How coffee culture was shaped by the Pacific Northwest | Superabundant

No matter how you brew it, where you drink it, or if you take it black or with some milk and sugar, people love coffee.

So much so that in the US alone, we drink more than 500 million cups each day.

But many of us don’t know much about the beans that we brew. For starters, coffee is not a bean at all, but instead is the seed of a coffee cherry. It was said to have been discovered by a 9th century goat herder who saw his herd “dancing in the moonlight” after eating the mysterious red fruit.

And while coffee is grown in much sunnier places than Oregon, it’s become the cultural juggernaut it is thanks in-part to the Pacific Northwest. For more than a century, our region has played a key role in the waves of coffee innovation and cultural consumer shifts.

Today, Oregon is home to barista champions, international coffee importers, roasters big and small, and even cutting edge coffee technology.

From the mighty Stumptown to a DIY roasting scene in inner SE, we’ll meet the caffeinated folks keeping Portland a coffee destination.