The Coffee Registry || Every Bean Counts

I'm interrupting my normal slew of fashion and slow living related posts to introduce you to my other passion in life: good coffee. It's not just that I enjoy the taste of an artfully brewed cup of joe (which I do — a little too much), but I call it my third passion because I'm obsessed with the way quality coffee and awesome people combine to create authentic community. 

It's strange (and intentional, I believe) how coffee, ethical shopping, and slow living are all intertwined. And if you aren't sure how that's possible, stay tuned, because I'm dead set on combining those three passions in the coming year or so (how's that for a subtle hint?) 

I've always had a love for coffee shops, and as I grew up working in them in high school, college, and post college — yes, technically barista has been my only other job title besides blogger, freelancer, and mama — I loved how the mix of coffee with a beautiful space seemed to spark conversations and grow relationships. I don't think just any old space or any old coffee can do that. I firmly believe that it has to be intentionally cultivated — both the space and the coffee. 

Coffee, like fashion, also has a deep connection to ethics and sustainability, either helping an economy to grow or exploiting the people who work in it. 

I could go on for hours (over a latte, of course), but right now, I want to introduce a coffee roaster from one of my favorite cities who is doing things very right when it comes to the three things I'm passionate about in coffee: ethics, community, and quality. 

The Coffee Registry is a Fort Collins based roaster that specializes in traditional roasting, handmade pour over stands, and a monthly subscription service. Their slogan "every bean counts" is a testament to the quality of their roasting and the lengths they go to ensure they're impacting their community (and the world) in a positive way. 

They work closely with the farmers in the Dominican Republic who grow their coffee, cutting out the middleman and working directly with the source. This allows both the farmers to create a sustainable income, some families even gaining the ability to send their kids to school with the extra money, and allows the Coffee Registry to ensure that they're using ethically grown, fair trade beans.

Similarly, they're working to reduce their environmental impact through their coffee subscription service. They deliver coffee in bulk to subscribers — via bicycle — monthly, delivering their beans in glass jars that can be recycled or reused, while keeping the coffee as fresh as possible. 

They don't have a storefront (yet), but the Coffee Registry is building a name for themselves on the Front Range and beyond for their quality coffee that's roasted to perfection. I was lucky enough to try some for myself and can say that it's easily one of the best coffees I've tasted in a long while. 

One of my favorite facets of the brand is their gorgeous, handmade pour over stands. Each stand is made to order using brass and American walnut and they're STUNNING. I love the way it highlights the art form that is hand-brewed coffee, right down to the vessel it's brewed in. 

I'm a firm believer that both drinking, roasting, and serving coffee is an expression of slow living and I'm so excited to see people like the folks at the Coffee Registry embody that as well.