Picking our Roaster: Hemisphere Coffee Roasters

The first thing that comes to mind when describing Paul and Grace Kurtz is humble. What they have built is truly incredible and someone needs to toot their horn, so here I go. Hemisphere Coffee Roasters has exceeded my expectations in so many ways. The most important aspects to me were; their understanding of where and how they get their coffee, their passion for what they do, and their overall kindness.

I couldn’t help but giggle as Paul and Grace bickered over what drinks they wanted us to try next. There was something so pleasant about the way Paul went behind the drink counter and created latte art in our cortados. Or how excited they seemed every time we talked about our coffee trailer plans. We are a small scale bakery and currently sell a small amount of coffee. Yet they treated us as premier clients. It was heartwarming and meant a lot to me personally. Now enough gushing, let me tell you a little more about their business model.

The Faith of a Farmer

My dad, Ellen and I all sat sipping our coffee as Paul painted a picture of the lives of coffee farmers. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see filled with only one kind of crop; coffee. Communities rise and fall based around the success of the coffee crop, and the farmers are at the will of the buyers. Direct Trade is one way Hemisphere is helping communities in various areas to thrive.

When you purchase coffee form Hemisphere Coffee Roasters, you are investing in the lives of coffee growers, their workers, their families and communities. This coffee  benefits the Kingdom of God around the world. HCR has developed deep relationships with coffee farmers in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central America. We are buying their highest-grade coffee, paying them premium prices in return. This is truly Fair Trade.

Hemisphere coffee roasters

It was the discussion of the faith these farmers had to have that made the coffee industry feel so much more real to me. It had always seemed like such a far off and complicated process. Yet when looking at pictures of the very farmers who harvest the cup we were drinking, it all started to feel almost familiar. The way you could see the children playing in the background. Or the picture of the farmer praying when the prospects of the year seem bleak. All these things reminded me of our life on our small farm. How I can see the worry on my dad’s face as he waits patiently for rain, or how our families would get together and the children would play as the adults bailed hay. A life of worries, but also of simple pleasures.

I was able to watch this amazing video that describes the journey of one of their farmers. It even directly talks about Hemisphere Coffee Roasters. HERE is the short documentary, I really enjoyed watching it and I think you will too.

What is direct trade coffee?

Direct trade coffee just means that there is no middle man. The coffee roaster (Hemisphere Coffee) directly buys their coffee beans from the farmer. What makes this special is that, this is not normally how coffee is sold. Usually there are around 5 different entities involved in the shipping and packaging process, each taking a little for themselves. Because Direct trade bypasses all those extra people involved, they are able to pay more directly to the farmer. You might wonder why everyone does not do this, and the truth is no small feat. It involves properly licensing, understanding of transport and being willing to traveling to these farms and work directly with the farmer.

Direct-Trade coffee is based on an open, honest relationship of trust between the grower and the roaster. Farmers share with us the cost involved in producing and transporting these coffees. We in turn pay fair prices where the whole supply chain can benefit We have visited these farmers, and  have a deep respect for one an other. This is not a hand out or charity, but simply good business.

Hemmisphere COffee Roasters

The roaster relationship

I recently joined a Mobile Coffee Business Facebook group and it has been so helpful. It has given me insight into other sin my situation. But has also filled my head with more and more questions. Little did I know Hemisphere held so many of the answers.

• How do I sell high quality drinks without an espresso machine?
  • As I have mentioned before, and espresso machine is an investment. My plan is to start with some high quality non espresso drink and then put that profit towards an espresso machine. They were fully on board with this plan and were excited to share their wisdom with us. I wont be giving away all the secrets we learned, but we talked in depth about cold brew recipes, most common drinks they have order as well as their favorite syrups and sauces for coffee.
• What are the best places to get Coffee Shop Trailer Supplies?
  • Little did I know, Hemisphere Coffee Roasters are wholesale distributers of not only coffee, but coffee supplies. This means syrups, sauces, Lotus energy drinks and much more.
• What is the best way to learn the ins and outs of being a barista?
  • Although we have been practicing with our own at home espresso machines and doing a far amount of online research, we still felt hesitant about jumping behind the counter. Hemisphere lucky told us that they will fully train us how to be the best baristas we can be.
• What espresso machines can you recommend?
  • Another amazing surprise is that they also sell espresso machines. This is very nice because they also have the ability to service them when troubles arise.

Finding the perfect blend with Hemisphere Coffee Roasters

As we left Hemisphere Coffee Roasters we all three were talking a hundred miles an hour and shaking the whole way home. I think we tried maybe ten different drinks ranging from shots of espresso to pour-over coffee to chai lattes. It was a dream come true for me.

Bakery Blend

The first order of business was to find a house blend for our bakery. One that was made to be enjoyed with baked goods. So of course, we had to bring some Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls from the bakery to try the coffee with. Paul told us about how Donut shop coffee blend was created to be enjoyed with donuts and is usually a smooth more subtle blend. He then gave us cups of coffee to try with our cinnamon roll and tell him what we thought. We all fell in love with a bold, smooth roast. We thought that was the end of the coffee drinking, but boy were we wrong.

Cold Brew Coffee

At the bakery we sell a Sweet Cream Cold brew which is considered a type of Vietnamese Cold Brew. He knew exactly what we were talking about and we discussed what grounds he recommended to use in our coffee. Our Sweet Cream cold brew requires smooth coffee undertones that pair well with the sweetness of condensed milk and cream. They let us try one of their cold brews and it was perfect.

They then mentioned the popularity of just straight black cold brew. To me the smooth cold brew we use for our Sweet Cream cold brew was almost not bold enough to enjoy just straight black. So, they then brought another iced coffee blend, and it was so bold and flavorful and complex, perfect with nothing else added.

Grace also wanted us to understand the difference between the taste of cold brew, coffee brewed over ice and and iced latte. So she brewed us each one of each; all were amazing and gave us a better understanding of how the brew method affects the taste of the coffee.

Other Refreshing Tastes

After sharing that we would be waiting to get an espresso machine, Paul and Grace shared with us some of their other popular non espresso drinks. This included an iced Chai Latte that was amazing and consisted of milk and chai concentrate. We also sipped on a caffeinated lemonade that was made with an all natural concentrate.

The Final Tally

We tried; two brews of black coffee, a cortado, cold brew, caramel iced latte, drip coffee over ice, hot chai latte with espresso, iced chai latte, and a refreshing lemonade. I know I am missing a couple but it was just a rapid fire of amazing coffee flavors and it was truly a blast.

progress on the coffee shop trailer

• We bought the trailer
• We have obtained the proper licensing, as well as the appliances needed to sell various baked goods and coffee in our trailer.
• We have created a proper workspace for trailer renovations.
• We have installed the walk up window for the trailer.
• We have created a design for the outside of the trailer.
• We have decided on the color scheme and aesthetic for the trailer (can’t wait to show you all!)
• We have chosen a roaster.
• We have started to created recipes for the grand opening.

Coffee Shop Trailer

So there is your latest update. Let us know what you think of the progress and of Hemisphere Coffee. Have you ever tried it yourself? More updates to come…