A company that has called Durham home since roasting their first pound of coffee 20 years ago, Counter Culture Coffee has always been dedicated to our local community and, of course, incredible coffee. With the opening of their new headquarters and roastery in East Durham (812 Mallard Ave.), Counter Culture offers residents, customers and coffee professionals alike the opportunity to go behind the scenes, learn from world-class coffee instructors, taste their famous products and decipher the whole process – from bean to bag.
I had the opportunity to visit the facility last week, and it was delightful. The robust smell of roasting coffee met our group at the door and continued throughout the tour. We were taught how to brew the perfect pour-over coffee by the U.S. Barista Champion Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture’s head of wholesale customer support and barista trainer of the Carolinas. Then it was on to see how the coffee gets made, from the bags of green coffee beans entering one end of the facility, to roasting, taste control, packaging and finally shipping out of the other end of the building. It was a well-oiled machine, but one with a soul – obviously dedicated to quality of their products and of their community interaction.
This Saturday, April 30, the new facility officially opens to the public with a free Open House from 10am-4pm that includes coffee tastings, demos, food, live entertainment and more. The hands-on coffee education does not stop there; every Friday – their inaugural “cupping” is Friday, May 6 – Counter Culture will offer free weekly tastings starting at 10am. And stay tuned for more community opportunities; from trainings to tours, Counter Culture is committed to bringing the fascinating world of coffee to Durhamites.
