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Build-Outs Of Summer: Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee In Atlanta, GA

By acaia, atlanta, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, East Pole Coffee Co., Featured, Fetco, Flags of Origin, Flik Independent School Dining, georgia, ground floor coffee co, La Marzocco Linea, Mahlkonig EK43, MJO Studios, mount vernon, North America, Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima-Pro, Places, puqpress, taproom coffee & beer, USA, View Dynamic Glass

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

We’ve seen cafes in just about everywhere here on the Build-Outs of Summer, or at least we thought we had until today. In Atlanta, Taproom Coffee & Beer has teamed up with Mount Vernon Presbyterian School to put a coffee shop INSIDE THE SCHOOL. It’s called Ground Floor Coffee and it’s my dream come true, if but a few decades too late.

After working with Mount Vernon for various class projects, Taproom Coffee had the opportunity to pitch the administration on the idea of installing a full-service coffee bar, an idea that was “student-initiated;” even the name Ground Floor was created by one of the students. In the end, Mount Vernon agreed and now they are definitely the coolest high school around, at least based on any coffee-based metrics. At Ground Floor, they are creating the next generation of coffee consumer, and making me extremely jealous in the process.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista SeriesnotNeutralKeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Jonathan Pascual.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

We’ve had the original location of Taproom Coffee & Beer since 2014. Like a lot of other coffee companies, we strive for excellence in coffee quality and customer service. We are proud to have been there at the start of East Pole Coffee Co. (their founder, Jared Karr, was one of our baristas for our first two years of operation), and they have been our core coffee roasting partner ever since. Our main location juggles the identity of both coffee bar and draft beer bar (the draft tower is an old four-group Linea shell!) and now we’ve opened a new store with a completely different concept.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Our new location is housed in the Upper School building of Mount Vernon, a private educational institution in the Atlanta area with over 1,000 students from 700+ families. The coffee bar is in the same building where high schoolers go to class, and right next to the cafeteria where students and faculty eat lunch. The coffee bar serves the campus community, so only students, parents, and Mount Vernon employees are able to purchase drinks at the coffee bar.

I had the opportunity to work with a handful of Mount Vernon students on a class project where they explored the idea of placing a full espresso bar in their new high school building. Over two years, I periodically visited their class and did mini-lessons on the coffee industry, cost of goods, profit/loss, and what equipment works best in an espresso bar. Those students also came to Taproom to see a specialty coffee shop in operation, and to talk through how they could apply the concept to their school. They ended up pitching the idea to the school administration, and when it came time for their new school building to break ground, they pulled the trigger and put the espresso bar in the official plans! So this was student-initiated, and is ultimately for the benefit of Mount Vernon students. They named it “Ground Floor Coffee Co.” because students were in on the project “from the ground floor” and because of where the coffee bar is in the building.

We realize this is a unique thing to have in a high school, and we’re really excited to explore possibilities of leveraging Taproom’s presence for really creative educational experiences. Students could do work internships with us, we could be a testing ground for graphic design projects, and we could help fund student scholarships or at least contribute annual financial donations to the school. The doors are really wide open!

What’s your approach to coffee?

Just like with Taproom, we want customers at Ground Floor to experience approachable, consistent, high-quality specialty coffee. Even though students will probably order more smoothies than cappuccinos, we’re still maintaining our company standards of espresso training and technique, and we will happily engage in conversations about sourcing, process, roasting, and brewing. When you think about it, we’re actively cultivating the next generation of coffee consumers—the high school students we serve are forming habits and concepts of specialty coffee that will carry through to their college years and the rest of adulthood. With an on-campus espresso bar and daily interaction with our baristas, they’re getting four years of indirect specialty coffee education.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

From our pop-up test run that we did last year, we knew that students would swarm a coffee bar before school and during lunch. To handle the volume, we installed a three-group La Marzocco Linea AV. We’ve also got a Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima Pro, Puqpress, Mahlkönig EK43, FETCO brewer, and Acaia scales, which is all the same setup we have running at Taproom. We have a sizable kegerator and are kegging and pouring “Nitro Flash” (our flash-brewed nitro iced coffee) alongside “Nitropical” (our nitro-infused tropical hibiscus iced tea). We’re still partnering with East Pole Coffee Co. for all of our coffee used in espresso, bulk drip, and nitro iced coffee.

How is your project considering sustainability?

Our open area of the Mount Vernon Upper School building is surrounded by intelligent smart View Dynamic Glass. This glass monitors outdoor temperature, seasons, and cloud cover to tint to the most favorable environment for learning and sustainability. All of our hot cups are made from recycled paper through Georgette Packaging. Our straws for cold drinks are 100% compostable corn plastic. Mount Vernon students have reimagined the School’s sustainability efforts during the construction of the new building launching a new campaign around the words Reclaim, Restore, and Recover.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

The opening of our new location coincided with the start of the new school year on August 13.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Mount Vernon has partnered with many innovative companies including View Dynamic Glass in Silicon Valley, the creative and talented makers and carvers from MJO Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, and Flik Independent School Dining. Joshua Charles, Creative Director at Flags of Origin, crafted the interior design of the entire building, furnishing the spaces with pieces from Hay, Bend Goods, Industry West, VS America, and West Elm. There are large-scale murals hand-painted by Chris Sturdivant. This new and unique Upper School building pushes all the limits of what school can look like.

Thank you!

You’re welcome!

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee Co. is located at 510 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

Photos by Rikki Hagerty and Sarah Eaves

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee In Atlanta, GA appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Build-Outs Of Summer: Congregation Coffee Roasters In New Orleans, LA

By Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, Cochon Butcher, Congregation Coffee Roasters, la marzocco linea pb, Louisiana, Mahlkonig EK43, Marco SP9 Twin, new orleans, North America, Nuova Simonelli G1, Places, Staff Picks, USA, Wilbur Curtis G4 Therma Pro

congregation coffee roasters new orleans nola louisiana

With the autumnal equinox but a few short days away, we’re in the 11th hour of the Build-Outs of Summer, so we’re heading to a place that has a bit of a summer feel to it all year round: New Orleans, Louisiana—The Big Easy—home to Congregation Coffee Roasters.

We’ve featured Congregation previously here on Sprudge, profiling their original Pelican Ave location. And now they are back with a brand new cafe. With the new spot, Congregation is looking at the all-day cafe model, starting off in the morning with a pastry-forward menu that transitions into more substantial noshes around lunchtime; think roasted pork and eggplant sandwiches on brioche buns. And I know this is a coffee shop, but how could you not get a sweet tea while you’re there? Truly there are options aplenty, enough to justify a coupla three visits or so to the brand new Congregation Coffee Roasters in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista SeriesnotNeutralKeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Elysha Rose Diaz.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Congregation Coffee Roasters is an artisan coffee company in New Orleans. Its name comes from the collective noun for a group of alligators. The company was founded by a New Orleans native and a transplant from coffee-loving Seattle, who hatched a plan to bring specialty coffee to the New Orleans area and beyond while working together at Cochon Butcher. They launched the company out of a shed behind a shotgun house in April of 2015, later moving to a full-size roastery and retail location on Algiers Point.

congregation coffee roasters new orleans nola louisiana

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The space at 644 Camp St has been a cafe, restaurant, and/or coffee shop since the 1800s, and Congregation is keeping that tradition alive with its second location. The newest outpost of Congregation offers a casual “all-day cafe” model, designed to offer a little something for everyone in the CBD, be it a grab-and-go coffee and pastry in the morning, or a relaxed sweet tea and breakfast sandwich for lunch!

What’s your approach to coffee?

The company focuses heavily on crafting consistent blends as well as a wide range of single origin offerings for restaurant, wholesale, and retail. We believe in making specialty coffee accessible to the public, using thoughtfully designed flavor profiles that bridge traditional and modern trends in coffee. While most of our coffees fall in the spectrum of medium and light roasts, we are sensitive to the history that dark roast and chicory plays in our market, so we do our best nod to traditional palates while at the same time pushing the region’s boundaries.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Since we forecast a high volume cafe, we went with a “tried and true” line up of equipment: La Marzocco Linea PB, Wilbur Curtis G4 Therma Pro and hot water tower, Nuova Simonelli G1 grinders, Mahlkönig EK43 filter grinder, and the Marco SP9 Twin pour-over brewers. The goal is to showcase our coffees without taking the barista’s focus away from the customers.

congregation coffee roasters new orleans nola louisiana

How is your project considering sustainability?

For environmental sustainability we do all the things we can, like using post consumer recycled paper products, recycling our plastic/paper/etc, and being part of the local compost network for our grounds, chaff, and food waste. But we are also looking at another definition of sustainability, one that is rooted in the health and well being of our team. We decided to bring the “service charge included” model to our Camp St cafe so as to remove the power dynamic between service provider and guest. We hope it will help temper the mental exhaustion that being tip reliant can bring, and offer our staff a more stable, predictable income.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened our doors on July 26th.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Co-owner Eliot Guthrie designed and built the 644 Camp St. cafe, but not without all hands on deck! We have some excellent creatives and craftspeople to thank:

Josh Musgrove with Matthews Construction
Silvia T Designs
Jeffrey Joslyn with Carrara Marble and Granite
Backroom Fabrics
And Prescott Trudeau. We thank all of you!

Thank you!

To all the folks who support us; especially through the hot air and high waters of this New Orleanian summer, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The appreciation is real, y’all.
-Team Congregation Coffee Roasters.

Congregation Coffee Roasters is located at 644 Camp St, New Orleans. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Congregation Coffee Roasters In New Orleans, LA appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Build-Outs Of Summer: Passenger Coffee In Lancaster, PA

By Build-Outs Of Summer, Places, Staff Picks

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

We get a fair amount of repeat business here on the Build-Outs of Summer, but never have we been able to report on the same space twice. Until today (kind of). Five years ago, we checked out the brand new roasting facility for Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Passenger Coffee. And today, we’re doing it again.

The new space is a mere half-block from the original—which is still being operated as a training lab—close enough to walk over a few roasters on pallet jacks, and allows Passenger to add a small cafe to what was originally a roasting-only facility. The goal with the new space is abandon the showroom feel of the other retail location and instead offer up a more neighborhood cafe, with a more lean and mean menu instead of showcasing everything on offer. The roastery/cafe is now open, so come along for a ride won’t you to the brand new Passenger Coffee in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista SeriesnotNeutralKeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by David Stallings.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Passenger Coffee was started just over five years ago by David Stallings, Crystal Weaver, and Kyle Sollenberger. Having worked in coffee for over a decade in Boston and New York, David Stallings wanted to move back to his hometown of Lancaster, PA to pursue a project of his own. He teamed up with entrepreneurs and fellow Central Pennsylvania natives Crystal and Kyle to make this happen. While Passenger is and has been primarily a wholesale focused roastery since its inception, three and a half years ago Passenger opened its flagship coffee and tea bar in Downtown Lancaster.

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The new space is just half a block away from our previous roastery. One major difference is the addition of a small and stripped down coffee bar in the front of the facility. The offering menu in this space will be very simple. This is in stark contrast to our flagship coffee bar which has a remarkably expansive list of coffees available by the cup at any given time. Our focus in the new space was creating an excellent neighborhood cafe.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Our mission statement covers this fairly well: To seek out and thoughtfully present the world’s most memorable coffee in a way that demonstrates the viability of an equitable supply chain.

This covers the obvious—sourcing delicious coffees and roasting them in a way that effectively highlights that which we seek in any given coffee, to the less obvious—being on the vanguard when it comes to things such as coffee storage techniques.

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We moved our Loring S-15 and Proaster 5kg roaster over from our previous facility (literally walked them down the street on a pallet jack). The only new equipment of note is our walk-in freezer! We freeze all of our green coffee. Each week we make trips to our off-site freezing facility and bring coffee back to our roastery. Having a large walk-in freezer allows us to keep more frozen green coffee on hand.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We just started roasting in the new space yesterday, August 19th, and plan to open the coffee bar September 2nd.

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Lancaster is a thriving community of makers and creatives. Owner Kyle Sollenberger really lead the way by envisioning what the space could be, including designing the coffee bar. Tono Architects of Lancaster took that vision and brought it to life through a seamless effort from their construction company Proto. Local carpenter Denison Witmer did the woodworking for the coffee bar and cupping lab, bringing Kyle’s vision to life (and absolutely knocking it out of the park in the process of doing so). We are tremendously grateful for the space these people created for us!

Thank you!

Thank you!!

passenger coffee lancaster pennsylvania

Passenger is located at 131 N Plum Street, Lancaster. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

Photos by Damien Weidner.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Passenger Coffee In Lancaster, PA appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Build-Outs Of Summer: Liturgy Beverage Company In Durham, NC

By aeropress, Anchor Coffee Co, Black & White Coffee, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, color coffee roasters, Durham, FETCO CBS-1131, heart, La Marzocco GS3, Liturgy Beverage, mahlkonig peak, North America, North Carolina, Places, ritual chocolate, Spirit Tea, Staff Picks, Strong Arm Baking, sweet bloom, timothy jones, USA, Videri Chocolate

liturgy beverage durham north carolina

You know, there was once a time when I was in your shoes. I was uncaffeinated and down and out with the blues. But then I found a place, a very special place. It taught me that there was no need to feel down and that all I needed was some freshly brewed grounds to do whatever I feel. And the name of that place? Why it’s Liturgy Beverage Company in downtown Durhman YMCA.

Originally a pop-up, Liturgy Beverage is establishing their first (semi-) permanent location at the Y, where they will serve all manner of coffee, tea, chocolate, and mocktails; there are just so many ways to have a good time! Currently featuring coffees from Black & White Coffee, Sweet Bloom, Heart, Anchor Coffee Co, and Color Coffee Roasters, it’s safe to say this multi-roaster keeps their pride on their retail shelves. So, if you’r looking for a coffee fix in Durham, there’s one place you can go—nay, nay should go—and that place is Liturgy Beverage Company.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista SeriesnotNeutralKeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Timothy Jones.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Liturgy Beverage is a specialty beverage company founded in Durham, NC in 2015. We primarily focus on serving specialty coffee, tea, chocolate, and creative non-alcoholic cocktails in diverse settings. Since 2015 we’ve operated a mobile business primarily doing pop-ups, events, and weddings. We are currently expanding into retail space and we are very excited about the future.

liturgy beverage durham north carolina

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

We are partnering with our local YMCA here in Downtown Durham to create a new space for our neighborhood (including the Y’s membership) to get great drinks. While we plan for the future we have a semi-permanent coffee bar set up in the lobby. We’re open six days a weeks and serve a small but carefully curated menu of coffee, tea, juice, and some pastries.

What’s your approach to coffee?

We approach coffee with simplicity and intentionality. We source coffees from a small number of roasting partners both local to NC and across the US. We look for coffees that have pronounced flavors and sweetness. We tend to appreciate roasting styles that highlight the inherent character and sense of “place” that each coffee has. Some of our current partners include Black & White Coffee, Sweet Bloom, Heart, Anchor Coffee Co, and Color Coffee Roasters.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We use a Mahlkönig PEAK and La Marzocco GS3 for espresso and we use a FETCO CBS-1131 and Mahlkönig EK43 for filter coffee, as well as AeroPresses for our rotating coffees.

How is your project considering sustainability?

We try to consider sustainability in a holistic way, starting with composting all of our organic waste, using commercially compostable take-away products and actively recycling. Because we operate entirely self-contained pop-up bars, we also use reusable water containers.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened to the public on August 12.

liturgy beverage durham north carolina

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

We built out are space ourselves, but we are grateful to work with many great vending partners. We are proud to serve products from Spirit Tea, Videri Chocolate, Ritual Chocolate, and Strong Arm Baking.

Thank you!

No, thank you!

Liturgy Beverage Company is located at 819 Midway Ave, Durham. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Liturgy Beverage Company In Durham, NC appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Decaf Your Coffee Post-Brew With Decafino

By decaf, decafino, kickstarter, Wire

Decaf coffee is having a bit of a moment right now. No longer just an also-ran on many coffee roasters’ line-up sheets, decaf is taking front and center for many coffee companies, some even going so far as to only trade in the decaffeinated realm. And despite the rantings of handful of haters, most of whom don’t ever drink the stuff, decaf coffee is good now (if you feel yourself “well actually”-ing this, you are one of those haters. You should work on yourself). But for those disbelievers, a new product may permanently alter their perceptions on what decaf coffee can be. Called Decafino, these new pouches can remove caffeine post-brew, and the results are pretty damn tasty.

Now on Kickstarter, Decafino is the product of three years of research. The result is a teabag-like pouch you dunk in your coffee post-brew, and after three to four minutes, your coffee is caffeine free. The pouch works through a “physical process called adsorption,” whereby the caffeine molecules bind to the little grey flecks contained within, which according to the Kickstarter, “contains only natural minerals, food-grade ingredients, and biodegradable materials,” making it fully compostable.

The big question is: how does it taste? Having been given a few Decafino pouches to sample ahead of the Kickstarter, I can say that the results were shockingly good. To test Decafino’s mettle, I split a Kalita Wave pour-over between two mugs, decaffing one and using the other as a flavor constant. The decaffed cup was strikingly similar to that of its caffeinated counterpart. Now that’s a decaffing customers can get behind!

According to the Kickstarter, Decafino works just as well on teas, sodas, and espresso drinks that include milk and sugar.

Only two days into the campaign, as of press time Decafino has raised $1,700 of its $25,000 goal with a little less than a month remaining. Interested parties can still take advantage of the Early Bird Special and get 20 pouches for $25, should the Kickstarter make.

There’s a lot of great decaf coffee out there these days. But even still, there’s a strain of decaf hate that remains surprisingly resilient. Decafino may be the answer to that. It may just be the last nail in the coffin all those Death-Before-Decaffers keep clamoring for.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Decafino

The post Decaf Your Coffee Post-Brew With Decafino appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

The Gall! New Study Links Coffee And Decreased Gallstone Risk

By gallstones, Journal of Internal Medicine, Newsweek, Science, Wire

Gallstones sound hawrible. They’re stones… in your gallbladder. But the good news today is that roughly six cups of coffee a day may help decrease your risk.

As reported by Newsweek, a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine took a look at over 114,000 participants in Denmark, where they “collected information such as lifestyle choices, carried out physical examinations, and collected blood from which their DNA was extracted.” After assigning an allele score that “looked at whether a genetic variant linked to metabolizing coffee was associated with drinking more coffee,” the researchers assessed the association between coffee consumption and instances of gallstones. They found that drinking one cup per day was linked to a three percent decrease in the instances of gallstones and that drinking six cups or more was associated with a much more significant 23 perfect decrease in the risk.

In both observational and genetic analyses, high coffee intake was associated with low risk of symptomatic GSD [symptomatic gallstone disease] in the general population. These results suggest that high coffee intake is likely to causally protect against symptomatic GSD.

The study was purely observational, so no causal link between coffee consumption and decreased gallstone risk has been established, but the study’s authors suggest a number of explanations, including the possibility that the body uses bile—which can build up with gallstones—to excrete all the caffeine consumed with coffee.

But whatever the reason, keep drinking that coffee because it’ll keep the gallstones away. The gall!

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

The post The Gall! New Study Links Coffee And Decreased Gallstone Risk appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti!

By Amsterdam, Cafes, Choux, Clavelin, De Marsen, De School, Featured, Friedhats, FUKU, Goede Vissers, la marzocco linea pb, moccamaster, netherlands, Noordermarkt, Oud-West, Pauline Jacob, Roast Masters, Scandinavian Embassy, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, UK & Europe, White Label Coffee, Winestories, Zuiver Wijnen

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

If Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is too much of a mouthful, consider calling this new Amsterdam venue what the three owners sometimes do: De Schuur. That’s shorthand for Schuurman, which is one of the founders’ surnames—though it also means “the shed” in Dutch. Its usage is telling—natives of the Netherlands tend to err on the side of humble.

Located on a bright corner in the neighborhood of Oud-West, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti serves coffee, wine, and, as its website summarizes, “creative plates to share.” It is hardly a shed. Standards-wise and aspirations-wise, it is more like a cathedral. Not that the buttresses fly, not that the glass is stained, but the values are lofty, the service is elevated, and the flavors are sublime. If the coffee—all of which comes from specialty roaster and brother business White Label Coffee—is the altar around which the enterprise was built, then the wines, all-natural, are its flickering votive candles. In this case, patrons sip their succor.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

As to how Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti emerged, it was, to paraphrase the Bible and Bob Marley, a stone that Barry Schuurman rejected that became the cornerstone. Schuurman had worked at White Label for over three years, handling cafe operations, wholesale deliveries, and training. He was the first full-time employee and proved so endearing to his bosses, Elmer Oomkens and Francesco Grassotti, that when they considered expanding, they offered him a raise or a stake in the company.

Meanwhile, it had always been “a bit of a dream to have my own place,” Schuurman says. “But at White Label, the job was just amazing—it was really nice, always—so the dream kind of went, let’s just say, on a little back road again.” Yet when “we kinda just started talking about how things were going really well and we just wanted to do a bit more,” he explains, it was time to take what “seemed the most logical step.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Grassotti, Oomkens, Schuurman

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti opened in January. In this venture, the three partners are equal. Schuurman plays down his position in their co-authored byline, but the ordering “was quite natural,” says Oomkens, adding: “Barry is like the main man here.” Schuurman, who left White Label altogether, works six days a week at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, managing daily operations and, like Oomkens and Grassotti, taking shifts behind the bar.

White Label is to Dutch specialty coffee what Nirvana is to early 90s Seattle rock: not necessarily the scene’s pioneers, but the group with the most impact, quickly winning over purists and piggybackers alike. When Sprudge interviewed Oomkens and Grassotti in 2015, their Amsterdam micro-roastery was a bit over a year old though very much in bloom. Both were relatively new to specialty coffee, and branding themselves as brandless—a white label—was part memo, part mantra to maintain “a clean, open-minded state,” Grassotti had said. Oomkens chimed in, elaborating: “Francesco came up with that. It’s just the unwritten-piece-of-paper idea, something that’s open, not bothered with prejudgments.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

A half-decade later, White Label’s wholesale, nationwide and international, is a big enough undertaking to have spilled out of the back of their cafe and into a rented ex-classroom at Amsterdam’s nightclub-cum-cultural complex De School. In March, White Label participated in the first-ever Roast Masters; even though Oomkens and Grassotti “don’t really believe in the competition,” as the former says, and disapprove of its requisite espresso blending, they did not hold back their three eager staff roasters from competing—and they won.

Despite or perhaps because of all the successes so far, setting up a shop this time around, with Schuurman, they had a clear vision. “It was obvious that we just [didn’t] want another coffee place,” states Oomkens. They definitely wanted natural wines and warmed to the incorporation of a kitchen.

This past spring, the wine list at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti had no fewer than a couple dozen entries. Categorized as sparkling, white, orange, and red wines, along with a few under beer and cider, all are sold by the bottle and half come by the glass as well. Oomkens credits Figo van Onno, owner and sommelier of Amsterdam restaurant Choux for originally turning him and his colleagues onto natural wines. Nowadays Van Onno, under the name Zuiver Wijnen, is one of three importers that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti’s own in-house wine coordinator, Eefje Slabbekoorn, relies on; Clavelin and Winestories are the others.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

For drinkers seeking more lift than lull, however, there’s no shortage of coffee. Espresso shots are pulled on a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB. All the filter coffee—of which there is an extensive menu, columnized as “nutty and chocolaty” or “bright and fruity”—is prepared with a Moccamaster. The classic Dutch brewer’s Jubileum ‘68 models complement the surroundings’ light-touch mid-century modern design, but Oomkens notes that the choice to use the machines there and at White Label was foremost flavor-driven.

Breakfast, bar snacks, and lunch are available daily; dinner is currently served all nights but Monday. The menu changes according to seasonal availability.

“We’re trying to approach it the same way we approach the wines and the coffee,” says Schuurman. “Being food, the ability or the chances to source it locally are a lot bigger than with coffee.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Meats come from De Marsen, a nature reserve north of Amsterdam, and fish from the Goede Vissers stall at the city’s Saturday Noordermarkt. French chef Pauline Jacob currently leads the kitchen with precision and panache. On a recent visit, her team demonstrated how alluring and affordable vegetarian meals can be. Just 25.50 Euros covered three delicious dishes: a medley of mushrooms and potatoes garnished with seaweed and wild garlic butter; a warm bean salad with radishes and vermouth-vinaigretted baby gem lettuce; and for dessert, a buckwheat pudding in a lemon-verbena syrup, all topped with a dollop of dill hangop, candied buckwheat, and rhubarb.

It should be noted that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is not the only good food and wine spot to have arisen from or in adjacency to specialty coffee. Scandinavian Embassy was an early host of coffee dinner parties, and spawned cafe/wine bar/restaurant 4850. Fellow Amsterdam micro-roasters Friedhats’ new flagship, FUKU, is among several specialty cafes licensed to sell alcohol and choosing to go au naturel. The Dutch capital is waking up to natural wine.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Still, an attribute that sets Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti apart is its accessibility. The staff has a uniquely personable mix of humility and knowledge-sharing generosity. This trait was also observable by Schuurman on first making acquaintance with his employers, back when he was a customer hanging out after work and on weekends at his local coffee bar, White Label.

“That’s what always appealed to me so much about White Label, that it’s not snobby. A lot of times in specialty coffee now as well for me, it tends to become really snobby, like you have to be someone to be able to enjoy this,” he says.

Schuurman maintains the same outlook today, from the other side of the counter.

“What really drives me is the service towards people,” he emphasizes. “No matter what background you have, no matter how much you know about coffee or how little you know about coffee—the same goes for wine—in my eyes, everyone should be able to come here and enjoy it and get something that they like.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands
Call it Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, call it De Schuur (there is, in fact, a small wooden shed in the backyard used for storage). Whatever you call it, know that coffee, wine, and food are united here in a way that is bold and surprising yet totally welcoming. For Amsterdam, this is a holy revelation in the coffee-wine-food revolution.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is located at Overtoom 558, Amsterdam. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Karina Hof is a Sprudge staff writer based in Amsterdam. Read more Karina Hof on Sprudge

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Source: Coffee News

DRIP Zine Returns With A Big Release This Freaky Friday

By amethyst coffee, Awakening Boutique, Claudi Campero, coffee people zine, colorado, denver, DRIP Zine, events, Kat Melheim, Modern Nomad, The, Wire

The Drip is turning into a flood. After a sold out first issue, DRIP Zine, “a smutty, sexy, elicit, explicit art publication put together by the coffee community,” is ready to release its sophomore effort. And they are celebrating with a party in Denver this “Freaky Friday,” September 13th.

Working in a service industry, coffee professionals are over-sexualized by customers on a daily basis, where small, tip-based interactions are misconstrued into something much larger and more romantic in nature. DRIP is the sex-positive coffee zine that works to let coffee professionals reclaim their sexuality and define it in their own terms. Created by founder and editor of the Coffee People Zine Kat Melheim and Amethyst Coffee‘s Claudia Campero, the second issue of DRIP will feature “photography, illustration, poetry, short stories, and more created by baristas, roasters, cafe managers, shop owners, and other folx who caffeinate you daily.”

To launch Issue 02, DRIP is hosting a release party at Awakening Boutique—“Denver’s premier sex-positive boutique and community resource”—inside the Modern Nomad on Friday, September 13th. Happening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, the release party is billed as a night of “drinks, music, prizes, sexuality, [and] self expression.” Tickets for the event are $20—available via Eventbrite—and include a copy of Issue 02 as well as a raffle ticket for some of the sexy prizes DRIP has to offer. Part of the proceeds from zine and raffle ticket sales will be donated to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

For those unable to attend, DRIP Issue 02 can be purchased via the Coffee People Zine website for $15 and are currently available for pre-order. For more information, check out the Coffee People Zine’s official website or the DRIP Zine release party Eventbrite page.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via DRIP Zine

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Source: Coffee News

Build-Outs Of Summer: LeverCraft In Austin, TX

By austin, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, Decent Espresso Machine, eric mann, levercraft coffee, North America, Open House Austin, Staff Picks, Texas, USA

levercraft coffee austin texas

It doesn’t matter how hot it gets in Austin, Texas, the coffee scene is always hotter. And it’s been no different this summer; we’ve had multiple entries into the Build-Outs of Summer from the Texas capital this year and we’re not done yet. Today’s entry comes from LeverCraft, a converted 1955 Spartan Imperial Mansion travel trailer that looks like anything but. Bringing vintage Italian espresso machines into a modern setting, LeverCraft is the latest destination to join the ever-expanding far east Austin coffee shop list. So let’s pay them a visit, shall we, and check out the coolest converted permanent travel trailer coffee shop you’ll ever see.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista SeriesnotNeutralKeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Eric Mann.

levercraft coffee austin texas

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

I started this company two years ago restoring vintage espresso machines that I was buying from Italy and converting for resale here in The States. I wanted to control the whole process of espresso, so we also started roasting our own coffee commercially (I have been roasting for myself for four years), and we now wholesale high quality coffees that we source from all over the world. Our company’s focus is on education, quality, and community. We want to spread our passion for coffee to everyone and share the knowledge we have learned over the years.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

This is the fun part of the business for me. We get to be as creative as we would like in the space, which was built from a 1955 Spartan Imperial Mansion travel trailer. It is 43 feet long and was built to feel like a brick and mortar coffee shop when you step inside, not a trailer. I tore the entire shop down to the frame and rebuilt it into what you see today. It was an intense project, but it was very rewarding. I love working with my hands and really enjoyed the process. I also know exactly where everything is so if there is ever an issue, I know how to fix it.

I love serving others so having a shop was a must for me. It allows me to meet incredible people from the community and share something that is very personal for me. We made the counter tops very low to stimulate interaction between the people behind the bar and our customers, and the rest of the space is very welcoming. We also added a mini bar in the back that will allow us to have date nights where people can come and share coffee and dessert with a barista. It will allow us to do a bit of education about coffee in a more intimate setting.

Inside the trailer, we have vintage espresso equipment to look at as well as many different methods to brew coffee. We want people to come in and expect to experience something they have never experienced before. I think it really shows with our two signature drinks, the Freddo, and Espresso Lemonade.

levercraft coffee austin texas

levercraft coffee austin texas

What’s your approach to coffee?

Coffee is incredibly complex, and it is our goal to simplify it to the point that everyone can enjoy it. Our espresso drinks will be consistent, and our specialty drinks will be unique. With that being said, we are bringing in some incredibly rare and delicious coffees to the table that people are really going to enjoy. It is our goal to show the world just how unique coffee is and that the possibilities within coffee brewing and tasting are limitless.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We are using vintage lever machines to brew coffee during the week, and have many other unique methods to make coffee as well.

On bar, we are using a new machine called the Decent Espresso Machine. It is one of a kind and allows you to adjust every single variable that might affect espresso one way or another.

For one of our specialties, we have a vintage milkshake mixer that really opens up the possibilities with milk-based drinks.

We also created a new way to make very strong coffee, similar to ibrik coffee, but with lab equipment.

levercraft coffee austin texas

How is your project considering sustainability?

We just launched our packaging for our whole bean coffee. They are glass medicine bottles that are reusable, washable, and will protect the coffee from harmful UV rays.

We are also doing our part by using paper straws and trying to minimize the amount of to-go paper and plastic cups. We offer discounts for those who bring in their own mugs and cups, but we are working on a stronger solution at the moment.

levercraft coffee austin texas

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened in July of 2019!

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

I have had a lot of help from Open House Austin, which is a female owned realty team that has graciously allowed us to use their space. Many of my friends came and helped piece the project together as I built the trailer, too many to mention here.

Thank you!

Thank you for considering us!

levercraft coffee austin texas

LeverCraft is located at 3307 Oak Springs Dr, Austin. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

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Source: Coffee News

Coffee: It’s Not Just For Mouths Anymore Thanks To Ochis Coffee Sunglasses

By coffee grounds, FORBES, Maksym Havrylenko, Ochis Coffee, sunglasses, Wire

 

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I’m tired of mashing coffee grounds onto my face only to have them fall right off. These grounds need to have some sort of hook-like system so you can affix them behind your ears. And maybe sections where your eyes go that come in varying degrees of opacity so you can see where you are going. I’d call them Coffee For Your Mug.

Well, turns out one Ukrainian company has already beat me to the punch. They’re called Ochis Coffee, and they use spent ground to make “coffee glasses” (coffee isn’t usually served in glassware, but whatever), and much to the chagrin of my very well thought out business plan, they’re actually pretty stylish.

As reported by Forbes, most glasses frames are still made of petroleum-based plastic, which as you may have guessed from the words “petroleum” and “plastic”, production of which aren’t all that great for the earth. Like so many companies across innumerable industries have done, Ochis looked to used coffee grounds as a sustainable alternative. By mixing the grounds with flax and a vegetable oil-based biopolymer, Ochis are able to create a durable material that, when you’re done with them, will “biodegrade 100 times faster than standard plastic glasses.”

The result is a frame that “has a pleasant to the touch matte texture” and “softly [smells] like freshly roasted coffee,” per their successful 2018 Kickstarter. Ochis are water-resistant with an expected lifespan over five years, and when you are done with them, you can leave them in water and/or soil and they will become fertilizer.

The driving force behind Ochis, founder and CEO Maksym Havrylenko, “grew up in a family of opticians” and has 15 years experience in the eyewear industry. His goal was to “create something new and natural,” Havrylenko tells Forbes. “We started our search for a perfect material that can be recycled. Coffee was that perfect one because it is a very popular drink. People consume 2.5 million cups of coffee per day all over the world.”

Currently, Ochis Coffee has a “small series production” but Havrylenko expects production to expand significantly in the coming years: to 10,000 pairs by 2020 and 100,000 in 2021. The original line is currently available for $89 (with free international shipping) via Ochis’s website, and their new Lite Edition—with a brand new color option that looks like a reimagined tortoise shell—is available for pre-order for $139 through September 16th.

For more information or to order a pair of your own, visit Ochis Coffee official website. And be on the lookout for my Coffee For Your Mug Kickstarter once I figure out how to get coffee on your face without directly infringing on Ochis intellectual property.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Ochis Coffee

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Source: Coffee News