Ethan Durham’s interest in coffee sparked much like most of us – he grew up watching the people he loved enjoying coffee as a small but significant part of their day – performing the same rituals and bonding over a cup.
Once Ethan started drinking coffee regularly, he wondered how he could improve his cup and just wanted to learn more about coffee, which led him to study coffee preparation methods and techniques, origin, terrain, and finally where the magic happens: Roasting.
Ethan started roasting coffee seven years ago at home on a Behmor 1600+. He bought five pound bags of green coffee of different origins and worked through them taking each bean to different roast levels and brewing the beans in a variety of ways. This is where he began to develop his palate and deeper understanding of roasting, difference of brew methods, and the intricacies of specialty coffee. In addition to studying the works of notable industry professionals like Scott Rao and Matt Perger, as a Barista and Manager at The Spot on Main, he attended CoffeeFest in New York City and subsequently a Roasting 101 course conducted by Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he was fortunate to learn the ins and outs of working with a Mill City Roaster and connect with a number of passionate coffee people.
Ethan says his favorite coffees in the past have been more fruit-forward and bombastic, usually a dry process Ethiopia Sidamo, but recently he has started to really enjoy a solid medium-level decaf from Mexico or Colombia.