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Bean there, done that…Roasting done right

by Adrian Badger, Steeltown Coffee & Tea, Pittsburg, CA – May 23, 2009

Earlier this month I was extremely fortunate to spend an evening roasting coffee with John Laird, the local roastmaster who will be supplying Steeltown Coffee & Tea with his exquisitely roasted coffee beans to be used in our espresso and coffee drinks. John is a charming man with a sparkle in his eye who followed his dream several years ago and began roasting coffee for his own coffeehouse, Pacific Bay. Since opening, John has been dedicated to roasting his coffees in a way that brings out the very finest flavors and aroma of each carefully roasted batch of coffee beans.  

I already had a general understanding of the coffee roasting process when John offered to show me how he works, but after spending several hours perspiring in the heat of the roaster (which, incidentally, is a beautiful work of art itself) I have a new respect for both the green coffee bean, and the roasting process. John’s roasting machine has all the computerized bells and whistles on it but, for John, they are but a tool with which he masterfully sculpts every roast by hand. 

Over the course of the evening I was able to witness the skill of an artist combined with the precision of an engineer. During every minute of the

 roasting period John carefully and accurately adjusted the roaster’s temperature in order to achieve the perfect roast “profile” for the specific beans being roasted. The appropriate roasting time of any given batch of coffee beans varies depending on many factors including the species, the country of origin, the age, and the desired darkness of roast. With many years of experience behind him, John is able to coax the optimal flavor from the beans

 by tweaking time and temperature to reach his goal for that particular batch. While constantly monitoring these variables, John also periodically samples the “darkness” of the batch to ensure things progress as planned and that the aroma, for lack of a better word, “matures” as expected. 

After spending the evening with John I clearly see a parallel between the art of fine wine making and artisanal coffee roasting. A difference, however, is that while wine ages over time in cellars, coffee “ages” during the relatively brief roasting process. Wine makers have a lot more time and flexibility to determine when their product has reached its prime. Coffee roasters must make the same determination within minutes or seconds rather than weeks or months. 

Artisanal, small-batch roasters like John bring something unique to the specialty coffee industry that you can’t find in mass-produced coffee beans; a respect for the bean that translates into a miniature masterpiece in every cup. Steeltown Coffee & Tea is fortunate to be able to offer John’s works of art and I look forward to sharing the enjoyment of his meticulously roasted coffees with you.

Local Roast

The East Bay’s coffee cup overflows with home-grown roasters.

By Julie Miller Dowling

"HEY, YOU. Yeah, you. Drop that venti half-caf toffee-nut latte, and slowly back away from the counter.

It’s time to go local.

From all-over-the-East Bay roasters like Peet’s, to neighborhood favorites like Pacific Bay , to up-and-comers like Catahoula, Diabloland java proves that Seattle isn’t the only place that can roast up a good batch of beans.

All of these locally roasted coffees can be ordered and sent to your home."

….

"PACIFIC BAY
Where: Pacific Bay’s Walnut Creek café, Havana, and Blakes.
Top seller: Espresso Obsesso.
Taste: Rich, sweet, and smooth, with pronounced bittersweet chocolate.
Check this out: Pacific Bay roasts in its café, so customers can watch."

Leslie Wilson, watercolor artist and our neighbor here in Walnut Creek, CA, is exhibiting her latest works through the end of October.

The application of color is immediate and emotional, capturing the subject in the light, each time something new, whether a figure, object or landscape.  She receives great joy when she transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, reminding people of the places they’ve been, the people they’ve met and the truly remarkable light and color in our world.

“Marshview Reflections”, above, and currently display, was inspired by a rare morning view of the marshes and Mt. Diablo from Marshview Road, north of Benicia.

Leslie offers original watercolor paintings and commissions, including landscapes, still life and figures in an impressionistic style charged with light and color.  To view a selection of Leslie Wilson’s watercolors, please go to her website or contact her by email: leslie_wilson@pacbell.net.

Local Walnut Creek artist Ruth Kolman Brophy is exhibiting her colorful acrylic on canvas monotype abstracts through out the month of August – come check it out!

“I am a native of Austria and lived there until my early twenties. After high school I attended the College of Art and Design of the City of Linz, after which I studied at the University of Oregon in Eugene for a year. I enrolled in summer school at the Chicago Art Institute. I married and moved to Minneapolis. I attended classes at the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design while raising four children.I maintained my own studio and participated in the local art scene. I received awards and
commissions. I leased a press for monotypes and participated in Open Studio and Art Walk events.California and the West Coast beckoned, however, and I moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 2004.”

Ruth Kolman Brophy

“It all started with a simple question, “Would you take a hike with me?” and the adventure began resulting in a memorable photographic collection of the East Bay Regional Trails depicting the beauty and spirit of the outdoors. Images were acquired while hiking the Regional Trails unknown to many residents.

For Michael the challenge is to always have an image in mind before capturing it, to always have an idea of the message that the image should convey. This is particularly difficult with landscape photography, making the hikes all the more enjoyable. Michael has a strong background in photography with degrees from University of the Witwatersrand – Johannesburg South Africa, the University of Colorado – Boulder Colorado, experiencing freelance Wedding & Travel Photography and is currently a resident of Concord, CA.

Verna is self taught with support of local park and recreational programs. Through her photography, she has captured the spirit of the earth using natural light to enhance the image. The excitement for her is the challenge of being in the right place, having the right light, and capturing the image. Verna is a resident of San Ramon, CA.

Michael uses both a Canon 10D & 5D digital SLR camera while Verna captures her images with a Sony Cyber – Shot DSC-F717. Michael and Verna have recently presented at the Lindsay Dirkx Brown Gallery of San Ramon.”

]]> http://pacificbaycoffee.com/2008/07/01/%e2%80%9ctake-a-hike%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://pacificbaycoffee.com/2008/05/18/signs-signs-everywhere-signs/ http://pacificbaycoffee.com/2008/05/18/signs-signs-everywhere-signs/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 01:21:28 +0000 Jen Manlief http://pacificbaycoffee.com/?p=191

Some of you may have noticed a small sign that sits at our register these days. It says: “To help us get your order correctly, Please finish phone calls before ordering.” The comments we have gotten on this sign have been surprising to me- people seem to love it.

The sign was created on a day where on three separate occasions we got drinks wrong because the person ordering them was on a cell phone. One woman said “ I’ d like a coffee. ” She was pretty engrossed in her conversation, so I held up two different cup sizes and she pointed to the smaller one . We got it for her and rung it up , but then she tasted it, put her phone down and said “ This isn’t a latte! ” I understand where the disconnect happened – I say to my roommate all the time “ I’m going to get a cup of coffee ” , but really mean a latte, mocha, or my favorite – a tiny breve. Now, if all you’re ordering is a small coffee, we can probably figure that out with hand gestures and miming – ( although I have seen staff get creative with the charades for “ room for cream? ” milking a cow, anyone?) but if it’s more complicated than that, we need a little bit of interaction to make sure you get the drink you want- what size, what milk preference, hot or cold, which kind of chai, and if you ’ d like whip cream to top it all off. If you’ve ever seen someone try to mouth the words “Large-decaf-soy-vanilla-latte-with-no-foam” you can begin to understand where this all falls apart . My lip reading skills are even worse than my mind reading skills.

But, I think people like the sign for a simpler reason. It reminds us all that, yes, you may just be running an errand or getting a cup of coffee, but more than that, we’re all people interacting. That taking a moment to stop and just do one thing might be a more relaxing way to enjoy your coffee. It’s too easy to get caught up and whisked away by the important things in our lives that grab at us , through our cell phones especially, and miss what’s happening right now, right in front of us.

Here at Pacific Bay, we really do want you to walk out the door with the exact delicious drink that you desired , but without your help, it might just end up being a small coffee. (which is pretty great too! But not if you were hoping for a latte.)

What a weekend! I truly hope that all who attended had a good time. We sure did.

Ben Perkins, our barista and first time competitor did a great job and came in at a very respectable 13th place out of 38. Well done Ben! We are proud. Check out photos of Ben here and the entire weekend (including our own Barista Stephanie fire dancing) here.

Some of the non-competition part highlights include:

• The Gaia Art Center was packed, we estimate over 1000 came during the weekend & Friday, March 28 was declared Specialty Coffee Day in Berkeley by Mayor Tom Bates.

• 38 competitors, 27 judges, 55 sponsors, and more than 100 volunteers made this event happen (it was completely sponsor and volunteer driven. Thank you to all those that helped make it all work!)

• Over 1000 cups of Clover brewed coffee (the company recently acquired by Starbucks) and many more espressos and cappuccinos were served free to attendees at the “4th Machine” (3 espresso machines are used in the competition, the 4th one is for the attendees to enjoy)

• $513 in tips from the 4th Machine was raised for Coffee Kids

• Baristas for Bikes/Bikes to Rwanda raised just under $3,187!

“The 2008 WRBC was a fantastic event not only for total funds raised for the organization but more importantly for building key relationships with cafes, roasters, and industry individuals that believe in our programs and want to help us to reach our goals.

The farmers in Rwanda are looking to us to bring transportation resources that will improve their coffee and in the end help in economic development.

We look forward to furthering the connections we made and completing the circle from consumer to roaster to producing farmer.

Thanks to everyone who helped us achieve such a success.”

Clara Seasholtz, Executive Director, Bikes to Rwanda

The weekend got great press too! Click on the links to read, hear and see the coverage.

Berkeley’s Specialty Coffee Day Declaration

KCBS Newstalk 740AM Radio (About the Bay with Mike Sugarman featuring John Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee / Jer Swigart, Open Door / Kerry Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee / Chris Baca, Ritual Coffee / Brent Fortune, Crema Cafe + Bakery / Ellie Matuzak, Coffee Solutions / Sarah Allen, Barista Magazine)

NPR KQED / California Report Radio (with Lisa Morehouse featuring David Latourell, Clover / Lisa Suela / John Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee / Kyle Glanville, Intelligentsia / Chris Baca, Ritual Roasters

ABC Channel 7 News (with Lyanne Melendez featuring Giovanni Sacco, Coffee Creek / Ellie Matuzak, Coffee Solutions / Keith Gerhke, Flying Goat / Kerry Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee / John Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee / Noe Castro, Guatemala 2006 Barista Champ)

Oakland Tribune /San Jose Mercury Newspapers (featuring Jared Truby, Verve Coffee Roasters / Kerry & John Laird, Pacific Bay Coffee

We still have a few event t-shirts and other collectibles – look for them in our Walnut Creek cafe while supplies last!

2nd Place: Kyle Glaneville

3rd Place: Heather Perry

The Queen leaves her pedistal.  And Ryan Brown is crying with tears of happiness for Christopher Baca.

4, 5, and 6 will be announced next week by Michelle Campbell and the SCAA

Join the Barista Guild of America at www.baristaguildofamerica.org and work on your barista skills with others just like you.

Donate to “Bikes to Rwanda” at www.bikestorwanda.org and help make coffee growers lives easier.

Thank you to John and Kerry for putting on an amazing event.

Thank you to Michelle Campbell for all her hard work.  Without her, none of this would happen.

We will see you next year!

Espresso.  Lime, toasted almonds, and butterscotch. 

He is using a long cylindrical flute, which bells out at the lip.  He pours a cream on top of the espresso.  The crowd chatters and we can’t hear a word he is saying.  Shhhhhhh!  He uses a shaker and adds hibiscus flower and chocolate notes.  45 seconds remain.  He scurries to clean his station.  He calls time with 2 seconds remaining.  The crowd cheers.