Custom Cup Coffee

FOOD | Julianne Glatz

Brent and Kendra Boesdorfer are passionate about coffee: its endless nuances of flavor that depend on location, terroir (soil), altitude; as well as growing, harvesting, processing and roasting methods. And they want you to become passionate about coffee, too.

To that end, the couple started a smallbatch roastery business in Springfield exactly a year ago this week: Custom Cup Coffee.

The Boesdorfers first discovered the delights of roasting single origin coffees – and each other – while attending St. Louis University. In 2006, they moved to Springfield when Brent began working in his family’s trucking business. Two factors played into their decision to turn what was a hobby into a business: the entrepreneurial mindset Brent inherited from his family and Kendra’s desire to find “something to do” when their three boys – now aged 8, 5 and 3 – were in school.

The Boesdorfers studied everything they could find about small-batch coffees and experimented with procuring, storing and roasting green coffee beans. They explored different roasting equipment. Then there were the regulations. The 2012 Illinois Cottage Food Law (a godsend to local purveyors) allows that some things such as baked goods, jams and jellies, dried herbs, etc. don’t have to be made in a certified professional kitchen, as long as certain standards and labeling are followed. Unfortunately, coffee wasn’t included in the law. So at first the Boesdorfers used a tiny roaster that could be transported to a local catering kitchen to comply with state regulations.

Initially, the Boesdorfers didn’t advertise – sales were strictly word-of-mouth. Their first public foray was at the Old State Capitol Farmers Market last year. If they’d had any doubts about eager buyers for their coffees, the OSCFM quickly put them to rest. “We’d bought and roasted coffee that we thought would be a week’s worth,” Kendra says. “It sold out in 5 minutes.” Last fall, they opened a roastery/brew bar in downtown Springfield.

It should be noted what Custom Cup is NOT. It’s not about “coffee drinks,” beverages in which coffee is merely a substrate for various flavorings and almost always lots of sugar. It’s not even about traditional espressos or cappuccinos, although the Boesdorfers say they may eventually purchase an espresso maker. But right now, their roastery and coffee bar offer only freshly roasted beans and drip (think Bunn-O-Matic) or pour-over (as in Melita Cones) coffees. Even those similar brewing methods produce different flavor profiles from the same coffee beans, says Brent.

I thought myself fairly knowledgeable about coffee, though certainly no expert. But my conversations with the Boesdorfers quickly made me realize that I’d only scratched the surface.

The first surprise was about “Fair Trade” coffee. It’s an organization, not just a designation. And it does a good job of working to provide smaller coffee growers with a living wage. But like any organization – charitable intent or not – it has expenses and limitations. The Boesdorfers decided to eschew the Fair Trade organization and deal directly with growers and grower coops. As Custom Cups’ website says:

“We specialize in identifying select single origin coffee for our offerings. Single origin coffee allows you to trace your coffee directly back to the region, farm or co-op where it was grown. This accountability, along with additional information about climate, elevation, and production processes, allows you to understand more of the exhaustive trip that your coffee has completed. After trying different single origins, you will taste the difference in flavor that each offers….Custom Cup only selects coffee from superior growing regions around the world, looking for the best offerings possible. We source green coffee suppliers based on quality, social responsibility and environmental sustainability.”

Custom Cup’s current coffee offerings are what’s available at that specific time of year. This was another big surprise for me: coffee is seasonal? Apparently so. More than a few of Boesdorfers’ customers fall in love with a specific coffee only to find that it’s no longer in stock, although they take note of customers’ preferences and will let them know when it’s back.

Then there’s the degree of roast. I’ve always thought dark roasts more flavorful, but the Boesdorfers surprised me again. As the Custom Cup’s website explains:

“We will always suggest the best roast for each coffee, but the decision is up to you for your custom cup of coffee.

Light Our light roast will produce a light brown coffee without any of its natural oils appearing on the surface. This is a roasting style that produces a complex cup of coffee and allows each origin to be at its most distinct flavor. This roast also carries the most caffeine. (Another surprise.)

Medium At medium roast, the coffee will be dry with intermittent oil patches with a medium brown color. Coffee made with this roast will present the full flavor without having its characteristics masked by the roast.

Dark With a dark roast, the coffee will be less dry, dark brown, with more oil on the surface. Coffee brewed from this roast will mute some of the characteristics of the green coffee, especially more acidic tones. Dark roast will also develop sweetness and body present in the coffee which is great for espresso. (Note that the “oils” are on the surface of the beans, not the brewed coffee.)

Next comes the roasting itself. After roasting, the coffee needs to rest for 12-24 hours. Orders directly to Custom Cup are roasted only after the order is placed and will be delivered, free, to the door within 48 hours. Even coffee purchased from the roastery/brewbar or local outlets will still be within Custom Cup’s recommended 14 day consumption. “We’d like folks think of buying coffee fresh in the same way they do milk,” says Kendra. “Every day after the rest period degrades the coffee’s flavor, so we ask people to not order more than they’ll consume in 2 weeks. Additionally, folks shouldn’t grind more coffee than they’ll use in a day and they shouldn’t store coffee in the freezer.”

Typically the Boesdorfers offer 2-3 coffees at any one time: at least one from South America and another from Africa. Fascinating and detailed descriptions of location and production are available on the Custom Cup website.

Here are abbreviated versions of two current offerings:

Ethiopian Sidama Deri Kochowa – Dejere Station

This station produces somewhere in the area of 150 bags of this heirloom varietal per year. Processing is handled in the traditional manner, long fermentation… followed by the wooden paddle treatment to remove the rest of the fruit, overnight washing, and then drying on raised African beds. Prime Attributes: Bright honey, orange, semi-sweet chocolate with fruit finish.

Guatemala Antiqua Estate - Peaberry

The peaberry is a mutation of sorts, one bean dies, the other becomes misshapen into the round, solid mass we’re used to seeing. Being the exception and not the rule means scarcity, and so this year the Zelaya family combined all the peaberry from their Antigua farms. Varietal(s): Bourbon, Caturra, Villa Sarchi. Prime attributes: Dark berry, cinnamon stick with a sweet and clean finish.

My first taste of Ethiopian Sidama was relevatory: intensely, almost explosively bright and fruity, it may well have been the most flavorful coffee I’d ever tasted. The Boesdorfers’ commitment to showcasing small-production coffee would be unique even in big cities such as New York or Chicago. But it’s right here in Springfield. And they’re making a go of it. “We’re really surprised and humbled by how well it’s doing,” says Kendra.

I’m humbled – and excited – they’re doing it. Custom Cup Roastery and Brew Bar is located at 321 East Monroe Street and is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday/ Wednesday/Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Their coffee is also available at HyVee and The Market on Koke Mill. To order custom-roasted coffee that will be delivered free to your door within 48 hours, sign up for their newsletter, or to find out more, visit their website, http://customcup. com or call 652-6154.

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].