S5:EP7
Guest: Karen Eland, Coffee Painter
From: Bend, OR
Instagram: @coffeepainter
Website: beerpainter.com, Coffee Painter on Etsy, Beer Painter on Etsy
It wasn’t until after I reached out to Karen that I realized I wasn’t sure what I would ask her about. I’ve not interviewed an artist on this show before, and I was confident my normal questions like, “What’s your roasting philosophy?” wouldn’t apply.
Scrolling through galleries of her work made me realize that I was wrong. This show has been focused on the niche industry of coffee, but passion and care for the work is a universal topic. What drives, what inspires, and what puts us on a path to where we are questions that apply regardless of the career.
Look for more about this interview with Karen, Imposter Syndrome, an introduction to new Industry Partner Ascend Roasters, and even photos of some paintings I was inspired to try in the next newsletter coming out later this week.
FROM THE SHOW
When brewed, ground chicory root is dark and has a dark color similar to coffee. It was popularized as an alternative to coffee in Holland in the mid-1700s. In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte encouraged the use of chicory in an effort to make France entirely self-sustaining. Chicory coffee has no caffeine, which may be one reason why it became less a replacement for coffee, but an additive to coffee.
Chicory is just one of many coffee substitutes that have been popularized over the years, including dandelion coffee, chickpea coffee, and Postum, which was a caffeine-free instant coffee alternative developed by cereal maker C.W. Post out of roasted wheat bran and molasses. It was marketed as a healthy alternative that wouldn’t cause irritability or nervousness, among other afflictions he attributed to caffeine.
There is so much Mantovani Orchestra on Youtube. I’m starting to think that I’ve been living all wrong. Why haven’t I been listening to this while writing podcast scripts?
The murals and art coming out of Karen’s collaboration with @katiedaisy_artist are pretty incredible. The shots below are from Karen’s Instagram (link above), and they have a joint instagram: @florandfawn.
NOT FROM THE SHOW
In an example of life imitating art, a woman in New Jersey is suing Dunkin’ Donuts after a tray of coffee spilled on her lap in the drive-thru giving her serious burns. Read the full story here.
R!WC Industry Partners
Mostra Coffee’s Nick Berardi (and future guest of this show) was profiled in the San Diego Union Tribune for his victory at the U.S. Coffee Roaster Championships in Boston recently. Click to read more.
Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters
LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER
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Roast! - Karen Eland, Coffee Painter