Craft is something that’s real at Cantina. We can’t wait to get from a new idea to creating something that deserves to exist out in the world—something that makes people’s lives better. It’s why we get up in the morning and do what we do.

So, when it came time to think about a holiday gift for our clients, we thought about two things. The first was the small ritual of drinking a good cup of coffee to start the day. It’s a special moment to pause and think about the difference we can make. The other was that the last thing we wanted to do was to order some pre-packaged “solution” online. That’s not who we are at all.

Instead, what you’ve received is a hand-crafted batch of custom roasted coffee by our VP of Engineering—and resident coffee obsessive—Wayne Elgin. We thought you’d enjoy learning a bit more about what went into creating this gift, so read on for details!

Wayne has selected a Yirgacheffe bean, which comes from Sidama, a small region in southern Ethiopia. Ethiopia is generally regarded as the birthplace of coffee. As the story goes, it’s where a young goatherder first noticed the increased energy of his flock after munching on the beans. The semi-tropical environment of Sidama is ideal for growing coffee, with moderate wet and dry seasons. Because of the climate, Yirgacheffe can be harvested without the use of chemicals, which makes it an excellent organic choice.

Wayne orders the beans green. They’re small, and require a delicate hand to roast properly.

Everything that tastes good about coffee is already in the raw bean. In the processs of roasting, there are things you can do to enhance the good aromas and flavors and things you might do to destroy them. In this way, coffee is a lot like a good wine or whiskey.

Wayne uses a Behmor 1600+ to roast small batches of coffee. During the process of roasting, Wayne listens for a distinctive cracking sound and pays careful attention to the smell of the coffee. At first, the beans smell similar to Play-Doh as the green beans begin to heat, and then produce a hay-like aroma during the yellowing phase, and just before the first crack a sort of cinnamon-like aroma is released as the maillard reaction accelerates as the coffee makes a gentle, rolling popping sound similar to popcorn. The beans yield a heady cocktail of complex odors as they quickly approach what some might describe a light roast. These are some of the most unique and interesting aromas in the entire experience and, while drinking a coffee is delicious, there’s really nothing quite like roasting. At this point, Wayne has to determine when the bean has reached its optimal roast.

The result is a bright and beautiful flavor with a mellow body. You may notice notes of berries, chocoloate, lemon, and nuts.

We hope you enjoy this gift as a thank you from all of us at Cantina for your partnership. We look forward to a caffeinated and productive 2023!

Deep Cuts

For a real deep dive, watch a recent Hive Mind (Hive Mind is where we gather to teach and learn from one another) where Wayne goes into detail on coffee and his technique: