In a City Full of Beans Like Portland, It Pays to Know the Best

In the city of Portland, you can find good coffee, even great coffee, on just about every corner. In a fiercely competitive market, it’s the little things that differentiate roasters worth knowing about: ethically sourced beans, unparalleled customer-client relationships, and true passion for the craft tend to separate the best from the rest.

Here at Bipartisan, we work hard to research and stay up to date on which Portland coffee we should serve our patrons, and we’re ready to share our findings. Read on to learn more about the best Portland coffee roasters you should know about.

Water Avenue

A Bipartisan staple, we regularly stock Water Avenue coffee. Founded in 2009 by Matt Milletto, a long-time figure in Portland’s coffee industry, Water Avenue is an artisan roastery that began by sharing a space with the American Barista & Coffee School. Grounded in pairing professional support with a passion for micro-roasting, Water Avenue has flourished in its 8 year existence.

Millet shares that Water Avenue is more than a business venture, it’s grounded in true passion for the craft. He states that Water Avenue, “allowed us to really do something from our hearts. We want to be known as a unique and genuine micro-roaster that started in Portland, in the heart of the most competitive market, that people appreciate for the right reasons.”

If you’re ready to purchase Portland wholesale coffee, the level of support from Water Avenue does not disappoint.

Upper Left Roasters

A new player in the Portland coffee scene, Upper Left Roasters is Southeast Portland’s newest boutique café and roastery. Opened in 2015 by Portland restaurateur Jim Harris and his daughter Katherine, Upper Left Roasters offers a carefully curated selection of ethically sourced, single-origin beans.

Harris claims that Upper Left “aim[s] to offer coffees that are unique to their origins and offer exceptional levels of clarity and sweetness.” And we couldn’t agree more. Stop by to watch head roaster Chris Alspach roast the single-source South and Central American and East African beans on-site, then grab a bag of the Keneon Chire Ethiopia blend to go.

With sweet notes of nectarine and strawberry balanced by darker notes of brown sugar and Assam tea, Upper Left is roasting some of the most creative beans in the Portland coffee scene.

Portland Roasting Company

A long-time player in the Portland coffee market, Portland Roasting Company has stood the test of time. As new coffee roasters have come and gone in the market, Portland Roasting Company’s coffees have remained strong due to their approachable, well-sourced, and delicious specialty blends. The main reason why we love Portland Roasting? There’re truly something for everyone on offer here.

Portland Roasting Company prides itself on their wide spectrum of roast profiles: “From light and sparkling single origin offerings all the way to full-bodied and chocolaty dark roasts, every coffee and every blend has a sweet spot that we hit every time.”

Whether your prefer a light single origin blend, or a full-bodied, dark roast, Portland Roasting delivers great coffee with the years of experience to keep you rest-assured that this is a Portland coffee roaster you can trust.

Coava

Coava is another beloved local coffee roaster worth knowing about. The name “coava” translates to “unroasted,” or “green” coffee. Coava’s name implies simplicity, a commitment to delivering pure, untouched product, and that’s exactly what you get from this Portland roaster.

We love Coava for its decision to source exclusively Arabica coffee, as opposed to Robusta, which delivers an elevated, complex cup of coffee. Famous for roasts that pair acidity with chocolate and floral tastes, Coava consistently offers coffee beans that are enhanced by a slight touch, and true to their original flavor.

Come on in to Bipartisan: Let’s Talk Coffee Together

Whether you stop in to Bipartisan Café in the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland to try a cup of delicious Water Ave. coffee, or you engage in a wholesale partnership, these Portland coffee roasters are some of the best in the business. We can’t recommend their blends highly enough, so try one today!

Top image (coffee beans) by David Dewitt, https://thecozycoffee.com/