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1 2 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t MEET YOUR MAKERS JOLIE DEVOTO GREW UP IN SEBASTOPOL, CALIFORNIA— a town known for its apple orchards and annual Apple Blossom Festival—on a farm called Devoto Orchards, full of apple trees of unique heirloom varieties, so it's no wonder that the fruit is the focus of her successful business venture into cider. Although Devoto majored in special event management and minored in winemaking in college, it was a trip to Spain with her husband Hunter (who is also from apple country, albeit in Maryland), that ignited a passion for cider that would soon evolve into a business. "In 2012, we started with 1,000 cases of cider. It was more of a value-added product to my dad's apples and flowers that he sold at Bay Area farmer's markets. We went through all of those cases pretty quickly," Devoto reminisces. "Our family farm has over 26 acres of over 100 varieties of apples, which we source for our first batches of cider. Our original cider was 100% estate grown, and to create it was a month-long process, similar to that of beer." The product proved popular, and Devoto and her husband expanded their business, buying equipment to speed up the cider-making process, adding blends to their lineup and reaching out to stores like Whole Foods to sell their product. "We're part of the slow food movement," Devoto adds. "Our product is a clean, gluten-free alternative to beer." In 2014, the company sourced apples from small farmers all over the West Coast, invested in draft systems and Devoto Orchards became Golden State Cider (although Devoto Orchards is still the name of their small sea- sonal production line). Now, Golden State Cider produces 150,000 gallons a year of multiple flavors of cider, including seasonal offer- ings, with the same small-business ethos that's gained them such a large following. SERGIO BOPPEL'S FATHER WAS BORN ON A COFFEE FARM, and his family has been growing and producing coffee in Guatemala for four generations, so it's something he's always grown up surrounded by. "It's always been a dream to start a business focused on something that's been so important throughout my life and is so important for Guatemala," Boppel says. Boppel saw a rise in consumer interest for specialty coffee, and the idea for Great Circle was born. Great Circle's beans are sourced from around the world, includ- ing South and Central America, East Africa and Southeast Asia. Boppel adds, "We have particularly strong relationships with Guatemalan and Central American farms, so several of our special offerings are sourced directly from the region. Central America —including Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica—is extremely diverse in terms of variet- ies of coffee and taste profiles you can find." Single-origin beans versus blends is a hot topic in the coffee industry, but Boppel appeases both sides by offering multiple options: "The single origin concept is fantastic. It celebrates and rewards farmers' most prized lots, and allows us to experience and learn about very dis- tinct characteristics related to a coffee's region of origin, processing method, coffee plant va- rietal and other factors such as the altitude at which the coffee was grown. At the same time, there is a definite need in the market for year-round, consistent offerings with well-balanced and predictable taste profiles, season after season. A well-crafted blend can provide a unique experience that would be difficult to achieve with a single origin coffee." Great Circle's roastery is located in Little Haiti in Miami and sells its beans online and other locations in the city, with plans to grow outside of Miami in the future. "There are so many people and so much care is involved in each step of the process, from the plant nurs- ery to the coffee cup. From the farmer and her team, the miller, exporter/importer, roaster, barista—a great deal of care has to be put into each step to achieve an amazing cup." Sergio Boppel Founder of Great Circle Coffee in Miami, FL Jolie Devoto Co-Owner of Golden State Cider in Sebastopol, CA Introducing the people across the country behind the food we love to eat by Jesse Hom-Dawson PHOTO: KIMBERELY HASSLEBRINK ■cr PHOTO COURTESY OF GREAT CIRCLE COFFEE