ABOUT

'They say that in the Army the coffee's mighty fine...

It looks like muddy water, and tastes like turpentine...'

Actual U.S. Army cadence circa 2006
Author unknown

I, Luis Saavedra, love coffee. I geek coffee. Some people dream of Jeanie, I dream of coffee. This love for coffee was born out of my childhood travels to Bolivia. On these trips was when I was first exposed to what coffee could be. To this day, many Boonie Hat Coffee Company offerings are sourced from South America. I grew up believing that coffee could be fresh, smooth, and can bring people together from different sides of the world. But it wasn't always this way...

The idea of Boonie Hat Coffee Company was born out of my experiences drinking the 'unique' coffee offerings of the United States Department of Defense. While deployed in Southwest Asia, I drank a lot of burned, bitter coffee. Uncle Sam meant well, but when it comes to coffee his motto is 'Quantity is Job 1'. Depending on the mission, the conditions that our servicemen work in can be quite primitive. On one particular occasion my outfit was so far away from civilization that no one had a proper shower for several weeks. It was hard work and pretty tough conditions to endure. It was in this environment I got to thinking, 'With just a little bit of preparation and a little effort, it wouldn't be hard to have an outstanding cup of coffee here!' A good cup of coffee can not only wake you up, but refresh your spirit as well. It can inspire you to press on; to hold on just a minute longer; to believe that better days are ahead.

After watching a video on YouTube demonstrating the roasting of green coffee beans using a common household popcorn popper, I was off to the races! With a little snooping, I discovered a roaster that could mimic the process of roasting coffee on a bed of hot air. And here we are today!