S9:E8
Guest: Noah Vernick, Anomaly Coffee Co.
Role: Co-founder, Operator, Roaster
Based: Long Beach, CA
Online: www.anomalycoffeecompany.com • @anomaly.coffee.co
What they order: Cortado
When I look at the audio waveform for our conversation, most of my portion of the chat is empty. Noah is a naturally energetic person—with or without coffee. As it happens, he hasn’t had any yet on the morning of our talk, and I’ve had, well, I’ve had several. He’s found a use for all the natural enthusiasm that seems to flow out of him in the form of Anomaly Coffee Company.
Anomaly is a coffee roastery and mobile/pop-up cafe that focuses on bringing the hospitality experience to where the customers are. This is an opportunity to explain why, later in my career, I began to take great pride in my roles as a manager, bartender, server, and even barista.
When you go to the local cafe, especially a craft coffee roaster (or brewery or restaurant, etc.), you’re choosing to spend your luxury money and time. You’re going after work or to meet friends or watch the game. You’re going to work on your computer or escape from the rest of the world. Whatever the reason, when you choose that cafe, you’re choosing to spend that precious time with the barista and the experience of that environment.
Offering a positive experience is a responsibility that the best of the best don’t take lightly. Coffee often feels like a necessity but is really a luxury. You may as well drink what you like in a place that makes you happy. Being the place and the people that the customers choose means something. With his efforts at collaborating and finding new homes for Anomaly regularly, Noah is trying to create mini-communities around his pop-up, wherever it may be.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE POD
Sometimes, the habit of drinking coffee can get in the way of drinking with intention. This reminds me I need to work on my 2024 Coffee Resolutions.
Pop-ups and mobile coffee spots can (and perhaps should) offer an experience beyond; here's your coffee in a paper cup.
Neither Noah nor I are doctors. Health benefits and detriments are regularly attributed to coffee and/or caffeine. I believe it leans to the positive, but again…no one here is a doctor.
Everyone's timeline for building foundational knowledge is different. Noah spent six to eight months roasting coffee before he felt comfortable saying it could stand on its own as a product for sale.
Anomaly Coffee Co. serves as a platform for Noah to explore art, music, creativity, and his entrepreneurial passions, oft through collaboration with like-minded or like-missioned brands.
Noah has a high motor. That can be good for pushing forward in business, but sometimes a challenge to a partnership. Having similar motors is an important conversation to have with any potential partners. Moving forward at different paces or having different expectations regarding pace can lead to resentment and miscommunication. That wasn't the case in terms of Anomaly, but it is something I've experienced in my entrepreneurial efforts.
You can get your coffee delivered by bicycle if you live in the Long Beach, CA, area. Details are on the Anomaly website linked above.
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION
I’ve used this brewer nearly 150 times. I take making recommendations pretty seriously. Full review coming soon. No drama. It ends with me recommending it. In fact, I agreed to be a promotional partner with Simply Good Coffee. Clicking the link below will get you all the product details and if you end up purchasing one will support Roast! West Coast:
ELSEWHERE IN COFFEE
Shout out to JBC Coffee Roasters in my former stomping grounds of Madison Wisconsin. They won #1 Coffee of 2023 award in an international competition at the Coffee Review for their 98 point Wilton Benitez Pink Bourbon Colombia coffee.
The third episode of Coffee Breath from Double J dropped last month. Somehow I missed it! Double J appeared as a guest on Coffee People earlier this season. Check that out at this link, and watch the new episodes of Coffee Breath on Youtube.
COFFEE SMARTER PRO
I’m always reviewing, tweaking, and listening to you (readers and listeners) on how we can make this coffee newsletter and community better. We have two distinct audiences: people making better coffee at home and people seeking industry advice.
A few seasons ago, we refocused our Coffee Smarter segments on brewing better coffee at home. We didn’t forget about our supporters in the industry. Beginning in 2024, we’ll have an industry-specific newsletter and podcast called Coffee Smarter Pro.
Coffee Smarter Pro will be focused on providing education specific to the coffee industry professionals. We’ll cover roasting techniques, green coffee, opening cafes, and the fat content in milk. There will be overviews and deep dives. All will be focused on creating foundational education for baristas, roasters, aspiring cafe owners, and more.
I couldn’t do the show without help from our Coffee Smarter Experts. They’ve kindly offered their time to share what they’ve learned. We’ll continue a monthly focus on green coffee with Jared Hales of Hacea Coffee Source and what the life of a cafe owner is like with Alden Hozouri. We’ll bring back favorites Chris O’Brien (Coffee Cycle Roasting), Siri Simran Khalsa (Lofty Coffee), and Ryan Sullivan (Mostra Coffee). We’ll introduce a whole new slew of experts to help us cover packaging, economics, regional coffee differences, and more.
I’m excited. I hope you are, too. If you have questions for our Coffee Smarter Pro experts, please send them to coffeesmarterpodcast@gmail.com.
A huge, on-going thank you to all of this show’s industry partners. Click these links!
Roastar • Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters • Hacea Coffee Source • Crossings Coffee • Acento Coffee Roasters • Sivitz Roasting Machines
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