Roast and Reason was born out of my love of coffee.
Coffee hasn’t always played such a central role in my life. In fact, I hated the stuff when I was younger. The bitter taste of generic coffee from my parents coffee maker just didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t understand why anyone would drink it or why something that smelled so mesmerizing tasted like bitter medicine.
But that all changed. As I drank more coffee and explored the world of specialty coffee, good coffee, I found that I genuinely loved the black nectar.
In early 2017 I began roasting my own coffee at home with a small home roaster. I quickly fell in love with the process of taking green unroasted coffee beans that smell like grass and turning them into delicious coffee. I spent months experimenting with different coffee beans, tinkering with the roast process, and tasting the results.
As I read and learned more about coffee I was amazed by the complex process from how and where coffee is grown, the science and techniques of coffee roasting, all the way to different coffee brewing techniques. I felt like I stumbled into a new world, a world of coffee that was so much deeper and more complex than I had previously appreciated. The world of coffee goes way beyond the terms we hear at the nearest chain coffee shop, words like “light roast” or “dark roast” or “skinny latte.”
I knew then that I wanted to dive deeper and share my experiences.
When I’m not drinking or roasting coffee my day job as a doctor tends to keep me fairly busy. I am an avid reader, foodie, craft beer lover, sports lover, and wannabe ski bum. I currently live in Oregon with my wife, Ananda, who is an excellent photographer in her spare time. You will surely see some of her photographs throughout this site.
When it comes to the coffee industry, I am very much a lay person. I don’t work in the industry, have never been a barista or a coffee buyer. And I am not a licensed Q grader (the coffee equivalent to a wine sommelier). However, I love exploring, learning new things, and sharing the process with friends.
Roast and reason is my way of sharing my passion for coffee and my journey exploring this world.
Thank you for joining me!
Andrew