"Why Coffee?"
We get this question all the time. Both my husband and I work full-time jobs. I am working on a master’s degree as well. We have two very energetic dogs and travel as much as possible. It’s not like we needed to add one more thing to our already sleepless lives. But, starting a coffee roasting business was a dream of ours all the same.
Coffee started out as a hobby. Every city became an opportunity to discover a new shop – a quest to find the next perfect cup. I then found a Chemex at a thrift store for 75 cents and we were immediately hooked on the hand-pour and specialty coffee experiences we could create right in our home. The art and science of brewing the perfect cup had raptured our attention and had become the perfect amalgamation of the two of us.
Science: Once Michael started roasting, he fell in love. He started in the oven to get a grasp on the science and timing of it all. He would sit in the kitchen for hours watching through the oven window as those little green seeds would toast and then eventually start to crack. Buying our first roaster was Christmas at its finest for Michael. Roasting had become the mix of detail, science, and intuition that he craved and he dove in headfirst while Namesake Coffee was launched. Coffee roasting is a natural undertaking for Michael. With an environmental horticulture degree, he has a love of all things green. Understanding the growing process and having a knack for the natural, he was particularly suited for this endeavor of understanding how to source the perfect green beans depending on the farm location, climate, altitude then pairing that knowledge with understanding the finite details such as how the moisture and density in every bean impacts the roasting speed, etc. His meticulous attention to detail and nerdy love of understanding horticulture shows in every single bag of coffee we sell.
Art: The art and whimsy of owning a roasting company is my addiction. As a marketing director, creative, and all around fantasy-junky, I am in love with the magic that coffee brings into the world. A Narnian-sense of wonder seeps into my day when I am able to sit at a coffee shop, sipping on a single origin cup of black coffee and contemplating life. The warmth that fills my soul when I am able to sip a cortado and connect with a close friend is a high that I crave. A cup of coffee represents more to me than a hot beverage with a little caffeine kick. A cup of coffee is a catalyst for conversations and connection with friends. A cup of coffee is the seed of inspiration needed to write, create, or dream. The idea that this one drink can become a tool for introspection or encouraging intentionality, calls to me and I want to capture this idea in each bag of coffee we sell.
Art + Science…the perfect marriage to create an experience - The Namesake Coffee experience to be exact. We are just over a year into the journey of owning a coffee roasting company and we have loved every minute of it, as cliche as that sounds. We absolutely love being able to share this passion with others.
So, when people ask us… “Why coffee?” … It’s not about the coffee… that’s why. It’s about the experience.
