Downtown Olympia has a unique melting pot charm when it comes to coffee shops and what each shop offers to the community that compliments the ideas of bringing every person together to enjoy a beloved coffee. During the field study, We got a great deal of information from the well known local roasters and their coffee shops, Olympia Coffee Roasters and Batdorf & Bronson; who bring their knowledge and take on how to make a perfect cup while providing a sophisticated yet inviting environment that is great for small business get togethers, students that need to study or people who just wanting to relax after a long day.  Olympia Coffee Roasters (OCR) specialize in light to medium roasts that bring out the floral and fruity flavors while Batdorf & Bronson(B&B) focused on medium to dark roasts that presented wonderful chocolate, caramel and tobacco notes.  Where both roasters get their main coffee beans from are Ethiopia, Central and South America and involved in direct fair trade. One of the differences between Olympia Coffee Roasters and Batdorf & Bronson when it comes to importing/exporting is OCR has it shipped directly and pays 300% market value  while B&B buys the coffee at fair trade price and pays people to ship it. Both companies bring enthusiasm to teach people where their coffee comes, how it is prepared and where their business ethics are.

During our field study, we intended to question the distributional transparency of both establishments. Our first trip to Olympia Coffee Roasters gave us an ethical experience, with robust and exotic undertones. While both experiences were valuable to the pallet, our sense of taste and origin, it seemed apparent that the business models of both Olympia Coffee Roasters and Batdorf and Bronson may both be more ethical than your average starbucks, but when compared to one another however they are not quite the same. OCR described a system that included a direct transaction with the farmer for higher wages per pound than BB, with a professional team of flat rate wage, exporters and importers putting more money in the hands of the farmers. BB’s chain of supply seemed more expanded with the coffee passing through multiple hands that all had a stake in flipping that coffee and ringing more value out of it. Hopefully conditions will improve across the board with a model that is more economically viable for those that produce this commodity. Free trade is a term commonly used, but much less commonly adhered too, creating a trail of money that is somewhat based on hypocrisy.

Written by Tasha,

completed by Nick

Picture Image: http://7-themes.com/6801310-lovely-coffee-cup-wallpaper.html

At Olympia Coffee Roasters we got to experience a full cupping experience; complete with all the types of coffee that they offered at their establishment. The cupping process adheres to strict guidelines: coarse ground coffee, use of a French press, 200 degree Fahrenheit water, skim the foam off, and let cool. Now out of all the various coffees we tried, my personal favorites were the two Heirloom Ethiopia coffees. The first was the Banko Natural, which had notes of strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate. The second was the Adame Garbota, with notes of lemon peel, fruity dark chocolate, and apricot jam. Both of the Ethiopia coffees were sweet… which makes sense why I preferred their complexity over some of the more astringent and bitter coffees, since I have such a sweet tooth! The moment I slurped these two coffees into my mouth, I knew that I loved coffee. Sure, I usually turn my nose up at Starbucks or any other type of plain coffee… but these beans were different. Ethiopia is said to have been the birthplace of all coffees, and I can see why it is such a big part of their culture. The fruity, sweet wonderfulness of their coffee fills your mouth and puts an instant smile on your face. Simply perfect.

Written by Ashley.

In the sound clip Oliver touches on acidity in coffee and Sam discusses scale in terms of coffee suppliers.

Image: Picture of Olympia Coffee Roaster staff from Olympiacoffee.com

-Ashley