With espresso, lattes, cold brews and even cocktails, coffee options these days are overflowing.
“There is a style of coffee for everyone, and you can drink coffee any time of the day, which has opened up a whole new world of coffee,” said Abi Mohrmann, chief of staff with Espresso Analyst Inc. and Mechanic Coffee Inc. in Verona.
Pittsburgh Coffee Week, happening today through Saturday, encompasses events, drink specials and curated opportunities for coffee aficionados.
From roasters to cafes and restaurants, Coffee Week features Pittsburgh’s diverse coffee landscape. It’s about fostering connections among residents and visitors, said Robert Chaffin, Coffee Week coordinator. He said Pittsburgh has more coffee shops per capita than most major metropolitan cities.
“The coffee scene here has really grown,” said Mohrmann. “In Pittsburgh there is healthy competition, and the shops are incredibly supportive.”
In the top 10
Pittsburgh is ranked 10th by research company WalletHub among best cities for coffee lovers. It looks at several metrics, such as average price per pack of coffee and places with free Wi-Fi. San Francisco, Portland and Seattle sit at the top of the rankings. The report is updated annually near National Coffee Day, Sept. 29. Pittsburgh ranked seventh in 2022, fifth in 2021 and sixth in 2020.
WalletHub senior analyst Jill Gonzalez said via email that Pittsburgh has 240 coffee and tea shops. Out of these, 177 offer free Wi-Fi, Gonzalez said. WalletHub considered only the “city proper,” so the report excluded cities in the surrounding metro area.
“Pittsburgh is making its mark it the coffee world,” said Isiah Watt, sales manager for Espresso Analyst and Mechanic Coffee. “We are upping our game, and we are experiencing new people coming into the coffee community with a West Coast influence.”
He and Mohrmann will showcase that West Coast influence by demonstrating how to brew espresso for gin-based cocktails and some mocktails with a Black Eagle Maverick espresso machine.
The West Coast is exploring the unique flavors of a natural coffee, new approaches to extraction methods and a connection with the farmer and making sure that coffee farmers are making a living wage, Mohrmann said.
It is an area of the country that is moving away from the traditional Italian style dark roasted coffee and focusing on how coffee is processed, roasted and brewed.
Using coffee in cocktails creates a new world of flavor profiles, Mohrmann said.
There is so much diversity in what is happening in the coffee world that you can “find one that fits you,” Watt said.
“Everyone has their own roasting style, which is what I love about Pittsburgh,” Watt said.
Roasting process
Roasting is crucial, said Jim Pettler, director of business development and client services at La Prima Espresso Company based on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Coffee roasting combines arts and sciences. Sometimes beans may vary by season based on a number of factors including rain, sun and soil conditions.
“We constantly taste our coffee to ensure its unique characters are evident,” Pettler said.
Coffee education includes using sight, smell, sound and taste. There are digital tools — computer systems — that can be connected to coffee roasters. Computer-guided roasting equipment is relatively new to La Prima, Pettler said. Before La Prima began roasting on its current equipment, the roasters were fully manual.
“They depended on human, not computer, observation,” he said.
He said what really matters in coffee roasting is what you like. The company uses a Loring Smart Roast machine and will have coffees from nine countries available for roasting.
“We are conscious of the legacy of coffee,” said Pettler, who noted that sales grew during the pandemic because people were making their own coffee while quarantined at home.
La Prima founder Sam Patti started the company selling espresso machines and transformed the business into different blends using high-quality beans.
Patti said via email when they opened their cafe, they offered espresso, macchiatos, cappuccinos, lattes and Americanos — but not drip coffee.
“For a good coffee, it takes a quality brewer and a proper ratio of ground coffee to water,” he said.
Cold brew has become an absolute staple on coffee shop menus and is a significant percentage of sales, he said. Many coffee drinkers brew it at home.
“Pittsburgh has always been a town of coffee drinkers,” Patti said.
“We like to socialize around the table with coffee in hand,” Patti said. “A cup of coffee keeps us warm, awake and sharp of mind. Coffee every day in moderation is good for you mentally and physically.”
“The coffee industry is similar to the craft beer world,” said Mark Clemente who, with wife Amanda Creps, co-owns Brushes & Beans Café in Murrysville. “It has exploded.”
Brushes & Beans use coffee from La Prima. Guests can have brewed coffee, espresso, lattes, or cold brews and choose from more than 300 pieces of unglazed ceramic material to paint while sipping on java.
“I fell in love with La Prima coffee and it has been a favorite ever since,” Clemente said. “Independent coffee shop owners respect each other and that is what makes owning this type of a business a positive experience. We want our shop to be a place of relaxation. It’s a place to meet people and have some coffee and be creative if you want.”
“Having a cup of coffee is a social event,” Pettler said. “It’s an opportunity to relax and talk to one another. Pittsburgh has a number of excellent choices for coffee. There are a bunch of good roasters here.”
Coffee connection
Coffee is way to form a connection with someone, said Jaime Dean, co-owner of By the Wayside with daughter Abbey Dean.
They have a coffee truck that is used part of the year and a space inside the Block Northway in Ross. As a family of veterans, their mission is to serve and appreciate the sacrifice of those who serve and protect the country.
“It was both a need and a comfort — and the first type of ration given to soldiers,” Jaime Dean said. “A great cup of coffee or beverage is a bridge connecting us to each customer even for a quick moment.’
They purchase from local roasters that have veteran founders — Hunter Brothers in Ellwood City and Iron Star Roasting Co. in West Mifflin — and donate 10% of sales to non-profits that support veterans. They also offer discounts for veterans and first responders.
“Over time, these regulars start to become like family, something that is not experienced in mobile service,” Jaime Dean said. “So, we are lucky to have the best of both worlds.”
“It is really like gourmet in a way,” Jaime Dean said. “It used to be basic, but now there are specialty coffees because there is more that goes into it. Coffee is an art. It used to only be used for waking up but now it is consumed throughout the day.”
The week hopes to elevate the coffee culture in Pittsburgh, said Coffee Week coordinator Lauren Young.
“This event is about more than coffee; it’s about bringing people together, supporting local businesses, and sharing the passion and diversity that define our city’s vibrant coffee scene,” she said.
Milo Speranzo of Penn Township owns Vault Coffeehouse in Pitcairn and works with Commonplace Coffee, which has five locations in Pittsburgh and headquarters in Lincoln-Lemington. He said the Pittsburgh coffee scene is underrated.
“I have been lucky enough to be able to travel the world over the past 20 years and although the coffee scene in Pittsburgh is unique, it is certainly one of the best in the world, in my opinion,” he said. “Pittsburgh in general doesn’t brag about how wonderful it is and the same can be said about the hip coffee culture that is the backbone of creativity in the city.”
He said drink preferences have changed as the city’s coffee drinkers have given favor to some of the more technical drinks, leaving behind the standard lattes of just a few years ago.
“We have also seen a massive shift to remote work, which means we are seeing significantly more focus on finding a coffee shop where you can get some work done,” he said. “The small walk-ups are amazing but the larger spaces that offer great internet, free or easy parking and a comfortable working environment are certainly in favor these days. However, the backbone of the shops must be amazing specialty coffee. If you can pair those together, you are off to a great start.”
Here is a link to events happening to celebrate Pittsburgh Coffee Week.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne by email at jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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