Guest writer Megan E. Ouellette discusses Blacksburg's obsession with that little brown bean.

With a sigh, T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock reflects, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” This sentiment from “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” gives a poetic beauty to those lazy afternoons spent casually sipping coffee over a good book or conversation.

photos by Al Fayez

Even in the moments when time does not pass as poetically as the life of Prufrock, the connection between coffee and modern life is undeniable. The first date, the blissful reunion with an old friend, and the sudden burst of creativity are all things readily measured out with coffee spoons. Be it a gathering of the local intelligentsia at the corner shop or the desperate search for energy needed to conquer that final final; coffee is no stranger to Blacksburg society. It comes as no surprise that the little bean that powered the minds of Voltaire, Beethoven, and Sartre has successfully infiltrated university life the world over. Continuing the tradition of some of history’s most famous coffee drinkers, the time has come to explore coffee culture’s role in life, liberty, and the pursuit of the perfect cup in our own town.

While you don’t have to be a genius to appreciate a good cup of coffee, you’d be in good company if you’re drawn to the allure of a fresh cup. Eighteenth Century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau once proclaimed, “Ah, that is a perfume in which I delight; when they roast coffee near my house, I hasten to open the door to take in all the aroma.” Given Blacksburg’s small-town status, newcomers might be astonished by the number of coffee shops available. Blacksburg is home to three independently-run shops: Bollo’s, The Easy Chair, and Mill Mountain; two national chains: Daily Grind and Starbucks; and other establishments serving, though not specializing in, coffee and espresso drinks.

To define the word “culture,” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary suggests, “the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a place or time.” In the case of coffee culture in Blacksburg, precisely what these “characteristic features” ought to be varies from person to person.

Ranae Gillie, owner of Bollo’s, cites that her vision for the shop was, and is, “to create a comfortable atmosphere for all people to come relax and have a quality product at a reasonable price.” When choosing a coffee venue, Virginia Tech student Peter Kraines values the “historical ideals of coffee culture,” such as the ability to approach anyone to engage in safe and meaningful conversation. In a society of coffee on the run, it is worth bearing in mind that coffee houses have traditionally been safe havens of intellectual development. Movements such as the Enlightenment, Cubism, and Existentialism were nurtured over coffee talk. Coffee shops are a natural habitat for all kinds of creative minds. Bollo’s also regularly displays original artwork.

In keeping with coffee’s longtime partnership with philosophy and culture, there is still much ideology to be found over a cup of coffee today. The coffee industry generates controversy over the environmental, social, and economic repercussions of growing and selling the bean. Even the most cultured drinker can lose sight of the fact that the innocent morning cup has an economic ripple effect that links the buyer in Blacksburg to the farmer in Nicaragua.

Russell Chisholm, owner of Easy Chair Coffee Shop, keeps this pivotal connection in mind in every aspect of his business. Chisholm engages in programs such as the Cup of Excellence; a quality-focused rewards and incentives program which operates on an auction system. Such programs encourage coffee growers to produce the highest quality products and in turn receive payment well above the retail market price. When deciding which vendors to use, Russell looks for “people interested not just in quality, but in the welfare of workers.” He insists that this focus on sustainability and cross-community development makes it so that “each time you sell a coffee, you get to feel good about what you do.” Participation in such programs, paired with annual trips to farms in Nicaragua or Costa Rica, also enables Chisholm and his staff to improve the welfare of farmers and harvesters. Meanwhile, the store roasts its own beans and has sent some of its employees to roasting conventions to learn the craft. The goal is for each cup brewed to be one small step towards creating a culture of community.

As it turns out, the roasting which so delighted Rousseau is one of Blacksburg’s oldest and finest coffee traditions. The founding father of the town’s first coffee house, Scott Elich, began roasting the day he opened the doors of Mill Mountain in 1991. Having lived in Seattle, the bedrock of the coffee industry, Scott knew how popular coffee shops were on the West coast and decided to open a shop in Blacksburg. Scott maintains that the best-tasting coffee is recently roasted; and at his shop, coffee culture means “good coffee and a nice, relaxing atmosphere to enjoy it in”. Though other coffee shops have opened and Easy Chair also began to do in-house roasting, Mill Mountain stands as a reminder that quality was the first bottom line in Blacksburg’s coffee scene. Years of success fueled by loyal repeat customers led Scott to share, “I’ve been really lucky to have had this business here and to have done as well as we have.”

To get a good feel for what an individual shop values, one need look no further than its baristas. Daily Grind barista Chase Goitia
values the store’s emphasis on the “craft of espresso” and expertly explained that the quality of espresso is directly linked to the barista’s ability to properly prepare each shot. Coffee culture is too often reduced to grumbling around the communal office Bun-o-Matic, and placing emphasis on the art of preparing the drink reminds a society on the go that a beverage can have a character all its own.

While the needs of the socially-conscious drinker are met by the variety of fair trade, equal exchange, and quality-incentive coffees found in most shops in Blacksburg, and the needs of the gourmet in house roasts; what about the individual just looking for a good ole’ fashioned cuppa joe? A second glance at the definition of culture reveals an emphasis on sharing amongst a group of people in a given place. Local coffee culture means many things to many people, but look beyond the iced caramel macchiatos and white chocolate mochas to the heart of Blacksburg’s coffee culture, and one simple word emerges: community. The money spent at a local shop, a cup of espresso shared between friends, and that pound of fair-trade beans all call to mind one of our era’s mottos: “think globally, act locally”. No matter how you slice it or dice it, percolate it or slow-drip it; there is a wealth of sharing to be done in Blacksburg’s coffee scene. Which leaves just one final question: where shall we go for our next cup?