Great espresso is nothing short of a work of art. There are a number of very good roasters who spent years, decades even, perfecting their blend. I’ve seen some espresso made up of 7 or more different coffees with each bean adding its own little nuance to the cup. It gets very, very cool.
We are a micro-roaster in every since of the word. We work with anywhere between three and five different coffees at one time, and when one of those coffees go, chance are, it’s gone for the season. And once the next harvest comes around, the bean is usually so different that it doesn’t do the same thing in the roast as the year prior, so it’s counterproductive for us to keep the same coffee in stock year round for the sake of keeping our signature espresso.
That said, we’ve decided to implement a Workshop Espresso. Since coffees change, let’s change with it! Some months we will be offering a Single Origin as an Espresso, and other months I’ll have a blend available under the same moniker. No matter what it is, it will be a thing of beauty, and in constant workings of artisanship… a work of art.
This month, we are enjoying a sweet, rich toffee and creamy butter.. entering into caramel with the addition of milk.
New website.. tell us what you think! www.gratefulroast.com
You can now find us at Park Market in Nanticoke!!!
Just a quick update to let you all know that Grateful Roast Coffee is now on the shelf at Park Market in Nanticoke PA.
We will be dropping off fresh roasted coffee once a week, and at 10.99 a pound out the door, its a great deal to boot! All coffee there as of today is Certified Organic and 100% Fair Trade.
We will also stock a few coffee grinders starting next week priced at 19.99, so you can enjoy fresh roasted AND fresh ground Grateful Roast every morning!! (And if you still aren’t sold on the whole “grind as you go” philosophy, they’ve got a bulk grinder right there for you to use… but the coffee is sealed and in whole-bean.)
Grateful Roast Goes Organic (and Fair Trade)
Grateful Roast is in transition to becoming a 100% Certified Organic Coffee Roaster, as well as Fair-Trade Certified.
We feel that it is important to do whatever we can to aid in sustainability and environmental accountability. FACT – Only 1% of pesticides used actually reach the pests they target, and 99% of these chemicals enter the environment. Contamination of soil and groundwater changes the terrestrial and aquatic environment and poses threats to native wildlife. Many species dependent on high water quality are now endangered.
A large amount of coffee growers produce Organic Coffee by tradition, as they have for generations, but have not received Organic Certification. They produce amazing Organically grown coffees, but do not participate in a “Certified Organic” program, largely due to program costs and long, multi-year process of becoming Certified. We will not bypass a great coffee we know to be from an organic region (such as Ethiopia).. we just wont label them USDA Organic… we may however, promote them as “Organic by Tradition”.
We believe that everyone wants to make a difference in the world, and every time someone makes a Fair-Trade or an Organic purchase, they are casting a vote saying that we need to do better as a society, both by our environment, but also by the people who deserve a fair wage for their efforts. We, as a company cast our vote, and we hope that you do too.
Thanks!
Brian and Sarah
The Vintage is hosting an art show tonight featuring the work of Vitaliy Piltser and his 365 Day project, in which he captured an image each day for a year. No cost of admission, and Grateful Roast Coffee will be available, naturally.
Then, after the show, we are hosting our monthly Dubwize Party three doors down from the Vintage. Doors @ 10 with a $5 cover. Bring your dancing feet.
One of my regular customers is an Italy native, and he loves his coffee roasted to an “Italian” crisp… In fact, he sometimes says I don’t roast it dark enough for him.. I feel like suggesting he’d try getting a stronger coffee by brewing up charred firewood (I kid).
At any rate, we are both coffee geeks from different continents. Some of the best coffee I’ve had came to me in the Richmond District of Portland Oregon, from a little micro-roaster we all know and love as “Stumptown” … whereas his mind conjures up a far away memory of a coffee he had in a little town in South Italy.. Being that I’ve never been, I can’t compare, but neither has he on my end. But we both obviously come from two different schools of thought.
Up until a while ago, I thought that the proper pronunciation for espresso was … well… ‘espresso’ … And every time I heard it referred to as ‘Ex’presso I would freak out inside.. My ego would scream ITS PRONOUNCED ESPRESSO!!! Nails on a chalkboard.
Well, my Italian friend continually kept saying ‘expresso’ and I would keep myself from pointing out his folly at the risk of causing un-warrented embarrassment on his part…. but a man can only bare the torture for so long.
One night after a few beers, we’re discussing proper brewing methods on a traditional machine… Pressure of the tamp, heat of the water, length of extraction… And he says “the best EXPRESS-O I’ve had” …. to which I said “Its pronounced Espresso, not Express-o.. You don’t ‘express’ anything” … soon after, I was faithfully chastised for my ignorance.
The first espresso machine was invented by a guy named “Luigi Bezzera” in Milan, Italy, in 1901. The word “expresso” is rooted in literal translation… esprimere is ‘to press out’ , which is from the Latin word ‘exprimere’ : ex + premere is ‘to press’.
So, express-o is a correct Latin rooted pronouncement… And espresso is the end-child and example of how language evolves from dialect to dialect over time. Both are correct, and I can really be a jerk sometimes. Dastardly ego.
Be grateful for what you have.. And God Knows I can use that advice too. Be Good.
We’re going to be pulling about a billion shots of espresso tonight as we tune up the new machine and grinder.. I’ve got two pounds of an SO-Spro to slay the night with, so if you read this today, and are in Scranton tonight, stop by the vintage and flex your caffeine tolerance (or not) , for it will flow like the waters. Yell at the cell or gratefulroast@gmail.com if you need directions.
Zage Bakery and Cafe, located at 14 S Mountain Blvd in Mountain Top Pennsylvania, will be offering Grateful Roast Coffee via Drip and Whole Bean for take-home use, and plan to acquire an espresso machine within the coming months.
The owners are very down to earth people and eager to step up their coffee game to match their superior baked goods selections. We expect nothing but good from them in the months to come.
They are scheduled to open their doors to customers this weekend with a Grand Opening in the weeks to follow, so if you are in the area, be sure to swing through and show some support.
I’m spinning records tonight next door to the Vintage as an afterhours to first friday. If you’re in Scranton tonight, deff swing by and say hi. They’ve got a good indo blend they’re working with, so good coffe is not a question.
Scranton Rhythm and The Vintage Theater are in the final works of the long awaited Cafe! Sunday, November 1st they will be hosting a screening of a special movie. The price of admission???? your extra coffee mugs and cups, and the coolest one gets free Grateful Roast Coffee for a month! FREE Coffee the day of the party to anyone who brings us a mug.