Made with Canva When I started this blog, I was working at a cafe in Portland, Oregon where nearly all the staff was gender nonconforming and/or queer. It was a special place, not necessarily because everything was perfect (it was far from it) but because I felt truly seen. I started at this place as a temporary employee but, still, I was asked what my pronouns were, how comfortable I was with everyone knowing my pronouns/identity, and we all had this common queer understanding that is hard to put into words to non-queer people. We all just got each other on a certain level. To be honest, it w ..read more

Dialing in a new brewer can be exciting and intimidating. Sometimes, a new brewer can be similar to what you already own like if you were to bring home an origami dripper after being comfortable with a V60. Some brewers, however, like an Aeropress or a Clever Dripper, have a whole other set of rules than basic pour over cones and can seem as foreign as an alien planet. Never fear, dialing in a new brewer can be fun, help you learn more about coffee brewing, and the reward at the end is a great cup of coffee.  Don’t let the newness scaries get to you. Take a deep breath, have fun, and try ..read more

Made with Canva If you ask me, I have what seems like an endless amount of weird or awful customer stories from odd drink orders, rude behavior, and some silly moments that just make you shake your head in pure confusion. These stories, now that some time has passed, can be comic relief after a hard day and every barista has stories like this that they enjoy telling. You can scroll through nearly every social media app to find people telling their own ridiculous tales from the coffee front lines. When I asked on Instagram what kind of content people would want to see on my blog, one person ask ..read more

Made with Canva I have been living with chronic health issues since I was a teenager. Whether it be chronic pain from poorly-healed broken bones or Endometriosis that would go undiagnosed for years, all of it takes its toll. The common phrase, “No one wants to work anymore,” is ridiculous on many levels but the amount of times amongst a flare up where I think, “You know what? I don’t want to work anymore,” probably numbers in the thousands now. The pain, the mental health crises, and the constant fear (and likely reality) that it will get worse is awful and expensive. However, in our society ..read more

I have talked about pour overs a number of times on this blog because they are a standard brewing method within the coffee industry. They help bring out more flavors and notes within the coffee by using a variety of ways to get the best extraction. But, with so much emphasis on pour overs within the industry, it can seem like any other brewer or brewing method is inferior. The more I got into speciality coffee the more I felt like I had to get rid of my automatic coffee brewer. It seemed like unless I had an expensive machine like a Moccamaster, I was lazy and didn’t want good coffee. Even no ..read more

Let’s talk about those days none of us like to talk about: the bad days. Those days when daily tasks like brushing your teeth, getting dressed, taking meds, and even making coffee seem like the biggest uphill battles. For those with chronic conditions, this can look like days where either you are too weak or in too much pain to do daily tasks. Bad mental health days can also make the day and what you need more tedious and difficult by distorting priorities and zapping energy. Even for coffee people. For those rough days, this is where easier ways to brew coffee can help someone still stay caf ..read more

Some days just suck, especially when you wake up to the unfortunate surprise that your period has arrived and you have to get through an entire 8+ hour shift. You are already feeling crummy, the day is going to seem endless, and, in that moment, you feel like your body has turned against you. So much of the conversations around how you feel going into work are often labeled as not work appropriate and, while the “leave your feelings at the door” mentality is usually reserved for emotional feelings, physical symptoms like those experienced during periods are deemed too personal for work ..read more

Between ill-health, work issues, and post-Expo feelings, I have had to take a break from this blog to get my head in the right place. I also sat down and realized that I needed to invest in my own interests in a more sustainable way. So, after much thought, here I am back with articles in drafts and ready to start posting again.  The Specialty Coffee Expo at the Convention Center in Portland, OR So, let’s talk about the Specialty Coffee Expo! Last year was my first coffee trade show season but this was my first Expo so I went in with little expectations except that it was going to be huge ..read more

Made with Canva Last year, during a visit with my family, I was explaining that I had just launched my shop’s latest seasonal drink menu and I could see some confused looks on my family’s faces. I explained that I created the drink specials, and they asked questions like where we bought our syrups from and if I contacted the syrup companies to make the flavors we featured. When I explained that we make all the syrups in-house and that my job is creating the recipes for those syrups, the look of shock on their faces was evident since most shops do not make their syrups in-house. Working in a pl ..read more

Made with Canva We have all been there. You finally get to clock out and leave the store after a truly horrendous day. Nothing went right, the bar was a mess, and no one was in a good mood. Whether it was a short or long shift doesn’t matter, the day has got you down and now you are wondering how to recover from a day like that. I talk about big feelings a lot on this blog because, while I love to talk about coffee and gender, a huge reason I started this blog was to create a supportive space for people in the coffee industry.  So, if work has left you deflated like a limp balloon, here a ..read more