I desire to drink my coffee black…and like everyone else, it is nearly impossible to drink black coffee at the big chains. I have requested cups of black coffee at the big coffee houses…only to find myself at the toppings table doing everything I can to make the coffee drinkable. The taste is bitter and reminds me of a bad cigar or old gym socks. Bad coffee is burnt and stale, and this bad taste may stay with you for many hours.

For most folks and in more recent times, coffee has become a function of convenience and even worse…about toppings. Great coffee disappeared and inferior quality coffee was roasted, brewed, and served hidden by cream, sugar, and shots of chocolate, caramel, or pumpkin spice. At home, coffee comes sealed in a plastic K-cup and is never seen…only a black liquid spews out one cup at a time. I fell into this trap like many others until my desire for a great cup of coffee sent me on a journey.

I started roasting out of necessity… to create a coffee worthy of drinking every day. I used an old hot air popcorn popper until I burnt my fingers and the popper freaked out and died. By working with a more robust machine, I learned the art and science of the roast…all while learning subtle differences in flavor.

Mostly, I learned the differences between good coffee and bad coffee. I actually became excited every morning to wake up because I knew that I would be drinking the best coffee I had ever had, every morning. I became so excited about my roasted product that I shared it with anyone who was interested.And then it happened; these friends and acquaintances asked for more and offered to buy it. From this experience grew Split Rail Coffee.