Roasting Local
Photography by Adam Milliron / Story by Maggie Weaver / Styling by Ana Kelly
For many of us, coffee is one of the first things we think of in the morning: Roll out of bed, coffee. Let the dog out, coffee. Grab the paper, coffee.
Why not make every cup you drink a local one? The city is full of small-batch, craft roasters – some even design blends just for Pittsburghers. If you’re a coffee-lover (decaf included), caffeinate your day with a brew from one of these local roasters.
commonplacecoffee.com
Along with their many cozy cafes strewn across the city and beyond, Commonplace has a wide variety of house-roasted coffee blends. Their bags showcase beans from around the world, and often, the well-known coffeehouse collaborates with local small businesses and organizations.
Keep an eye out for the next bag in their collaboration series with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, showcasing blends inspired by local parks.
defer.coffee
In the Strip District, De Fer is roasting all kinds of blends, sourcing beans from a variety of small importers and farms. Find bright, floral coffees, dark, chocolatey blends, their flagship “mega complex” espresso blend, and more – get a sample pack to try them all.
KLVNcoffee.com
Want your coffee ground? Local roaster (known for its Pacific Coast vibes) KLVN will ground it for your method, whether that be drip, French press, Chemex, or pour-over. In addition to in-house and online purchases, the small-batch roastery runs a subscription, sending recipients “the blend they’re most stoked about,” every week.
laprima.com
Longstanding Pittsburgh institution La Prima has been caffeinating Pittsburghers since 1988. The original Strip District location, compared to a “trip to Italy… but closer to home,” is still churning out top-notch drinks. La Prima is now roasting over 20 blends, covering the basic roasts along with some special, relationship blends.
redhawkcoffee.com
In the past five years, Redhawk has graduated from an espresso truck to two brick-and-mortars, one in Oakland, the other in Sharpsburg. Their small-batch coffee comes as single-origin or blends, by the bag, or through a weekly or monthly subscription.
zekescoffeepgh.com
10-year-old Zeke’s Coffee offers coffee-lovers tons of options. Pick bags by their origin – Guatemala, Brazil, Peru – or go for one of their signature blends, Steel City Blend, Three Rivers Roast, and more.