FROM THE EDITOR

"OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE WANTS to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world.”
     Who said this? At first glance, you might think—as I did—that it could have been a coffee roaster, with its emphasis on innovation, ethics and making a difference. At the very least, I assumed it was a small business owner. So imagine my surprise when I realized that the speaker was none other than Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, one of the most successful Internet search engines in the world.
     I bring this up, not because I have a soft spot for Google, but because we recently finished judging Roast’s third annual Roaster of the Year award. Innovation, ethics and making a difference were three of our criteria in the judging process. The other two were training and, of course, that pillar of the specialty coffee industry: quality.
     This year, we changed our awards somewhat, splitting it into macro- and micro-roasters, because we felt it would best give roasters a chance to shine, whatever their size. And once again this year, I am so proud to say that the roasters who submitted applications made the judging incredibly difficult. Because as hard as it is for us to choose from the best of the best, I know it’s a great thing for the industry.
     In the end, it was the companies who were industry leaders in every category who took the prize. Which is as it should be. Yet, there are some amazing roasters out there who are putting their focus on one aspect of coffee, whether it’s by selling only organic or cooperative coffees or by becoming educational leaders in the industry. Companies like Topéca Coffee, based out of Tulsa, Okla., which has taken vertical integration to a new level by selling only the coffee that the company grows on its 150-year-old family farm in El Salvador. Or like Equal Exchange, which is bringing the concept of sustainable coffees home with its biodiesel delivery van, nearly paperless office and socially-responsible Certificate of Deposit.
     With such strong competition from roasters who are changing the face of the future of specialty coffee, you can bet that our winners are true standouts, going above and beyond in every way possible. Thus, I’m proud to announce our winners and runners-up in the 2006 Roaster of the Year award:

Macro Category:
Winner: Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea (Chicago)
Runners-Up: Coffee Bean International (Portland, Ore.) and Portland Roasting (Portland, Ore.)

Micro Category:
Winner: Metropolis Coffee Company (Chicago)
Runners-Up: Cinnamon Bay Coffee (Clearwater, Fla.)
and Sacred Grounds Organic Coffee Roasters (Arcata, Calif.)

     You can read all about the amazing things that our winners are doing in their profiles on page 22 and 28. Innovation, ethics, changing the world…what will specialty roasters think of next? I can’t wait to see.

     Keep the flame burning,
     Shanna