Rain couldn’t dampen the high spirits and enthusiasm of attendees to the recent Caffeine Crawl Sacramento
BY SADIE RENEE
SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE
Though a wet forecast loomed over the second Sacramento Caffeine Crawl, excited coffee pros and enthusiasts couldn’t have cared less. Sold-out bike routes, led by brave local biker Dean O’Brien, and Crawlers on foot (armed with umbrellas) were ready to roll at 9 a.m. And shops and sponsors were waiting with brews and good vibes, and tour guides handed out swag bags from Wholesome! filled with whole bean samples, Yelp Sacramento goodies, and more.
Andy and Edie of Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters kicked off a bike route with 3 samples: washed, natural, and honey processes from the Costa Rica Cerro San Luis farm, and were joined by Mary Santos, president of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance, who brought great perspective to conversation and Crawler questions. Insight Coffee Roasters demonstrated extraction importance with samples of over-extracted, under-extracted, and right-on-target brews of Guatemala San Antonio Chaguite.
Kenya drip brew, Colombia kyoto and a sneak peek at the penny floors and spacious feel of Temple Coffee Roasters‘ new K street location kicked off another morning route in style.
Coffee variety education, farmer and cafe history, and fantastic house-made chai scones awaited attendees at Old Soul Co. Later, we sipped a nitro cold-brew blend and single-origin pourovers served with smiles by young coffee ˜professionals’ at farmer-owned Pachamama Coffee.
A matcha tea ˜Namaste Latte’ and an iced ˜Nirvana’ (cold brew Kenya with vanilla and cream) were served at Shine Sacramento. Guatemala Laurel took center stage at the Naked Coffee roastery and downtown lounge, with Nick and Allison serving up different brew methods and facilitating group discussion on brew method preference.
The Mill kicked things up a notch with cold-brew reduction affogatos, and The Trade Coffee and Coworking sent us home with whole bean samples and a make-at-home recipe for New Orleans style cold brew. Vaneli’s Handcrafted Coffee welcomed Crawlers at RailBridge Cellars for a unique tasting: single origin Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Brazil coffees preceded samples of the three as a special Caffeine Crawl blend.
Vaneli’s welcomed Crawlers and local baristas back to RailBridge after the Crawl for wine, beer, appetizers, and a Coffee Mocktail Barista Competition during which local barista competitors shook (and stirred) up delicious cold brew concoctions and took home prizes from Baratza, Prana Chai, Espresso Parts, The LAB, and more!
Year two of Caffeine Crawl in Sacramento was a drizzly but lively success, and no wonder ”the specialty-coffee culture of Sacramento is among the faster growing and most innovative nationwide.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brimming with ambition, sarcasm, and caffeinated zeal, Sadie Renee is fascinated by all things beverage and the extraordinary humans that make them. A KCMO native loving life in Fort Collins, Colo., she spends most of her time drinking extravagant amounts of coffee and planning the next Caffeine Crawl for The LAB. When she’s not on a plane to a beverage destination, you can find her conducting research at a local brewery or pouring the occasional latte behind the bar at Everday Joe’s Coffehouse. After she lets her dog take her for a long, vivacious walk around the neighborhood, she likes to soak up some mountain magic and wind down with a good cocktail.
