TREND SPORT
6 Varietal Coffee Bar “It’s a small shop, but we’re focused on being a place where people can walk in and just be themselves.”
Edible Landscaping It’s time for the next step in eating locally—farm-to-table is good, but yard-to-table is better. Permaculture, self-sufficient and sustainable landscaping, reduces ecological footprints, dependency on large-scale food suppliers and undesirable extra stretches of that spongy, yellow Florida grass. And in this year-round heat and humidity, backyard riches can grow sweeter, juicier and healthier than ever. Local landscape architect Michael Gilkey Jr. of Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. designs edible spaces with everything from orchards to raised veggie boxes, herb forests and heat-tolerant apple and peach trees. “There’s a romance to that… lessening our footprint and adding food to the table,” he says. While grocery store lines can be fun, there’s nothing like the down-to-earth tradition of going out back and plucking what you crave. Nuts, citrus, tamarinds, jackfruit—fresher always tastes better, so turn that wild and wasted backyard stretch into a productive eating space. —O.Liang
The coffee shop of The Overton made its official debut last February. And if you don’t believe great things come in small packages, then take a step inside this concrete haven of flamingos and pour overs. The husband and wife duo, Evan and Kristin Cooper, do wonders from such a humble “boutique” space. Evan’s eight-plus years experience in the coffee industry converges with Kristin’s marketing background and eye for branding. Their common denominator remains the passion they share for the variety and complexity of tasting notes (aroma, body and origin) that exist in coffee—arguably more than there are for wine.
Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., 5511 Ashton Rd., Sarasota, 941-924-0132.
0 ”There’s a romance to that . . . lessening our footprint and adding food to the table.” Michael Gilkey, Jr.
Proudly Serving Counter
of Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.
Culture Coffee from Durham, NC.
Funky Treats Baked goods from
Mana Bakery Co. and boxed cereal from your childhood, i.e. Frosted Flakes and Fruity Pebbles.
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly known as rosemary, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs.
Specialty Merch Coffee blossom
honey, DRAM CBD sparkling water, Bare Bones bean to bar chocolate, SOL reusable straws, handmade ceramic mugs by Drippy Pots.
Fourth Wave Mantra
Mango Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the sumac and poison ivy family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent where it is indigenous. Hundreds of cultivated varieties have been introduced to other warm regions of the world.
Persian Lime Persian lime, also known by other common names such as seedless lime, Bearss lime and Tahiti lime, is a citrus fruit species of hybrid origin, known only in cultivation. The Persian lime is a triploid cross between key lime and lemon.
Muscadine Grapes Vitis rotundifolia, or muscadine, is a grapevine species native to the southeastern and south-central United States from Florida to Delaware, west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It has been extensively cultivated since the 16th century
Fourth Wave Coffee These “waves” disrupt the industry’s inveterate production and distribution on a global bandwidth—shifting the way roasters and coffee shops operate—beyond the espresso machine. The latest movement seems to be inconspicuously percolating throughout coffee-crazed cities, which Sarasota and Bradenton are fervently becoming. Ready or not, the fourth wave is here. Throughout these caffeinated upswings, each wave represents significant changes in the industry—how coffee is grown and harvested, how products are packaged and transported, how beans are treated or roasted, and how businesses source their products. We’ve come a long way from the First Wave, which made coffee a convenient commodity—think big food producers launching household brands like Folgers. Pre-ground beans of average quality suddenly became widely available by the pound on grocery store shelves so people could have the best part of waking up, at the press of a button. Then, coffee chains like Starbucks formalized the Second Wave. Baristas can generally at least tell you the country where your morning brew’s beans were sourced, while introducing many new espresso drinks and fancy lattes to the public. Third Wave marked a significant step towards positive global change with the knowledge and resources to invest in direct, fair trade from single-origin plantations. Hip coffee gurus made it a point to find high-quality beans with a variety of flavor profiles—options that tend to be available in independent cafes and roasters willing to put in the education and effort to source craft coffee with alternative ingredients/options. So what’s different about this wave? With an insurgence of new kids on the local block, SRQ asks what “Fourth Wave” means to each of them. —B.Mattie
Knowledge is Power—Evan and Kristin participate in Counter Culture’s educational seminars and training workshops to stay up-todate on the industry beat and supply chain sustainability. The Coopers occasionally host “cuppings,” much like wine tastings, to educate customers in a fun way so they can observe and measure the characteristics of different types of brewed coffee to learn what coffees best jive with their palette. “It’s kinda like taking a cooking class: you go and to experience some new and taste different flavors,” Kristin says. “It’s amazing when you taste a coffee and it tastes like Fruit Loops, or like chocolate candy and caramel, and you’re like ‘How is this even possible?’”
Catchphrase “Filter Coffee, Not People.”
1430 Blvd. of the Arts, Sarasota, varietalcoffee.bar @varietalcoffeebar
srq magazine_ SEPT19 live local | 29
