2006 Better Beans Roaster of the Month Archives

January 2006, North Pole, AK. It's no exaggeration to say that we go to great lengths to bring the freshest coffee from the most unique small-batch roasters to your door each month. but this month, we've outdone ourselves.

Putting on our boots, we've travelled north to the great state of Alaska and the fresh roasted beans of North Pole Coffee Roasting Company.

It's no joke: there is a town, just fourteen miles outside of Fairbanks, officially named North Pole. the original idea behind naming the town was to attract toy manufacturers who, it was hoped, would relish the idea of putting "Made in the North Pole" on their packages.

While the toy companies did not flock north, almost fifty years later the town can boast its own Santa Claus House (open year 'round), a Santaland RV park, a variety yof streets with holiday names, and North Pole Coffee Roasting.

Of course there's a certain appeal to offering a North Pole Blend as our coffee of the month, but true to our mission, our main reason for selecting this Alaskan roaster is their reputation for quality. their signature blends have been praised several times by leading reviewers. This month's selection actually received a score of 85 from the well-respected CoffeeReviewer.com.

Surprised? You shouldn't be. They take their coffee very seriously in Alaska. You would too if the average temperature where you live was below freezing; of if you received less than four hours of daylight in winter.

In alaska, if you dawdle over that first cup, you might be finishing it up as the sun goes down-still warm!

Last month we were in foggy Rhode Island, this month in alaska: and you get to travel along with us for just the price of a good cup of coffee.

Ho, ho, ho, what a bargain!

February 2006, Tyler, TX.It's c-time, Texas "c", that is, black gold from Coffee City USA. Yes there really is a Coffee City, Texas, and a specialty coffee company that takes its name from this charming country town outside of Dallas.

Where better to et your coffee than from Coffee City? Owner Ray Johnson has been in the specialty coffee business ffor over 14 years. He started with a popular company in southern California and about five years ago moved to Tyler, TX, to start his own roasting company.

This is a special opportunity for Better Beans customers. Coffee City USA does not usually make their special roast available in small quantities, choosing instead to concentrate on the local wholesale markets. Unless you're passing through Tyler, just southeast of Dallas, you might not get the chance to sample their wares. If you ever find yourself in Tyler though, lease stop by. Ray and his wife-partner Sandy will be mor than happy to give you a tour of their roastery. You can even get a virtual tour at their website, www.coffeecityusa.com.

We hope you enjoy this exclusive opportunity to try one of Coffee City USA's finest creations, Freedom Blend.

March 2006, Southampton, NY.From the beautiful coastal town of Southampton, New York, we bring you the Classic Blend from the Hampton Coffee Company. Not the most creative name, but it doesn't have to be creative, because this coffee speaks for itself. Hampton is one of the most beautiful places in New York State. It attracts people from far and wide to its breathtaking coast. With the discovery of the Hampton Coffee Comopany and its outstanding roast master Pepe Martinez, we coffee lovers have an extra reason to visit the Hamptons.

Pepe is what make sthis coffee so great. Trained in the old school of roasting, he has learned to use his senses as his guide. He doesn't rely solely on measurement data like accurate times and temperature readings to determine roast level. He uses his gifted senses to decide the correct roast level of each small batch roasted. He listens to the beans; the crackling noises made during roasting are his tell-tale signs of roast level. He samples beans periodically by eating them straight out of the roaster, just as a chef would sample his work by tasting as he goes. Easting beans can be a little gritty, but you can't beat it as a way to check flavor.

Pepe has won numerous awards for his coffee roasting. Take a quick visit to the Hampton Coffee web site at www.HamptonCoffeeCompany.com to see a few, or to order more of his wonderous coffee. Or better yet, make a trip to the Hamptons to experience it firsthand.

April 2006, Stillwater, OK.Oklahoma, OK?

I don't know about you, but every time I hear those first two letters I start humming that Rodgers & Hammerstein show tune. OK-L-A-H-O-M-A!

So here at Better Beans we've been humming up a mouthful this month, ever since we decided to go to Oklahoma for our roaster of the month. Stillwater, OK, to be precise, where Endo's Coffee Roastery has the Sooners turning out sooner and later for their small-batch roasted beans.

Do you know why they call Okies 'Sooners,' by the way? Well, OK, I suspected as much. Hold your horses, I'm going to tell you. No, it doesn't have anything to do with coffee-though you have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat a Sooner to breakfast.

OK, so I'm getting to it.

In 1889, the Indian Territory was opened to settlers. Thousands of people lined up on the border and, when the signal was given, they galloped into the territory to order their lattes. About an hour after that, they went looking for land. Some people went in early to claim their land. They became known as Sooners.

At this point I think we should state for the record that we won't be shipping out orders of Endo's coffee until we are good and ready. You can place your orders now, if you liek, but we're not going to ship the orders until they are fresh out of the roaster. So you Sooners out there, relax!

May 2006, Raleigh, NC. We put our money where our mouth is this month, and of course our mouth is almost always 'round the lip of a luscious cup of coffee. This month though, our money's also on North Carolina and the ACC, the center of the basketball universe, wehre as you read these words a hundred thousand hoop fans are cheering on their favorite beanery, Larry's Beans of Raleigh, NC.

Well, perhaps those cheers were really directed at their local basketball teams - Duke, North Carolina, NC State, each of whom received an invitation to the NCAA's "big dance." But when March Madness rolls around every fan in the Carolina Triangle knows that there are going to be a lot of late nights ahead, so they turn to Larry.

Larry's Beans has been micro-roasting small batches of unique varietals and blends on Tobacco Road for over ten years, earning high points for their skill at "bean ball." Larry's is also a favorite in the Carolina college towns because of their dedication to Fair Trade, Shade Grown and Organic beans - coffee that is produced with the welfare of the farmer and the environment in mind.

Of course neither the score on the court nor the score in the court of public opinion has much to do with the taste in the cup. In the cup it's a matter of the beans, and the skill of the roast master. And this is why Larry's Beans should be in everybody's Final Four (did you see that coming?). Larry's Beans are fresh roasted daily, packaged and shipped as soon as humanly possible - no matter how late Larry's staff stayed up the night before.

If you're already a Better Beans subscriber, you can set up your lounge chair by the TV, get out your championship bracket, and settle in for the long haul, confident your beans are on the way. If this is your first time in the big leagues of bean roasting, relax: just a few well placed clicks and Larry's Beans will be on their way.

June 2006, Arcata, CA. Amidst the pristine bays of northern California, within the vertical canyons of the immense Redwoods, backpackers may be shocked to detect the clear and compelling aroma of Indonesian coffee beans roasting nearby Or perhaps they may already know of Sacred Grounds Organic Coffee Roasters our selected Roaster of the Month.

The distances that people will go to find, or brew, the best and freshest coffee is something we are almost complacent about today. The father and son roasting team of Fred and Steve Herbert roasts only certified organic coffees from around the world, and finds eager buyrs in the college town of Arcata, CA, where their shop is located, as well as across the globe.

Passion is the common currency for coffee lovers. For Sacred Grounds it is both a passion for their skill as roasters and for the environment. Sacred Grounds seeks out beans certified organic as well as Fair Trade and shade grown coffees when possible. It is of course the coffee in the cup that must come first if their social consciousness is to be taken seriously.

Sacred Grounds ha developed their own take on the Northwestern style of roasting. They roast to a point just shy of Full City, providing a deep flavor that still allows the subtleties of their beans to come through.

July 2006, Reno, NV. Reno, NV – In your search for innovative approaches to coffee roasting, you've probably already checked out the beans from both coasts. But what about Reno?

Yes, Reno, NV, “The Biggest Little City in the World,” according to the Reno Chamber of Commerce. There, on Ohm Street, a short distance from the casinos where gamblers make their bets, a special approach to coffee roasting is underway – wood fire roasting!

This is not a traditional Reno business. In fact, there is nothing at the Wood-Fire Roasting Company that is native to Reno. The various aromatic woods are imported; the coffee beans come from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Even Tim, owner and roast master, is not a native Reno-ite. But Tim has the one element that all innovation is based upon: curiosity! Curious to know just how coffee was roasted in the old days, Tim discovered that at one time, wood fires played a significant role in the process and flavor of coffee. So, Tim began experimenting.

Not sure how wood fires might affect the roasting process? Well, have you ever tried to use mesquite wood or other wood chips on your barbeque grill? Do you remember the way the special chips added both spiciness and a smoky smoothness to your food? Wood fires do much the same for roasting coffee.

This is not an accidental method, not in the least: the roaster controls the amount of smoke, the type of wood, and, just as traditional roast masters do, the roasting time. Wood fire roasting simply adds new colors to the roast master's palette. But don’t take our word for it. Just light up your PC and send us a smoke signal. In no time at all, those wood fire roasted beans will be headed your way.

August 2006, Aptos, CA. Ready for an endless summer (and who isn't)? Well then how about an endless cup of summertime coffee? In search of the best days of summer, Better Beans has discovered the ultimate coffee lover's hangout - Surf City! No shoes, no shirts, no problem! Surf City Coffee is all about the perfect wave and the perfect cup. On the wall of their open-air coffee shack is a framed picture of surfer Robert “Wing Nut” Weaver –a friend of the owner and an inspiration to the company. Californians have a well-deserved reputation for making an art out of leisure activities, so how better to apply that talent than in the search for the perfect cup.

Surf City's own search began when they opened up their first coffee house, utilizing other companies' roasted beans. They quickly realized though that for the freshest coffee, you have to do it yourself, on site. Today the Surf City Coffee Company has over a dozen years' experience doing it all: using the best Fair Trade and organic Arabica beans –always delivered green and roasted in small batches on site, so you can be sure its as fresh as can be.

Ready to take a dip in those California waters? Place your order with Better Beans now and then visit Surf City Coffee's information-packed web site (Surfcitycoffee.com) where you’ll find everything you might want to know about beans, how to brew them, and the terminology used to describe the resulting beverage. Be sure to take the quiz that asks where the real 'Surf City' is located (hint: remember Jan and Dean?) Better Beans subscribers who just can't wait for more summer fun can relax: the big wave is coming soon, by USPS Priority Mail. Here at Better Beans, we make the sacrifice for you – we head to the beaches, the mountains, and the prairies to find the best micro-roasters in America and make their unique coffee products available to you. Surf's up!

September 2006, Greencastle, PA. Greencastle, Pennsylvania, may not be on most people's top ten places to visit, but that may soon change. If you’re a devotee of the best coffee in America, you may want to take a little detour next time you're in the general area of southern PA.

Then again, that's why Better Beans is here: we travel the back roads so that you need never leave the comfort of your home computer in order to taste the best beans America has to offer.

If you're ever in the area though, you should stop by Greencastle Coffee's castle-like brick building and look up at the gargoyles lining the roof. If you time your visit right, you see their vintage Victorian coffee roasters in action on the sidewalk in front of the building, sending up an aroma that literally pulls cars off nearby Interstate 81. Gargoyles, you ask? Antique roasters? It's no joke, just another example of a roastmaster going the extra mile to make sure their coffee is the best that it can be.

Take down the address: 165 East Baltimore Street, Greencastle, PA. After you taste the Greencastle Blend that we are sending you this month, you'll want to pay them a visit. When you do, you'll see that they have so much to offer. Besides gargoyles and roasters on the street, they offer an unequaled selection of single origin, blended and special rare beans from almost every continent (well, no beans from the Antarctic yet). Wander around their store and you'll also find a wide selection of teas, fresh roasted peanuts in the shell, and a collection of oriental cookbooks and spices. But for now, let's just stick to the beans.

Greencastle prides themselves on offering coffee beans that are simple, authentic and fresh. So, sit back with your cup of Greencastle Blend and don't worry about hitting the road just yet. Leave the driving (shipping) to us.

October 2006, Pawtucket, RI. In a classic Rhode Island mill, near what most historians suggest are the origins of the American Industrial Revolution, another revolution of sorts is brewing – literally. New Harvest Coffee Roasters represents a unique approach to the coffee industry by focusing on the needs of both coffee drinkers and the coffee growing communities. In the first decade of the 19th century, children were the labor that powered the new textile mills of Colonial America. Working, eating and sleeping in mill villages, these children were entirely at the mercy of the mill owners, who could work them as long and pay them as little as they wanted.

Today, New Harvest is not only concerned with providing a quality product, but also very much concerned with the welfare of their suppliers and their communities, whose very lives are dependent upon the quality and quantity of their seasonal coffee crop. New Harvest sells only Fair Trade coffee, a designation that ensures growers receive a fair price for their harvest.

In addition, New Harvest offers Certified Organic coffee, coffee that is grown and processed without chemicals.

Owner Rik Kleinfeldt's business philosophy doesn’t stop there—he addresses the problem of disparity between coffee consumers and coffee farmers by supporting several worthy causes. You can read more about this on their website, www.newharvestcoffee.com.

And what about the coffee? New Harvest finds the best, highest-grade arabica coffee beans from around the world. Then, their roastmaster draws on his 15-plus years of experience to draw out the best flavors and blends.

So get back to the kitchen and brew up a pot of New Harvest coffee from Better Beans. It's great coffee—with a conscience!

November 2006, Washington, DC. People have long said that politicians are full of beans, but until recently, we never knew which beans. Turns out that they have a choice, at least in Washington, DC, where, for the past 90 years, the M.E. Swing Coffee Company has been the name to know in fresh roasted coffee.

We know, 90 years seems almost unbelievable, especially considering that most experienced roasters got their start 20 years ago. Perhaps because of the international flavor of Washington, DC, fresh roasted coffee has been in demand there since Wilson was President in 1916! Clearly, the folks at M.E. Swing know what they are doing. And now, even those living outside the beltway can drink the same coffee their Congressional Rep and Senators favor.

You can cast your vote for an international selection that ranges from a select Nicaraguan to a classic Ethiopian to a variety of European espresso styles and much more. Or, take our advice and elect to receive our selection of the month, a truly democratic blend of European and American roast styles.

December 2006, Red Hook, NY. This year we're celebrating the holiday season by coming home. We’re focusing on tradition that makes the season, and the coffee, so special. Up the Hudson River, north of New York, are some of the most scenic and historically significant properties in America. Homes like Washington Irving's Sunnyside, Roosevelt's Springwood, and Clermont, home of Robert R. Livingston, Jr., one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. This wonderfully historic area is also home to our Roaster of the Month, J.B. Peel Coffee & Teaof Red Hook, NY.

J.B. Peel has been a Hudson Valley favorite for over 20 years. They've been presented with the Best Coffee Roaster Award (Hudson Valley Magazine 1996) and, more recently, Best Cup of Coffee in the Hudson Valley in 2005. Why? Three words: experience, quality and freshness.

J.B. Peel founder and roastmaster Gil Klein has over 40 years' experience in the specialty coffee industry. His business is built on a foundation of selecting the highest quality beans available, and then roasting to order as only a small-batch roaster can do. His coffee is typically shipped within a day of roasting, not months as is typical of the coffee you’ll find on the supermarket shelves.

Take a well-deserved break this season. Get out of the city, head north into the quaint villages along the Hudson River Valley, and let time slow down. Let these days become a celebration of the traditions that mean so much to your friends and family.

Here at Better Beans, we'll be celebrating traditions, too. And we'll be waiting for you in January. We wish you all the best this holiday season.