Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Kaldi's Coffee





Subject: Kaldi's Coffee
Location: Columbia, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

One of the highest hurdles in a business is the ability to adapt with current trends and industry developments. Much like a brakeless car traveling uphill, a business either moves forward or slides back; there is no stalling. In coffee, moving forward often translates into staying abreast on rising trends, growing professionally (especially with skills), new discoveries/rediscoveries and keeping your business looking fresh.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Mugged: Sumatra, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia [Royal Mile]



Subject: Royal Mile Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Sumatra Toba Batak Peaberry 5+
- Rwanda Coffee Villages SWP Decaf 5+
- Tanzania Peaberry 5+
- Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Cheffe Dumerso 6+

It's always a welcome surprise when an area with few great coffee options gets another one with some promise. Such is the case with New Jersey, the land I call home. For its population density, there are precious few coffee operations that roast or brew quality coffee.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Win a Baratza Coffee Grinder!


Do you bleed for your local espresso shop?

Do you spend all of your free time patronizing a particular coffeehouse?

We want to hear about it!

In the spirit of good will to all humans, we have teamed up with the fine people of When I Work to host a contest for one fortunate soul to win a Baratza Virtuoso Conical Burr Coffee Grinder (check it out here on Prima's website)! All that you need to do to enter is the name of your favorite coffeehouse!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Baked and Wired



Subject: Baked and Wired
Location: Washington DC
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


In my many trips to DC, I nearly always park in the outskirts and pipe in via the Metro. For the most part, I depend on the train solely to get around (unless otherwise necessary) and thus, I have definitely left out a few spots in DC from my explorations. The most notable in my mind was the Georgetown area, since the Metro has no stop in the area, and as such I have literally passed over the area in my excursions to DC, choosing convenience over checking out this fabled neighborhood.

Bean Box



A lot of coffee subscription services serve up a different coffee from all over the nation, but few target one specific area or city. Yet that's exactly what Bean Box does, serving up 4 coffees roasted only in Seattle to their constituents. Using 2 oz bags, I received the following coffee in my shipment: Kuma Coffee's Guatemala La Esperanza, Herkimer Coffee's Drip Blend, Long Shoreman's Daughter Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (FTO) and Lighthouse Roasters Roaster's Choice. Each of these coffees I sampled via pourover and since the sample size was so small, I really could not issue a definitive rating on the coffees, and hence the below are simply the tasting notes.

Monday, December 08, 2014

The Coffee Ethic




Subject: The Coffee Ethic
Location: Springfield, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


I am a great fan of open town squares, especially when they sit amidst local merchants. In walking through hundreds of urban open spaces, ranging from Central Park to Golden Gate Park, it seems that the proper dosage of local commerce (though I do not know the ratio) makes for the greatest level of enjoyment for said open spaces.

Mugged: Cinnamon and Lavender [Le Palais des Thés]



Subject: Le Palais des Thés
Teas Mugged and Rating [see key]:
Lavender Oolong 4+
Cinnamon Black 3+

As the holidays flare up again, the many flavors of spice come roaring into the realm of lauded drink options. Most people think of lattes flavored with gingerbread or peppermint, but there's also quite a few teas that get a little more play in kitchens and coffee bars at this time of year.

Monday, December 01, 2014

Half and Half


Subject: Half and Half
Location: St. Louis, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


It is no secret that everyone loves brunch. There's just something magical about the wondrous combinations and concoctions that become available on weekend late mornings. Sadly, not every brunch place is worth your dollar, and for my money, if I am plopping down to enjoy a hearty meal with a close kinship to breakfast, I want a place with great coffee.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Mugged: Konga Natural Ethiopia [PTs Coffee]



Subject: PT's Coffee (via My Coffee Pub)
Coffee Mugged: Konga Natural Ethiopia
Rating [see key]: 6+


To state the obvious, not all coffee subscription services are created equal. Some legitmately send out great coffee, month to month, pouring forth delicious specimens with few exceptions. Some, sadly not so much (some services just seem to pick some really blah stuff). There's also the differentiation of quantity and variety, with some going with a dozen micro-pouches, each with only a few beans per coffee, while others send up to multiple pounds per month. Fortunately, it's easy to try most of them prior to long-term committment, so you can avoid a year of wasted beans and find your right niche.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Dose Coffee and Tea



Subject: Dose Coffee and Tea
Location: Nashville, TN
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


For all of Nashville's sprawl, the area offers a healthy array of things to do across the city. One site I recently was able to visit was Nashville's Parthenon by Vanderbilt. Sadly time was not on my side and this Greek replica only got a fraction of its deserved time, as there was not enough minutes in the day to accommodate a full helping of classical architecture and still have ample time for a coffee stop.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha [Artis]



Subject: Artis Coffee
Coffee Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha
Rating [see key]: 4+


People like having choices and options. We like choosing where we'll have lunch, what program we'll watch that evening or whether we take the long or short way home. With coffee, most folks like to switch up the way they brew, the microlot they're ordering next or the roaster from which they will purchase it. But with the exception of home roasters or people with connections, rarely do people have the option to switch the roast profile of the coffee they got last week. 

Monday, November 03, 2014

Quills Coffee




Subject: Quills Coffee
Location: Louisville, KY
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I've been writing about my coffeehouse adventures since 2006, few places have sat on my list of "must visit" as long as Quills Coffee. Way back in the beginnings of my blog, they shot me a quick note and mentioned to stop by the next time I was in Louisville. And year after year they remained on that list solely because I could not get Louisville onto any of my itineraries. But when I was finally able to solidify recent plans to the Ville, I made a definitive plan to visit Quills.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chele'lektu and Aricha [Beanfruit Coffee]



Subject: BeanFruit Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha Natural Process 5+
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chele'lektu 5+


Mississippi remains in my mind as a state unfurled. What I speak of is simply that like many other states in our fair union, the fine state of Mississippi, while full of many other wonderful institutions (such as the rebels of Ole Miss), there exist few coffee establishments of great worth. In the times I have forayed into its lands, not once have I successfully found one. But thanks to grace from above and toil from below, the state of Mississippi has begun sprouting some great coffee companies, with one of the more prominent to my ears being Jackson, Mississippi's Bean Fruit Coffee Co.  

Monday, October 20, 2014

Sump Coffee




Subject: Sump Coffee
Location: St. Louis, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In this glorious day and age, there exist numerous coffee operations doing a fantastic job with their product, truly showing great dedication and extreme zeal for well-crafted coffee. Yet few shops wear their hardcore nature as well as St. Louis' Sump Coffee, known far and wide by their bearded skull logo sitting atop a portafilter/coffee branch cross bones (rendered into animation, said skull even chuckles with deep laughter amidst the guitar pluckings of heavy metal).

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Survival Coffee: Kyocera Grinder




The more Hollywood generates post-apocalyptic glimpses to the unfortunate lifestyle of a world battling zombies or simply recovering from a nuclear winter, the more easily spooked people seem to get about encountering such cataclysmic events. To this swirly pool of somewhat-justified paranoia I would like to add the question: how will you make a good cup of coffee when disaster strikes?

Monday, October 06, 2014

Bloom Coffee and Tea




Subject: Bloom Coffee and Tea
Location: Northfield, NJ
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

*Update 2.27.19*
This place has long since closed and the area still has not found a suitable replacement :(.

The wonder of summer often conjures up glorious images of sandy beaches, cerulean skies and refreshing ocean water. I know the mental slideshow well, as I have spent many a summer visiting the gorgeous towns of the southern NJ coast. Yet for all the summer magic that the coast brings, it still largely lacks great coffee.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Mugged: Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala [Black Oak]


Subject: Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Kenya Kabatha AB 5+
- Ethiopia Konga 5+
- Guatemala San Diego Buena Vista 6+

California wine country is renowned for its many great vineyards, but up until recently, the sea of grapes harbored little else of such high quality. Fortunately the area is growing even more appealing, with quality specialty coffee slowly gaining a stronger foothold in the land of vino. Take Black Oak Coffee Roasters in the town of Ukiah right off the 101; what more could you ask for than a coffee roaster that takes as much care and love in their beans as the best vineyards surrounding put into making their wine?  

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Shortwave Coffee






Subject: Shortwave Coffee
Location: Columbia, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


If you were to tell most people that greatness lies in a basement down a Missourian alley, you may be met with a skeptical eyebrow. But as true as the road is full of autumn construction, some alley basements sport some pretty spectacular haunts.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Mugged: Brasil, Colombia and Ethiopia [PHCR]



Subject: Passion House Coffee Roasters 
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Brasil Sertaozinho 5+
- Colombia Matambo AAA 6+
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere 5+

I always love getting revisits from great roasters, especially ones from Chicago, as the windy city seems to be home to some of the warmest coffee folks in the industry. Some months ago I got my first real interaction with Passion House Coffee Roasters (a tremendously pleasant one) and as a recent follow-up, I got a full taste of their Ambient-Mainstream-Experimental spectrum with three coffees each championing a genre: their Brasil Sertaozinho representing Ambient, Colombia Matambo volunteering as tribute for Mainstream and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere standing up for Experimental. I brewed each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

Monday, September 08, 2014

Sunergos Coffee





Subject: Sunergos Coffee
Location: Louisville, KY
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Louisville is a city I have been longing to go back to since I last left. I had rolled into town one New Years holiday weekend back in 2004 and found the town almost completely shut down. I distinctly remember using all of my the power at my disposal to locate some decent coffee, but no matter where I looked or where I begged, I could not locate an open coffeehouse. It was a weekend of despair and anguish only eclipsed by the company of good friends and a great conference. And ever since I left town on a cold morning in early January, my ears have only filled to the brim with the great wonders of Louisville. 

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

Mugged: Brazil, Colombia and Kenya [Bold Bean]




Subject: Bold Bean Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Canaan Estate, Carmo de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil 5+
- Finca Buenavista, Cundinamarca, Colombia 5+ 
- Kwamangu Estate, Kiambu, Kenya 6+


Florida is a state I tend to forget about during the warmer summer months, so it's always nice to hear of good things going on in the area's coffee realm. One of the state's more substantial coffee operations runs out of Jacksonville and goes by the name of Bold Bean Coffee Roasters. Opened in 2007, this coffee roaster caught my eye at a Coffee Fest ABC Coffeehouse Competition back in 2013 with good coffee and a solid presence.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Kingdom Coffee and Cycles





Subject: Kingdom Coffee and Cycles
Location: Springfield, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


The more I am around people who ride bicycles, the more I want to be a regular bicyclist. It's not because I want an excuse to regularly wear bib shorts, or because I relish the idea of sharing the road with easily distracted motorists, but simply because for all the driving I do in my regular commute, I don't get much worthwhile exercise from it (aka you can only do so many curls at a red light). With the busyness of life these days, to knock off exercise and commuting to work with the same action would be glorious. Yet such simplicity cannot be, as I often have to traverse great distances at a moments notice. For now, the bicycle and I cannot be commuting buddies. 

Monday, August 18, 2014

Mugged: Ethiopia [Driven]



Subject: Driven Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged: Ethiopia Sidamo
Rating [see key]: 4+

It's hard to get a definitive pulse on a roaster by only trying one of their coffees, so when opportunity arises to try a different coffee from a new-to-me roaster, I tend to jump on it. Recently, I jumped at an opportunity to take a second crack at Driven Coffee Roasters out of Minneapolis. 

Monday, August 11, 2014

The Shop Cafe





Subject: The Shop Cafe
Location: Ithaca, NY
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Back when central New York was a regular stomping ground, Ithaca was one of my favorite haunts. Its lovely small town shops, independent culture and its array of good coffeehouses always made for a nice little day trip.

Monday, August 04, 2014

Mugged: Mexico and Costa Rica [Perc Coffee]



Subject: Perc Coffee Roasters
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
Mexico Finca Kassandra 5+
Montanas Del Diamante, Costa Rica 5+

Who does not want to visit Savannah? As a fan of old American cities and southern charm, this Georgian belle has often allured me from afar with its rich history and intriguing attractions. 

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Barista Parlor



Subject: Barista Parlor
Location: Nashville, TN
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


It's been some time since I have been able to get on down to Nashville, and since my last visit, several great coffee establishments have sprung high into the atmosphere. Possibly the most recognizable, due to the giant orange garage doors, mammoth footprint and wondrous array of coffee is Barista Parlor. Frequently ranked as a must visit amongst locals and tourists alike, Barista Parlor possesses a giant garage on the side of a building (aka don't look for it's blue and orange frontage on the road) in East Nashville. 

Fill in the Coffee Map!




Over the past 8 years of its life, the Pure Coffee Blog has existed to mine out and celebrate great coffee establishments all over the globe. In the beginning, much of my content was local, basically the Philadelphia area. Then I moved out west, and from there I used every opportunity no matter where I roamed to go out of my way and find as many great coffeehouses as possible. Today, I can claim to have visited tons of superb coffeehouses (check out the map), performing all of these expeditions as the efforts of fanatical passion and zeal, to not only experience it myself, but also to give some media attention, no matter how small, to coffee places doing things right.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Mugged: Kona Fancy [Kona Coffee Purveyors]



Subject: Kona Coffee Purveyors
Coffees Mugged: Kona Fancy
Rating [see key]: 4+

Like most people who love travel and tropical paradises, I verily yearn to visit the lovely islands of Hawaii. Especially when my house freezes and plummeted temperatures induce depressions, I pine for the crystal waters and volcanic sand of the Pacific. 

Thursday, July 17, 2014

CC: Hi-Collar



Subject: Hi-Collar
Location: Manhattan, NY
No WiFi
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When most people think of stopping by a coffee establishment for their morning fix, the majority think of a large, spacious room where they can sink into isolated bliss with their laptop. In most parts of the country, this model knows no rival (so fear not freelancers and budding authors!). But slowly over the past few years, a handful of spots have dared to spice it up, encouraging different experiences for patrons.

Monday, July 07, 2014

Mugged: Colombian Antioquia [Serda's]



Coffees Mugged: Colombian Antioquia Finca Majagual Estate Micro Lot
Rating [see key]: 6+

When most folks think of towns made famous for their coffee scene, one does not usually pick Mobile, Alabama. Located right on the Gulf, a short drive from New Orleans, the area is home to a handful of local coffee establishments making their way in the balmy southern borders of America. Until recently I could not name you one, but the folks at Serda's reached out recently to change that. 

Mugged: Guatemala [Unicorn]



Subject: Unicorn Coffee Company
Coffees Mugged: Guatemala
Rating [see key]: 4+


It's not often you get to try out coffee before it hits the shelves. But these days with more and more folks starting up production well before they open their doors, every now and then such an opportunity to do so arises. 

Sunday, June 29, 2014

CC: Greenstreet Coffee Roasters



Subject: Greenstreet Coffee Roasters
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

As long as I can remeber, the space on the corner of Spruce and 11th has always been a coffeehouse. Back in my youth, it was a place serving mediocre swill; nothing to telegraph the foreign fleets about. The next tenants conversely were some of the first quality baristas in town, a place called Spruce Street Espresso. Sadly after many years of exemplary service, they moved out of the cozy storefront, and for some time the space sat empty. 

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Mugged: Ethiopia Sidamo and Cat's Pajamas [Compelling and Rich]



Subject: Compelling and Rich Specialty Coffee
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Cat's Pajamas Blend 5+
- Ethiopia Sidamo Bokasso Coop 5+

It's refreshing to see folks with drive, passion AND delicious results. Some people throw around some great rhetoric, but unless it's paired with stellar outcomes (or at least some hardy efforts at those outcomes), it's hard to take a company seriously. 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

CC: Box Kite NYC


Subject: Box Kite NYC
Location visited: Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The fight to offer a better coffeehouse experience is a daunting challenge. So many great establishments have set the bar so high that it can be difficult to postulate how one can make a better mousetrap. But truly, I'm surprised every year with a shop or two that's taken the concept to a different level.

Brim Coffee Station (SW20)



In the past decade, we saw an explosion in the variety of coffee brewing devices available to the average consumer. No longer did Mr. Coffee reign supreme over the kitchen counter; finally a rebirth of domicile coffee experimentation began. Now in this present day of June, you can find not only the different methods like (filter-based, immersion, etc.) but tons of different takes on each, such as the many different approaches to pourover.