What distinguishes Portland's hipsters from other cities is that here, unlike other cities, there's no "try hard" mode for hipsters. By simply not trying they are incredibly cool and couth. Portlanders are known for their refined palate whether it is the foodie scene, the myriad of local breweries, and of course coffee. This city has a coffee scene second to none. As a result one can test drive a whole slew of local roasters whether they lean towards light roasts or medium to even darker roasts. You can have it all here.
But ... stepping into the coffee scene, especially in Portland, can be intimidating. What do you order? What the heck is a cortado let alone an affogato? What is the "dress code" for that coffee shop? What if my jeans are too baggy?
Since we started Loam Coffee we talk to mountain bikers on a daily basis from around the world. Many ask lots of great questions about our coffee, our roast profiles, where we source our beans from, and most often what to try out first. Usually an email goes like this:
Hi Loam Coffee. I am getting ready to place an order for coffee. What do you recommend that I get?
Our follow-up response then is, "What kind of roast do you like? Light roast? Medium? Dark?" Then based on that answer we can point this fellow mountain biker in the right direction. You see, love of coffee is in the eye of the beholder. To talk about roast preferences is like getting into the debate between 29ers and 27.5 ... as well as 29+ and 27.5+ (and we can't leave out the 26ers ... bless you).
The reality is that we all like what we like for some odd reason whether it is wheel size or types of coffee roasts. We're here to help you navigate these waters of finding the right coffee for you. Feel free to reach out to us whether on social media or email. Ask away! We won't pull the coffee snob card.