OUR STORY
Ah, the classic "origins of the coffee biz" story where things can go from zero to pretentious very fast, but let's just keep things on the "photographer guy who just loves coffee" level here...​
Before my international "jetset on a shoestring budget" lifestyle I was happy just scouring the local bay area for the best coffee shops to do my photo editing in. I knew zero about coffee but would often catch myself romancing over the lifestyle of owning my own shop someday, only to quickly snap back to photoshop reality. As I traveled the country for work the pursuit for that rare exceptional cup in our traditional American drip republic became a bit of a priority (unashamed). Then in 2018 my daydreams began to catch up to me...
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Landing my first international gigs forced the renewal of a stale American passport that would take me to the streets of Milano, Italy for fashion campaigns. Lucky for me, laptop editing lends itself well to exploring Italy's cappuccino options; sometimes to the tune of nine cafes and drinks in a single day... BRAVO!!!?? ​ A couple of fashion projects turned into almost two years of international work, personal enhancement and some solid “coffee R&D”. From the nooks of Europe to the northern and southern tips of Africa, whether scouring the Old Quarter of Vietnam for their traditional Egg Coffees, or setting a personal best nine cafes in two hours in Dubai, the search for the mecca of coffee culture continued...
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The holy grail was rumored to lie in the laid back “no dramas” metro hoods of Melbourne, Australia, unless you had a hipster ear to the coffee ground it was not even on the navigation. Naturally I got a call from a long time Melbourne contact offering a filming gig. After sorting details I accepted the opportunity but wrote him “Just FYI the Australian coffee hype was the decision maker” he simply responds “the hype is real…”
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From the moment I landed it was a never ending flow of coffee camaraderie lasting six months in Melbourne and Sydney. The finest sourced beans with altitudes of flavor, roastery cafes on every corner serving meticulously brewed cups by the most passionate baristas - finally some mates who spoke my language... well sort of...
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Fast forward a half a year of Australian studies and hands on crafting later and it is with great pride I carry the Aussie standard stateside, bringing the people of our great republic the most enjoyable craft coffee experience possible and bestowing upon us all a delightful little prelude to living our daily American Dreams...
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Scott Schmidt​​
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Photographer, Coffee Curator
