Give Up The Roast is a column that collides delicious caffeine with wild thrashing a la a bi-monthly coffee and punk album pairing — the perfect combination for perking you up during that midday slump. Here, columnist Shannon Shreibak investigates all of the notes, from fruit rinds and spices to perfect fifths smothered in grinding distortion. So come on all you coffee shop novelists, DIY freaks, and connoisseurs of fine taste — keep your mind here in the GUTR and catch a buzz with us.
While I’m sure the title of this column has clued you in plenty, I feel inclined to dole out a brief explanation of this little passion project of mine. I’m a gal who loves punk music and its many incarnations. I’m also known as a coffee fanatic and a “pretty much completely reprehensible human being without it” (real quote, true story). One day– blitzed on caffeine and blaring American Nightmare in my living room — I realized, hey, coffee and punk aren’t THAT different, are they? Coffee and punk stem from a supreme source (coffee, a bean; punk, from rock ‘n roll) and have splayed into tangential subcategories. Both are assertive and commanding in their own rights. And then I came up with a neat pun combining both of these loves. For the very first GUTR installation, I rep the brews and beats that ignited the fire I burn for the strongest coffee and loudest music.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN (BACKGROUND)
Bottled cold brew is a longstanding obsession of mine, and, luckily, my fixation coincided with a trend for once. (I wish the case had been the same during my city-wide manhunts for leather leggings, leopard print blouses, etc. but, ah, such is life for an obsessive retail addict.) The coffee scene is now crowded with handheld vials of caffeinated bliss, and I’m on a mission to try as much of it as my palette (and wallet) can handle. So what better way to christen this column than with the cold brew that hurled me into crippling caffeine addition and the punk band that doomed me to a lifetime affinity for spine-crushing riffs, throat-ripping vocals, and the all-around harder side of music? Welcome to GUTR column numero uno — Stumptown vs. Black Flag.
BRASS TACKS (THE COFFEE)
When the time for me to choose GUTR’s inaugural brew had arrived, it was a knee-jerk pick for the first cold brew I’ve ever guzzled: Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ famous house blend cold brew. Stumptown is one of my favorite roasting companies in the country for about a thousand and one reasons, from the people to their business philosophy. Founder Duane Sorenson is a man with an undying passion for coffee and creativity, which is made evident by the company’s exceptional products. So it’s no surprise that Stumptown’s tiny amber “stubbies” have been sweeping across the country, and many of my favorite Chicago coffee houses have been stocking up.
The best place to start when talking Stumptown, however, is their style — and damn, do they have a lot of it. From the homey minimalism of their retail locations to the crisp aesthetic of their packaging, Stumptown has become one of the most visually distinguishable coffee brands today. They surely didn’t pull any punches when it came to the cold brew stubbies, either. The rich amber bottles chill the coffee without compromising its flavor (in the way that ice would) and the delightful heft of the bottle itself offers a whimsical drinking experience without the stuffiness that seems to have saturated the craft coffee world. The adorable little bottles also serve as a prime candidate for some half assed up-cycling, too.
The Stumptown cold brew boasts a much more manageable flavor compared to alternatives offered by other coffee roasters. The house blend shines with full-bodied and sweet notes of maple, caramel, and brown sugar. Unlike most other iced coffees, the stubbies don’t necessitate a splash of milk or water to dilute any acidity on the coattails of each sip. By employing a 12-hour filtration process to ensure smoothness and depth of flavor, Stumptown’s cold brew reigns supreme for both its flavor profile and texture, a delicate balance that’s hard to achieve for even the most acclaimed roasting company. It still maintains the integrity of the delicate floral hints of the house blend but is still refreshing enough to cut through even the most stifling summer days.
WHITE NOISE (THE MUSIC)
And what do you pair with a brew that’s known for its assertiveness, purity, and smoothness? None other than West Coast hardcore legends Black Flag and their album sonically dense, purgative LP Slip It In. The band’s fourth studio album showcases lead singer Henry Rollins’ development into a lyrically complex, profoundly poetic grind machine. The nuances tangled throughout cuts like the enraged “Black Coffee” (hehe, irony!) and sidewinding riffs of “Obliteration“ mirror the many tasting notes of the stubbies. Vivacious, badass, and boldfaced — Stumptown and Black Flag are a match made in the mosh pit.
Column by Shannon Shreibak. Go forth and be loud with her on Twitter @ShannonShreibak.
