Showing posts with label organic coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic coffee. Show all posts

Monday, February 15, 2016

Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters and Two Roads Brewery

Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters Collaborates with
CT Beer Icon Two Roads Brewery
To Create Espressway Cold-Brew Coffee Stout



If there's one thing I love it's a great coffee stout! So you can imagine how excited I am to hear that Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters is pairing up with Two Roads Brewing to create Espressway Cold-Brew Coffee Stout!



A little background on Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters... they are Fairfield County’s first and only 100% USDA* Certified Organic & Artisan Coffee Roaster, and continue to evolve as the region’s premiere coffee roaster, supplying their small batch roasted coffee to specialty markets and high-end restaurants and cafes throughout the state.

Owner Ed Freedman, who recently added Running Rapids Ready-to-Drink Cold Brew Coffee to his repertoire, can now lead consumers to a different type of “brew” which utilizes his premium roasts with the launch of Two Roads’ newest year-round beer style – Espressway Cold-Brew Coffee Stout. Espressway merges the flavors of Shearwater’s locally-roasted, organic Ethiopian/Sumatra blend of coffee beans with a rich oatmeal stout utilizing a proprietary cold brew beer process.



 Two Roads combines Shearwater’s ground coffee with their oatmeal stout under pressure (like espresso but without the steam) using Two Roads’ German-built “Brewnik” device. The coffee then steeps in the stout for several days, resulting in a true, cold-brewed coffee stout. The end product has the aroma of fresh ground coffee and the distinctive taste of roasted English malts with the nuance of light brown sugar and cold-brew coffee.

"I’m thrilled to be a part of this process “beams Ed, “It further reinforces the quality and rich flavor of the coffee we are producing and the diversity in its uses."

Two Roads’ brewers went through extensive coffee training with Shearwater in order to secure the right blend of beans and brew. From “coffee cupping” classes to extensive tasting sessions with Ed, Two Roads spent months in search of the perfect coffee to complement the full-bodied stout taste.

“I really enjoyed working with Ed Freedman of Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters and my old friend Gerry ‘The Educated Bean’ Nichols, who has become quite the legit coffee expert,” added Two Roads Brewmaster Phil Markowski.


Espressway will be sold in all Two Roads markets on draft starting in late February and in six pack bottles starting in mid-March. The draft version will also be previewed at their first annual Winter Classic outdoor event at the brewery on February 20th.


Shearwater is a family owned and run business. With over two decades of coffee roasting experience, Ed took his passion for producing high quality coffee from the home-roaster stage to a full USDA certified organic 2,000 square foot production facility in Trumbull in 2013. Shearwater Organic Coffee Roaster’s commitment to creating a premium organic product, and their presence as a local artisan producer, is the cornerstone of their success. www.shearwatercoffeeroasters.com/

Friday, July 4, 2014

Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters in Trumbull CT

Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters in Trumbull CT is quickly taking Fairfield County by storm.


Open for less than a year, they are already featured and available on the menu in almost 20 restaurants, bakeries, and coffee houses, and available for sale in over ten stores, including their local Fairfield Whole Foods Market!

Here's where YOU can find Shearwater Organic Coffee


If you'll remember, I first met Shearwater owner Ed Freedman at the Parallel Post Farm to Trumbull event last month, where Shearwater coffee was one of the local items featured at the Farm-to-Table event by way of the coffee marinated salmon appetizer. So, you can imagine my joy at being included in an informational media tasting at the company showroom on Corporate Drive in Trumbull CT.

Ed doesn't just talk the talk about the organic and eco way of life. He walks the walk - or I should say, he drives the drive! He's converted to an electric car that allows him to distribute and make sales calls in one of the most environmentally friendly ways possible, the Nissan Leaf. "It's truly a lifestyle," says Ed.

Nissan Leaf
Shearwater's Distribution Vehicle - The environmentally friendly Nissan Leaf

In addition, his small batch roasting in 20-pound amounts, is done on an AMERICAN made, energy efficient Diedrich IR-12 steel drum roaster. Ed estimates he can roast three batches per hour and each batch is roasted to order for his retail and wholesale clients. As the area’s only 100% USDA Certified Organic Coffee roaster, Shearwater does daily coffee roasting and direct delivery to his clients, in addition to operating as a retail showroom in his Trumbull CT headquarters.

If you have the opportunity, arrange for a coffee tasting with Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasting at their showroom. Ed is more than happy to host small tastings where you too can learn all about organic coffee roasting the Shearwater way!

Ed purchases his coffee from Mexico, Central & South America, East Africa and Indonesia.

It was so neat to see the 20 lb bag of green coffee beans being dropped into the roaster. It's definitely a scientific process, with computer print outs from each batch, and Ed has the entire process mapped out on a blackboard for those of us with less than scientific understanding! (chuckle)



At specific points during the roasting we were able to view the beans in various stages as they roast. And, oh, the aroma! As soon as we entered Ed's showroom the aroma of coffee was intoxicating. But as the machine roasted the beans, it intensified to the point that you just had to have some coffee!!


Finally, after the desired time and reaching the perfect temperature, the steaming richly colored coffee beans are released from the hopper where they enter the cooling stage.


Ed then showed us the coffee grinding process and how the roast is determined by the color of the ground beans.

The perfect roast - at Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters
Roasted Coffee Bean at Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters

Here are samples of some of the available roasts:
12 Ounce Bags – ALL USDA Certified Organic
** Fair Trade Certified

  • Brazil Fazenda**: complex, nutty, creamy, richly textured coffee with chocolate notes. Dark Roasted.
  • Guatemala Nahuala**: nutty, spicy and bright. Medium body with citrus notes. Dark Roasted.
  • Coastal Sunrise/BOLD Blend**:  balanced blend of full body flavorful coffees for the warm days of spring and summer.
  • Dark Golden Crema Espresso Blend**:  deep, rich and balanced organic blend expertly roasted for shots of espresso.
  • Rwanda Kabirizi**: complex cup with notes of jam, black berries, vanilla, deep cacao flavor and honey sweetness.
  • Coastal Sunrise Blend: blend of bright and flavorful coffees for the summer.
  • Ethiopia Suke Quto: complex cup with notes of honey, berry, vanilla, peach, bright and sweet and silky.
  • Toasty Hearth Blend**: balanced blend of full body and flavorful coffees for the cooler days of fall and winter.
  • Peru Penachi**: rich and lush with nutty dark chocolate notes.
  • Colombia Quinchia**:  very smooth, sweet and creamy, full–bodied with notes of cherry, cacao and citrus.
  • Honduras El Guachipilin**:  wonderfully complex and bright. Peach, tart and dry red wine notes.
  • Running Rapids Cold Brew Blend: blend of flavorful coffees for use in the extended time extraction Cold Brew process.

If you have the chance, be sure to stop at the Shearwater Showroom. They are open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday from 11am to 2pm and on Saturday from 11am to 4pm.

Shearwater Media Event - Trumbull CT


And here's the REALLY good news!

Even if you're not in the CT area and able to visit Shearwater Roasters, you can STILL experience the delicious USDA certified organic coffee! You can purchase Shearwater Organic Coffee right on the web! Shop==>> HERE

I loved learning about Ed's journey from corporate exec to coffee entrepreneur - and you will too! Be sure to visit him in his Trumbull CT headquarters soon!

To visit the roastery during non-public hours please call for an appointment: 203-292-0848 
or contact them by email at ed@shearwatercoffeeroasters.com.

100 Corporate Drive, Unit B106
Trumbull, CT. 06611.
203.292.0848

Follow them on twitter @ShearwaterCR
Follow them on instragrm @ShearwaterCR

For additional pictures from our visit to Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters visit the Home Place facebook page HERE and while you're there, don't forget to "like" us!


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