Then, using a vintage German roaster, turn out light, flavorful coffee that draws long lines of customers all hours of the day. What does it take to be the best roaster in hip, caffeinated California? Start with a sourcing team that spends most months on the road seeking out the best beans from Africa, South America, and beyond. Onyx prizes unique tasting notes like 'mulled wine' and 'brouléed grapefruit.' And true to its name, it's a laboratory for experimental roasts, like micro-lot Ethiopian varietals and beans roasted with lactic acid. But Onyx has found an enthusiastic audience in Fayetteville, who come for their daily cup and for special events like roasting classes and an annual barista throw-down. ARKANSAS // ONYX COFFEE LABĪ region best known for big companies like Wal-Mart and Tyson might not seem like the ideal place to roast small-batch coffee by hand. Taken together, Cartel’s process has helped the roaster and café become one of Arizona’s premier coffee destinations. The same goes for its direct sourcing program and stringent barista training, which suffers no slouches. Transparency aside, Cartel’s sophisticated roasting process isn’t easily duplicated. ARIZONA // CARTEL COFFEE LABĬartel’s methods are no secret: Just stop by their Tempe warehouse for a tour, or browse their website for ratios and other nitty gritty details. With more than a million pounds of beans roasted each year, Kaladi offers plenty of fuel for those long, cold winters. The company, which operates 13 cafes and began in 1986 as a roadside stand, selects only organic, shade-grown beans, then air roasts them-a process that many prefer for its clean, uniform flavor. In coffee-obsessed Alaska, Kaladi Brothers stays ahead of the curve with stringent quality standards and a splash of ingenuity. Owner Sarah Barnett Gill and her team get extra credit for blends that are both well crafted and highly eclectic, like Dawn of the Dead, a house roast with an extra caffeine jolt, and the whiskey-infused Black Moonshine. Take it from the caffeinated college crowd, who’ve left one rapturous review after another for this roaster and café: Mama Mocha’s makes the best coffee around.

ALABAMA // MAMA MOCHA’S COFFEE EMPORIUM & ROASTERS

We researched our picks carefully, with an eye for detail that honors the studious methods of coffee innovators across the country. With so many interesting coffee roasters out there, including many who have set up shop in just the past few years, selecting the best one in each state was quite difficult. And at a time when tastes have evolved past watery, gets-the-job-done brews into the bold, the origin-specific, and the fair trade certified, it had better be good. It’s the steaming (or iced) cup that sets the tone for what’s to follow. It’s the drink that gets them going, the first hit of flavor in their day. Americans have an intimate relationship with their coffee.

Onyx coffee roaster