Want to know why we continue to use Intelligentsia as our primary source for roasted coffee? Nobody else is doing what they are in terms of helping to ensure the future of quality coffee.
NY Times: A Coffee Connoisseur On a Mission: Buy High and Sell High (subscription site - also in the Business Section of today's print edition of the NYT).
An excerpt from the article:
Mr. Watts and the founder and chief executive of Intelligentsia, Doug Zell, do not ascribe to the "buy low, sell high" business model. They buy high and sell high. In the coming years, both say they expect to pay 50 percent, 100 percent, even 200 percent above Fair Trade rates for beans so good that customers will pay $20 and more a pound retail. "On the grower side and the consumer side, we're trying to create a culture of quality," Mr. Watts said.
Mr. Zell underwrites the $150,000 to $200,000 annual cost of Mr. Watts's relationship-building and his seven months of travel each year in coffee-growing countries because he expects these investments to pay off as quality increases and customers learn to appreciate artisanal coffees from around the world.
To speed this development, Intelligentsia has devised a plan that offers farmers financial incentives for improving growing methods and producing superior beans. Mr. Watts was in Nicaragua to introduce this new approach, which mandates direct dealings with farmers and limits the role of the cooperatives that currently market most Nicaraguan coffee.
In addition to us here at Aldo Coffee, you can also buy Intelligentsia Coffee locally at Caffe Intermezzo, 21st and Smallman.
Counter Culture Coffee was also mentioned in the article as a responsible roaster sharing many of the same ethics as Intelligentsia. You can find CCC beans at Blue Horse Coffee across the street from the Galleria here in Mt. Lebanon.
The other company mentioned, Stumptown, ships only within a small radius of Portland, OR. Lord knows we've tried to get fresh Hairbender...
And while not having a major national reputation, local roasters Bill Swoope Sr. and Bill Swoope Jr. of Iron Star roasters/Coffee Tree have been instrumental in promoting the value of Cup of Excellence quality coffees. Bill Jr. makes frequent trips to origin and understands the value of working with farmers better than anyone in these parts.
As an aside, "smart" business folks continually ask us why we promote other shops here on our blog and on our Squidoo site. It's pretty simple. If you're really interested in high quality sustainable coffee, you don't have many options here in Pittsburgh. But we're one of those options along with the shops mentioned above. If we can convince you to raise your expectations of what a good cup of coffee is, then we're pretty sure you'll find us on your own.
This is how we've cultivated an exceptionally discerning clientele of espresso and varietal coffee aficianados over the past 18 months (who also happen to be fun and interesting people).
We hope you'll become one of them, if you haven't already.
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