Coffee. Coffee ? Yup. Coffee.

Coffee is one of the most important things to me in my life. Some refer to it as "a pick me up," or "the devil's cup" & other refer to it as "god in a cup." There is a lot to coffee. There's so much to do with it, & even more varieties. Which, is incredible seeing as how the coffee bean only grows between The Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn; a pretty small feat with all that ocean. I dream of going to origin; most of all Panama where the infamous & precious Hacienda La Esmeralda grows. Coffee is my passion. Coffee is my life.

So, I'll shortly discuss how it all began. I had a handful of friends working at a local coffee shop in town; none of which had much passion (yet) for the bean until one afternoon, Josh Longsdorf from (at that time) The Ugly Mug Cafe came through the doors. He ordered espresso, & was dissappointed, but saw a glimmer in the Baristas eyes for knowledge & from that, Ramiro Lomeli & Eric Mullins had their lives thrown in a different direction. Later in the week, after The Mug Shot had become an Ugly Mug wholesale account, I traveled to Ypsilanti & experienced some coffee first hand from their reputable Baristas & thus my life from that day on has consisted of a passion for coffee.

Most of my friends are involved in the coffee industry. We geek over coffees, & frequently engage in long conversations over them. Some of the only times I travel out of the state is for coffee, & I love every minute of it. The industry is fun, involved, involving, evolving, & there's always more to learn.

Direct Trade coffee is important to me. Stumptown, is one example. Square Mile , Madcap, Intelligentsia, & The Coffee Collective are a few others. Direct Trade, I feel, is the only way to better the world of coffee for the farmer, & for the perfection of a cup. Only the best can come from doing things right, & can only lead to more things to better coffee. Another example; Duane from Stumptown. He has relationships with the farmers, & treats them reputably well. In turn, the bean is treated with more care, & the farmer attunes his care for the better quality of the coffee. Even more becomes of this. Duane hires the finest Baristas & Roasters. Only the passionate ones make it, & they are knowledgable, have a talent for all types of coffee brewing/roasting, & are very involved & interested in the industry & the company they work for. In an even more turn of events, the consumer enjoys a fine cup of coffee; a win always. A big concern is the bean, perfection & professionalism. Serving coffee the best possible way & striving for the best at any given moment. & it could all start with Direct Trace.

My coffee passion has taken me many places & introduced me to so many new things; knowledge, techniques, coffees, friends. One place in particular is roasting. In Early Spring of 2009, Eric Mullins & I ventured into roasting at The Ugly Mug with guidance & instruction from Miro Lomeli & Zak Rye. Roasting is one of the most fufilling & rewarding experiences, next to Barista work, I've ever had. Not only was I roasting (Me ! Roasting coffee ! & well, on a small batch Diedrich !) But it gave my Barista skills a huge boost. The controlling of my batches was a result from working as a Barista my local coffee shop, & vise versa. & it was also aiding in my appreciation & appetite for perfection. It was amazing. I sincerely miss it. But, the shop I was working for in Michigan has now closed, & I moved to Wisconsin. I currently work for Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, & The National Cafe, both in Milwaukee.

Before I exhale my last breath, I'd like to do many things. Venturing the universe of coffee will always be my life.