Roast magazine has unveiled the finalists for its 23rd annual Roaster of the Year awards, one of the best-known honours for coffee roasting companies in the United States. Winners in both categories will be named on October 19.
The Micro category, for businesses roasting under 100,000 pounds a year, has four finalists after a first-round tie: Chocolate Fish (Sacramento), Dessert Oasis (Ferndale, Michigan), Idle Hands (Salt Lake City) and Indie Coffee Roasters (Carmel, Indiana). In the Macro category, Corvus Coffee (Denver), Dean's Beans Organic Coffee (Massachusetts) and Utopian Coffee (Fort Wayne, Indiana) are in contention.
Coffee quality is only part of the brief. Judges also weigh sustainability practices, staff and community education, industry involvement and commitment to diversity and inclusion — a reminder that in specialty coffee, reputation is built well beyond the cup.
Source: Daily Coffee News