We Love Coffee

In today’s world, fresh roasted coffee beans are all the rage, and folks are using French presses and pour-over methods to create the perfect beverage. Modern coffee lovers scoff at the thought of cheap grinds in a bleached filter to create their morning cup of joe. People want the good stuff. The times are a-changin’ when it comes to coffee. 

Local Roasting

For more than 20 years, coffee roasting has steadily grown as an industry and reached a level of status similar to craft brewing. A mere two decades ago, the quest to find a well-brewed, flavorful cup of coffee was an elusive one. Today, coffee roasters are popping up all around the U.S. with many of them in the Smoky Mountain region. This surge is in direct response to demand. 

Coffee & Company in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, was established in 1993. Originally serving as a non-roaster coffee shop, Jeanette Peterson and her husband bought it 10 years after its inception. Out of a need for better wholesale purchasing options, Peterson began roasting coffee. Fourteen years ago, there were very few coffee roasters in the region, and Coffee & Company is still the only roaster in Gatlinburg. 

“After working in the food industry for 30 years, I have a very particular palate. I couldn’t find quality coffee I wanted to sell, so we started roasting ourselves,” Peterson said. 

Peterson’s thriving business is located in The Village, a compilation of independent shops in the heart of Gatlinburg. They are solely a retail store, selling coffee products on site and online. 

JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters in Northeast Georgia is the only coffee roaster in its area as well. Nestled in the quaint town of Helen, it appeals to both locals and tourists. Charlie Britt, owner of JumpinGoat has been in the business for over six years. As an artisan roaster, he loves to experiment with flavors and flavor blends. While the appeal of flavored coffee has declined in some facets, Britt’s flavored varieties are growing in popularity. 

“Our flavored coffee is much different than anything you’ve tasted. Our coffee does not leave that synthetic taste in your mouth. When you take a sip, you taste the coffee and you taste the flavor, and then it evaporates until your next sip, which is how it should be,” said Britt.

Among their many unique flavors, customers can try wine-infused siracha chocolate and bourbon-infused pecan. 

Operations manager Sheila Myers said JumpinGoat’s wholesale operations have increased significantly over the past several years. Area bed and breakfasts, restaurants and antique stores offer JumpinGoat products. The retail shop sells bags of coffee and k-cups but only offer a couple menu items. 

“We don’t have an espresso machine or offer mochas and all that fancy stuff, but you can come in here and get a delicious cup of coffee,” Myers said. 

North of Helen in Western North Carolina, coffee roasters are a plenty. In a region where “handcrafted” is celebrated in every form, it’s no wonder the mountains of North Carolina have embraced the art of coffee roasting. 

“People in this town want to buy local. They appreciate quality, hand-crafted products,” said Bill Tanner, owner and head roaster at PennyCup Coffee Co. in Asheville. 

Tanner and his partner, Amber Arthur, opened PennyCup’s first location five years ago in the River Arts District. The brick industrial building—nestled on a slanted side street adjacent to graffiti-covered railroad tracks—offers a hip urban vibe. Inside, the barista works steadily, focused on the task at hand. Patrons type on laptops, read and quietly converse as they sip coffee roasted in the Diedrich machine 20 feet away.  

Thirty miles west of Asheville sits another favorite coffee spot. Panacea Coffeehouse, Café and Roastery on Commerce Street in Waynesville, North Carolina, boasts 15 years in solid operation. While other businesses in the surrounding Frog Level district have opened and closed, Panacea has maintained its alluring appeal. Just down the road in Hazelwood Village, Smoky Mountain Roasters offers another local option. Two coffee roasting businesses thriving in one small town says a lot for the industry as a whole. 

Haywood County native Dylan Morgan mans the 35-year-old San Franciscan roasting machine at Panacea. His step-dad owns the business and Morgan has steadily acquired the skills over the years. 

“Coffee roasting is a lot about intuition, but it’s also about sound and timing,” said Morgan, who like Tanner, uses a timer to ensure the beans are correctly timed depending on the lightness or darkness of the roast. And while the sound of cracking beans merely intrigues visitors entering the front door, it offers a wealth of information to Morgan. Jacob Smith, roaster at JumpinGoat, says appearance and smell are also integral during the roasting process. 

“Coffee roasting is both an art and a science,” Tanner said.

Hands-on roasting 

Learning the trade of coffee roasting is akin to apprenticeships from days gone by. High school seniors don’t enter college with the goal of majoring in coffee roasting. People typically fall into the profession by means of curiosity and experience. 

Smith never intended to become a coffee roaster. His background is in business, but after working for some time as a barista, he began learning the trade of coffee roasting with Britt. Britt learned from the former owner of the company and from a training trip to California. 

“It’s been very rewarding to learn the craft and to create a tangible product, one that I can actually taste and enjoy every day,” Smith said. 

Tanner from PennyCup began his career at Intelligentsia in Chicago, a pioneer company in the industry since 1995. Tanner worked long days in production and says he still uses knowledge and skills learned from his days at Intelligentsia. Going forward, he plans to train staff to take on some of the coffee roasting load. 

When Peterson made the decision to roast, she became a ravenous learner, traveling and visiting other coffee roasters in the region to learn the skills. “I’m kind of a ‘go-big-or-go-home’ gal. I was determined to learn how to produce amazing coffee products, so I visited the experts and learned everything I could.”

The Future of Coffee

Coffee has a longstanding tradition in American culture, and our country’s love affair with the beverage is only growing. In fact, it’s the second most-consumed beverage after water. After crude oil, coffee is the most sought commodity in the world. 

All over the land, people are making more sophisticated food and beverage choices. The Smoky Mountains are no different. Pick your favorite spot in this beautiful region and you’re sure to find both delicious coffee and talented roasters. 

“I love watching our customers’ faces when they take that first sip of our coffee,” Peterson said. “Their expressions remind me why I do what I do.”