About Fletcher Souba

My name is Fletcher Souba and I am an exuberant coffee dork, passionate roaster, and the founder of SlackTide Coffee Roasters. When I think of specialty coffee I am reminded of the idea of connectivity. On a global scale, there are many hands that touch the beans we brew – from those who plant, harvest, process, and export within the coffee belt, to those who import, roast, cup, and brew locally.

Caffeination and Roast Profiles

So, when it comes to the morning caffeination, should I order the light roast or the dark roast? Does light roast have more caffeine? Are dark roasts "stronger"? These are all super common questions we hear in the shops at SlackTide Coffee Roasters. Despite the myths, roast profiles generally do [...]

By |2022-06-23T14:42:16+00:00June 23rd, 2022|Coffee Talk|0 Comments

Who is Joe?

We have all heard the colloquial phrase "Cup of Joe" tossed around in reference to the common brew. But who in the world is Joe? There are a few theories about Joe. One theory equates the commonality of people named Joe and the ubiquitousness of drinking coffee. That is, Joes and coffee are classic [...]

By |2020-07-13T16:09:41+00:00July 13th, 2020|Coffee Talk|0 Comments

The Art of the Pour Over

Maybe you've heard of the "Third Wave" specialty coffee craze. Or maybe you're just fed up with the corner Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts - well, here's a quick guide to brewing delicious "pour over" coffee at home! What's a pour over? It's coffee made by slowly pouring hot water over freshly ground coffee beans, which drips through a filter [...]

By |2019-11-01T19:03:27+00:00September 25th, 2019|Coffee Talk|1 Comment

The Difficulties of Organic Coffee

Interest for organic products has skyrocketed in American and European markets over the past few decades, but organically grown coffee is recently disappearing for reasons less expected. Throughout the 1990s, widespread international market liberalization policies (think free trade) resulted in a reduced price for commodity grade coffee. Due to the [...]

By |2019-11-01T18:50:39+00:00September 16th, 2019|Coffee Talk|3 Comments

Coffee’s Origins

Ethiopia Wandering Ethiopia’s rolling highlands, the legendary Sufi goatherd named Kaldi lives a life of casual exploration with his beloved herd. The highlands present a bountiful tract of land for the goats to graze, and with Kaldi’s powerful whistle, it is difficult for the goats to get lost. Awakening from [...]

By |2019-11-01T18:48:05+00:00September 10th, 2019|Travel|0 Comments

What is Specialty Coffee?

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), an essential non-profit within the industry, states that, "Specialty coffee can consistently exist through the dedication of the people who have made it their life's work to continually make quality their highest priority." Although vague, the SCA’s definition immediately brings to mind two fundamentals: (1) [...]

By |2019-11-01T18:48:27+00:00September 9th, 2019|Coffee Talk|0 Comments

Costa Rica & Elevation

Coffee has been grown in Costa Rica for almost two centuries. Once the country gained its independence from Spain in 1821 the government strongly encouraged the growth of the industry by giving away free seeds. Given the country's rich volcanic soil and abundant biodiversity, coffee trees flourished and farmers rejoiced. Strikingly, [...]

By |2019-11-01T18:49:13+00:00August 12th, 2019|Travel|2 Comments

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