Your Guide for Craft Coffee
Hollywood is famous for power couples: Brad and Angelina, Ben and Jennifer, Kim and Kanye, and, of course, Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski. With a cumulative résumé that includes some of the best companies and highest accolades in specialty coffee, Glanville and Babinski turned more than a few heads when they went into business together in 2012. We’ve been California dreamin’ of visiting one of their cafes for a while now, and …
Christmas is a time for giving, and unlike your family’s white elephant gift exchange, we’re giving away something you’ll actually want. We’ve assembled a gift basket featuring the finest craft coffee Louisville has to offer- specifically Argo Sons, Sunergos, and Quills Coffee– and we’re going to ship it to the doorstep of one lucky reader (sorry, USA and Canada residents only). All you have to do to enter is click on this link, and follow the instructions. We’ll announce a winner December 30.
Until then, Merry Christmas from the Coffee Compass!
Photo by Matthew Stevenson
Like James Hoffmann recently wrote, we’re going to assume you follow Dear Coffee, I Love You. If you don’t, you’re seriously missing out. Behind the groundbreaking blog is Brian Jones, a graphic designer and international man of mystery with a portfolio as impressive as his beard. In our exclusive interview we ask Brian how he got started, what inspires him, and, of course, what’s in his mug.
I started DCILY (Dear Coffee I Love You) with the intention of sharing cool coffee related stuff that I began discovering more frequently online and in my travels around the world. It was also an outlet for me to share info about coffee with friends and family who had thought I was going crazy over coffee quality and trying to find increasingly better coffee. When I launched the site, I also noticed a lack of design on many of the other coffee sites I had come across. So being a designer myself, I made that a prominent focus of my content. In the last 4 years, the quality of design in the specialty coffee industry has improved dramatically, not just in branding but even products and café design. It’s a big win for everyone.
Before the website was launched, I planned on …
Some might say that design, aesthetics, and creativity typify the specialty coffee industry. This caffeinated cultural zeitgeist has pushed creatives and craftsman in similar niches to partner with coffee industry professionals far and wide. Coffee intersects with cycling culture, craft beer, craft chocolate, and artisanal apron making, to name a few. Bradley Mountain’s collaboration with 33Books on the Coffee Tennyson notebook is one such craft artifact for the coffee lover in your life.
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Dayton, Ohio’s nickname is the Gem City, but it is best known as the birthplace of aviation. The Wright Brothers invented their famous flyer in Dayton, and even after their historic first flight they stayed in their hometown. Like a lot of Rust Belt cities, Dayton has had a rough couple of decades, but there’s never been a better time to get a cup of coffee in the Gem City, especially if you visit Press Coffee….
A barista is only as good as their tools, and one of the most important tools in any barista’s toolbox is their apron. And if you’re going to wear an apron, it might as well be an expertly crafted, custom apron made from high quality fabric- something that reflects the quality and craft that goes into a good cup of coffee. We asked Angela Muniz, founder of Girl From Arizona Aprons, what goes into a custom made apron.
Earlier this year, a chef friend asked if I knew a tailor who could modify an apron he’d bought. The straps didn’t fit quite right. I told him I knew how to sew and could probably adjust it. I ended up making him one from scratch. He’s got a big Instagram following and a popular restaurant, so it wasn’t long before other chefs were asking if I’d make some for them. The real shift to creating an online business came when one of our Phoenix resort chefs asked for 26 for his crew. I already knew there was a demand for custom aprons, and that just …
