Tour Details 
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| It's A Grind | |
| 2230 Sunset Blvd. Rocklin, California 95765 | |
| Details: Husband and wife entrepreneurs, Marty Cox and Louise Montgomery, were inspired to open the first It's A Grind Coffee House in Long Beach, CA in 1994. Today, communities across the United States gather at their local It's A Grind Coffee House every day. As a neighborhood coffee house featuring a blues and jazz motif, large comfortable seating and an eclectic blend of music, It's A Grind features only the highest quality whole bean specialty coffees; traditional, espresso and iced blended coffee drinks; tea and tea based drinks, hot toasted bagels, muffins, scones and other delicious bakery items. It's A Grind begins with the finest Arabica coffees, micro-roasted in small batches to create the smoothest, best tasting coffee. This unique roasting process allows us to achieve maximum flavor while delivering the freshest roasted coffee within days of roasting, not weeks or months as do some of the other notable coffee companies. It's A Grind constantly measures itself against the finest European coffee masters, assuring its customers only the best tasting coffees. _______OUR COFFEES_____ Nobody knows for certain exactly when this extraordinary bean was discovered. However, legend tells us that long ago, in what is now called Ethiopia, a young goat herder named Kaldi observed his goats dancing wildly while eating the red fruit from nearby shrubs. Intrigued, Kaldi joined in the goat's feast and was amazed by the fruit's stimulating affects. Word spread quickly and, soon after, the monks from a local monastery used the red fruit as the base for a religious ceremonial drink to keep the monks awake during long hours of prayer. Since then, coffee has been used as a medicine, a wine and even an aphrodisiac. Coffee cultivation began sometime in the fifteenth century and for many centuries to follow the Yemen province of Arabia was the world's primary source of coffee. Soon, coffee made its way into Europe, through Venice, where it gained popularity with the masses as street vendors began selling it in addition to cold beverages. By the middle of the 17th century the Dutch dominated the world's merchant shipping industry and soon introduced coffee cultivation to their colonies in Indonesia including Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Bali. In 1773, when King George levied a heavy tax on tea, angry settlers turned to coffee, causing coffee's popularity in America to soar. With the dawn of the nineteenth century, Brazil emerged as the world's foremost coffee producer. Even today, Brazil and much of the neighboring Latin American countries still supply about 65% of the world's coffee. Coffee has played an important roll in American culture, keeping the cowboys warm on the frontier, and was a staple of soldiers in both world wars. In fact, coffee was in such demand during WWII rationing, that an active black market developed. Today, coffee continues to play an important role in American and other cultures around the world, helping hundreds of millions of people begin each day. ___GROWING REGIONS____ Much time, pride and tradition go into producing specialty coffees. The savory flavor of specialty coffee begins in tropical climates that offer abundant rainfall, brilliant sunshine and fertile soil. Arabica beans, which are grown between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn at high altitudes, are the most flavorful variety of beans. The average coffee tree bears enough cherries each season to produce only about 11-12pounds of roasted coffee each year. A new tree takes 3 - 5 years before producing its first crop. Coffee producing nations are grouped into four main categories based on their geographical origin: Africa and Arabia Coffees from this region can be found on the eastern half of the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. These coffees are known for their wine like qualities which are alluring and complex with intense berry or floral aromas and exhibit flavors of berries, citrus fruits, cocoa and spice. Indonesia and Pacific Islands With rich flavors and full body, these coffees are earthy and smooth, with occasional herbal undertones. Though often called Indonesian coffees, Pacific coffees also include varieties from Papau New Guinea, Sumatra and Hawaii and are often featured as single-origin coffees. Latin America The Central and South American regions produce more coffee than any other growing region. Coffees from these regions are light to medium bodied with clean, lively flavors. Known for their distinctive brightness, mellow body and perfect balance, these highly, consistent quality coffees are ideal for blending. Single-origin coffees from this region include coffees from Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico among others. ___HOME BREWING TIPS___ For best results, use freshly ground coffee. To preserve freshness, store coffee in the smallest practical airtight container on your kitchen counter or in pantry, oxygen, light, heat, and moisture are enemies of coffee. Do not store coffee in the refrigerator or freezer for daily use as this can damage the beans as moisture condenses on the beans whenever the container is opened and flavor deteriorates when the moisture is absorbed. Purchase coffee frequently and open only as much as you will use in a 1-2 week period. A cup of coffee is 98.7 percent water. Therefore, the water you use to brew coffee should taste clean, fresh and free of impurities. Never use hot water from the tap, or water that has been previously boiled. Begin with fresh cold water. Bottled filtered or spring water are recommended. Distilled water is not recommended as it lacks the minerals to bring out the natural flavors of the coffee. Water should be heated to just below a boil (195 to 205 F) for extracting the coffee's full range of flavors. Most home coffee makers should achieve these brewing temperatures during brewing. The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind. Using a home grinder enhances the experience of a great cup of coffee. Though burr grinders are best, using the more common blade grinders can still produce desired results. There is not one all-purpose grind for all types of coffee makers. Each brewing method requires its own grind. Too fine a grind will produce over extraction and bitterness. To course a grind will produce, under extracted watery coffee. For home drip coffee makers, use a medium to fine grind (15- 20 seconds in a home blade grinder). For espresso, use a slightly finer grind, for a coffee press use a slightly more course grind. Using the correct proportion of coffee to water is the most important step and will have the greatest affect the taste of your coffee. To get the most flavorful cup of coffee, we recommend two tablespoons of ground coffee (10 grams) for each six fluid ounces (180 milliliters) of water. The cup markings on most home coffee makers are typically 6 ounces. Adjust to taste. Clean brewing equipment will yield a better cup of coffee. Oils that contaminate your equipment can cause your coffee to taste rancid. Once your coffee is brewed, you should keep it hot in a thermal container. Remove it from any direct heat source (warming plate), as this may cause the coffee to taste bitter within about thirty minutes. A thermal container will keep it flavorful for as long as an hour or two. One way to extend the heat retention of your thermal container is to "prime" the container and your coffee cup with hot water for a few seconds prior to use; pour that out and then pour in your freshly brewed coffee and put the lid on tight. |
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| Last Tour Update: May 15, 2012 |
