Doug's Blog: A Coffee Roasters Source of Knowledge
What Summer Looks Like Behind the Bar and Below the Coffeehouse
Summer at San Fran Coffee is not exactly a quiet season.
Upstairs, drinks are flying over ice, cold brew is moving faster, and customers are looking for somewhere to escape the kind of Atlanta heat that makes walking three blocks feel ambitious. Downstairs, the roastery keeps moving too.
Why Coffee Tastes Different in the Summer: A few thoughts on iced coffee, match days, and why your taste buds are not being dramatic
Atlanta is hosting the world this summer, which means a few things are true at once: traffic will be strange, jerseys will suddenly become acceptable weekday attire, and a lot of people will be looking for something cold to drink before, during, or after a match.
Naturally, I would like to talk about coffee.
Not because coffee needs to be inserted into every conversation — although I have built a life on making that argument, but because summer changes the way we experience coffee. The same beans, roasted the same way, brewed with the same care, can taste noticeably different once you add heat, humidity, ice, time, and the very real Atlanta sidewalk experience.
So, in honor of summer and the World Cup, let’s talk about coffee tactics.
Milk Chocolate, Orange Zest, and a Little Pepper: What’s Going On Here?
Coffee tasting notes can sound a little suspicious if no one has explained them properly.
Milk chocolate? Orange zest? Cracked black pepper? Dried cherry?
We get it. It can sound like someone went crazy with a thesaurus.
But tasting notes are not added flavors. We are not pouring in chocolate syrup, citrus peel, or peppercorns in the roaster. These are just the natural flavors and aromas we notice when a coffee is grown, processed, roasted, and brewed in a way that lets its character show up clearly.
Why Orion is the Perfect Espresso Pt 2: How to Dial in Espresso at Home
Hey folks, Doug here! Now if you’ve ever tried making espresso at home and thought: “Why does this taste nothing like the coffee shop?” You’re not alone. Espresso is simple on paper — but it’s precise in practice. The good news? Once you understand a few key variables, it all starts to click.
Let’s walk through it.
What Makes the Perfect Espresso? (And Why Orion Is Built for It)
A perfect espresso isn’t about being the most complex — it’s about being the one you actually want to drink every day.
What a Full City Roast Really Is
Now I’ve been roasting coffee for over three decades, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: roast names can get confusing real fast.
Light. Medium. Dark. Full City. French. Vienna.
Sounds like a world tour, doesn’t it?
But today I want to talk about one that we use a lot here at San Fran Coffee — and one that’s front and center this month with our Organic Mexican Bean of the Month.
Let’s talk about Full City.
Into the Dark: Why Organic Sumatra Is My Kind of Coffee
They say some things are an acquired taste. I think that’s just another way of saying not everyone’s ready for the truth.
Organic Sumatra is one of those coffees.
This is not a polite cup. It doesn’t wave from across the room. It sits down heavy, smells like the earth after rain, and asks you to slow down and pay attention. And if you do? It rewards you with something deep, smoky, and unforgettable.
The Dark Arts of Roasting
Step inside the roastery and explore The Dark Arts of Roasting — a deep dive into the science, craft, and subtle sorcery behind dark roast coffee. Learn how caramelization, chemistry, and the Maillard reaction create those bold, chocolatey flavors you crave. Featuring fan-favorite dark roasts from San Francisco Coffee — G.O.A.T. Bros, Old Whalers’ Blend, and Organic Sumatra — each crafted with care, roasted in Atlanta, and ready to conjure your perfect cup.
How Did America Fall in Love with Coffee?
Even if you haven't dedicated your life to coffee the way I have, if you're reading this, coffee is probably a big part of your life. And who could blame you? According to the National Coffee Association, 7 in 10 Americans drink coffee every week, and some 62% drink it every single day. (No data on how many drink four cups a day like this coffee fiend).
In any event, coffee is an undeniable part of American culture, but it hasn't always been that way. Just how did coffee find its place among apple pie and hot dogs as a true American favorite? Time for a sip of history…
The Real Story Behind Coffee Prices
Alright folks, let’s talk about something a lot of us are noticing right now: that little price bump in your daily cup of joe, or your favorite pastry.
We see it, we're feeling it too—and we want to be super transparent about what’s going on, why it’s happening, and what we’re doing to keep serving you the best coffee and baked goods we can. No doom and gloom here—just the facts, served with a splash of real talk and a dash of optimism.
So You Want to Be a Barista?
You better be ready and willing to learn.
That’s because an intense barista training program awaits all our newbies. It’s in place to ensure that every drink we serve our community is as delicious and fresh as possible. Let’s take a deeper look at one of the most central roles to our success.
So...What Is a Barista?
Who are Fitz & Billy? The G.O.A.T. Bros Origin Story
Before San Francisco Coffee was even a thing, I had this etched picture of a goat that reminded me of those creepy goats from my childhood. I named him Fitz. Now, Fitz had been gathering dust for a while because, let’s face it, a scary-looking goat isn’t exactly what you want staring at you while you sip your morning brew. And everyone was like, “Doug, you don’t want to scare people!” But then it hit me—what if we leaned into it?