Alexis Gagnaire: The art of roasting

EPISODE #2

From Farm to Roastery: Aromatic Expression

Knowing and understanding good coffee comes to many people late in life–a bit like talent.
Alexis Gagnaire, a French roaster from a family of restaurateurs, discovered specialty coffee late in life after moving to London. Like most people, he had never realized that coffee could comprise such details as the producer’s name, bean variety, altitude, and drying method. Before his eventual return to France, he gained firsthand experience at the Granja la Esperanza farm in Colombia. There, he learned how to roast properly: with respect for the raw materials. He then returned to France with this understanding of innovation and responsible coffee. Today, he works at Kawa Coffee, an artisanal roastery in Paris with 22 employees and several partners that range from farms to cooperatives.

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The impact of our choices

“Roasters are one of the important links in the coffee value chain,” Gagnaire says. “We are the ones who buy the raw materials. Our choices are therefore important and can move the lines. We are responsible for promoting sustainable agriculture that respects the environment.”

He states that preparing coffee from beans is the best way to enable a more natural coffee-making experience. To Gagnaire, good coffee, good water, and a good machine make a coffee Perfetto. His personal favorite? A double espresso–good morning coffee portends a good day.