Scientists believe our sense of smell triggers the most vivid of all memories. For me, a few, specific scents permeate my earliest and fondest memories: the air after a fresh rainfall (petrichor), mysterious spices cooking upon visiting a new friend of Indian heritage, and, you guessed it, the smell of freshly brewed coffee.
Coffee takes me to places I love and brings me so much joy, because I associate it with togetherness and warmth. The aroma lifts and lightens the spirit, clearing and even healing the mind.
While the aroma hypnotized me early in life, it was in my late teen years, on a European trip, that I realized coffee didn’t always have to come in a can and there were more varieties than “regular”, “decaf”, and “instant”. Later, I sat in small coffee shops in and around Baltimore in college, experimenting with coffee drinks. Everyone’s first cappuccino has to happen some time.
It was a progression from there.
Watch a short video on YouTube featuring Boardwalk Beans:
I was led to whole beans, grinders, pour-overs, French presses, milk frothers that were impossible to clean, stove top espresso percolators, perfect water temperature, the grind consistency, the search for exotic beans, and one drip machine after another...
Until one day in 2011, after 20 years of living and loving coffee, when the concept of Boardwalk Beans was created in a seaside home in Ventnor, New Jersey.
My goal is for our beans to stand out as making the most outstanding cup of coffee, bar none, that even the most seasoned connoisseurs will know they’re drinking the very best.
Taste and quality aren't my only aims. I'm also careful to provide compassionate service to others. Specifically, my goal for Boardwalk Beans is to promote peace from the coffee farm to your front door.
For me, considering the origin of beans is serious business. Questions asked before making a purchase are, "Is it fair-trade, organic, bird-friendly, and rainforest friendly? Are workers' human rights protected? What is the size of the farm, or is it a larger co-op, and what is its philosophy?
That might seem like a lot to consider and the research is sometimes involving, but we all live together on one planet. Even if I am unaware of or live far away from you, every decision, action, and inaction chosen can have lasting effects that I may never have the foresight or ability to see. It's my "all for one and one for all" belief that guarantees to provide, not only dynamite service, but also provide coffee that helps you feel good inside and out.
Boardwalk Beans- Personally Roasted Just for You!
Warmly,
Gabrielle Cianfrani