This is the time of year when we look back to see how we did in 2013. I’ve been thinking about 2013 in terms of coffee, and it seems to me we did pretty well. Daring new roasters and roasting trends, crossover within the Northwest’s trailblazing beverage industries, cafés that capture more regional flavor than just that of espresso—here’s a snapshot featuring five of the best things about coffee in 2013.
1. The intersection of industries. There’s Robin Pollard, who’s using a lifetime of wine experience for the purpose of great coffee, and who’s convincing her oenophile compatriots to revel the same with her Pollard Coffee brand. There was the great success of Coffee Beer Fest, and the promise of another bigger, better one next year. Throw in great coffee liquors that continue to flow from places like House Spirits (featuring Stumptown) and you’ve got a promise for continued inter-industry collaboration in 2014.
2. Cafés that go further. They’re good enough that they keep making Best Of 2013 lists that are supposed to be about restaurants. Coffee shops are offering more than ever in the way of food, drink, ambiance and innovation in brewing. Either/Or puts out flights of espresso while Slate deconstructs it, and Milstead & Co. and Revolver rotate roasts faster than we can drink them.
3. Coffee as a culinary product. Where wine tasting has been a thing forever, places like Seattle Coffee Works and Milano are just beginning to build veritable coffee laboratories— called a “slow bar” by SCW—to better explore the complexities of increasingly gourmet offerings. After all, coffee has more flavor compounds than any other product on Earth.
4. Socially conscious coffee. Roasters and cafés alike are going the distance to do good with their businesses. From carbon-neutral Habit, to LEED-certified Panache, to family-traded Nossa Familia, to benefit-throwing Flying M, coffee shops and roasters are recognizing the impact they can have and taking advantage of it.
5. The PNW is still on top. Our three biggest cities each made Smarter Travel’s list of top ten coffee cities in the world. While places across the globe keep pushing to keep up, we keep pushing ourselves to be even better. It’s one of so many reasons to love it here.
Cheers to another great year!
