Tag Archives: Local Coffee

Being Glocal with Odacrem Coffee

I recently had an interesting discussion with someone online regarding the role of Starbucks in the coffee industry. I frequently scoff at Starbucks on my Twitter account, and am quick to point out the error of those who suggest Starbucks sells a superior product. In fact, in the past I’ve written about how the closest thing to a compliment that you can give them is that they deliver a consistent product, despite them selling a bad product.

The conversation between me and this person was short. It was regarding coffee in America, and I was speedy on my trigger finger, saying that Starbucks was ruining coffee in America by putting sub-par products out there. This person corrected me, suggesting instead that Starbucks virtually invented the coffeehouse persona that we know so well today. The trendy, relaxing coffeehouse, filled with people staring intently into their MacBooks was not widespread before Starbucks came along. I relented, agreeing with this person. Because, of course, that is correct.

But Starbucks has a ton of money, a dedicated fan base, and a brand that is easy to buy into due to its being developed over the years. What about the local coffee shop or roaster that is trying to gain traction in today’s world?

There is a certain brand of coffeehouse and roaster that has been developed over time. More than likely, the development of this subset has something to do with the rise of social media, which makes it easy for the “word-of-mouth” effect to spread quickly all over the world. I am referring to what I have dubbed “Glocal Coffee.” Glocal is a kind of buzzword these days, referring to the convergence of local society and the global sphere. In terms of coffee, this almost always has something to do with a coffee shop or roaster effectively using the internet to build their brand, sell their coffee, and converse with customers from all over the world.

Odacrem Coffee out of Albuquerque, New Mexico is a Glocal Coffee roaster, and they pull it off well. All it takes is a mere glance at their “Reviews” page to know that their business is of the Glocal variety. What gives them away? Nevada. Washington. Oregon. Ohio. New York. Colorado. Their reviews come from all over the United States. Another dead giveaway is the fact that they include quotes from Twitter on their website.

From their “About” page:

We are a small family-owned roastery based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While Albuquerque is now our home, a place that we love and do business in, our Coffee roots extend deep into Central America’s El Salvadoran and Costa Rican Coffee Farms. It is there in San Salvador that our Master of Roasting was born and grew up on the family farm, from early child hood helping to plant, nurture, pick the cherries from the coffee trees as well as process and dry the coffee beans.

I’ve been to many local coffee shops and roasters from all over the United States, and I always love connecting with ones that clearly have deep roots in their area. It appears as though Odacrem Coffee is one such roaster – yet they have found a way to do more than simply entrench themselves in the community around them.

I cannot underscore the importance of this in today’s world. It is incredibly easy to set up an online store, Facebook page, and Twitter account. And really, that’s all a small business needs in order to take their company from local to Glocal. I don’t mean to oversimplify the process, because tools aren’t nearly enough to complete the task of getting new customers and opening new avenues of sales. My point is that the tools are available to everyone who is willing to use them.

Odacrem Coffee has made great use of these tools, and that is what sets them apart in my mind. They actively use their Twitter account, and their Facebook page is already garnering customer interaction.

Odacrem Coffee reached out to me on Twitter and asked me to do a formal review of their coffee. This is my favorite way to discover new coffee shops and roasters because I get to experience a completely new brand without any context for how they started, who they are, or how long they have been in their area. It was exhilarating to discover Odacrem’s story and experience their coffee. They sent me samples of their Colombian and O Da Crema coffees, each of which were delicious in their own rite.

The O Da Crema stuck out to me as being the more diverse of the two. While it was good by itself, when I paired the O Da Crema with some breakfast foods, such as granola, I was struck by its complimentary deliciousness. When paired, the mild acidity that the coffee naturally contains played well with the food I was eating, and it really made this coffee stand out to me. I enjoyed a cup in the morning, or when snacking in the afternoon.

The Colombian was a different from the O Da Crema in that regard: I enjoyed it more as a solo cup, unpaired with food. While at first I thought the coffee was slightly bitter, I soon realized that it was actually more acidic than anything else. This is betrayed mainly by the sweet, fruity smell that rises with the steam from the coffee. The taste was constant, and actually good in that regard. It pulls no tricks on you, and I found the Colombian to be a great, bright coffee to sit down with and enjoy.

Odacrem Coffee has a great product. I am looking forward to trying their Tanzanian Peaberry, which goes for only $10.00/lb on their website!

In a divided world of chain coffee vs. local coffee, Odacrem Coffee successfully carries out the much needed task of bridging the gap. Is it possible to create a great product and still get it out to people all over the world? Glocal Roasters like Odacrem Coffee believe so, and it appears to be working. I hope that they continue to grow and reach out to more people across the U.S. and beyond. They are using social media tools well, and they are delivering a delicious product. What more could we, as consumers, ask for?

As a note, you can try Odacrem Coffee out before you buy it. Click here for more info. Free coffee? What’s not to love?

The Coffee Guy

Misha’s: the best coffee you’ll ever have (?)

I’m spending time in and around Washington D.C. for the next week, and I woke up this morning with a desire for local coffee. Actually, I wake up every morning with a desire for local coffee, today however that desire was feasible to obtain.

Grabbing the metro card that my relative graciously lent to me, I boarded the bus, then the train and headed into Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Right on the border of Washington D.C., Old Town Alexandria is the antithesis to nearly everything that makes our nation’s capital city famous. The hustle and bustle of the city is replaced with a quite calmness reminisce of small town America. The only similarity Old Town Alexandria shares with D.C. that I can see is the number of historical sites worth seeing. In fact, Old Town boasts being the “3rd oldest historic district in the nation.” Check out more here.

While I was sitting on the bus, I sent out a quick tweet from my personal account that I was headed into Old Town. One of my followers replied that he has several friends that live in the area. I took the opportunity to ask if he knew of any great local coffee places. He asked a friend and got back to me, saying that Misha’s is a popular local joint. That, ladies and gentleman, is the power of social media.

I found Misha’s on my iPhone and set a course for it as soon as I got off the train. After only a couple blocks of walking I had arrived.

Walking in, I was greeted by three things immediately: the delicious smell of coffee, the sounds of jazz music, and the color red. The entire interior of Misha’s is painted in a not-quite-dark red, close to an earthy tone. It fits the character of the shop great, and a chill mood was immediately set for me. I took a quick look around as I entered and saw several people reading the paper or a book, talking , and sipping brews. The barista greeted me with a pleasant smile, and I asked for a second to look at the menu. Eyes drifting upward, I quickly noticed that the menu is made entirely of refridgerator magnets! Check the pic to see what I mean. Cute.

After giving the menu a once over, I decided to go for a mocha. After a couple of days with nothing but drip coffee to satisfy my palette, I decided to go big. The barista pulled my shots with ease, and in no time a steaming cup of chocolate and espresso goodness was standing before me. My first sip was prefaced by a good amount of milk foam. Though I’m generally partial to whip cream on mochas, this was a great touch.

The mocha was very good. My only complaint is that there was a layer of chocolate syrup on the bottom of my cup. Although sometimes inevitable in a mocha, mine wasn’t as chocolaty as I would have liked. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have stirred my beverage before grabbing a seat.

Misha’s tagline is “The best coffee you’ll ever have.” Though I can’t say I completely agree with this claim, their coffee is darn good. People have left plenty of tips on foursquare, and it’s clear that the community loves hanging here.

Next time you’re in the Washington D.C. area, I definitely suggest stopping by Misha’s. Not only will you enjoy the atmosphere of Old Town Alexandria, you’ll love the coffee and the community.

The Coffee Guy

Part coffeehouse, part gift shop, part art gallery, part hangout: Flying M.

Flying M Coffeehouse!

If you were to ask residents of downtown Boise what the top 10 popular hang out places are, Flying M would make all of their lists.
Flying M has been around since 1992, and brewing their own coffee since ’95. They have two locations: the Flying M Coffeehouse located on West Idaho St. downtown, and the Flying M Coffee Garage located on 2nd Street South in Nampa. I can’t vouch for their Nampa site, as I haven’t made the trek out there yet, but reviews speak for themselves.

This review is based primarily on what I’ve experienced at their downtown location.

When I was but a wee lad I remember Flying M being the “cool place” for my older sister and her friends to hang out. Not much has changed – Flying M remains one of Boise’s most centralized meeting places. The chances of you running into someone you know at Flying M are pretty dang good. Not to mention pre-scheduled meetings: many people spend a couple hours just chatting it up with friends they haven’t seen in a while, or grabbing a quick business meeting with colleagues.

Flying M’s coffee, self described:

Flying M Coffee produces one espresso blend – a full-bodied, medium roasted blend rich with crema.  Flying M Espresso Blend has been served since 1995 at the Boise location and several other locally owned coffee shops and restaurants.  Flying M also roasts a House Blend, consisting of a French roast paired with a medium roast Indonesian producing a powerful, bittersweet cup.

In more descriptive terms, their coffee-art laden brew is smooth and light on the acidity. The mocha I grabbed on my last visit was great; just remember that they’re not big on their shots. While some coffee shops, such as Dawson’s and Dutch Bros. boast as many as three shots to a 16oz – with four if you’re in for the extra kick – Flying M seems to focus more on taste. Their menu is interesting if not a little unusual, their sizes being 8oz, 12oz, 16oz (with one, one, and two shots included, respectively.) Most coffee shops these days have a 12oz, 16oz, 20oz menu while still others go higher. I’m inclined to think, however, that Flying M is inherently not a follower of trends. Rather, they seem to be home to the very people who start trends.

Besides coffee, Flying M hosts a gift shop, an art gallery (see pics), free wi-fi, music events, their own bakery, and an atmosphere that makes your extrovert come out.

If you haven’t tried Flying M yet, come see what you’re missing. It’s 100% Boise, and 100% worth it.

The Coffee Guy