Prost to the Roast

At Copper State, we put a big emphasis on the “craft” part of craft beer. In fact, in everything we do here, we focus on craft, whether it is the food, the tours, the blog posts (ahem), the events…or the coffee. Coffee, you say (literally perking up)? Yes, unbeknownst to many people still, Copper State opens up early in the morning, and proudly serves coffee from our overly-caffeinated cousin business, Copper Rock. Until now, the coffee beans have been roasted at Copper Rock’s downtown Appleton location, but our building in Green Bay is about to get a whole lot more aromatic. Enter: Copper Rock’s antique refurbished Probat Roaster, which just came over on a slow boat from Germany. (Actually, it came over on the boat last year…super damaged…which is a long story best talked about over coffee, or better yet, cried over into a good beer...which, coincidentally, you can find at Copper State.)

But it’s here now, in one beautiful piece! So let’s talk about this roaster, out of which will come magic beans, although instead of leading to a giant’s lair or golden eggs, these will give us wakefulness, cognizance, and the ability to function on a Monday morning. Valuable magic, indeed.

Probat is the leading name in coffee roasters, and the company, which started in Emmerich, Germany, is celebrating its 150th birthday this year. The company experienced some setbacks after the whole building was bombed to the ground during that unfortunate skirmish called World War II. But they rebuilt, better than ever.

Here’s what this eminent enterprise has to say about their craft:

“You have to love coffee to roast it properly, and you have to live and breathe coffee to really enjoy it. We are inspired by roasted coffee. Its wonder lies in its variety and the challenge of maintaining its consistency. And that’s exactly how it should be. Roasting coffee is much more than just a profession. You can analyse and explain coffee; you can blend it or glaze it with sugar; you can change it, refine it and tease the very best from it – its flavour. But before you can do any of that, you need to understand it. Coffee wants to be touched, tasted, smelled and enjoyed with all the senses. You know that. And so do we. Together we share a single mission: to help you roast assured.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself…which is why I didn’t try. Even the company’s mission is just the right kind of punny, and you can’t argue with anyone who spells flavor with a “u.” Probat knows their stuff, and this roaster in the right hands will be dangerous…dangerously vivifying. Enter: my brother-in-law. As many of you know, my husband (the High Brau Herr?) is the brewmaster for Copper State. Well, my brother-in-law Bill is the roastmaster behind Copper Rock’s magic beans. Bill loves coffee; he lives and breathes coffee; he wants the tired people of this world to touch, taste, smell and enjoy coffee with all of our senses. In short, he’s a craftsman of caffeine cuisine, and he’s coming to a brewery near you. So drop on by nice and early for a visit; grab yourself a coffee and chat with Bill about the roast. Inhale the deep coffee aroma, and enjoy this building and this craft with all of your senses. Good morning, Green Bay!