When I moved to Seattle, I knew I wanted to get involved in the coffee industry this city is widely known for. Yes, the aspect of Starbucks originating here brings all they hype, however it's full of so many more details than you'd expect.
I'd like to just tell this part of my story as a starting point to give background for why I'm doing what I do currently, and how I got to where I am now.
With two older siblings whom helped raise me and posed as the main role models in my life, they exposed me to fine quality things early on. I was 9 when my brother got married, and so he'd invite me over to hangout and show me his little popcorn popper in his garage where he was roasting coffee beans. When my sister and I spent time together, it was always at some coffee shop that was owned locally and had nice taste in making a space enjoyable. When I was old enough to drive, it was the spectacular joy of mine, to go to one of these local coffee shops to do homework, but also learn about the difference between drip coffee, espresso drinks, and my favorite drink of all time, thanks to Thump Coffee in downtown Bend, Oregon: A Con Panna. I refrain from drinking them, because a few ounces doused in whip cream is grounds to be made fun of.
I pictured myself as a barista, but knew it would take more than a 16 year old Kiersten could pull off at the time. Long story short, I finished high school, spent 6 months in South America (I'll write about that eventually), came back to the forementioned town of Bend, and snagged a job at a local restaurant. This farm to table-style eatery also had a coffee bar in their two locations, featuring specialty drinks with locally roasted (and friggin delicious) coffee. I asked often to be trained to work in the coffee section, but with the looming move to Seattle, the answer was a continual no. And the barista who was the more or less "head-honcho" 5 days out of the week did a killer job generating symmetrical lattes and hand pouring all the drinks with finesse. I was always a bit bummed that I wouldn't get the chance to try out the espresso machine, but it really fueled the desire to find a rad coffee job sooner than later. And so it turns out, working there was one of the better things that happened to me for a plethora reasons. Namely, meeting the human I still am deeply in love with (also the head-honcho I mentioned above...he pours the best lattes), gaining serving experience, and appreciation for local and organic food. But also, propelling a desire to really make it happen in the coffee scene when moving to Seattle a few months later. Have I said that I was motivated enough? Don't tempt me because I will bring it up again. (I hope you're laughing, I am laughing - at myself).
Flash forward to job hunting in Seattle after the move in September. I was watching a 5 year old girl 4 days a week, but really ended up resenting that whole position. I won't ever get into that. Anyways, it was going to be a long afternoon, and so I googled "coffee shops near me", found "Caffe Appassianato" for a 6 oz latte, and left with a job interview set up. I was stoked. Within the next week, I was rocking my first coffee job. It only took a week for me to realize that the shop was a little behind the times in Seattle's coffee scene, compared to what I was hoping, but at least I was getting something under my belt. Think of "Central Perk", the coffee shop from the sitcom 'Friends', and boom, exactly the shop I was working in. And so, I told myself it would be the stepping stone job until my ultimate dream shop. A grand total of five months ensued, all the while completely lacking the coffee education I was still dreaming about. But just when I was really getting burnt out, I stumbled upon Anchorhead during a coffee festival the local shops were all taking part in. During a latte art throwdown, I literally walked up to one of the managers and asked for a job interview. A month later, I was hired and on track to learn more than I had imagined.
My first day was in late February of 2017, and I'm still chugging along, and pouring prettier lattes each day. It's the idea that I really did pull off one of my dreams that helps me wake up and think "I get to go to work today". Over a year later, I am still more than stoked to be an employee there.
The lattes in the pictures are accredited to my coworker Sarah:)
Things are evolving at the cafe, and specialty coffee is still advancing, so it's a pretty neat environment to be apart of. As the blog continues on, I'll keep adding bits here and there from work, as well as some stories to keep it interesting. stay tuned :)
