The Newberg Graphic
| Coffee Cottage will roast for Allison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage’s beans prove a clear favorite for Allison personnel | ||||
The Allison Inn and Spa is paying attention to detail as it prepares for its September opening. So it makes sense that it would select local coffee roasters who say they bring similar diligence to their trade. "We pay special attention to every little variable," said Tyler Stevens, head roaster at the Coffee Cottage, which was selected as the official coffee roaster for the hotel. "We probably tasted six batches, all roasted differently, to determine which roasting catered to what they would like." Stevens's strategy worked, as a panel composed of the Allison's executive chef, restaurant manager, director of banquets and Ercolino Crugnale, the Allison's director of food and beverage, selected the Coffee Cottage's roast in a cupping with 18 other coffees. "We tasted 18 coffees blind and it was the 17th of the 18," Crugnale said. "It was the only one that was a unanimous No. 1." The panel tasted local roasts as well as roasts from Portland and Seattle. "We selected several different coffee companies that roast their own beans," Crugnale said. "We thought it would strengthen our product to get it as locally as we can. It makes for a more indigenous experience for the guest." The Coffee Cottage buys coffee through direct relationships with farmers, and roasts the beans in what Stevens called a scientific as well as artistic approach. "It felt good (to be selected)," Stevens said. "We take coffee very seriously. We love it and we know what tastes good to our palate." | ||||
