Men's Journal: The 25 Best Coffee Roasters in America
By Cat Wolinski
With all its talk of sustainable this and single-origin that, third-wave coffee can be an intimidating world to enter. But here’s all you need to know: The best "third-wave" roasters approach their craft with an attention to detail and eye for innovation that's leaving their more mainstream competitors in the dust. Remember how you used to happily throw back bottle after bottle of Yuengling, before many thousands of craft breweries came along and made it the kind of beer you'd only drink in a pinch? Well, for the growing masses of discerning coffee drinkers, the same thing is happening to places like Starbucks. From bigger names like Blue Bottle and Stumptown to ones you may not have even heard of like Lofted and Thou Mayest, perk up with these almost-wholly independently owned coffee roasters responsibly producing some of the best java in the nation.
19. PT's Coffee Roasting Co.
Topeka, KS
PT’s earned its reputation from the unlikely home of Topeka, Kansas, where it began in 1993 as a startup coffee shop helmed by co-founder Jeff Taylor, a photographer with no background in the coffee industry. After opening a second location in 1994 and, finally, purchasing a roaster and an inventory of green coffee in 1997, PT’s upped its cupping game, bigtime.
Today, PT’s is repeatedly touted for producing some of the best coffee in the world (Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine, and 20 scores of 94 and above from industry resource Coffee Review among its many accolades). Nearly 80% of its dozens of single-origin specialty coffees and signature blends, offered at its retail locations, through wholesale clients, and by online vendors around the world, are acquired through its Direct Trade program.