Do you like coffee? Well, we here at Beer Budget Socialite live on the stuff. Whether its just a piping hot cup of magical goodness in the morning or coffee flavored porters and stouts from our favorite brewery, we can’t get enough of it. And Atlanta is full to the brim with great local coffee shops. There is even a coffee roastery in town!
If you’ve ever been to Dancing Goats Coffee Bar or tried Monday Night Brewing’s Whirling Dervish Coffee Stout, then you have enjoyed Batdorf & Bronson coffee. Some of our favorite Saturdays have been spent walking around Ponce City Market and the Beltline with a cup of B&B brew from Dancing Goats. Wanting to know more about our favorite beverage, the Beer Budget Socialite team decided that there was no better way to spend Valentine’s day than by taking a tour of the Batdorf & Bronson Roastery! Because, let’s be honest, significant others may come and go but the love of coffee is unconditional.
We found the Batdorf & Bronson warehouse tucked away near Marietta Blvd on the westside of Atlanta. Once there, we started our journey in the tasting room where we were filled to the brim with steaming cups of delicious coffee. While we were enjoying these, we talked about our first memories of that glorious little bean and how our experiences with it have changed over time with our gracious host, Ren Doughty. Ren is the Outreach Coordinator for Batdorf and our tour guide. He told us about the history of Batdorf & Bronson. Like most great coffee enterprises, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters started out in Olympia, WA. But, wanting to have a local place to serve the east coast, opened up and have been roasting coffee in Atlanta since 1994. He also gave us some fun facts about coffee (If you want to hear them, you’ll need to take the tour!).
In the warehouse, we were greeted with bags and bags of green (unroasted) coffee beans from all over the world. Past these, we came upon the roaster, a vintage cast iron piece of machinery dating back to the 1950s. This machine is where the magic happens. Through the preview glass, we watched as Brazilian beans went from a greenish-white color to a rich, malty brown. As the beans poured out, we could think of nothing better than diving head first into the fragrant pool of coffee beans that were now swirling around in front of us.
All the action made us thirsty for more java, so back to the tasting room we went. Ren led the way with french presses in each hand. He brewed 2 different blends for us, Ethiopian and French Roast. We were given the ins and outs of a good slurp as we took our first sip. Apparently, the slurp actually helps to coat the mouth with coffee and is the best way to get the full coffee tasting experience. We practiced our slurps as we listened to Ren talk about how to open our palettes and broaden our minds when it comes to really tasting the different flavor profiles of each blend. Honestly, we could have stayed there all day just drinking black coffee.
Our tasting done, we received our very own bags of coffee to take home and new Batdorf & Bronson mugs to drink it out of. The tour now over and caffeine now blasting through our veins, we said good-bye to Ren knowing that the only thing we’ll be able to think about for the rest of the day is coffee.
How to book a tour: If you would like to book your own tour of the Roastery, contact Ren.Doughty@batdorf.com. For just $30, you’ll get a tour of the facility, a coffee tasting, 1 lb. of freshly roasted coffee and a special Batdorf & Bronson diner-style mug. Hours are Monday-Thursday, tours start at 10:30am and last approximately 90 minutes.
Aren’t sure about a tour, but still want to purchase some delicious Batdorf & Bronson coffee for yourself? Find their beans at these locations: Dancing Goats Coffee Bar, Whole Foods, West Egg Cafe, Grant Park Market, Drip Coffee Shop, Alon’s Bakery, Hodge Podge Coffee, The Nest Cafe, The General Muir, The Canteen, and Star Provisions
Let us know in the comments if you love or hate coffee, what your favorite way to prepare it is, or anything else you would like to share with us. We want to hear from you! Also, let us know if you have any ideas for places we should check out next.
Beer-Budget Socialite 