A new batch is being ordered up, and will be back in shops in the next couple of weeks. That means we already have 2000 version 1 and 2 cards out around Atlanta! Viva La Specialty Coffee!

 

Following the success of the London and Seattle Disloyalty Cards, Atlanta becomes the third city in the U.S. to encourage coffee lovers

to branch out into the larger city and discover new and different shops.

The Atlanta Disloyalty Card… Continue

So, I haven't blogged here in quite some time, and when you wear like a dozen hats in your job, sometimes you get too busy for this kinda thing, but I wanted to let you know what's coming up, and how freaking awesome this is gonna be. For the second year in a row, I had a wild hair up my butt to host another SCAA Skill Building Workshop. The things are just so much fun, and so beneficial to the coffee and barista community as a whole! They are great ways to get baristas and shop owners started… Continue

It's about time. I've been working to get this for two years. All I want to do is spread the love of good coffee. Here's to that end:
http://www.wcnc.com/video/traveler-index.html?nvid=354925

Well, I finally got a chance to spend the day in my old coffee stomping grounds Athens, Georgia, this past weekend. It was honestly good to have extra time to really see the new coffee scene there. I had met a couple of guys off here that I knew were in coffee there, and was excited to see what they had going on nowadays. I wasn't disappointed, and was really pleasantly surprised. I visited a couple of shops I had been to before, of course Jittery Joes, and Walker's Coffee and Bar (or whatever… Continue

I am finally getting around to posting how the Charlotte SCAA Skill Building Workshop and Barista Bash/Latte Art Throwdown went. I can't believe it's been a week already. The Skill Building Workshop part of the weekend went really well. We had attendees from as far away as Maine, and they were a great group to work with. The weekend started with a great duo of cupping classes from Andrew Miller with Cafe Imports. He is absolutely one of the most knowledgeable people in coffee, hands-down, and… Continue

Alright, so this may turn into a rant. Let me warn you in advance. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was angry, and frustrated, all in one. Couldn't stop thinking about it. ("Thinking about what already?" you ask. Well, Creative Loafing's Best of Charlotte came out this week, and it wasn't who won that surprised me, it was what the food editor wrote. The Reader's Pick went to a small indie shop in a real cool, vibrant hip part of Charlotte, and although it wasn't one of the shops that brew… Continue

We had our fourth Arabica Labrica Barista Jam last Sunday, and it was again a success. We had about 12 people, representing four different coffeehouses, including the youngest barista I have ever seen in action, 14 year old Dylan from BacInTyme Coffee in Fort Mill, SC. Dylan was a joy to watch, and was also one-half of the winning team in the Iron Tamper competition. It will be great to watch this kid grow in his skills with time. It's also great he's started so young!

Dylan…

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Check it out here:
http://www.baristaexchange.com/group/southeastcoffeefamilyus/forum/topic/show?id=1688216%3ATopic%3A87378

Well, the second Dilworth Coffee Informal Barista Jam is in the books, and it was another success. We had a great turnout, and even with quite a few people who couldn't make it. We had about 15 people, and it really seemed like alot of people were picking some good stuff up. I started out by going over cleaning the espresso machine, with backflushing and grouphead cleaning. From there, we went into latte art, followed up by an all out jam. There were many levels represented, but overall, I feel… Continue

This past weekend found the wife and I in Atlanta to help out with the Skill Building Workshop. I volunteered as a station instructor in the espresso labs headed up by the incredible, the legendary Ellie Matuszak. Nick from Stockton Graham helped out, as well as David LaMont, from Counter Culture-Atlanta. (On a side note, David used to frequent the coffeehouse I ran in downtown Athens, GA.) These workshops cover Intro to Espresso and Hands-On Espresso, and I highly recommend them for anyone… Continue

First, let me say James Hoffmann is every bit a champion as his title establishes him. What a great guy to educate people about coffee, I mean, really. A nice guy, very personable, with the ability to guide you in the ways of espresso without you even knowing it. Bloody brilliant, I say. I went along with most of our small coffee company, and we were all impressed with the whole thing. It was great to hear him talk of his ride to the top, and to be able to see him work his espresso magic right… Continue

Well, just got home, and wanted to write a quick post on how our first informal barista jam turned out. First, there was a smaller turnout than I hoped for, but about what I expected. I hate it that sometimes you gotta go pick people up and carry them to these kinds of things. I mean, come on, do you really know what you're missing??? Anyway, we had a blast, and even with less people, it was alot of fun with the different people that did show. A couple of different shops were represented, and… Continue

This Sunday night at 6PM. Informal barista jam. Sling some espresso, throw some milk, talk some smack.
Next Friday, March 14th. Coffee cupping and roundtable. 10AM. Cup some coffees, talk about the state of coffee in the area.
Dilworth Coffee Roastery, Charlotte.
Contact me if you're interested.
704.340.3005.

Well, I just got back from a trip up the mountain to Asheville, NC. It's a pretty laid back town, with a broad spectrum of people. Every time I get up there, the place is a little different, so it's fun to see what's going on there. I visited several coffeehouses in the area, even one in a red double-decker bus that was cool. The shops I visited were, Double Decker Coffee, Izzy's Coffee Den, World Coffee, Asheville Coffee Roasters, and Caffeind. I had some great coffee, I had some horrible… Continue

It can be viewed here: Enjoy! It was fun to watch!

Well, I have gotten back, and am now settling my thoughts, trying to capture them on paper so I don't forget all the things I wanted to remember. So, this will help to solidify those thoughts. This is how I remember it.

Friday, I arrived in DC, met up with Michael Feemster, a great barista who works with us at Dilworth Coffee. He got there early, so met me at a Metro stop. We proceeded to our hotel which was in Bethesda. I know, it ain't close, it's where Orbitz put me. We got to the… Continue

I recently ran across this article that was to tell me how Starbucks is good for small coffee shops. I was, indeed, interested their reasoning. I also issued a rebuttal in the comments, and stand by the comments wholeheartedly. I believe it as much today, as I did five years ago. Here's the article link: http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/market-movers/2007/11/26/why-starbucks-is-good-for-small-coffee-shops

Also, you may know that part of my job is creating coffee and espresso programs in… Continue

Well, I finished my goals for '08, and it's time to start working on them. I met with our president this morning to go over them, and the brainstorm for the new year, and one thing we agreed was something we wanted to work on this year was to improve the culture of coffee in and around Charlotte, even region. I feel like we really are on the cusp of something cool, like the scene in Kansas City is now. I feel it's time to be more fully realized in our area. I am tired of reading about everyone… Continue