FAQ
Q: How does it work with local pickup?
A: You order the coffee and then lemme know when you want to pick it up. If I'm around when you want to pick it up I'll give it to you and we can hangout and talk about extraction theory or thermodynamics or whatever. If I won't be around at your preferred time then I'll leave the coffee for you on the covered porch in a little bag with your name on it.
Q: Can you bring the coffee to my house?
A: Yes (if you live in the city of Vancouver). If you order two or more bags I'll bring it to you for free within a couple days. If you order one bag only I'll still bring it to you but it costs five bucks, so you might as well just get two bags. If you live outside of Vancouver (like Burnaby or Richmond and stuff) then it's too far to bring it to you cause my car breaks down a lot so I try not to go that far.
Q: Shipping?
A: Yes. The website calculates the prices for shipping automatically based on your location and how much coffee you buy. I don't offer free shipping because as a very small roaster shipping a relatively small amount of orders that's a great way to lose money on each sale.
Q: What ever happened to the coffee shop called General Strike Coffee Workshop that used to be on Main Street? Or the secret takeout shop in the alley in Mount Pleasant?
A: Long story short, it's almost impossible to operate a business in Vancouver without a lot of investment capital to start up. I didn't want to go that route (we've all witnessed what happens to great cafes when the investors call the shots). I also didn't want to give up all other aspects of my life in order to keep the shops open - I have a career as a musician that thankfully still exists "post-covid", and friends and relationships that all required some of the attention that was going into single-handedly running a shop and roastery.
Q: I bought a bag of coffee from you and it has a "Best After" date instead of a "Best Before" date. What's the deal with that?
A: This is a big topic but in general, lightly roasted coffees take a while (two weeks-ish) for carbon dioxide and other gases to seep out of the beans. These gases are created during the roasting process and trapped inside. These gases aren't necessarily bad but they tend to impart bitter/sour flavours and sort of muddy up the flavours in the cup when they're dissolved into the brew water, and they might also alter extraction dynamics by pushing the water away from the ground coffee particles. I suggest letting all coffees rest for at least five days after the roast day, but don't stress if you can't wait, it will still taste good. I usually try to have bags for sale that are already rested for a week or two. In general I think the flavours keep improving for around six weeks as long as you store the coffee away from heat, oxygen and natural light. Stored this way your coffee will stay fresh tasting for three months or more.
* Note that if you have darkly roasted coffee where the oils are visible on the surface of the beans, ignore all the above and drink the coffee as soon as possible.
Q: What's the best way to prepare your coffees? Do you have a recommended recipe? Fave dripper? Opinions on swirling vs stirring the bloom etc?
A: Standby for a whole separate section full of me ranting about all this and more.