You guys all know that I am not much of a coffee girl.  I am however, a behind the scenes tour geek, so when I found a coffee place that gives free tours, I was on it.

The Roasterie in Kansas City is a very cool little operation.  They import coffee beans from all over the world and air roast them (most places use drum roasters).  Apparently, air roasting gives a more even and robust flavor, but there are not many producers of air roasters, so supply is limited.

To begin the tour we went into the “cupping room” where raw and roasted coffee beans were on display (did not know they were greenish beige before roasting).  We also got a demonstration of how to “cup” coffee.  Basically, you put freshly ground coffee beans into a cup, pour hot water over it, let it steep, and then do this weird thing where you suck coffee off a spoon into the back of your throat with lots of air, then spit it out.  This is supposed to let the coffee hit all of your taste buds.  The “cuppers” do this every morning to determine if the newest batch of beans is worth selling.

After the “cupping room” we went into the (very small) factory and saw all the raw beans waiting for their day in the roaster.

We had to wear hair nets, which made me feel like a supermodel, I might incorporate these into my work wardrobe…

The coffee comes from all over the world and some of the burlap sacks were really colorful.  At the end of the tour, the guy in charge let me take some empty bags home, where they will soon find a place on my walls.

I tasted a couple of their coffees, and they are pretty fantastic, good enough to drink black.  I also brought home a little sample pack, so now I have to find a grinder and french press.

As I was leaving, I saw this sign on the side of their old building, I absolutely love paintings on brick buildings!

Downtown Kansas City is full of interesting and beautiful gems, hidden away on back roads and on unassuming corners.

This house sits on top of a hill that overlooks the city.  I am in love.

I don’t know why cow statues make me so happy, they just do.

I am still getting over my jet lag from the trip, but I would jump at the chance to visit Kansas City again.  Seriously, give it a try, you might be surprised (I know I was).