Best Coffee in Honolulu – The Curb Kaimuki

Back for a 12th year, Caffè Culture is bringing one of the UK’s biggest coffee trade shows back to London, but with a completely new look. With Living Media Events taking the helm, the reinvented show is putting a focus on the specialty cafe and is bringing some of the biggest names in the industry along for the ride. And for the first time, Sprudge is proud to be an official media partner of Caffè Culture, so keep an eye out for our coverage of the event later this year.

Happening October 16th and 17th at London’s Business Design Centre, some 4,000+ visitors are expected to attend this year’s show showcasing “products ranging from tea, artisan food, bakery and chocolate right through to equipment, technology and packaging,” per the Caffè Culture press release. Exhibitors this year include: Union Hand Roasted, Assembly Coffee, Roastworks, Colonna Coffee, and Climpson and Sons.

But it’s not just booths, thanks to a Steering Committee comprised of Creative Director Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood (Colonna Coffee), Steve Penk (La Spaziale), John Richardson (Industry Consultant), Marco Arrigo (Illy), and Nick Mabey (Assembly), this year’s event will be information driven. In four separate theaters around the event space, Caffè Culture will feature panels and debates programmed by Colonna-Dashwood and Mabey. With over 30 talks already scheduled, attendees can expect topics to include discussions on starting and growing a coffee business, sustainability, quality control, and hospitality. Caffè Culture will also feature the finals of the SCA UK Latte Art Competition as well as a sensory experience led by current World Barista Champion Dale Harris.

There’s no cost to attend Caffè Culture, but an RSVP is required, which can be done here. For a full list of who and what will be at this year’s event, visit the Caffè Culture official website.

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

Top image via Caffeè Culture

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Source: Coffee News

We’re back in Charlotte for another exciting Build-Out of Summer, this time coming from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Heading 350+ miles west towards their new home, Cafe Moka is the newest addition to an already exciting Charlotte coffee scene. The vibe is approachable but make no mistake about it, they are not skimping on the coffee quality. As a multi-roaster, Cafe Moka has upwards of five different roasters on offer at a given time, showcasing some of the best in the region (and from the other coast as well). So let’s get cozy and check out the new Cafe Moka in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As told to Sprudge by Roark Basham.

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

We are a multi-roaster, espresso, and  brewed coffee bar. Owned by three brothers. Roark Basham, along with Rowman and Rhett Basham. We started in 2010 in Virginia Beach, VA. We still have a shop there, on the campus of Regent University. Rowman moved moved to Charlotte in 2016, and we felt like Charlotte would be a fantastic spot for Cafe Moka. So I (Roark) moved there this spring to open and operate the shop.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Vintage Americana, worn in, repurposed materials, hand made. I myself (Roark Basham) designed the entire space from the layout, to the interior finishes. I made most of the signs and some of the furniture. I designed the various logos seen throughout the space.

What’s your approach to coffee?

We offer a menu that has something for every level of coffee palate. For the purist, we hand-brew each cup, with offerings from four different roasters daily. Fruity espresso for straight consumption or small espresso beverages. We offer a heartier espresso with more milk, and tons of flavor options. We feature matcha drinks (Swallowtail Tea), chai (Prana) and golden Turmeric, hot or iced tea, smoothies, hot cocoas, blended coffee, and coffee-free drinks. Each season we have a seasonal menu. Our most popular off our summer menu is our signature Blackberry Coffee Lemonade. We sell it, as well as our Summer Crush Teas, and our Ice Brew Coffee by the cup or growler.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We use an old La Marzocco FB-70, custom painted orange. We use Baratza Forte BG grinders, Curtis hot water tower, Acaia Pearl scales and mainly v60’s to hand-brew each cup. Right now we use Hex Coffee (Charlotte, NC), Red Rooster Coffee (Floyd, VA), Barista Parlor (Nashville, TN), and Cirque (Tulsa, OK) on brewed coffee and Dillanos (Sumner, WA) and Red Rooster (Floyd, VA) on espresso.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened on July 03, 2018

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

We use a local baker here in Charlotte. The company is called Whisk & Wood.

Thank you!

Thanks so much!

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

Recently, we reported on how even the smell of coffee has the ability to increase one’s mathematic acuity. Ultimately, researcher’s concluded that it was most likely a placebo effect leading to the increased scores, but still, coffee cause that placebo effect, so coffee makes you better at math. Simple as that. But there’s a new coffee on the market that claims it will actually make you smarter. Created by an actual doctor, Neuro Coffee claims that just one cup will “boost proteins in your brain that are linked to mental acuity, learning, and general wellbeing.”

According to The Manual, it isn’t the coffee in Neuro Coffee that is said to boost brainpower but a “patented antioxidant complex” called NeuroFactor added to it. And from whence is that patented antioxidant complex derived, you ask? Why, from cascara! The company claims that cascara consumption increases a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), and is called “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” Neuro Coffee’s website states that BDNF helps support neuron growth and repair, learning, mood and wellbeing, and metabolic health.

Sounds great, right? But does it sound $45 for a 12-ounce bag of pre-ground coffee great? Because that’s how much it would cost to buy a bag, though if you sign up for a subscription it’ll only be $30 a bag. But according to the website’s math (represented in the infographic below), Neuro Coffee is actually a steal. Based on their calculations, you can save 79%. All you have to do is assume you’ll pay “$30 – $40” instead of the $45 sticker price, compare making coffee at home (which is always cheaper) to “coffee shop coffee,” and believe that making coffee at home costs $0.00.

Maybe you’re curious, maybe you’re dubious, but if your interest is piqued, now’s the time to try it yourself. According to The Manual, Neuro Coffee “offers a six-month 100 percent money back guarantee,” and will even buy you four bags of your old coffee should you choose to go back. Assuming Neuro does not change my life forever and I’m able to take advantage of the offer, my four bags will be the most expensive Gesha I can possibly find, preferably ordered from Finland or Greece or somewhere with especially high shipping rates, because who’s smart now?

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

The post This Coffee Says It Will Make You S-M-R-T appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Of all the globe-spanning coffee brands out there, you are unlikely to come across one as unique as Four Letter Word. Started by a trio that met in Chicago, the coffee company began life as a roastery on an island off the coast of Turkey, where one of the owners was from. A few years later, they decided to open a roastery back in the States, and the Second City was just the right fit.

Now, in 2018, Four Letter Word is ready to open their first retail location in Chicago. The space itself is small, only 500 square feet, but is massive compared to their roughly 150-square-foot Turkish location (featured here in the Build-Outs of Summer four years ago). Tiny though it may be, the new 4LW is one of the most beautiful cafes we’ve seen this year on the Build-Outs of Summer. So let’s pop in and say Merhaba! to the brand new retail location of Four Letter Word in Chicago, Illinois.

As told to Sprudge by Ria Neri.

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

Four Letter Word started in 2014 in Burgaz Island off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, founded by Ria Neri, Kevin Heisner, and Eylem Ozkaya. We met in Chicago and have been friends for 22+ years.

The three of us had always wanted to start an adventure in coffee together so when Eylem moved back to Burgaz, where she is from, the appeal of roasting coffee on an island began to take shape and form. (I mean, who doesn’t want to hang out and work on an island?!)

Fast forward to 2016, we decided to spread the love and open a roasting space in Chicago, in a building called The Plant, a really smart space that houses a collaborative community of food businesses focusing on material reuse and closed loop systems.

Fast forward to 2018, the time felt right and ripe for a retail shop, finally! Yay!

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

It’s small but cozy, around 500 square feet. We were able to squeeze in seating for approximately 20 people, plus three standing tables, ideal for a quick shot of espresso.

It’s definitely a space with a very personal touch; Eylem, Kevin, and I have items that came from our own homes: books, objects, art, and furniture.

One of the best parts about our space: we are right across the street from our friends!! Cellar Door Provisions—an amazing daytime cafe and night time bistro—will be providing us with pastries and Diversey Wine—a natural wine shop (who knows, maybe our shop can host a BYONW* from across the street someday?) We are not opposed.

*Bring Your Own Natural Wine

What’s your approach to coffee?

We ask the questions: Where did the coffee originate, what’s the variety, what was the process? Most importantly, what did the producer intend for this coffee to be? We respect the role of the producer. Our job as roasters is to not alter the inherent qualities of the coffee, but to translate them to the best of our ability.

What’s your target opening day?

Hopefully soon! Targeting the end of August.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Yes!! We are so excited to finally serve our stash of 2015 Gesha Village 1931. We travelled to Gesha Village in 2015 and got to cup this first harvest! Bought it, froze it (ala George Howell) and three years later, voila!

Also we have a juicy SL-28 Lactic from La Palma Y El Tucan from Colombia and several new lots of Long Miles Coffee from Burundi. Yum.

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

Kevin Heisner, our partner designed the space as well as provided the art for our walls.
And I would like to mention to please follow him on instagram at @shlumpr 🙂

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 Jude Goergen.

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Source: Coffee News

The Build-Outs of Summer are heading north of to the border to one of the most exciting food cities in North America. We are of course speaking of Montreal, home of the brand new headquarters for Café Saint-Henri Micro-Torréfacteur. With five locations already established, Saint-Henri is a known commodity in Montreal, and with their new mega roastery/cafe/office space/lab/warehouse they are looking to cement their place on the coffee map.

And this a space this newest edition, Saint-Henri will certainly be hard to forget. The HQ includes, but is not limited to: a vertical greenhouse (with accompanying purple lights), a boardroom that looks like something from a Wes Anderson movie, and one of only 13 Kees van der Westen La Stomboli‘s ever made. So grab one of the 60+ seats and check out the all new headquarters for Saint-Henri Micro-Torréfacteur in Montreal, Quebec.

As told to Sprudge by JF.

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

Café Saint-Henri Micro-Torréfacteur started roasting in 2011, offering for the first time to Montrealers coffees that were sourced directly at the farm, as well as coffee from specialty importers and cooperatives. We’ve been training the general public since our first year, offering different classes such as “seed-to-cup” and “espresso at home.” Our company is present on the retail front, with six cafes, which also help us understanding first-hands the needs of our wholesales partners. We have two roasting facilities: one in Montreal and one in Quebec City. Through our website, we also ship directly to consumers in Canada and the U.S.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Situated strategically at the crossing of four upcoming neighborhoods (Mile-End, Mile-Ex, Villeray and Rosemont), the new installations serve as the company’s new headquarters.

In addition to a large 60+ seating cafe equipped with the latest coffee technology and some vertical greenhouses (which feeds our kitchen/menu), a coffee laboratory and a room dedicated to coffee classes is consolidating Saint-Henri Micro-Torrefacteur’s role as both a pioneer and a leader amongst the North American coffee roasters which are focusing on specialty coffee.

The new roasting facility, the office spaces (finally!), our lab, and a large warehouse all under one roof (8500 sq. ft.) will help increase quality control and production, which we hope will lead to open new commercial accounts across Canada and the U.S. northeast coast.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Since our opening in 2011, we’ve kept the same well-balanced recipe for our green purchasing: the majority of our coffees are selected directly at the farm, while the rest of our offerings are split between some private imports and some cooperative-based coffees.

Trying to take care of both ends of the coffee chain, Saint-Henri is offering social/health benefits to its employees, as well as a relaxed working environment.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Yes!
A Mavam three-group (dipped in zinc—a first at MAVAM—to match our cafe 🙂
A Weber EG-1 grinder for pour-overs and some lab usage
Classic Mahlkönig EK-43 and Curtis batch brewers
In our lab, a piece of history: a Kees van der Westen La Stomboli, one of 13 that were made in 1993! This was KVDW’s first attempt to a “series” of machines. We’ve tweaked it a tiny bit to make sure it wouldn’t show its age too much and be useful in our lab.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

Opened since July 12th, 2018!

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

Yes, we worked with designer team Gauley Brothers to build this up!

Thank you!

Merci à vous 🙂

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

For many, video games are a way to relax at the end of a stressful day. Some are able to shut out the outside world and immerse themselves in an RPG adventure or an FPS kill streak. Not me. Gaming is stressful, thanks in no small part to my own controller-based ineptness (which one is the shoot button again? Am I crouching?) Sure, maybe you can relax by saving Pittsburgh from aliens or talking to spirits roaming inside a cafe, but that ain’t me. I need something much more… chill. And I think I’ve found it. Coffee Talk is a narrative game that “focuses on quiet conversations and good company.” Chill.

As reported by Kotaku, Coffee Talk is from Indonesian-based indie game developer Toge Productions, and it’s gameplay breaks down primarily into two categories: talking and making drinks. Very Chill.



Coffee Talk takes place in “Alternative Seattle” and according to the article, the clientele includes orcs, elves, and humans, ranging from “intrepid journalists to star-crossed fantasy-race lovers.” A 13-minutes gameplay video shows the mostly-dialogue-based interactions with Freya, the intrepid journalist of note who is trying to convince her boss to let her write long-form fiction. Her favorite drink is a triple espresso, which you have to make by filling each of the drink slots with coffee before pressing “brew.” But if you mess it up, don’t worry, you can just dump it and try again. Suuuper chill.

Currently in demo, Coffee Talk is available for Window and macOS via Toge’s official website, where you can name the price you want to pay. It’s the perfect sort of low stakes affair that I can really unwind to. But I’m not a full-time barista, so maybe beating the shit out of aliens is a better stress reliever having to come home and make more chit chat.

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

The post Very Chill Coffee Talk Is The ASMR Of Coffee Video Games appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

How often do you proudly display your empty coffee bags upon your fridge? If the answer is not often enough, you’re probably not buying coffee from Ann Arbor’s Stovetop Roasters. Each offering has its own whimsical drawing from illustrator Jared DeMeester (sea creatures, land mammals, third-place athletes, etc.) We think all coffee bags should be beautiful enough for the refrigerator, but until then folks like Stovetop Roasters are leading the way.

Tell us a bit about your company.

We are Stovetop Roasters, of Ann Arbor, MI. A bit about us and our beliefs: we care about the people who grow, serve, and drink our coffee. At Stovetop we believe great coffee builds quality relationships, and quality relationships inspire great coffee. We’re serious about design, sourcing, roasting, and brewing, but what excites us most is coffee’s great knack for bringing people together. It’s a conversational beverage, and we think that’s significant.

When did the coffee package design debut?

Our current design debuted in February of 2017. We print on a paper sleeve that hugs our stout bags, which allows each coffee to have its own personality.

Who designed the package?

Our design is all executed in-house by Jared DeMeester. Jared is an illustrator/designer, focused on art with story-worthy soul. In 2015, Jared started a website called I Tried My Best, featuring hand drawings that occasionally lack skill but make up for it with charm. This concept laid the groundwork for Stovetop’s quirky aesthetic.

Kurt Vonnegut once said, “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.” As a team, we hope our design choices align with Vonnegut’s statement. Keep making, brewing, drawing, singing, dancing, or whatever it is that gives you life.

What coffee information do you share on the package?

Our packaging shares standard yet important info about origin, processing, elevation, and varietals, along with:

A sourcing note, which provides some short facts about the coffee’s origin, farmers/staff, sustainability practices, etc. It’s our opportunity and privilege to share something that gives the coffee’s producers a heartbeat.

An “ideal drinking location” and “drinking music,” gives us an opportunity to communicate our appreciation of sound and space. Most of our fondest coffee drinking memories reflect both coffee and the sensory details: where we are, who’s with us, what we’re hearing.

Our blends include an “imaginative tasting note,” a short blurb we derive from what we experience internally as we sip the coffee. For example, our summer blend talks about riding around on the back of a butterfly sipping nectar from flowers with straws. Emphasis on the “imaginative.”

The inside of our sleeve features small illustrations and recommendations for several different brewing methods/ratios.

Our last piece of information is “a note from the artist.” Each Stovetop coffee has its respective character, and the artist’s note helps us give the character voice and feeling.

What’s the motivation behind that?

Our motivation is always to give our product a sense of delight, honesty, and soul. Though we can’t sit at the table each morning with our beloved Stovetop customers, we can send them home with a bag that speaks to our favorite things: clean lines, dogs in clothing, coffee farmer shoutouts, smile-inducing haiku poems. We believe brand has the capability of bridging the gap between craft and non-craft drinkers.

What are some of the improvements made in the packaging?

The resealable zipper keeps coffee fresh and easily accessible for half-open morning eyes. We also love having the ability to design and print on all four sides of the sleeve. This gives us plenty of real estate for communicating who we are and what we do.

Why are aesthetics in coffee packaging so important?

It’s an invitation to the party! Our team at Stovetop has always aimed to grow the pie of specialty coffee rather than stealing someone else’s slice, so we constantly evaluate how we are branding these bags of beans. Jared says that if a coffee professional and his 88-year-old Grandma Alice can both pick up the back and feel delighted and engaged, his job is fulfilled.

Where is the bag manufactured?

Pacific Bag, located in Seattle, WA.

For package nerds, what type of package is it?

It is a 12 oz, side gusseted, aluminum foil bag.

Is the package recyclable/compostable?

Our paper sleeve is recyclable, though we notice many folks making use of it as refrigerator art. As we grow, we are exploring compostable options.

Where is it currently available?

You can find our coffee in shops across the Midwest. However, if you do not reside here, our website keeps tabs on all of our goodies. Stop in at our new cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a hug. Thank you!

Thank you!

Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge.

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Source: Coffee News

As it stands right now in California, all sales of roasted coffee are meant to come with a carcinogen warning because it contains acrylamide, a chemical that is a natural byproduct of the roasting process. For shops, this means posting some sort of signage stating coffee to contain carcinogens, and for roasters it means putting a cancer warning on their retail bags. This is due to a court ruling back in March where a judge ultimately decided that the coffee industry didn’t do enough to prove that the trace amounts of naturally occurring acrylamide aren’t toxic. It’s like innocent until proven guilty, but y’know, the exact opposite. As you might expect, this didn’t sit well with coffee companies in the Golden State, nor did it jibe with current research on the presence of the carcinogen in coffee.

But now, according to the New York Times, the State of California is intervening on the behalf of coffee (and general sanity). In a public hearing taking place today, August 16th in Sacramento, a government agency is proposing a new rule declaring that “not only does coffee pose no significant risk of cancer, it may actually have health benefits.”

The reason for the new rule is two-fold. One, there is a preponderance of evidence showing coffee to actually be healthful, which the Times politely refers to as “more comprehensive scientific research.” And two, the State is worried that a growing number of cancer warnings—some like the less-than-rock-solid ones aimed at coffee—will desensitize consumers to actual, serious health risks.

“There’s a danger to overwarning — it’s important to warn about real health risks,” said Sam Delson, the deputy director for external and legislative affairs of California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. This is the same office put out a statement recently stating that the carcinogens “inherent in the processes of roasting coffee beans and brewing coffee pose no significant risk of cancer.”

For now, the public hearing is the first step. As the article notes, California coffee companies are in a holding pattern to see how everything shakes out, but the new proposal is expected to be approved by the end of November, when finally and but for a brief moment, sanity will win out.

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

The post Maybe Coffee Won’t Have To Have A Cancer Warning After All appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

We love having repeat visiting to ye ole Build-Outs of Summer and that’s what we have going on today. Kind of. Spokane, Washington’s First Avenue Coffee is a sister company to Roast House, whose coffee kiosk inside My Fresh Basket we profiled a year ago almost exactly to the day. So let’s skip the rigamarole and jump straight to the good stuff, the lovely new First Avenue Coffee in Spokane, Washington.

As told to Sprudge by Aaron Jordan.

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

First Avenue Coffee is a sister company to Roast House. Roast House values and sources only organic and ethically traded coffees from reputable and sustainable sources. Both locations are in the process of becoming Zero Waste and Green Certified.

Owner Deb Di Bernardo’s coffee education began while working for a local Spokane roaster. It was during this time that she started dreaming of a more sustainable and ethical model of coffee production and retail—one that she believed was vital to our health, our environment and our coffee community. Within a few years of Roast House’s inception, Aaron Jordan came on as an apprentice roaster. This is where life truly became transformational. Deb insisted on Fair Trade, shade grown, certified organic coffees, and Aaron met those criteria, coming back with higher quality green coffees along with much more expensive, crazy delicious coffees from the Cup of Excellence and single cultivar separations. The Roast House tasting room was born of a need to guide and educate consumers through the value of these exquisite coffees. Visitors now find their way to the industrial area that houses the roastery to take advantage of tasting the wide array of seasonal and core offerings.

First Avenue Coffee is an opportunity to take the Roast House experience to the broader public, and create a new coffee experience for the people of Spokane. We hope that by modeling a cafe focused on sustainable coffees and business practices, other local businesses will be encouraged to do the same.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

First Avenue Coffee opened this past July in the historical 1912 Music City Building. Music City Pianos, who occupied our space and for which the building is named, has given us a player piano on “permanent loan.”

Our suite is long and narrow, 3,000 square feet with north facing windows and a 450-square-foot mezzanine. With respect for the age and historical value of the building, our design incorporates the rough cut 100-year-old beams, ceiling joists, original maple wood floors, capitalizing on the drama of 20-foot ceilings.

Our goal in opening this retail location is simple—move more of these small lot coffees, assuring them/our world their long term viability. Our commitment to these producers transcends from roasting through the exacting brew recipes employed for the best representation of their beans. It’s our job to make people fall in love with these coffees. We believe that each time we put a cup in someone’s hands it’s an opportunity to change that producers world.

Starting with the concept of a soft curving bar at the front of the house (developed by roasters Aaron Jordan and Kyle Siegel), we built a 40-foot-long C-shape bar, three support islands, and a 30-foot-long back bar. We chose to play off the heavy wood and beam structure with the very clean and classic neutral palette of stainless steel and white solid surfaces—creating a very streamlined look.

Pour-Over Station: The “top” of our C-shape counter—the first visual looking in from the street features four chrome, Modbar pour-over systems with countersunk drip trays spaced evenly across this first eight feet of stainless steel. Immediately behind the pour-over modules on the first “island” are four Baratza Forte BG grinders, featuring seasonal single origins, and one darker roast option. Behind those grinders and mirrored on the island at the end is a 4-Faucet Kegerator system where we serve our F-Bomb nitro, a rotating single origin nitro, chai nitro, and a carbonated tea option which is currently a Cascara Soda from Las Lajas, Costa Rica.

Retail Station: We dropped the height of this station for easy customer access to the POS system, retail items, and pastries. These locally sourced pastries (vegan, grain free to fully leaded gluten) are featured in this first curve of the C, immediately across from the entrance door. Behind this station on the first of three support islands we stage brewed coffee, with a BUNN H5X water tower, ICB brewer, and G3 retail grinder set up on the back bar.

Espresso Station: Moving into the long curve of the C, we’ve layered white solid surface over the stainless for a visual change to showcase the following nine feet of Modbar AV espresso taps, steam wands, a countersunk refrigerated well, and pitcher rinsing sinks. Modbar AV is the newest release from Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Modbar, makers of modular undercounter brewing equipment. Modbar AV was developed in partnership with La Marzocco over the course of more than two years of collaborative R&D and manufacturing.

We configured our bar into two work stations, each with two Modbar AV’s and one steam wand to facilitate volume and efficient barflow. The two systems are separated by the countersunk refrigerated well to allow two baristas to work seamlessly during events and rushes. We chose Modbar systems for their unique design which encourages engagement, interaction, and education between our crew and our guests. Modbar’s support and help throughout this buildout has been incredible. Thank you to Will, Chanelle, Nancy, and Lena for all that you do. This project came together because of your sage wisdom. Immediately behind this station is the center island, where we placed three Nuova Simonelli Mythos Clima Pro grinders, knock boxes, undercounter freezer, and double refrigerator. We chose the Mythos for its consistent particle size, dose, and extraction, providing our customers the same anticipated experience day after day.

Slow Bar Station: After the last Modbar espresso tap we’ve set up a station similar to that of a cocktail bar. A small selection of bar seating allows for guests to sit down one-on-one with a barista and enjoy a selection of seasonal drinks from our slow bar fresh sheet. Over the last several years, we’ve gleaned inspiration from the rich history of the cocktail world. While coffee will never be an exact representation of the spirits in cocktails, taking the versatility of single origin coffees and pairing them with a variety of ingredients in mixed drinks keeps things fresh. Ultimately, we wanted to create a piece of our menu that allowed us to experiment and create a unique coffee experience for our local area. The menu currently features a Nitro Fashioned using our F-Bomb nitro, orange and aromatic bitters, and simple syrup garnished with a Luxardo cherry and orange peel like any good Old Fashioned. The Cold Brew Sour combines our single origin nitro from Ethiopia with lemon juice and house-made chamomile grapefruit syrup—perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day. If sweet is more the guest’s speed, our Cherry Bomb combines cold brew concentrate with Luxardo cherry syrup, shaken and served frothy and neat in a coupe glass. As the seasons change so will the menu. We plan to roll out a lot of fun drinks in the coming months.

Our occupancy is approximately 140, covered with a variety of seating options. We offer a 13-foot live edge walnut slab community table, live edge 12-foot wide wall mounted walnut “buddy bars”—to accommodate those wanting to throw back a quick espresso, check their messages, and run. For people watching, the window bar overlooking the street and two balcony bars overlook the cafe from the back of the space. The mezzanine also features comfy soft furniture. We plan on utilizing all this space, hosting special private events as well as coffee industry specific events.

Cupping Kiosk: The final element in the very back of the space is a beautiful 2.5 kilo matte white Diedrich Roaster surrounded by a curved cupping bar with a 5’ x 5’ SCA Flavor Wheel next to it. This space will be used to sample roast for green coffee purchasing, and to host classes and public cuppings.

Okay, that’s it. That’s the whole space…we promise. No more.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Roast House was founded on a firm commitment to only sourcing and supporting producers growing sustainably certified farms. We’ve worked with Rainforest Alliance, USDA Organic, and UTZ since the beginning. As we roll out a new chapter, opening a retail cafe, those values will not change.

Roasters Aaron Jordan and Kyle Siegel spend a lot of time evaluating and working with our sourcing partners to find the most delicious offerings available. Green quality is paramount to the success of a guest’s experience with the finish product. We roast on a 12-kilo Diedrich Roaster approaching each coffee to showcase the qualities we found on the cupping table. A house blend is featured on espresso and batch brew alongside a more developed blend option for our dark roast fans on pour-over. The remaining offerings are single origin, roasted to highlight their terroir. Highlighting those qualities means we roast on the lighter end of the spectrum. Although structure and sweetness are a big deal to us when it comes to roasting lighter, so we preserve flavor clarity and acidity while still providing a chuggable cup of coffee.

From there, the coffee is sent to our amazing team of coffee magicians. Using the Modbar AV’s and automating flow on the Modbar pour-over systems allows dialing in to be approachable and efficient. Leveraging integrated scales in the drip trays and a simple interface to adjust espresso yield has been a lot of fun to work with. Our pour-overs are brewed via Kalita 185‘s, with Modbar’s spray tip and extraction adjusted for the Forte BG grinders. The replicability of this system is really important, especially because specialty coffee is not an inexpensive commodity. We want to ensure that when our guests pay a premium for a quality product it is the best it can possibly be.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

4 Modbar Pour-Over Systems
4 Modbar AV Espresso Systems
2 Modbar Steam Systems
1 BUNN ICB Batch Brewer
2 BUNN H5X Hot Water Towers
1 BUNN G3 Grinder
4 Baratza Forte Brew Grinders
1 Baratza Sette 30 Grinder
3 Nuova Simonelli Mythos Clima-Pro Grinders
1 Diedrich IR-2.5 Roaster

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

July 13th, 2018

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

Design: Uptic Studios
Branding: Hampton Visuals
Construction: Mauer Inc.
Wisdom and all things involving flow: Will Frith, Modbar

Thank you!

Thank you for the opportunity to share our space.

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 Doyle Wheeler.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: First Avenue Coffee In Spokane, WA appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Time now for the Build-Outs of Summer to once again hop the pond and head over to merry old England and check back in with Origin Coffee Roasters in Cornwall. If you’re having a bit of déjà vu, it’s because we’ve been here before, a little over three years ago, when Origin opened one of their two previous Cornwall cafes. In those three years, Origin has continued to rack up wins at UK Barista Championships, remaining one of the heavy favorites year in and year out.

For their new cafe, Origin will be setting up inside a Network Rail archway and serving breakfast, lunch, and all day brunch. In short, you can expect nothing but continued excellence from one of England’s premier coffee roasters. So let’s go check it out, shall we?

As told to Sprudge by Luke Caddel.

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

We’re a coffee roaster based in Cornwall, in South West England. We’ve been roasting for about 10 years and are proud to work with some of the UK’s leading baristas. Joshua Tarlo, our Head of Coffee, came 1st in the UK Barista Championship earlier this year. Dan Fellows, our Head of Wholesale also came 1st in the Coffee in Good Sprits Championship this year, and will go on to compete in the World Championship in Brazil this November.

We work with some of the finest independent coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels in the country. We also run our own coffee shops at two locations in Cornwall, and three in London; Southwark will be the fourth.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

It’s built inside a Network Rail archway, a stone’s throw from Southwark Underground Station and forms part of Bankside’s “low line” redevelopment. It will house a cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and evening refreshments during the week and all day brunch at the weekend. It will also house our SCA and wholesale training rooms and our London technical department.

What’s your approach to coffee?

We’re fortunate that being a roaster, we’re able to source exclusive lots for our coffee shops and keep our single-origin coffees frequently rotating. To let our customers experience amazing coffees from different countries, different processes and different brew methods. The coffee needs to be incredible but it’s testament to our baristas who are knowledgeable, approachable and passionate about their work.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Yes, we’re excited to feature the new Modbar Espresso AV with built-in scales.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

September

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

Hart Miller Design—we’re advocates for their brilliant work, and they’ve designed the interiors for all of our coffee shops in Cornwall and London.

Thank you!

Thank you too!

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: Origin Coffee Roasters In Cornwall, England appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News