I need coffee . If this is your first conscious thought before you even roll out of bed , you are not alone . Fifty-four percent of Americans drink coffee every day .
The $ 40 billion-a-year coffee industry has made it practically a national pastime in the U . S . and this winter coffee drinkers will warm their frozen bodies with an average of three cups per day . Its roots in American culture go back as far as the birth of our country . The British government ’ s high tax on tea and the subsequent Boston Tea Party pretty much guaranteed coffee ’ s place at the table in the Colonies .
In 1824 , Thomas Jefferson called coffee “ the favorite drink of the civilized world .”
In the new millennium , according to the National Association of Coffee , after crude oil , coffee is the most sought commodity in the world .
We can thank Starbucks for introducing the masses to the world of coffee vernacular like grande , frappe and macchiato , and for addicting the next generation of hot beverage drinkers to the roasted bean ’ s alluring aroma .
We also can thank the caffeine conglomerate for the surge in cozy coffee houses — like Out of the Grey Coffeehouse on West Lake Road in Fairview — where we can quench our cravings .
This coffee establishment is for the hardcore coffee lover . It has 54 organic coffees from around the world that is roasted in-house at the peak of freshness .
Owner and Fairview resident Jack Barton says , “ We are constantly roasting , creating flavors or helping customers create new coffees .”
In a process that Barton describes as very hot and laborsome , he can roast up to 30 pounds of beans in about 12 minutes , but it requires close attention , adding organic spices and oils to flavor the beans .
Out of the Grey Coffeehouse roasts coffee for many local corporate clients but the staff ’ s passion lies in including coffee house and online patrons in the coffee making process by allowing them to create their own flavors .
If you visit outofthegreycoffee . com , you can play around with flavor combinations , name your creation and ship it anywhere or pick it up locally . Think how fun it would be to make a unique blend for each of the coffee drinkers you know . You can even share your concoction with other coffee connoisseurs .
Don ’ t stress if naming your own coffee gives you anxiety , there are plenty of flavorful combinations already available listed in the café “ flavorites ” with fun names like Hunk a Hunk a Burning Love , Glacial Groove , Oreo Golden Thunder , and the cheeky Penn DOT Rocky Road .
Tea toters , do not be dismayed . Out of the Grey offers over 280 types of loose-leaf teas as well .
“ We make our own chai and you can add your own flavors . Once , someone created an orange creamsicle chai , and then we had 14 others order it that weekend . It was a hit ,” says Barton .
Since the roasters are busy doing their day job of roasting the beans , the coffee house and café are only open in the evenings , Thursday through Saturday , but you can grab more than a nameyour-own hot beverage . The menu also includes light fare like soups , salads , pizzas and paninis .
If you like your java with a side of sweets , Main Street Cakery Café on West Ridge Road in Fairview has the market cornered . The famous cinnamon stick buns are pull-apart goodness baked in butter and brown sugar .
“ We are constantly roasting , creating flavors and helping customers create new coffees .”
Owners Sam and Cindy Ring opened the café in 2013 when they decided to expand from their Albion location . They ’ ve since shut down the Albion location to focus on the Fairview restaurant .
The Rings ’ three daughters , Morgan , 17 , Courtney , 15 , and Alexa , 14 , also help at the café , waitressing , baking and working in the kitchen .
The location used to be a coffee shop so the Rings decided to incorporate coffee into the menu . They even have a drive thru window so you don ’ t have to leave your car on those blustery winter days to pick up your coffee and muffins on the way to work .
“ I am not a coffee person . I like tea but we had people say , ‘ I want a double black eye ,’ when we opened . I said , ‘ Oh man , you need to tell me what that is .’ I don ’ t know all that lingo ,” jokes Cindy Ring .
A woman in Girard roasts the coffee and Port Java supplies the flavored coffees .
“ We always have two specialty flavored coffees per day . Southern Pecan is really popular , so we try to always have that plus another flavor . We have had flavors like snickerdoodle , pumpkin pie , French vanilla and chocolate raspberry ,” says Ring .
All of the baked goods , from banana bread to chocolate chip cookies , are made from scratch . Main Street Cakery Café also has a full breakfast , lunch and dinner menu . As an added bonus , breakfast is served all day . n
West County | Winter 2016 | icmags . com 19