Meet our Roaster: Curtis Dunning
Our little coffee company started with a genuine passion for all things coffee. My love for the magic elixir started at a very young age thanks to the milk infused coffee drink that my grandmother served me at the age of 6. As I grew into an adult, I became enamored with the beverage and often frequented small coffee shops and grocers to sample the latest concoctions.
While the flavored commercial beans I purchased at the local shop were ok, the advent of the internet allowed me to discover the beauty of specialty coffee beans and the ability to roast small quantities at home.
This grand experiment began by roasting those little green beans in a hot air popcorn popper on my front porch nearly 15 years ago. That little popper produced some of the best tasting coffee I had ever drank. Coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe made their way to my doorstep. I sat out on my front porch and carefully roasted 4 ounces at a time until I reached the flavor profile I was seeking. I thought that I had reached coffee nirvana.
Those humble beginnings created a passion within me to produce truly amazing coffees. But, in order to produce amazing coffee, you must use amazing beans. Specialty coffee beans are the highest quality of coffee available. They achieve a standard not found in typical coffee shop and grocery store coffee beans. They are harvested and processed carefully and can be traced back to their origin and farm. My desire for excellence is why I will only use specialty coffee beans for roasting.
I attended a Specialty Coffee Association school in April 2021 and learned the intricacies of roasting and how to bring out the sensory profiles of each different coffee. That certification stoked my creative fires and Alchemy Coffee Werks was born. We built a small artisanal roasterie outside our home in Augusta, acquired two beautiful roasters, and secured thousands of pounds of specialty coffee beans for our customers. I’m a perfectionist at heart and believe that we have cracked the code to unlocking the soul of each bean. Our passion and hobby turned into a full-fledged coffee roasting business because we believe everyone should have access to gourmet, craft-roasted coffee. The coffee that you are drinking bears witness to that dream.
While the flavored commercial beans I purchased at the local shop were ok, the advent of the internet allowed me to discover the beauty of specialty coffee beans and the ability to roast small quantities at home.
This grand experiment began by roasting those little green beans in a hot air popcorn popper on my front porch nearly 15 years ago. That little popper produced some of the best tasting coffee I had ever drank. Coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Haiti, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe made their way to my doorstep. I sat out on my front porch and carefully roasted 4 ounces at a time until I reached the flavor profile I was seeking. I thought that I had reached coffee nirvana.
Those humble beginnings created a passion within me to produce truly amazing coffees. But, in order to produce amazing coffee, you must use amazing beans. Specialty coffee beans are the highest quality of coffee available. They achieve a standard not found in typical coffee shop and grocery store coffee beans. They are harvested and processed carefully and can be traced back to their origin and farm. My desire for excellence is why I will only use specialty coffee beans for roasting.
I attended a Specialty Coffee Association school in April 2021 and learned the intricacies of roasting and how to bring out the sensory profiles of each different coffee. That certification stoked my creative fires and Alchemy Coffee Werks was born. We built a small artisanal roasterie outside our home in Augusta, acquired two beautiful roasters, and secured thousands of pounds of specialty coffee beans for our customers. I’m a perfectionist at heart and believe that we have cracked the code to unlocking the soul of each bean. Our passion and hobby turned into a full-fledged coffee roasting business because we believe everyone should have access to gourmet, craft-roasted coffee. The coffee that you are drinking bears witness to that dream.