Welcome to the short coffee blog with Lost Coffee. Let me introduce myself, I’m Scott Gaerte, founding member and owner of Lost Coffee. Coffee can be a complex endeavor and I aim to make it accessible to anyone who is interested.
I’ve worked in coffee for 15 years and before that, I worked in the outdoor retail industry and a winery for a few years. While in the outdoor retail industry, I learned that you should know something and if you don’t, you should go find out. I learned you never make something up to impress your customer. While I was with the winery, I had the fortune to meet and hear Robert Mondavi speak. He made a statement during one of his visits that was profound to me. I had grown into quite the wine snob and mocked my family members who drank cheap whine. While my palate was developing and I was learning a ton, my arrogance soared. Mr. Mondavi gave a lecture to guests one day and said, “If you drink white zinfandel ( a notoriously sweet and cheap whine) and you love it then that is a wonderful thing. Wine is made to be enjoyed.” I was humbled in that moment and it has forever changed my approach to wine, beer, whiskey, and coffee. Rather than looking at the price I taste the product to first understand if I like it or not because beverages such as coffee are made to be enjoyed!
The most common phrase I’ve heard from consumers during my time in coffee is, “It doesn’t taste right.” Just the other day, my father, who uses a Keurig but is trying to drink my coffee more, called me because his coffee wasn’t right and we started talking about proportions and their effects on coffee. The conversation spiraled and I was really discouraged that I couldn’t simply articulate how he could improve his coffee. It ended with him saying “Okay. I’ll try and put a little more in the basket.” Not the ideal solution, but a start I guess.
So what are we doing here? The goal is to educate and create in you a love for coffee. In this blog, we will attempt to be short in sharing how to make great coffee. Our focus will be on loving our coffee. Everyone has different palates and flavors can be subjective, so I give you permission to not drink my coffee! Heck, I’m writing this while sitting in a coffee shop that is not my own!
The point here is to learn some fundamentals of coffee together and then enjoy what we love. So, ‘gasp’, pour some cream in that coffee, pound the sugar, add some whipped cream, or make it bullet proof if that's what you love. In the beginning, let's try and simply understand how to make great coffee together. Don’t succumb to the pressure of perfection or someone else's standard for “good.”
I look forward to hearing from you. Let me know how you drink coffee and the challenges you face. And for those of you who love our coffee, we’ll have some great deals, discounts, and events that we’ll hold exclusively for our followers.
-Scott
