Scott McMartin was a fundamental cog in the machine of Seattle’s coffee behemoth, Starbucks, for 12 years, working on procuring beans, starting and nurturing grower relationships, producing the recipes, blends and even developing international chain strategies and employee/customer education. The guy’s name is also behind the Frappuccino. More recently, McMartin is fundamental to his Seattle-and Austin-based roaster, Fundamental Coffee Co. Boasting a team that collectively brings more than 50 years of coffee experience to the table, McMartin estimates on his website that he’s bought more than a billion pounds of coffee in his tenure, from more than 20 coffee-producing countries. This record warrants him the knowledge new roasters do not have, and this SoDo neighborhood roaster looks for four main characteristics when buying coffee from a specific farm: quality, fairness, worker welfare and environment. The resulting coffee comes from farms that McMartin and his team have long-established relationships with, buying on quality and value rather than certification and suggested marketing positions.
A house mix for Fundamental, the Semaphore Blend is one of the newest to the lineup, a blend of Central American and East African beans. The name is from a signaling apparatus—most commonly see in mid-1950s VW Beetles as a directional change signal. The name is aimed at defining Fundamental’s movement of returning to darker roasted coffees that still highlight the specific origin of the blend. Dark, unctuous and robust in cocoa nibs and scorched earth, McMartin recommends brewing this in the classic pour-over method to truly showcase the blend.
Find on Facebook: Fundamental Coffee Company
Track on Twitter: @funcoffeeco
