Stories

Meet the Youngest Coffee Farmer in Boquete, Panama

August 15, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Earlier this year we traveled to Boquete, Panama for the Best of Panama competition. While we were there we met a remarkable young coffee farmer named Keith Pech, who manages his family’s farm Damarli Estate. He was kind enough to host us on his farm, serve us some delicious coffee blossom tea, and teach us about the unique microclimate that makes coffees from Boquete some of the most sort-after coffee in the world. Whether it’s his background as a professional ping pong player or his experience working for a négociant in Bordeaux, France, Pech is an exceptional person that we knew we had to interview.

You grew up near Cleveland, but now you run a coffee farm. How did that happen?

Yes I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and lived there until I was 22 years old. My father is …

Can-Do Attitude: Matchless Coffee Soda Launches New Kickstarter

July 27, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

A couple of years ago I popped into one of my favorite Nashville cafés and ordered a beverage that I’ve since concluded might be the perfect iced coffee: the Matchless Coffee Soda. It was bright, effervescent, slightly sweet, and refreshing. I caught up with Matchless Coffee Soda’s inventor, Nathanael Mehrens, as he prepares to launch a Kickstarter campaign to take his coffee soda to the masses.

So what’s your elevator pitch? What is Matchless Coffee Soda?

Matchless Coffee Soda is a locally roasted, flash-chilled coffee, lightly sweetened and carbonated to sublimity. Think bright, fizzy, refreshing iced coffee.

Obviously, a lot of your process is proprietary, but can you give us any hints how you make Matchless? How is it different from those nitro cold brews that are so popular right now?

It’s actually very different for a few reasons. …

Cafe Review: Bespoke Coffee in Wilmington, NC

July 23, 2017 By Michael 3 Comments

It’s hard to think of a television show that I never watched that defined my childhood more than Dawson’s Creek. As diehard fans of the show probably already know, the ostensibly idyllic small coastal town the show was filmed in was none other than Wilmington, North Carolina- and for good reason. The small port city boasts a rare combination of historic architecture, a beautiful riverfront, and proximity to some of the East Coast’s best beaches. Think of it as an under-the-radar Charleston or Savannah.

But until recently the town was missing one seminal element: a good coffee shop. In fact, until recently I was quite confident the best cup of coffee in town was a bottle of Slingshot cold brew at Whole Foods. Thankfully, if James Van Der Beek were to visit today, he would be able to get a really great cup of coffee at Bespoke Coffee and Dry Goods in Downtown Wilmington.

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Coffee’s Grand Cru: A Look Inside Elida Estate

July 5, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Wilford Lamastus Sr. produces some of the most famous coffee in the world, but he only brags about one thing when I visit his award-winning farm Elida Estate: his skimming ability. With a sly grin, he likens his skill at skimming the remaining sediment from each cup to barista competitors, who prepare elaborate espresso beverages while giving a presentation. This rather mundane step between between the aromatic and flavor assessment of coffee is often performed by lab assistants on larger estates, but Lamastus Sr. is not the sort of owner to sit back while other people get their hands dirty. He cups each of the dozens of lots from his two farms and often will give feedback to other producers in the region who come to him for advice.

I’ve cupped coffee hundreds of times, but my pulse quickens as I dip my spoon in the first cup. The modest room is barely large enough for a small round table and a desk, but it’s hosted some of the most …

Five Cafes Worth Moving To Vancouver For

June 5, 2017 By Michael 2 Comments

Vancouver is widely considered one of the most livable cities on earth. Its wide array of fantastic cafés might have something to do with that. We already wrote about our visit to Nemesis Coffee, but we would be remiss if we didn’t mention five more cafés that have us applying for Canadian citizenship.

Revolver

Revolver might be the best Beatles album, but it’s also one…

Three Ways to Use the December Dripper to Brew Better Coffee

May 15, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

We, like 779 other Kickstarter backers, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our December Dripper. The adjustable flow rate pour-over device more than tripled its goal, raising a cool $58,251. With an estimated arrival time of late June, we have some time before the December Dripper is making our morning cup, but in the meantime our sponsors at Prima Coffee gave us a chance to take a peek at a pre-ship sample. After a few brews we have a few thoughts on how this new brewing technology might be utilized to produce tastier coffee. …

Seven Things You Should Never Order in a Coffee Shop

April 2, 2017 By Michael 10 Comments

During my five years on bar I’ve heard some bizarre requests. As a barista, it’s my firm conviction that my responsibility to provide hospitality trumps my own preferences. Would I put two Splendas in my coffee? Never. Will I put two Splendas in your coffee if you prefer? Happily.

That being said, there are a few common orders that are objectively wrong. If you value your reputation or have any common decency, you’ll stop ordering these immediately. I write this not to order-shame anyone, but to improve your life and the lives of baristas everywhere. …

Three Must-Visit Coffee Shops in Tokyo

March 17, 2017 By Guest 2 Comments

There are few things we enjoy more than traveling. Drinking coffee is one of them. Visiting world-class coffee shops in one of the most exciting cities in the world? That might take the cake. Today we’re living vicariously through guest-contributor Andy Cenci’s recent Tokyo café-crawl. These are Cenci’s top three Tokyo coffee shops you shouldn’t miss:…

Coat Check Coffee Opens In Indianapolis

March 10, 2017 By Michael 2 Comments

Kurt Vonnegut. David Letterman. The Indy 500. President Benjamin Harrison. Indianapolis is home to a lot of famous people and things. Not as famous, but just as noteworthy in our humble opinion, is Indianapolis’s growing specialty coffee community. Although long eclipsed by larger markets in neighboring states, the coffee scene in Indianapolis is refreshingly passionate and non-partisan. The latest addition to this burgeoning community is Coat Check Coffee, a small lobby café already punching well above its weight class.

Located in the actual coat check of the historic Athenaeum building, …

Why I’m Not Mad About That McDonald’s Coffee Commercial

February 26, 2017 By Michael 4 Comments

McDonalds Coffee
McDonald’s in the United Kingdom released a commercial ribbing specialty coffee shops last week, and a lot of baristas took to social media to voice their anger. The video ridiculed craft coffee shops for having limited hours, being over priced, taking too long, having rewards cards, and frankly just being too precious when it comes to coffee. As voiced by one actor in the commercial, McDonald’s is the place for people who “just want a cup of coffee.”…

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Stories

You grew up near Cleveland, but now you run a coffee farm. How did that happen?

So what’s your elevator pitch? What is Matchless Coffee Soda?

Obviously, a lot of your process is proprietary, but can you give us any hints how you make Matchless? How is it different from those nitro cold brews that are so popular right now?

Revolver