Here at Seattle Coffee Gear we love to get to know the roasters that we partner with. It's real, genuine connections that fuel the coffee industry. We had the fantastic opportunity to sit down with Elm Coffee Roasters' owner and founder, Brendan Mullally, to talk all things coffee. We're excited to bring that to you next week. In the meantime we wanted to provide a bit of background for those who aren't familiar with this incredible roaster!
Seattle Born and Raised
After years of experience in the coffee industry in New York City, Brendan decided to move back home to found Elm. The cafe and roastery opened in 2013 in the heart of Seattle's Pioneer Square with a focus on providing great coffee in a great environment. In our opinion, they do just that. Elm specializes in light, delicate roasts packed with complex flavor. Between their desire to present interesting, drinkable coffee and their concern for ethical sourcing, we find it easy to recommend Elm's product.
Of particular note is the atmosphere in the café. High ceilings, lively music, and a bustle of activity inside and out define the feel of a morning at Elm. Brendan explained to us that they're using the same equipment and space that they've been using since 2013, and the command that staff have over the machines is evident. From tasty, beautiful lattes to carefully crafted pourover, we can't recommend a stop by this café enough.
None of this would matter, of course, if the coffee wasn't excellent.
Light Roasts and Complex Notes
One of the reasons we love Elm so much is because of their clear focus. Rather than try to check every box, this is a roaster that works to perfect a specific kind of roasting. They do this with coffee from specific places. They focus on coffee from Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Honduras. These are countries that they've had the best success sourcing from at the right price. It also gives them the ability to dial in great roasts from each region year after year.
As of the time of this writing, Elm's offer is 5 roasts. Two Ethiopias, two Colombians (one a decaf) and one seasonal blend. With some roasters, this would indicate a lack of availability. In Elm's case, it's because each roast is so very good.
Of particular note this year is their Ethiopia Worka Sakaro. We loved it so much that we featured it as our coffee of the month for July. This roast's notes of black tea, jasmine and lemon are all distinct and noticeable. This is a running theme with Elm's roasts, and it makes them a great roaster to work on your palate with.
We're very excited to continue to work with Elm Coffee Roasters, and we hope you'll be happy to try them. Check out our selection of Elm roasts on our site
here, and stay tuned next week for our full interview with Brendan.
