I started my journey with coffee roasting in the living room of the apartment I was living after graduating from PLNU. An apartment that, at the time, I shared with five other guys. As a graduation gift, I had received a "Gene Cafe Drum Roaster" - a small at home coffee roaster that had the capacity to roast about a pound of coffee at a time. I also received a wide array of green coffee samples from all over the world, giving me the opportunity to find my favorite origins. Africa-sourced coffee quickly became my favorite, with Ethiopian coffee beans being at the top of that list.
I shared my first home-roasts with friends and family, welcoming any feedback they had to share. I remember being so excited to have created something on my own after thinking about it for so long, even if it wasn't perfect yet.
Fast forward to 2023, I was given the opportunity to learn how to roast on a 5 gallon roaster at a local San Diego coffee shop. I was able to shadow, and learn from two different professional coffee roasters. I learned their different techniques and styles, and how those techniques and styles changed the flavor profile of the coffee. There is such a unique science to coffee roasting, and learning the intricacies has been really exciting.
Working with this team has now provided me the space to start roasting coffee under my own brand. After working for different coffee companies for so long, it's surreal to see Sage Coffee Collective coming to life. There is so much more to learn within the coffee sourcing and roasting world, and I can't wait to keep growing and perfecting the craft as I go. I hope you're just as excited to join me on the journey.