Annapolis coffee roaster whips up a pricey brew

Annapolis, MD - For most of us, coffee is just part of our routine. It’s like brushing our teeth or fighting that morning traffic.

But for Andy Sprenger and the crew at Ceremony Coffee in Annapolis, coffee is an art. Better yet, it’s more like a religion. “You can smell those beautiful flavors coming out of the freshly ground coffee,” he said.

What makes a roaster like Ceremony so good is that while you’re in the café enjoying one of the dozens of brews they have to offer, they’re busy in the back roasting fresh beans for that next great cup.

“We’re running a 25 lb. San Franciscan roaster and 75 lb. roaster here,” said Ronnie Haas.

All of the work under Sprenger’s watchful eye, and who better for the job. He’s an award winning roaster known around the world.

“We’re like a large micro roaster,” he said. “We’re roasting about 3,000 lbs. a week.”

With beans coming in from Mexico, Ethiopia and Columbia, surely you’ll find something to kick-start your heart in the morning. But if you really want to test your limits, then look no further than the Panama Gesha roast.

“It’s gorgeous,” Sprenger said. “You can smell the citrus notes and the jasmine notes.”

Ceremony sells the Gesha roast in eight oz. bags for $45 per bag. A pound of the coffee will cost you $90.

“It’s extremely unique,” Sprenger said. “It’s one of the most unique in the world.”

It’s unique and well worth it, according to Ceremony owner Vincent Iatesta.

“Compare it to wine,” he said. “A $90 bag of coffee will produce about 360 ounces of prepared beverage. That equates to .35 an ounce. Equate that to a bottle of wine, and you’re talking about a $9 bottle of wine.”

Granted, the guys at Ceremony will tell you the Gesha isn’t something you’d want to drink every day. “It’s an occasion coffee,” Iatesta said.

It’s good to enjoy with friends, but when it comes to that every day “pick me up,” you may want to keep your brew a bit more reasonable.