Our Roastery and Shop
The original vision for Big Creek Coffee did not involve a storefront coffee house. One day though, a "for rent" sign popped up in the window of a historic corner building in the heart of Hamilton's downtown and the vision suddenly changed.We would put the roaster front and center of the store, like this:The aroma of roasting coffee would blanket downtown, tempting people, drawing them toward us. The smell inside the shop would be irresistible.The feel would be classy, cozy, Main Street USA--the complete opposite of a national chain. Original oak floors from 1904, telling the story of the many...
Where it all Started
Courtroom to coffee: Former lawyer opens specialty coffee roasting service By DAVID ERICKSON - Ravalli Republic RavalliRepublic.com | Posted: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 DAVID ERICKSON - Ravalli Republic Randy Lint, owner of Big Creek Coffee Roasters, carefully watches his computer monitor as fresh-roasted coffee beans spill out of his roasting machine at his shop in Hamilton. The computer software allows him to control the temperature and air flow to the beans, among other things. Although he was a successful lawyer with a wife and two kids, there were two things Randy Lint didn't enjoy about his life: The everyday...
A Story About a Life Well Lived and the Beginnings of Big Creek Coffee
We lost one of our first, and favorite, customers earlier this year. Barbara Boatwright, my mother in law, died after a long hard battle with Alzheimer's Disease. I'd like to tell you a little about her and the role she played in helping launch Big Creek Coffee. Barbara was a talented classical pianist when she was young, but ultimately decided not to pursue that path professionally. Instead she became a great consumer and patron of the arts, with an encyclopedic knowledge of classical music. With my own background in music, we hit it off early. In fact, my wife Jennifer...
Diagnosing and Correcting Bitterness in Coffee
A Step by Step Guide to Finding and Eliminating Bitterness in Your Cup #1. What Coffee are you using? Is it premium quality or is it something cheap being passed off as specialty coffee? Lower-quality coffees (most mass-produced coffees) tend to have increased bitterness. Did you purchase it at a Big Box Store? If so, your purchasing choice may be the root of the problem, sorry. Solution: Purchase coffee from an independent, reputable, artisan roaster. Nearly every town has at least one these days. #2. When was the coffee roasted? Darker roasted coffees can become bitter when they get old. The oils on the...