What is coffee culture? Let alone, what is Arizona Coffee Culture? Coffee culture revolves around the community of coffee lovers, beginners to professionals, that band together to share their love for a niche craft. When one thinks of specialty coffee, they may envision the nuanced flavor profiles that come with coffees roasted in Seattle, San Francisco, or even South Carolina. Each of these places have a coffee culture that is unique and dynamic. But what about Arizona? How does Arizona fit into all this?

Arizona coffee culture is warm and inviting. The members of our coffee community support one another and never strive to bring each other down. I’ve seen too many instances where differing local coffee shops pour all their efforts in sabotaging or outdoing one another rather than focusing on the customer. They do their best to be the top dog at the cost of their competitors; However, Arizona has defied that trend. Just in the past five years, I’ve seen a tremendous growth in coffee culture throughout Arizona.

Take a look at Peixoto Coffee. In 2017, Maverick Coffee and Peixoto Coffee partnered together to expand Peixoto’s presence throughout North Phoenix and Scottsdale. Peixoto Coffee has continued to support and work along other local companies for the people instead of for themselves. Peixoto even created a collaboration bean with a “competitor” when they made the Dos Niñas blend with Presta Coffee Roasters in Tucson.

This is why Maverick Coffee works along side other local coffee companies. In 2017, Maverick introduced Presta Coffee Roasters, Yellowbrick Coffee, Peixoto Coffee Roasters, and Cartel Coffee Labs to its line of coffee because we see the best of Arizona Coffee Culture in each of these companies.

Let’s continue to nurture this Arizona Coffee Culture of supporting one another and creating great coffee for the people of Arizona.

Have you noticed that most modern coffee shops’ offerings tend to be fairly acidic and bright? That’s because light roast coffee is designed to highlight the natural flavors of the coffee bean and showcase the superior sourcing that a particular roaster has undertaken. Despite a focus on sourcing from quality farms and trying to educate consumers on growing conditions and their effects on coffee development, most coffee drinkers are motivated by one key determining factor: Taste. An overwhelming majority of coffee consumed is medium to medium-dark roast, which through Maillard reactions and caramelization actually helps to develop the flavor profile and produce a more balanced cup. Just like any other specialty beverage, there are many camps that have a favorite flavor profile that they will vehemently defend and that’s totally okay. The important thing is that everyone is enjoying coffee and the world’s second highest traded commodity continues to evolve past the office pot swill or a scoop of instant to only get the caffeine buzz. Trying all types of coffee is the only way to really broaden your horizons and develop a more complex palate. Only then will you be able to make a truly informed decision about your favorite styles of coffee roasting. Don’t let the “specialty’ industry dictate what you should like. Go with your gut, or in this case your taste buds.

Coffee has taken the world to whole new level in artistry and practice. There are now hundreds of method in extracting coffee which all yield different flavor profiles, textures, and colors. Specialized coffee paraphernalia are readily available for the at-home enthusiast ranging from pour over stations and cold brew kits, to full espresso machines. But how about your everyday man or woman who just wants a great cup of coffee in the morning?




The simple home barista kit has served me well in getting that great cup of coffee with only three simple items.

The Coffee

The coffee bean is the heart of any cup. With even the best equipment in the world, coffee is limited only to the quality of the beans. Make sure to invest in good quality beans (preferably from local roaster).

The Grinder

Coffee grinders come in various shapes and functions. But for the simple home barista, an electric blade coffee grinder is more than enough to get you started. (On a tangent) I personally use a handheld stainless steel coffee grinder at home to grind my coffee. While it does require a bit of arm work, the grind is a lot more consistent than an electric blade grinder.

The Brew

Finally to bring it all together,a french press is my best recommendation to brew your coffee. A french press is remarkable in providing consistent coffee without the hassle of buying filters or other accessories. All a french press requires is coarse coffee, hot water, and time. The simplicity of the french press gives you the time to finish your routine while the coffee brews.

Brew guidelines

This is Maverick Coffee’s method in brewing a french press
12 oz french press
22 grams of coffee
coarse grind (sea salt like)
340 grams of water (13-14 oz)
Brew for 4 minutes

You may have seen that Maverick advertises itself as a multi-roaster coffee shop, but what does that mean for you? Simply put, a multi-roaster coffeeshop is where the shop purchases and sells beans from various roasters instead of making their own product. As a customer, this is great because you are not narrowed down to a specific company’s beans. Instead, you can pick from a variety of roasters that each have unique flavor profiles and styles of roasting.

Being a multi-roaster has its gives and takes though. Because multi-roaster concepts typically do not roast their own beans, they are completely dependent on roaster schedules and whether or not those companies are able to distribute a requested bean due to seasonality or delays in supply. Multi-rosters also don’t have control over the flavor profiles of the beans they sell. The coffee that’s available is really dependent on the individual roasters and their partnered farms.

However; Once a great multi-roaster concept is executed, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Being a multi-roaster gives up-and-coming local roasters a chance to hit the shelves and gain the recognition they deserve. This was how Maverick Coffee discovered great coffee produced locally such as Peixoto, Presta, and Yellow Brick Coffee.

The beans on our shelves were selectively chosen because we believe that those beans embody and nurture the Arizona Coffee Culture.

Learn more about our coffee partners.

National Roasters

Ritual Coffee Roasters

https://www.ritualroasters.com/

49th Parallel

https://49thcoffee.com/

Local Roasters

Yellow Brick Coffee

http://www.yellowbrickcoffee.com/

Peixoto Coffee Roasters

https://peixotocoffee.com/

Presta Coffee Roasters

https://www.prestacoffee.com/

Passport Coffee & Tea

https://www.passportcoffee.com/

Riviera Coffee Company

http://www.rivieracoffee.com/