Take the Coffee Tour!

By Jessie Cadle
Photography by Megan Wylie Ruffing

The alarm blares. Mustering all of my energy, I move. Autumn has made a sly arrival, and it’s cold outside of the covers. My brain cannot possibly be functioning, and there is only one solution that comes to my half-working mind: caffeine. But not just any java jolt will do; as a Western Pennsylvania resident I can sip on the finest coffees and tea. We’re talking about brews that are fair trade-certified (the producers in developing countries receive profit and better trading circumstances in return for their sustainable practices), organic-certified (which promotes practices that save the environment), and made locally (either grown or roasted). I consider myself a coffee (and tea) connoisseur and have compiled a necessary map that fits all caffeinated needs, and choosing any of these experiences is like pulling from a page of a choose-your-own-adventure novel. After all, I may be just one girl, but I am saving the world one (delicious and caffeinated) cup at a time. And that is reason enough to wake up in the morning.

Breaking New Ground: For A Study Break

Aldo Coffee Company is the hangout spot after a long day of work and school, with magazines and books strewn on bookshelves and tables and witty quotes bedecking chalkboards. The co-owner, Rich Westerfield, describes how the shop sells direct trade and fair trade coffee by the cup or bag. They offer coffees from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, which has direct relations with farmers, and will begin roasting their own coffee in the shop this fall. “We’re only roasting sustainable relationship coffee where we’re no more than one step removed from the farmer,” says Westerfield. The baristas make a mean cappuccino complete with latte art, of course. Pumpkin Spice and Chais (delectable) are big for fall, and they have steaming soup on the side. “We believe in our coffees and the taste. We try to bring sophisticated coffees to the community, while remaining a community shop,” says Westerfield. Aldo Coffee, 675 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon. 412.563.1220. www.aldocoffee.com

Viva Italia: For a Taste of Italy

I head to La Prima Espresso, where the coffee is roasted on the premises and immediately feel catapulted into an Italian coffee shop, complete with Italian men playing cards outside and an Asciugamano Terrible (Italian for “Terrible Towel”) waving proudly in the background. Owner Sam Patti, whose parents are Italian immigrants, has created an awesome ambiance, where the traditional espresso and cappuccinos (complete with latte art) conjure images of fall in Italia. The coffees available by the pound boast fair trade options, detail the beans’ country of origin, and even offer a Rachel Carson brew. The bartender Michael Bogdan whips out a French Press and serves me a bold black coffee called Pittsburgh Smooth. With every pound that’s sold, they donate a dollar to Grow Pittsburgh — a non-profit that urges and funds urban farming projects, from The Edible Schoolyard to The Frick Project — and together we drink the coffee black, which I never do. “I mean, I serve coffee, and I talk to people. What could be better?” Bogdan jokes as he hands me a cappuccino to balance the black coffee’s bitterness. I sip, and that’s amore, or maybe that’s just my inner Italian talking. La Prima Espresso, 205 21st St., Strip District. 412.281.1922., www.laprima.com

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go: For A Morning Wake-Up

Prestogeorge, at 1719 Penn Avenue, is the morning stop for this glorious reason: The Morning Buzz coffee, made with added liquid caffeine. Let me repeat that for emphasis: Liquid Caffeine. The bitterness of this kick is offset by the Pot of Gold cup, made with hazelnut, Irish cream, and chocolate — yummy and perfect for fall. As I drink, I find the coffee roasting machine that’s churning in the back of the shop, which creates the barrels of flavored coffee that fill the whole store. “We look for [beans from] small estate farms that are family run and have been putting out a good product for years,” says owner Stan Prestogeorge. “My dad started dealing with some of these farms 50 years ago.” To balance out the coffee, I turn to their wall of teas, a mecca of glass jars filled with natural herbs (some are even free-trade, meaning trade occurs without government or tax interference) that range from white teas to nettles, so that you can make your own combination or have a specialty loose leaf. I grab a yerba matte latte and plum black tea, and share some quick banter with the wise and witty baristas, who share which herbs heal various ailments and which are considered “the drug of Indonesia.” They hand me pounds of Pumpkin Spice (sweet and aromatic) and Vermont Maple (so smooth) to go so I can face the rest of the day ahead. PrestoGeorge Coffee and Tea, 1719 Penn Ave., Strip District. 412.471.0133., www.prestogeorge.com

Relax, Take It Easy: For Hanging Out

The Coffee Tree Roasters has five locations around town, and I head to Mt. Lebanon’s

location. The company is a fresh roaster, meaning they roast everything in the old Continental Can building, and everything, with the exception of espresso, is sold within eight days of roasting. In addition to the local tie, owner Bill Swoope, Jr., tells me about their fair trade options (the Justo blend is the No. 1 seller) and their connection to the Cup of Excellence program, where coffee-producing countries hold contests for the best local coffee, and the winning farm receives all profits from the coffee sold overseas (the best of direct trade). I rest my feet on the neighboring chair — it’s a relaxed environment at the

Coffee Tree — and sip the Pumpkin Latte, which, along with the Hot Apple Cider and Ginger Spice Latte, makes up the fall drink line-up. I let out a relaxed, “Ahhh,” as Swoope explains how the company is so connected to the coffee-producing farmers that they take trips every year to visit them. “There is nothing like the immersion into the coffee world that you get on those trips,” Swoope says. I can’t help thinking, Take me with you! The Coffee Tree Roasters, 299 Beverly Road, Mt. Lebanon. 412.344.4780. www.coffeetree.com

Talk to Me: For Chatting Over Drinks

Regent Square is home to the Square Café, and as I dash inside, someone compliments my dress on the street. (A confidence boost and coffee … does a better pair exist?) Head aloft, I find Jenn Morris behind the counter, with her sleeves rolled up, as she chats casually with the regulars, who nod to me like an episode of Cheers. The coffee comes from local roaster Kiva Han, and I start with the pumpkin chai (I die for chai; it is my favorite drink of all time), which is bascially the “taste of fall in a cup,” Morris says with a wry smile and adds, “There is not just pumpkin in there, there’s love, too.” Swoon. She depicts how perfect it is for a hayride late at night, and I agree noiselessly, because I am too busy gulping down the creamy liquid to respond. Order it with whole milk. And here I realize I have cheated. The chai has only the weensiest amount of caffeine from the black tea base, so of course, I more than make up for my mistake by diving head-first into the gingerbread latte (two shots of espresso and no sugar necessary to sweeten up this already holiday-ed drink) and the cinnamon vanilla latte (which hits my nose with powerful cinnamon-y goodness as the spices and sweetness mix in my mouth). Morris leans over the counter to share her thoughts on why these mocha masterpieces are perfect for fall. “The cup is warm, and it tastes like what you smell outside if it is done right. It warms your hands, your nose — it warms you all the way down,” she says holding the cup between her hands for inspiration as if she is speaking for the drink — a coffee oracle! Owner Sherree Goldstein is also famous for saddling up to the bar with friends for warm conversation over warm cups. “I love to sip something hot and sweet on a cool fall morning,” she says. “It’s good for the soul.” Square Café, 1137 S. Braddock Ave., Regent Square. 412.244.8002. www.square-café.com

I Promised You a Rose Garden: For Produce and Herbal Teas

In a tea mood, I veer over to Quality Gardens, which also has full-year greenhouses and a farmers’ market bursting with natural produce. So, hit two birds with one stone, and grab some locally grown produce on your visit. With certified organic tea lines and herbs grown in house, Becky Woods recommends the fruit and spice red tea. “It consists of orange, cloves, hibiscus, lemon grass, and more,” Woods says. “And they come in tea bags, instead of just loose leaf.” The tea is aromatic, which allows me to taste all the flavors in this warm citrusy blend that merges summer and fall in my steaming cup. The clovey aftertaste tastes most like autumn. Woods attends gourmet food shows to find teas that have the flavor and the organic label, and for this we should supremely thank her. After all, it led to this unique, todie- for cup. Quality Gardens, 409 Route 228 West, Valencia. 724.625.2770. www.quality-gardens.com

Leaf on Me: For Endless Loose Leaf Possibilities

Cammie Sin’s Tea Boutique sells teas from the more obscure to the classic chai. The teas, which come from The Metropolitan Tea Company, are fair trade, and I grab samples of the Cochin Masala Chai (very traditional), Pumpkin and Apple Spice (for fall, of course), and Night of the Iguana Chai (which the owner, Hillary Lohr, tells me means chocolate chai … my two greatest loves). “Once you hit fall, everyone switches from the fruity teas to the chais,” she tells me. “Tea is different than coffee, because it causes a gradual boost as opposed to a spike.” The boutique sells various teapots, tea accessories, and boxed teas as well as loose leaf. Cammie Sin’s Tea Boutique, 190 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mt. Lebanon. 412.571.9900., www.cammiesins.com

Captain Planet: For Saving the World

Building New Hope, a non-profit based in Pittsburgh, is working to create a better future for the farmers of the El Porvenir cooperative in the northwest mountains of Nicaragua. El Porvenir (which means “the future” in Spanish) has been growing coffee on this land for more than 20 years. The coffee is organically certified and environmentally sustainable, as it promotes biodiversity. The farmers receive a higher price than the guaranteed fair-trade price for their coffee, which is then reinvested into the health, living, and education of the community. It is roasted locally by Commonplace Coffee Co., packaged, and delivered by local volunteers and sold throughout the Pittsburgh region. “I have been to the farm and can attest to how it’s grown and processed, and it is truly one of the best coffee’s on earth. “¡Que Rico!” says volunteer coordinator Matt Yough. Building New Hope, 106 Overton Lane, Squirrel Hill. 412.421.1625. www.buildingnewhope.org

Make Yourself At Home: To Buy and Brew At Your House

Whole Foods Market is the Mecca of fair and direct trade. Coffee Specialist Valerie Testa directs me to two coffees that run the gamut on taste: One Village Coffee Nordico Espresso, for a darker roast, and Allegro Organic Nicaragua Canta Gallo, for a light roast. Besides the divine taste, the coffees have a divine cause. One Village Coffee, fair trade and organic certified, has direct relationships with its farms in Nigeria and Honduras and makes all their coffee with CO2 to reduce carbon emissions. As if that’s not enough, they have dozens of projects they are working on with their companion countries, such as giving micro-loans to local Nigerian entrepreneurs. The Allegro Coffee that Testa has me sample is part of their Special Reserve Project, meaning they pick a small, all organic co-op in one of the premier coffee growing countries and give them a $10,000 donation to be used for local education and agriculture, while featuring their beans. They described this as “caffeinating your conscience.” I buy a pound of each and leave, laden with beans and hope. Whole Foods Market, 5880 Centre Ave., East Liberty. 412.441.7960., www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Bless Your Art: For Latte Art Late At Night

Espresso A Mano can make shapes from hearts to leaves to flowers all on the top of a cup of coffee. Owner Matt Gebis laughs when he talks about a favorite customer, who says she feels slighted if he doesn’t make a heart on the top of her cup. Gebis describes with gusto how many of the coffees are direct trade (where roasters communicate directly with farmers) and single origin (coming from one specific farm). Most of the coffee is roasted at the local Common Place Coffee and sourced from Counter Culture Coffee. The hot chocolate is divine and the cappuccino is perfect, especially for students now that the cafe is open until 9 p.m. Known for his latte art, Gebis says, “If you have an espresso done properly, then the latte art just kind of happens on its own. You know that is a drink prepared with care, and you can see it before you can taste it.” All of my senses are satisfied, as I sip the delectable concoction. Espresso A Mano, 3623 Butler St., Lawrenceville. 412.918.1864., www.espressoamano.com

Sister, Sister: For Sipping and For Supporting Local Ministries

The Sisters of Saint Francis Providence of God is not the first place I would have expected to find coffee, but their unique fundraiser delivers a delicious drink: the Fransciscan Blend. These are fair trade coffees, roasted locally at Arbuckle Coffee Company in Verona, Pa., and are available by the pound to be purchased on location or online. The money funnels right back to the Sisters in Assisi Hall, specifically the elderly and interim sisters who have spent more than 40 years working and teaching in the community. The Director of Development, Nick Rodi, explaines the flavors: decaf, regular, hazelnut (I’m a sucker for hazelnut), and French vanilla. If the flavored coffees go over well, he hopes to add even more fall flavors to the list … and so do we! Sisters of Saint Francis Providence of God, 3603 McRoberts Road, Castle Shannon. 412.885.7232. www.osfprov.org