Alfred Peet: Roast in Peace

I intend for the title of this post to be humorous and reverent. Mr. Peet’s style brought a smile to my lips so many times that I only hope to pass that flavor along to the next coffee connoisseur.

Via the official Peet’s Coffee & Tea blog comes word that Alfred H. Peet has passed away (1920 – 2007). Though I never met the man, I can honestly say that he changed my life. I never really knew coffee until I new Peet’s…

When Alfred Peet opened his shop in Berkeley in April, 1966 he started a coffee revolution. Nobody had ever seen top-quality coffee like this roasted in this unique style in America. The corner of Walnut and Vine quickly became a gathering place for UC Berkeley grads, undergrads, and faculty as well as local intellectuals, radicals, writers, musicians, artisans and any number of the colorful people who still make up Berkeley today.

When I first moved to San Francisco to take the job at TechTV, I couldn’t wait to hit a Starbucks (since, at that time, there were no Starbucks in Iowa). Starbucks was – and still is – the epitome of consistency. I drank coffee, but… it wasn’t more than a drink. A couple of friends told me that I had to go to Pete’s.

“Who is this Pete guy – and why is his coffee any better than the rest?”

Right. So, a couple of friends and I drove to the Peet’s in Potrero Hill (down the street from Digg HQ, if I’m not mistaken – around the block from the former TechTV studios). As usual, I ordered a large drip with heavy cream – and was handed a full cup of Kenya. It sat in front of me for about ten minutes, to cool to my preferred temperature.

Then, I took my first sip of Peet’s coffee. Without hesitation, I thought: “It’s like God spit into this cup and handed it to me himself.” I’ll never forget this moment for the rest of my life – it was THAT amazing. Life changing, really.

From that point forward, it’s been Peet’s – or nothing. Kenya remains my favorite.

I have tried brewing Peet’s at home in a variety of coffee devices, but I simply cannot match the flavor I get when I walk into a Peet’s store and have a cup crafted by a trained barista. Believe me, I’ve tried damn near everything – and I really don’t want to waste any more money on coffee machines if I know they won’t give me the same result.

Mr. Peet, we never met – but you touched my life beyond these taste buds. Thank you.

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