Searching for the Best Utah Cold Brew Coffee

I have had the chance to work with Daily Rise Espresso and try a multitude of drinks on their menu. I am a huge fan. Rather than spend this entire article fawning over them, I thought it would be important to mention them because their role in the world of Utah cold brew cannot be underestimated. I would be foolish to have a conversation about cold brew in my state without mentioning the other companies who do it well.

Based on my search, the other companies that make cold brew in Utah are La Barba Coffee Roasters, Hugo Coffee, and Blue Copper Roasters. I dealt with La Barba back when they were called Charming Beard. They're a wonderful company I've wanted to re-establish a relationship with for quite some time.

I have not had any other dealings with the remaining Utah cold brew producers.

I figure if I'm going to be reviewing cold brew, I might as well pay attention to what's going on in my own backyard. I have attempted to get in touch with Blue Copper. Their interest has either been lukewarm or they have ignored me altogether. Here's to hoping that changes.

People need to realize that something is happening here in Utah. We're not a black hole devoid of any good coffee places. Not only are there great places to get coffee, there are also great people who produce coffee. You are sure to find more fantastic coffee stops in this state than you could have ever imagined.

Trying out coffee is not the easiest thing in the world. As the amount of types of coffee a company offers increases, the chances of them having a less than desirable blend increase. I'm not saying that every company has lackluster products. What I am saying is that a single product does not tell the whole story of what a company can bring to the table.

I encourage any company who produces cold brew to reach out to me. I will be reaching out to La Barba, Hugo, and Blue Copper. We'll see where that goes.

1000 Faces Coffee: This Can't Be The End

I'm here today to tell the people of the world that they should not sleep on 1000 Faces Coffee. They gave me the opportunity to try their cold brew. I didn't know what to think going in, but I was definitely impressed.

For one, interacting with them was a joy. They quickly replied to an email from some coffee weirdo from Utah and did so in friendly manner. After all the terse and downright mean emails I've received from coffee people, I appreciate it when people are nice.

The beauty of a company like 1000 Faces Coffee is that they're about more than just cold brew. They have a full line of diverse and flavorful sounding (I don't know how they taste because I haven't tried them) coffees. If these varieties of coffee are anything like their cold brew, you're sure to be impressed regardless of which one you choose.

I don't know if 1000 Faces Coffee wants to partner with someone like me, but I would love to explore such an opportunity. The nature of this partnership would depend on their interest. I just know they're a company I would love to work with for a long time.

As I write this article, I have one more bottle of their cold brew sitting in my fridge. This occasion has made me mournful of what it might be like without their coffee in my life. I shudder at such a world where that is the case.

I interacted with 1000 Faces Coffee after I received the package they sent me. I thanked them for the opportunity to test their product. Their response was "Always glad to properly caffeinate." How beautiful is that! I think that should be the mission of any company that makes coffee.

If this is the end of my time with 1000 Faces Coffee, I will accept this reality with grace. I know I will enjoy every drop of the last cold brew if that's the case. A good coffee starts your morning. A great coffee stays with you. 1000 Faces Coffee is one that's going to stay with me for years to come.

Letter to Canadian Coffee/Why I Am (Part 1 of Many)

I haven't had much luck with Canadian coffee companies. I've received samples from Laughing Whale Coffee Roasters and Fratello Coffee Roasters. Absolutely excellent coffee. I felt like I had quite the connection with Fratello and I enjoyed their coffee and the words I wrote about them. I will be reaching out to them soon to re-establish the relationship going forward.

My brief interactions with Laughing Whale were regrettable. I sat too long on the review and they didn't like that. I'm not a person who likes to force my writing. If I don't like it, I sit on it until I'm happy with it.

I pose this question to anyone who produces coffee. Are you willing to tell me that you release your latest blend before it's absolutely perfect? I think not.

I am not a perfect writer or person. I will never claim to be either one of those things. I am a well-intentioned individual who always tries to put forward the maximum level of effort. Sometimes it works out better than others. Sometimes it doesn't work out at all.

I never want my coffee writing to be about insincere efforts to pander to my audience to fund this venture. I hate blogs where the creators do more fundraising than creating. I will never be that kind of person. This blog will forever remain a zero budget enterprise.

That's why I ask for complimentary products from coffee companies. I don't do it because I want freebies. I do it because if I didn't my readers and the companies I profile would suffer. I would never be able to muster enough of a budget to try all the products out there unless I made the decision to devote my life to pandering and fundraising, which I will never do.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Laughing Whale. I think that you're a great company and I would love to reopen dialogue as soon as you're ready. I think we could do great things together.

To all the Canadian coffee companies, I will be talking to you soon. I hope to be able to talk with you and try your products. Let this be the start of a great relationship.

Neptune Coffee: A Letter of Support

I'm heard recently that several businesses in Seattle were destroyed in a tragic explosion. The main business I would like to focus on is Neptune Coffee. Their business was completely destroyed. It's not like they were a shop that had issues attracting a crowd. They were a popular destination and an asset to their community.

I am not good with fundraising. I've tried it a number of times in a number of ways, but I've never raised a cent. Fundraisers are currently ongoing for the businesses that were impacted by this tragedy. These fundraisers seem to focus on the employees of these businesses, which is great; however, I'm not sure what's being done to get Neptune Coffee up and running again.

In instances where a coffee shop can no longer do business due to circumstances out of their control, I think coffee companies nationwide should unite to help them out. Perhaps that has happened already. I don't live in Seattle, nor do I know the people who run Neptune Coffee. I would like to so I can approach this from a more informed perspective.

Coffee is more than just a drink to me. I admire the people who put their heart and soul into making coffee for people. It takes a truly passionate group of individuals to get a coffee business off the ground. Neptune Coffee is full of passion and it's a shame they can't do what they do best. We have the opportunity to change all that.

Now, I understand why some people might have a hard time caring about one coffee shop when there are so many out there. What we need to do is imagine our favorite coffee shop. Once we have that picture in our minds, we should then imagine that shop being blown off the map. It would make us feel like a loved one died. That's what Neptune Coffee's fans are feeling right now.

Neptune Coffee, if you're reading this, I'm in your corner.

Coffee for Nonprofits - Using Coffee as a Force for Good

I believe anyone who wants to have a cup of coffee should be able to have a cup of coffee regardless of their ability to purchase one. I have loved coffee for as long as I can remember. I want everyone else to benefit from it the same way I have over the years. In my opinion, coffee is too expensive for the most part. It doesn’t matter how you make your coffee, what kind of coffee you buy, or if you go to your local coffee shop and have them make it for you. Coffee is a pricey product.

I would be the first to say that I don’t know why coffee is priced the way it is. All I know is that it’s too expensive for most people to afford. People who have the opportunity to scrape together their money have to settle for coffee that's worth exactly what they’re paying. These individuals have a much easier time quitting the stuff because it wasn’t remarkable to begin with. I am disappointed whenever I encounter someone who falls into this category. I want to pour them one of the best blends I’ve had a chance to try just to prove to them that coffee is worth sticking with.

The price of coffee tends to hit nonprofit organizations particularly hard. They do their best to serve their clients coffee on a regular basis, but funding always seems to get in the way. Serving coffee falls by the wayside when they’re faced with getting money for other parts of their operations. Their clients might get outraged. The unfortunate part of this situation is that none of it matters. If nonprofits don’t have the money to give their clients coffee, their clients will have to wait until the money comes in.

I don’t think it should have to be this way. Every nonprofit should have the resources needed to serve their clients as much coffee as they can drink. I am well aware of the fact that coffee companies need to make money. I am not trying to say that they should stop making money or the things they do to make money are not justified. What I am saying is that coffee has the potential to be a tremendous force for good. Nonprofit organizations could help out their clients a great deal if they could give them something to look forward to every day.

My preliminary goal is to provide nonprofits with 50 pounds of coffee per organization. I am going to start out with a couple of organizations to see if this initiative has potential. If it works out, I will push it nationally. Eventually, I am hoping to turn Coffee for Nonprofits, which is what I will be calling this initiative, into a nonprofit itself. Until then, I will have to rely on the kindness of individuals and coffee producing organizations. The ultimate goal for this initiative is to turn it into something that funds coffee companies and nonprofits through the use of grants and other sources of funding.

If you're interested in participating in Coffee for Nonprofits, please email me at allenglines@gmail.com.

Death Wish Coffee Company - On the Eve of the Super Bowl

Although their name might convey something menacing, Death Wish Coffee Company is not an intimidating business. Any time a company chooses a name that's sure to stand out you might believe that they’re doing so for the sole purpose of grabbing attention. In the case of Death Wish, they could have any name and they’d still be just as great. Their skull logo and demonic color scheme are secondary to the quality of the products they produce.

Whenever any entity receives distinction over other well-deserving entities, their might be some people saying “Why them?” The reality of the situation is that when a victor has been chosen, this question does not matter anymore. If the entity in question were undeserving, they would not have come out on top. That's where Death Wish can come in.

On the topic of coffee, there are so many differing opinions. Each person has their favorite brand and way they like their coffee prepared. Someone who’s a fan of another brand that's not Death Wish might be confused as to why Death Wish was chosen over their brand. This way of thinking is not applicable in this situation. Death Wish’s introduction to the world is a good thing for every small coffee company.

Considerable attention is devoted to trumpeting the accomplishments of juggernauts in the coffee industry. You hear so much about these companies that it might seem like nothing else exists. You have to remember that even the biggest companies wallowed in obscurity. Their current status should be seen as nothing more than motivation to achieve similar levels of greatness.

For a company like Death Wish to get the attention that comes with a Super Bowl commercial, it’s a tremendous accomplishment. It’s also a turning point for all the little roasters out there who are wondering when their time is going to come. The deluge of people who are sure to check out Death Wish after their commercial airs might want to bop around and check out other small coffee companies.

Novelties come and go. The best of the best are here to stay. A company with true staying power not only takes care of their customers, but their employees as well. Would you believe that the entire staff at Death Wish consists of a small group of friends? Due to the attention that's sure to come their way in the coming days and weeks, that fact is undoubtedly about to change.

The minimal size of Death Wish’s workforce shows more about the power of teams than numbers. Other smaller companies have large teams working around the clock to produce much less promising results. The success of Death Wish is not the result of anything other than the passion of the people who run it. Without this passion, they would produce the same coffee; however, it would not instill the same sense of loyalty.

Don’t let your exposure to Death Wish Coffee Company begin and end with their Super Bowl commercial.  Become a fan and stick around. The best is yet to come.

Death Wish Coffee's Ambassador Program: Why I am Perfect for it

I know everyone is getting tired of me writing about Death Wish Coffee. More posts about other companies are around the corner. I am saving a lot of my material for The Daily Brew Magazine, which is launching in January 2016. I came across a post that was of great interest to me and I felt like I had to write something about it.

Death Wish recently put out a call for brand ambassadors. For whatever reason, this post didn’t come to my attention for a few days. When it did, I threw my hat into the ring with absolutely zero hesitation.

The fact that I’m such an avid supporter of Death Wish has very little to do with what they do on the coffee side of their operations. I love their coffee and I think their products are at the top of the heap in terms of quality. The main reason I like them is their focus on the satisfaction of their customers.

Too many companies are stuck on too many parts of operating a business. They feel like everything else in their purview is more important than appreciating the people who keep their lights on. A company can’t claim that customer service is their highest priority unless they make it their highest priority.

Out of all the companies I’ve come across, Death Wish is the easiest one to contact. Any time a person emails them the chances are high that everyone on their team takes a look at the message. Their response is filtered through all the genuine, qualified people who work for their team.

Although Death Wish’s ambassador program is a relatively new innovation, I feel like I have been an ambassador for their brand for quite some. A lot of my posts have reflected the fact that I want to do more with them. I will continue to campaign to become more involved, even if I am not accepted as one of their ambassadors.

I will never say that I am more deserving than any other person just because I continue to yak about Death Wish. The subjects about which I decide to write are determined as I’m writing about them. I try to insert little nuances here and there that makes each post more useful than the last.

I love writing and getting rejected for something will never dissuade me from continuing on my path. Anyone who has tried to do anything in writing will tell you how much rejection they have dealt with in their careers. It’s par for the course, especially when it comes to writing for the internet.

Consider this post a public declaration of why I would be perfect for the Death Wish Coffee ambassador program. I have no idea of whether the words contained in this post will hurt or harm my cause. What I do know is I will continue to jump on board with these opportunities whenever they become available. I love Death Wish Coffee and that’s all there is to it.