Be on the Lookout (for Lookout Coffee Roasters)

As I write this, the snow is falling lightly out the window. Such a contrast to the heavy, wet snow we’ve been getting lately in Leavenworth. The town feels quiet. In order to build momentum and actually work on something today instead of letting the quiet softness lull me into a very tempting nap, I’ve brewed up a cup of some very fine beans: Lookout Coffee Roaster’s newest, Guatemalan Barrel Aged. Yes- the beans are aged in a barrel of wine before they are roasted. Just one of the great ideas coming from Jake Carvitto, the owner and roaster of Lookout Coffee. ​​

Pour-over using the Kalita Wave

Chemex at the coffee event with Lookout

At Argonaut, we’re always looking for the next adventure so working with Jake is a logical partnership. He chooses beans that excite him, they are interesting and exceptional. It is fun to work with someone here in town who loves coffee so much and in a different way, on a different side of the coin than ours.

12kilo Diedrich coffee roasting machine

The Lookout Coffee Roasting Hut

green coffee beans

A couple of weeks ago, Noah and I got the chance to take a peek behind the scenes: we had the honor of being the first guests to see Lookout’s roasting in action. In his 16ft X 18ft hut, Jake warmly welcomed us in. The smell reminiscent of popcorn was floating in the air, we knew the roasting had begun.
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For his full time job, Jake is a science teacher and as we observed him working it was easy to see the science behind roasting. It’s all about precise measurements, temperatures, tracking, formulas, math, data, logs. If you want a different result, change the formula! Many people have asked us if we ever consider roasting beans ourselves and my answer is always the same- no, I am passionate about being a barista- I will leave the roasting up to the people who are passionate about roasting. Together we can make something beautiful.

The pour-over station: Kalita Wave, Aeropress + Chemex

Last week, Argonaut had the opportunity to help Jake with a coffee information event held at Rootsone Creative (a Co-Working space here in Leavenworth). It was a little information about coffee basics and A LOT of brewing- from espresso to pour-over to french press. We opened every kind of Lookout Coffee in order to taste the difference in type of bean and brew method. It was a fun time to get our hands dirty and talk coffee with friends and new faces, with those who knew much and those who knew little. That’s the thing about coffee- it has the power to bring people together, together on a common ground.

-Lindsey