When my oldest son comes home from Texas, we like to staycation, visiting the sites and restaurants that make Kansas City home. During a recent visit, we scheduled a tour at The Roasterie – and gained a new appreciation for our local grounds.
I’m a tea connoisseur, but I’ve been known to throw back a cup of coffee now and then, and as a lifelong learner, I looked forward to being schooled in the coffee-making process. I wondered if those who love coffee are as particular about their coffee grounds as I am about my tea leaves.
Waiting for our tour, my mom, Jonathan, and I perused the small shop, marveling at the varieties of coffee and coffee-making accoutrements available to the aficionado. I knew what a Pour-Over was, but… how did it produce a unique cup of coffee? I looked forward to hearing what the tour guide would say about the different ways to brew his favorite cup.
The tour begins in an open room with a 10-minute video engagingly covering the history of the company and the process used to acquire coffee beans. The founder, Danny O’Neill, picked his first coffee beans while he was an exchange student in Costa Rica. He came home and started a business in his basement. I was reminded of how Bill Gates (and so many other entrepreneurs!) started his business in his garage!
The video also addressed the personal relationships that The Roasterie strives to have with its suppliers – cutting out the middle man. I was impressed by the global perspective and conscientiousness the video shared.
Going into the processing room, our young, knowledgeable tour guide began teaching us how coffee beans grow and begin the process of turning into a favorite morning beverage. I learned that coffee beans are actually seeds and grow inside a fruit called “cherries.” The cherry is removed from around the seed and, behold: The Coffee Bean! Almost…
The Roasterie’s Processing Room The Decaffeination Process
We learned about the process Danny O’Neill used in his own basement to start what we know today as The Roasterie. The machines and prototypes he used are on display and the tour guide explained how he implemented them for proof of concept. We learned how the beans are cleaned and roasted, how sensitive they are to infusions and environment, and how the beans or grounds are packaged and distributed. Because coffee is so quickly affected by environment and storage, The Roasterie only processes to order and distributes daily. I thought that was pretty neat!
Roasted Coffee Beans Coffee Beans from Around the World
At the conclusion of the processing portion of our tour, the tour guide walked us past the tasting room, where someone has the job of tasting every batch of coffee produced to ensure quality. (Jonathan thought he might have found his next career!) Then it was on to the brewing demonstration.
After briefly explaining how cold coffee is created and processed (it can contain significantly more caffeine than your regular hot morning cup!), our guide offered samples from their wide variety of cold brew offerings, including lavender-infused, CBD-infused coffee, Nitro, and chocolate raspberry. Jonathan tried the whisky-flavored. The neat thing about it was that The Roasterie partners with other local businesses like American Shaman and Weston’s Holladay Distillery to create these flavors. Jonathan offered me a sip – you could definitely taste the whisky!
Next came the hot coffee brewing demonstration. Taking the stage inside a repurposed airplane engine (a reflection of the iconic plane atop the factory outside), our guide explained and demonstrated the process of both French Press and Pour Over brewing. The former has more “texture,” as he put it – you’re left with some grounds in the bottom of your cup and the taste is stronger in your mouth. The latter is smoother (even I could taste that – I was impressed with myself!) and clearer, as the hot water is poured, in a timed sequence of specifically weighed amounts, over the fine grounds in the filter through which it passes. It reminded me of the specific processes involved in steeping tea properly, and I admired the touch of the aficionado that a “properly brewed” cup of coffee requires.
As we concluded our tour of the facility and tasted the varieties of coffee offered at The Roasterie, I reflected with appreciation on our shared experience. I definitely learned a great deal about coffee, and while I wasn’t converted from my beloved tea leaves, I have a greater appreciation for this local business, how it operates, and what it offers to Kansas City and our visitors.
Tours at The Roasterie are 45-minutes and include a walk-through of the processing room, the entire process of coffee-making, and a brewing demonstration. Guests can sample both cold and hot coffees during the demo. Reservations can be made online.
