A Coffee Journey
We found out recently we are “Coffee snobs”. We had never heard this term before and naturally wanted to know why this person thought we should be labeled as such. We don’t pretend to know everything about coffee. We never claimed to know much at all really so how did we get to this point?! After much thought, we decided to write it down and share it with a few select people…you.
I am a Marine. Now you’re thinking, “What could a Marine possibly know about coffee?”, and I would agree with you. Only the journey I have been on has taught me a thing or two about coffee. You see, I started out like most people when it comes to coffee. They are all the same, right?! It is true some tastes better than others and some tastes really terrible (Dunkin Donuts I’m talking to you) then there’s the coffee that just tastes burnt (Char Bucks). Then I deployed on a Naval ship…and found out what truly terrible coffee tastes like. Seriously Navy, what the heck is going on with that crap you call coffee?! Someone very wise showed me the ways of this weird contraption called a French Press and deployments became much more tolerable. I also started experimenting more with different coffees in this French thingy. After a while I got pretty good at making coffee. Sure, I was picked on by the guys, but I was drinking good coffee and they were choking down mud.
The years went by and we continued using the French Press with other types of coffee until we found out pouring those used up coffee grounds down the drain does a number on your pipes. Seriously folks, stop pouring the grounds down the drain before it becomes a real problem! No more rinsing out the press in the sink, ok. What am I supposed to do with this junk then? Oh, put it in a little bucket and we will add it to the compost in order to add more nutrients for the garden. That lasted maybe a couple months. Now what are we supposed to do, I am NOT going back to that dumb old drip machine! Turns out there was this new thing called a Chemex that makes equally delicious coffee without the mess of the press! Ordered, delivered and loved. This thing is amazing, why did it take someone so long to invent this thing? What’s that, it was invented in 1941? Oh.
The years go by and we continue to use and love the Chemex. Yes it takes longer to make coffee. Yes it's easier to just push a button on a drip machine. Here's the thing, I actually enjoy the experience of grinding, blooming, and slowly brewing the coffee. Crazy, I know, but somehow it really is therapeutic in some weird way.
Recently we were blessed with an opportunity to take over a coffee distribution company called World Trader Coffee, LLC selling fresh roasted coffee from over twenty countries. We had no idea THAT many countries were making coffee. We took over and immediately started researching coffee. Coffee comes from that kind of bush?! The coffee cherries look like the red berries on the holly bush only bigger! We realized quickly there was A LOT to learn about coffee.
I’m still not sure how we got to the “Coffee snob” place but I’m happy to have been on the journey and hope you will come along with us as we continue to learn everyday about the world of coffee. At no time will we pretend to know everything about coffee. We will always be honest with you and give you the answers we do have and track down the information you request to the best of our abilities. So come with us and learn a few things as we Rediscover Coffee!