Freshly roasted and brewed coffee is better. That seemed to be the sentiment of all who tried the “OSH blend” coffee that was served to thousands of workers, vendors and attendees at AirVenture last week in Oshkosh.
Rob Riggen, who has been passionate about aviation and coffee since the age of 13, explains, “It has always been surprising to me how many people in aviation have become accustomed to very poor quality and often burned coffee. If you’ve ever used the term ‘choked down’ to describe your morning coffee experience, you know what I mean.”
“I had attended the air show for three years in a row and couldn’t find a decent cup of coffee. This time I called the show organizers and asked if I could bring my own,” Riggen says.
A deal was worked out where the coffee would be brewed and supplied to the exhibit hall vendors from a small tent on the show grounds. By the end of the week, nearly all corners of the huge show had heard about the coffee and throngs had visited the tent to see what it was about, Riggen said, noting, “The air traffic controllers and the FAA employees seemed to be the most excited.”
More than 200 pounds of coffee was roasted in preparation. Batches which began as whole beans were ground just before being brewed in a high volume brewer using cool, filtered water. The fresh coffee was then capped in insulated containers and served immediately, Riggen said.
Riggen offers that the secret to a great coffee experience is freshness. Most coffee bought in supermarkets has spent weeks or months in packaging before being brewed. Compounds that give coffee a fresh flavor are lost. Even some of the “better” coffee available out there is beyond its peak freshness when it gets to your brewer, he said. To ensure freshness, Flying High Coffee uses a small batch roasting process, giving the raw, green beans their familiar brown color just days before it is shipped.
For more information: FlyingHighCoffee.com.
I did not get to try Mr. Riggen’s coffee but I did enjoy another vendor’s coffee, who had paid for a kiosk over by the Lincoln Electric exhibit space, along side ShamWow and some pillow seller. OrGano Gold Coffee was asked to leave AirVenture, and not offer for sale their iced or hot drink on the property. Apparently they were in competition with some other vendors. I honestly thought there was room on the AirVenture property for more than one coffee vendor. The OrGano Gold proprietors said they had all the permits needed to vend their product at the show, but packed up and left on Wednesday and set up again at Sleepy Hollow. Kudos to Mr Riggen for being able to compete with the main food vendor at AirVenture.