Today's Cup of Coffee 3/29/2013

In deciding what coffee to have this week, we decided to get a different coffee from the fine folks at the Second Chance Coffee Company with their I Have a Bean brand. I wrote about them a couple weeks ago.

http://javarunnerscoffeejourney.blogspot.com/2013/03/great-coffee-and-second-chance.html

Initially we tried their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Adado FTO. That coffee had a tea-like quality. I liked it, but it isn't a coffee I would get on a regular basis. This time we got Peru Norte FTO.

In their descriptions of the coffee, chocolate places a pretty large role in the flavor and the aroma. According to their website:

"In the cup, the flavors chocolate, caramel and nut combine with the soft notes of fig and spice." "Flavors linger with a very pleasant, slightly smoky finish."

So what did I encounter in this coffee?

This coffee has more body and a stronger flavor than the Ethiopian. I suspect the roast is more of a darker roast. That comes though. When I opened the bag, my nose was struck by the smoky aroma, which I liked a great deal. If I like what I smell, then I can't want to start grinding it.

Maybe I have had too many caramels in my life, but I rarely taste that in my coffee. In this coffee, I get the sense of the chocolate, and the nutty flavor. Fig? I need to eat something other than Fig Newtons to know if I am tasting fig. (Note: for those new to the blog, I am a pretty basic "how does it taste" guy. Maybe I need some more refinement :-) )

Here is the bottom line - I love this coffee. I love the aroma when it is whole bean, when it is ground, and when it is in the cup. This is a fairly strong cup of coffee. On the face slapping scale 1-10, 1 being a mere brush, and 10 being a Cher slaps Nicholas Cage in "Moonstruck," this is a 7.

I Have a Bean is making some great coffee folks. Try some, and spread the word.

www.ihaveabean.com

Charlie

Equality Thank You

Thank you Metropolis Coffee in Chicago. I saw this on your Facebook page.


Thank you Howard Schultz for standing up for LGBT people at your recent shareholder's meeting.

My partner Mark and I greatly appreciate all the support out there for marriage equality.

Charlie

Win Tickets to CoffeeCon2013

CoffeeCON 2013 is coming soon, Saturday, May 4 to be exact. CoffeeCON is a one day event where coffee lovers like you and I gather and learn about all things coffee. I have been invited to be an official blogger of the event, and will be reporting on all the day’s activities. 

http://www.coffee-con.com

There will be lectures and demonstrations, and of course coffee. You can learn about everything from pour over methods to coffee sustainability. There are labs on Aeropress and Chemex brewing. Workshops on Turkish Coffee and coffee and food pairings will go on. You may even learn there is a right way to grind coffee.

Specialty coffee pioneer George Howell will speak. Howell established Coffee Connection in Cambridge, MA in 1974. He is one of the people who taught us there is a craft to coffee roasting. He eventually sold his business and a little recipe called the Frappuccino to Starbucks. The Specialty Coffee Association of America(SCAA) presented Howell with a lifetime achievement awards in 1996. 

Also speaking will be Christy Thorns, Director of Sourcing and Quality Control for Allegro Coffee. Thorns will talk about environmental and growing issues in the coffee world. 

This is an informative and very fun time, and I am so excited to be going this year. 

Here is a look at last year’s event.....

Want to go? CoffeeCON has provided me with 10 complimentary tickets to give away. How to you snag a pair? CONTEST TIME!!!!!!

In 25 words or less, tell me about your favorite coffee moment. This can be as fun as you like, or as serious as you like. Heck you can even throw in a picture of you with your coffee if you like.  Be creative with this!

Email entries to me by Midnight, April 15. The 5 best entries will each get a pair of tickets to this year’s event, courtesy of CoffeeCON. Winners will be notified between April 16th and April 20th. Email your entries to:

javarunner1962@gmail.com

Good luck, and let’s have some coffee together in May.

Charlie

"God in a Cup"

Adventures in exotic countries, three driven men on a quest, passion, betrayal, heartache, ego, and a Geisha, all sound like the makings of action adventure film, Instead this is a story about coffee. Michaele Weissman’s 2008 book, “God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee” is a detailed look at how three leaders in the specialty coffee world are constantly in search of their ideal, or perfect coffee. To be honest, it’s more than that. “God in a Cup” is a frank essay on the state of the coffee industry. 

To understand where we are now, Weissman provides a brief history lesson. Coffee has been through three waves. The first wave was prior to, and during World War I. Coffee was nothing special. It was a kickstart to your day, and processed in a way which took flavor and nuance away from the coffee.

The second wave laid the foundation for coffee as we know it. This occurred between the mid-1960s to the 1990s. Men like Alfred Peet, Erna Knutsen, and George Howell, created the specialty coffee businesses as well as the Specialty Coffee Association of America. These men were developing the art and science of roasting coffee, and introducing it to a society that was ll too familiar with instant coffee, or heavily processed coffee. This was the time Starbucks was founded(by Peet), and the industry began to take off.

The third wave can best be described as innovation, adventure, deal-making, ego driven and desire. It is this wave that Weissman focuses on. In particular she introduces us to three men who are similar and very different at the same time: Geoff Watts of Intelligentsia Coffee, Duane Sorenson of Stumptown Coffee and Peter Giuliano of Counter Culture Coffee.

Each man and their companies are laser focused on finding the absolute coffee, cultivating it, roasting it, and selling it to the public. Each one has their own style though. Watts is the adventurer. He is the main buyer for Intelligentsia in Chicago, and travels the world, living on the edge, taking risks to make sure he is acquiring the best coffee. Weissman describes him as the “rock star” of the industry. He takes risks, and people worry his risk taking will mean the end of him. “Weissman writes, “There’s some recognition in the specialty coffee community that the intensity and the fearlessness that Geoff brings to his work and life is the very quality that might kill him. Every movement seems to have a tragic hero, and Geoff may be ours.” 

Watts’ main rival and friend is Peter Giuliano of Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, NC.  Whereas Watts may be flying by the seat of his pants, Giuliano is more measured and more particular. His focus on the coffee is so great, it is part of the reason his marriage is failing. Weissman paints him as a man who, in his quest, wants to be part of something so special, the personal life comes second. 

If Watts and Giuliano are the adventurers, Duane Sorenson is the hippie, but not your typical one. The hippie movement was about anti-establishment, which Sorenson is. A few hits on the bong with him, and you get that about him. At the same time, he will spend whatever it takes to produce the best coffee in the world - period. Part Cheech and Chong, part Donald Trump. 

Once the major players are introduced, Weissman takes readers on a journey which introduces us to Cup of Excellence competitions, journeys to Ethiopia to learn the ins and outs of coffee politics, what is good and bad about Fair Trade coffee, and of course Geisha. I’ll explain Geisha in a bit, but there are also some interesting themes in this book. 

Youth is served. All the major players are in their 20s and 30s. This is good and bad from standpoint. I like the fact that coffee is drawing in younger people. They are innovating and working to make the plight of coffee farmers better. What is bad is for people like me. Selfish I know, but I wonder what role a 50 year old like me would play in the coffee world. I wonder this, because I wonder if coffee is my next career. Me aside, everything I read shows the baristas and the roasters are the younger set.

Coffee is the new wine. Throughout the book, the coffee guys talk about varietals, essences, aromas, tastes as if they are describing wine. I had not made the correlation previously, but why not? Why not experience coffee the way you would a fine wine. Both  products are agricultural in origin. Both are cultivated and developed for improved quality and taste. Both are sampled in similar manner(even down the the spitting).

Geisha seems to represent all the themes coming together. Weissman writes, “ Mention you are traveling to Boquete, Panama, and specialty coffee guys get a dreamy look in their eyes.” Yes, Geisha seems to be the ultimate coffee to these folks. 

What is it about this coffee which evokes a romance and desire? Geisha is primarily known as a coffee from Panama, though its origins can be traced to Ethiopia. The tree is a hearty tree, and the coffee is difficult to produce. Still coffee guys fall in love with this coffee, like they would with a woman of their dreams. 

This book is filled with Coffee 101 tips and information. There are plenty of stories about  how to bargain for the best coffee price. There are also plenty of juicy gossipy stories about the three big companies at the center of the specialty coffee world. 

If there is a weakness(for me), it’s the passages where Weissman places herself as part of the story. My interest was in what she reports, and not her impressions or insinuating herself into situations. I would have preferred she remove herself from the story. Still this does not deter how I feel about “God in a Cup.” If you haven’t read this, do, and you will gain greater understanding about specialty coffee.

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee 3/22/2013

This morning I purchased a bold pick of the day from Starbucks. This was their Tribute Coffee. I have had this before, and I think it's fine. What happened though was not fine.

I thought the coffee had an odd taste to it, like not what I have had before in a Tribute. Still I sipped it. 30 minutes later I felt like I was going to throw up. The smell of the coffee makes me feel dizzy and sick. I tried to drink it, thinking this was just a momentary thing, but now when I drink it, a few minutes later the same feeling comes back.

Bad beans? Bad water? Bad brewing? Can anyone shed light on this?

I have contacted Starbucks to let them know this happened. Will let you know what they say.

Charlie

Dear White Castle

Dear White Castle,

Your "hamburgers" have a certain reputation for what they do to one's digestive system. Now I see you are selling coffee?

For all that is good in this world, please don't do this to coffee beans! Some poor farmer has broken his back to produce a nice product, and Lord knows what you are doing to it. Please....stop.

Respectfully,
Charlie

Coffee Party USA

This morning we were visited by my friend Kris, and an assortment of brewing techniques. We called it our coffee party!

You will see the usual suspects ranging from Chemex to French press. The idea was we would try coffee based on the brewing technique. The two coffees we used were a decaf espresso and a Peruvian coffee, both roasted by Kris. 

Our first trial was the espresso, using the Chemex and the Hario. Part of my coffee journey is to learn an understand the various brewing techniques. The more advanced coffee lovers will already know what I am talking about, but the newer people are in the same boat I'm in. So I apologize to those who may be more advanced in the coffee world.

With the Chemex system, coffee will only come into contact with the filter and a non-porous glass. This system is designed to take a lot of the impurities and bitterness out of coffee. In our tasting today, we found that the flavor of the espresso was very mellow. There was little bite to it.

With the Hario, the cone shape adds what they call "depth" to the coffee. There is a larger hole where the coffee drips into the pot. The size of the hole can dictate the change the taste of coffee, based on how it is flowing into the pot. 

So which method did we prefer. All three of us decided the Hario made the espresso taste fuller, more like what we would expect an espresso roast to taste like.

Next we compared the Hario to the porcelain drip system(second left in the picture above. The difference between the two systems is the Hario has a larger hole. The porcelain drip system has a tiny hole. Kris told me the porcelain system is one she sees most coffee houses use for a pour over. 

Again in this case the Hario seemed to have the better taste, however it was closer this time, and I don't believe it was unanimous. In theory the smaller hole drip process would seem to have a better taste and flavor, because the water has more time to interact with the coffee before it goes into the cup or pot. I will only speak for me, I thought the Hario was much better.

For our next test, we ground the Peruvian coffee, and we used the French Press and the Clever Coffee Dripper. 

These systems take more time. The both have a filter which prevents grounds from getting into the coffee. Still some ground can make their way to the bottom of the cup. 

I believe we were all in agreement that we liked both of these of all the methods we tried today. The coffee tasted stronger to us. We liked the bite and fullness of the coffee. 

I wouldn't turn down any coffee from any of the brewing techniques we had today, but for me, I preferred the French Press the best. It tasted more like coffee from my coffee maker. Of course this may more the more refined drinker cringe by my saying that, but hey, my blog, my likes. :-)

This was a terrific morning. We all got a bit overloaded on coffee. I think professional cuppers and tasters have stronger stomachs than we do. Still it was fascinating to see what a difference a cup of coffee is based on the brewing method.

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee 3/18/2013

Today we have opened the coffee I received last week from Second Chance Coffee Company. Their I Have a Bean brand is what they produce. I wrote about this company last week, and their efforts to not only roast outstanding coffee, but they hire people trying to rebuild their lives, after having served time in prison. Pete Leonard was generous enough to ship me some of his coffee - Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adato FTO. 

I Have a Bean describes the coffee as follows:

Smooth, honey, stone fruit. Aromas of honey and apricot. Buttery smooth mouth feel with nut, malt and honey prevalent. Slightly dry with a clean tea-like finish.

For coffee lovers around the world this region in Ethiopia is known for some of the best coffee in the world. Typically this coffee undergoes wet processing. Wet processing involves first washing off the coffee cherry in order to remove the fleshy material on the fruit. This is one after harvest while the fruit is still moist. This help remove the pulp inside the cherry. the next step removes the mucilage via fermentation. Once fermentation is complete the beans are dried. This lowers the moisture content of the coffee bean.

With the backstory out of the way....how is the coffee? I am not sure if I have had coffee from this region, though I suspect I did, but it sure didn't taste like this. This is a mellow cup of coffee, of any of the flavors listed above come to mind, it is tea-like finish. It tastes like a darker tea, more than a traditional coffee taste. This isn't a bad comment(for those who know where I stand on tea). I enjoy this coffee a great deal. 

It isn't a coffee which will jolt you awake in the morning, but if you want to ease into the day, I think this is an ideal coffee. Add this to the list of coffees I enjoy.

Second Chance is about using the top 1% of beans to roast and sell to the public, I think they are on target with this one.

Charlie

Goodbye....Hello

This week we say goodbye to.....

And hello to.....

FRESH!

Let’s talk fresh for a moment...

What does it mean when we say coffee is fresh? If you are roasting your own coffee, or you are getting specialty coffee, take a look at the roasting date. From the time the coffee is roasted, time is ticking away at the freshness of your coffee. 

Coffee is considered “fresh” up to 21 days after the roasting date. From that point on the freshness and taste begin to differ. Your coffee will still be delightful and taste good for 45 days. Heck even 90 days is ok. 

The main issue is coffee loses the subtlety in aroma and taste after the first three weeks. Now, the the average coffee drinker, that probably doesn’t mean much. I can think of a few friends that just don’t care(no names). 

For those who really value fresh coffee, here are some tips to keep that coffee fresh and good.

1. Leave your coffee in a bag, or a dark container that is airtight. You want to keep oxygen away from your coffee.
2. Leaving it in an airtight bag/container also keep moisture from hitting the coffee. 
3. Don’t put your coffee in the freezer. My folks did this, because they thought it preserved the coffee. Sorry that only works with the meats, veggies and ice cream. Coffee will become stale faster if moistures gets in and condenses onto the beans. 

Now what about the coffee you see at the store. Anyone who knows me, knows where I am headed on this. The coffee in those bags has been ground(in most cases), and has been in a warehouse or on the shelves for a while. There is also a “best used by date” on it. That is not fresh....nor should you think it is. 

If you want fresh coffee, make sure it has been recently roasted, and follow the tips I gave.

Charlie

Coffee Travels

When my parents traveled they usually based the success of the trip on the following: was the coffee good, was the food good, did they like what they saw? Yes, it was in that order. My folks didn’t travel on the cheap like I do. Typically they would be on a tour sponsored by Northwestern University or the University of Notre Dame. So you know these were not youth hostel, backpacking travels. 

I could usually tell if they would like a trip or place based on where they were going, what the coffee reputation was. Here is where they loved: Africa, South America, Italy, France, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. I can’t attest to the coffees of the Australia and NZ, but I’ll assume most of the coffee came from Indonesia. 

Places they hated were easy to figure before they headed out: China and Russia. The China one in particular I could have told you the second they mentioned they were heading off. China is known for TEA! Besides that, they don’t even like Chinese food. When they returned, I asked my mom how the trip was. She said, “Well the coffee was pretty bad. The food wasn’t too good. And, we didn’t think it was all that pretty.” 

When it was my turn to start seeing the world, I took a page from their book, but coffee was actually further down on my list of what makes a trip a success. Still, one of my favorite memories is the summer I spent in Rome. 

I attended Loyola University Chicago, and they have a campus in Rome. I had one more elective before graduation, and I spent it there studying Italian(all I remember is Dove il bano - where is the bathroom). In our student center was Ronaldo’s cafe. Ronaldo and his family had a tiny set-up where they made some of the best coffee drinks I have ever had. Sipping a cappuccino of his was like drinking Ambrosia, pure delight. 

As we traveled around the country, I marveled at the constant delight espresso gave me. In Venice, I remember sipping in a cafe in St. Mark’s Square and loving the drink, the sites, the people. Nothing though, compared to what Ronaldo was able to do back on campus.

England and Ireland are not known for their coffees, but I will tell you I have experienced ok coffee there. Typically though, the coffee I have liked in those countries is instant coffee. Yes, gasp, oh horrors, I have had the instant in hotels there, and it was better than most of what I was finding. The English and Irish may now object.

My most meaningful coffee was in Costa Rica. There was I was working with farmers in the fields, and I appreciated the coffee I was drinking, even more. While the good stuff gets shipped out of the country, I enjoyed my coffee very much.

Worst coffee? Hong Kong. You can look over what I read about China and understand what I mean. 

My favorite place to drink coffee - South Africa. I actually didn’t care what the coffee was like. I sipped a cup of coffee while watching giraffes, elephants and rhinos go by.

One day I will do an exhaustive worldwide search of coffee. I have no doubt it will be a tough job, but someone will have to do it. 

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee 3/14/2013

As most of you know I am a runner, so I was especially keen to try "Runner's High" from Just Coffee Cooperative. The cooperative is based in Madison, WI, and of late have been especially vocal about "fair trade" coffee. They are vocal about this, because they believe we need to be even fairer to coffee growers. 

Transparency is a must for Just Coffee Cooperative. With every bag of coffee, you get a code on the back, which allows you to trace the coffee. Transparency is a difficult issue in the coffee world, because not all coffee companies want to reveal what they are truly paying for a pound of coffee. The cooperative puts it all on their bag, and you can check everything out on their website. Typically, they are paying farmers between $2.50-$4.50 a pound. Latest prices are in the $1.40 a pound area. Also the cooperative posts all of their financials and talks freely about contract with their farmers on their website. In the future, I will write more about the issues at stake that Just Coffee is working on. 

Today though it's about "Runner's High" coffee. Here is how they describe the coffee:

Medium roasted fair trade and organic coffees from Mexico, Colombia and Ethiopia. 

Tasting notes: Runner's High will prep you for miles with it's sensational flavor notes including golden raisin, vanilla rooibos tea, pumpkin, cayenne pepper and toasted hazelnut. It hits the palate with enough acidity to provide the energy for a run and the root beer-esque sweetness and body to satisfy your coffee jones.

When we opened the bag, the aroma of this coffee was intoxicating. I don't get to us that phrase too often, but really it was. We brewed a pot, and began to drink. Now if all of the flavors listed above mean it has a woody taste, that is how I found it. It is a strong coffee. Yes it could get a runner running. This was an interesting mixture of bitter and sweet. This coffee was terrific. I would drink it any day. It's $11.99 for a bag, and worth more in my opinion. I loved it. 

To learn more about Just Coffee Cooperative go to - 

http://www.justcoffee.coop

Charlie

Great Coffee and a Second Chance

A few weeks ago I read an article about the Second Chance Coffee Company out of Wheaton, IL. If you haven’t heard of them, they are a coffee roasting company which employs people who have been in prison, and are determined to change their lives. I was intrigued by this notion, and contacted Pete Leonard, Master Roaster and Founder of the company. He graciously spoke with me, while he has driving back from a business trip in Wisconsin. 

Leonard is passionate about two things: excellent coffee and helping those who are trying to turn their lives around. His desire to roast coffee came as a result of a 2005 church mission trip to Brazil. In the community he was visiting, he discovered coffee was being roasted over an open fire. He remembers drinking this coffee, and thinking, “This was the best coffee ever.” Prior to this, good coffee for Pete was sipping mochas from Starbucks. 

He loved the coffee so much, he brought back 10 kilos of coffee to give to people who had donated towards his mission. In the end though, he drank about 8 kilos of the coffee, and carefully doled out the remaining coffee to his supporters. He never had another Starbucks mocha.

His experience though, led him to roast his own coffee. Pete’s garage became his roasting facility. Armed with a Weber Grill, and a makeshift drum created by shelving from IKEA, many coffee failures took place(most notably a fire which took place after he went into the house to get a glass of water). His quality control was a neighbor who would give him his thoughts after each batch. One day though, this neighbor declined the coffee, telling Pete that they could no longer accept the coffee - they wanted to pay for it. Soon other neighbors wanted to buy the coffee coming out of the Weber Grill. Pete was able to roast 2.5 lbs at a time, and sell it to his neighbors. 

Around this time, Pete’s brother-in-law ran afoul of the law. At the time Pete was a medical software developer, and knew his brother-in-law was very smart, so he hired him to help with projects he was working on, while his brother-in-law awaited his trial. 

Once convicted, the brother-in-law went to jail and served a nine month sentence. When he got out, Pete wanted to bring him on board at his company, but the insurance company told him his brother-in-law was a risk and wouldn’t carry him. As a result Pete couldn’t hire him.

Prisons are a two-fold entity. They are places where criminals are incarcerated, but there is also the hope that these people will be rehabilitated, and be able to re-enter society. There are many rehabilitation programs around the country run by churches and other social service agencies to assist in the transition from criminal life to living a more productive life. The problem though is many post-prison people fall back into their old ways and go back to jail, because few businesses are willing to take a chance on hiring ex-felons.

Pete’s brother-in-law was slowing falling back into the habits which got him into trouble. Eventually the brother-in-law had to live with his parents. Pete says that through this, he got to see a “microcosm of not being allowed back into society.”

Each year 20,000 prisoners are released from Illinois correctional facilities into the Chicagoland area. According to figures Pete has seen, 60% of those go back to prison within four years. A person can go through rehabilitation and re-entry programs, but if there is no meaningful work for them, they soon slide into their old habits, as Pete learned through the experience with his brother-in-law.

While roasting coffee and ex-cons don’t seem like typical issues to discuss with friends, it was all a part of life discussions Pete would have each week with his friends Dave Scavotto and Ron deVries. These three met through church, and had weekly breakfast gatherings between October 2006 and January 2007. The men began to form the idea for a coffee roasting company, literally, on the back of a napkin. 

As much of an educational journey as learning about coffee, Pete and his friends learned the ins and outs of creating a business. A business plan had to be formed, and they also had a decision to make, were they going to be a coffee company, or a non-profit venture? Were they on a mission or were they selling coffee? 

In the end the decision was they were going to be a coffee company and produce the best coffee - period! Pete says, “We wanted our coffee to be so good people would buy it regardless of the mission.” If someone didn’t like the fact the company was going to hire post-prison people, it wouldn’t matter because the coffee was so good.

The first step in creating excellent coffee is to make sure you are buying excellent coffee beans. Pete and his partners decided to only acquire the top 1% of coffee that is produced. Coffee is generally graded on a score topping at 100%. The top 1% is coffee scoring an 87% or higher. In comparison, Pete says that coffees such as Folgers or Starbucks Via score a 70%. When trying to gain top 1% status, the difference between an 81% score(which is where is the top 5%) and a 87% score is huge. 

The learning curve for the partners was more than figuring out how to start a business and which coffee to roast. They depended on Pete to learn how to cup coffee, how to roast commercially, taking into consideration that coffees from different regions roast differently. There are also environmental factors to consider, such as humidity. All these factors go into roasting coffee, and Pete who had seen coffee roasted for the first time in 2005, was about to produce coffee on a commercial scale. 

Second Chance Coffee Company was incorporated in June 2007, and in June 2009 started producing coffee. Their business plan called for ambitious growth, with a goal of 150 roasting plants around the country. Pete has gone from a garage at home roasting effort of producing 2.5 lbs of coffee at a time,  to Second Chance producing 4000 lbs of coffee a month. The company has had 100%+ growth each year. Currently Second Chance is on the shelves of Whole Foods in Chicago, in regional restaurants, and various farmers markets. They are expanding into markets such as Denver and Milwaukee. 

Part of the key to this tremendous growth is the freshness of the coffee. You can order coffee in the morning, and in the afternoon it’s done. For those who live within 5 miles of Second Chance, you pay an additional $1 and they will drive the coffee to you. For orders from further away, it can take 1-3 days, depending on where you live. If the company can establish those 150 roasting plants, fresh coffee will be the norm for those communities. 

When asked about the jobs post-prison people work, Pete is clear, “Everything,” he says. “Roasting, sales, delivery, marketing, it doesn’t matter.” Second Chance partners with non profits who assist those trying to re-enter society. Not everyone coming out of prison can come to work for the coffee company. 

“They either need to be in a re-entry program, or a graduate of a program,” says Pete. He gets inquiries from those currently in prison, letting him know when they are getting out, and are asking about jobs.He lets them know they need to be out for a certain period, and dedicated to their rehabilitation.

Pete wants “to be sure they are serious about this.” He looks at what they did in prison. Did they participate in programs, because they had to, or was there an initiative to improve their lives? Did they get counseling and are they still in counseling? What he doesn’t want is to hire people who are just figuring new ways to avoid prison. 

Second Chance is usually not a final stop for someone out of prison. He has had people working anywhere from a month and a half to three years. He says, “This can be a stepping store to other skills and jobs.” Pete is clear his company is not rescuing people, “We are set up to help people rescue themselves.” 

What happens if you have no record, and you want to work for Second Chance? If you a haven’t had a conviction, Pete most likely won’t hire you. While he understands times are hard for everyone, they are even harder for those with a criminal record, and he wants them to have a chance.

Not everyone is a success story. They have hired people who worked there a limited amount of time, but due to other circumstances in their lives, have slid back into a bad life, or in one case died due to an overdose. Still, the small number of setbacks doesn’t deter the mission of Second Chance. 

The company not only partners with area non profits seeking to help these people, they donate part of the profits of the company back into these organizations. Also, when they plan where to headquarter their company or roasting facilities, they consider access to public transportation. Most post-prison don’t have cars, and are totally dependent on good public transportation. If they can’t get to work, what’s the point in offering jobs? Their dedication to helping these people is, “baked into our fabric,” he insists. 

Pete Leonard has spoken to schools and other businesses about his social business, and how there isn’t as much risk to hiring someone with a prison record as they might think. Still, his company is unique. 

Coffee is often used to raise social awareness. In churches you may be served coffee with a “Fair Trade” label on it, which indicates that monies from that coffee are making lives better for farmers in developing countries. Other organizations use coffee, roasted by commercial roasters to raise money for whichever charitable cause they are advocating. Pete refers to this as “Crappy causal coffee.” No doubt those coffees are not one of the top 1%. While those groups have the best of intentions, they are not coffee companies on a mission. They are more missions who happen to sell coffee.

When reminding him that his goal was to be a coffee company which produced the best coffee, and still serve a mission, I asked if Second Chance leans more one way than another. “It’s an even mix,” he says. Clearly, the company has found a balance and is a success.

Towards the end of the conversation, I admitted to Pete I had yet to sample his coffee. Never fear though....I will. When I do, I am going to imagine what it was like when he attempted to roast on his Webber Grill.

Second Chance’s coffee brand is “I Have a Bean,” and can be purchased at

www.ihaveabean.com

Charlie

The Journey So Far - March 2013

I started this blog in January as a way to document and share my coffee journey. What a couple of months it has been. Friends and family can joke that I am more a geek than previously thought, but the fact is part of loving coffee means you have a bit of geek in you. I have found the same thing in running. I started running, and absorbed everything I could, and now I work in the running specialty industry. Now I am using those same skills and tactics to tackle coffee.

If you look at coffee as a universe, I would say I am fairly familiar with my block. Oh it seems like I know more than that, but as I read and learn more, I understand there is more I don’t know, than what I do know. I’m fine with that.

So what have I learned? The specialty coffee world appears to be a business of younger men who are trying to make their mark in the world. They have found a way to shape a business, which is part art, part science, part diner experience, part lifestyle. 

There are ratings systems to judge coffee, which I am keen on learning. Barista compete pretty fiercely in various competitions. I always knew there was more than one way to brew a cup of coffee, but really there is MORE than one way. much more. 

I have read comparisons between coffee and wine, as far as cultivation, developing, and serving it. Just like wine, there are tastings, called cuppings. There are people who spent years formulating ways to make coffee better, whether it be at the organic level, or the brewing level. Are baristas the new sommoliers? 

Coffee also brings out the desire to help others and the planet. There are coffee roasters and companies that use coffees to assist those in need, both at home and abroad. Sustainability is more than a catchphrase to some. It’s a way to ensure our planet is healthy and thriving. 

I have learned there are others like me, geeks with a thirst not only for coffee, but to understand coffee. We gather, we talk, we blog, we share. We have formed a community.

The journey so far is a wonderful adventure. And so it continues.....

Charlie

Decaf - Coffeeish

Years ago, when I was the cappuccino maker to the stars, every now and then I would get someone who would order a decaf latte with skim milk and no foam. My knee jerk response was to say, "What's the point?" Of course that would have been rude, and I would have been an unemployed barista.

Decaffeinated coffee is one of those oddities. Growing up it meant Sanka. You remember Sanka right? It's that instant decaf coffee that your mother may have served at dinner parties to people who didn't want coffee at night. It was that small jar of crystals in our freezer, and truly my mom only had it at dinner parties.

Decaf, for those who aren't clear on this, is a process used to extract caffeine from coffee. Yes, I know all of you are giggling and saying, "Come on why do that?" Still there are different processes to remove the caffeine.

The most common method is Swiss Water Process. It truly was developed in Switzerland in the 1930s. These days most of the process is done by The Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company in British Columbia, Canada. Green Beans are immersed in water to remove the caffeine, but there are some essential oils which could also be removed. With the Swiss Water Process, the green beans are put in water with the desirable oils and properties. The is called Green Coffee Extract(GCE). The GCE is then filtered to only take the caffeine out. This is repeated until the 99% of the caffeine is removed.

I'm going to be honest, I think this is a lot of effort for a cup of coffee which doesn't really taste like coffee to me. I have gone through a decaf stage in my life, and I found very few decafs which actually retained the coffee flavor I liked. God bless Intelligentsia Coffee. At that time they had a decaf I could drink which truly tasted like coffee. It has been about 10 years since I have had decaf, so I hope there are some roasters out there that can get decaf to taste like coffee.

I do think there is one benefit to decaf. Coffee speeds the metabolism(at least temporarily), and I found when I was trying to lose weight, the more coffee I drank, the more I ate(this is before I started running). Drinking decaf gave me the coffee like taste(kind of), without having my pot a day of regular.

Still I go back to my barista thought when I hear someone order decaf - What's the point?

Charlie

Blogging CoffeeCon2013

My fellow coffee drinkers, as you know I am attending CoffeeCon 2013 in May. This day long university of coffee lectures, labs, demonstrations, and samplings is a rarity for the general public. Normally coffee gatherings are for those in the industry. I believe this is the only one for coffee lovers like you and me.

CoffeeCon has invited me to be one the bloggers to cover the event, and I am honored to do it. I will be able to report on the events of the day. I will have access to the presenters and will interview them. All of this will be reported on this blog, and I will guest blog on CoffeeCon's website.

Keep your eyes open, as I will be giving away tickets to CoffeeCon. Details will follow.

I am thrilled to do this, and am looking forward to the day. You can check out the other bloggers who will also be there - http://www.coffee-con.com/bloggers/

If you aren't able to attend, I encourage you to look at the schedule of classes and speakers on the CoffeeCon website, and if there is a question you want me to ask, let me know, and I will ask it.

http://www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee March 6, 2013

Today I have had two different cups of coffee I want to write about. The first is from my friend Kris, a home roaster. She has given me a Peruvian Organic that I am very excited about. The second is Starbucks Tribute Blend.

The Peruvian Organic is a strong coffee. No worries, this one won't slap you in the face. It will wake you up in the morning. I had some yesterday as well, and I wanted to be sure I tasted what I tasted, so I had another cup today. Same taste.... this is a strong coffee, but with a bright taste, like I might find in a lighter roast. I detected some floral hints(Mark didn't taste it, but I did). For a moment, I thought there was a citrus flavor to it. It almost reminded me of an Orange Blossom Honey. There is a sweetness to this coffee, that I don't often find with darker roasts.

Starbucks has their Tribute Blend. This was created to celebrate their 40th anniversary, but this is not their Anniversary Blend. This is billed as one of their bold roasts, but is reminds me more of a medium roast. This is a blend of Eithiopian, New Guinea and Columbian coffee. I am betting the Columbian gives it the more medium roast taste. There is a an herbal quality to the coffee, but it is not a savory experience. They say there is a dark cherry taste, but I don't find it. I like this coffee, and if they replaced this for the horrible Pike's Blend, I would be a much happier camper.

Two good coffees, but I'll take the home roast any day.

Charlie

Rating a Coffee House

Recently Zagat released their report on "the hottest coffee shops around the country." Anytime there is a list, I understand it's subjective. In determining the ratings for these establishments, Zagat uses the following formula, "The reviews in this guide are based on public opinion surveys. The ratings reflect the average scores given by the survey participants, who voted on each establishment." The coffee houses are rated on Food, Decor and Service. The highest score you can get in each category is 30 points. Of course....my question is why aren't they basing the ratings on coffee?

Seven lucky cities got to have their coffee houses judged. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. were all picked. No offense to those cities listed, but may I ask why Seattle and Portland were left off the list?

As I was reading the booklet, I paid close attention to the Chicago listings. Since I used to live there, I was eager to see what the folks at Zagat thought.

The first place listed is Cafecito. It is a Cuban themed establishment, and the grading was as follows: Food - 23, Decor- 11, Service 18. The reviews weigh heavily on the food, but the coffee is described as  "out of this world." I have to say that doesn't seem like a great score. And it tells me nothing about the coffee really.

Zagat gives Intelligentsia and Julius Meinl nice ratings, but nothing jumps out to me about what the coffee is like. Uncommon Grounds gets the best rating of the Chicago establishments; however, not once is the coffee mentioned.

To be honest I didn't read the other cities. I felt a bit disgusted with what I had already read. If you are reviewing coffee houses, by golly, review the coffee. Yes, I think decor plays a role. If you want to talk about food, that's ok. I want to know what the coffee is like, and how the service is.

If you want to read something which really details coffee establishments, and can answer your true coffee questions I suggest reading "Left Coast Roast" by Hanna Neuschwander. She gives excellent detail of the coffees these places roast and/or serve.

Zagat also provides a list of the "Eight Destination Coffee Meccas"

Seattle
Vienna
Rome
Oslo
Sao Paulo
Addis Ababa
Kailua-Kona
Melbourne

I was happy to see I had visited half of the cities in my lifetime. I can say Seattle, Vienna, Roma and Kona all have wonderful coffee houses. Again I might ask - where is Portland?

As I said reviews are subjective, but in the end, if you can't review the coffee, then what's the point of reviewing the establishment?

Charlie

CoffeeCON 2013

How many of you have heard about ComicCon? This is the annual love fest of all things fantasy and sci-fi. Usually it involves people dressed as anything in the George Lucas or Gene Rodenberry universes. Coffee Geeks, you have your convention now- CoffeeCON!

Fans of the Java and all things coffee will gather on May 4 in Warrenville, IL for a day of demonstrations, lectures, cuppings, and more information than you can imagine. Here are some of the classes which will be in session that day:

Pour Over Methods
Chemex Brewing Lab
The Importance of Correct Grinding
How to Host a Cupping Party
Turkish Coffee Preparation

There will be special guests. One of the guests is George Howell, a pioneer in the specialty coffee world, will present a coffee tasting lab, which is designed to better educate us on what truly goes into a quality cup of coffee. Howell opened the Coffee Connection at Harvard in the 1970s, and really created the specialty coffee genre. Among other things he created the Frappuccino. He sold his business to Starbucks, and has since created the George Howell Coffee Company.

CoffeeCon is an event for anyone who loves coffee. Whether you are a seasoned coffee geek, or someone who craves more than instant coffee, this is for you. Right now registration is $10. Come on....what a deal.

For more information go to.....

www.coffee-con.com

I am looking forward to going!

Charlie