Romancing the Bean
Once a year Fresh Cup Magazine produces a special issue–packed to the gills with articles and resources that highlight one particular segment of the coffee trade. This year it’s the Coffee Almanac 2001, an issue that delves into coffee production, cupping and roasting–issues near and dear to the heart of any coffee roaster–but stuff that’s generally on the other side of the counter from the consumer. Of the articles they’ve made available online, I’m keen on Lindsey Bolger’s “A Cupper’s Covenant.” Lindsey is Batdorf & Bronson’s Master Roaster and green coffee buyer, and what most impresses me is her relationship based approach to developing sustainability. In her position, she’s perfectly capable of simply cornering the market on a given grower’s bean… instead, she advocates methods that ensure a continuing supply. That’s good news for all of us–grower, roaster and consumer, alike.
