I had a conversation with Ben de la Garza and Taylor Benjamin de la Garza (brothers) from Sonoita Coffee Roasters a few weeks ago and came away with these interesting tidbits. The company officially began in 2016, and was acquired by Ben and his wife Jessica in 2018 The founder of the company began roasting as

This week, I have been drinking coffee from Loving Labor Coffee Co., a coffee roaster based in the Tucson area. They are fairly new, and sent me a bag of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe to try. This coffee is really good, and smooth, with all of the rich strong flavors I’ve come to love in a good Yirgacheffe.

I’ve been drinking this coffee every day this week from Ground Control in Litchfield Park. Very good and highly suggested. Medium roasted Indonesian coffee with a very smooth taste. This coffee is barrel aged which is definitely unique, as you don’t see that very often. Berry and citrus flavors, a bit of a smoky flavor.

Want cold brew coffee delivered to your door? Check out Blue House Coffee and their local delivery service. Really great tasting and nice smooth cold brew. Blue House Coffee started in 2012 and they’ve expended to delivery for both coffee beans and cold-brew. Very good, and I’m a big fan! Good for home, and office,

All local coffee shops in Arizona are currently handling a crisis like no other. How can you support your local coffee house or coffee roaster this year? Here are a few ways. Order take out. Many coffee shops are offering curbside pick up of coffee drinks and food… just give them a phone call, and

Today, I’m pleased to bring you this interview with Victor Kessler, the owner and operator at Lost Dutchman Coffee Roasters. Victor manages both a coffee roasting company, and a coffee shop in Mesa. I’ve known Victor Kessler since 2007 when we met at a barista jam down in Tucson. Enjoy! Your Background Q. What sparked

I’ve visited Four Coffee a number of times over the past year or two. It is a small coffee shop / coffee roaster. The roasting arm can be found under Fourtillfour, the parent company which also has a Porsche club. Every first Saturday, they host a monthly meeting of vintage Porsches. They all find a

I had a chance to ask Tim Cummings & Ana Monsalve a few questions about their experience farming coffee in Colombia. Tim is an Arizona native, and moved to Colombia and now grows coffee.  What’s a typical day as a coffee farmer? That’s a good question with many answers.  It really depends on if it’s

I received an email from Darren Mills. He is the new owner of Roadrunner Coffee Co. in Tucson. He wrote in to share what’s new, saying: Honestly, just about everything has been improved! New ownership has been there 10 months. To name a few changes: We have re-branded, partnered with a local coffee roaster who

Last weekend our family was driving north up to Flagstaff and we got delayed due to an accident on the I-17. We backtracked to a new coffee place in Anthem called Amped Coffee. Amped Coffee is new, only opening about a month ago. They feature coffee beverages, and also meeting spaces, and a stage for

So I have been doing the Keto diet now for over a year. If you are not familiar with it, it’s another one of those low-carb diets but in this case you focus on high fat foods. One of the things I’ve learned to love is bulletproof coffee. Now I understand some company has trademarked

On Saturday, our family hopped in the car and made the trek to the brand new Tempe Pubic Market Cafe. We tried the coffee, and the food. Both were great. The cappuccino was really good, and my wife had the almond milk mocha which I tried as well. They are serving coffee from Presta Coffee.

My friend sent me this link, and it’s hilarious! Oh man, this is easily going to be a classic.

Cartel’s downtown location is currently closed for renovation, but here’s a little review I wrote up recently and wanted to share. The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at Cartel’s downtown location is that there’s a huge red chandelier hanging really low. So low, in fact, that it is almost touching the floor. Around

Here’s a look at some of the cool people in the Phoenix coffee community. There are interviews with people from Cartel Coffee Lab, Provision Coffee, Ocotillo Coffee Bar, and Be Coffee.

There’s a new coffee shop in Scottsdale that has just opened called Regroup Coffee & Bicycles. As the name suggests, it is both a bicycle shop and a coffee house. The coffee side is exceptionally cool, and has a very clean interior, and some great equipment. Check out the Slayer Espresso machine! I’m fairly certain

Cultured is a modern coffeehouse located in Flagstaff, AZ. The coffee company was founded by two bicyclists who met while riding across the country. Inside there are beautifully painted murals depicting the beautiful birch trees of Flagstaff and bicycling. It’s very pretty, and gives significant life to the walls. I ordered the Nitro cold brew

Indian Gardens will be hosting its 2nd annual Barista Jam and Latte Art Throwdown Thursday, October 13th. A Facebook Event has been set up where you can register for the free event. The event will be held from 5pm – 9pm (free and open to the public). Indian Gardens Cafe & Market 3951 N. State Route 89a

I kept hearing about Fourtillfour from friends asking if I had checked it out — I finally have! Fourtillfour is a small coffee house located in Old Town Scottsdale. Fourtillfour officially opened in January, The tagline under the shop name reads, “Coffee ‘N Cars” and you’ll notice a cool Porsche theme inside the shop. There

I finished up a meeting downtown on Friday, and stopped in at the fairly new Kream Coffee on Central Avenue. It is located just north of Camelback Road, inside a modern furniture store called For The People. Really nice place, and great people! Kream Coffee is serving up coffees from a variety of roasters, including:

I joined a friend and went to check out the new Boss Coffee that has recently opened in Scottsdale. We visited on a weekday in April, just before the weather turned warm. Boss Coffee has a fantastic patio that overlooks the valley. I’m planning a return trip again soon just so I can sit there

While in Flagstaff recently we were looking for a place that serves a good lunch along with coffee. We found The Tourist Home Urban Market and decided to check it out. I’m glad we did! It was one of our favorite stops in Flagstaff, and an exceptionally cool place to dine. They have toddy coffee

Perry Czopp sent me the following announcement about an upcoming event being held at Presta Coffee in Tucson. Presta is turning 1! In celebration of the milestone we are inviting everyone to participate in the Barista Olympic Games. There will be 6 competitions encompassing skills required of coffee nerds. We are working with some great

Press Coffee is hosting a Latte Art Throwdown on Friday, April 8, 2016. The event will be hosted at the new Press Coffee Roastery at 4844 S. 40th St., in Phoenix. The entry fee is $5 for all competing baristas, and you should sign up by 6:45 pm on April 8th. The event is free

One of my favorite coffee shops in Prescott is the Wild Iris Coffee House. Located just one block to the west of the downtown center square, Wild Iris Coffee House has been open for about 9 years now. I’ve visited a number of times over the years, and each time been pleased. They have a bit

The Roastery of Cave Creek (ROC2) is hosting a throwdown at their roastery on February 27, 2016. The event is being managed by 1912 Coffee. The event will be from 6-10 pm on Saturday, February 27, 2016. Registration begins at 6 pm and ends at 7 pm. The event has a $5 entry fee (for

Press Coffee at Scottsdale Quarter continues to be one of my most frequent stops for coffee. Perhaps because it is only five minutes drive from my home, but also because it’s one of the best coffee shops in the state. They sell coffee and espresso drinks, tea, and food. They have an amazingly friendly staff.

I had a meeting in Tempe recently and afterwords I stopped in to visit 51 West. Think of 51 West as half music venue and half coffee shop. I stopped in around 2 pm, and the place was empty except for a few customers that wandered in over the next hour. I sat down at

I’ve wanted to write a gift guide for a few years now, and finally have the time to start one! If you’re looking for some last minute ideas for gifts this Christmas, consider some of these items. Toddy T2N Cold Brew System The original toddy brewing system for home use. Features an all-plastic design that

There’s an upcoming event happening the evening of December 3rd that sounds like fun! What: Barista Jam & Thursday Night Throwdown! Hosted at: Indian Gardens at Oak Creek Market in Sedona When: Thursday, December 3rd from 5pm – 9pm – Free I received an email from Dylan Jung about the event, and he sent along some

Village Coffee Roastery is one of the oldest coffee shops in Arizona. Village Coffee serves coffee and espresso drinks, as well as breakfast, and lunch options all day. They have a variety of muffins, cookies, and other pastries. Village Coffee is located on the north west corner of Hayden Rd. and Via de Ventura in

On Friday I had a meeting directly across the street from Lola Coffee. I had to stop in and see what is new. Lola Coffee is tucked in with a few other restaurants and shops at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Roosevelt. They’re nestled inside a brick building and share a patio with Pita

On Saturday morning we packed up the kids and headed to Flagstaff for the weekend. We wanted to see some of the fall colors in the trees. We ended up at the Arizona Snowbowl Lodge and took the lift all the way to the top. They told us to expect sleet and rain. Only five

There’s a big sign hanging in the roastery that says “Don’t Compromise.” On a recent trip to Cave Creek I stopped in at ROC2 to check out the roasting operation. ROC2 stands for The Roastery of Cave Creek, which is a distinguished coffee roasting company owned and operated by David Anderson. Video interview Watch my

Have a great day everyone! National Coffee Day was a fun day for me! I personally only visited one shop that day, which was Press Coffee. I had a meeting that say, and took the opportunity to visit and conduct my meeting there.

Saw this at Maverick Coffee on Saturday.    

Where are the best coffee shops in Tempe? In recent years the number of coffee shops in Tempe has exploded! There are lots of new entrants to the market. I thought I would provide a quick summary of the new and old coffee shops. Cartel Coffee Lab 225 W University Dr #101, Tempe, AZ 85281

We took the kids down to Sip Coffee & Beer House on a recent Sunday afteroon. These warm summer days are a bother, and we are always looking for a good excuse to get out of the house! There’s a nice big couch at Sip Coffee located to your left when you walk in the

Ever have that feeling where you’ve just spent an hour cleaning the kitchen and don’t feel like doing any more dishes? That happened to me, so we went out to coffee and breakfast! We ended up at Altitude Coffee Lab over in Scottsdale, AZ. We often end up here, probably due to the proximity to

The other day I was having a business lunch at Thai Elephant in Tempe and decided to get coffee after my meeting. I had heard about this new coffee shop called King Coffee and decided to check it out! King Coffee is a micro-coffee shop located on Mill Ave. just across the street from Gammage

I found this video really interesting, and wanted to share it with you. This guy, Alan Adler, invented both the AeroPress and the Aerobie disc. Cool!

I noticed something called the “Sunrise” on the menu at Jobot, and thinking of myself as some sort of Andrew Zimmern of the food world, I ordered it. You should, too! If you like orange juice with espresso shots. I know, you’re probably thinking to yourself “that’s a lot of acidic taste, does that work?”

Nitro coffee is the newest trend in coffee drinks, and it’s hitting the valley this year. It’s so popular, even Buzz Feed did an article about it. I have a sense that Nitro will remain an exclusive drink in the valley. I’ve asked a few coffee shops if they’ll be serving Nitro, and several either didn’t

Press Coffee has undertaken a major update and rebranding at their Scottsdale Quarter location. They were doing construction for two days last week and reopened with new floors, walls, and equipment. They updated nearly everything in the store and it’s fresh and new. As you can see from my photo, they have new wood paneling

Note: Lo Fi Coffee has closed. I had the good pleasure to visit Lo Fi Coffee in Mesa recently. Located on Main Street in the heart of Mesa, Lo Fi is a coffee shop owned and managed by Sam Clark. On the day I arrived, Sam was behind the bar making drinks for customers. In

Tempe has a lot of really terrific coffee shops. The new Hazelrock Coffee + Sweets in Tempe is a fantastic addition to the line up. The place is huge, too! They have more space than other nearby coffee shops and have capacity for 127 people. Hazelrock Coffee opened up in May, 2015 and occupies the

Maverick Coffee, the new coffee shop from two Olympic athletes, is now open. Maverick Coffee is a new independent coffee house that is serving Ritual Coffee beans (a popular roaster in San Francisco). The new shop features a pretty big interior layout, and sports lots of comfortable couches. My wife and I, along with our

I spent the first week of June in St. Louis, MO, and while there I had the chance to visit two coffee shops. When I travel I usually like to try the shops other people recommend, but these ones were a few that I discovered on my own using the Yelp app on my phone.

Directly across the street from Maricopa Community College is a small coffee shop called Matador Coffee. They’ve been in business for almost a decade in this same location. They do most of their business during spring nd fall, when students are in classes. The owner recently told me that their business drops off by almost

Nitro coffee has been around a year or so in Phoenix. Suddenly it is popular again, and it seems every shop is getting on the bandwagon. Drinking a nitro cold brew is a bit like drinking a beer, but without the hops. I had a nitro at Peixoto Coffee on Saturday morning and it was