The nascent Milwaukee Coffee Guild is gearing up to throw its first Milwaukee Coffee Festival on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Pl. Eight roasters and Purple Door Ice Cream will be vending, and a number of classes are scheduled:
The Science of Coffee
Christian Ott, director of coffee and coffee education, Stone Creek
12 p.m. and 2 p.m.The Sustainability of Coffee
Michael Johnson, founder, Johnson Brothers Coffee
12:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.Roasting demonstrations
Burman Coffee Traders
11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Milwaukee roasters Anodyne, Stone Creek and the Mt. Meru Coffee Project have signed on to participate, as have Torke Coffee Roasting Co. of Sheboygan, Fiddleheads Coffee Roasters of Thiensville, Cedarburg Coffee Roastery of Cedarburg, Kickapoo Coffee of Viroqua, Johnson Brothers Coffeee of Madison and Burman Coffee Traders of Middleton. Organizers are expecting 13-15 coffee-focused vendors in all.
The founders of the Coffee Guild, T.J. Sizemore and Derek Campbell, started the organization as a side project in 2012 and began hosting coffee cuppings and other events while planning for the festival. Membership in the guild runs $50 a year and comes with a number of perks.
Sizemore says the festival has been in touch with Colectivo Coffee about participating as a vendor, but the company (which recently underwent a name change, from Alterra Coffee Roasters) said it was still looking into finding staff to attend the event.
Both Campbell and Sizemore work in the eCommerce division of Kohl’s.
(image via Shutterstock)
