Left Coast Roast

Book excerpt: From Alfred Peet's original shop on the corner of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley, to the small roasters opening each year, West Coast roasters have largely defined and refined how Americans drink and think about their morning cup of joe. They have turned a morning ritual into an obsession. Left Coast Roast is a caffeine-fueled guide to 55 key companies in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California Ñ from small artisan roasters like Heart, Coava, and Kuma and history-making icons like Peet's and Starbucks, to rapidly expanding shops like Portland's Stumptown and San Francisco's Blue Bottle. Profiles describe each company's background, roasting history, and style, and explain how to visit and order beans for home brewing. A coffee primer Ñ with notes on lingo, varieties, roasting basics, and how to brew the perfect cup Ñ makes this an ideal guide to the coffee obsessed. Drink up!