I’ve had a head full of coffee the last few weeks. As I learned in Cartel’s Seed to Cup classes, you don’t need a lot of money to learn how to brew a good cup. I’ve invested in a grinder and French press. From there, it’s practice and learning technique. For pointers, the baristas left us with a list of free and inexpensive resources. Here’s a short list of recommendations from Cartel’s barista extrodinaire, Jen, to get started. Online Guides are Free. Try guides from micro-roasteries like Stumptown Coffee, Ritual Roasters, Barismo, and Counter Culture Coffee. Connect with Experts on...

I got more than lessons on brewing coffee at the three-day seminar Seed to Cup this weekend. I got schooled on some retro barista stereotypes. My friends and I used to joke that the guys flipping our burgers and pouring our lattes in college probably had Ph.Ds. The desire to stay in our small college town usually kept people there regardless of the job opportunities or diplomas. But what if you go to school in a big city? If the baristas at Cartel Coffee Lab are any example, then it turns out you really can use your degree to get paid for your coffee passions. Sure, roasting and brewing coffee isn’t...

Does anyone think it’s strange that the Girl From Arizona doesn’t write about Arizona? Outside of climbing, I don’t write about my adopted state. I figure there are other blogs that do a much better job of that. Still, all the things I seek out when I travel are suddenly popping up in my backyard. Phoenix is becoming both an established beer city AND a coffee town. While beer events are plentiful, coffee shops are also jumping into the mix with a number of activities that are helping everyone understand just what it is that makes the local culture so great. Seed to Cup August 13 – 15 I’m...

When I travel, public transportation is a part of the experience. I rarely have a need or feel the urge to get anywhere quickly. I just take the challenge to get somewhere without a car or as cheaply as possible. I ride a bike, take the bus, find a train or use my feet. I meet people, I overhear conversations, I see the landscape of a different country…. But sadly, Travel Me and Work Me are two different people. My real world persona is all Type A… and always late. So what is life like without a car in the concrete jungle of Phoenix, Arizona? A little like trying to be a tourist on the Amazing...

It’s hard to miss Tovrea Castle. The wedding cake shaped building sits on a hill beside a main highway and just miles away from Sky Harbor airport. Even if you’re just passing through Phoenix, chances are you will get a glimpse of it and wonder what the story behind it is. While the story is well known in Phoenix circles, getting a glimpse of the inside is rare. Yesterday, thanks to the Arizona AIA (architects association), the doors opened for a members tour and my friend Robert and I got our first look inside this iconic building. The castle was first designed in 1928 to be a hotel and...