//podcastplus.net/feed/the-matchbook-coffee-podcast~67879807 The Matchbook Coffee Podcast is a way to shine a light on the folks we work with every month. We give creative control over to a different roaster, and they get to tell their story however they'd like. Tune in every month to learn more about how your favorite roasters think about and approach coffee. Wed, 13 May 2026 08:11:29 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_20_-_Cute_Coffee_-_2_27_21_11.10_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 Things are getting cute over here!  We're doing something we've never done at Matchbook—we're featuring TWO roasters for the month of March. Bianka and Sabreen are the team behind Cute Coffee, a roastery based in Oakland with its roots in Los Angeles. Bianka Alloyn and Sabreen Naimah met at a cafe, and since then have been exploring their shared love of all things coffee together.    Bianka and Sabreen describe themselves as big kids—two people who love bubbles, wearing bright and colorful clothing, and just love to laugh and have fun. They radiate excitement, and their gleefulness shines in their coffees. From the producers they work with to the holographic stickers that adorn their coffee bags, it's kind of impossible not to smile when you're talking about Cute Coffee.    The coffee Bianka and Sabreen chose for their release took A JOURNEY to get to you, but they hope you feel loved and special as you sip on what they've chosen for you. And if you're feeling a little down in the dumps, ... Sun, 28 Feb 2021 01:41:18 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_20_-_Cute_Coffee_-_2_27_21_11.10_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_19_-_Aaron_-_1_30_21_11.00_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 Aaron Fender is the co-founder of Portrait Coffee in Atlanta, Georiga, and the featured roaster here at Matchbook for the month of February. Aaron is the type of person you want to sit and have a beer with. In fact, we probably spent more time just sitting on Zoom talking and chatting than we did actually recording.  Aaron started Portrait Coffee less than two years ago, and their motto is "pouring a new narrative," which they do by shining a light on Black people in the coffee industry. Aaron is interested in coffee as a conduit, a way to connect with people and build shared experiences, which you hear in this episode. Our conversation is more casual than most you've probably heard on the podcast because Aaron is incredibly easy to talk to. He's the type of person who asks questions, wants to know more about others, and can break the ice easily.     We talk a lot about Aaron as a person in sometimes funny and abstract ways in this episode. We immediately get into a discussion about the HBO show ... Sat, 30 Jan 2021 21:59:29 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_19_-_Aaron_-_1_30_21_11.00_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_17_Jen_Again_-_11_28_20_5.09_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 This is the second time we’ve worked with Jen Apodaca. Jen is the featured roaster for the month of December over here at Matchbook, and when we first partnered on a release back in July of 2018, Jen did this ambitious release: not only did she roast three different coffees, she also did the artwork for the bags.  Not much has changed in terms of ambition—Jen is now at the helm of her own coffee company called Mother Tongue, and her goal is to roast excellent coffee while paying coffee farmers well. That sounds simplistic, but Jen breaks down how she’s designed her roasting program around excellent coffees that might go unnoticed or unremarked by others. In a sea of experimental processes and high-scoring coffee varieties, Jen is looking for the coffees that are absolutely solid, but sometimes remain overlooked.  At this point, I’ve interviewed Jen four times: once for Barista Magazine, once for the first Matchbook release we did, and once for my podcast, Boss Barista (which, as Jen menti... Sun, 29 Nov 2020 00:09:58 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_17_Jen_Again_-_11_28_20_5.09_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_12_Grace_-_4_27_20_6.25_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 Long, winding roads, Appalachia, and growing up in coffee: that's all here in this episode with May's featured roaster, Grace McCutchan of Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd, Virginia.  Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:00:48 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_12_Grace_-_4_27_20_6.25_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_11_Joe_.mp3?dest-id=1414706 Last month, I was having a conversation with Joe Marrocco at the United States Coffee Championships. We were walking, and a random person stopped him, and told him just how influential he was to their roasting career.  There are not a lot of people as influential to the world of coffee roasting as Joe. He’s the featured roaster here at Matchbook this April, and as I’m writing—and now saying—this, it feels difficult to summarize the career of someone who is so embedded in our community. And now, during the time of the COVID-19 crisis, he’s someone I’m especially looking to for guidance and support.  This is a heartbreaking time for coffee—and a time whose implications we don’t fully yet understand. Baristas across the nation have lost their jobs, and there’s a lot of uncertainty about what happens next. How will we get money to baristas? How will we help small businesses reopen so they can hire back the folks who have been laid off?  For Joe’s release, we’ve teamed up wi... Mon, 30 Mar 2020 02:26:06 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_11_Joe_.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_9_Baylee_-_2_24_20_4.42_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 Shit's about to get real spooky and chill over here.  Baylee Engberg is our featured roaster for the month of March. Find out why this episode is equal parts laid back and fast-paced, what the fuck a ball roaster is, and how Baylee has progressed from working in a drive-thru coffee shop to roasting more coffee than most people ever have.  Tue, 25 Feb 2020 21:46:26 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_9_Baylee_-_2_24_20_4.42_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_9_Candice_-_1_28_20_11.36_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 I used to be a teacher, and I explain things in analogies a lot. Like, a lot. It’s a helpful tool to bring someone with you along the way—it helps connect people to complex ideas, topics, and is just a really effective educational tool.  Throughout this interview, Candice Madison uses a lot of analogies. She’s the featured roaster her at Matchbook for the month of February, and Candice’s career in coffee shows a lot of things. One, she’s incredibly tenacious, two, she cares a lot about education and connecting with coffee drinkers, and three, she’s not afraid to try a lot of things, and she’s not afraid to fail.  Candice’s coffee career—and subsequently, her approach to coffee—reflect all these values, and show that roasting is really just a fantastic game of trial and error. Now, she’s the Director of Roasting for Royal Coffee in Oakland, California, and she’s spent a long time trying to figure out just what she wants out of coffee—and that approach has changed a lot, w... Thu, 30 Jan 2020 20:18:46 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_9_Candice_-_1_28_20_11.36_AM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_8_Izzy_-_1_16_20_1.46_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 I think it's safe to say that this might be one of the most special interviews we've ever done.  Izzy Fraire is the founder of Matchbook. He's the person doing all the behind-the-scenes work, getting green samples, paying invoices, even driving to the post office to make sure you all get your coffee on time.  But Izzy is probably the person you've heard from the least. He's always hiding in the shadows—but this month, he's front and center. Learn about the person that makes Matchbook possible.  Mon, 20 Jan 2020 03:31:25 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_8_Izzy_-_1_16_20_1.46_PM.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_7_Katie.mp3?dest-id=1414706 This feels sort of cheesy to say, but it’s true—this is a very special edition of the Matchbook podcast. Instead of one episode, we’re making three, highlighting the different members of the Matchbook project.  The Matchbook Coffee Project is a collective of four folks who work with a new roaster every month. I’m one of the members, and this month we’re taking over—we’re roasting the coffee, creating the art, finding special merch for you, and sharing more about our journey through Matchbook.  Today, I’m with Katie Miller. Katie is the reason you can order your Matchbook coffee—she maintains the website and keeps it looking shiny. Katie is the type of person who likes to look outside the box for answers, and enjoys a challenge. Katie has been so seamlessly ingrained in the group that, when she told me she wasn’t always a member, I was completely flabbergasted.  Katie is so wildly fascinating, passionate, and ready to take on the world. I’m glad you’re getting the chan... Tue, 31 Dec 2019 04:48:13 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_7_Katie.mp3?dest-id=1414706 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_6_Lindsay.mp3?dest-id=1414706 This feels sort of cheesy to say, but it’s true—this is a very special edition of the Matchbook podcast. Instead of one episode, we’re making three, highlighting the different members of the Matchbook Project.  The Matchbook Coffee Project is a collective of four folks who work with a new roaster every month. I’m one of the members, and this month we’re taking over—we’re roasting the coffee, creating the art, finding special merch for you, and sharing more about our journey through Matchbook.  First, we’re chatting with Lindsey Shea, our resident photographer and group organizer. She’s the one who makes many of our roasters look good, and she holds us accountable, calling us to make sure we’re getting all our tasks done—if you can believe it it’s actually a lot to produce a Matchbook box every month. Lindsey’s journey into coffee is typical, but her journey into photography is unique, and she provides a perspective on how to create your own magic and follow through on yo... Mon, 30 Dec 2019 00:11:14 +0000 https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/matchbookcoffee/MCP_6_Lindsay.mp3?dest-id=1414706