To start, this blog was supposed to have been posted before today. However, there was a delay in the posting process. A lot of the content that will be covered spans over the course of the last couple of months. A lot has happened in the community in regards to events, so thank you for your patience!
It's been a busy couple of months for the feed. Aside from the multiple shops that have been visited, I was able to go to a couple of events that were in the area and meet new people in the coffee industry. It's always appreciated when people and companies reach out and want to share their coffee stories. Kafiex Roasters is based out in Vancouver, WA. Kafiex started roasting coffee nearly 6 years ago by using an old frying pan and some locally bought green coffee beans. Fast forward to today, they are currently an award-winning roaster with their Three Amigos Espresso Blend. They entered their coffee into the Milk Based Espresso category at Golden Bean North America, and won.
The picture above was taken at Vancouver Brewfest, where they unveiled their Nitro Cold Brew coffee infused with hops. This non-alcoholic coffee drink was well received among those who stopped by their tent. Along with that, they also had their version of an "ice-cream float". Combining their cold brew with a scoop of Salt & Straw Vanilla ice cream turned out to be one of the best treats at the festival. Learn more about Kafiex by visiting their website www.Kafiex.com.
Golden Bean is the world's largest coffee roasters competition and conference. This event started in 2005 in Australia, and then had it's North American debut in 2015. The event consists of guest speakers within the industry, coffee judging, and networking opportunities within the community. I was able to get in contact with the "Head Bean" Sean, who was incredibly kind enough to provide access for the conference. Due to timing, I was only able to check out the Green Bean Zone, which was a cupping session. While in there, I ran into some familiar faces at Kafiex, Sustainable Harvest, and Prana Chai (who has an amazing cold brew). I was also introduced to companies that I've never heard before, like Terra Negra Trade Company. This Guatemalan coffee importer will be making their move to Bend, OR in the near future to set-up shop. Be on the lookout for them. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and atmosphere. Definitely recommended to attend the event in the future.
One thing that I am extremely excited about is Sneakerweek PDX. This is the first annual Sneakerweek here in Portland, and I am excited to be apart of it. CoffeefeedPDX will be partnering with Deadstock Coffee to provide a Coffee & Kicks experience. We're flipping the Deadstock Coffee shop into an exhibit to showcase the ins & outs of shoes and coffee. There's going to be unique drinks, deconstructed shoes, and a panel discussion. We also might dip some shoes into coffee. Stay tuned for more updates!