Christiansburg, Virginia is not a big town by any stretch of the imagination. Boasting around 20,000 participants, it’s safe to say Christiansburg is small. And yet they are still home to Brugh Coffee Company, a specialty coffee roaster founded two years ago. It’s a story we find ourselves telling more and more on Sprudge—often as part of the Build-Outs of Summer—but honestly, it’s one of our favorites: small town is home to specialty coffee roaster, shifting the idea of where good coffee is supposed to be and who appreciates it.
Brugh Coffee fits this storyline. Started out roasting only 500g at a time, Brugh is moving up to a 3kg roaster and a brand new space to boot. Their new Brew Lab will act not only as their roastery but their first brick-and-mortar location to show off their handiwork. So let’s check it out shall we, the brand new Brugh Coffee Company in Christiansburg, Virginia.
As told to Sprudge by Luke Brugh.
For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?
We started roasting and selling coffee in June of 2016. When we first started we sold at local farmers markets, online as well as had a few different local wholesale accounts.
Our first roaster was a 1.1lb (500g) roaster from Mill City Roasters. This was a great way for us to start and hone our craft. However, over time as we started to grow it kept us fairly busy roasting on nights and weekends outside of our other jobs.
Can you tell us a bit about the new space?
Our new space will be an expansion for us on several fronts. Part of the reason for our move was we acquired a larger 3kg roaster from Mill City Roasters. Our larger roaster wouldn’t fit in our original roasting space, so the new space became a necessity for roasting.
Since we first started roasting in 2016 we knew we would eventually want a place where people could come in to get drinks from us directly. The Brew Lab will cover this goal for us. We are really excited about it and can’t wait to have people come in to check it out!
What’s your approach to coffee?
For us, coffee is more than just a beverage, it’s a connection to others around the world. It connects the soil it was grown to the farmers who nurtured it until harvest to the roaster who thoughtfully shaped it to the barista who skillfully prepared it to you and those you connect to over a cup.
We understand the importance of the quality of these connections, which is why we strive towards sustainability and growth of the coffee community. We strive towards providing the best coffee we possibly can, always looking to progress.
Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?
We are roasting on an 3kg from Mill City Roasters, which we absolutely love! For espresso we are using a Macap M7D and a La Spaziale LUCCA A53 espresso machine. For drip we are using a Mahlkönig GH2 grinder and Curtis G4 ThermoPro. Finally, for pour-overs we are using a Baratza Encore grinder and a Fellow Stagg EKG kettle.
What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?
August 2018
Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?
We want to thank our community for all of their support throughout this whole process. We’ve had a number of businesses and individuals who have helped us bring this whole thing to life.
Thank you!
You’re welcome! :)
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