In the Grinder - Our Daily Coffee Weblog

Hand sewn moc toe boots, waxed canvas rucksacks, and custom Pendelton wingtips, all amidst enough swanky antiques to make any eccentric billionaire drop his monocle. If my grandfather was still around, I’m not sure if he’d be thrilled by this move towards heritage brands or confused. (Hint: He was usually confused).Though domestically-made man stuff isn’t specific to Midwesterners, there sure are a lot of appreciators in the Twin Cities. This may explain why NorthernGrade, the only 100% American-made pop up goods market, is making such a splash.

With all of these local goods abound, it only seems logical to showcase some small-batch, locally roasted coffee.  Queue Moonshine, with their perfectly allegorical name, showing what a passionate Minnesotan with a Probatino can do. I had the pleasure of serving up chemexes with these fine gentlemen and had a legitimately good time. We were serving their Honduras Anael Enamorado, which, even just a couple days off roast, was rich, herbaceous, and sweet. The smells of fresh coffee, restored wood, and polished leather, combined seamlessly for a lovely sensory experience.  Sincere thanks to Shawn and Michael for letting me take part.  I’d also like to give a shout out to the NorthernGrade patrons, who were particularly receptive to Moonshine’s product. It would seem there’s some parallels between the folks that buy $300 batch-specific denim jeans and those that enjoy high-end Honduran microlots. No surprises there.

If you missed out on the fun and fresh duds this time around, be sure to check out SnowGrade in February, which should feature many of the same vendors.  Thank you Michael Walcher of Moonshine Coffee for the photos.  @mwalcher

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