Over the last year Portland's Stumptown Coffee Roasters has impressed me by raising the bar in quality and education in the specialty coffee world. Last year the roaster was named roaster of the year by Roast magazine and the company's owner, Duane Sorenson [see photo], has done at least four things that in my opinion have earned Stumptown this award.

1. Like other great roasters in the United States, Duane tours the world in search of amazing coffee. He develops personal friendships with the growers he meets and a direct relationship with their farms. Because of these relationships, he is able to pay growers what their top quality coffees are actually worth or even more.

A few examples of coffees Stumptown has bought and currently features are Guatemala Finca El Injerto, Nicaragua Los Delirios, Ethiopia Wild Forest Limu, Sumatra Lake Tawar and the Panama Esmeralda Reserva, known as the "Dom Perignon" of coffee, which Stumptown purchased for over 50 dollars per pound green.

2. Maybe the most amazing program Stumptown offers is called "The Annex." At The Annex, a consumer doesn't even need to buy coffee [although they can] to have a highly educated instructor take him or her through a complete coffee cupping. At The Annex, customers can compare, for example, a Guatemalan Antigua with an Ethiopian Sidamo. The process may take up to an hour, and Stumptown may sell the customer as little as a half-pound of coffee, so it is obvious that the roaster does not do it for the financial gain. The Annex is about relationship marketing and education, showing the customer how much Stumptown cares about the product it sells.

3. In my daily life, I visit many small coffee bars and large coffeehouses in Portland. Yesterday, I was at an upscale Italian restaurant that serves Stumptown and I was amazed by how well Stumptown had trained the staff to prepare its coffees. Most roasters know it is essential to train their accounts, yet I see over and over again high quality coffee being ruined by incorrect preparation. Stumptown definitely puts an enormous amount of effort into their training program to ensure that their coffees are being served at their best.

4. Recently, Stumptown hosted an event called, "Meet the Producer." At the event, Stumptown introduced some amazing coffees to those in attendance, and farmers from two countries were there to assist with showcasing their coffees. The farmers were Aida Batlle from Finca Kilamanjaro, Santa Ana, El Salvador and Moises and Marysabell Cabellero from Finca El Puente, Honduras. The farmers were there to share stories about life on their farms, their coffees and experiences at origin. Stumptown also showed video footage from source trips that was very moving, and an excellent way to educate their customers on what life at origin is like. Stumptown served regional appetizers that reflected the local dishes of the countries represented as well as hosted a single origin espresso tasting for all in attendance. We took our entire ABC's class to the event and every student loved the experience.

What I love most about the way Stumptown markets its business is that it encourages others in our industry to do the same. There are many great roasters in the United States, and like Stumptown, they educate their customers. But, "The Annex" is a unique program that truly does raise the bar in our industry and pays homage to both quality and education.

The last two weeks since Ward Barbee, publisher of Fresh Cup Magazine, died have been a rollercoaster of emotions. This weekend the shock felt through the coffee world came to a close when many of us got together to celebrate Ward's life. Friday evening I hosted a party for many of Ward's coffee friends who had come in from out of town to pay their respects. Some of the people who made the trip to Portland were Tom Palm from Design & Layout Services, Don Harrell from Monin, Laura Summers from Espresso Supply, Mark Spini from Guittard, David, Marni and Tamara from Festivals, Phil and Steve from Neighbors Coffee, Kate LaPointe, Eric Bass, Jon Whiteside from Cappuccine, Deb, Wally, Lonna and Larry from Caffe D'Amore and many, many more.

Many of us attended Ward's funeral on Saturday afternoon. A number of Ward's old friends spoke and gave almost comedy club renditions of crazy stories in which Ward played the lead role. It was the only funeral I have ever attended where everyone laughed more than cried. Jan Wiegel and Fresh Cup organized a wonderful tribute party at the Melody Ballroom that evening. There were a number of bands that played while a large screen showed photos of Ward at various stages of his life - some were taken just days before he passed on. The ballroom was packed, and the mood was really that of celebration. There was one, and only one, Ward Barbee, a man that none at the ballroom will ever forget.

At the end of the evening I went to get a glass of wine and the bartender said to me, "I have been working events here for a long time and something really strange just happened." I asked her what it was, and she said, "I was going outside when the band broke into the song "Knockin' on Heaven's Door. As the music drifted outdoors, I looked up into the sky, and saw hundreds of doves circling the top of the building." I know the spirit of this man will be circling us all for a long time in many shapes and forms.

When the call came in from Rome on Saturday morning with the news of the passing of Ward Barbee, the publisher of Fresh Cup magazine, I went into what could only be called shock.

How could this happen? How is it possible for me to come to terms with the fact I will never see him again, talk to him, hug him or tell him all he has meant to me over the last 15 years?

Often times when we lose a friend there are others who fill the void and who can partially take the place of that person. This is the rare case when "no one ever" can take the place of Ward. He was probably the most unusual person I have ever known, someone with a rare spirit and boundless energy.

This phone call took me back to another one I received out of the blue many years ago. On the other end of the line, I heard a gruff voice asking me what was I doing writing and photographing for a Seattle coffee magazine, Café Ole, when as an Oregonian, I should be writing for his new publication, Fresh Cup magazine. We met shortly after that phone call, and from that day on I felt more like the member of a family than a contributor to the publication.

When I first visited Ward in Portland, Fresh Cup was run out of the basement of his house, and I remember meeting his two employees and a big fat black lab. I also remember being impressed as I watched Ward wear the hat of magazine publisher, editor and salesman. It was his insight and energy that made Fresh Cup an amazing magazine. His vision was to produce a trade journal that had the look of a commercial publication, with in-depth stories that actually were of interest and help to those in the industry. The magazine also featured stunningly beautiful covers and was peppered with beautiful art and photography.

Ward never ducked controversy; he actually thrived on it. If he saw anything he felt was askew in our industry, he would pour his heart and soul into correcting the problem with every ounce of energy he had. He felt the retailer (the driving force behind everyone's job in the industry) was usually overlooked. He saw his battleground as Sherwood Forest and his job as one to help the small independent. His genius could be found in the strategy he used in the thousand battles he fought.

And, I assure you, he made more of an impact on the evolution of specialty coffee as we know it today than anyone I know. No one fought harder. No one I know worked for the specialty coffee industry with more perseverance. He never cared about the money or the fame his crusades might bring him - what he did care about was "what was right." He loved coffee and every aspect of the industry.

Ward and I quickly became more than colleagues; he became one of my most trusted friends. At the time when training aids didn't exist in this industry, I drove to his house and confided in him - no one else - my plans to launch Bellissimo's first training product, the video "Espresso 101." He was the only person I knew I could trust, and his opinion was "the" most important to me when I was wondering if this truly was an idea that had legs.

I cannot even attempt to write here about the time Ward and I spent together. We traveled with each other internationally more than ten times. I spent one-on-one time with him in almost every major U.S. city. The stories could fill a book.

At the dinner table when my son Matthew was growing up, I often told him what we came to call "Ward Stories." I always mimicked Ward's voice for the parts he played in the entertaining exploits, and we would all laugh until we cried. After one of these stories Matthew said to me, "Dad, do you think I can meet Ward someday?" Who would have ever guessed that in the years to come they would also have a very special relationship?

Hundreds loved this man for his passion for life and his honesty. I loved him for being maybe my best friend. I spent time with him in Berne this year at the World Barista Championships, but it was our trip - just he and I- last November to Milan that I will never forget.

Ward and I usually saw each other every week, so it was strange for me not to see him for almost a month due to his heavy summer travel schedule. I was even thinking the night before he died how much I missed him. I knew he was on the trip with his grandson that he had first told me about at an Oregon Ducks game last fall. He told me how he wanted to mentor him and show him Italy. He asked me for phone numbers of my Italian friends who had children his grandson's age so he could set up soccer games for him. He talked to me many times while planning this trip - to him it was the most important trip of his life because he wanted to impart his love for life and travel to this little boy.

With tears in my eyes I think back to the last time I saw Ward. Prior to leaving for China, he called and asked if Ed Arvidson and I wanted to meet him and Paula for dinner. At the end of the evening, he said to me in the context of a hug, "I love you buddy"... how much better does it get than that?

It is now time to do what Ward would have wanted us to do - celebrate his life and continue his crusade for quality and equality in every aspect of the coffee industry.

In addition to just finishing an amazing ABC's  session with students from as far away as the U.K., the school has also played host to many industry guests in the last few weeks.

Last alone Mauro Cipolla and Joe Mancuso of Caffe D'arte visited, and after a tour of the school, we shared a great Italian meal. Last Sunday morning I had brunch with Roberto Bresciani of Nuova Simonelli after he spent Saturday afternoon at the school. Portland has really become a huge crossroads when it comes to coffee, and since Bellissimo moved its office to Portland from Eugene, we have hosted more guests and industry friends in one week than we did in a entire year in Eugene.

This week it was a revolving door at the school when we hosted a preview of the new Clover commercial single-cup coffee brewer. The press came out in force for the event: Fresh Cup magazine, Barista magazine, Roast magazine and the new Imbibe magazine.

David Griswold from Sustainable Harvest and Jason Remmer of Swiss Water Decaf stopped by, as did groups from Coffee Bean International, Portland Roasting, The Albina Coffee Press and Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

David Latourell and Anastasia Chovan from Clover spent the day brewing great origin coffees on this amazing and innovative brewer.  For the past six months the Clover single-cup brewer has been a constant buzz in the specialty coffee industry, and for good reason. The brewer is capable of grinding, dosing and brewing coffee by the cup, which allows customers to choose any coffee on a coffeehouse menu. This new brewer will allow retailers to expose their customers to more origin coffees, thereby increasing consumer awareness, education and, ultimately, sales. I highly encourage you to check out Clover's Website and learn more about this amazing machine.

I just returned from Jan Weigel's Fresh Cup Magazine Roadshow in Minneapolis. That's Jan with me in the photo.

This was by far the best Roadshow yet. The attendance was decent and my four-hour pre-show class was full of great people - most were very anxious to get into the specialty coffee business. We had six states represented in all and actually two groups from as far away as California.

One of the highlights of the show was a chartered boat cruise hosted by Tom Palm of Design and Layout Services based in Minnetonka. About 50 of us had a great dinner at his offices before cruising the magical and beautiful Lake Minnetonka. The weather was absolutely perfect. All in all it was a great evening that I am sure very few on the boat will soon forget.

The show floor was busy from open to close on both days of the show. The Midwest is still underserved when it comes to independent coffeehouses and drive-thrus, but what impressed me the most about this part of the country is that coffee is finally catching on. I say this because last week on a business trip to another Midwestern city I met with a real estate group that owns or has control of over 100 shopping centers and is looking to incorporate coffee into their plans.

The real frosting of the shows is networking with good friends that I only see only a few times a year. I had not seen Tracy Allen of Zoka Coffee Roasters and Jeff Taylor from P.T's since Berne. They are just two of many great individuals in this industry. The friendship and integrity of people like this is what really and truly makes the coffee industry so great to be a part of.

Ciao, B

Summer has to be the best time to take a cruise to Alaska. I just returned from a trip northward with my mother and daughter. Alaska was beautiful, but I have to admit it was a bit scary seeing the receding glaciers and discovering that the government rangers would not talk about the rapid thaw or use the word global warming. I asked one of them who came aboard the cruise ship in Glacier Bay why, and I was only told, "My paycheck is signed by GWB." The rangers told me that they were instructed what they could and could not say... to me, a bit scary.

Other than that, the whales, eagles, and pristine mountains were really quite amazing.

Once again, I was happy to have thought to bring along my French press and some great origin coffees, since in my room there were only stale packs of coffee, or what could barely be considered coffee.

I came back to the Bellissimo office to find a full American Barista & Coffee School class this month and a new espresso 101 website. What you will see now is only a start - this site is five years ahead of its time in many ways, and although our older site was nice, this new site is spectacular. Look in coming weeks for new sites for the American Barista & Coffee School and for Coffee Universe, the ultimate coffee portal.

The other big news is a coalition we formed with one of the most exciting and "in the news" coffee countries in the world...I will be reporting some amazing developments here soon.

ciao, B

The tag line "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" should not apply to coffee! What did happen this past weekend in Las Vegas at Coffee Fest was another great tradeshow with lots of great coffee related booths, many I had never seen at a tradeshow before. As with most shows, everyone is "on," psyched and ready to do business.

There are two things I like about tradeshows. One, of course, is the fact that only about four or five times a year do I have the opportunity to re-establish deep, long-lasting friendships with those in the industry. You come to realize - sad as it is - that some of the closest friends you have in the world are in reality living in Toronto, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, etc. Coffee shows allow you to reconnect.

The second thing I enjoy about these shows is speaking to a standing room only seminar class. The real frosting on the speaking cake for me is the many thank you's I receive for my talks throughout the weekend. One man stopped me the last day of the show and said, "I attended both your seminars, and if I had gotten back on the plane immediately afterwards, I would have considered this trip money well spent." That for me is the true reward of speaking - helping someone avoid the holes that in the early years I stepped in, and the holes I have seen so many step in when trying to cut corners when opening a coffee business. Cutting corners involves much more than not spending money. It involves not doing the proper research, hiring the wrong employees and not dotting every "i."

One of the really bright spots at this particular show was meeting the daughter of a close friend, a young woman who I had only heard about. Her mother, Tina Michaud, and I have been close friends for many years and she had told me repeatedly about Nicole. But I was still surprised to see her and not Tina at the show representing Tina's company, Allied Resources, with the same vigor and sales moxie of her mom. Over the years, I have seen so many children attempt to follow their parents into business, but I have rarely seen the same passion in the son or daughter that made the parent successful. I am so lucky that my son Matthew, who is currently Bellissimo's Consulting Director and Director of the American Barista & Coffee School, has shown not only passion, but also has taken his own road in making a name for himself in the industry. After observing Tina's daughter, I expect the results will be the same.

So trade shows. They are draining, exciting and time consuming, but a must to stay on the cutting edge of this ever growing and changing industry. You love them and you hate them, but in the end you usually say it was time well spent after the idea tank gets a fill up that often can't occur when you are buried in day-to-day office work. Next stop the Fresh Cup Road Show - Minneapolis - wonder if I will see Prince?

06.12.06 Update
Here's a letter I received after the show.

Wow... I just returned from Berne, the capital of Switzerland - an amazing and beautiful city surrounded by the Alps. On May 19th through the 21st at the World Barista Championship, it was also surrounded by the best baristas in the world.

The event, billed as "The Olympics of Coffee," drew passionate and competitive baristas from 45 countries. The camaraderie and friendship witnessed between everyone involved in the competition was inspiring.

The goal of the event was to promote growth and excellence within the barista community and to encourage recognition of the job of barista as a highly skilled profession.

The climax of the three-day event was the award ceremony held on Sunday, where Klaus Thomsen of Denmark won the crown. Sammy Piccolo of Canada came in second and Matthew Riddle of the USA, third. Baristas from Sweden, the UK and Iceland finished, fourth, fifth and sixth.

The event included much more than the main WBC competition. There was also the World Coffee Tasting/Cupping Championship, The World Latte Art Championship and The World Coffee and Spirits Event.

A reported record-breaking 9,300 people attended the event. The tradeshow held in conjunction with the championships included 125 booths that were outfitted with true European flair.

The event closed with meetings of the incoming WBC board. The WBC board consists of individuals dedicated to insuring fairness in the subjective and monumental task of judging barista competitions.

I hope you enjoy these snapshots of a great week.

We had an amazing meeting today with P:ear [see 05.08.06 entry]. Their incoming board president Bruce Ped and program director Pippa Arend came to visit the ABC School to brainstorm with us on how we could work together. We found out a whole lot more about P:ear. I think I can speak for all of us - P:ear is an amazing organization and we will do all we can to support their mission to make the lives of homeless and transitional kids better.  

They explained that the kids they help are not "at risk" but "post risk" youth. Many or most are living on the streets and have little hope outside of P:ear. Over 85 percent of them are not runaways, but from abusive family situations that have disintegrated beneath them. The P:ear staff is making a real difference in these kid's lives. This summer we will start taking baby steps and bring in small groups, teach them about coffee and give them some hands-on barista skills. This is a good way for all of the staff at Bellissimo to give back in a way that will hopefully produce results, change lives and give hope.

I felt pretty lucky a few weeks ago when I was flying to the SCAA show in Charlotte. Just across the aisle from me on the plane was Bruce Ped, an account manager for Fres-co Systems USA, a company that specializes in packaging equipment, materials and services for the specialty coffee industry. He does double duty as a board member of P:ear, an organization that works with homeless and transitional youth in Portland, OR, where we both live.

We will learn much more tomorrow when Bruce and the P:ear program director come to the Bellissimo offices to discuss how the American Barista & Coffee School can become more involved in this amazing landmark program to help Portland homeless youth. One idea I have is to make ABC's available one or more days a month to teach barista skills to some of the youth they help.  In essence, with a small effort on the part of Bellissimo, lives could be changed.

Saturday night I had my first introduction to P:ear at their annual Fundraiser. It was a huge success and almost everyone I met with was amazingly supportive of any fresh idea that could directly help these kids out.

I came away excited and will keep everyone posted on what happens next!

I just returned a couple of weeks ago from Thessaloniki, Greece where I was a featured speaker and judge of the Hellenic Barista Championships at CoffeeBiz 2006, the country's biggest specialty coffee tradeshow. CoffeeNet, the leading Greek Coffee magazine, sponsored the event. As a WBC [World Barista Championship] judge, it was an honor to hangout on stage with the other judges, including Tim Wendelboe, the 2004 World Barista Champion and Alf Kramer, the first president of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. It was also a pleasure to witness the passion of the competing baristas up close and personal. I attended this same event in 2001, and I was amazed at how far Greek coffee has come in the last five years.  I just wrote a piece for an upcoming issue of  Fresh Cup magazine about my experience - one that I found worthwhile and rewarding. The bar in specialty coffee continues to be raised!

I had a long phone conversation yesterday with Jose Arreola from Sabarex in Mexico. We talked about WBC events and how great it is that even those competing against one another will often share help and tips - unlike sporting events where the goal is to go for the opponent's throat. This behavior is seen not only in barista competitions, but also common in the coffee business as a whole.

There are, of course, still those old-school thinkers that equate business with war. Business, of course, involves a strategy, but new free-thinking business people [and, I might add, those I see as the most successful] take a different tact. They help one another "even competitors" and see the big picture: that we are all in this together. And, as John Lennon said, "The love you take is equal to the love you make."

Here is just one of about four songs I wrote that were played in Greece during the final championship competition by the very cool DJ they had providing music... the title is "PUSHard."  Enjoy.