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| This is where you spend your time if you have a white horse. |
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
The post Is This The Worst Coffee Video Of The Year? appeared first on Sprudge.
Named after a Siberian husky, Little Wolf Coffee’s roasting and serving in the historic city of Ipswich, Massachusetts, home to some of the oldest private homes in the United States. These folks are buying green coffee from some of the best importers in the country, partnering up with craft chocolate standouts Potomac Chocolate, and pulling shots on a Pantechnicon custom La Marzocco espresso machine. The spot checks a lot of boxes and we think you’ll agree.
As told to Sprudge by Chris Gatti of Little Wolf Coffee.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Little Wolf Coffee is a brand new coffee roaster located north of Boston, Massachusetts, in the historic town of Ipswich, Massachusetts. Our first location in Ipswich is part roastery and part tasting room to showcase the freshly roasted coffees and to become a community space for people to enjoy, and perhaps learn a little bit about, coffee. In addition to servicing the community of Ipswich, coffee is also available for wholesale customers near and far.
The name Little Wolf comes from the owner Chris’ Siberian husky who is an absolute character but also a loyal companion; a rare trait for a husky. The playful name reflects both who we are and our personality in life and in coffee. While we take coffee very seriously in its preparation, we try not to forget it’s still meant to be enjoyed by everyone and our playfulness creates an inviting, non-intimidating environment crucial for a small town coffee shop.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Ipswich is known for some of the oldest homes in the country and our space is no exception. While not as old as some of the houses nearby, it is an old brick and concrete building with a lot of character and wide open, airy spaces. The location is easily accessible and located directly across the street from a middle and high school which we expect will bring many new faces in the fall/winter months.
The focal point of our space is two glass roll-up doors which let in a ton of light and in the summer months creates a great open-air space for everyone to walk right in. When you first walk in through those doors, you’re greeted by our marble espresso counter and look straight back to the wall of green coffee next to our Probat. Additionally, on your right is a wall of shelving for our retail coffee bags in addition to chocolate bars (featuring the same 70% Peru chocolate in our mochas) from our good friends at Potomac Chocolate. In the future, those same shelves will carry grinders and various other home brewing equipment.
In addition to the permanent location, we also offer our mobile espresso and coffee services to events, weddings, and farmers’ markets all over the Greater Boston area. With the help of Barista Capsule’s bar we are able to seamlessly transition from cafe to mobile cart in a matter of minutes.
What’s your approach to coffee?
Our approach to coffee is to keep it simple and really let each coffee speak for itself. Since we are located in a small town and in an area new to specialty coffee that approach leads to ample opportunity for new experiences but it has to be presented in an approachable way since it is a new experience. Our ultimate goal is for everyone to simply enjoy their coffee, no matter whether they take it black or want to add our homemade syrups or Potomac Chocolate to their drink. Too often we as coffee professionals can get caught up in our individual passion for coffee and unintentionally become exclusive to new customers but we aim to create an inviting environment with passive education through the coffee itself.
Our approach for roasting begins with our sourcing as without great green coffee we wouldn’t have great coffee at all. We aim to always have a small offering list of distinctly different coffees as opposed to an overwhelming list of similar coffees. Therefore, through our selection of green coffees we are able to offer a range of coffees that has something for everyone but also room for coffee exploration.
In our approach to roasting, we aim to roast each coffee to showcase that individual coffee’s characteristics without influencing it with added roast. As a result, our coffees end up being light, but soluble, with tons of character that can be equally delicious in drip and espresso. This approach is reflected in the cafe side of our shop with tools such as our Curtis batch brewer and Mahlkönig EKK 43 espresso [grinder]. The coffees available for drip and espresso change almost daily which allows repeat customers to try many of our coffees, often in different brew methods, possibly without even realizing it.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
Our cafe may be small but we still have a bunch of great toys to bring our coffee to life. In the back for the roastery we are roasting on a brand new Probat P12/2 combined with Cropster and they have both been outstanding so far.
On the cafe side of things, we’re brewing all of our drip coffee on a Curtis G4 which serves double duty for our flash-chilled iced coffee where batches are brewed directly over ice each morning. For espresso, we’re working on a La Marzocco GS3 AV customized by Pantechnicon Designs. While small, it works out great for within the shop and it is super portable for our events as well.
All of our coffee, both espresso and drip, is ground on a big, white Mahlkönig EKK 43. We love the EKK 43 for its clarity of flavor, consistency, and flexibility which allows us to showcase all of our coffees without having the need for five separate grinders.
Finally, our coffees are sourced through a few different importers with our initial offerings coming from Cafe Imports, Red Fox Coffee Merchants, Levelup Coffee, and the brand new (to the US) Nordic Approach.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
We officially opened August 8, and are currently open Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–2 p.m.!
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
We worked with a bunch of great people both locally and afar who, without their help, we would not be where we are now!
Our main bar was built by the fine folks over at Barista Capsule and it has been fantastic both in, and out, of the shop.
Our cupping table, backbar, and shelving was built by local Scott Kelley of K Modern Design out of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and as a result cupping has never looked so good.
Our beautiful, custom La Marzocco GS3 was designed and built for us by the wonderful Pantechnicon Design out of Seattle, Washington, and it’s definitely one of our prized possessions.
Our branding and packaging is still a work in progress, however, Perky Bros out of Nashville, Tennessee is doing a fantastic job so far bringing our vision and message into tangible form.
Photos courtesy of Chris Gatti.
The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Little Wolf Coffee of Ipswich, Massachusetts appeared first on Sprudge.
Out of all your jewelry collection, it’s probably your necklaces that make your head ache when packing for a move or travel. If you want to travel in style without the hassle of having your necklaces turning into one tangled mess, check out these 3 ways to keep your necklaces organized:
Straws
There is a nifty way to prevent your necklaces from tangling–and it’s one of our favorite jewelry-packing tips. Take a plastic drinking straw and feed an unclasped necklace through the center. Then close the clasp once again. Do this for each necklace or bracelet you believe might get tangled with one another. Toilet paper rolls are a great alternative for chunkier necklaces. Source: Rent
Plastic Wrap
Put down a layer of plastic wrap, lay your necklaces out, and then cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Press the two layers together around your necklaces to keep them separated. Gently fold or roll your wrapped necklaces so that they create a small bundle that’s easy to pack in your suitcase.
Less bulky necklaces, like pendants on chains, work best with this method. You can also pack bracelets this way, but buttons will work best for earrings. While the plastic wrap will provide some protection, if your bundle has any particularly delicate jewelry in it, wrap clothing around the bundle for added padding. Source: Lifehacker
Ziploc Bags
Use the tiny Ziploc bags that extra buttons come in when you buy clothes. They’re great for holding a thin necklace, a pair of earrings or a pendant for a necklace. Source: PearlsofTravelWisdom
Contact:
KAVUT
102 Scollard St.
Toronto, ON M5R 1G2
(416) 820-0440
The Coffee Sprudgecast has a new live episode, taped at Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco, California. This show was part of a special two-day event series hosted by La Marzocco Home, and we jammed each night full of some of the Bay Area’s best and brightest coffee minds.
Sign up now as a subscriber to the Coffee Sprudgecast and never miss an episode. The Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by La Marzocco and KitchenAid USA craft coffee equipment.
We interview Sarah Wiener, the director of the Good Food Awards and a co-founder of Seedling Projects. She’s worked previously as a director of communications for Slow Food International, and spearheaded the landmark Slow Food Nation event in 2008 as content director. Wiener’s work with the Good Food Awards has been featured by the New York Times Sunday Review, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Heritage Radio Network, and Newsweek, to name just a few.
We chat with Jenn Chen, an independent coffee marketer, photographer, writer and consultant based in San Francisco. Work across a variety of disciplines has taken Chen around the world, about which you can learn much more by visiting her official website. She’s worked previously with Acaia Coffee, Mr. Espresso, the Coffee Quality Institute, Coffee Kind and more.
We gab with Noah Sanders, the Sprudge Media Network staff writer for the San Francisco Bay Area. Based in the Mission District, Sanders’ writing for Sprudge has taken him from Las Vegas to Ukiah, during which he’s published dozens of articles for the site on topics ranging from cafe openings to oversaturation to braving a line for good coffee.
Trish Rothgeb
We also take the opportunity to host a very special segment with Trish Rothgeb. Rothgeb is among her generation’s most influential coffee professionals, with 30+ years experience in the specialty coffee field. As a roaster, green buyer, and teacher her work has carried her around the world, leading to her role today as the Director of Programs: Q and Educational Services for the Coffee Quality Institute. In addition she is the owner, co-founder, director of coffee and roastmaster at Wrecking Ball Coffee in San Francisco. Rothgeb coined the term “Third Wave Coffee” and writes an occasional advice column for Sprudge. We took this advice column and did it live…and you’ll never believe what people asked!
Thank you to the hundred or so folks who came out to check out the show and La Marzocco Home’s Linea Mini playtime, and thank you so much to our gracious hosts. We love you, Bay Area!
Listen and subscribe and review The Coffee Sprudgecast on iTunes.
The post The Coffee Sprudgecast: Live From San Francisco appeared first on Sprudge.
We talk about Manhattan all the time on Sprudge but never before have we featured coffee doings from the city of Manhattan, Kansas. That changes today, as we check out the newly opened Arrow Coffee Company, a coffee bar and cocktail spot offering “passionate, not pretentious quality” on the campus of Kansas State University.
As told to Sprudge by Jeremy Cline of Arrow Coffee Company.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Arrow Coffee Company is a Third Wave specialty coffee shop and cocktail bar located in Manhattan, Kansas. Passionate, not pretentious quality and ethically selected coffee, cocktails, food, and more. Arrow specializes in providing highest-quality coffee acquired through direct relationships with coffee farms. Each cup is expertly crafted to order through unique and detailed brewing processes.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
This will be our newest underground location… No, really. It’s in a basement.
We are excited to be opening our second location on the beautiful Kansas State University campus. Located in the Trotter Hall School of Veterinary Medicine we are excited to become a permanent fixture of the building and student life offering single-origin coffee, handcrafted lattes, and of course, our famous breakfast burritos.
What’s your approach to coffee?
We let the coffee speak for itself, and the incredible journey it has gone from farm to cup. We artfully prepare our coffee a cup at a time to honor the hard work of everyone involved in the journey from farm, to sourcing, to shipping, to roasting, to serving.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
– Nuova Simonelli Mythos grinder, white powder coat
– Best-kept secret of coffee in the Midwest: Messenger Coffee Company
– “Pimped out” four-group La Marzocco Linea Classic, custom powder-coated, manual on/off pump switch, La Marzocco GB5 steam wands, PID installs, bottomless portafilters.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
August 15, 2016
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Ebert Mayo Architects.
The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Arrow Coffee Company of Manhattan, Kansas appeared first on Sprudge.
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| As you can see he is well armed |
Listen, I could write a straightforward Wire post about nu-metal band Linkin Park owning the venture capital firm Machine Shop and that firm’s investment in Blue Bottle. I could summarize Fortune‘s article on said investment, making sure to hit all the high points as they relate to you, the enjoyer of specialty coffee.
Or… OR!
You could enjoy the same story written a la the lyrics for “Crawling”, a hit single by the band. The choice is yours. But I only did the latter. Here’s the video, in case you need a refresher.
Calling in this spin
Fortune, they have the deal
Linkin Park has bought
Blue Bottle, what a steal
Well not all of it but part, it has been purchased
It’s booming, confusing
They have a VC firm and funds are never ending
extolling, the fancy
café up in Oakland
Their research saw a trend
(“With a certain sense of confidence I’m convinced
That there’s just too much money to make”)
They’ve bought this way before
It’s so secure
Calling in this spin
Fortune, they have the deal
Linkin Park has bought
Blue Bottle, what a steal
This comes from Kiel Berry who is the exec VP
Machine Shop, their VC
He notes the band enlisted a business school professor
from Harvard, Alberse
With her students pitching in
Their research saw a trend
(“With a certain sense of confidence I’m convinced
That there’s just too much money to make”)
They’ve bought this way before
It’s so secure
Calling in this spin
Fortune, they have the deal
Linkin Park has bought
Blue Bottle, what a steal
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
Blue Bottle is an advertising partner on Sprudge
*top image via Forbes and Blue Bottle
The post Your Favorite Band Linkin Park Is An Investor In Blue Bottle Coffee appeared first on Sprudge.
Some call it a “Chill Town”, some call it the “6th Borough”, but we just call it Jersey City, home to the growing Modcup Coffee brand. Sprudge associate editor Liz Clayton visited Modcup’s original cafe in Jersey City Heights back in 2015, and now we’re checking in with them again to learn more about the brand’s spiffy new roasting facility & cafe flagship.
As told to Sprudge by Justin Hicks of Modcup Coffee Company.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
Modcup Coffee Company is based out of Jersey City which is a quick five-minute train ride from NYC. Some call it the “6th Borough,” some call it “Chill Town.” We are a company based on freshness and modernism. We started three years ago with a tiny espresso cart, grew to a tiny cafe overlooking NYC in Jersey City Heights, launched a truck, and now the final jigsaw piece a cafe and roasting facility in one.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Our new space is a multi-use space that sits right beside Mana Contemporary, a large cultural center that hosts artists, exhibitions, and studio tours. We split the space up into different sections, our roasting operation sits in the back where we house our green coffee and roaster. Another portion is used strictly for our cold brew program, another for office and bagging work, and the majority showcases our coffee and seating area.
What’s your approach to coffee?
Our approach to coffee is simple. Keep it modern.
1. Freshly roasted coffee under any circumstances
2. Brewed with science and soul
We try to keep our menu and offerings simple and exciting which can be somewhat of a challenge, but I think we do it pretty well. We stay away from the nonsense terms like cappuccino, flat white, small latte, etc… Instead what we offer on the menu is espresso + milk so that the consumer knows what’s in their drink and can more easily understand the beverage.
Our coffees are approached with the question “With or Without milk?” that way we can guide the consumer to something they like much easier and without confusing them.
After that we offer some signature coffee beverages made from our Dredger concentrate to showcase how flexible of a beverage cold-brewed coffee can be. As well as a delicious cascara to mix things up.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
We are running the new La Marzocco Linea PB with the integrated scale technology which has been a fun and challenging learning curve. However, I think the machine has really allowed us to discover a new avenue of thinking about espresso which is quite lovely.
Hopefully in the near future here we will upgrade to a Probat UG22.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
Currently we are in a soft opening, however, we hope to plan a grand opening in the next week or so.
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
We had a few people help us in the process—our good friend Carlos from Stuart Dean, who is a master of all trades, helped us out tremendously, Joe from Tribeca Grain, and my business partner Travas who really made this place come together with his ideas and designing.
The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Modcup Coffee Company of Jersey City, New Jersey appeared first on Sprudge.
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| Bug |
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| Among us |
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| They flame in magic mountains |
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| And sleep in crystal canyons |
