It was nice to find Barkeater Coffee doing a pop-up show at Cider Belly Donuts in Albany. They were really busy, providing free cups of freshly-brewed coffee to the customers coming in for donuts. I was lucky enough to snag a cup of coffee first thing! And what better way to celebrate National Coffee Day than with a blog about a coffee roaster?
BoNY: This is the first time I’ve come across Barkeater Coffee. Where can we find you, so we can have this great coffee anytime?
BC: This is the first full-on pop-up shop here at Cider Belly. I’m hoping to have a full-time set-up here in the future. I normally do the farmers’ markets, and then I sell here and there, like Honest Weight and online. It’s carried in the bulk section at Honest Weight. They always want a selection of the same thing and seasonal coffees.
BoNY: So, how did you get started with this? Were you doing something different before, or has this always been what you’ve done?
BC: I worked as an analyst, but always had a passion for coffee. I always wanted to open a coffee shop, but decided to give roasting a try, and loved it…so that’s what I did. I jumped in with both feet!
BoNY: Well, those of us who love coffee appreciate it! Can you really have enough coffee?
BC: If you don’t have the jitters, you’ve never had enough coffee!
BoNY: What kinds of coffee can we expect from you?
BC: Well, I’m more of a roaster, but I can do a great pour over at a pop-up like this. It’s not pretty, but it’s really yummy!
BoNY: How long have you been doing this?
BC: About 20 months now. And still loving it!
BoNY: How often do you roast?
BC: Probably about 3-4 times a week. Everything is special order, so everything is really fresh.
A customer came in and ordered a Porcupine Blend, which was the coffee I was drinking. I was happy to be able to tell the customer that it was a really yummy cup of coffee! I didn’t have the jitters yet, so I was still happily drinking away when the customer started asking questions. My job here was being handled by a customer, so I was good just recording and sipping away!
Customer: Why do you call it Barkeater?
BC: Well, my wife is from the Adirondacks, and Barkeater means Adirondack in Indian. In the winters, Indians would eat bark, so that’s where the term comes from.
BoNY: So, why Porcupine Blend?
BC: Well, a Porcupine eats wood, and that became our logo. I don’t think that’s their main staple, but it became our logo.
BoNY: Where do you source the beans?
BC: I work with an importer from New York City. They’re my main importer. For a small company, it’s hard to import on your own. I go down and smell everything, and do a tasting, and whittle it down. Not many people know that coffee is seasonal, like any other crop, so some of the smaller countries, like Brazil, provide micro lots, which are available for only a short time. I get bored with having the same coffee all the time.
BoNY: Are they fair trade?
BC: They run the gamut. Bally Blue Moon is fair trade organic, and I do try to get fair trade as much as I can, but not all countries have fair trade available. When I can’t find enough, I do make an effort to buy from co-ops. Not every country has fair trade. There’s one from Rwanda, where they’re all women, so I’ve been trying to get that one.
Another customer came in and got a cup of coffee, which was being prepared in the pour-over method. I was given a good demonstration as to how pour over works, which is to grind the beans fresh and immediately use what is ground. The grounds are placed in a filter, and hot water is poured over it. Only one cup is made at a time, so the customers were getting the freshest coffee possible, and they were really enjoying it!
BoNY: What other coffees do you have available today?
BC: The Bally Blue Moon is more full bodied. It’s full bodied. It’s not a full-on dark roast. Most Indonesian coffees are. Probably more robust than other coffees. Most people like the less robust blends. Most of what I roast are on the lighter side. But every country has their own characteristics, based on different elevations and soils. As a roaster, I can only roast to the point where I feel like I’m bringing out the best in the coffee bean.
BoNY: Can I buy a pour-over coffee set from you?
BC: Not here, but you can get them from Amazon. The brand is Hario, and it’s all I use.
BoNY: When was this coffee roasted?
BC: This was roasted 2 days ago…on Tuesday. So this is about as fresh of coffee as you can get.
BoNY: How much is a bag of coffee if customers want to buy them?
BC: It’s $13.00 a bag. You can also find me at Farmers’ Markets, and I have the full set-up there…cappuccino’s and the whole gamut.
BoNY: What all farmers markets do you go to?
BC: Delmar, Cook Park in Colonie from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, which is a new one, East Greenbush, which is Wednesdays. It’s between East Greenbush library and the YMCA.
You’re getting pretty busy, so I’m going to go over and tell Andy and Jen how much I enjoyed your coffee. Hopefully we’ll see you with a permanent set-up here in Cider Belly Donuts soon!
BoNY:
Now it's your turn to get involved! Be the first person to like, comment or share this blog here, on Facebook at BestofNYState, or on Instagram, and be in the running to win a whole pound of this amazing coffee!
BoNY: This is the first time I’ve come across Barkeater Coffee. Where can we find you, so we can have this great coffee anytime?
BC: This is the first full-on pop-up shop here at Cider Belly. I’m hoping to have a full-time set-up here in the future. I normally do the farmers’ markets, and then I sell here and there, like Honest Weight and online. It’s carried in the bulk section at Honest Weight. They always want a selection of the same thing and seasonal coffees.
BoNY: So, how did you get started with this? Were you doing something different before, or has this always been what you’ve done?
BC: I worked as an analyst, but always had a passion for coffee. I always wanted to open a coffee shop, but decided to give roasting a try, and loved it…so that’s what I did. I jumped in with both feet!
BoNY: Well, those of us who love coffee appreciate it! Can you really have enough coffee?
BC: If you don’t have the jitters, you’ve never had enough coffee!
BoNY: What kinds of coffee can we expect from you?
BC: Well, I’m more of a roaster, but I can do a great pour over at a pop-up like this. It’s not pretty, but it’s really yummy!
BoNY: How long have you been doing this?
BC: About 20 months now. And still loving it!
BoNY: How often do you roast?
BC: Probably about 3-4 times a week. Everything is special order, so everything is really fresh.
A customer came in and ordered a Porcupine Blend, which was the coffee I was drinking. I was happy to be able to tell the customer that it was a really yummy cup of coffee! I didn’t have the jitters yet, so I was still happily drinking away when the customer started asking questions. My job here was being handled by a customer, so I was good just recording and sipping away!
Customer: Why do you call it Barkeater?
BC: Well, my wife is from the Adirondacks, and Barkeater means Adirondack in Indian. In the winters, Indians would eat bark, so that’s where the term comes from.
BoNY: So, why Porcupine Blend?
BC: Well, a Porcupine eats wood, and that became our logo. I don’t think that’s their main staple, but it became our logo.
BoNY: Where do you source the beans?
BC: I work with an importer from New York City. They’re my main importer. For a small company, it’s hard to import on your own. I go down and smell everything, and do a tasting, and whittle it down. Not many people know that coffee is seasonal, like any other crop, so some of the smaller countries, like Brazil, provide micro lots, which are available for only a short time. I get bored with having the same coffee all the time.
BoNY: Are they fair trade?
BC: They run the gamut. Bally Blue Moon is fair trade organic, and I do try to get fair trade as much as I can, but not all countries have fair trade available. When I can’t find enough, I do make an effort to buy from co-ops. Not every country has fair trade. There’s one from Rwanda, where they’re all women, so I’ve been trying to get that one.
Another customer came in and got a cup of coffee, which was being prepared in the pour-over method. I was given a good demonstration as to how pour over works, which is to grind the beans fresh and immediately use what is ground. The grounds are placed in a filter, and hot water is poured over it. Only one cup is made at a time, so the customers were getting the freshest coffee possible, and they were really enjoying it!
BoNY: What other coffees do you have available today?
BC: The Bally Blue Moon is more full bodied. It’s full bodied. It’s not a full-on dark roast. Most Indonesian coffees are. Probably more robust than other coffees. Most people like the less robust blends. Most of what I roast are on the lighter side. But every country has their own characteristics, based on different elevations and soils. As a roaster, I can only roast to the point where I feel like I’m bringing out the best in the coffee bean.
BoNY: Can I buy a pour-over coffee set from you?
BC: Not here, but you can get them from Amazon. The brand is Hario, and it’s all I use.
BoNY: When was this coffee roasted?
BC: This was roasted 2 days ago…on Tuesday. So this is about as fresh of coffee as you can get.
BoNY: How much is a bag of coffee if customers want to buy them?
BC: It’s $13.00 a bag. You can also find me at Farmers’ Markets, and I have the full set-up there…cappuccino’s and the whole gamut.
BoNY: What all farmers markets do you go to?
BC: Delmar, Cook Park in Colonie from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, which is a new one, East Greenbush, which is Wednesdays. It’s between East Greenbush library and the YMCA.
You’re getting pretty busy, so I’m going to go over and tell Andy and Jen how much I enjoyed your coffee. Hopefully we’ll see you with a permanent set-up here in Cider Belly Donuts soon!
BoNY:
Now it's your turn to get involved! Be the first person to like, comment or share this blog here, on Facebook at BestofNYState, or on Instagram, and be in the running to win a whole pound of this amazing coffee!