pretty expensive. I’ll be starting with this chart I found online.

It isn’t as advanced as the other aroma wheels but I’m just getting started at including scents into my tasting intentions.

FROM THE SHOW

This article about tasting colors and how color can impact our perception of flavor is pretty cool. Read “Can you Taste The Colors” on Science Friday.Beyond impacting perception, the ability to taste colors or to associate color with other senses can be a form of synesthesia. Technically speaking, it refers to how using one sense activates a second sense. There are more than 80 forms of synesthesia. The most common are associating numbers and letters with colors or seeing sounds, like musical notes, as colors. Read more about synesthesia.

My wife and I are dog people. We were the proud parents of a Boston Terrier named Dilla Mac Diesel Woldt-Hankes the Third, but since she passed, we haven’t been ready for a dog of our own. However, we’ve found PACT for Animals. It is a pretty cool program in which we provide temporary fostering for a deployed member of the military or someone with a temporary need due to a hospital stay or medical concern.

Right now, I’ve been hanging out with Mick. He isn’t sure why I sometimes go into the closet podcasting booth for hours at a time, but he regularly checks in to make sure I’m still in there. We’re his fosters now, but he’ll go home when his owner returns from deployment.

One of the very first Coffee Smarter episodes featured a detailed description of the coffee cupping (tasting) process. Cupping allows you to taste lots of samples at once and maintain consistency across the tasting. You can check that out here:

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Caffeine overdose is a real thing. A 29-year old Welshman died last year after accidentally overdosing on a caffeine supplement causing caffeine toxicity. I include this here because the amount he ingested was compared to cups of coffee. Per the linked article, a typical coffee produces 2-4 mg per liter. Tom Mansfield consumed an estimated 392 mg or the equivalent of 200 cups of coffee in one gulp. Read the Article on Yahoo News.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

COFFEE JOBS: Steady State Roasting is hiring a barista and have managerial opening. Email resume to: hello@steadystateroasting.com

See you Friday.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

UPCOMING COFFEE SMARTER TOPICS

Milk: Steaming, Frothing, non-dairy, drink making, chemistry.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP10

Guest: Kayte Wetherington & Tom Hadix, Luckie CoffeeFrom: Poway, CaliforniaInstagram: @LuckieCoffeeWebsite: Coming soon!

“It’s coffee for everyone. Coffee that everyone is going to enjoy. A nice, solid, cup.” Kayte Wetherington

Welcome to limbo.

I wrote that in my notepad while chatting with Kayte and Tom, Founders of Luckie Coffee. I might have written it because their coffee shop isn’t open yet. They’ll be getting the keys in June 2022. I might have written it because we were talking about the pandemic. I may have written it because I was thinking about some of my own entrepreneurial efforts that seem stuck in a holding pattern.

When I asked them about the emotional impact of waiting on their brick and mortar location, they both laughed. It is one of the steps that most people forget about when they decide to open a business. The waiting step when you wait for keys, permits, contractors, financing, and the list goes on.

Hurry up and wait, I think the saying goes. It is applies to most of hospitality. Open the doors and wait for the customers to come—usually, all at once in a short burst. Recover. Wait again.

It can be a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. It helps to have a partner that can commiserate. Tom and Kayte are business partners in Luckie Coffee and also partners in life.

Partners in work. Partners in life.

“14m25s Let’s start a business that is pandemic proof,” said tom. An entire generation will have pandemics in their head as a risk when starting a business. Will that restrain entrepreneurship or encourage better business planning?

They radiate positivity. I want to be less cynical and more focused on how lucky i am!

FROM THE SHOW

La Marzocco has been making commercial espresso machines for the long haul and more recently they moved into the home espresso space with the GS3 and Linea Mini.

Marc Wortman, Founder & Head Roaster of Make Good Coffee Company in San Diego is producing the Luckie Coffee house roasts and he has been a guest on this show. Check out that episode here:

NOT FROM THE SHOW

I got a Coffee Sock. It’s essentially a cotton V60—they have other filter shapes and sizes—that replaces a paper filter. I’ve used it twice so far. Once successfully.

My initial thoughts pre-use were that I appreciate the reusability of the product. The company suggests the socks will last about 500 uses before being worn out. That’s a plus for sustainability. However, you have to rinse it out well after every use meaning more water usage. That’s a con for sustainability. The packaging has no plastic, and the company is based out of Austin, TX, meaning—unlike most of the paper filters I’ve purchased—it wasn’t shipped from overseas. Both are pluses for sustainability.The first times I’ve used it, the water drained way too fast. There were some warnings about the brew time on their website, so that wasn’t entirely surprising. I think with some trial and error, it will get better. I’ll post a full recap of the Coffee Sock sometime before the end of Season 4.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Camp Coffee Company is staying open till 6:00PM from now on and to celebrate on Thursday, March 10th, they’ll be hosting a shop happy hour with live music, live art show, and they are giving everyone who mentions the secret code sentence “I’m here to jam with Cam & Sam” at the register 20% off from 4:00-5:30PM.Map to Camp Coffee Company.

Coffee Cycle Roasting is now offering wholesale and bulk coffee for your restaurant, cafe, or business. Contact Jenni at info@coffee-cycle.com to learn more, or head to www.coffeecycleroasting.com.

Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

COFFEE JOBS: Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS

Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company

Big J Freedman, Compa Coffee Roasters

Jared Hales, Hacea Coffee Source

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP9: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Developing Flavors During the Roasting Process.Guest: Siri Simran Khalsa, Lofty Coffee CompanyTitle: Director of CoffeeInstagram: @loftycoffeeco, @SDCoffeeNetworkWebsite: www.loftycoffee.com

I never take for granted that awesome people like Siri Simran Khalsa (Lofty Coffee Co.) take the time to be on the R!WC podcast. I often wonder why they do, but I’m not going to stop asking!

During the podcast recording, Siri mentioned the “iconic” new stacks that connect down to Lofty Coffee’s new Loring roaster. I went to check them out.

While I was there, Siri was teaching one of her team members how to set up a Kyoto Cold Brewer that was custom-made for Lofty Coffee back before the pandemic. Kyoto cold brew towers trace their history back more than 400 years to some passing Dutch traders.

The drip brewer has three sections: the water chamber on top, the column of coffee grounds in the middle, and the carafe at the base. The water chamber is filled with ice and water that drips very slowly over many hours at about a rate of one drop of water per second. A paper filter under the grounds can slow down the process even further and keep grounds from draining into the carafe below.

Besides the inherent coolness of seeing this cold brew contraption being assembled, it was really interesting to hear Siri teaching in real life. Providing coffee education on the podcast creates some unique challenges, but, somehow, each week, we—mostly she and our other Coffee Smarter experts—figure it out.

What I observed at Lofty Coffee was that free of those constraints, Siri was able to both show and tell, making for a very effective lesson. As a casual bystander, even I learned a lot. I appreciate the challenges our Coffee Smarter experts face trying to explain complex topics over audio even more than I did before. Over the next few weeks, Siri will be dialing in the brewer before making some unique cold brews for customers. The brewer is stationed across from the barista bar at the Lofty Coffee Roasting Works location in Encinitas, California.

Kyoto cold brew is not the same as Japanese iced coffee. Unlike cold brew that steeps over time, Japanese iced coffee is a pour over coffee that is dropped down over ice to flash chill the coffee. The amount of coffee and ice are calibrated together to make sure the temperature and water to coffee grind ratio adds up. Coincidentally, Chris at Coffee Cycle Roasting offers Japanese iced coffee as their cold brew offering.

COFFEE JOBS

Steady State Roasting in Carlsbad is currently looking to add a new team member. They are in need of a Barista / Assistant manager. Email your resume to hello@steadystateroasting.com.

CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring asap for their newest location in Encinitas. Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

Lofty Coffee is hiring. I know because I saw this sign yesterday.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Leap Coffee’s logo has a coffee bean frog in it. I legit never saw that. Shop Leap Coffee coffees.

First Light Whiskey is now being distributed throughout California. Look for it at your favorite premium beverage stores, or order direct to you from Bar Bank Spirits here.

Mostra Coffee added Matcha Green Tea to the menu. Order as a traditional tea or as a Matcha latte (hot or iced). Available in all Mostra locations.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

UPCOMING COFFEE SMARTER TOPICS

How to taste coffee like a pro.

Milk: Steaming, Frothing, non-dairy, drink making, chemistry.

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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S4:EP8

Guest: Hollis Swan, Declination Roasting CompanyFrom: Soldotna, AlaskaInstagram: @declination_roastingWebsite: www.declinationroasting.com

What are the best 15 minutes of your day? How do you make sure that you don’t put those minutes aside to address the responsibilities that add less value to your life?

Those are the kinds of deep thoughts that came up in my conversation with Hollis Swan, Founder & Lead Roaster* of Declination Roasting Company. For Hollis, the best 15 minutes is in the morning when he is making coffee and then sitting with a full cup before the day really starts. For me, that same time has been getting lost in the shuffle.

I’ve been working on it.

Hollis wants Declination Roasting to be a starting point for people—in their coffee, in their outdoor pursuits, and in finding their purpose. His passion for coffee, nature, and teaching is evident both in our conversation and the content coming out on his social media feeds.

Based in Soldotna, Alaska, patience isn’t just a virtue; it is necessity for managing a business. Instead of letting it get him down, Hollis says he embraces the slower pace. I’d counter by saying he fills the gaps in time by taking on more projects like Declination Studios, where he creates visual art and handcrafts coffee cups. One of which I am probably drinking out of right now.

He also has become a go-to for coffee and beer collaborations in Alaska. Last year he collaborated with 49th State Brewery to create Alaskano Lager. It won the People’s Choice award for best beer at the 2021 @kenai_beer_festival. Sadly, It still says “Coming soon” under the brewing tab on the Declination Roasting website, but I have a feeling that will be changing soon.

What are the best 15 minutes of your day? That’s what I’ll be reflecting on when I make my cup of coffee tomorrow morning.

*I always capitalize the titles of this show’s guests. Being an entrepreneur is hard. They’ve earned that big letter.

UKRAINE

On the show, I mentioned the alternating feelings of inspiration and helplessness while reading the news about the invasion of Ukraine. Then I saw this chalk drawing on a eucalyptus tree in the park I hike through almost every day. It wasn’t there yesterday. I don’t know why but it gave me hope.

This is the list of humanitarian groups collected on NPR I mentioned on the show. If you’re looking for an opportunity to support the people of Ukraine from afar, this list may be the right place for you. R!WC will donate the proceeds of any March subscriptions to Ukrainian aid groups.

FROM THE SHOW

Definition from Merriam-Webster: declination (noun) dec·​li·​na·​tion | \ ˌde-klə-ˈnā-shən \

plural declinations

1: angular distance north or south from the celestial equator measured along a great circle passing through the celestial polesI haven’t used a real compass on a hike since I was a kid at camp so I was a bit rusty on the concept during my chat with Hollis. So I found a handy article on REI.com that helped me make sense of it all."The difference between magnetic north and true north is “magnetic declination.” In the continental U.S., declination can vary from nearly 20 degrees east in places on the West Coast to nearly 20 degrees west in places on the East Coast. When you’re navigating in the wilds, degrees matter. A 15 degree error, for example, on a mile-long hike puts you a quarter-mile away from your destination.”The rest of the article walks through how to adjust the declination on a compass so you don’t end up lost wandering off in the wrong direction.

Hollis said he wouldn’t give up his coffee equipment when out on a hike. He’ll cut weight everywhere else but not when it comes to making sure his coffee is made just right. He uses a collapsible pour-over dripper. I like this one from Sea to Summit. He also grinds on-site, ensuring the freshest coffee possible. He uses a pocket Hario hand grinder. I use this one from Javapresse based out of Austin, TX.

Text and photo from @Declination_Roasting on Instagram:"I use the #seatosummit collapsible pour over. The metal filter is removed, allowing me to chose a paper filter that fits my needs. I typically use these one cup single filters while camping alone. If you also are using a collapsible cup, the weight of the water on top will collapse the cup, spilling all your glorious coffee on the ground (I performed the trial and error on this practice for you).Simple solution; sticks. I use whatever sticks are available, between the pour over and cup. Sometimes pencils work as well. I always use a paint brush for the filter because it is usually already have it on me. Anything long will work.”

Soldotna, Alaska is on the Kenai Peninsula, which is also home to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.92-million-acre wildlife habitat preserve. It looks pretty amazing.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Former guest and friend of the show, Kyle Rosa, the Founder of Breakers Coffee & Wine and Bluetail Coffee Grove was in the news recently. Check out this piece in O’Side News.

R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

COFFEE JOBS: CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring asap for their newest location in Encinitas. Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

Coffee Cycle sold out their February Coffee Smarter 101 class (an in-person version of the Coffee Smarter episodes). It was a pretty cool experience and despite Chris wearing toe socks with sandals, I learned a lot despite having been learning from Chris for years now. There is another class scheduled for March 27th. Tickets are on sale now.

First Light Whiskey is now being distributed throughout California. Look for it at your favorite premium beverage stores, or order direct to you from Bar Bank Spirits here.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS

Kayte Wetherington, Luckie Coffee, Poway, CA

Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company, Oceanside, CA

Big J Freedman, Compa Coffee Roasters

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP7

Guest: Erin Nenow, Ascend Coffee RoastersFrom: San MarcosInstagram: @ascendroastersWebsite: https://ascendroasters.com/

Erin Nenow’s goal is to spread caffeine and smiles. As Co-Owner and day-to-day operator of Old California Coffee House & Eatery in San Marcos and Founder and Head Roaster of her new endeavor, Ascend Roasters, she’s setting herself up for success on that front.

She’s taking it a step further with the new youtube channel she started to help people learn more about making coffee at home. She’s starting the channel with coffee basics so someone just getting started in coffee can follow along growing in their coffee expertise along with the channel.

For me, this interview really showcased how entrepreneurs can continue to grow. To paraphrase Erin, “Whatever is in front of you, give it your best effort. You’ll be happy with where life takes you.”

I’ve been trying to apply the motto to my own entrepreneurial efforts, and Erin has been doing so ever since she got started at Old Cal Coffee. First by expanding her own coffee skills, then by taking on management challenges, then ownership, and now launching her own brand, Ascend Roasters, with lofty ambitions.

Since we spoke a few weeks ago, she’s continued to push for growth by launching subscription offerings so you can be sure you’ll never run out of coffee at home.

FROM THE SHOW

Australians claim the flat white as the coffee drink they exported to the world. This upsets New Zealanders who claim the same. The flat white consists of either a single or double shot of espresso, topped with steamed milk, and a fine layer of velvety, micro-foam. Sometimes the micro-foam is dolloped, leaving a white dot in the center of the coffee.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

COFFEE JOBS: Steady State Roasting, Camp Coffee Company, and Mostra Coffee are hiring cool people for team member, barista, and social media jobs. Check out the R!WC Coffee Jobs thread here.

Congrats to Alden Hozouri and CAFÉ LaTERRE. They got an A-grade from the health department, and they have opened their second location. This time in Encinitas, California.

I’ll be at Zumbar Coffee & Tea in Cardiff in a few weeks. Come tell me how much you love coffee and/or the podcast! Or why you don’t. Check the @roastwestcoast Instagram for date/time details and updates.

First Light Whiskey is now available on Barbank.com. For the launch they’re offering discounted bottles and free shipping over $50.

Beginning Tuesday March 1st, Leap Coffee will be staying open till 3:00PM daily at their Sabre Springs Cafe. The kitchen will close at 2:00pm daily Monday through Saturday, and will remain closed on Sundays, but brunch bites from @craftedculturesd will be available instead.The Leap Escondido Roastery hours will remain the same for now (M-F 8-2, Closed on Weekends).

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

UPCOMING SHOWS

Hollis Swan, Declination Coffee Roasters, Soldatna, AK

Kayte Wetherington, Luckie Coffee, Poway, CA

Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company, Oceanside, CA

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth and our optional paid subscribers. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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Science doesn’t make general claims.

Or so I read once. It is the word claim that is the sticking point. It rankles. Science starts wide and continues to narrow as the evidence rolls in. Science doesn’t need to claim or expound or exhort. Science just follows the facts wherever they go until they reach an endpoint, at which point, whatever is left is what is left. Am I right?

This is where I should tell you that I went to a high school with a modular scheduling system that somehow allowed me to avoid all science and math classes my Junior and Senior years, so don’t take all my thoughts on science as gospel. I’m not a scientist. I’m not a medical professional.

In this Coffee Smarter session of the podcast, we tackle bulletproof coffee, which is both a brand name and a term that has become synonymous with a high-fat coffee drink that blends MCT oil, butter, and coffee together.

The Bulletproof recipe for a morning coffee drink is 1 cup of Bulletproof coffee. 1-2 teaspoons of MCT oil and 1-2 teaspoons of unsalted, grass-fed butter or ghee.

MCT is short for medium-chain triglycerides. The roots of these triglycerides are found in coconut oil or palm oil and then enhanced by humans to create a fatty acid that is easily digestible and mostly tasteless, making it an effective way to add lots of fat to something without altering the taste too dramatically.

Bulletproof, the brand makes a lot of claims about their coffee beans. They do not show their work, at least, not in any easily accessible way that I could find. They make claims about how clean their coffee is and imply all other coffees are filled with dangerous mycotoxins, which to quote this article from Gizmodo, “This is almost entirely b**t.” It’s a good read.

As is this study, which determined that there were so few mycotoxins in commercially available coffee that no further study was needed.

Or this one mentioned by Gizmodo, which determined, “…that people who drank four cups of coffee a day (and this is any brand of coffee, regardless of price and quality) had only 2-percent of what is considered a safe level of mycotoxins.”

Bulletproof also claims that the blended drink has a lot of health benefits, including triggering the body's ability to burn fat and providing a longer, smoother caffeine high. Again, I can’t find any evidence this claim is true outside of the anecdotal marketing jargon they provide or seems to be offered by blogs with disclaimers that they received free products.

I’ll reiterate that I’m not a medical professional…though I do have just as many medical degrees as the founder of Bulletproof coffee.

FROM THE SHOW

This is that article from Daily Coffee News that breaks down some of the claims Bulletproof (the brand) makes about their coffee. If you don’t already, you should check out DCN every now and again. Lots of great coffee info there.

This graph shows the Rate of Rise chart from a recent roast at Coffee Cycle. Chris was pretty specific about using this one because it would make him look like a pretty good roaster.The line you’re looking for is the teal blue one that spikes straight up on the left and then makes its way leisurely down to the left. That is the rate at which the coffee beans are increasing in temperature inside the roasting drum. The spike shows the first moments when the temperature is rising really fast. The decline shows that the temperature is still rising but at a slower pace.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Last year we shared the stories of Starbucks workers in New York unionizing. Two out of three stores were successful in their effort at the time, and have inspired a movement. According to Sprudge.com, 54 stores in 19 states are in the process of pushing for unionization.

I have some funky genetics when it comes to cholesterol so bulletproof coffee definitely isn’t for me. Coffee oils have been linked to increased cholesterol.I’ve been making coffee in my stainless steel French press for years. It' is a style of coffee I really like, but in an effort to reduce the amount of coffee oil I ingest, I’ve been either making a V60 pour over or straining my French press coffee through a V60 filter.

TODAY’S COFFEE VOCAB COURTESY OF MERRIAM-WEBSTER

Today’s vocab word refers back to something I said in the show about the founder of Bulletproof, Dave Asprey, being a self-proclaimed Biohacker. The definition below is courtesy of the Merriam-Webster dictionary online. The term is also used fairly liberally by those attempting to hack their own body chemistry through diet and exercise as part of the process of trying to improve their life and lifespan.

bio·​hack·​ing | \ ˈbī-ō-ˌha-kiŋ \

Biohacking:* biological experimentation (as by gene editing or the use of drugs or implants) done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms especially by individuals and groups working outside a traditional medical or scientific research environment

*I’ll be doing a segment on the impact of coffee on our brains in a future episode of the pod. Stay tuned.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

First Light Whiskey is sponsoring this music fest at Mammoth Mountain this weekend. A few tickets left. Get them here.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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S4:EP5

Guest: Jeremy Hicks, Goose Bear Coffee CuriositiesFrom: Carlsbad, CaliforniaInstagram: @goosebearcoffeeWebsite: https://www.goosebearcoffee.com/

Jeremy Hicks was wearing a cool jacket when he popped up on the screen for our interview. I don’t know why I remember that so clearly, but not the rest of the scene. I recall thinking, That looks like a nice room, but I can’t picture it now.

Jeremy and I were connecting over video chat from only a few miles apart. Covid has this sort of thing—connecting with colleagues, clients, interviewees, family, and friends—virtually feels relatively normal. Wearing masks, spacing tables six feet or more apart, working behind a glass partition, eliminating inside dining, and creating online sales opportunities are ways entrepreneurs, hospitality entrepreneurs, in particular, have adapted over the past two years. All of those things feel normal now.

Some entrepreneurs, like Jeremy and his wife Melissa, started their business during the pandemic. The coronavirus is the lens through which every one of their business decisions will be viewed. Not just now, but forever. They’ll always remember what this moment was like even if—and dear god, I hope this is true—the pandemic ends. That lens will always be a filter over their decisions.

I find that infinitely fascinating.

Learning about how and why entrepreneurs make the decisions they make is one of my favorite things about this show, and it was during my interview with Jeremy that I realized, somehow for the first time, that we were both living through a massive transition in how entrepreneurs will see the world. In 2019, most enterprising coffee roasters saw a fairly straight path towards the goal.

Covid dropped a boulder on that path, creating a fork. Then it dropped another. Then another, and another until there were so many forks and so many possibilities that I think we’re going to be entering a period of unique innovation when it comes to entrepreneurship. I’m pretty excited about it. The innovation. Not the Covid.

Where it takes Goose Bear Coffee Curiosities, I don’t know, but I’m, ahem, curious to find out.

I really like this logo. I couldn’t tell you why exactly, but it looks like something I would buy if I saw it on a hat. Goose and Bear are the nicknames of Jeremy and Melissa’s kids. Mash up the two and come away with a mythical creature that just looks like it might have stories to tell, stories that I want to hear.

Good branding can make a company stand out. I don’t believe it can make a bad product good, but it can enhance the experiences and the feelings we associate with one we like. It works the other way with bad branding.

Good branding can be enough for us to give a product a chance. I buy wine based primarily on the label and if it is red. I’ll buy that wine again if I enjoy it. With coffee, I have more of a foundation of knowledge. Good branding might make me pick it up off the shelf or pop into a shop, but I’ll need more information to commit.

If I really examine my theory, I think at its core is the idea that if a company cares about their branding, they’ll probably care about their product too.

I spent this week taking a break from podcasts. Not entirely, mind you, but during my morning coffee brewing sessions. Talking about Jeremy’s time in Nashville and his ties to live music inspired me to seek out some live music that could filter through my own life.

See what I did there? Filter…like coffee filter.

R!WC’s Live for Coffee Making playlist is now on Spotify if you want to listen along with me. Assuming it is somewhere between 7:01 and 7:30 AM, we may be brewing coffee and jamming out together.

FROM THE SHOW

Kwik Trip is going coffee cup-less because apparently their coffee cups were snagged by another convenience store. Bring your mug or no coffee for you.The coffee cup shortage is real. I recently talked to a San Diego-based roaster who ordered $11,000 worth of custom-branded takeaway cups (paid upfront) only to be told they still aren’t ready or available even months later. The bigger accounts got priority on the limited supply. Read the Kwik Trip article from Madison.com here.When you’re reading about supply chain issues and seeing the big brand names there, think about how much more difficult it may be for the local business trying to compete without the same purchasing power. And if you want to help a cafe or roaster out, bring your own mug!

I bought the Natural Javanica from goosebearcoffee.com this week, and the story I mentioned on the show about the beans can be found there…err…here, at this link.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Steady State is hiring. “No experience necessary, just a good ‘tude.”

I’ll be at Camp Coffee Company THIS Saturday. Come tell me how much you love coffee and/or the podcast! Or why you don’t. Either way makes for good content.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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S4:EP4: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Developing Flavors During the Roasting Process.Guest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle RoastingTitle: Founder/Head RoasterInstagram: @coffeecycleroastingWebsite: www.coffeecycleroasting

If your goal as a coffee roaster is to roast the perfect cup of coffee, you’ll probably be working towards it for a very long time.

That is the first lesson I took away from this R!WC Coffee Smarter episode with guest coffee expert Chris O’Brien all about how to develop flavors in coffee.

To recap: The 3 General Phases of Coffee Roasting:*

Stage 1 is The Drying Stage which is poorly named because drying happens throughout the process, but it is the first time the temperature of the bean is rising. It will be the biggest spike in temperature change when looking at the rate of rise, which is represented in the roasting software as a line graph.

Rate of Rise (ROR) is measuring how quickly the beans heat up. Those beans are being heated the entire time they are in the roaster drum, but they are not INCREASING IN HEAT as quickly the further into the roast they get. So the chart will be a steep spike at first, and then a gradual decline as the temperature continues to rise but does so more slowly.

Stage 2 is The Maillard Phase. This is the caramelization phase or browning phase in which heat causes a reaction between an amino acid and the sugar in the coffee. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re making the beans sweeter, but it is the period in which the roaster can most enhance the flavors found in the coffee.

At this point, the rate of rise has peaked, and the roaster is trying to increase the temperature of the coffee beans as smoothly and consistently as possible. The ROR line graph will look like a long bunny hill slope coming down from the peak.

Stage 3 is The Development Phase, where the bean is cooking, and the roaster is trying to get the inside of the bean cooked to match the outside. As evenly as possible, like the reverse of how a master of the grill might cook a steak.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong, leading to under or over-roasted coffees. Grassy, vegetal, and peanut are common under-roasted flavor characteristics. Smoke and carbon are common over-roasted favors.

Beyond the time the beans spend in the roaster, it is important to remember that coffee beans are an organic, ever-changing material! How the beans are shipped and stored, what temperature changes they are exposed to, how long they sit since being picked, and the humidity of the room where they are stored are just some of the variables roasters are engaging with as they try to draw out the best possible flavors in a coffee.

The second lesson I took from this Coffee Smarter Session, successful flavor development, is all about continually re-evaluating, testing, tasting, and tweaking in an attempt to develop the best possible flavors out of the bean.

THE SOAK

Chris mentioned soaking as a roasting technique as a way to prevent tipping (see vocab below) but didn’t elaborate during the show. I did some digging. The first thing I learned was that it has nothing to do with putting green or roasted coffee beans in water.

It is actually a reference to soaking the beans in a lower than normal heat during the first phase of the roasting process. In some cases, the beans absorb heat from the preheated drum up to about 300˚F. Only after the beans match the internal temperature of the roaster do you hit the burners, heating them up slightly further before beginning to reduce the rate at which the temperature rises (ROR).

According to Giessen Coffee Roasters, the times to use this technique would be when you have a low-density coffee bean, a freshly harvested green bean, or a delicate coffee. The process is gentler on the beans during the roasting process and will help prevent over roasting, tipping, and/or scorching of your coffee beans.

FROM THE SHOW

Willshine Tea got a shout-out at the beginning of the episode. You can check out their website (willshinetea.com) or follow @willshinetea on Instagram to learn more about their teas and Ocean Beach, San Diego-based teahouse.

TODAY’S COFFEE VOCAB COURTESY OF SWEETMARIAS.COM

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Steady State is getting ready for the Valentine’s Day holiday. Join them Saturday 2.12.22 from 10am -2:00pm for their first ever Valentines Day Pop Up Event.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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S4:EP3

Guest: Keri Elliott, Elliot & Murrey Coffee RoastersFrom: Hillsboro, Oregon (4653 College Ave, San Diego, CA 92115)Instagram: @elliottmurreycoffeeWebsite: https://linktr.ee/elliottmurreycoffee

Based in Hillsboro, Oregon, Keri Elliott—Founder and the Head Roaster of Elliott & Murrey Coffee Roasters—is the first roaster I’ve interviewed outside of California for the R!WC podcast. That’s kind of a big deal, I think. I’m not exactly sure how or why I reached out to her, but things seem to work out for a reason.

Keri grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs, as did I. She grew up with some mixed messaging coming from religious influences in her life, as did I. She has a No Doubt Poster on the wall, as I did in the ‘90s. She fell in love with coffee, as did I. She became an entrepreneur, as did I. She started a freaking coffee podcast—Drop Temp, as did I!

Keri is both the Elliot and the Murrey being represented in her business’s name. After growing up seeing her grandfather and father run the family business, Murrey Pool Tables, she wanted to start something that would continue that legacy, as well as start her own.

Legacy is a funny thing. How we are remembered and how we carry on the memories of our fore-bearers seems to be both a weight and an inspiration for a lot of entrepreneurs. I am my own person, yet I carry the name of my father with me everywhere I go. I can’t escape it even if I want to.

By becoming an entrepreneur and deciding to take ownership of her and her family names, Keri is proudly taking on the challenge of representing her lineage in her own ‘90s girl power punk sort of way.

During this episode, Keri mentions that they have a 12kg Probat Roaster machine named Alice. Why do we name our machines? I think it is because those machines help us create both products and experiences that enhance our lives. It helps infuse a sense of soul into whatever it is we choose to put into the world.

I haven’t yet named the mic that I use to record the R!WC podcast. I think that is because, as a podcaster, I’m still finding my identity. Each season of the show has been tweaked a little bit closer, a little bit closer, a little bit closer to the interviewer and coffee professional I hope to be. I’d like to think I could just come up with a name for the mic, but as anyone who has tried to convince their friends to give them a cool nickname knows, names are earned.

Elliott & Murrey Coffee Roasters is currently crowdfunding for a new cafe space through ifundwomen.com, a platform for women entrepreneurs offering coaching, networking, and fundraising opportunities.

FROM THE SHOW:

The Mormon view on coffee from the churchofjesuschrist.org: “According to God's guidance in the Word of Wisdom, Mormons are advised to avoid coffee. Mormons…believe they are divinely counseled not to drink coffee. In 1833, Church prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from God regarding health, known as the Word of Wisdom. This revelation advises which foods and drink are good for the body and which substances should be avoided. It lists "hot drinks" as one of the harmful substances…Church leaders have explained "hot drinks," means both coffee and tea (excluding herbal teas).In recent years the Church has clarified coffee drinks that go by different names, as the word coffee isn't always included. The update states, "Drinks with names that include café or caffé, mocha, latte, espresso, or anything ending in -ccino are coffee and are against the Word of Wisdom."

Sweet Maria’s website is a great resource for the home or up-&-coming roaster both for sourcing green coffee and for finding a lot of information. When I first started this show I spent an afternoon reading their Coffee Glossary just to get a handle on the language of coffee.

The Color of Money is a classic movie. An older Paul Newman teaches a young Tom Cruise how to be a pool hustler before they both teach each other a few life lessons. It’s a drama played out as a buddy comedy/love story.

The Whole Bowl is my favorite food cart in Portland (admittedly based on limited experience). You walk up and get a bowl filled to the rim with comfort food doused in this delicious sauce. I found and made this recipe for their Tali Sauce. It was so close to the real thing. If you aren’t in PDX, I give it a strong recommend. If you are in PDX, go to the source.

TODAY’S COFFEE VOCAB COURTESY OF SWEETMARIAS.COM

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

CAFÈ LaTERRE is almost ready to open their second SoCal location in Encinitas, California. Follow their Instagram, @cafe.laterre, for updates.

Mostra Coffee is going all out for Valentines Day with an immersive Valentine’s Dining Experience at Mostra Coffee 4S Ranch on Valentine’s Day - Monday, February 14th from 6:00-9:00pm. Very limited tickets. Exclusive chef offerings and live music. All the details on MostraCoffee.com.

Leap Coffee is hosting “Night At the Roastery” on Saturday, February 26th. It is a date night twist on the tradition coffee cupping and roasting classes. Get all the details and enter to win tickets on the @leapcoffee Instagram page.

Be on the Roast! West Coast podcast! I’ll be at Camp Coffee Company on Sunday February, 19th from 9AM-1PM enjoying a great cup of coffee (or three) and interviewing guests on why they love coffee!

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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S4:EP2: COFFEE SMARTER

Topic: Refractometers as a tool for creating a better brewed coffee.Guest: Chris O’Brien, Coffee Cycle RoastingTitle: Founder/Head RoasterInstagram: @coffeecycleroastingWebsite: www.coffeecycleroasting

I’ve heard people casually talking about refractometers while sitting outside Coffee Cycle.

Actually, I don’t know that you can talk casually about a refractometer, so let’s just say that there was some science talk going on, and I heard it. During this episode, Chris taught me that refractometers are scientific tools designed to measure light refraction through liquids.

For coffee, in particular, they are often used on the brewing side of an operation to measure two things:

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), meaning the amount of ground coffee that has fully dissolved into the water added during the brewing process.

Brix (BX) which is total amount of sucrose or sugar content.

Measuring how the light is being bent or refracted through the liquid helps determine the purity of the liquid, and the BX scale measurement is specific to sugars. In home brewing, a refractometer is used to determine the amount of fermentable sugars which will potentially be converted to alcohol.

The refractometer at the Coffee Cycle cafe is an Atago PAL-Coffee refractometer that measures both Brix (BX) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Chris confirmed he bought it for about $300. I couldn’t find it for less than $600, and that was through a real sketchy website.

According to Atago, they no longer sell the PAL-Coffee version in the United States. They recommend using the PAL-Tea version instead. On the show, Chris mentions VST branded coffee refractometers as being the gold standard. They should be since you could probably buy a used hatchback for about the same price.

Luckily, we live in a golden age where there are dozens of consumer-branded refractometers ranging in price from $15-1500 available online. If you are the type of coffee drink who thinks they want to get into this kind of data collection, I’d recommend checking with a professional, or at least double-checking the product specs to make sure you buy the right refractometer for testing coffee. There are a lot of different kinds designed to test different liquids, and not all are amenable to coffee.

FROM THE SHOW

Yeah…so, as you can see above, having a beard makes the whole masking to protect yourself against covid thing a little bit more difficult. So I wear an N95 (or K95), and then wear another mask over the top to hold it in place. I’m lucky that my awesome wife sews. She hand made a bunch of masks with adjustable ear straps that can fit over my mask holding the N95 squarely in place.

It’s a bit of a pain but worth it. I feel much more comfortable in public with it on, and knowing that I am unlikely to be a spreader if I unknowingly have the coronavirus.

In case you missed it, the first interview of S4 dropped this week. I spoke to Dani Riggins, the Founder/Head Roaster of Ultreya Coffee & Tea. Check it out asap. Click this link.

I have been encouraging Chris to expand Coffee Cycle for purely selfish reasons. It is a 35m drive or 90m bike ride for me to get there to buy a cup of coffee. If he expanded—obviously, closer to my home—it would be easier for me to order a mug of Sumatra roast.

This morning I put 25g of coffee into a pour over. When I measured the wet grounds afterwards they were 70g. I did not have the patience to let them dry.

The Expanse is a series of science fiction books that has also been turned into an Amazon TV series. It is set in a (near) future in which we’ve colonized the solar system. Divisions have been growing between those still on Earth and the growing populations of Mars, the Belt, and the worlds beyond. There is also a mysterious substance that causes havoc and a bunch of crazy twists.I’m partial to the books because the show’s characters don’t look the same onscreen as the do in my head, but now that they are six seasons in, I’m going to give it another chance.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Starbucks is raising prices after their earnings in the 4th quarter only hit 18% growth. Some coffees will raise an estimated 20-30 cents. This story in The Street about the prices changes has a lot of interesting numbers in it and it is easy to extrapolate plenty of theories about American consumers and inflation and corporate profit margins. I mostly came away thinking, if a company with 33,000+ stores is thinking about raising prices…I wonder what challenges the local shops are facing?

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Chris is hosting Coffee Smarter 101 coffee education classes at Coffee Cycle. If you are in the San Diego-area and would like to learn more about the chemistry, economy, and history of coffee this is the class for you. The classes are small with plenty of time for question and answers. The last two have sold out so don’t wait if you’re thinking of getting tickets. Click here to buy tickets-$35.

Leap Coffee is hosting “Night At the Roastery.” A date night twist on the tradition coffee cupping and roasting classes. Get all the details and enter to win tickets on the @leapcoffee Instagram page.

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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S4:EP1

Guest: Dani Riggins, Ultreya Coffee & TeaFrom: San Diego, California (4653 College Ave, San Diego, CA 92115)Instagram: @ultreya_coffee Website: https://www.ultreyacoffeeandtea.com/

“Ultreya.”

It is a single, simple word yet, for hikers on the 1300-year old Camino De Santiago hiking trail through Pyrenees mountains, it means so much more. The 500-mile long journey along the borders of France and Spain covers rugged terrain. Uttering “Ultreya” to a passing hiker is a form of encouragement. A push to encourage them to keep seeking the steps beyond their feet. To journey forward. According to Dani Riggins, Founder and Head Roast at Ultreya Coffee & Tea it is a way to say, “I see you on your journey, and I wish you well.”

The word has been bouncing around in her brain for years. When the opportunity to open her cafe and roastery presented itself, she chose it as the name of her shop. It is fitting that a shop as inclusive and inviting as hers uses its name to acknowledge that those who pass through the doors are all on their own journeys. Dani and her team are there to provide you with a boost to keep you moving forward.

The days leading up to my interview with Dani stressful for me (and probably a bit stressful for Dani!). I thought Season 4 of the podcast would be done mostly in-person, sitting across a patio table with a cup of coffee, shooting the s**t so to speak.

Instead, the Omicron variant made itself known, and I headed back into the closet studio. No offense to the closet. I feel quite comfortable there. I think I was just tired and worn out after another holiday, albeit a lovely one, spent under the shadow of the pandemic. So I went into our video chat frustrated by circumstances, worried that no one would like the shows. Wondering if anyone would want to listen. Then Dani said something that really struck home.

“Comparison is the biggest thief of joy.”

Wow. What a cool thought. Here I was having such a lovely conversation about coffee and personal legends and how entrepreneurship can impact our mental health, and I was letting myself be worried about how some alternative future of the R!WC podcast would compare to the reality I live in.

That set me straight real quick!

On this episode of the podcast, we cover Dani’s coffee history, the unexpected opportunity to open her cafe, mental health, van life, being seen, supporting others, and knowing when to ask for help. We talk about drinking coffee out of a coconut and finding ourselves in unexpected places.

For Dani, it can be scary to put her coffee out into the world. Like an artist sharing a painting or a writer sharing their words, a coffee roaster is turning their canvas—the green coffee bean—into something else entirely. Then through the magic of brewing, it is turned into a final creation to be consumed and judged and appreciated.

Coffee is unique in that the final artwork will be appreciated by single individuals in a choose your own adventure style experience. Will they order from a barista or brew at home? Will they turn it into espresso or cold brew or pour over cup of coffee? That is up to them (you) to decide. It is the moment where Dani might say, “I see you. Journey onward.”

FROM THE SHOW

The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit by Shirley MacLaine (also available as an audiobook) is the book that inspired Dani to eventually name her shop Ultreya. I know Shirley Maclaine as an actress, not as an author. In addition to her 65-year acting career, she’s also published 13 bestsellers.

The Camino Del Santiago hiking trail looks awesome and is now on my bucket list. Also, I need to start a bucket list. This is a great column on REI.com about the trail, its history, and the logistics of hiking it. I didn’t realize until doing some research, but the Ultreya Coffee & Tea logo evokes the signage found along the trail.

@VanLifePride is a group that organizes VanLife meetups and is connecting the LGBTQIA and nomadic/vanlife communities together. Check them out at: https://campsite.bio/vanlifepride

Dani and I briefly talked about the rising rates of hospitality wages. I mentioned that when I was young, I recollected being paid about two dollars and change per hour. I joked that I thought minimum wage for tipped employees in Wisconsin was still only about $4.35. I was wrong. It is still two dollars and change. It hasn’t changed since at least 2009. C’mon, Wisconsin. Get it together.

I also mentioned on the show that I wrote a book recently. I actually wrote two. It has been terrifying to share them with the world. I just read the first one for the audiobook recording. Somehow, I am simultaneously proud and yet awkwardly embarrassed to share them with the world. I don’t know why. You can learn more about the Eli & Jane series of books by clicking here. There are more than a few coffee drinking scenes in these road trip/finding yourself/finding each other stories.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

This is kind of messed up. Coffee-flavored Peeps are coming for your Easter basket. Coffee-flavored candy chicks will be available in original coffee-flavored and Peeps Filled Delights Caramel Mocha flavors. Read the story on NBCNews.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

The R!WC Industry Partners are awesome. Click these links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

Ignite Coffee Company (ICC) is our newest Industry Partner, and we’re stoked they are beginning their coffee journey with us. A big goal of this podcast and newsletter is to uplift the craft coffee community. ICC’s founder, Tyler Whitehead will be on the show later this season to talk about the motivations behind his coffee company, entrepreneurial families, and hopefully, his photography efforts. Check them out at: https://ignitecoffeecompany.com/

LISTEN ON THESE PLATFORMS

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

Some of the links on this page go to Amazon. If you click those links and buy those things, we may make a commission. It’s not an ideal way to generate revenue and it makes us feel a little dirty, so we’ll keep it to a minimum. If you can…buy local. If not, thanks for using these links.

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R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. This is the last throwback classics episode before we jump into S4 which is exciting. I’ll be interviewing great coffee professionals from California, Oregon, and Alaska beginning with Dani Riggins, founder of Ultreya Coffee and Tea in San Diego.

I have a favorite coffee mug. I’m reticent to show it because it may not be the one people expect. If you follow @roastwestcoast on Instagram you may have already seen it. I don’t know why humans seem to connect emotionally with the cup that holds our coffee or tea or favorite drinks but many of us do.

Whatever your mug is made of–ceramic, glass, clay, stainless steel, enamel-coated tin–it will impact the flavor of your favorite drink through heat transfer, texture, or even the taste of the materials. I enjoyed revisiting this episode because it reminded me to take at least one sip of my coffee with intention and awareness. I encourage you to do the same.

FROM THE SHOW

My Wife and I have passed that anniversary. We’ve now made it 19 years together. We have had a lot of coffees together.

NOT FROM THE SHOW

Oceanside, California’s Conference and Visitors Bureau shares the City’s Coffee Trail. Essentially, it is an interactive map that guides you to all of the communities coffee spots. You’ll see one of this shows Industry Partners (and favorite spots), Camp Coffee Company near the top of the map and featured on the page.

I don’t even really want to draw attention to this list because because lists on the internet are just one opinion which has likely been created without a lot of local experiences. I’m going to anyway. Full disclosure: I’ve lived in five cities–New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, LA, San Diego–on this list and I disagree with the ranking for all of them! Foder’s Travel put together this list of “The Best U.S. Cities for Coffee Lovers.” There are five West Coast cities in their top 22 which is already incredibly low but they also short us by counting all of San Diego and LA counties as ONE city! Try telling that to the Oceansiders following the Coffee Trail above. Nice photo of our coffee smarter expert Siri’s employer Lofty Coffee’s Carlsbad location included.

A new roaster focused on micro-lot coffees from Mexico is setting up shop in San Diego-proper. Details about Flor & Seed found in Eater-San Diego.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Leap Coffee is serving an iced butterscotch latte. So…yeah…I’ll see you in line.

Camp Coffee Company has made price changes to their menu and changes to their loyalty program. Click below for details:

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Roasters

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February, so we’re looking back to the first Coffee Smarter episode of Season 2 where we learned about coffee’s origin story. During this Classics episode, Chris mentions that the coffee tree or bush can get quite tall. “Way taller than you are,” he says. To provide context for those that don’t know me, I was once measured at 5’10.” I never intend have my height taken ever again.

This episode is only a quick coffee bite and I’m putting it out later than my self-imposed deadline of Wednesday morning because I’ve been hard at work on Season 4. I started recording the new series of interviews this week which made me look like this…

I was a little rusty, but my first interviewees, Dani Riggins (Ultreya Coffee & Tea) and Keri Elliot (Elliot & Murrey Coffee) cut me a lot of slack. I’m getting anxious to start releasing new shows and be creative with coffee again. Stay tuned.

COFFEE IN THE WORLD

As someone who works in marketing, I’m always complaining about the algorithms being used by our social media overlords. What I’m not usually doing is worrying about how said algorithms might be disproportionately feeding or even creating a negative stereotypes of me as a person. Cartoonist & Artist, Keith Knight (KChronicles.com) recently put out a call to action to help him counter the negative online imagery. You can see my photo on Instagram.

“Black people: Post & send a pic of yourself drinking out of your favorite mug. Non-black people: Post & send a pic of yourself with a black mug.”

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Steady State Roasting is growing and hiring a part-time Barista and a Marketing Manager. “If you feel this is for you please send your resume over to hello@steadystateroasting.com. If you have already sent your resume, please no need to send it again.”

Check out Ignite Coffee Roasting, our newest industry partner!

Camp Coffee Company just dropped a new nitro-coffee offering featuring Bird Rock Coffee Roaster’s French Roast.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. Check out this weeks show where we brush up on the different waves of coffee as we revisit the very last episode of S1.

On the list of coffee businesses I had planned on having on the Roast! West Coast podcast someday was the team behind Young Hickory, a coffee and beer concept in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. You may have heard of North Park. It is very hip and cool and generally the neighborhood people hear about outside the beach communities.

I remember when they first opened. I thought, “Coffee and beer? I wanted to do that!” Which is true. I had almost opened a coffee and beer concept cafe about a year earlier…but…I didn’t, and they did. It was a cool place. The kind of corner cafe that becomes part of the fabric of a community.

Unfortunately, Young Hickory is closing. They released the letter below on their Facebook page.

OUR DEAREST FRIENDS,

Since September 20, 2013 we have had the pleasure of serving you two of our favorite things: Coffee and Beer. Of course, our time together has been so much more than just those things. We’ve witnessed relationships blossom, seen countless friends come and go, watched families grow together, and formed forever bonds with people that we truly cherish.

Being a part of this community has been incredible in many ways, and a blessing on so many levels. Through the ups and downs, we’ve been through it all – together. But, as you surely know by now, all things must come to an end.

This month we will be ceasing our operations at Young Hickory. To put it simply, the pandemic has affected us in such a real and fiscal manner that operating is no longer sustainable for us. We survived the circumstances as long as we possibly could, fighting tooth and nail the whole way. Despite our best efforts, the time has come for us to move on…

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Yes, this is a very tough time for us, and for many others in our city, state, country, and world. Here are some actual things you can do if you want to help us (and other businesses like ours that continue to struggle through this new reality):

Stop by for one more cup of coffee, one more bite to eat, one more beer. We want to share these last few precious moments with you, and serve you one more time before we go.

Be extra generous to our staff. This is a difficult situation, and they will appreciate it so much. They are all very special people.

Buy a shirt (or two, or three). Grab a hat or a mug (or both). These things are now collectors items.

Now is the time to use that Young Hickory gift card that you got for Christmas.

Tell your friends we’re going to be gone soon so we can serve them one more time (or even for the first time).

THANK YOU

There’s nowhere near enough space to thank every person that has helped make Young Hickory a neighborhood staple for the past 8+ years. If you’ve walked through our doors, that’s you. You know who you are. To each and every one of you, from the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU.

See you soon,

Clay

Owner, @younghickorysd

That’s a good list. It sucks to see a small business close their doors. It sucks more because I know that when they were writing their business plan, brainstorming ideas, and trying to see all the angles it would have never crossed their mind to be prepared for a heretofore unknown virus that passes from person-to-person through the air that would decimate the hospitality economy for two years (and counting), kill 855,000 Americans (and counting), and obliterate any plans they had made.

I keep wondering how many more are on the same precipice wondering how much longer they can hold on. How many will feel relief if the decision is made? The past 18 months have been exhausting.

I’ll be stopping by Young Hickory in the next few days to enjoy a cup of coffee and appreciate that there are risk takers in the world willing to put it on the line to offer up a cup of coffee, a beer, an experience.

OTHER COFFEE STUFF

Starbucks is requiring vaccinations for all 228,000 of their U.S.-based employees or be tested weekly at the employees expense. Read it on NBC7.

Shout out to Jacob at Kiln Coffee Bar in Grand Junction, Colorado. We had two great experiences there and I’ve been really enjoying this bag of Colombia El Tambo I picked up there. The snow in the background isn’t local to San Diego despite the chilly temperatures.

You know what’s cool? Supporting your favorite coffee podcast is cool. Thanks for subscribing to the free or paid version of this newsletter and for listening to the show. I’m stoked to be interviewing a bunch of new coffee pros in S4 including the founders/roasters of Ultreya Coffee & Tea, Ascend Roasters, Declination Coffee, Goose Bear Coffee, Caldwell Coffee, Luckie Coffee, Elliott & Murrey Coffee, Storymakers Coffee, and Ignite Coffee Company!

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

CAFÉ LaTERRE has launched Donut Wednesdays, as if we needed more motivation to get a cup of coffee. Donuts from local favorite VG donuts in Cardiff, CA.

Starting Friday January 7th you’ll be able to order coffee and food for takeout from Leap Coffee’s location in Sabre Springs.

Want to get Coffee Smarter with Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting? Tickets to coffee education classes, as referenced in today’s podcast, are on sale now. Spots are limited. Proof of Vaccination required.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. Each Classics podcast has new introductions and combines some of the earliest Coffee Smarter education shows. I hope you enjoy.

This week we go all the way back to cover how coffee grind size, freshness and “strength” can impact the flavor in your cup of coffee. Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting—who is the coffee expert on these episodes—is hosting Coffee Smarter 101 classes in early 2022. Click the button to get tickets. Limited quantity.

I’ve been on the road (still managing to socially distance) exploring northwestern Arizona and Colorado. I strongly recommend visiting Antelope Canyon and the Glen Canyon Dam area near Page, Arizona. The views, hikes, and landscapes are truly incredible. My only complaint is that there are very few, almost no, craft coffee shops or roasters in the region. I sense an opportunity for an enterprising roaster out there.

While I was in town the only local cafes in Page were closed for the holidays, which is how I found myself making a cup of coffee in the hotel room using the mini-coffee maker and provided travel coffee pack with ground coffee in a tea bag.

I’ll just say…I did this so you don’t have too.

I don’t know what this was supposed to taste like, but that expression that little kids make when they try something bitter or tart for the first time, that was me. The experience left a lot to be desired. The only tasting note I could provide would be: burnt. The coffee tasted as if someone had taken coffee beans and burned them until all that was left was ash. They then scooped them up to distribute into these tea bags.

There are plenty of better travel pourovers available. Industry Partner, Steady State Roasting regularly offers them, and Nostalgia Brewing is really raising the bar, or invest in a travel hand grinder so you can bring your favorite coffee roaster’s best beans with you. I have this one from Javapresse.

FROM THE SHOW

I’m no longer a vegan. I’m back to being vegan-ish.

On the show, Chris says he doesn’t roast coffee. That has obviously changed! His highly-rated, fresh-roasted coffee beans are now available.

Blade grinders = bad. Burr grinders = good. This is the Bodum Bistro entry level burr grinder I was using (and still use) when I make a cup of coffee at home. I chose it based on a comparison test that Chris and I did of about eight grinders in the entry and mid-level price point for at home coffee grinders. It isn’t fancy, but it is consistent and regularly available.

If you wanted to move up to the next level, Chris brought up the brand Baratza. They have a great customer service and education program, and their prices have been coming down a bit as they add new models. Their Encore model is the next level up from the Bodum and made well enough to be your grinder for the long haul. See the Baratza Encore Grinder on Amazon.

I cannot find the phone based coffee app that measures grind size. Please send it if you do! This one from Coffee ad Astra is online only, pretty intense, and definitely for the advanced coffee science enthusiast.

Bonus: Not from the show but coffee related is this article I wrote for The Coast News Group. If I’m going to stay awake and celebrate the New Year properly, I’m going to need a coffee pick me up in the form of a coffee champagne punch.

Bonus: Not so coffee related but just as valuable is the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. It’s only $80 per year, which considering entry fees at most parks range between $25-45, is a great deal. My wife and I use ours constantly just to pop into parks without worrying about entry fees or about getting our money’s worth. It makes it a lot easier to visit without the stress of seeing everything. This week we used ours to drive through the Grand Canyon and the Colorado National Monument.

COFFEE VOCAB CLASSICS

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting was featured in SDVoyager.

Shout out to Ignite Coffee founder Tyler Whitehead who used the holiday to get engaged! Congratulations!

First Light Whiskey has developed a special cocktail with Steel Mill Coffee that is only available at Pacific Coast Spirits in Oceanside. They blend Steel Mill cold brew coffee with First Light Dark Roast whiskey, and add a splash of oat milk. It is served from a nitro draft line which makes it much creamier and soft (like a Guinness).

Everyone has holiday hours for the New Year! Be sure to check their social feeds for updates.

Leap Coffee is offering Espresso Basics classes at the Roastery! Get in touch with our team at info@leap.coffee to book a lesson.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

FINALLY…

Finally, this week it is almost New Year’s Eve. We’re facing a huge surge in the coronavirus with the Omicron variant spreading faster than any previous version of the virus. There is good indicators (albeit not officially confirmed) that this variant is going to be less impactful on individual’s health, but the logistics of so many people getting sick all at once are heightened. It is straining our health systems, burning out our medical workers, and causing huge upheavals in day-to-day life for many people.Be safe out there. Please wear a mask and get vaxxed or boosted. If not for you, for your local nurse who hasn’t had a day off in months, for the neighbor kid who can’t get vaccinated due to age or illness, or for at-risk family and friends. Do it for your local baristas who engage with hundreds of customers a day and don’t get paid nearly enough to be the mask police!

I’m taking great joy in my morning cups of coffee and the opportunity to get outside and explore safely. I have big hopes for 2022. It’s going to be different this year–better, safer, healthier. I can feel it. Happy New Year.

Ryan

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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Hey all. Happy Holidays. R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. Until then, I'll be checking in once a week with some coffee news, show updates, mini-interviews at coffee shops, and Coffee Smarter throwbacks.

This week, we (my better half partner, Trina, and I) are hitting the road. I can’t say I thought we’d be dealing with so much coronavirus this Christmas holiday, but here we are. We’ve decided to take our planned trip to the mountains to socially distance which will consist mostly of drinking coffee and whiskey by a fireplace.

We’re grateful for the opportunity and ability to travel and will be limiting our human interactions primarily to coffee shops along the way. We took a mini-overnight to Joshua Tree earlier this week, and stopped into Cartel Coffee in Palm Springs. It was only a quick visit for a drip coffee, latte, and pastry, but it was still memorable. Shout out to the team that was working on Friday the 17th for a great hospitality experience.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re able to find some respite from the overwhelmingness of the news headlines. Maybe it is in the bottom of a cup of coffee.

Here in California mask mandates are back but even if your are somewhere else in the world that is mask mandate-free and you decide to go out to visit a new coffee shop or your favorite local roaster, please be cool to your baristas, bartenders, servers, shopkeepers, etc. They don’t get paid enough to be the mask police, but they are there serving the community. Help keep them safe from Omicron and Delta and the O.G. Covid-19 by wearing a mask for a few minutes. It will be appreciated.

Besides masks not only help keep yourself and others safe, they keep your face warm...and it has been a cold as all heck December.

COFFEE NEWS

This is pretty interesting and will likely lead to some sort of Coffee Smarter episode in S4. A study shared on Nature.com indicates that a preference for black coffee or bitter tasting flavors like those found in dark chocolate may be a genetic predisposition. In particular, individuals who have genes that process caffeine quickly may have created associations or perceptions between bitter flavors and caffeine content. It is a unique confluence of genetics in one area–caffeine processing–influencing perception in another–taste representing caffeine content. Erin Blakemore breaks down the study a little further in a column on the Washington Post online.

FROM THE SHOW

To see all the coffee cupping steps laid out check out this step-by-step guide from Fellow brand coffee gear.

A coffee cupping spoon looks a lot like a soup spoon. This one is from Brewista.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

NEW PARTNER ALERT! Welcome to the R!WC family Ignite Coffee Company. Founder Tyler Whitehead will be appearing on the pod in S4 to share his coffee journey.

Steady State Roasting is hosting some Holiday Hangs next week just in case you needed a reason to get an afternoon coffee.

Camp Coffee Co. is selling gift cards online if you need a last minute stocking stuffer.

Coffee Cycle Roasting and Coffee Smarter expert, Chris O’Brien (Santa hat) hosted Hippy Holiday (see the route on Strava), a smaller version of the popular Hippy Crit bicycle ride which goes up and down the nearby Mount Soledad...and then up and down again…and again…They crazy, but the riders also love coffee and bicycles. Coffee Cycle will be hosting—coronavirus mutations permitting—a full Hippy Crit event in the spring. Follow @coffeecycleroasting on Instagram to make sure you see the ticket announcement.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Thank you for reading. Roast! West Coast grows through word of mouth. Please consider sharing this post with someone who might appreciate it.

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R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. Until then, I'll be checking in once a week with some coffee news, show updates, mini-interviews at coffee shops, and Coffee Smarter throwbacks. Mostly, I need to brush up on all we've learned over the past three seasons so I’m in shape for an epic Season 4.

This week we go all the way back to weeks two and three of Season 1. It was a simpler time…sort of. I would meet the guests on Google Meet video chats and record the audio from that with an app on my phone. I’d then export the audio into a different software to try to learn the basics of audio editing.

For this first classics episode, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle and I talk first about the ins and outs of water. Then we roll right into a chat about coffee flavors and flavor profiles.

COFFEE STUFF

Buffalo Starbuck’s Unionizes. It is a first time a U.S.-based Starbuck’s store has voted to unionize in the company’s 50-year history. Two stores in Canada have previously unionized. There are more than 33,000 stores worldwide. Two Buffalo stores voted to unionize and one voted no. However, three more Buffalo area stores are holding elections, as are two in Boston and one in Mesa, AZ despite employees alleging union-busting intimidation efforts (per a report on CNBC) from the company trying to prevent unionization.

Cropster: As much as I love the tactile creation of a cup of coffee it would be short-sighted to ignore how much technology has infiltrated the coffee industry. Cropster is one of the software programs some of our favorite coffee roasters are using to do everything from creating and tracking roast profile data to inventory management. I’m still learning about it myself, but wanted to share the link in case anyone wanted to go on a deep dive on some software over the holidays.

California has the most coffee shops of any state with 9615 per the World Coffee index survey which tracks the price of coffee around the world. The U.S. survey has a lot of fun data to peruse here.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

First Light Whiskey will be at the Holiday Spirits Festival this weekend.

Steady State Roasting is hosting some Holiday Hangs next week just in case you needed a reason to get an afternoon coffee.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

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One thing I have learned over three seasons of hosting and producing this coffee podcast is that I have absolutely no desire to start roasting my own coffee. Zero. Zilch. Nada. None.

I love coffee, but my brain doesn’t work in a way that would appease the gods of science. The roasters I’ve met on this show have a unique ability to not only tease great flavors out of the beans found inside coffee cherries, but to do it again, and again, and again. There is beauty in that consistency, and—as my wife will attest—I’ve never made the same recipe twice.

I do want to drink coffee. I want to share the stories of those roasting it, those growing it, those who are passionate about it. I want to be amazed at the science and inspired by the passion I get to see and hear in the guests who appear on the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast.

For 30 hours over three seasons, I’ve been sitting in my ever-improving closet studio talking with the coffee pros on the West Coast. It has been awesome. So awesome, I’ve decided to double-down on this show. I recently left my full-time position to pursue this coffee podcast/newsletter and various writing opportunities including the release of my most recent book, Future Eli & Future Jane.

What does that mean for Roast! West Coast? It means more interviews, more coffee education, more engagement in the real world with IRL coffee experiences, and new features like interviews with coffee loving creatives. It means I’ll need more coffee.

Thank you for sticking with me so far. I’m grateful for the support. Please keep sharing the show and this newsletter. Please keep subscribing, and if you have ideas, suggestions, comments, or want to share some coffee hopes and dreams, I’m here for you. Send to roastwestcoast@gmail.com or connect with @roastwestcoast on social media.

A VISIT TO CALIFORNIA ROASTING COLLECTIVE

It’s quiet the morning I visit California Roasting Collective (CRC). Even when running, the big San Franciscan roasters work quietly (not so when the Loring kicks in). Only the hum of an industrial exhaust fan and the ticking of coffee beans rolling against the inside of the roaster break through the silence.

CRC is an industrial coffee roasting facility in San Marcos, California and the brainchild of Elliot Reinecke and his business partner. Elliot is also the founder and head roaster of the acclaimed Steady State Roasting. The Collective was born when Elliot went looking for a home to roast his coffee and couldn’t find one. At least, not one that offered everything he was looking for.

The CRC warehouse space is shiny, clean, and efficiently designed. There are multiple roasting machines of various sizes from the San Franciscan and Loring companies. A shipping and packing station occupies a corner, a wash station another, and green coffee storage is in an adjoining space. A few doors down you’ll find their new cold brew facility.

At the entry, the real entry, not the rear garage door I wandered in through, is a cupping and tasting room that is as warm as the warehouse is cool. A sample roaster and various grinders line countertops, and a long, communal, wooden table fills the center of the space. It is the kind of place I want to hang out in, sipping a coffee, making notes in my pocket pad, and watch the work being done. And for a while I do.

At any given time 12-20 roasters of various sizes work out of CRC, and I realize, as I’m sitting their sipping a cup of something Elliot had set up on the table, that a lot of the best San Diego coffee probably gets roasted right in this room.

The roaster in front of me (above) taps on the screen watching his roast specs as the computer monitors the internal temperatures of the coffee beans being pushed around inside the drum. He bobs his head to whatever sounds are pumping out of his oversized headphones. Occasionally, he makes an adjustment on the screen or takes a bite from a pastry or sips from his clay coffee chalice or writes notes about his roast in his own notepad. Coffee is being made here.

Check out California Roasting Collective if you have any interest in roasting coffee, learning about coffee roasting, expanding your current roasting program, or are looking for an opportunity to create a coffee brand either through their white label or toll production offerings.

COFFEE VOCAB

FROM THE SHOW

Leap Coffee always has a seasonally themed coffee. For the 2021 Holidays it is “Merry & Bright,” a medium-roasted blend of natural/washed Guatemala and Brazil coffee beans with roasting notes of chocolate truffle, candied pecan, and milk stout, which sounds alright to me. They’re also offering Taster Gift Boxes so you can try or give more than one coffee as a gift this year.

In North County San Diego and want to ride the Holiday train with Santa and his merry band of carolers? You’ll need a ticket. The train goes along the coast from Solana Beach to Oceanside. Masks required.

Camp Coffee really does have a great holiday vibe going on and I’ll vouch for the great service. If you want to check out the Macrame Christmas Wreath event click here. If you want to see everything else going on at Camp Coffee, click here!

The Steady State Cool Beans Club is where you’ll find the roastery’s most unique coffee offerings. Check it out here.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Coffee Cycle Roasting just launched a subscription program. Get coffee delivered on your schedule.

Mostra Coffee rebranded for the holidays so you don’t even need to wrap their bags of coffee to give them as a gift. Good looking out!

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Season 3! We did it!

Listen to the show on these platforms!

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS O’BRIEN PART 2

It’s funny how connected the coffee community is. When I booked Jimmy Silva from Jaunt Coffee Roasters on the show earlier this season, I didn’t know he and Chris were friends, much less had a roasting relationship, and you can tell from our chat that Chris didn’t know I knew Jimmy from the show!

I’ll keep saying it over and over and over again: Coffee is about community, and with Coffee Cycle, Chris is bringing together his shared communities of cyclists and coffee lovers and the local community.

On the show Chris is drinking the Colombia Hacienda El Obraje Colibri Gesha Blend he roasted. Click the link and try it for yourself.

Moving forward he’s looking to connect his communities even further out into the world with more direct trade, more interactive events, and more engagement.

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of this interview.

FROM THE SHOW

Cortado: The cortado is Chris’ go-to drink to order when he goes to someone else’s shop. The cortado is a Spanish drink from the Basque region of Spain that is an espresso layered with warm/steamed milk in a 1:1 ratio (instead of 1:3 for a latte). In some U.S. cafe’s the cortado is also called a Gibraltar, which is a reference to they type of Libby brand glassware it is commonly served in.

Five Faces of Soledad Ride took off recently from Coffee Cycle. A crew of insane riders showed up on Thanksgiving morning for a challenging ride up and down Mount Soledad not once, not twice, not thrice, not four times, but FIVE TIMES.Cyclists have been supporting Coffee Cycle Roasting from the beginning. Below are cyclists showing up at the cart on the side of the road and again during the first week of business at the cafe in Pacific Beach, San Diego. More photos on @coffeecycleroasting on Instagram.

The tabletop sample drum roaster that Chris learned on: The Quest M3.

The farm/cafe that Coffee Cycle Roasting has been building a direct relationship with in Costa Rica is Café Corazón. The next step is to start building even more direct trade relationships with farms in the coffee belt around the world. Follow Café Corazón on Instagram to see more about their farming techniques and mission.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Holiday gift bundles at CAFÈ LaTERRE in Solana Beach. Limited supply!

Steady State Roasting just launched Spiced Cranberry Cider—hot or iced with sparkling water. Quick tip: Get it spiked with ginger juice.

Go see @FirstLightWhiskey at their new tasting space inside Pacific Coast Spirits in Oceanside, CA this weekend. 750ml Coffee Whiskey bottles will be available for purchase in the tasting room and they're launching a Nitro Cold Brew cocktail in collaboration with Steel Mill Coffee available on draft and in to-go crowler cans. Launch event on 12/5. I might see you there!

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Coffee and a pastry while meandering the streets.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS O’BRIEN

Chris O’Brien has been the R!WC Coffee Smarter resident expert since this show began, and as I’ve mentioned on the show, my conversations with Chris about coffee are a big reason this show even exists.

Yet somehow, I’ve never sat down to interview him like I have so many other coffee professionals on this show. I’ve just used him for his knowledge, and for that, I apologize. This week we rectify that mistake with a two-part interview.

I didn’t plan on a two-hour interview, but sometimes, Chris and I start blathering on and on, and all of a sudden a pot of coffee has disappeared. We cover a lot of ground on the show, but one thing that came up really stood out to me—the performative aspect of working in hospitality.

I’ve spent more than 25 years working in the service industry. I’m not that old! I just started working at my parents supper club really young. Often during the training phase of starting a new service job I’d be given a literal script to use dictating how to talk about food or the business or how to greet a customer walking through the door.

On top of that, the fast-paced, repetitive nature of the business naturally led me to develop go-to phrases or manners of speech to fall back on. Walking that tightrope between full-on phony and truly engaging with the people coming through the door for a coffee or a beer or a sandwich can be really difficult. It doesn’t take much to swing too far one way or the other.

I hope you enjoy part 1 of this interview and look for part 2 to drop on Thursday morning instead of the normal Coffee Smarter episode.

On the show Chris is drinking the Colombia Hacienda El Obraje Colibri Gesha Blend he roasted. Click the link and try it for yourself.

FROM THE SHOW:

• Clover Coffee Brewer: This is literally all there is about this brewer available from Starbucks, “The Clover® brewing system is a rare leap forward in coffee brewing technology that lets us craft a single cup of perfectly brewed coffee with exquisite balance, depth of flavor, and aroma. Innovative Vacuum-Press™ technology and precise control over water temperature and brew time work in conjunction to ensure we can extract the best flavor from the coffee. Since every bean, roast and blend is different, controlling the brew is essential to getting the most out of every cup. We pair the Clover® with our rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve Coffees to bring them to life in the most extraordinary way.”

IDENTIFYING 1st, 2nd & 3rd WAVE COFFEE:

Dan Oksnevad of Driven Coffee Roasters out of Minneapolis, Minnesota put together this helpful list of identifying characteristics found in the various waves of coffee. The link takes you to his full article if you’d like even more detail on the various waves, and they have a pretty solid sampler pack deal I’m thinking about gambling on.

First Wave:

Artificially or “naturally” flavored beans

Language of “premium” or “gourmet”

Primarily pre-ground offerings

Super dark, bitter coffee

The supermarket coffee aisle

Second Wave:

Heavy focus on flavored drinks

Fairly dark, bitter coffee

The supermarket coffee aisle

Slight recognition of coffee origin country

Baristas who are passionate about the cafe, but not the beans themselves

Third Wave:

Specific flavor notes (eg. honey sweetness, rose aromatics, and orange acidity)

Lighter roast profiles

Latte art

Single origin (single farm, estate) beans

High degree of origin transparency

Manual brewing methods like pour over cones and french presses

Freshness transparency by publishing specific roast dates

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Camp Coffee Company is going Griswold with the holiday drinks! Nitro with mulled spice foamed milk of your choice and a dash of cinnamon • Mulled Spice Latte • Candy Cane Mocha • Candy Cane Hot Cocoa •Eggnog Latte • Classic Apple cider • Mulled Spice Apple Cider • Caramel Apple CiderAll drinks can be made hot or iced!

Go see @FirstLightWhiskey at their new tasting space inside Pacific Coast Spirits in Oceanside, CA this weekend! 750ml Coffee Whiskey bottles will be available for purchase in the tasting room and they're launching a Nitro Cold Brew cocktail in collaboration with Steel Mill Coffee available on draft and in to-go crowler cans. Launch event on 12/5!

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

SUPPORT ROAST! WEST COAST

The R!WC podcast is always free on your favorite podcast platforms, but as a reminder, paid subscribers are helping us grow this coffee content! Subscriptions really helps to support the ongoing work that goes into this publication in real tangible ways like microphones and acoustic panels and website fees.

Either way, here is a photo of a very regal-looking dog just chilling with their cup of morning coffee.

Best,Ryan

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Considering all the Starbucks talk today this seemed appropriate, and I low-key really enjoy this film. I used to own it on a VHS tape which I bought used from Blockbuster, because I’m from the last century.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

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I have weird dreams. I always have. It is one of the reasons I don’t do drugs (besides coffee and whiskey). My brain can generally get pretty weird without them, but more and more, I find that even when dreaming I’ll have one foot buried strongly in reality.

For example, I was recently running away—through the snow—from a grizzled Kevin Costner. He was wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a bazooka. I made my way up a fire tower in the woods, and as he pulled the trigger on that bazooka, I wondered, “I wonder if I remembered to shout out Zumbar Coffee & Tea in the Roast! episode coming out tomorrow?” Then I got up in the middle of the night and listened to the entire show in my pajamas knowing I had a self-imposed publishing deadline of 5:00 AM.

I was working while not working. My brain got stuck in a loop where I couldn’t stop even while sleeping. I think it has started happening more post-pandemic shutdown. During lockdown, there were less stimuli in my life for my mind to take in, process, and dismiss, leaving more room for compulsion.*

Relaxing my brain is something I’m working on, and when I ask other people, like today’s guest Siri Simran Khalsa of Lofty Coffee Company, who seemingly have single-minded pursuits, about it it they often nod in understanding. Siri calls them the, “…coffee nightmares.”

That could be the name of a good podcast.

Whatever it is that gets stuck in your brain, know that you are not alone. We’re all in a constant state of processing, and I hope you can find that thing that takes you out of yourself long enough to relax guilt-free. For Siri, it is climbing, for me…I’m working on it.

*It does seem to disappear when I disengage on an internet free camping trip. I strongly recommend it, and recommend bringing along some good coffee.

ARABICA VERSUS ROBUSTA

Zoom in (or click on) this very, very detailed Coffee Family Tree from Cafe Imports Australia and you’ll see Arabica right on the thick part of the trunk, and Robusta on an off-shoot trunk to the right.

Roughly 60% of of coffee consumed around the world is Arabica, and the remaining 40% is Robusta. We make some generalizations on the show about the two, but it goes without saying that there are no blanket statements about quality that apply to every single coffee that is produces from each species.

Arabica traces its roots back to the Ethiopia/Yemen regions of Africa. That story we shared about Kaldi the Goat Herder discovering coffee way back in week 1 of Season 2 refers to what is likely Arabica coffee beans. Robusta is also thought to originate in Africa. Just south and east of Ethiopia, Robusta is thought to have originated in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Sprudge.com)

The chart below comes from EspressoPerfecto.com where there is a ton of added information about the differences between the two families of beans. They go more in-depth on each category and I definitely recommend checking it out as a primer beyond the basics shown here.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

DISCOUNT ALERT: from @mostracoffee: “As a token of our appreciation, we’re ending the year with our best sale of 2021! Use code: BFCM25 for 25% off ALL coffee bean bags online through 11/29 at 11:59 PST. Get that Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal without the craze and lines!”

DISCOUNT ALERT: @LeapCoffee has a Buy One, Get One 50% off Black Friday Sale and is doing giveaways and daily deals on their Instagram page.

Artist Shelby Ling is crushing a new mural inside Steady State Roasting.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea has a really unique single-origin Honduras coffee currently in their shop. Strong recommend.

Some big news coming soon for @FirstLightWhiskey. Follow them now so you don’t miss it.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

SUBSCRIBE TO ROAST! WEST COAST

Thank you for being a subscriber to Roast! West Coast this year. This holiday season, consider giving the gift of a paid subscription to a friend, family member, or colleague you think might enjoy it.

The R!WC podcast is always free on your favorite podcast platforms, but as a reminder, paid subscribers to Roast! West Coast get access to:

Roast! West Coast Coffee podcast, news, features and more right in your inbox.

Supporting local coffee industry and journalism.

Coffee discounts and gear giveaways.

A gift subscription is a unique and thoughtful way to share the podcast and writing you enjoy with someone close to you. Plus, it really helps to support the ongoing work that goes into this publication in real tangible ways like microphones and acoustic panels and websites.

Either way, this is me…saying cheers and thank you!

Best,Ryan

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Everything about Groundhog Day spoke to me as a kid. The repetitiveness and lack of control, and revisiting this scene near the beginning of TV weatherman Phil Connors is magic. Drinking coffee straight from the pot is a good way to start a revolution.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

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You didn’t think we were going to skip Thanksgiving week did you? Coffee is part of my daily routine in a way that I hope someday this show can be. I love coffee and go out of my way to drink good coffee. Sometimes way to far out of the way, but that doesn’t mean I’m drinking a perfect single-origin, 95-point roast pour-over every morning.

Sometimes I just want something hot, now, and with enough oomph to warm me on one of these bitter cool SoCal fall mornings. Alden Hozouri, my guest on today’s show, calls these coffees “Daily Drivers.” That fancy cup, well, that is a “High Flyer,” and as the Founder and Head Coffee Roaster at Crossings Coffee he aims to create a portfolio of both so the menus in the cafe’s—like CAFÉ LaTERRE*—that carry his coffee will be able to offer something both to the customer just looking for a morning warmer and the one looking to illuminate the day with something fantastico.

In the show today we dig into Alden’s journey. The seeds of which were planted long before they came to fruition just as he was about to enter medical school. There seems to be a lot of overlap between coffee professionals and other careers that have long required a certain willingness to grind away (no pun intended) until one has perfected their craft, at least, as much as anyone can perfect a craft that is based on continually changing variables.

*CAFÉ LaTERRE is one of our Roast! Industry Partners. They have one location in Solana Beach, California, and another under construction in Encinitas, California.

FROM THE SHOW

Diedrich IR-5: This is the 5-kilo roaster that Alden bought five years ago, and which sat in a crate, in the garage, until he recently sold it. A quick search showed used versions going for $15-17,000, and new in-the-box used versions for upwards of $25,000.

Fixing Brains & Mending Hearts is going to be a punk rock coffee themed band sometime soon. I’m certain of it. It is also a concept that speaks to the community aspect of coffee. I’d be curious to know if you can think of other careers that touch humanity in the same way, and why.

This clip waiting boats is from awhile ago, but it gives a nice visual of the shipping delay situation. A recent local news report had boats waiting to go into the Port of LA stretching all the way down to waters off of North County San Diego. The reason the ships are waiting (via NPR) include not enough trucks or chassis to unload containers onto, not enough warehouse space to temporarily store the merchandise, not enough truckers to transport the goods, the double delivery of products that were delayed during the pandemic that are showing up now along with current orders, and American’s demand for products nearly doubling during the pandemic.

Jaunt Coffee Roasters Founder & Head Roaster Jimmy Silva just roasted two more coffees receiving big scores from Coffee Review, including a 94 for his Ethiopia Buno Dambi Uddo and a 93 for his Colombia Planadas Tolima.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

It’s getting a little close to the holidays. Time to start thinking about giving the gift of coffee. Check out the subscriptions offerings at our partner roasters. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Just saying “Hi,” to the team at Marea Coffee. It’s been a minute! Let’s hang out, drink a coffee…or tequila.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

SUBSCRIBE TO ROAST! WEST COAST

Enjoying the show? Please consider supporting Roast! West Coast by purchasing a paid subscription enabling us to continue creating this coffee show and growing the coffee community.

This is me…saying cheers and thank you!

Thank you! We appreciate you!

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Paul Rudd is not only in the new Ghostbusters, he is in every third coffee shop scene in movies. It’s a law.

The first minute, or so, of this clip from the 2014 film They Came Together is way, way, too close to real for anyone who has ever been a barista or bartender or server.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

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On my recent trip through middle America and back into the West, I found myself often looking for a good cup of coffee. The fastest way to find it was to call up a list of all the cafe’s nearby, sorted by the number of stars, and start clicking through the recent reviews, and photos until one felt right.

Reading through the aggregated data is a skill we’ve all developed, as is writing reviews. I think this coffee is really good. So do you. I post a review. Then so do you. We add our voice to the collective audience of individuals adding reviews, and creating a picture of a business or a product or a service for others to view in the future when they are making their own choices.

At its best we’re creating a visual record that helps us determine where we spend our money. By creating a numerical language we’re creating ways to compare our perceptions of quality, and hopefully able to create the best coffee or hospitality experiences for ourselves.

On the show this week Siri Simran Khalsa (Executive Director of Coffee at Lofty Coffee Co.) and I talk about coffee reviews and more specifically Coffee Review. Coffee Review has a been awarding scores on a 100-point scale since 1997. When you see an Instagram post about a coffee receiving a 94-point score, it’s probably from Coffee Review.

You don’t often see bad scores, because, frankly, no one is blasting out the news that they got a 75 out of 100, but Coffee Review does publish low reviews. You can see them all online.

The Specialty Coffee Association also uses a similar system for teaching roasters and coffee fans how to compare coffees during the cupping process. There are a lot of rules about everything from equipment to preparation to the process in how the tasting should take place. A score applied to each stage—aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, sweetness, clean cup, uniformity, overall, defects—all along the way.

In the end, we have to decide for ourselves if we trust the reviews, the scores, the collective visual, or not.

In the show, Siri and I talk about what it is like to work in the coffee industry. At one point earlier this year I was considering taking a role in coffee production, and I examined why it might be or not be a good fit. There are a lot of variables.

Siri and I’s conversation could help you identify if you have interest in a coffee job, but even if you already know you don’t, you’ll learn a little bit more about what it takes to be in the industry, how Siri views her craft, and it will probably inspire a little more appreciation the cup you’re drinking today.

COFFEE ON THE ROAD

A couple times a year I drive East, and regularly spend the night in a small-ish town of about 14,000 on the edge of Utah, on the Colorado side of the line, known as Fruita. We stay in the same AirBnb. We get pizza and beer at the Hot Tomato. We peek into bicycle shops, and wander through the park.

Somehow, I’ve never stopped into Aspen Street Coffee Company despite having passed it at least a dozen times in the past few years. I didn’t make that mistake again during my last pass.

Katie Hendricks, Manager of the Aspen Street Coffee Company, spent a few minutes chatting with me on my recent visit about the cafe and why Fruita is the best. Listen to it in the back end of the podcast.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

It’s getting a little close to the holidays. Time to start thinking about giving the gift of coffee.Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

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COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

Are you telling us everything?

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What makes for a good cup of coffee? Not in general, but to you?

Taste and flavor can be such subjective concepts. A roaster has to decide which green beans can produce the type of quality flavor that can bring customers back through the cafe door time after time. It takes time and practice and skill to develop such skills.

Jeff Taylor and Maritza Suarez-Taylor met in Manta, Ecuador at a coffee tasting competition. They bonded over a peaberry Pacamara coffee. It would be easy to say the rest is history, but Maritza lived in Bogota, Colombia, and Jeff in Topeka, Kansas. Two locales not known for being in the same hemisphere. So they worked for it, visiting and coffee tasting together for several years before getting married.

They are a good team. He takes on the sales and the growth plan for the businesses—PT’s Coffee and Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, and she is the Director of Quality Control. They both agree she is the better taster despite both having some pretty impressive bonafides.

That’s what stuck with me the most from my conversation with Jeff and Maritza. When judging the quality of a coffee there is no set sheet of rules. Each coffee varietal and coffee style needs to be judged independently on the characteristics that come forth from the flavors of bean which can be impacted by region, terroir, processing, weather, and on and on.

The same could be said of the coffee drinker. Our expectations will be impacted by our own experience, taste buds, regional preferences, and on and on. So I ask you again, what makes a cup of coffee good to you?

Bird Rock Coffee Roasters was started by Chuck Patton in 2002. A decade later Bird Rock Coffee Roasters were named Micro-Roasters of the Year. The BRCR name was synonymous with quality, direct trade, and community. Those traits are the foundation Jeff and Maritza have continued to build Bird Rock upon since acquiring the business five years ago.

On this week’s Roast! West Coast coffee podcast Jeff and Maritza invite us into their world to talk about quality as their guiding principle, and how sometimes being in the right place at the right time can change your life.

FROM THE SHOW

PT’s Coffee is Jeff and Maritza’s original company based in Kansas. Jeff started PT’s as a local cafe in 1993, moved into roasting, and were on the forefront of the Direct Trade movement. They were named Roaster of the Year in 2009, and even with the acquisition of Bird Rock Coffee, they’ve continued producing high-quality coffee in the Mid-West.

“GrainPro provides safe, cost-effective air tight (hermetic) storage for dry grains, green coffee beans, seeds, spices, etc. Our products are not just for high-end coffee and chocolate producers. We also work in developing countries to help to increase post-harvest yields, fight hunger and poverty for small holder farmers, and reduce carbon emissions.”The Grainpro website even has all kinds of tips for green and roasted coffee bean storage here.

If you see a peaberry coffee on the menu at your local roastery it will very likely be the most expensive one on the board. The word peaberry in the coffee’s description refers to the coffee bean itself, not the origin or variety.The normal coffee cherry has two coffee seeds or beans inside the cherry flesh, but a peaberry only has one, or at least, only one develops. This leads to a smaller, denser bean that is prized for its light, sweet taste. Read a full description from Kauai Coffee of how a peaberry coffee bean develops here.

Cup of Excellence: This prestigious blind tasting competition establishes levels of quality for lots of coffee and provides a training and education program for farmers.

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NEW COFFEE ALERT: Steady State Roasting has a new coffee from Brazil, Três Barras, for you to try in the shop. Tasting notes: candied fruit, grape, melon, and nougat.

Leap Coffee is still hiring. Send resumes to info@leap.coffee and someone from their team will be in touch soon!

First Light Whiskey is a dedicated 1% for the Planet member. They give 1% of their net sales to foundations who put in 100% of their efforts to have a lasting impact on this beautiful planet we live on. They like to get into the action. They recently partnered with the San Diego River Park Foundation to clean trash out of the river bed.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

The Café con Aroma de Mujer 2021 remake shouldn’t be missed.

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Coffee is coffee is coffee, but when you’ve got a backpack full of new roasts from around the country you want to try to brew the best cups of coffee as possible, as quickly as possible. At least I do, but that can be difficult. There are so many variables to brewing a cup of coffee at home—water-to-grind ratio, grind size, roast profile, brewing method. It can be frustrating to try dialing in a coffee only to realize there is just a few cups left back in the bag.

The variables don’t start at your home grinder either. Coffee roasters start with green coffee and need to make decisions on an entirely different set of variables before that coffee is ever shared with the world. Siri Simran Khalsa, Executive Director of Lofty Coffee, is back on the show to share some of what she does when she receives a new coffee, and we chat about dialing our the brews we prepare at home. I hope you enjoy the show.

ON THE ROAD: BIVOUAC COFFEE ROASTERS

Shout out to Justin Cygan at Bivouac Coffee Co. in Evergreen, Colorado. Justin made me a really good cappuccino, and I was really stoked to learn about Bivouac’s efforts in sustainability and creating an environmentally friendly company. Check out their website for details, and to see what they are roasting.

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Leap Coffee is hiring. Send resumes to: info@leap.coffee

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE CINEMA IN CLOSING

“This drink…I like it!”

―As said by Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth in Marvel’s Thor.

I hope you get as passionate for your next cup of coffee as Thor, but please be a bit kinder to your server or barista.

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Ruben Enriquez of Origen Coffee Roasters didn’t know how good the coffee he grew up with in Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico was until he left home. Replicating (or improving) on the coffee experience from when and where a roaster first fell in love with coffee, sometimes without realizing it, has been a common theme through three seasons of this show.

My first experience with coffee came in the form of a coffee-flavored hard candy that was placed out for guests at my parent’s restaurant. I remember expecting root beer, and then spitting the gross coffee flavored candy onto the floor. It would be nearly 20 years before I tried real coffee after that. When I think about all the years I missed…

We associate food and drink with our homelands. I’m from Wisconsin, and damn if I don’t love cheese and beer. At Origen Coffee Roasters, Ruben is continually trying to share the experience of good, craft, specialty coffee that he had in Mexico with others.

But it did take him awhile to get there! He’s studied culinary arts, been a mechanical engineer, and gone to business school. All stops that eventually helped him form the idea behind, and have the skills to pull off, the opening of his own business.

He couldn’t do it alone. During the show we talk about how his entire family is involved in the business including his wife Perla, who is the CEO, and kids who help at the Farmer’s Markets. We delve into how it can be difficult to walk the line between being family and co-workers. It can also be rewarding when the family shares in their successes together.

Origen focuses on organic, specialty coffee’s which, according to Ruben, is meant to show respect for the land, the workers, and his customers. He’ll be taking that attitude into the next phase of Origen which includes expansion into more retail locations, into more custom community coffee cart experiences, and sharing more of his passion for coffee and the experience it creates with all of us.

Thanks for listening to the show, and for drinking good coffee!

New Roasts from Origen Coffee Roasters

Just this week Ruben started roasting these organic micro-lots:

Colombia Millennium Natural

Guatemala Caserío Chanjon

Honduras Finca La Florencia Typica

Honduras Finca La Lupita Honey

Honduras Finca La Torre Natural

RUBY COFFEE ROASTERS

Shout out to Ruby Colorful Coffee Roasters in Stevens Point, Wisconsin (with a roast facility in nearby Nelsonville) for making the first coffee roastery visit on a recent road trip a success. Great vibe, great service, and general manager Kellen Furkey even took a moment to tell me how he got into coffee on this week’s episode.

I was not entirely prepared for the November chill, and the coffee definitely helped warm me up.

COFFEE IN THE NEWS

A pair of entrepreneurial engineers in Italy have created an environmentally friendly way to roast coffee beans without electricity or gas by concentrating sunlight directly onto coffee beans using mirrors. It may sound like an elementary school experiment, but according to the team who developed Purosole, it is anything but.

According to the inventors, in a sunny locale—like southern Italy or perhaps Southern California—a solar plant with 40 mirrors is capable of roasting up to 66,000 pounds of coffee a year, saving about 60,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

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Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE CINEMA

“Cappuccino is the perfect movie,” says Ruben Enriquez during the show. In honor of that quote we’re closing this week with some coffee in film instead of our traditional quote. Parental Advisory Warning: This clip ends with a fairly emphatic f-bomb.

“Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee's for closers only.”

―As said by Blake, played by Alec Baldwin and written by David Mamet in Glengarry Glen Ross

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Between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn lies The Bean Belt. It is the circle of Earth where a majority of our coffee is grown. Weather, economy, tradition, and even war have been major determining factors on where and why our coffee comes from where it does. The handy map below (from Achilles Coffee) gives us a simple visual.

You’ll see America isn’t part of that belt, and you should listen to previous episodes with Jay Ruskey of Frinj Farms to learn more about domestic coffee farming.

I find myself drawn to the coffee’s of Sumatra. I associate them with dark chocolate and a bitterness I find appealing, but I don’t know if that is just because I had a Sumatra coffee I liked once and latched on, or if there are actual regional characteristics that make that coffee more in line with my taste buds.

I asked Chris O’Brien (Coffee Cycle Roasting) about it on this weeks Coffee Smarter, and per usual, we took a winding path around the world talking about coffee traits, regional characteristics, and most importantly, how we use that information to have a better coffee drinking experience.

His final breakdown; there are only two things that really matter when you taste coffees. First, did you like it? Second, which was your favorite?

I’ll add, don’t be afraid. You won’t make a mistake trying a new coffee or a new brewing method. You’ll just be taking another step along your coffee journey.

If you haven’t, consider a Roast! West Coast newsletter paid subscription. The money goes towards covering the costs associated with this show, and the creation of the content being put out each week.Thank you for supporting an indie podcaster and writer.

FROM THE SHOW

Sweet Maria’s Home Coffee Roasting website is a wealth of information for brewing at home. From equipment to recipes to brew methods. It’s all here somewhere!

Ben Affleck famously drinks Duncan Donuts coffee and tries to carry packages simultaneously. He’s also played Daredevil and Batman in films, and portrayed George Reeves who played Superman in the 1950’s TV version. I’m reaching out to see if he wants to be on Season 4 of the Roast! West Coast podcast

Chris mentioned a coffee from Papua New Guinea in comparison to my preferred Sumatra. For reference, you can see they are both from similar parts of the world along a similar circle of latitude leading to similar coffee growing environments. (Via Google Maps)

COFFEE VOCAB

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You’ve been listening to his expertise on this show for three seasons, and now you can order Coffee Cycle Roasting coffees online. I like the house Guatemala. If you like a lighter, fruitier coffee you might try one of the Ethiopia roasts.

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

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I want to set the scene. It is early morning. The sky is just beginning to allow the grey and purple winter sunlight break through the darkness, and there are whispers of iced condensation on the inside of the window panes. You pull on wool socks, a long coat, and wrap a scarf around your neck. You pull a stocking cap down over your ears. You anticipate the bite of the cold.You step outside. Even knowing it was coming, the wind is a shock. You shiver, and curl into yourself as you walk down the street. A dusting of snow crunches under foot. Morning light has crept up, but is that gray Mid-Western morning cool, winter light that reflects between snow and clouds. You see the cafe in the distance. A warm glow emanates through a picture window. It seems so far away. You pick up the pace.

The bells on the door jingle when you push inside. Warmth embraces you like an old friend. Coffee drinkers pause their conversations to look up and smile hello. The air smells like fresh roasted coffee and cinnamon. You smile. You order. You sit in a comfy chair near the back. You wrap your hands around a warm clay coffee mug. Steam swirls up around you. The world seems at ease. This is the moment that sets your day in motion.

That moment, or the accumulation of many similar moments, is what Taylor Fields thinks about when she remembers her first craft coffee experiences in Chicago. That feeling and those memories inspired the name of her company, Nostalgia Coffee Roasters.

Like many entrepreneurs, she decided to risk comfort for the satisfaction of pursuing a passion without knowing the outcomes. She left a career in corporate finance after sensing that her life and work missions weren’t aligning.

“I just decided to, like, risk everything for coffee.”

• Taylor Fields, Founder Nostalgia Coffee Roasters

Taking a leap of faith takes courage, but it is easier when you go to sleep being excited to wake up knowing that the thing you’re passionate about is waiting for you. For Taylor, that thing was coffee. For you it may be mowing lawns or writing film scripts or baking pastries.

Whatever it is, it can be difficult to find a sustainable career that meets all the demands put forth on our lives. Being an entrepreneur means taking risks. It means allowing yourself to be uncomfortable. It demands focus. It can be terrifying. It can be difficult on relationships. There will be moments when you think, when you want, to turn back, but when something compels you further down the path towards creating, leading, and innovating. It can be scarier not to take on the challenge. With great risk comes great reward…or the potential of great reward.

There are a million ways to screw up a cup of coffee, and I’ve done them all. It’s my daily risk vs. reward challenge! As is this podcast. I spend a lot (a lot) of time on this show and newsletter. It’s a risk to not be focused on something else more profitable, but conversations with entrepreneurs are one of many rewards that make it worth pursuing.

My chat with Taylor Fields was terribly pleasant and honest and interesting. I left it inspired by coffee, and motivated to continue seeking out opportunities to overlap my passions and my career. I hope you listen and enjoy the show.

FROM THE SHOW

Learn more about the Nostalgia Coffee Roasters WeFunder fundraising campaign and their new Brew Bags. The way I understand it, the funds will be going forth to push Nostalgia’s innovation and growth efforts, and in return investors essentially receive an IOU for future stock in the company. I’m not an expert. This is not financial advice. If considering investing in a company, please do your own research or seek the advice of someone who knows what they are doing!

I drink a lot of coffee at home. More than I can reasonably compost in my own small compost bin without throwing everything off-kilter. Nostalgia Coffee recently partnered with The Compost Group for just this purpose.

Got an entrepreneur in your family or friend group? You may be an Angel Investor without evening knowing it. From Investopedia: “An Angel Investors (also known as a private investor, seed investor or angel funder) is a high-net-worth individual who provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company. Often, angel investors are found among an entrepreneur's family and friends. The funds that angel investors provide may be a one-time investment to help the business get off the ground or an ongoing injection to support and carry the company through its difficult early stages.” Learn more details about angel investing on Investopedia.com.

5% back to producers program: 5% of all Nostalgia revenue from the sales of their coffee beans will be going directly back to producers/farmers. They stress that this is not a short-term campaign, but rather a long term commitment lasting indefinitely.

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Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

The world is continually becoming a more interesting place. Also, I love Brooklyn 99. Great show. Strong recommend. Finds the balance between funny and relatable without ignoring real life.

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“Coffee is turning out to be quite a cosmic issue–and the way it’s grown, marketed, and consumed has implications for the environmental health of the world.”

–Russell Greenberg, Director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (1996)

That quote is from 25 years ago.

That seems like such a long time, but in the big, grand history of the Earth it doesn’t merit a blink. And yet…

Things are changing quickly.

This week, Jay Ruskey, the Founder and Farmer behind Frinj Coffee and Good Land Organics, joins the show for the first time as a Coffee Smarter expert. He was on the show last season as a guest to talk about his coffee and farming journey. Climate change is a huge topic, and I thought that Jay would be a great resource as someone whose livelihood and life’s work brings him in close contact with climate and weather and the land on a daily basis.

I wasn’t wrong. He has a knack for describing complex systems in easy to digest layman’s terms.

I say this in the show, but it is important to reiterate, there is no way for us to fully describe what climate change is, how it is impacting us now, or how a farmer might be working to anticipate a changing climate in what amounts to about a 30 minute podcast.

So if you’re listening, and you think…well, why didn’t Jay say that? Why didn’t Ryan ask this? The answer is simple…the show is only so long! We’re doing our best to condense a big concept into a fairly concise window.

My big takeaway from the show is that things getting hotter and drier might get the headlines but wind and disruptions in the seasonal flow of farming are just as impactful. As a result farms like Good Land Organics and coffee farms—worldwide—need to prepare for these changes by building resilient food production systems, and be willing to examine their traditional methods of farming in search of opportunities to become more efficient and more effective. Doing so isn’t just going to be climate friendly, it will be good business too.

Near the end of this episode, Jay said something that has stuck with me for a few days. He thinks the pandemic has pushed coffee culture forward into a new phase or wave where the changes revolve around coffee experiences.

We covered the definitions of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wave coffee in season one of the show. It is interesting to think we could be living through a changing of the industry. It reminds me of a quote from someone, somewhere about wishing they knew they were in the good old days when they were actually living them. I wonder what I’ll think when the future 4th Wave coffee drinking version of myself looks back at the past few years.

HOW MUCH?

How much do you normally pay for a cup of coffee? $5.00 or $3.00? How about a bag of freshly roasted beans? More than $15, or less? Why did that become your purchasing threshold?

We all have these Goldilocks numbers that register our brains as being too high, too low, or just right. With coffee it seems decades of cheap diner coffee with unlimited refills have skewed our collective opinions of what a cup of coffee is worth.

The more I learn about coffee, the supply chain, the people, and the joy found in a really good cup of coffee the more I’m coming to treat coffee like a luxury item. A choice I make with the intent to enjoy and appreciate instead of just to kickstart my morning. My number has been getting higher, but instead of being bummed about the extra pennies, I’m enjoying each cup more because of the intention I’ve been putting behind it.

I’m not saying (nor suggesting) you should to dip into your savings for every single cup of coffee. I am asking that when you find yourself agreeing with that imaginary voice that says “too much” or “just right,” take a moment to ask yourself why that is your number. Take stock of what you value in your coffee (or wine or beer), and see if your numbers stay the same.

TYPES OF WIND

The Santa Anas are strong late season winds that push hot, dry air out of the desert, up over the mountains and down over coastal California. You may have heard them referenced in a Steely Dan song. It is thought they are named after the Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County where newspapers reference the Santa Ana winds as far back as 1882.

This overhead photo shows the wind blowing out over the Southern California coastline. LA is up near the top. San Diego roughly dead center. You can see the little hook where the harbor is located.

The Santa Ana winds bring low humidity along with hot, dry air creating a sort of perfect storm for wildfire conditions. They’re associated with the largest and deadliest record-breaking fires of the past few years, including the Camp, Thomas, and Cedar Fires. They are also associated with changes in our mood and behavior. It is no surprise they’ve been nicknamed the “Devil Winds.”

Sundowner winds often precede the Santa Anas by a few days and are similar but blow the opposite direction, in from the ocean, and are nicknamed as such because they generally begin to strengthen at sundown.

FROM THE SHOW

California has been in and out of drought for a long time. Drought often feels like our default, and one way the state is attempting to combat the current and impending lack of water is by converting sea water into drinkable fresh water at desalination (de-salting) plants. There is one right near my home, and this 90-second video gives you a quick look at what the plant does.

Water rights in California are incredibly confusing. The complex machinations at work ensuring some regions or land owners get first dibs at the water rushing past from a river or pumped from underground are based on agreements made more than 100 years ago that have become part of the water rights laws. I am not the right person to describe it all, but check out this recent article about limits on water usage in California from NPR if you’d like to get a bit more insight into the current situation, and how those long standing water rights may be changing as our climate creates more demand at time when the supply is diminishing.

Frinj Coffee has started offering coffee experience tours on the Good Land Organics farm. Events include a walking tour, and guided tastings of coffee and pastries and fruit. Bookmark the Frinj Coffee online shop so you can quickly see when the next coffee experience tour opens up.

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Roast! West Coast is always free, but if you have been enjoying the show consider a monthly tip. It’s likely we’ll spend it on a cup of great local coffee. Thank you!

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Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

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“The person who roasts coffee should continue his development not only with skill and judgement but with a measure of love and devotion…The coffee roaster turns alchemist when he transforms an unappetizing seed into the makings of a delicious, invigorating drink.

His magic is genuine; he must interpret the beans’ secrets and reveal them to our senses.”― Joel, David, and Karl Schapira (1975)As relayed by the excellent, “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee & How it Transformed Our World,” by Mark Pendergrast

Things I learned about Seth Wellens and Will Holder, a list:

They are the Co-Founders & Co-Head Roasters of Visitor Coffee Roasters.

They like music, though not always the same music.

They believe we are guests of nature, visitors, if you will, on Earth.

They like sci-fi.

They also like beer.

They put out some very chill vibes.

It is unusual for a coffee roastery to have Co-Head Roasters. I feel pretty comfortable standing by that statement after interviewing three seasons worth of coffee professionals. It says something about the bond between the two men that they can navigate the waters of friendship and business and ego and the progression of a growing roastery successfully.

VCR is a new business and it took months before they felt confident in the roasted coffee efforts they were sharing with their friends and family to take the next step. Part of learning and growth is trusting in others to give feedback. Seth and Will were doing that every time they shared a new roast.

That–sharing to get feedback–is something I struggle with. I make a lot of things–books, photographs, art, this podcast–but I’m often afraid to share them for fear that they will never live up to the expectations of others or will inspire a judgement on my personality that I’m not emotionally read for.

Coffee has helped me grow in that failing. Making a cup of coffee in the morning is easy. Making an excellent cup of coffee in the morning is significantly harder, and it starts with the efforts that roasters like Seth and Will put in to make the beans coming out of their roaster a great place to start.

Learning the ins and outs of coffee has definitely helped me overcome some of my ego, mostly by failing time after time, then occasionally being rewarded with brief explosions of perfection in the form of a pour-over from Sumatra or an espresso from Guatemala.

Visitor Coffee Roasters is an attempt to share a passion, a worldview, and a love of coffee with the world. A world that the team from VCR seems to feel a sense of gratitude towards and an awareness of our collective place in it. They are Visitor. We are visitors.

FROM THE SHOW

Artist and Designer Orange & Park a.k.a. David Klinker is responsible for many of the design aesthetics of VCR. I didn’t realize it until I was looking for a link to share, that I was already familiar with his work from other projects that have previously caught my eye; in particular, his use of maps and typography.

Combine the Orange and Park passion for type and pattern with the elegantly elaborate illustrations of Fermín Caridad and the design of VCR really comes together. Some of my favorite coffee branding, so far.

The two books the VCR team said they referenced regularly as they were learning (and still are learning) are The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann and The Coffee Roaster’s Handbook by Len Brault.

The comment was made that drinking a hot beverage-like coffee-on a hot day can help keep you cool. That doesn’t make any sense to me at all, but as it happens, it’s true…kind of. According to this article from the Smithsonian Magazine, drinking a hot drink can help increase the amount you sweat, and if that sweat can evaporate you will, in fact, be cooler, but if it is extremely humid or you’re wearing a lot of layers trapping in the sweat your body temperature will rise.

MIXTAPES

Get a sense of the VCR vibe by listening to the music going into the coffee beans by listening to mixtapes Seth and Will put together.

I love the concept that the nature surrounding the green coffee beans–be it auditory, visual or other sensory–could potentially influence the final flavors we taste in a cup of coffee as much as the nurture (roasting). I don’t know that there is any data to support the theory, but I’m willing to go with it on faith alone because it makes me happy to believe it. I’m hoping to compare a VCR green coffee roasted to the soothing sounds of Rage Against the Machine with one produced to the deserted backdrop of Kevin Morby sometime soon.

COFFEE VOCAB

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Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

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Let’s address the cow in the room here. It may not have been the smartest idea to leave in our attempts at moo-ing in this episode. I thought about deleting it, but ultimately realized that it was a pretty good example of what a conversation between coffee expert Chris (Coffee Cycle Roasting) and I is really like in real life. Just today we had a planned in-person meeting that was rescheduled as a phone call.When we connected, I said, "It’s probably good we’re doing this on the phone. We tend to get distracted in-person.”

He replied, “We get pretty distracted on the phone too.”

He isn’t wrong.

For a Coffee Smarter Episode, which are oft succinct, this podcast episode covers a lot of ground. We talk about a bunch of different types of milk and how they interact with our coffee. We talk about latte art and how to drink an espresso and cupping and piston driven espresso machines. I think the most important thing Chris references is how coffee knowledge has historically been passed down from person-to-person.

There are a million books on every facet of coffee now, as there are on any topic you can imagine, but even now, most learn about coffee by talking to their barista, their roaster, by watching a youtube video, or even listening to this show. Coffee industry pros teach new employees the ropes and their tricks of the trade. They in-turn pass that information along to the next person, and the next, and so on and on. To a lesser extent, they do the same to inquisitive customers.

That is the collaborative part of hospitality that I love. The teaching of how to do things differently or better or more efficiently. The passing along of random bits of knowledge about equipment or the psychology of customer interactions. The willingness of one coffee roaster to teach another how to use a machine or share the contact info of a great plumber.

We also briefly talked about Capuchin Monks–they are the ones with the hoods–on the show. Like I said, we cover a lot of ground. I hope you enjoy it.

HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE OAT MILK

I am from Wisconsin and used to drink a lot of milk, but switched over to alternative milks in my mid-20s which was…awhile ago. For a long time I reached for almond milk, but during the pandemic, I switched over to oat milk once I realized how easy it was to make at home, especially if you plan on using it up quickly (3-5 days). The ingredients include rolled oats–which I buy in bulk for like a $1.25/lb–water, and a pinch of salt for taste.

I don’t bother soaking the oats, but a lot of recipes suggest it. I haven’t experienced much benefit in the few times I tried. Dump everything into a food processor,* and do a quick blend. Strain into a mason jar. You could strain into a pitcher or something else, if you want, but it looks cooler in a mason jar.

If you prefer a sweetened milk you could add a date, drop of vanilla extract, splash of maple syrup, or just plain sugar. When you’re done you’ll have a jar full of milk, and a bunch of blended up oats. Don’t throw that stuff out! You can use it in baked goods, or I use it to prep overnight oats by tossing it into a jar with some fruit. Delicious!

Finally, the water and the blended oats in the oat milk will separate if they sit for awhile. You’ll need to shake up your jar when you pull it out of the fridge. If you don’t like the separation, look into adding a bit of lecithin which is a fat found in a lot of foods, but for this purpose often comes from sunflower seeds.

Check out this primer on oat milk and this recipe, both via AllRecipes.com

*In my experience, a food processor with a flat blade will blend the lightweight rolled oats more fully than a blender with raised blades.

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ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

“Over second and third cups flow matters of high finance, high state, common gossip and low comedy. [Coffee] is a social binder, a warmer of tongues, a soberer of minds, a stimulant of wit, a foiler of sleep if you want it so.”― New York Times, 11/14/1949As relayed by the excellent, “Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee & How it Transformed Our World,” by Mark Pendergrast

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Here’s the thing, podcasting is hard! Well, parts of it are hard. Namely the little technical things. Nine times out of ten everything is perfect, but on the tenth the internet lags or the Bluetooth connects to the wrong Bluetooth. These are not real problems in the grand scheme of things. They are just little things I wish I could control or think I should be able to fix better than I can, but they don’t affect the quality of the conversation.

Coffee is a lot like that too. Sometimes the water-to-grounds ratio is off. Sometimes I forget to adjust the grind setting. Sometimes the water kettle isn’t full or my favorite mug is dirty. These are not real problems either. At the end of whatever series of mishaps the world puts before me during my coffee making efforts, I’m still pretty happy to have a cup of coffee at the end.

The Make Good Coffee Company started when Marc Wortman’s online gambling business closed in the early days of of regulated internet gambling. It is crazy to think about now. Gambling online is fairly commonplace, but it wasn’t long ago that it was the wild, wild west of the internet. It wasn’t that long ago that we went to internet cafe’s either. Things change quickly.

Thankfully now we have the real thing. Make Good Coffee was originally an online coffee blog that morphed into a wholesale roastery, and most recently opened a retail storefront near Old Town in San Diego (look for the bright blue wall). It’s a bit off the beaten path, but Marc Wortman, the Founder, Head Roaster, and Salesman for TMGCC, will make you a cup of coffee and probably tell you a story when you arrive. He’s a good storyteller, and a better salesman. I hope you enjoy the show.

THOUGHTS FROM THE SHOW

• Cupping is a method of tasting coffee that gets discussed a lot on the show. The video below is a pretty good visual description of the process. I’d add that–especially for those of us still increasing in our ability to identify flavors–cupping can be especially helpful when done with a copy of the flavor wheel nearby.

Your local roastery may offer curated cupping experiences where you can taste new coffees with the roasters themselves. With COVID limiting those opportunities, some enterprising roasters, like Marc, moved cuppings online. I’d definitely recommend participating in one (or a dozen) if you have the opportunity, and want to increase your coffee tasting skills.

• Mentorship is an idea that has a romanticized feel to it. In my mind, the best mentors are found in the most unexpected places and they teach in unexpected ways, like Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid movies. In reality, mentors are often bosses, industry leaders, or educators who take time out of their own schedules to counsel those on the come up. A more recent trend is mentors for hire which is fairly popular in the start-up community. Whether or not you have an actively acknowledged mentor, it is likely that there was someone who helped guide you on your career path. Sometimes their advice had nothing to do with your job, and everything to do with how to approach the job. I can think of a few that left me with lessons I still fall back on even decades after I learned them. Sometimes, I didn’t even realize I learned them until much later. I’m going to take a moment to thank some of those people this week.

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Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

“A little coffee. A little sunlight. Your troubles will get smaller.”― Richard Webber, Author

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Over the first two seasons of the R!WC coffee podcast I’ve gotten to spend hours chatting with Lofty Coffee’s Executive Director of Coffee, Siri Simran Khalsa, and each time we reconnect, I feel a little bit better about the world afterwards. She’s a genuinely good human-being.

This week I asked her how one would go about upping their coffee drinking knowledge, and by extension coffee drinking experience. I’ve been really into coffee for awhile, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. I find myself learning and expanding, and then regressing, only to relearn and expand again. Two steps forward. One step back.

The first advice Siri ever received was to go drink a bunch of espresso, and that is pretty good advice. I’d say espresso or black coffee (or both). Something that you can drink regularly and try to compare from roaster to roaster or coffee to coffee.

I had my first cup of coffee at Star Lounge in Chicago. I remember it was a Dark Matter Coffee medium roast. The paint on wall was a burnt orange, and I was sitting in a table with back to the back wall. When I ordered, I told the barista/coffee-tender it was my first coffee, and he replied, “Today?”

I explained that it was my first coffee ever, and said that I could use some advice on which coffee to drink. I’m not quite sure how, but within moments all six of the shop employees were shouting at each other. Never again would I have this opportunity to have my very first cup of coffee, and they weren’t going to let me f#@k it up.

In the end, I had a pour over in a classic white ceramic coffee mug. I took a sip. Someone asked what I tasted. I replied, “Umm…dirt?” They responded, “Right, but what kind of dirt?”

I said, “I’m not sure, maybe a chocolatey, bitter dirt?”

It was my first tasting note, and today I can say that bitter and/or dark chocolate is one of my favorite notes to find in a cup of coffee. I also love light floral flavors, citrus, and earthy tobacco notes. It’s pretty amazing what you can taste in a cup of coffee, and for those moments when the flavor description is on the tip of your tongue–literally–resources like the coffee flavor wheel help you narrow it down.

Siri reminds me on the show that coffee can be a full sensory experience, and when you’re actively trying to learn pay attention to the smells, the way the coffee feels in your mouth, and how it looks. You might be surprised at how much you already know.

COFFEE RESOURCES

Sensory Lexicon (World Coffee Research): Available to view, print or download for free. Understand the language and terms used to describe coffee.

Coffee Flavor Wheel (Counter Culture): Available to view, print or download for free in English & Spanish. Use to identify various flavors found in coffee.

FROM THE SHOW

I remembered right! The zebras are living in the suburbs of Maryland. It seems like they’re doing pretty well over there. I still think I might wonder what was slipped into my mug of coffee if I saw one while riding my bike home from the coffee shop.

If you’re into things like coffee smell or latte art competitions check out @sandiegocoffeenetwork on Instagram to see the events Siri and Sophie are facilitating to help grow the local coffee culture.

SUPPORT ROAST! WEST COAST

Roast! West Coast is always free, but if you have been enjoying the show consider a monthly tip. It’s likely we’ll spend it on a cup of great local coffee.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Frinj Coffee • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

Sometimes drinking coffee is the adventure.

“Adventure in life is good; consistency in coffee even better.”― Justina Chen Headly, Author

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Is this work meaningful?

It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at some point in our career. Is this what I am meant to be doing with the time I have in this lifetime? Am I making the world better? Am I making it worse? Could I be happier? Am I motivated more by money or by intrinsic rewards? Can I have both?

Entrepreneurs, burgeoning entrepreneurs in particular, seem to be susceptible to falling down rabbit holes of self-doubt, questioning, and rationalization. I know I have. Dan Romeo did, and decided to do something about it.Dan wears a lot of hats. He is the Founder & Head Roaster of TRVLR Coffee Roasters. He is also the barista and finance guy. He is the Founder & Head Brewer of One Season Brewing Company. He is also the beer and booch-tender. He sells bicycles and skateboards. He’s the first face you’ll probably see when you go to the Roastarito, which is the home to all of these endeavors.

What is TRVLR? Adventures unknown, experiences of a lifetime, roads less traveled, and the passion to exist; TRVLR is the essence that combines it all together.

TRVLR started out as a dream. Now that dream is a reality. We have combined our for adventure, and love for coffee into one cup. Adventure awaits.

TRVLR is more than coffee. This is an experience. It’s a lifestyle.

From: www.travelercoffeeroasters.com

In this episode, Dan and I chat about what pushed him to leave a successful career to go down this path where he makes things and creates experiences. We chat about the trauma of facing down the pandemic, and how he realized he needed to pivot his operations if his business was going to survive and thrive.

Check out the show. I hope it causes you to think about the adventure of your career, your life, and inspires you ask, “Can I have both?”

FROM THE SHOW

Read the full article about the Columbian coffee crop coming in 1,000,000 bags under expectation. “Major Coffee Buyers Face Losses…”

Last season we dove into the economy of coffee on an episode of Coffee Smarter called, “Mic Drop.” We talk about the coffee chain from farmer to your cup and all the links in between. That episode gave me a much fuller understanding of how the economy of coffee impacts both my local roaster and the farmers and everyone in between.

Cold brew has never been my thing. I drink my coffee hot, black, no room for cream, but Elliot Reinecke, founder of Steady State, once told me that if he could only give one of his coffees to someone to try it would be a canned cold brew, because he could guarantee it would taste exactly the way he wanted it to every single time. When I saw the cans on a recent visit to the cafe I decided to open my mind to the possibility.

I didn’t expect to like it, but–twist–I really, really did. Turns out, I had just never had any really good cold brew. It was smooth and creamy and chocolatey, and only got better as I burned the energy I was receiving pumping up an inflatable paddle board. I’ve since tried cold brew from Zumbar Coffee & Tea as well. I think this may be my new adventuring drink.

VOCAB

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Roast! West Coast is always free, but if you have been enjoying the show consider subscribing for the cost of a cup a craft coffee. Every subscription is appreciated.

ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS

And if you’re looking for some stellar coffee or whiskey this week check out the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Frinj Coffee • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

I’m not quite sure I follow Sir Terence David John Pratchett’s thought perfectly, but this quote resonated because it reflects how I feel about the time spent making my morning coffee. The ritual of grinding the beans, heating the water, timing the brew, and transferring it into one of my favorite coffee mugs feels like time I’ve taken back not only from the world, but from myself. That is time I am truly in the moment, and not worrying about productivity or answering emails or writing something new. It is time for me.

“Coffee is a way of stealing time that should, by rights, belong to your older self.”― Terry Pratchett, Author, Humorist

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Pumpkin Spice Season is a real thing. It unofficially runs from the first day of fall through Thanksgiving Weekend before giving way to eggnog and peppermint. Obnoxious and/or delicious looking coffee drinks piled high with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon have already been filling the Roast! Instagram feed for weeks.

In the first Coffee Smarter episode of the season, my friend and yours, Chris O’Brien from Coffee Cycle Roasting joins the show to talk about pumpkin spice. I’m a hold out–preferring my coffee black, and I assumed the Coffee Smarter experts would be quick to dismiss this fad (if you can call a drink that has been popular for more than two decades a fad). Instead, I learned that there is more than meets the eye (Transformer’s reference!) when it comes to pumpkin spice. Starting with the fact that it rarely contains actual pumpkin.

It does often contain cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger and all-spice, though upwards of 340 different spice compounds make up actual pumpkin pie taste, there are likely only a few spices in your favorite latte creating the illusion that you’re tasting something that reminds you of pumpkin pie.

On the show, we joke about getting #CoffeeDumber, but without asking questions we’d never get Coffee Smarter, right? Chris will have plenty more to say. How long did it take for our conversation to go off the rails this time? About three minutes, but that is okay. It is why this show exists! We want to go down the rabbit hole to learn about all the different types of cinnamon or some facts about gourds, and to commune over a cup of coffee.

4 TYPES OF CINNAMON

Before this week, I did not know there were different types of cinnamon. Cassia is the one he refers that can cause health issues like liver toxicity in large quantities, but there are also a lot of health benefits to cinnamon too. Ceylon cinnamon, in particular, is loaded with antioxidants, lowers blood sugar levels, improves heart health and acts as an anti-inflammatory. It’s one more example of positive impacts of living in moderation.

The following list of types of cinnamon is culled from AllRecipes.com.

1. Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon Cinnamon)

Often called true cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon, or soft cinnamon, this variety is native to Sri Lanka and Southern India, but is widely grown in Mexico and East Africa.

1. Cinnamomum burmannii (Korintje Cinnamon)

Sometimes called Korintje cinnamon, this one is generally milder. It is very common in America — it accounts for close to 70 percent of North American cinnamon imports.

1. Cinnamomum cassia (Saigon Cinnamon)

This is most often found on supermarket shelves as Saigon cinnamon. It originates from Southeast Asia. It's pretty sweet, not super spicy.

1. Cinnamomum loureiroi (Royal Cinnamon)

Sometimes called Royal cinnamon, this is harder to find on grocery store shelves, but spice purveyors often sell it.

ROLLIN’ ROOTS SD

Rollin’ Roots is a vegan food truck in San Diego. Earlier this week their truck was burned down in what is currently being investigated as possible hate crime arson. The owner, Avonte Hartsfield, thought about hanging it up, but in response to an outpouring of support from the community has decided to rebuild.

There is a GoFundMe set up to support the business. Surviving in hospitality is hard enough without B.S. like this bringing down a business. I’ll be supporting, and if you are so inspired you can too.

COFFEE VOCAB

SUPPORT ROAST! WEST COAST

Roast! West Coast is always free, but if you have been enjoying the show consider an upgrade to the paid subscription. It’s a great way to support the creation of this show. Think of it like a magazine subscription.

As paid subscriber you’re supporting a small business, local writer, and the creators of this coffee content. Every subscription is appreciated.

WELCOME TO THE ROAST! FAMILY.

The newest addition to the Roast! West Coast Industry Partner Family is Camp Coffee Company in Oceanside, CA. We met Camp’s Founder & Head Roaster, Jason Simpson, in season 2. All of the Industry Partners are brands I actually support in my personal life. Often, that’s why I reached out in the first place! Welcome Camp Coffee Company!

And if you’re looking for some stellar coffee or whiskey this week check out the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Frinj Coffee • Camp Coffee Company

QUOTES IN CLOSING

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart, but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.”― Flash Rosenberg, Cartoonist

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Listen now | The Call to Coffee.

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A LETTER TO LISTENERS & READERS

That was a long summer. Not a bad one. Certainly not bad in the way last year was epically bad. I actually left the house. I saw some family. I saw some friends. I relearned how to button pants. I drank a lot of great coffee.

I used to only make French press coffee’s at home. Then I switched–for a time–to a Chemex brewer. Then to a V60 pour over. Finally, to my current method which is kind of a pain. I brew my coffee in a French press and then pour it through a V60 filter into my mug. I started doing it to eliminate some of the oils in my coffee. I kept doing it because I just like it. In my head it gives my coffees a smoother taste. I’m drinking a coffee I brewed and filtered right now. It is the Rebel Rebel blend from Visitor Coffee Roasters out of Imperial Beach.

However you drink your coffee, I hope you’ll spend some of that time listening to Season 3 of the R!WC podcast. This season I interview 10 great new coffee professionals (see the list), and have in-depth chats about coffee with returning Coffee Smarter experts Siri Simran Khalsa (Lofty Coffee) and Chris O’Brien (Coffee Cycle Roasting), and bring in some special guest experts like Jay Ruskey (Frinj Coffee) to talk about big topics like climate change impacts on coffee.

I’ll also be bouncing around SoCal dropping off stickers, buying coffees for essential workers, and trying to get a little coffee smarter all season long. It’s going to be fun. New episodes will be dropping every Tuesday and Thursday until late-December.

That was a long summer. Welcome back.

SUPPORT ROAST! WEST COAST

If you enjoy the Roast! West Coasts coffee content please consider an upgrade to the paid subscriptions. It’s a great way to support the creation of this show. Think of it like a magazine subscription. A subscription at $36 annually is just $3/month, and less than 55 cents an episode…but…we made it to SEASON 3!

As a thank you to everyone for demanding (okay, letting me make) more episodes. Get 30% off an Annual Subscription ($24). That’s only $2/month to show your support for this podcast and newsletter. It will go a long way towards improving and growing the show.

As paid subscriber you’re supporting a small business, local writer and the creators of this coffee content. Every subscription is appreciated.

BE COOL. DRINK GREAT COFFEE.

Along with our paid subscribers, this show exists because I’ve gotten the support of a bunch of great coffee industry professionals to help keep the lights on. I can’t thank my Roast! Industry Legacy Partners enough. Welcome Camp Coffee Company & Frinj Coffee to the fold!

I’ll be featuring these coffee companies on the show all season long, because I really do support them in my every day life. I’ve had coffee (and whiskey) from four of these roasters just this week!

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Frinj Coffee • Camp Coffee Company

COFFEE VOCAB

QUOTES IN CLOSING

“I'd rather take coffee than compliments just now.”― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

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Shout to the Division Champion Milwaukee Brewers. Go ‘Crew!

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Summer Break

It’s summer break and the Roast! West Coast podcast is on hiatus, but I’m still drinking coffee. I’m guessing you are too. The big difference for me is that for the first time since Covid hit last year I’m drinking mine in Wisconsin while I visit my parents, and my Wife’s parents. Each cup, sometimes sitting in a lawn chair or across the kitchen table with them, tastes a little bit sweeter. A little bit more…better.

Covid hasn’t left us. In fact, it kind of feels like it is taunting us right now, but even that seems easier to deal with when I know I can listen to a ball game or go biking or kayaking or drink a coffee with Mom and Dad. Thank you for putting up with me during this visit.

Joe Bettinger, Cape Horn Coffee Inc., Coffee Broker

“I probably shouldn’t say this…” is a good barometer for where the conversations go when you talk to Joe. He’s a coffee broker. Sometimes he’s buying. Sometimes he selling. Either way he’s talking, telling a story, and doing it all while sussing out whatever information he can that might come in handy down the road.

Joe’s been on the show before. He’s part of the team at Marea Coffee in North County San Diego. He’s also a Coffee Broker with Cape Horn Coffee, Inc. Some of Joe’s clients have even been on the show, including our friend Luis at Acento Coffee.

On air, Joe and I chat a lot about building coffee relationships and the challenges facing importers. Off-air, we chatted about how Wisconsin has water just floating around in the air (humidity), and houses with garages and yards for about the price of a downpayment in San Diego proper.

In the end, we laugh, and plan to share some coffee someday—hopefully soon. Maybe with a splash of whiskey. This is the first show since the first few episodes that I recorded away from my closet studio. For a moment, I worried about even producing it, because I didn’t have my mic or recording gear. The sound is just okay, but ultimately I realized…a good conversation is a good conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

Other San Diego-area coffee roasters who get green coffee beans from Cape Horn Coffee include: Achilles Coffee, Dane Coffee, Divine Madman, DropKick Cold Brew, Kings Craft Coffee, Marea Coffee, Hessian Global Goods and Interim Coffee (just opened).

C-Price

Joe mentioned the C-price, or coffee commodities price per pound jumped last week due to a freeze impacting coffee farms in Brazil. He wasn’t kidding. Here is a graph of the C-Price over the past 5-years.

While acknowledging that the C-price is often (some might say, “always”) manipulated downward by bad actors, that is a pretty big jump. According to this report in Reuters, the temperature dropped to 29 degrees, and the damage to coffee plants was fairly catastrophic. It will be interesting to see if this impacts specialty coffee or large scale productions more.

A Moment of Zen

I gave some Roast! West Coast stickers to a barista at a cafe in Wisconsin. I was the only one inside wearing a mask. After paying, I turned and looked at the bags of coffee on a merch shelf. I can’t be sure they didn’t know I was still there, but the next thing I heard was the barista talking to a colleague.

“Check out these cools stickers we just got from some weirdo still wearing a mask!”

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram to see where I’ll be dropping stickers at Industry Legacy Partners all year long.

Industry Legacy Partners

Looking for coffee or whiskey? This is a good place to start.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

You’re amazing. Drink good coffee. Listen to the podcast!

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BREAKING NEWS!

My guest on the last episode of the Roast! West Coast podcast Season 2 is my own personal coffee sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle. The breaking news is that he took some time out of the episode to say some nice things about me. That never happens. I’ve already recorded it onto a cassette tape so I can listen to it over and over again.

More breaking news: Coffee Cycle is going to begin roasting their own coffee! That is a big deal. Chris has exacting standards for the coffee he is willing to serve in the shop so I know that he wouldn’t get into this lightly. I’m excited to try some of the first beans that come out, and I’m sure they’ll be excellent.

COFFEE SMARTER WEEK 10: MIC DROP

This week I ask Chris for his thoughts on domestic coffee farming. I was inspired to ask because of my conversations with Frinj Coffee farms founder Jay Ruskey, and hearing the experience of Kyle Rosa, whose Bluetail Coffee Grove is in the Frinj network of farms. I know Chris is passionate about the economics of coffee, and our conversation goes on a winding path covering fair trade, domestic coffee farming and our relationship with our cups of coffee.

I don’t know that we solve a lot of problems or answer a lot of questions, but we certainly ask them! I’m going to ask you to think about one today too. Please think about your answer before listening to the show. Don’t answer just yet. Listen to this week’s episode first, and then revisit it.

Which is more reasonable to you: a $35 cup of coffee or a 75-cent one?

Whether your answer to the following changes or stays the same, we’d like to hear about it. Share in the Roast! West Coast Facebook group. Also…join the group!

FAIR TRADE

Speaking of Fair Trade, what is that? From wfto.com, home of the World Fair Trade Organization:

"Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South….

Fair Trade Organisations have a clear commitment to Fair Trade as the principal core of their mission. They, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.

Globally recognised definition, as agreed by the main international Fair Trade networks (WFTO, Fairtrade International and European Fair Trade Association).

Fair Trade Organisations (also known as Fair Trade Enterprises) can be recognised by the WFTO Mark.

Fair Trade is more than just trading:

It is a vision of business and trade that put people and planet before profit

It fights poverty, climate change, gender inequality and injustice

Is a proof of concept that showcases the enterprise models of the new economy”

Clearly, this is an issue that impacts people all over the world. The goal of the various fair trade organizations is to create economic, social and environmental standards, and then have businesses agree to follow those standards. Then we, as consumers, can look for fair trade certifications on packaging to help us make purchasing decisions.

That said, just because a bag of coffee at your local roaster doesn’t say fair trade doesn’t mean that it wasn’t sourced ethically or sustainably. Fair Trade organizations are membership based, and there are all kinds reasons a business might join or not join. For example, Coffee Cycle has been working directly with a farm in Costa Rica to source beans bypassing the coffee trade market.

This is why—when it is possible—it helps to start a relationship with the businesses that we’re supporting. It is one of the reasons I love coffee. I can head to my local coffee roaster or cafe, and in most cases, ask questions. Where did this coffee come from? Why do you source the way you do? Have you been able to visit the farm?

It is a luxury that I can do that here in Southern California, and it is one of the reasons I keep trying to grow this Roast! West Coast podcast and newsletter. My goal to provide a platform for local cafes, roasters and coffee community members to tell their stories, share their motivations and make it easier for all of us to feel a connection with our morning cup of coffee. Not to mention celebrate coffee with all of you.

THANK YOU

I can’t thank you enough for following this newsletter, and listening to the podcast. I love coffee, and I love sharing these interviews, stories and opportunities to learn with all of you. For the first time since March of 2020, I’m looking forward to sharing a cup of coffee with you too. Thank you for your support, and for sharing this show.

Now that it is the end of Season 2, and possibly the end of this show being only recorded over the internet from my closet. As Southern California is awakening from a Covid-19 inspired slumber, I am starting to go out into the world. I’m already reaching out to guests for season three (coming Fall 2021!), and making lists of Coffee Smarter questions. Got a question? Send it!

HIATUS

You might be wondering what R!WC will be doing during summer break. For starters, I’m going to see my family in Wisconsin. It has been more than a year, and in some cases almost two since I’ve been able to give them a hug. It’s long overdue.

Second, I’ll be working to grow this coffee network, and figure out how to do these interviews in-person! I’ve never done that. This show started after lockdown last year. I gotta learn some new skills.

Finally, I have a new book coming out soon! Future Eli & Future Jane is the follow up to my novella Eli & Jane. Read the first one so you’re ready for the second! It’s available on Amazon, but they already have most of our money so if you want an autographed copy buy it direct!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

You didn’t think I would forget about my Industry Legacy Partners, did you? Where do you think I’m going on my first visits out into the world? If you need coffee (or coffee whiskey) check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up or some on-site coffee enjoyment.

And speaking of stickers…Roast! West Coast stickers are in, and I’ll be dropping them off at the our Industry Legacy partners. I’ll post about it on the ‘gram…nope…the Instagram, when I do so you’ll know where you can get one. Be sure to follow @roastwestcoast for updates.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

You’re amazing. Drink good coffee. Listen to the podcast!

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Things Mike Arquines, Cofounder of Mostra Coffee has done:

Been a chef in multiple Michelin Star Restaurants.

Started a unique experience based catering and event company called the Lab Dining.

Co-founded a coffee company for which he learned how to roast coffee, developed an extensive coffee and beer collaboration program, and been part of the team that won 2020 Coffee Roaster of the Year.

Follow Mike’s instagram @TheLabDining and you’ll see all of those things come to fruition, along with some incredible looking food. You’ll also see his family dressed up in themed Halloween costumes, or Mike tucked in with the kitchen staff, or with a group of coffee beer collaborators.

As I scrolled through his feed it struck me that he is rarely alone, and rarely the center of attention in his photos. Not in a, ‘Don’t look at me,” sort of way, but more of a, ‘I’m sharing the things that make me proud,’ way. He might post a photo of the Mostra feature in Forbes magazine, but only to say thank you for energizing and motivating him.

Talk to anyone who knows him and you start hearing some similar phrases over and over, like: “Great dude!” “Incredibly talented!” “He’s the man!” Yet talk to Mike, and all of the accolades and achievements seem less like things that he worries about, and more like facts that he just accepts while he’s going about his life. I’m speculating, but I think that might be one of the keys to his success.

Even over a video chat, with Mike in the storeroom at Mostra Coffee and me in the podcast closet, I could feel his calmness radiating through time and space. In this interview, we talked about how he got his start in food, despite a pre-determined plan his Mother set in place for him to become a nurse, and how the Mostra coffee and beer collaborations—spanning eight years and more than 1000 beers—came to be. It still all feels like it is only the beginning.

Since my interview with Mike, Mostra Coffee has already released several new beers. You can see a partial list of their collabs on Google Maps.

COFFEE VOCAB

Mike is a chef, and during the show he mentioned the Maillard reaction which I had to look up afterwards so I’m sharing what I found here with you.

• Maillard reaction - is the chemical reaction between amino acids and sugar that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. Think the golden brown crust a well-made biscuit or fresh bun. It is named after French chemist Louis Camille Maillard.

The Maillard reaction can produce hundreds of different flavor compounds depending on the type of food, on the temperature, the cooking time, and the presence of air.

And speaking of Michelin Stars…

ROAST! INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Huge news! Coffee Cycle is going to start roasting their own coffee. More details soon.

Leap Coffee has a fancy new website. Check out the upgrades including more subscription offerings at www.Leap.Coffee

Roast! stickers are in. Exclusively being dropped at Roast! Industry Legacy partners. Follow the ‘Gram to see when and where.

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

SUPPORT ROAST! WEST COAST

If you’ve been enjoying this program please considering buying us a coffee, or subscribing to this newsletter.

Your support really helps grow the show, and enables me to bring you more great coffee content. Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting.

DON’T MISS IT

The last Coffee Smarter with Siri Simran Khalsa was a real treat to record, edit and share. Don’t miss it.

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*Thanks Leap Coffee for sponsoring this episode!

The new episode of Coffee Smarter is the longest episode of any podcast I’ve ever done. It clocks in at over an hour, and during the recording I knew I didn’t want to cut it short, but I thought maybe it could become two episodes.

After listening to it, and how coffee expert Siri (Lofty Coffee) and my conversation wound from environmental and economic sustainability to sexism and the hospitality experience to our collective personal reflections on what hospitality and coffee specifically means to us…I knew it should stay together, connected.

Coffee isn’t just coffee. It can be, but can also be so much more—both good and bad. I tend to think mostly good. This coffee I’m drinking right now, at about 4:30 AM on Thursday morning isn’t great, but it isn’t the coffee’s fault. It is a bit too far past the roasted date. It wasn’t brewed correctly. I actually forgot I made it. I left it sit too long. Even though it isn’t the perfect cup, it is still imbuing me with a comforting stillness, and is almost like a friend sharing the morning with me. Even when it’s not great, a cup of coffee is still a pretty nice luxury.

This week I made my first venture out to a physical coffee shop since the pandemic began. All of my coffee adventures since March of 2020 have been online. I went to Steady State Roasting with my wife. We ordered a coffee while standing inside. I kept my mask on. The women behind the counter were incredibly professional and kind despite my rusty social skills. My wife was proud of me. It was a good day.

I don’t honestly remember how I felt about the coffee itself. It was from Steady State so I’m sure it was good. It was coffee, but it was so much more. It was a little piece of joy, and little pieces of joy—if Siri is to be believed—is what coffee is all about.

Here is that paper cup sustainability analysis from James Hoffman that Siri mentions on the show. It’s from 2018. I’d be curious to see if he updates this again accounting for new products, techniques and the impacts of the pandemic.

SUBSCRIBE

Thanks for listening to the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast, and reading this newsletter! R!WC is nearing the end of Season 2 with only two episodes left, but the brainstorming for season 3 has already begun.

If you’ve been enjoying this program please considering leaving a monthly tip of $1, $ or $10 (that’s as little as three cups of coffee annually!), or purchasing an annual subscription.

Your support really helps grow the show, and enables me to bring you more great coffee content. Thank you for listening, sharing and supporting.

COFFEE VOCAB

• Cascara - is an herbal tea made with the dried skins of the coffee cherry, and often with bits and pieces of the cherry itself. The name comes from the Spanish term for husk (cáscara), and the drink is popular in coffee growing regions. It is becoming more common in the U.S. as awareness has grown. While cascara has a lot of caffeine compared to a tea drink, it only has an estimated 25% of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee.

ROAST! INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Leap Coffee has a fancy new website. Check out the upgrades including more subscription offerings at www.Leap.Coffee

Roast! stickers are in. Exclusively being dropped at Roast! Industry Legacy partners. Follow the ‘Gram to see when and where.

Want to work in coffee? Lofty Coffee is hiring.

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

DON’T MISS IT

Don’t forget to listen to the interview with the team at Coatl Coffee. We’ll be back next week with the last interview of the year featuring Mike Arquines of Mostra Coffee talking about coffee, beer and heritage.

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*Alert: During the show I say Náhuatl is a Mayan language, and I attribute the word and deity Quetzalcoatl to the Mayan’s, but after further reading I’ve learned it is an Aztec language and mythology. Aztec and Mayans cultures both have history in the Southern Mexico region. I got Mayan in my head when writing. My apologies, and an edit to the show will be forthcoming.

COATL COFFEE: DORIAN ESCOBAR & LOUIS ELGUERA, FOUNDERS

In Chiapas, Mexico there is a coffee farm. Coffee is being grown and harvested there as it has for more than 60 years. Someday soon a coffee cherry will be deemed to be ripe by a farmer, picked from a tree, and added to a batch of coffee cherries to be processed. Eventually, the bean that is left after processing will be placed in a burlap sack, shipped north and end up at the Coatl Coffee Company in Oceanside, California.

There it will get roasted, packaged and sent to a local grocery where someone, maybe you, will put it in their car, take it home and make a cup of coffee to drink. When Dorian Escobar and Louis Elguera talk about the energy of the coffee they aren’t just talking about the uplifting feeling that comes with a caffeine boost. They are referring to the sun that shown down helping draw that original coffee plant out of the ground, the effort of the farmer to select it, the journey it took from Mexico to America, and finally from the roaster to you.

They are referring to the connection that exists between that cup of coffee and a farm in the highlands just north of Guatamala in the very southern state of Mexico. Along with the kick of caffeine comes centuries of history linking you to the Aztec, to the Mayan, to the Olmecs, to the unknown hunters who were drawn to that region 9,000 years ago.

Louis and Dorian met long before deciding to build Coatl Coffee, as electricians with a passion for fine food and drink, for natural and organic products. Inspired, in part by Dorian’s grandfather’s coffee farm, the two built Coatl with a mission to, “…source the most biodiverse sustainable coffee in support of the natural organic ways of growing coffee.”

Their coffee is roasted with intention, imbued with their spirit and in pursuit of finding the spiritual moments in the rituals that comes with the creation of coffee. On the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast I’ve spoken to nearly twenty different coffee professionals over two seasons, and we almost always come around to the concept of coffee as a ritual. For many of us that ritual begins when we press the button on the grinder, and ends when we’ve sipped the last of our morning cup. Who are we kidding? It’s cups. For the gents from Coatl, the ritual began long before, when the sun first shown on the earth, and continues on into the future.

Their version of our connection to coffee is inspiring, and because of it I’ve been inspired to try to find myself in connection to the world when I’m brewing my own coffee in the morning. I hope after listening to the show you feel the same.

The name Coatl comes from an ancient Aztec language known as Náhuatl. It is a shortened version of Quetzalcoatl which roughly translates to ‘feathered serpent’ in English. Quetzalcoatl is also the name of a deity revered as creator, possibly the creator of mankind, and as the god of wind and life and all energy.

It is from these roots that Dorian and Louis have found inspiration for their coffee company, and their pursuit of a sensory driven coffee experiences.

Coatl Coffee is bird friendly which we’ve talked about previously in this newsletter and on the show.

Bird-friendly coffee is sometimes called shade-grown coffee…These coffees are grown amongst the native plants, trees, and animals in an effort enable producers to continue growing coffee without negatively impacting native species and preventing damage to forests, in particular, bird habitats.

ROAST! INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Leap Coffee has a new blend, The Wedding Blend, in honor of head roaster Bre’s nuptials. Both coffees in the blend are both Rainforest Alliance certified. They’ve offered flavor notes of: Pink Grapefruit, Citra Hops, Orange Blossom Honey, and Velvety.

@Cafe.LaTerre is doing something called Tik-Tok’s now.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea has a new Yemen Mocca Harazi coffee roasted medium-light to try. Their coffee notes include: strawberry, fig and pistachio. Zumbar is open for indoor ordering, but masks are still required indoors (thanks Zumbar!), and seating remains outdoors only. Please remember to continue social distancing.

Mostra Coffee has a brand new light roast coffee, Colombia Segundo Ortiz, available. Flavor notes include: dried cranberries, violet, and white chocolate.

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

DON’T MISS IT

Don’t forget to listen to the Coffee Smarter session about Gesha coffee. We’ll be back Friday with Siri Simran Khalsa on her last #CoffeeSmarter session of the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast, season 2. We cover sustainability, sexism in hospitality and what coffee means to her. Don’t miss it.

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GEISHA OR GESHA?

Chris O’Brien, founder, owner and operator of Coffee Cycle, and the elder statesman of the Roast! West Coast coffee smarter episodes, can talk, like, really talk. Especially about coffee, and somehow I was lucky enough to meet him, learn coffee from him and now have a platform to share his knowledge about coffee.

This week I ask Chris about Geisha coffee. Sometimes I can be fairly dense when learning about coffee. This does not come naturally to me, rather I have to learn things over and over again. Chris and I have talked about Geisha before. We’ve talked about varietals and coffee genetics before, but I did not remember. All I was thinking about was how most of the Geisha coffees I’ve come across have been expensive, and often revered as the elite offering on the menu. Coffee nerds–I mean aficionados–would speak about it in hushed tones, and often sigh after taking a sip. The ones I’ve tried were fruity and light and balanced, and oft described as “tea like.”

They were fine. Not really my style.

But I know Chris really likes them, and other coffee professionals who I have great respect for, also have a great appreciation for the style. So, I had to ask; what’s the deal with Geisha coffees?

At this point Chris let me know it is really Gesha coffee, named after the Gesha village in Ethiopia where this particular variety was discovered. Apparently, in the early 1900’s branding already mattered, and the name was changed to something more appealing.

Gesha coffee is well-regarded, and it is expensive. In fact, it has some of the highest* per pound sales of any coffee in the world with one pound of un-roasted coffee selling for $1029 at the 2019 Best of Panama competition and auction for premium coffees. The second highest went for $803, and the third for $601. All three were Gesha-style coffees.

Despite the varietal being discovered in Ethiopia, and being named for the village it was discovered in, Gesha coffees are being propagated all across the coffee belt, and even just outside of it in Southern California at Mraz Family Farms.

This week’s Coffee Smarter Episode also touches on roya or coffee rust, which is a fungus that can devastate a coffee crop. I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the Sustainable Food Lab, but I learned a lot about roya from their guide to coffee rust that goes in depth on the history, the problem, how to identify it, and what its impacts are.

Coffee rust, beyond being an annoyance that can create off-flavors in our coffee, can also be financially devastating for the farms it impacts. That goes doubly so for small farmers who depend on their crops to fulfill the coffee futures contracts they’ve agreed to, which I wrote about just a few days ago.

The impacts of coffee rust on a coffee farm is one of the reasons I try to buy coffee from roasters I trust to pursue fair trade principals or even work directly with farms to create long-term sustainable relationships that hopefully help mitigate some of that risk. That is also a reason to be willing to pay a little more, if you can, to support the roasters and cafe’s you believe are doing it right.

*There have since been more expensive coffees claimed to be sold per pound, including a $4,535 per pound coffee from Ninety Plus coffee company, but their style and varietal has not been released, nor are the sales records public.

ROAST! INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Mostra Coffee is releasing a new beer & coffee collaboration this Saturday (5/29). The @Jwakefieldbeer x @MostraCoffee Experience” is Big Poppa Batch 4, an Imperial Stout with coffee, coconut, and vanilla (12% ABV). Bottles will be available to the public starting at 12PM at Mostra 4S Ranch location until they sell out.⁠ Limit: 1 bottle per person⁠

Leap Coffee is having a “We Made Too Much” Memorial Day Sale. Slightly aged bags at a discount available online Friday morning 5/28 until Monday night 5/31!

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

DON’T MISS IT

Don’t forget to listen to the last interview with Kyle Rosa, the founder of Bluetail Coffee Grove and Breakers Coffee & Wine. We chat about how he uprooted his Bay-area life where he worked as an accountant in tech to move south and start working the land. We’ll be back with another new show next week featuring the team from Coatl Coffee.

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Kyle Rosa - Bluetail Coffee Grove, Breakers Coffee & Wine

How big does a plot of land have to be, to be considered a farm? That is one of the questions this episode of the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast inspired me to ask. Turns out there are a lot of different answers.

Regardless of your definition there is no doubt that Kyle Rosa is getting his hands dirty in San Marcos, California. Like a lot of us, Kyle found himself on a career path that was going in the opposite direction of his intrinsic passions. He and his wife made a change, and he took on the challenge of Bluetail Coffee Grove (organic). The grove’s name inspired by the lizards that scatter when you walk between the coffee plants.

Bluetail Coffee Grove is actually part of the Frinj Coffee network of farms that buys their coffee plants from company, and receives support—technical, agricultural, marketing—from Frinj above. Earlier this season, I interviewed Jay Ruskey, the founder of Frinj, and I strongly recommend you check out that show after this one.

I can’t say that I really understood the connection between Bluetail and Frinj when I reached out to set up the interviews. I just thought it would be a cool perspective to talk to a local farmer about the challenges and opportunities of domestic coffee farming. I was hoping to get one farmer on the show this season, but am grateful both Jay and Kyle agreed to chat. Listening to their perspectives from different points in the chain makes for a more comprehensive understanding of the work, the branding and the motivations behind domestic coffee farming. Coffee growing is not for faint of heart, and a little stubborn persistence seems to help.

While the farm was the dream, Kyle saw the opportunity for a vertical business move, and along came Breakers Coffee & Wine which is only about a month away from opening, at which point Kyle will be juggling a lot of positions. He’ll be the head farmer, head coffee roaster and the guy overseeing both businesses.

Kyle and his Wife, also just welcomed a new son into their family. With both businesses and a growing family things are about to get pretty hectic in the Rosa house.

Breakers Coffee & Wine opens will have an e-mail membership or customer loyalty program with limited capacity. Having watched the other domestically grown coffees selling out, sometimes in a single day, you might want to sign up on breakersdelmar.com with your e-mail to save a spot, and follow their instagrams @bluetail_coffee_grove & @breakers_delmar for updates on the farm and the opening story at the cafe.

During the show, Kyle references the C-market (coffee market) price, as have a lot of other guests. The coffee being bought and sold at this price is not actually physical coffee yet. It may not even be growing yet. It is just an agreement to buy coffee, called a Futures contract, meaning the seller is agreeing to provide the coffee at specific price later, and the buyer, often a coffee broker is agreeing to buy it at a set rate. Similar to the stock market, buyers and sellers of these contracts are hedging their bets that the price will go up or down.

Today’s C-Market price is at about $1.50 per pound which is seems really low to me, but is actually much higher than it was one year ago when it bottomed out at about 93 cents. On the commodities market you can essentially bet on what the C-market price will be.

Seeing those numbers makes me appreciate the craft and care that goes into the roasted coffee I’m purchasing locally especially from roasters or cafe’s, like Coffee Cycle or Steady State, who make the effort to purchase coffee at fair prices, directly from the far when possible. They are likely paying more than the C-Market price, but they are not only getting a better product they are also creating a fair market alternative that we can feel good drinking in the morning.

SUBSCRIBE!

We are in week 8 of 10! Only two interviews left to go this season. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Subscriptions go towards the creation and expansion of this show, and are greatly appreciated as we start planning for Season 3. An annual paid subscription ends up being only $2.50 per month!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

Don’t forget to listen to the recent interview Coffee Smarter Episode with Siri Simran Khalsa teaching us all about roasting trends.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

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On the wall at Camp Coffee is a floor to ceiling photograph of a tree. I noticed it right away the first time I visited. The tree spoke to me in a way only trees can. I asked about it while drinking my coffee, and the barista told me a story. It was a real place, one that was special to him, and this photo was likely one of the last ever taken of that particular tree. It was a good story, and it turned out the barista was Jason Simpson, owner of the cafe.

Jason is the first owner of a cafe—that is not also a roastery—I’ve done a full interview with, and it allowed me to travel some different paths in this interview. We cover a lot of ground including details on how he ended up committing to a single roastery, Bird Rock Coffee, for beans, managing polarizing community issues, and how the cafe’s values extend beyond the walls. Camp Coffee is likely a place that would have been a regular stop on my weekday bike rides had we not been sideswiped by the Thanos of viruses this past year.

During the show, Jason and I also talk a bit about how he would advise someone getting into coffee to go about it. He cautioned that even though we’ve developed a language to coffee, we don’t all understand the nuances the same way. That’s a thought that could apply to a lot of things in our life, and I’ve been marinating on it for a month since this show was recorded. I’ll let you decide if you agree after listening, but for now just know it is one more reminder that coffee isn’t only about coffee.

The Camp Coffee vibe, and their willingness to engage with the community is also beautifully documented by photographer (and musician) Will LeFevre. His black and white stills of life happening—inside and out—of the Camp Coffee walls are a living journal of downtown Oceanside, California. The collage below is a zoomed out view of the @WeAreCampCoffee Facebook timeline.

Most of these images were taken by Will, and you should take some time to scroll through. They tell the story of a cafe’s place in the heart of a community. They show the connection between friends, family, neighbors and coffee. Sometimes they show the disconnects too, but that is all part of living in the city.

COFFEE VOCAB

Percolator: a coffeepot in which boiling water rising through a tube is repeatedly deflected downward through a perforated basket containing ground coffee beans to extract their essence. (Merriam-Webster)

Basically, hot water gets pushed up through the tube in the middle, and then pours over the coffee grounds dripping back into the water below. As the water heats the process repeats until boiling, and you’ve got coffee ready to drink.

Batch Brew: Machine-assisted pour-over coffee, often in larger quantities than a single pour over cup. Unlike a human barista the variables that make a pour over unique are controlled in a batch brew including temperature, how the water is dispersed over the grinds, and exact ratios of coffee to water. Batch brewing machines are popular in cafes for their consistency, and the ability to make more coffee with less labor.

SUBSCRIBE!

We are more than half way through season 2. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Subscriptions go towards the creation and expansion of this show, and are greatly appreciated. An annual paid subscription ends up being only $2.50 per month!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

It won’t help you this week, but Mostra Coffee has a Monday Happy Hour. Between 2PM-5PM you’ll save 15% OFF your entire purchase! #MostraMondays

Quick coffee shelf check. At Roast! WC HQ we’re drinking Marea Sir MixALot, Zumbar Hummingbird, Leap Decaf (Columbia) and Zumbar’s Hummingbird Mix. What’s on your shelf? Let me know if something has really struck your fancy.

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

Don’t forget to listen to the recent interview with Luis Sanchez, the founder and head roaster of the Bay Park nano-roastery Acento Coffee Roasters. His journey is one of passion and hard work and world travel.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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I immediately felt guilty about the title on this newsletter, but I decided to leave it so we could all share in my shame. Classic teen film puns aside—there is no way that movie has aged well over 20 years. The newest episode of the podcast is all about cold coffee, including cold brew, iced coffee and Japanese-style flash chilled coffee.

Chris O’Brien really digs into the science, and he is pretty harsh on what is a fairly popular drink. In the end we bring it back around to the idea that we’ve repeated multiple times in the first two seasons of this podcast. Drink what you like.

That said…if you’re going to drink a chilled coffee know that there are varying levels of quality that are impacted by the way it is brewed. The Japanese-style flash chilled method they use at Coffee Cycle will really bring out the lighter, more subtle flavors. It has an almost tea-like lightness, and is great for fruity, complex coffees.

A cold brew that is brewed by soaking coffee grounds in cold water for up to 48 hours will beat your tongue into submission. There is a reason cold brew drinks, especially from larger chains, are often filled with sugary additives. Take a listen to the show, if for no other reason than Chris compliments me twice…which may be twice more than in any other show this season. If you are not listening right here you can find links to all podcast platforms below.

You should also check out this video from Counter Culture Coffee about making a cup of Japanese-style chilled coffee. This is pretty close to what Chris and the team do at Coffee Cycle, except they use an immersion brewer and drop the coffee all at once, flash-chilling it.

When I write these newsletters, I’m often listening the Milwaukee Brewers on the radio. I’m from Wisconsin originally, and hearing Bob Uecker call a game makes me feel like I’m back home. Hearing him say, “HEEeeee Struck ‘iM OUTTTTT!” or “That’s a bang-bang play right there,” is like a soothing salve for my heart in a year in which my annual family visits were canceled. Thanks Bob. You’ve made these last few months much more enjoyable.

For the next few months, I’m looking forward to getting a bit more out into the world. In real life, I’ve been very stringent in my Covid-19 safety protocols. I still am, but for the first time today, I’m far enough beyond my second vaccine shot that I should have quite a few antibodies partying it up inside me.

It is going to take some time for me to work out of the self-quarantine habits I’ve developed, but I’m looking forward to re-socializing with more visits to Coffee Cycle, and all my favorite cafes.

If you’re interested in reading what the experience of getting the vaccine was like for me you can read this essay on onewildlifeco.com. If you’re wavering on getting the shot for yourself, all I can say, is it was worth it.

COFFEE VOCAB

Cold Brew is: Coffee brewed with cold water over a long period of time.

Iced Coffee: A hot drip coffee combined with ice to make it cold.

Japanese style or Flash chilled Coffee: A brewed pour-over cup of coffee that is then quickly drained over ice.

COFFEE NEWS

An SUV ran into the back of Harry’s Coffee Shop, a coffee institution in La Jolla, San Diego this week. Three people were injured, and the crash caused a gas leak that evacuated the block. More details.

We are more than half way through season 2. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Subscriptions go towards the creation and expansion of this show, and are greatly appreciated. An annual paid subscription ends up being only $2.50 per month!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Steady State Roasting has a new coffee, Neighbors & Crops. It’s available in the shop as a pour-over and as an espresso. The beans were grown and processed on the world-famous La Palma y El Tucan farm in central Columbia.

Leap Coffee now sells XL Leap Latte’s in milk jugs so…no excuse for running out.

First Light Whiskey’s Original Coffee Whiskey has gotten some well-deserved accolades winning both the Platinum and Consumers Choice honors at the 2021 Sip International Spirits Awards (SIPA).

Need some coffee? Check out these great companies for delivery, pick-up and finally, even some on-site coffee enjoyment.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

Don’t forget to listen to the recent interview with Luis Sanchez, the founder and head roaster of the Bay Park nano-roastery Acento Coffee Roasters. His journey is one of passion and hard work and world travel.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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Luis Sanchez didn’t come out of nowhere. He had a life before coffee. He got a degree. He had a career in sports. He wanted to travel so he went to get a graduate degree in Australia. He was expanding his horizons, and moving up in the world.

Then he made a mistake. It’s the mistake that every will they, won’t they romantic comedy is based on. He fell in love. Not with a person, but with coffee, with espresso, with the coffee community. The trajectory of his life was forever changed.

Just like in the movies, coffee didn’t immediately love him back, but he worked at it. First, as a barista, then as cafe manager, then as regional manager. Along the way he got the bug to become a roaster, and he started over again. He heard about an opportunity at Global Coffee Traders as their sample roaster. He didn’t just apply, he went and took the job.

Once there, it was like going through a coffee roasting boot camp, but with generals willing to answer his questions. Generals who have the rank of Q-grader.* Knowing Luis, I’m sure he had a lot of them. He took advantage of his time by asking questions, learning, meeting people, and asking more questions until he was ready to make the leap if an opportunity presented itself.

Luis loves coffee, and he loves people. Before he had his own roastery he was out making the rounds like the mayor of Coffeetown. Check out the Acento Instagram, and it is filled with photos of him getting coffee everywhere else! There he is at Seven Seas in Chula Vista. The next snap is in front the new Storymakers in Barrio Logan, and always one from Coffee Cycle in Pacific Beach.

Coffee isn’t just coffee for Luis.

I’m a rider. I’m surfer. I’m a futball’er, but above all, I’m a coffee lover.

-Luis Sanchez, Accento Coffee Roasters

I’ve known Luis for several years, but in this episode of the Roast! West Coast podcast I learned so much more about who he is, and what drives him. I realize now that our interactions were almost always coffee-related, or involved him getting me to open up by asking me questions. I’m glad I got the opportunity to be on the other side learning about him, because it is a heckuva story. I hope you enjoy the show.

In some coffee + environmental news, I want to shout out Café Virtuoso. The cafe and roastery in Barrio Logan has partnered with Clear Blue Sea to create a sustainable coffee cup program. A lot of coffee drinkers don’t realize this sad reality, but the waxed coffee cups you receive when buying a takeaway cup of coffee are not recyclable. They go right into the trash. That is actually true for a lot of cardboard and plastic most of us commonly throw in the trash.

What Café Virtuoso is doing with their reusable cup program isn’t revolutionary, but due to some antiquated local health ordinances, and insurance companies aversions to risk this is a program that has been shot down in many cafes and restaurants. I’m glad to see they’ve pushed passed their concerns to, at least, get it off the ground. I hope more cafe’s follow suit.

*A Q-Grader is a trained coffee tasting expert. Like a wine sommelier, but for coffee. There are various levels of Q-Graders, but all designations are applied by the Coffee Quality Institute to applicants who pass a week long series of difficult exams.

The goal of the CQI is to promote a worldwide common coffee language, in particular at the industry level. There are more than 7000 Q-Graders worldwide. Don’t let that number fool you. The passing rate of applicants is pegged at about 50%, with only a small percentage of those who pass doing so without having to re-test some or all of the course.

POPULAR AUSSIE COFFEE DRINKS

Short Black - Espresso. Single shot.

Long Black - What we commonly refer to as an Americano. A shot of espresso with four ounces of hot water added to the shot in a pre-warmed rocks glass.

Flat White - Shot of espresso. Four ounces of steamed milk. Thin layer of micro-foam. Similar to our latte.

Cappucino (Aussie version) - Shot of espresso. Four ounces of steamed milk. Thicker foam than a flat white. Sprinkle of cocoa powder across the top.

Piccolo - Shot of espresso. Two ounces of steamed milk. Minimal foam. Similar to a cortado.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

CAFÉ LaTERRE is serving up Crossing Coffee Roasters, and rumor is they’ll soon have enough to sell bags to go. What are we waiting for Alden!

Coffee Cycle is now serving vegan pastries from Split Bakehouse. So good we should just call them pastries.

Steady State Roasting is serving their first Ecudorian coffee called, “Servio González.” It has tasting notes of apple juice, peach, floral and clean. I’m a big fan of Ecuador. Funny story, I was once detained and strip searched at the airport in Quito for having a beard.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle •

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last Coffee Smarter episode where Siri and I explore how the materials our coffee mugs and brewing vessels are made out of impact the flavor of our coffee.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Enjoying the show? Consider a paid subscription. It’s all the same great content plus shout outs, exclusive discounts and occasional freebies. It’s like tossing a nice tip in the jar at the coffee shop. Plus, it helps keep the lights in the podcast closet on.

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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COFFEE SMARTER: THE MATERIALS MATTER

Do you have a favorite coffee mug? I do. Sometimes I have more than one. Right now it is this heavy-duty ceramic one I found in the free pile at a garage sale years ago. It has a thick lip which leads to extra coffee dribbles, and weighs about half a pound.

I also have this red tin enameled cup that was part of a set from my Grandmother I like even though it is terrible at keeping the coffee hot. I also have a double-wall steel camp mug, and a clay one, and a glass one. One morning or another, they have all been my favorite.

The question I had for Siri Simran Khalsa, Director of Coffee at Lofty Coffee, on today’s show was; will the materials that make up the vessel I’m drinking out of impact the flavors I taste? I didn’t know, but I had a feeling she would. The answers didn’t surprise me, but it did get much more nuanced than I expected.

For me, the same question about the equipment we use to brew coffee—the French press versus the Aeropress or pourover—was an afterthought. For Siri it deserved much more recognition when it comes to the final flavors found in a cup of coffee.

Unrelated to the material, she did bring up something that I’ve never really thought about. The way we brew our coffee, not just the material of the vessels, will impact the way it tastes. Umm, duh, I thought, after hearing it…but only after.

She recommended that infusion methods of brewing, like pour over or Chemex, styles that also require a filter and involve pouring water over a bed of ground coffee, would be better for light, fruity, subtle coffees. Those styles of brewing would help enhance the brightness and acidity of the coffee.

And, in her opinion, immersion style brewers like the French press would better complement a darker roast with smooth, rounded flavors. They are opinions that match my own real world experience perfectly. I just didn’t understand why until she said it. I hope you enjoy this week’s Coffee Smarter session. We cover a lot of ground, and even veer off on some really fun tangents.

During the show Siri references a video of James Hoffman, Youtube coffee celebrity, trying water that has various paper filters immersed in the glass to see if they might impact the flavor of our coffee. I’m sharing that video below, but the paper filter part doesn’t come in until the 4 minute, 30 second mark.

If you’re looking for some coffee this week, Siri’s Lofty Coffee desert island roast is the Sweet Blue Blend. I’m still figuring out what my own desert island coffee is. That’s why I ask the questions, and Siri is the expert. I’ll leave you with some advice from this weeks show: Good coffee still tastes good cold.

COFFEE NEWS

There seems to be a never-ending supply of new coffee shops in SoCal. Copa Vida is adding to their already existing stores with three new locations in San Diego County, including the one that just opened in Del Mar. More details.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Mostra Coffee is everywhere this week. I saw a post about them on the Mastercard blog. Did you know that credit card companies had blogs? I didn’t. They are also dropping a new beer collab today (5/7) with Harland Brewing, the Halo Halo Pastry Sour which is another in a line of beer and coffee collaborations inspired by a Filipino dessert. You need to create a Mostra Experience membership account to get access.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last Coffee Smarter episode from Friday where Chris and I dig into the details of Kopi Luwak!

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

If you made it this far…and you want to support the creation of this show, consider a paid subscription…if you want. We appreciate you.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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INTERVIEW: DANNY IVERSON, IVERSON COFFEE ROASTERS

Danny is the perfect guest to have on after last weeks episode with Cheryl from the Renegade Roaster Design Group. His experience with roasting machines, his growth from the popcorn-style roaster in the dorm to a semi-pro roasting machine then to a professional level one, and finally to his dream roaster, the San Franciscan 6, really exemplifies the connection between roaster and machine that she and I spoke about.

What I was reminded of talking to Danny is that both roasters and coffee drinkers are continually evolving. He started small in a dorm room with a small roaster. Now he roasts on his dream machine, and has a thriving business.

I started with a cup of black coffee from a great cafe in Chicago. Shout out to Star Lounge. I couldn’t appreciate it at the time, but over the thousands of cups of black coffee from gas stations, diners, cafe’s and roasters alike, I’ve evolved too. I’m equally comfortable tasting with intention, seeking out flavors and characteristics, as I am making up a cup of hot cowboy coffee at camp. They both have a place in my life.

During the show Danny spoke, albeit abstractly, about how his coffee roasting comes at a cost. Specifically, the cost of time. Time he doesn’t want to be away from his kids and wife. He also has a full time job, and keeping up this high-level side hustle cuts into the free time he might use for something else.

We all make choices like that. When we are passionate about something we somehow create opportunities to pursue it. Where we get caught up is when that teeter-totter between your passion and the other responsibilities starts bobbing up and down more dramatically.

Thankfully, none of us has to go it alone. This week I had Civilian Coffee Consultant Lora to help give me a second opinion on Iverson Coffee Roasters. There is always someone wanting to share in our coffee journey regardless of the step. Danny echoed our coffee expert Chris O’Brien in his advice that the best coffee is the coffee you like. I’d expand on that, and say the best coffee is one you like, and is shared with a friend. That, and ask questions; be they of a roaster, coffee beginner, appreciator, expert, or aficionado.

As famous poet and priest John Donne said:

No man is an island,Entire of itself;Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.

MORE LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Civilian Coffee Consultant Lora is a talented local artist. Check her out on Instagram!

Scott Rao’s Books. He’s a coffee roaster consultant.

Behmor 1600 - this coffee roaster looks like a toaster oven. It’s hard to imagine roasting 60+ pounds of coffee in it over the course of a weekend.

Ambex YM-2 - This looks like what a roasting machine looks like in my imagination, but shinier.

Matthew McConaughy on the Brian Buffini Show.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

Mostra Coffee was featured in Gear Patrol’s Top 25 Roasters in America list this week. Check out the full list.

CAFÉ LaTERRE is hiring experienced baristas. Stop by the shop in Solana Beach, or hit them up at info@cafelaterre.com

Camp Coffee is now rocking vegan cinnamon rolls on the weekends, and have a new menu out for May.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last Coffee Smarter episode from Friday where Chris and I dig into the details of Kopi Luwak!

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

If you made it this far…and you want to support the creation of this show, consider a paid subscription…if you want. We appreciate you.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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COFFEE SMARTER WEEK 4: KOPI LUWAK

Today’s conversation with Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle did not go the way I expected. I suppose I never expected to get so in depth about a coffee that has been digested in the stomach of a cat most commonly found on the other side of the world from where I am in San Diego either.

If you’d like to read a bit more about Kopi Luwak, I suggest you read the Wiki here. It’s well done. One thing we didn’t talk about on the show was the cost of Kopi Luwak. I did mention it was a delicacy, but you might be surprised to hear that a pound of this cat stomach digested coffee can cost upwards of $600 per pound.

That is the price for “Wild” found Kopi Luwak which implies someone went out into the wild, and collected it. For farmed Kopi Luwak the price drops significantly, and can be found for $50 to $100 per pound. Still not nothing, but it does bring us full circle to Chris’s concerns about the ethicalness of purchasing or drinking this unique coffee.

He very passionately asked us not to purchase it, despite how interesting the science might be. If you decide that you feel differently, I hope you’ll go to the source, and ensure there is a measure responsible farming that allows you to feel comfortable with that choice. Granted that would likely mean a trip to the Philippines or Vietnam or East Timor.

Now that I think about it, that sounds like a pretty great trip. Maybe for Season 3 we take this show on the road. In general, take the time to get to know the roasters who produce the final coffee product that is such an integral part of most of our mornings.

It is the responsibility of conscientious consumers to follow up on their purchases. Often craft coffee roasters are going above and beyond to ensure their products are fairly traded and farmed sustainably. It can be tough to follow all the links in the chain, but it is one more reason why supporting the brands doing the work is so important.

Roast! West Coast Industry Partner’s Mostra Coffee has deep Filipino roots, and it was an experience traveling there that inspired Bev and Jelynn’s business partnership. Eventually they started Mostra Coffee along with Bev’s husband Sam, and Mike Arquines (future show guest). You can learn all about their roots, and see footage of a return trip their team took to engage with coffee farmers in the Philippines.

GOFUNDME FOR LINDSEY CARON

Lindsay Caron is the woman who I spoke about on today’s show. She was injured on her bicycle in a hit and run down the street from Coffee Cycle in Pacific Beach. You can read about the accident here, join the Facebook group that has mobilized around her, or click the button below to support the GoFundMe campaign set up to take on the anticipated medical and recovery expenses.

As a full-time bicycle commuter who spent a lot of time passing that exact same spot, this really struck a chord. My best to Lindsey, her family and friends. I’m wishing her a speedy recovery.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last interview with Cheryl Guildner of Renegade Coffee Roasters Design Group, and you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

If you made it this far…and you want to support the creation of this show, consider a paid subscription…if you want. We appreciate you.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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INTERVIEW: Cheryl Guildner, Renegade Roaster Design Group

Cheryl Guildner and her husband Boyd have owned and operated Renegade Roaster Design Group for more than 20 years. They started in San Diego (now in Flagstaff, AZ) with an idea for a better roaster based on Boyd’s experience as a coffee roaster repair man, and with integrated software. Cheryl took on sales and service.

In the beginning, Cheryl didn’t even drink coffee, but very quickly became passionate about coffee, coffee culture and the quality of the coffee coming from their roasters. She even started her own micro-roastery which she continues to run called Ponderosa Roasting.

Cheryl opened my eyes to the concept of custom-built roasting machines. I don’t know why, but I sort of assumed roasters were an off the shelf product that roasters would then modify to fit their needs.

Every coffee roaster I’ve spoken to has a very personal, almost spiritual connection to their roasting machine which I assumed that came over time as they spent hours repairing, maintaining, and oiling the various hinges (I don’t know for sure there are hinges on roasters) that kept their machines operational. In my romanticized vision, they’d use a cotton clothe to buff the machine to a glossy shine at the end of a roasting day, rest the towel over a shoulder, pick up a cup of coffee, and let out a satisfied sigh.

What I learned in this interview is that the technology of roasters has come a long way, and while the machines they build at Renegade look a lot like the vintage ones found in old advertisements they are no longer one size fits all. Nor do companies like Cheryl’s sell it and forget it. Cheryl offers roasting education classes, and they work with their clients through every step of the build dialing in the machines so by the time they are delivered they not only meet the various municipal requirements, they also make coffee to the specifications of the roaster.

Cheryl was a lot of fun to chat with, and even though it was a Monday we both had a lot of laughs. I hope you enjoy the show. If you listen on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate and review Roast! West Coast. It really helps get this little show out there.

Things have been a little hectic at the Roast! HQ, but as I work through season two I’m always trying to improve it. Next week’s guest Danny Iverson of Iverson Coffee Roasters gave me a heads up on some good microphone tech that I’m installing this week. I’ve been learning some new software so Season 3 can be both a podcast and a Youtube show, and I’ve been experimenting with decaf coffee’s mixed with varying quantities of First Light Coffee Whiskey for an up-coming column.

There is so much to try, to learn and to appreciate in the world of coffee. I’m just scratching the surface right now, but Roast! West Coast is going to be around for the long haul. Thanks for growing and learning and appreciating along with me. Join the new-ish Roast! West Coast coffee group on Facebook if you want to share your own coffee adventures.

COFFEE VOCABULARY

Today’s coffee vocabulary terms were inspired by today’s episode.

• Wet Scrubber - A wet scrubber is an industrial pollution filtration system that uses water to capture pollutants, particulates and odors from an exhaust stream. Like the smoke coming out of a coffee roaster. The smoke is vented though an encapsulated container filled with water that catches the nastier parts of the smoke before being released. Check out this website for details on wet scrubbers, and the different types offered.

• Destoner - A DeStoner is exactly what it sounds like: It is a machine that processes your roasted beans to separate out the unwanted stuff before your roasted beans are bagged and ground. When processed green coffee beans are scooped up and bagged into burlap sacks, sometimes a little ruble in the form of dirt, twigs, debris and actual small stones end up in the bags too. A destoner prevent that debris from making into your bag of coffee by separating it out.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

• For a limited time you can get Barrel-Aged Neapolitan Cold Brew at both Mostra Coffee locations. Likely to be a very limited time, so hurry over!

• Coffee Cycle in Pacific Beach entire JBC coffee line-up is rated 93 or better by Coffee Review. Stop by to get one asap.

Kenya Karatina - 95 pts

Sumatra Harimau Tiger - 94 pts

Ethiopia Addis Katema - 93pts

Yemen Red Haraaz - 95 pts (very limited!)

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last interview with Jay Ruskey, Founder, Farmer and CEO at Frinj Coffee, and you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

If you made it this far…and you want to support the creation of this show, consider a paid subscription…if you want. I appreciate all the support.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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COFFEE SMARTER: DECAF. HOW DOES THAT WORK?

For the very first time, Siri Simran Khalsa joins the show as a Coffee Smarter expert. She is the Director of Coffee and Head Roaster at Lofty Coffee which has locations all over North County San Diego.

You might remember Siri from her Season 1 interview appearance. I had so much fun chatting with her that day. She is just a fun person to talk too. She’s honest and forthright, and the exact right person to bring a roaster’s expert perspective to the Roast! West Coast podcast this season.

For her first appearance we cover a topic I’ve always wanted to understand better-decaf coffee. How do they do that? At Lofty, Siri roasts a Sunset organic decaf blend, but I didn’t know if the beans came without caffeine in them or if they do something during the roasting process to remove it. She digs in to explain Swiss Water processing, and cover some other methods and theories about decaf coffee.

During our chat I didn’t know that Swiss Water is the name of an actual company based in Canada. They had this helpful chart on their website.

During our chat I learned that there is also a low caffeine varietal of coffee bean called Laurina. It is naturally about 50% less caffeinated than a normal coffee bean, and since it doesn’t have to go through any processing to remove the caffeine it retains all of its original flavors.

There is also less of it available which makes it more expensive, and there have been controversies in the past where some larger, national chains have scooped up an entire year’s available supply.

At this point in this weeks newsletter, you maybe wondering why anyone would drink decaf coffee anyways. A younger version of myself would be wondering just that thing, but the nearing 40 version of myself enjoys falling asleep at night, and not feeling so jittery. I’m writing this after sunset, and yet I’m drinking a Leap Coffee Swiss Water decaf. I even poured some whiskey into it. I couldn’t do this with a regular caffeinated cup, because I’d be up until morning.

You might have other reasons for wanting a cup of decaf. You may have opinions on whether Swiss Water processing (which you’ll learn about in the show!) seems like a good thing, or if you’d rather find a cup of low-caf Laurina coffee. Either way, I’m all for finding more ways for you to enjoy a cup of coffee, and I hope you enjoy this week’s show. Don’t forget to drink good coffee.

P.S. Did you listen to the show with Frinj Coffee founder Jay Ruskey yet? What did you think? Let me know.

RANDOM COFFEE NEWS

• In Buffalo, New York a couple was dealing with a scourge. Someone was littering on their lawn. Not just littering, but very specifically littering. Every day for three years someone threw a used coffee cup on their lawn. Coincidentally, it was usually a cup labeled as decaf. Read the whole story in the Buffalo News.

• Check out this column from the New Times about Corberosa Premium Air-Roasted Coffee. They’ve also taken on the challenge of growing coffee in California. They’re based out of San Luis Obispo, California. I don’t yet have confirmation that they are part of or not part of the Frinj Farms network, but will update as soon as I do.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

• Steady State Roasting has a new drink on the menu—the Blueberry Mint Sparkling Lemonade. It looks delicious.

• Don’t forget Leap Coffee is having an open house next weekend 4/23-24. Coffee discounts, cuppings, free pastries and more.

• Mostra Coffee just dropped new merch, and if you need cash to pay for the merch they are hiring. Send your resume to careers@mostracoffee.com. If you want to save some money, use code “FREESHIP” for FREE shipping on orders over $35.

• Camp Coffee has camp mugs back in stock. Order online. Get a cup of coffee while you’re there.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last interview with Jay Ruskey, Founder, Farmer and CEO at Frinj Coffee, and you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

If you made it this far…and you want to support the creation of this show, consider a paid subscription…if you want. We appreciate you.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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INTERVIEW: JAY RUSKEY, FRINJ COFFEE

Jay Ruskey is a farmer. He is also a founder, CEO, educator and an innovator. I’m guessing there are quite a few other descriptors that could be added to that list, but my takeaway is that he is a farmer first. The other stuff comes from constantly pushing to push the envelope, to find a new market, to diversify and to satisfy some intrinsic need he cannot ignore.

Frinj Coffee isn’t a coffee roastery. At least, it isn’t only a coffee roastery. It is also the corporate coffee extension of Jay’s farm, Good Land Organics. Frinj’s focus is specifically on coffee. They grow coffee plants, and then sell them to other aspiring coffee farmers to create a network of farms from Solvang down the California coast to North County San Diego. Once the farms are established, Frinj then provides support in the form of operations, tech upgrades, and creating a marketplace for the coffee being grown. There is a lot more that goes into which Jay describes on the show.

The do actually roast coffee too. You can find their coffees on FrinjCoffee.com along with coffees grown on their network of farms. Which is pretty wild, because when you think of coffee growing regions; Southern California isn’t the first place that might come to mind. SoCal isn’t even in the Coffee Belt which is the term for the stretch of land between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn wrapping around the earth where the climate and soil is considered most conducive to growing coffee.

And yet…here Jay is giving it a shot anyway. On this week show, Jay and I delve into the motivations behind this endeavor, the challenges that come with growing coffee in California and the ones come with trying to create a new marketplace.

For me, I left the conversation with Jay wondering if locally grown coffee will always be a premium product offered at premium prices along with a premium experiences, or if their will be further innovations or even climate changes that throw the whole coffee economy off it’s axis.

For more on the history of coffee and its impact on culture, economies and even the border lines of countries around the world, I strongly recommend the book, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, by Mark Pendergrast. This link goes to Amazon, but see if your local library or book shop carries it first.

I read this book a few years ago, and came away with a whole new appreciation for how coffee has helped shaped the world economy and connected human beings around the world. As Chris O’Brien explained in season one of the Roast! West Coast podcast, coffee is a unifying drink that can be found in nearly every country in the world.

COFFEE VOCABULARY

Today’s coffee vocabulary terms were inspired by today’s episode.

Cultivar: I found a bunch of definitions but this is the one that made the most sense: “Cultivars are, simply put, types of plants that have been cultivated and bred by humans. Cultivars are created when people take species of plants and breed them for specific traits, such as taste, color, or resistance to pests. The plant is bred purposefully until the desired trait becomes very strong and noticeable.” - From Study.com

Naked Coffee: Any cup of coffee that does not include any additives like milk or mocha or honey. An alternative way to ask for a black coffee. For example, “I’d like that Columbian pour-over naked.”

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

• Steady State Roasting has expanded outdoor seating on the weekends. Check it out, get a coffee and enjoy it in a well-ventilated atmosphere. It’s all about that ventilation.

• Leap Coffee is having an open house to celebrate their birthday and new roastery in Escondido. Check the flyer for all the details. For a limited time, use code “HAPPYBDAY” to get 20% off all online coffee purchases!

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Click the link to learn more about or buy coffee from one of our Industry Partners:

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to last week’s Coffee Smarter session all about espresso technology. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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COFFEE SMARTER: ESPRESSO TECHNOLOGY

When I was younger I really jumped into anything new I could find. I was one of only three kids in my class who had a beeper. Granted, this made for very few beeps. Later in life I decided the old ways were best. “What would Grandpa do?” I would wonder.

As I’ve grown into my own adult I’ve found a middle ground. I’m not going to sleep in a tent outside a retail store to get a hot new phone or pair of shoes, and I’m usually not the last to hear about the new software or fashion either. I like to jump in on the second or third wave of new tech. I strike after all the bugs are worked out, the price goes down and it feels like it might stick around awhile.

I learned how to pull a coffee on the lever machine at Coffee Cycle. If you listen to the Roast! podcast you’ve probably heard my griping about how I had to spend six months learning before I was even allowed to pull a shot. There was an art to it. Grind the beans. Pour them in the portafilter. Tamp them down evenly, and slide the portafilter back in place. Take a deep breath. Pull the spring loaded lever down engaging the steam, and creating pressure. Then slowly letting the lever release.

I would count in my head to make sure that the release time was right. You could feel the lever pulling back against your hand. It wanted to go faster, but it was the barista’s job to control it. I would watch the second hand on the clock to make sure the extraction time—water seeping through the ground coffee into the demitasse glass—was on point. Too far over or under on the clock meant to bitter or salty, and Chris was dumping that shot of coffee gold down the drain.

Now, in addition to that beautiful old machine Coffee Cycle has a Decent Espresso machine. It’s much more advanced. It’s got a screen on it.

When I saw it I worried that Chris had lost his way. What he could do with old machine was incredible. I had pulled plenty of shots, and they were never as consistently good. In this episode of Roast! West Coast I ask him about the transition from the old to the new, and if he worries that with a new generation coming up with the kind of press-a-button perfect espresso technology the old arts would be lost.

It’s a good show. I hope you enjoy it.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE WHISKEY CAKE RECIPE

I’ve made this cake. It’s actually the only cake I’ve ever made from scratch. My own bias aside, it was universally beloved by everyone I was able to share it with. It’s fairly easy. I modified mine to be vegan-friendly, and that was pretty good too. I did go just a bit heavier on the First Light Whiskey than suggested.

I wrote about making this cake for The Coast News. You can read about the full experience here.

Courtesy of creator Kassidy Elizondo and www.firstlightwhiskey.com and modified by Ryan Woldt

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter/butter alternative

½ cup cocoa powder (I prefer dark chocolate from Guittard)*

1 cup coffee

⅓ cup First Light Coffee Whiskey*

⅔ cup brown sugar

⅔ cup white sugar

2 eggs (or egg substitute, i.e. bananas or flaxseed)

1½ teaspoons vanilla

1⅓ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup chocolate chips

*Whatever chocolate you choose I encourage you to find one that is ethically sourced like Guittard to help prevent forced labor common in the chocolate industry.

Melt butter and mix in coffee, coffee whiskey and chocolate powder together in a sauce pan over low heat.

Whisk brown and white sugar into the saucepan until it dissolves and allow to cool slightly.

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Butter a 9″ cake pan.

Whisk in eggs & vanilla into the batter in the saucepan (I moved it into a bowl for easier mixing)

Fold in flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.

Bake 45-55 minutes (Our oven is terrible, so I did 65 minutes, but if you have a good oven start on the low end).

Dust with powdered sugar.

Pour yourself a coffee whiskey. Add an ice cube if you prefer.

Eat!

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

• Don’t forget Mostra is hosting their first ever @SEEKERS "Coffee & Explore" event on Saturday, April 17th. Plus, collab Mostra x AleSmith Brewing tees for their coffee beer collab in the epic Speedway Stout series. 15% OFF during #MostraMonday's Happy Hour between 2PM-5PM Mondays in-store and online at www.MostraCoffee.com.

• Leap Coffee is having an open house next weekend 4/23-24. Coffee discounts, cuppings, free pastries and more.

• Did you know Zumbar Coffee can be found in beer? Check it out.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the last week’s episode, an interview with Crowbeard Coffee’s Stephen Crocker. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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INTERVIEW: Stephen Crocker, Crowbeard Coffee

Stephen was actually the first person I interviewed for season 2 of the show a few weeks ago. I saw the name Crowbeard, and reached out. We talk about his theory regarding the name choice on the pod, and he’s right in thinking it is pretty catchy.

Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Stephen started by getting really passionate about something. The pounding you hear is Stephen emphasizing his point during our conversation. With his passion for his coffee roasts it felt right to leave it in the show, but starting a company requires a lot more skills. Often entrepreneurs are doing a half dozen different jobs at once just to do the one part of the job that inspired them in the first place. Why do entrepreneurs do that?

I don’t have an answer other than to say in my own experience it is because something is driving me to want to share something I care about with others. At Crowbeard, Stephen is the roaster, the marketing department, web designer, shipper, maintenance guy and so much more. You don’t do all that unless you love what you do, and it was clear to me that he really loves making coffee for others, and believes in the future of Crowbeard.

During the episode Stephen references the style of coffee processing (natural, washed etc), and I promise to link to a Coffee Smarter segment explaining the differences coffee processing including washed versus natural. I’m doing that here.

Head to Stephen’s website to see the current coffee offerings, learn more about his altruistic mission to help animals and people, and buy to snag a bag of coffee. His organic coffee’s are roasted in small batches, and are always Fair-Trade. He’s been working on a new website, and streamlining the shopping process.

BIRDNOTE

I like birds. I don’t know when exactly it happened. I blame my father-in-law. He also likes birds, and can even identify them by their call or feather pattern. Some of them. Not all of them, but it is still really impressive. He gave me my first set of binoculars. Then I got a bird book. Then I started noting what birds I found. Then I started listening to BirdNote.

Birdnote is two minute daily podcast that just gives you a quick fact about birds. Last week they dropped an episode called, “Tanagers - Coffee Birds. What do migratory birds and your latte have in common?” The answer is in the impact that coffee plantations have on bird habitats, and it is one more way that buying transparency is important when it comes to coffee.

Bird-friendly coffee is sometimes called shade-grown coffee. It is popular in Brazil where there are often clashes between coffee plantation owners and those keen to preserve and protect the rainforests. These coffees are grown amongst the native plants, trees, and animals in an effort enable producers to continue growing coffee without negatively impacting native species and preventing damage to forests. This is an especially important effort in Brazil where deforestation in the Amazon is happening way too fast.

COFFEE VOCABULARY

Today’s coffee vocabulary terms are all pretty random except for this first one, chaff, which Stephen refers to in this weeks podcast. It’s also a repeat from Season 1 which is why we have the bonus vocabulary word this week.

Chaff: Coffee chaff is the green dried skin that exists on the coffee bean when it is first picked from a coffee tree. It is the husk of the coffee bean. The hot temperature of the roasting allows the chaff to peel off easily, without the need of additional extraction.

Micro-Foam: the appearance of very tiny bubbles on top of a properly frothed milk. Micro-foam is what latte art is made out of.

Tamper: a heavy stainless steel device which the barista uses to press coffee grounds firmly into the portafilter when preparing to brew an espresso shot. Learn how to tamp properly right here.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

• If you are looking for a career in coffee, Zumbar Coffee and Tea is hiring. Check out their current openings here.

• Mostra is hosting their first ever @SEEKERS "Coffee & Explore" event on Saturday, April 17th. “If you have a rig, love awesome Trucks + SUVs, or want to come out and ask a few questions, this event is for you.⁠”

“Bring your rig and your family! The event is from 9AM-2PM on 4/17 at Mostra 4S Ranch.⁠ Don’t forget we have beer and wine available starting at 10AM.⁠”

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the first episode of Season Two, an interview with Kayak Coffee Delivery’s Brendan Abrams. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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COFFEE SMARTER: THE ORIGINS OF COFFEE

Recording the first Coffee Smarter of the Roast! West Coast podcast Season 2 was a treat. Chris O’Brien and I fell right back into our old ways. Me making self-deprecating statements I clearly didn’t believe, and Chris teasing me instead of letting me get away with it. Of course, then he’d immediately apologize and say something nice. He just can’t help himself.

Somehow the two of us made it through ten episodes of Coffee Smarter in season one in which I never thought to ask him who discovered coffee, nor where does it come from. This is a story I’ve heard Chris tell a dozen times, but it was a blast hearing the story of the goat-herder, Kaldi, who changed the world one more time.

During the show Chris mentioned a new SoCal roaster, Nostalgia Coffee Roasters, he has been featuring in his shop Coffee Cycle. He was pretty nonchalant about it, but for him to take on a new roaster is a pretty big deal. Coffee-Cycle is a small shop, and there are only so many roasters who make the cut. Not only do the coffee’s need to be excellent, but they need to be consistently excellent.

The latter is much harder to achieve for any roaster, and I’ve seen well-regarded (and fairly coffee famous) roasters get cut for failing to meet that standard. I’m looking forward to getting down to Coffee Cycle to give Nostalgia a try.

A COFFEE POEM

It’s National Poetry Month. There was a brief time where I fancied myself a poet. Most of my work was found on napkins, but truthfully I just didn’t have the courage to truly commit to it.. Thankfully, Linda Pastan did.

Mrs. Pastan is an American poet from Maryland. She’s 88 now, but I don’t think you ever stop being a poet. She’s published 15 books, including two that were nominated for the National Book Award. She’s won a bunch of awards, including the Dylan Thomas Prize and Pushcart Prize honoring some of the best works of poetry.

While looking for some coffee inspired verse to honor poetry month, I found her poem The Happiest Day. It concluded in a way that reflected what coffee has meant to me over the past year. It has been a distraction, a meditation and a relief. Coffee has created a rhythm to the morning that has helped ease the anxiety of living through a pandemic. Here is an excerpt from that poem:

…I didn't even guess that I was happy.

The small irritations that are like salton melon were what I dwelt on,though in truth they simplymade the fruit taste sweeter.So we sat on the porchin the cool morning, sippinghot coffee. Behind the news of the day—strikes and small wars, a fire somewhere—I could see the top of your dark headand thought not of public conflagrationsbut of how it would feel on my bare shoulder.If someone could stop the camera then…if someone could only stop the cameraand ask me: are you happy?perhaps I would have noticedhow the morning shone in the reflectedcolor of lilac. Yes, I might have saidand offered a steaming cup of coffee.

Find the full text of her poem, “The Happiest Day” here.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE

Our Industry Partner Leap Coffee is now selling cold brew growlers! Place your orders over the phone at 760.448.6167 for pick up at their new roasting location in Escondido. The 32oz growlers are also available for delivery through Grubhub. Save the growler for discounted refills.

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to the first episode of Season Two, an interview with Kayak Coffee Delivery’s Brendan Abrams. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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INTERVIEW: Brendan Abrams, Kayak Coffee Delivery.

It’s finally here! Season 2 of the Roast! West Coast podcast. Thanks for being here. Thanks for listening to the podcast. Thanks for subscribing to the newsletter. You’re the best. Let’s get to it.

Today’s guest, Brendan Abrams, is the founder of Kayak Coffee Delivery service. Started from his garage during the coronavirus pandemic, Kayak’s premise is fairly simple. Locally roasted coffee delivered to your home or business.

Brendan partners with local San Diego-area coffee roasters as a wholesale purchaser, collects our orders and then delivers the goods. I always encourage people to support their local roasters, and order direct if possible. Brendan has found a way to marry those concepts. Kayak supports local coffee roasters, fills a need and provides a unique service.

In particular, it is nice to be able to find some up-and-coming roasters that don’t yet have delivery options, and still be able to order from some bigger roasters in the same order. Right now there are seven different roasters with 22 different roasts available for purchase as a one-time try, or you can sign up for a subscription to get a variety of beans shipped to you on your preferred schedule.

During the show Brendan talks about an Australian cafe that inspired him to look at coffee in a different way. He couldn’t remember the name, but he did remember that it had all kinds of chairs on the ceiling. I did a little digging, and the cafe’s name is Brother Baba Budan. It’s located on Berkley St. in Melbourne, Australia. It looks like a cool spot, and maybe worth checking out next time you’re in the area.

The flat white coffee drink that inspired him is commonly described as small latte with less foam. Which also matches the description of a wet cappuccino

Kayak is a new business, but I’m already excited to see how it grows. It is inspiring to hear the story of an entrepreneur filling a need he found in his own life. I hope you enjoy the pod.

I’ll be back in your in-box on Friday with the first Coffee Smarter episode of the season with the Roast! resident coffee expert Chris O’Brien. Somehow we never covered the origins of coffee last season so I ask him about it, and listen as he regales me with the story of an over-caffeinated, possibly drunken, goat.

COFFEE VOCABULARY

Today’s coffee vocabulary terms are all phrases to be used when ordering coffee drinks. These terms help describe how you’d like your coffee to be prepared. For example, you may want to order your cappuccino “Dry” or “Wet” and “with legs.”

Dry: A dry beverage has less steamed milk than normal, and more frothed milk from the steam wand. It will accentuate the bitterness of the espresso in your drink. This term is most commonly applied to a cappuccino or latte order. The foam in dry drinks keeps them more insulated, so they stay hotter longer.

Wet: A wet beverage has more steamed milk than normal, and less frothy milk at the top. The extra steamed milk will make your drink taste creamier, and enhance the sweetness. Most commonly applied to a cappuccino or latte order.

With Legs:If you’re waiting in a socially distanced line at your favorite local coffee roastery you might hear someone order an Ethiopia Natural with legs. This is just an insiders way of saying you want your coffee in a takeout cup. It is the same as asking for an Ethiopia Natural to-go, but it sounds cooler.

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS!

The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

If you need a surefire winner when it comes to coffee (or whiskey) this is my go-to list. Legacy Partner Mostra Coffee is even available through today’s guest Kayak Coffee.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Check out all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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WELCOME & HELLO & NEWS

Hey everyone, welcome to Season 2 of the Roast! West Coast podcast. I’ve been swearing it wouldn’t start until next week, but after talking to my guest Alden Hozouri I just got excited about sharing it with you a little early.

And the content is timely. Alden was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me only two weeks after the opening of the new Solana Beach, California coffee shop, CAFÉ LaTERRE. I’m going to interview Alden again in the future to learn more about his coffee journey, but for this bonus episode I really wanted to focus on the challenge of getting the cafe ready in a pandemic, and his emotional reaction once the doors were open.

You can listen to the show right here in the e-mail, click the button to stream on Anchor or find the link to your favorite podcast platform way down below at the bottom of this page.

Thanks for listening. In upcoming newsletters there will be a lot more coffee news, education, vocabulary and more. Interview episodes will come out on Tuesdays and Coffee Smarter Episodes on Fridays.Follow along or get involved in the coffee conversation on the all-new Roast! social medias: @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Thanks for joining me for another season of this coffee exploration. This is fun rabbit hole to fall down. It’s more fun with friends like you. Thanks for listening, sharing and subscribing. I hope this finds you happy, healthy and hanging on to at least a thread of sanity, and as always, drink good coffee!

Best,Ryan Woldt

INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS!

Starting this season the Roast! podcast is teaming up with some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies are not only supporting Roast! efforts to share more about coffee with you, they are going to be the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.

These are some of my go-to local spot’s for getting great coffee, coffee whiskey and the hospitality is top notch. Before they were Roast! partners these companies were already found here at Roast HQ. Just this week I enjoyed some First Light Whiskey next to a campfire in Joshua Tree! More on these partners coming soon.

Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle

IN CLOSING

Need to get caught up? Check out all of the episodes from Season 1 here.

Listen to the show on these platforms!

APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS

TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER

Follow @RoastWestCoast on Instagram & join the Roast! West Coast Facebook Coffee Community.

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes back Breanna Briggs-the Director of Coffee at Leap Coffee in Carlsbad, California-back to the show as our first repeat guest. Some major changes are occurring at Leap Coffee as they are leaving their cafe and roasting home after five years. Bre talks to us about what happened to cause the change, how the team is responding and what it feels like to be reminded how her coffee shop is part of the fabric of the community.

Head towww.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually February 2nd, 2021, and published on February 3rd, 2021.

https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/welcome

https://www.onewildlifeco.com/

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes the team from Marea Coffee based in Solana Beach, California to the show. Founder Grayson Adams, Marketing Director Reyjay Solares and roaster and all-around coffee guy Joe Bettinger front an online only shop, and collaborated with some incredibly talented artists and action sports stars to create their brand. Get 15% off at MareaCoffee.com with promo code: ROAST

Head towww.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

CURRENT PROMOS!

30% off Paid subscriptions of Roast! West Coast's Substack Newsletter paid version comes with a copy of the book, Eli & Jane. No promo code needed, and we'll use the proceeds to buy coffee for local frontline health care workers. (https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/eliandjane)

10% off MostraCoffee.com with the promo code: ROASTPODCAST10

get 1st bag of coffee free at LibraCoffee.com with listener promo code: onewildlife

15% off at MareaCoffee.com with promo code: ROAST

25% BOGO at Leap.Coffee with promo code: TUESDAY (only on Tuesdays each week) 25% off

hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast25

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on January 12th, 2020.

https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/welcome

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about first, second and third wave coffee, and shares his own personal experiences with the power of coffee.

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some award winning upstarts like Steady State Roasting. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on January 8th, 2021.

https://www.zumbarcoffee.com/

https://ironsmithcoffee.com/

https://www.steadystateroasting.com/

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Eric Medina, founder and head roaster of Libra Coffee in Oceanside, California to the show. Libra Coffee is unique in that they are a subscription-only based service. Libra Coffee is for the adventurous coffee drinker as they curate their offerings based on the roast and include experimental and one-off roasts into their service.

Subscribers to Libra Coffee get 1st bag of coffee free at LibraCoffee.com with listener promo code: onewildlife

Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

CURRENT PROMOS!

30% off Paid subscriptions of Roast! West Coast's Substack Newsletter paid version comes with a copy of the book, Eli & Jane. No promo code needed, and we'll use the proceeds to buy coffee for local frontline health care workers. (https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/eliandjane)

Mostra Coffee Promo: 10% off online with the promo code: ROASTPODCAST10

15% off at MareaCoffee.com with promo code: ROAST

25% BOGO at Leap.Coffee with promo code: TUESDAY (only on Tuesdays each week) 25% off

hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast25

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on January 5th, 2020.

https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/welcome

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about fancy drinks..

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some award winning upstarts like Steady State Roasting. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on January 1st, 2021.

https://www.zumbarcoffee.com/

https://ironsmithcoffee.com/

https://www.steadystateroasting.com/

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

*This episode is sponsored by Steady State Roasting in Carlsbad, California! Check them out! (https://www.steadystateroasting.com/)

Roast! West Coast welcomes friends and business partners Bev and Lynn to the show. They are the founders and owners (along with Sam Magtanong and Mike Arquines) of Mostra Coffee in the Carmel Mountain and 4S neighborhoods of San Diego County. Mostra Coffee has been on a stratospheric rise that started with an idea during a trip to the Philippines that the two friends should go into business together and build something that benefited their own community and the world. Mostra Coffee was named Roast! Magazine's Micro Roaster of the year. https://www.mostracoffee.com/

Mostra Coffee Promo: 10% off online with the promo code: ROASTPODCAST10

Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

CURRENT PROMOS!

30% off Paid subscriptions of Roast! West Coast's Substack Newsletter paid version comes with a copy of the book, Eli & Jane. No promo code needed, and we'll use the proceeds to buy coffee for local frontline health care workers. (https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/eliandjane)

15% off at MareaCoffee.com with promo code: ROAST

25% BOGO at Leap.Coffee with promo code: TUESDAY (only on Tuesdays each week) 25% off

hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast25

1st bag of coffee free with subscription - LibraCoffee.com with promo code: onewildlife

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on December 29th, 2020

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about how coffee grinders and coffee grind size can impact your morning cup (or cups) of coffee.

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some award winning upstarts like Steady State Roasting. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on December 25th, 2020.

https://www.zumbarcoffee.com/

https://ironsmithcoffee.com/

https://www.steadystateroasting.com/

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Sam and Weston Nawrocki, Owners and Head Roaster of Manzanita Roasting Company (https://manzanitaroasting.com/). They are the husband and wife team behind Manzanita Roastery of Rancho Bernardo California, and they just opened a new location in an incredibly beautiful building in downtown Escondido. Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

CURRENT PROMOS!

30% off Paid subscriptions of Roast! West Coast's Substack Newsletter paid version comes with a copy of the book, Eli & Jane. No promo code needed, and we'll use the proceeds to buy coffee for local frontline health care workers. (https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/eliandjane)

15% off at MareaCoffee.com with promo code: ROAST

25% BOGO at Leap.Coffee with promo code: TUESDAY (only on Tuesdays each week) 25% off

hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast25

1st bag of coffee free with subscription - LibraCoffee.com with promo code: onewildlife

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on December 22nd, 2020

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about how coffee is processed right at the source, the farm, before it is shipped to your favorite local roaster.

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on December 18th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Breanna (Bre) Briggs to the show. She is the head roaster and essentially the all coffee everything at Leap Coffee (www.leap.coffee) in Carlsbad California. In our conversation we discuss the role of women in the coffee industry, and how important that representation is. We also chat about how Leap Coffee came to be, and how they’ve adapted to the impacts of the coronavirus. Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, more information and details on the next episodes.

CURRENT PROMOS!

30% off Paid subscriptions of Roast! West Coast's Substack Newsletter paid version comes with a copy of the book, Eli & Jane. No promo code needed, and we'll use the proceeds to buy coffee for local frontline health care workers. (https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/eliandjane)

25% BOGO at Leap.Coffee with promo code: TUESDAY (only on Tuesdays each week)

25% off hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast25

1st bag of coffee free with subscription - LibraCoffee.com with promo code: onewildlife

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on December 8th, 2020

Sponsorships: off for this e

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about how coffee is processed right at the source, the farm, before it is shipped to your favorite local roaster.

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on December 11th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Inbal Kalin, CoFounder & Head Roaster of Stache Coffee Co. in Oceanside, California to the show. Check out StacheCoffeeCo.com to see all the different roasts they offer, and to purchase fresh coffee beans. Stache Coffee Co. is a Veteran-Owned and Family Operated Roastery that was established in 2014 and specializes in sourcing sustainably grown coffees from all over the world roasted in small batches. From farm-to-cup, Inbal and her husband Louis pursue responsible business practices through Direct-Trade with micro-lot farmers worldwide. The couple seeks to ensure that family farms are adequately paid for their efforts and continue to produce exquisitely tasting coffees as they have for generations.

CURRENT PROMOS!
ENDS 12/09/2020 - 15% off coffee at ZumbarCoffee.com with promo code: **ROAST15

ENDS 12/15/2020 - 10% off at coffee SteadyStateRoasting.com with promo code: OWL1025% off hand-crafted jewelry from EmmieAndLil.com with promo code: Roast251st bag of coffee free with subscription - LibraCoffee.com with promo code: onewildlife**

ROAST! West Coast(www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on December 8th, 2020

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all the traditional coffee tasting technique known as cupping.

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co. (www.onewildlifeco.com)

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on December 4th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Siri Simran Khalsa, Director of Coffee at Lofty Coffee in Encinitas, California to the show. Check out loftycoffee.com to shop for beans. Lofty Coffee roasts coffee and runs a from scratch bakery with cafes in Encinitas, La Costa (Carlsbad) and Solana Beach. Lofty Coffee offers subscription coffee services so you won't run out of good coffee, and their limited edition seasonal West Coast Winter Blend is available now. Order for delivery, pick-up and pick up some fresh baked bread while you're at it.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually in October 2020, and published on December 1st, 2020

This episode is sponsored by Steady State Coffee Roasting. Use the Promo Code: OWL10 to get 10% off all coffee bean orders on www.steadystateroasting.com.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle (www.coffee-cycle.com) joins the show to talk all about the flavors found in coffee, how to use the flavor wheel and being mindful while sipping on your morning cup..

ROAST! West Coast (www.roastwestcoast.com) is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and it was published on November 27th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Roast! West Coast welcomes Matt Delarosa, founder, owner and head coffee roaster at the award winning Ironsmith Coffee Roasters in Encinitas, California to the show. Check out www.ironsmithcoffee.com to shop for beans. Ironsmith Coffee roasts and ships direct to make sure you get the freshest possible coffee beans, and always include free shipping. Subscriptions are available at www.ironsmithcoffee.com.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and published on November 24th, 2020

Ironsmith Coffee Roasters is a sponsor of Roast! West Coast.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle joins the show to provide advice about how water impacts our morning cup of coffee including a quick chat on temperature, brew time and ratio of water to coffee bean.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and published on November 20th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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ROAST! West Coast welcomes Elliot Reinecke, Founder & Header Roaster of award-winning coffee roastery Steady State Roasting. Steady State is in the heart of Carlsbad Village, and widely considered one of the premier roasters in the industry. Roast! listeners can order bulk beans online at www.steadystateroasting.com. Use the Promo Code: OWL10 until December 16th, 2020 to get 10% off your online order.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and published on November 17th, 2020

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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Coffee Sensei, Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle joins the show to provide advice for first time coffee drinkers on how to get started.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and published on November 13th, 2020.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

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In the first ever episode of ROAST! West Coast I interview Steve Rayle, Founder & Header Roaster of acclaimed coffee roastery Zumbar Coffee & Tea. Zumbar is one of the original San Diego area craft coffee roasters having opened in 2003, and full disclosure they are one of the sponsors of this show! They have two locations, a roastery and shop in Sorrento Valley and a cafe in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Roast listeners can order bulk beans online at zumbarcoffee.com. Use the Promo Code: ROAST15 until December 9th, 2020 to get 15% off your online order.

ROAST! West Coast is a new podcast the community of coffee roasters and coffee innovators on the West Coast of the United States. Host Ryan Woldt interviews local roastery founders and roasters about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee and much more. If you love coffee, entrepreneurship, shopping local and learn how things get made and why things are done a certain way you will love ROAST! West Coast presented by One Wild Life Co.

In season one we dive deep into the hyper-local coffee community of North County San Diego to introduce you to the coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Featuring OG roasters like Zumbar Coffee & Tea, established local hotspots like Ironsmith Coffee Roasters and some upstarts who’ve just recently jumped in the game like ‘Stache Coffee. Coffee Sensei Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle will serve as our weekly teacher so we can all learn a little more about coffee together.

This show was recorded virtually, and published on November 10th, 2020

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

COMING SOON! OWL Podcasts is producing Roast! West Coast, a podcast that will introduce listeners to the community of coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Show how Ryan Woldt talks to local coffee roasters, innovators and entrepreneurs about coffee, their origin stories, how the pandemic has impacted them and even ways to get the best cup of coffee at home. The first season of Roast! West Coast features the coffee community of North County San Diego, California.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

COMING SOON! OWL Podcasts is producing Roast! West Coast, a podcast that will introduce listeners to the community of coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast including Steady State Roasting founder Elliot Reinecke. Show host Ryan Woldt talks to local coffee roasters, innovators and entrepreneurs about coffee, their origin stories, how the pandemic has impacted them and even ways to get the best cup of coffee at home. The first season of Roast! West Coast features the coffee community of North County San Diego, California.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe

View Details

COMING SOON! OWL Podcasts is producing Roast! West Coast, a podcast that will introduce listeners to the community of coffee roasters and innovators on the West Coast. Show how Ryan Woldt talks to local coffee roasters, innovators and entrepreneurs about coffee, their origin stories, how the pandemic has impacted them and even ways to get the best cup of coffee at home. The first season of Roast! West Coast features the coffee community of North County San Diego, California.

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/owl-podcasts/support

Get full access to Roast! West Coast at roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe