Coffee Business in Olympia

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Alli in Field Study.

Olympia Specialty Coffee industry

Terroir plays a central role in the specialty coffee industry. First and foremost, since coffee is not grown in temperate climates, it is grown in tropical climates and at very high elevation, its origin is a major selling point. Coffee is typically sold around $5 – $8 per pound in the grocery store. Both Batdorf and Bronson and Olympia Coffee Roasting Company sell their coffee at about twice that, between $12 and $19 per pound. Origin and flavour profile are paramount in elevating the coffee to a position of artisanal esteem, stripping away the attitudes associating coffee with the working class breakfast or a commercial energy drink.

Locale is in many ways just as important as origin. The fact that both of these companies are local companies, without corporate headquarters, or branches across the world speaks to the customers. Small batch and small quantity make quality seem even more important, as high quantity is associated with factories and an impersonal feeling.

As important as the descriptions of origin are so is the media showing the regions, the farms, and the farmers. Showing consumers that the coffee company cares about the farmer’s livelihoods, whether through fair or direct trade, makes them feel as though they are participating in something positive, and placates the conscientious consumer of their role in trading with developing nations, however precarious it may be. This artisanal focus on quality and flavour complexity coupled with a pledge to pay higher prices to farmers places the businessman at a moral high ground and justifying or explaining the higher cost to consumers.

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Post Edited by: Mikko, when the coffee wears off…

Favorite Coffee Ever Tasted

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Alli in Field Study.

The most delicious coffee I have ever savoured was the coffee I tasted on a farm in rural northern Thailand. There was something in the rich, aromatic, fruity and smooth flavour that is inexpressible. In Thailand, pairing coffee with coconut milk is the common way to receive coffee, which is utterly delicious. The coconut just adds the the smoothness, and its nutty notes pairs perfectly with the bitter coffee in my palate. When I reminisce about the coffee, I am transported back to the misty cool mornings where cocks would awaken the day, and walking from my bamboo shack to the rustic outdoor kitchen at 5am where the whole family would be gathered. We would sit together and plan the day over the fresh brew before going to the fields to work. I arrived to the farm in the heart of coffee season, and my main job was to harvest and wash the coffee. Maybe it was because I was able to experience the process, and use my hands to process the magnificent bean, but there is no coffee drinking experience that trumps the one on the farm.

The beautiful jungles where coffee grows in Northern Thailand.

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4 Favorite Cafes

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Alli in Field Study.

Consider how cafes may serve as places to educate coffee drinkers about coffee terroir. Create a post that includes a table of your group’s 4 favorite coffee cafes (eg. places) that offer customers information related to different aspects of terroir. In your table include: business name, business address, any particular resourceful people, and the aspects of terroir you can learn about at this place. At least three of these places should be other than Olympia Coffee Roasters or B &Bronson.

BUSINESS NAME/ADDRESS	PEOPLE	TERROIR
Olympia Coffee Roasters 600 4th Ave. East Olympia, WA 98501	Oliver Stormshak & Sam Schroeder	Best coffee in the whole entire world can be found here. Sam and Oliver settle for ONLY the very best coffee, milk, and flavors. Their roasting methods are designed to bring out the unique flavors in their carefully selected beans.
Caffe Vita 124 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501		Roasting their beans in Seattle since 1995 with locations all along the west coast and a roasteria in New York, their great tasting coffees and even better espressos are exceptionally delicious. Their coffee maintains a bold, strong flavour while keeping a very smooth mouthfeel. They work directly with farmers, and have a free public brewing school to educate people how to brew better coffee at home.
Burial Grounds 406 Washington st SE Olympia, WA 98501		The coffee is rich and bold . My favourite drink there is the breve lavender white chocolate mocha with lavender infused shots. the lavender is a cream oil with a smooth finish. this drink is also one of their hidden drink items .
Barnes and Noble Cafe. 1530 Black Lake Blvd Olympia, Wa 98501		The espresso used at B and N cafe is quite good in a different way, “espresso roast” it is a kind of ‘anti-terroir’. Being a Starbucks blend it consists of so many different beans of different origins that, like in wine, they are used to create a generic flavor profile and when roasted in a preferred way create a dependable taste that remains consistent throughout the years.

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Favorite Field Study Insights

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Alli in Field Study.

My favorite insights from the coffee field studies:

Olympia Coffee Roasters:

OCR’s Sam and Oliver shared their unique perspective on coffee terroir. From most important to least important, they listed the following factors as the main determinators of coffee taste.
1. Coffee processing method: such as natural, honey/semi-washed, or washed
2. Varietal: for example, Bourbon, the most common Central American coffee variety.
3. The terroir, which they describe as “the unique cultural properties of production.”
Olympia Coffee Roasters wants to “reveal the mysteries in coffee.” Their business is a very special one, during which it’s remarkably young life, has won Micro Roaster of the Year in 2013 and gained international attention. Sam and Oliver describe themselves as a quality of life coffee company. The company uses a direct trade coffee purchasing model.

Batdorf and Bronson

Bob at Batdorf & Bronson shared his perspective on terroir: That it is a way to market a unique coffee. He states that most coffee marketing is consumer driven, and what consumers like is seeing the origin of their coffee. Contrary to the perspective of Sam and Oliver at OCR, he believes that the origin has the largest influence on coffee flavor, rather than the processing method or variety of coffee. Much like wine, Bob told us that coffee flavor can be elevation based, and that the elevation has a direct correlation to the cup quality. Also, he shared that young, nutrient rich volcanic soils tend to have the best terroir.
The tasting at Batdorf was especially insightful into the taste differences with different types of processing. I could taste a distinct difference between the natural process and the washed. The natural coffee we tasted, the Ethiopia Sidamo, was much more full of well rounded, tart fruit flavors.

Featured Image by Chris DiNottia: from Olympia Coffee Roaster’s blog
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Olympia Coffee Roasters Interview

Posted on November 19, 2015 by yarden in Field Study.

blogs.evergreen.edu/photo/files/2013/07/alumni-business-olympia-roasting-27.jpg

Oliver from Olympia Coffee Roasters talking about terroir related to their unique roasting process. He calls their process “caramelization roasting,” which they invented as a company.

Taken by Kelly

Here is the whole interview.

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Example: Field Study

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Amy G. in Field Study.

Photo: Pete Lewis/Department for International Development

Field Study Components:

3a) On your website complete the table of your group’s 3 favorite insights from visiting Olympia Coffee Roasters and/or Batdorf and Bronson.

3b) Consider how cafes may serve as places to educate coffee drinkers about coffee terroir. Create a post that includes a table of your group’s 4 favorite coffee cafes (eg. places) that offer customers information related to different aspects of terroir. In your table include: business name, business address, any particular resourceful people, and the aspects of terroir you can learn about at this place. At least three of these places should be other than Olympia Coffee Roasters or B &Bronson.

3c) Conduct two interviews with pre-authorized staff at Olympia field trip sites or group members regarding their experiences of terroir and coffee, one of which MUST be recorded (at least 1 minute excerpted to be posted to your website).

3d) Create a post of the favorite coffee-related thing you tasted. Describe what it was in detail. Next, describe WHY this was your favorite taste. To build on Escher’s “The Pale Yellow Glove” and Proust’s “The Madeleine” in The Taste Culture Reader as examples, please enjoy reading these excerpts of “coffee” in literature: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/mar/26/benjamin-obler-coffee-best-books These pieces of highly crafted “tasting” demonstrate possibilities for writing that makes present a key component of taste: the objectivities of human subjectivity (foibles and all). Here are some resources for learning to describe the taste of coffee: http://www.zecuppa.com/coffeeterms-cupping-tasting.htm and http://equalexchange.coop/sites/default/files/import/pdfs/media/news/Roast_MayJun12_WellRoundedPalate.pdf

3e) The Business of Coffee: Olympia. In this component provide images and text that demonstrate what you learned during your Olympia field work. In particular, and based on your experience, please address how “terroir” (or components of terroir, such as coffee variety, where grown) is being used to increase value, establish authenticity, highlight gastronomic pleasure, and a sense of place in relationship to the business aspects of coffee in Olympia.