Obituary for Jonathan J. Kaspar

Visitation:

Monday, June 07, 2010 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Christ the King Catholic Church
Service:
Tuesday, June 08, 2010 10:15 AM
Christ the King Catholic Church

Jonathan Jeffrey Kaspar, 20, Topeka, passed away on Friday, June 4, 2010 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Jonathan was born September 17, 1989 in Topeka, the son of Jeffrey and Susan Kaspar. He attended Christ the King grade school and graduated from Hayden High School in 2008. He had just completed his sophomore year at Washburn University.
He was employed as a barista at PT’s Coffee Co.
He was a member of Christ the King Catholic Church and Prodigy Soccer Club with the Topeka Blitz, and had been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels.
Survivors include his parents; sister, Jennifer Kaspar, all of Topeka; grandparents, Robert and Betty Hazzard, Meriden, Raymond and Peggy Kaspar, Topeka; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at Christ the King Catholic Church. Private family inurnment will be in Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday evening at the church. Penwell-Gabel Southwest Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels, 1500 SW 10th, Topeka, Kansas 66604.
Jonathan’s family wishes to express their appreciation to the PT’s Coffee family for their care and concern during this time of tragedy.

So why does Topeka, Kansas rank as the 10th best city in the country? In part, because of PT’s Coffee of course! In the July issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, they chose Topeka, Kansas as the 10th best city in the United States. In addition to Topeka’s growing economy and low cost of living, being the home of PT’s Coffee is listed as one of the reasons why Topeka is such a great place to live. Can’t really argue with that! You can check out the article here, and taste why PT’s makes the difference here!

The smoke has cleared, the bids are in, and PT’s Coffee is proud to announce our 2010 offering from Hacienda La Esmeralda.  After tasting each lot, we knew that there were two coffees that we had to have: Mario Carnaval and Mario San Jose.  Both of these spectacular lots are harvested from the region that traditionally produces the best geisha lots from Hacienda La Esmeralda.  There is something about these spectacular micro-climates that creates a flavor profile unlike any other.

Mario Carnaval (last year our roast received a 96 from Coffee Review) was harvested during the peak of the harvest season: February.  Out of all of the lots, Mario Carnaval stood out as our clear favorite.  In tasting the samples, Mario Carnaval seemed to jump off the table.  Its beautifully bright acidity and mesmerizing floral notes brought satisfaction to our eyes: this is what it is all about.  This experience is why people go to so much trouble just to have one cup.

Mario San Jose was harvested at the end of the harvest season: March.  On the cupping table, Mario San Jose surprised us.  Its fragrance and aroma made us think that it was Mari Carnaval.  It was big, it was bright and it was incredibly sweet.  When we tasted it, notes of strawberry and grapefruit filled out mouths.  Its sweet and juicy character made us long for more.  Although it was not Mario Carnaval, Mario San Jose stunned us with it unique and gorgeous profile.

Unfortunately, the Esmeralda Auction bring a little bit of sadness with its excitement and joy.  We finally know which lots we will be able to offer in the coming year, but we also know that we will have to wait a little while before they arrive in our roasting facility.  Fortunately, we have a small lot of last year’s crop still available.  While you are eagerly anticipating the new crop of Hacienda la Esmeralda, sip on the last bit of our Hacienda La Esmeralda Special - Mario Pascua.  Be one of the last ones to enjoy this special coffee here.

Given the announcement yesterday of our change in leadership at PT’s Barrington Village, some of you are probably wondering what’s going on with the previous manager, Robin Seitz. No worries- only good things! Robin has accepted the role of Account Manager for our US accounts west of Kansas City. Starting June 1, 2010, he will be busy getting to know our wholesale clients, answering their questions and helping them find the coffees and products that best fit their tastes and concept.

In the nearly 8 years that he has worked for us Robin has shown a perpetually growing interest in coffee, in all its forms and flavor nuances (prior to his employment with PT’s he had been a daily die-hard regular for another 7 years). His continuous curiosity has led him to pursue a variety of activities and opportunities such as retail management, coffee catering, trade show barista, barista competitor, barista champion, coffee trainer…and the list could go on. Needless to say, he has had a lot of exposure to different perspectives and ideas, and we feel that this experience will translate well to helping our retail partners. Keep on the look out for a Robin sighting near you!

As of June 1, 2010 there will be a new management regime at PT’s original location, Barrington Village. As the location has grown throughout its 17 years in operation, so has the role of management so we decided that it was time to take a little bit different approach…

Three people in three distinct positions. Each of them can have a primary focus on an aspect of the business, bringing their own skills sets and experience to their respective areas. As of yesterday Keith Dunbar, Morgan Smith, and Nikki Strong have accepted their positions! Here’s a little bit about each of them-

Keith Dunbar- Manager of Operations

Keith has been a barista for PT’s Coffee since 2008, but has been in coffee for about 5 years now. Finding that his love for the craft has only grown over time, he jumped at the opportunity to take on a bigger role. As a student at Washburn University here in Topeka, KS, he has been studying both Marketing and Economics and expects to graduate in May of 2011. His skill sets lend him to be a great manager for the ins and outs of operation, as well as having a way with people. Here’s a little more about Keith:

What’s your favorite coffee currently and why? “Currently I find myself favoring the Ethiopian Sidama Ardi. The light roast we’ve been running with allows for a great natural sweetness, perfect for spring.“

How do you brew your coffee at home? “Most of the time I just run down to the shop, but when I do brew at home, I use french press”

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? “Because I’m such a fan of cycling and a lover of coffee, I’d probably go to Europe. I would love to get over there in July to see the Tour de France and enjoy a street side cafe or two…”

What made you want to pursue the manager position at PT’s Barrington Village? “After working for the organization, I felt it was time for me to step up and do all I can for PT’s. I feel I have great organizational skills and wanted to put them to better use”

Morgan Smith- Coffee Quality Manager

Morgan might have only been with PT’s for a year, but it has been a really busy one for her! Last summer when the SCAA’s Midwest Regional Barista Competition was announced to be held at the end of October, she decided that she would see what she was made of. After giving up the majority of her social life for several months in order to be prepared, she not only made the finals, but walked away with the third place trophy! Since then she has prepared for her first national championship where she ranked in the top 25 baristas in the United States. We expect great things! She now wants to focus her energies into Barrington and help elevate the level of coffee knowledge, both with customers and her peers. Here’s a little about Morgan-

What’s your favorite coffee and why? “Costa Rica from Finca Cerro, Paldo, still… (she used this coffee at the United States Barista Championship). It’s clean, mellow and very well rounded”

How did you get into coffee? “I was born into it. My mom opened a coffee shop when I was born so that she would be able to work and still spend time with me. It was the customers that made me want to stick with it.”

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? “Easy. Italy or Greece!”

What made you want to pursue one of the manager positions at PT’s Barrington Village? “I saw things that I felt really needed a change and I thought I could be the right person to change them.”

Nikki Strong- Manager of Food and Bakery

Nikki started with PT’s in 2004, but her romance with coffee started in high school. Before she was taken on as a barista, she was a customer and has been a part of the PT’s family for over a decade. Through out her time with us she has also had opportunities to work for other companies that taught her the value of systems and has a firm understanding of how to apply that specifically to the area of food service. She has a creative outlook on life and we look forward to her bringing that into play with our food offerings and systems at Barrington Village. Here’s what Nikki had to say for herself-

What’s your favorite coffee and why? “I love just about every Costa Rican. They are sweet and chocolaty and yummy!”

How do you brew your coffee at home? “I don’t right now. I usually go to the shop. I want a Chemex but I’m afraid I’ll break it…”

How did you get into coffee? “I started hanging out at PT’s in high school, and that’s where I met my boyfriend (he was a barista there) and a lot of my friends. When a job became available at PT’s Stormont Vail (one of our former locations), I jumped in.”

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? “Somewhere tropical, but not touristy. The South Pacific or Caribbean. I spent a couple vacations in the British Virgin Islands on a chartered sail boat with my family and I loved it!”

What made you want to pursue a management position at PT’s Barrington Village? “I love the shop and I want to help make it even better. I’ve worked at other coffee shops that don’t have the same camaraderie and excitement, and now I’m happy to be back home at PT’s.”

We are excited to see where these three take our retail experience! Please stop by the cafe and congratulate them when you have the chance!

A smattering of thanks from Washburn Rural High School's culinary classes

On Friday, April 9th we at PT’s hosted a day of education for the Washburn Rural High School’s culinary classes. Starting at 8am we had 3 groups of students come through to tour our roasting facility and see what it is that we do exactly. All together there were about 150 students that got an introduction to sourcing and roasting coffee and even got to watch one of our barista competitors go through her presentation that she gave last weekend in Anaheim, CA for the 2010 United States Barista Championship. Today we received a huge envelope of thanks from what appears to be all of them! Here’s a few of our favorites we wanted to share with you…

“Coffee is pretty awesome. You & the people you work with put a lot of devotion in your work. The fact that what you do effects the lives of so many, well, I dig that. You put a lot of care into those beans. Thanks for inviting me in to see. If only you were hiring!

Thanks a lot

-Angela”

“Thank you for giving us such a great tour. I thought it was really interesting how so much work and care is put into your coffee, and it was cool to be able to see the process of making the coffee. I never knew that people who worked in coffee are so passionate about what they do and work so hard to make the best quality of coffee. Thanks for sharing your story with us and allowing us to see what goes on behind every cup of PT’s coffee.

Sincerely,

-Kylie”

And one for fun…

“Thanks a lot bro for the show. It was chill and the fun level wasn’t low. Now I always know what I’ll be havin’ with my toffee, that’s right, you guessed it a P-H-phat cup of PT’s coffee!

Much love -ya boi

-Hunner”

Thanks to each one of you for coming! We are so glad that you enjoyed it!

In a recent survey about the general well-being of states’ residents, Kansas turned up in the top ten!  No doubt that ready access to PT’s outstanding coffees had a lot to do with Kansas residents’ happiness!  Read the article here!

Keurig B60 Brewer

For those who are not already familiar with Keurig, it is the latest in single cup brewing technology for home use.  It delivers a cup of coffee in less than a minute, using pods called “K-cups” that hold a pre-dosed amount of ground coffee. While they have selections from a handful of roasters on their site, they have made an accessory available that allows the user to try any coffee they like in their Keurig. This attachment is called “My K-Cup” and is available at  various online retailers for about $15.00 on average (some higher priced and some lower, some used and some new).  The attachment is user friendly and allows you versatility in your dose, depending on what size brew you are doing. This offers more precision of flavor than using the pre-portioned K-cups from other roasters. I weighed a few different coffees from various K-cups I received with the brewer and the doses ranged from 10-12 grams depending on brand. Since the brew sizes are 6, 8 and 10 ounces the flavor will vary using the prefabricated k-cups from size to size. I played with the My K-Cup doses at all three sizes to find the best flavor balance for each, something an ordinary K-Cup cannot offer. Here’s the run down of how I used the attachment to make a pretty tasty cup of coffee with our Ethiopian Sidama Ardi Natural…

For the best results you will want to weigh out your dose. Scoops can get you in the ballpark, but are not a completely accurate way to measure your coffee, as a darker roast will weigh less per scoop than a lighter roast (due to weight lost during the roasting process). On the B60 model, the sizes and doses came out to the following-

6oz size (”small cup”)- 8 grams coffee

8oz size (”small mug”)- 12 grams coffee

10oz size (”large mug”)- 15 grams coffee

If your coffee is whole bean you will want to grind it a little finer than the automatic drip setting. It will end up being a little finer than sugar in the raw. The setting I used on our grinder was for the Melitta style (conical filter) brewer. I recommend grinding into something pliable so that you can funnel it into the My K-Cup filter basket (I tapped the basket as I filled it to settle all the coffee in). To retrieve the basket take the My K-Cup attachment and unscrew the lid and pull it out. Once you have filled it, place it back in the holder and screw the lid back on.

Now you’ll want to pop out the K-Cup holder, which is very easy. Open the cover and then push up on the K-Cup holder (where you put your normal K-Cups) from underneath.  Now you should be able to place the My K-Cup housing into the same spot that you removed the holder from. Once it’s in you just shut the lid and press the button for the brew size you dosed for. While it’s not as simple as placing a plastic predosed pod in the machine, it’s still very easy and took me no more than 2 minutes to accomplish.

All in all I was impressed with the result. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a shorter extraction time and a little bit lower temperature, but it was pretty tasty. I tasted it against another Ethiopian K-Cup from a name brand company and the difference was astounding. Ours was lush, sweet and juicy while theirs was heavy bodied and lacked the expected sweetness usually associated with Ethiopian coffees.  I will be doing a few other comparative tastings between pre-made K-cups and our comparable alternatives. Keep a look out!

Step By Step Instructions-

Step By Step- Using the "My K-Cup"

1- Remove the K-Cup holder and set aside

2- Retrieve the filter basket from the “My K-Cup” accessory

3- Weigh your dose of PT’s Coffee according to your brew size:

6oz size (”small cup”)- 8 grams coffee

8oz size (”small mug”)- 12 grams coffee

10oz size (”large mug”)- 15 grams coffee

4- Grind your coffee for a conical filter (a little finer than auto drip)

5- Put your grounds into the “My K-Cup” filter basket

6- Reassemble the “My K-Cup” accessory (put filled filter basket back in and screw on lid)

7- Place “My K-Cup” in Keurig brewer

8- Select Brew

9- Wait for coffee…

10- Enjoy!

These are photos from a recent origin visit to Finca Las Mercedes in El Salvador. I visited producer Lucia Ortiz and her family with staff members Holly Bastin and Morgan Smith. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the visit with our friends.

Jeff

[View with PicLens]

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