The Coffee Trade | Sweet Maria's Coffee Library

Podcast: The Burundi Coffee System

We hope you enjoy Tom's reflections on Burundi's coffee industry, production systems, colonial history, co-ops and other organizations.

Podcast: Processing Coffee at Gitesi, Rwanda

Here's what happens to coffee before it leaves Gitesi station

The SCAA Show 2014: New Products

New gear for your kitchen counter.

The Mania of Tanzania

Podcast Episode 5: Local Coffee Price and Competition

During a trip to Guatemala, Tom recorded his thoughts on the coffee market.

Podcast: Episode 1 - Coffee Buying and Travel

While grinding and brewing a cup of coffee in Ethiopia, Tom talks about what goes into purchasing the coffee that ends up in your home roaster.

Talking About Roasting: Darren Smith

Darren Smith from Sumas Mountain Coffee Co. and I have been exchanging some thoughts about roast levels, roast logs, and one of the shrub coffees that he recently picked up from us.

February/March/April 2014: Your Personal Shopper and Keeping Your Machine Clean

Do Origin Countries Make Sense?

Before coffee was sold by the name of the source country, it was listed by the nearly mythic names of the port city from which it shipped.

Talk about Roasting - Hideo Gunawan, Curious People Roastery Jakarta, Indonesia

Some people might not be aware that the Shrub has a pretty far reaching global customer base.

Talking about Roasting at Cuptoberfest

One of the most rewarding parts of Cuptoberfest for me was the second round of cupping and discussion that we did where we cupped coffees that were brought by the attendees.

Coffee Shrub Cuptoberfest 2013

Last week Coffee Shrub and Sweet Maria’s had the pleasure of hosting another “Cuptoberfest” here in West Oakland.

Talk About Roasting - Gary Theisen, Revel Coffee Roasters

I was so jazzed when I got the email from Gary Theisen at Revel Coffee Roasters in Billings, Montana that he had received a 95 point score from Coffee Review for his roast of the Guatemala Acatenango Gesha from Shrub.

Talk about Roasting - Ed Freedman, Shearwater Coffee Roasters Fairfield, CT

Talkin' bout Roasting with Vajra Rich, Boxcar Coffee Roasters

Vajra Rich at Boxcar Coffee Roasters in Boulder, CO. is one of my favorite roasters to talk to about roasting.

Talk about talk about it talk about it talk about Roasting - Christopher Oppenhuis

I've mentioned it a lot of times already I know, but I really can't say enough how awesome the roaster scene is in Chicago right now.

Let us talk about the roasting - Keith Hamrick, Northbound Coffee Roasters - updated

Keith Hamrick was one of the first roasters I met when I started my coffee roasting career, I've been talking to him about roasting for more than a decade.

Shrubs and Brokers and Importers

Shrub backed its way into selling green coffee to roasters.

Shrub in Boston and our NYC cupping

It's been a bit disorienting coming back from a good deal of activity on the east coast with stops in Boston for the SCAA Expo and New York City for a cupping that we organized for roasters there that was generously hosted by JOE coffee at their pro shop.

Talking the roaster talk, walking the roaster walk - Justin Carabello, Carabello Coffee (

Justin Carabello from Carabello Coffee in the Cincinnati area answered the call to talk about roasting, sending me a number of different shrub coffees roasted on his Primo 5K, including the Corazon Del Robot blend and a blend of his own using some shrub coffees which I was stoked to see.