Meticulous attention to detail underlies a nuanced cup of coffee, and no one knows it better than Joel Squires and Tim Hori. Squires and Hori roast carefully sourced coffee in-house, to offer the complex flavors steaming from cups at Light Rail Café & Roaster and Three Crowns Coffee.
At Light Rail in Winona Lake, roasting is paramount. “It captures the complexity and uniqueness of each coffee,” Squires said. “Hundreds of different varietals are each affected by the soil, elevation, climate, weather and how the green coffee was processed. We aim to celebrate that diversity. Small batch micro-roasting allows us to dial in the roasting process based on how the beans were grown.”
At Warsaw’s Three Crowns, Hori puts it to numbers. “Let’s say that out of 100 percent maximum possible flavor in a cup of coffee, 30 percent comes from the quality of the raw green bean, 30 percent comes from the brewing method and 40 percent is from the roasting process.,” he said. “You cannot roast good flavor into low quality beans, but you can roast bad flavor into high quality beans. Also, you can brew a bad cup of coffee while using a properly roasted, quality bean.”
So it’s all about process. “Different brew methods will bring out different aspects,” Squires said. “The type of filtration and the ability to control brew time and temperature are important. A pour-over is usually a single cup and the fine paper filter yields a cleaner, more delicate cup. French press has a metal filter to strain away any large solids. The immersion brewing leads to a more full-bodied coffee and multiple cups.”
Learn coffee subtleties through research. Start with tasting notes for clues to flavors, said Hori. “If someone tells you to look for strawberry flavor, it is much easier to find. Look for the most obvious flavor notes first and then isolate the more subtle ones. Flavor changes with temperature, so if at first you do not find a specific flavor, let the coffee cool down10 degrees and try again. As it cools to a comfortable temperature, hold it in your mouth longer and let it hit different taste receptors on your tongue.”
Coffee helps Squires give locally and globally. “We work with Cafe Imports and their green coffee buyers, who develop relationships, encourage and educate farmers and help with traceability,” Squires said. “Many of our coffees can be traced to specific farms or mills. Recently we partnered with an organization called Generous Coffee, which lets us donate money back to our community and partner with their other non-profits around the world.”
Check out Mugshots Coffee House & Eatery in Syracuse, The River Coffee House in North Webster and Creighton’s Crazy Egg Café and Coffee Bar in Warsaw for other Kosciusko coffee experiences.