FROM THE EDITOR
Shanna Germain
IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN. The time to make promises to yourself that
you may or may not accomplish. The time to gain something you’ve
always wanted, or to give up something you love, but that doesn’t
love you. It’s resolution time.
In the past, I’ve made some seriously ridiculous resolutions. Thanks
to my poor resolution-making skills (and my Aries-like stubbornness),
I’ve managed to meet a number of what now seem like…well,
stupid…goals. I’ve completed marathons, moved across the
country, written novels, learned languages and built a Web site.
I’ve also quit things. I’ve given up smoking, dairy products,
soda, flirting (yes, this was long before you knew me), and even crossword
puzzles (granted, not a life-threatener for most people, but what can
I say? My name is Shanna and I’m a word-aholic.).
One year, I even resolved to quit meat and dairy and become
a vegan. For someone who loves not only ice cream, but also cookies,
this was not my best idea ever. I distinctly remember breaking down in
the middle of a normal phone conversation to yell, “Are you eating
cookies right now?! I would kill you for a cookie!” Thank goodness
I’ve never tried to give up coffee.
Why the torture? Why, at the start of each year, do we convince
ourselves to add something or take something away? I think part of it
is because we love the idea of wiping the slate clean, of starting fresh.
Reinventing who we are or how we see ourselves.
But it doesn’t take long to realize that no matter how clean the
slate is, you don’t really start fresh. You bring all of your old
habits and experiences—good or bad—with you. The truth is,
we can add something to ourselves or take something away, but we’re
still us. And sometimes that seems like both a blessing and a curse.
By the time you’re reading this, you’ve likely made your
resolutions for the new year. If you’re like some roasters I know,
your resolution is “no resolutions.” Or maybe you want to
roast better coffee, develop your cupping palate or gain a better understanding
of the green bean. (And, no, I absolutely do not want to know what your
personal resolutions are. Really.)
As we were planning for Roast’s fifth year of publication, I realized
that my Roast-oriented resolution this year is to build on what we’ve
already achieved to help you reach your resolutions. For us, that means
getting better and better. Having more roasting information. More coffee.
More technical aspects. More of what you’ve loved, and more of
what you keep asking for.
To that end, this year, we’ve introduced two new series:
• Under the Microscope, a coffee science series by Joseph Rivera.
Designed to help you get down to the nitty-gritty of what’s happening
in the bean, this series explores coffee at a cellular and scientific
level. Check out the first article, on page 47, to answer that question
you’ve always been asking, “How is a coffee bean like a potato
chip?”
• Detecting Defects, a regular column by Andi Trindle. As Trindle
says in her introduction, many roasters today are so privileged that
they never taste a single defect. But as these are also the roasters
who will be sourcing and buying coffee in the future, it’s important
that they have a clear understanding of what defects are, how they taste,
why they occur and how they can be prevented.
We’ve also added some members to our editorial board. The new additions
will round out our already incredible team of advisors, with the addition
of Darrin Daniel from Allegro Coffee Company, who brings not only his
incredible roasting experience, but also his writing and editing skills,
to the team; Sevan Istanboulian of Cafe Mystique Coffee Inc., with his
technical expertise and his extensive knowledge as an international business
owner, and finally, Paul Thornton of Coffee Bean International, a man
who’s been roasting since I was in middle school (he’s going
to love me for saying that; I just know it). Thornton’s roasting
and business experience is second-to-none, and he’s been instrumental
in continuing to move the industry forward.
Some resolutions are easy to keep. I have a feeling that this
is going to be one of them. And if I break down in the middle of a phone
conversation and start yelling about cookies, just ignore me. I’ll
get through it. If I start screaming about needing coffee, however, you
might want to send me some. Stat.
Keep the flame burning,
Shanna
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