Metropolis Coffee Company: Beautiful Windy City Brews

I wanted to talk to Metropolis Coffee Company because their imaging was so appealing. I realize that image isn't everything, especially when it comes to products that need to be more tasty than pretty. At the same time, a bag of beans will be more appealing if it looks good.

I contacted Metropolis thinking that they would never contact me in a million years. To my surprise, they reached out to me and couldn't have been nicer. I asked them for a sample of their cold brew and they wasted no time in getting a package out to me.

When I received the package, I couldn't open it up fast enough. Since the bottles had traveled a fair distance to get to my door, they were on the warm side. Rather than wait for them to chill naturally, I put some ice in a glass and went to town. The experience that followed was practically transcendental.

I am a person who obsesses over anything I like. I loved the cold brew from Metropolis Coffee, so the level of obsession was tremendous. In the blink of an eye, the samples I received were gone, leaving me forlorn in the process. I wrote several positive tweets about them leading up to the finalization of this review. Things are copacetic between us.

I have written on and on about the kinds of relationships I would like to have with the companies I review. I don't want these to be one and done scenarios. I want to be able to work with these companies in the future. As a creative person, I'm driven by anything that fuels collaboration. While there are a lot of creative people in the coffee industry, I think the coffee would benefit from more creativity.

Coffee companies often have blogs on their websites that are used to promote product releases and other happenings within these organizations. There's nothing wrong with using blogs in this fashion; however, I feel like impersonal, casual blogs would do a lot for developing a relationship between the coffee company and their customers. I'm not saying that I would be the best person for this role. What I am saying is that I know I could add something to the conversation.

Coffee drinkers have a tendency to get stuck in ruts. They find one kind of coffee they like and they stick with it forever. Bigger coffee companies could not care less about their customers' ability to try new things. They want to keep you drinking their coffee until the end of time. I used to think that way. That was until I broadened my horizons.

I don't want my work with Metropolis Coffee Company to end with my review of their cold brew. I would love to have the opportunity to try all their products and attempt to make my own version of their cold brew with their cold brew blend. I want to explore all possibilities because I want anyone who's reading my articles to know what Metropolis Coffee Company is all about.

Death Wish Coffee Company - Expressing My Disappointment

When it comes to Death Wish Coffee Company, I have a hard time putting my disappointment and anguish into words. They were one of the first companies to give me the time of day when I started reviewing coffee. After they read my first review and loved it, I got a complimentary bag of grounds in the mail. There was some back and forth after that, but it largely tapered off on their end.

I continued to sing their praises, writing and tweeting the wonders of Death Wish Coffee Company. I rarely heard from them throughout any of it. The responses I did get had to be pried from them. Eventually, I got tired of shucking and jiving for nothing. I tried to keep up the adulation. I had to stop.

It got to the point where Death Wish started to treat me like an irritant. I felt like I was brushed under the rug. They wanted me to go away and that's exactly what I did...until now. I'm tired of sitting on the feelings that this unpleasant experience has created. I wanted to lay it out in the hopes that Death Wish might recognize what has occurred.

I don't know what I'm going to get from Death Wish or what I expect. They don't owe me anything. I guess I just want them to be the Death Wish I met the first time around. The Death Wish that seemingly made me a priority, even though they had so many other things on their plate.

I could never say a bad word about Death Wish. They're great. The products they produce are among the best in the coffee world. That being said, I have an idea of what a coffee company should be about. Death Wish hit every mark in the beginning and later missed all those points in the future. I know they're better than what they have been lately.

I miss having their coffee. I can't remember the last time I had it. I think about them often and I'm glad I'm finally getting this out in the open.

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.