Attended 2018 Coffee Expo in Seattle this weekend past. Huge, multi-level ( and I do not mean Multi-level marketing ) Exhibit hall. 4th floor was nearly every coffee and food production and assembly , packaging one could want. Sixth floor was roasters, barista displays and free coffee samples. Went to my first course/seminar on coffee instructor is Judge Cohen, Starbucks Dude, and SCA trainer and Board member of the Specialty Coffee Association. We cupped three different coffees an El Salvadoran, Rwanda, and Sumatra.. We tasted coffee prepared in a Chemex pot,, learned the more or less history of coffee. I met lots of folks, attempted to keep my tongue, and had a good time. I learned a lot! I have a lot more to learn! I met Ethiopians Yemenis, Mexicans Columbians, Thai, all with a coffee bent. Sally would have loved it. My concept coffee joint has just changed (!)

Outside Agitator Coffees will serve up Aeropress and gravity brewed coffees only. (Well… Cold brew, too). I am getting in a 30 kilo box of a Papua New Guinea bean ( proximity to Australia) which has a good body and mouth feel . It also looks like I will have a line on a kilo roaster from Sonofresco. I took delivery of some Mexican origin beans as 300 gram samples. The seminar and the two day pass I purchased was worth it to me. Overly caffeinated, somewhat, cognizant of the challenges in the business of Farm to Table even in the coffee business. We who roast , even for fun and education need to see our parts in the chain of supply, the history, the place coffee holds in our American Adventure.