my story

 I grew up in East Alstead, a small town in southwestern New Hampshire nestled within a wider community of creative and kind people. I have over a decade of experience working with food or drink of some kind. I've worked with L.A. Burdick Chocolate to support cacao growers in Grenada. I spent a year in Europe as a (beer) brewer's apprentice, working with De Struise Brouwers in Belgium, Brasserie Thiriez in France, Thornbridge Brewery in England, and BrewDog in Scotland. When I returned to the states I joined Hill Farmstead Brewery as an assistant, and later in life moved to Washington, D.C. to share head brewing duties at Bluejacket Brewery.

My truest love, though, is coffee. I cut my teeth as a barista and roaster at Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco, one of the West Coast's most revered roasters. The company attracted some of the most talented baristas, roasters, and trainers and shaped my path in the industry. After moving to D.C. I was fortunate to find a job at one of the city's best cafes, A Baked Joint, where weekends were a nonstop blur of pulling espresso shots. As a multi-roaster cafe, A Baked Joint allowed me to explore coffees from roasters all around the country. In December 2019 I moved back to East Alstead, seeking to build a sustainable future within the community that raised me. When the pandemic hit and I had more time on my hands I decided to lean into the dream of starting a roasting business to serve both friends around the country and the locals who may not have experienced nuanced, complex, specialty coffee.

why I'm doing this

My goal is to offer a new coffee experience for the community/area I grew up in and to be able to provide coffee to people and places I’ve loved. If I can create something interesting that survives at least a few years, I'll be happy, and of course I'll be happy if it perpetuates further into the future. I recognize I was born with many systemic advantages which have allowed me to live a relatively comfortable life. I’ve also struggled with some personal disadvantages which have made thriving difficult. The East Alstead Roasting Co. project is an attempt to reshape my own internal narrative while hopefully giving others a bit of joy. I may not be the most technical, ambitious, or competitive roasting company out there but that’s not what I’m aiming for. I just want to give people a little taste of how good coffee can be.

roasting style

I'm currently focusing on single-origin coffees with light-medium roast levels. I aim to provide high-quality coffees roasted to bring out sweetness and balanced acidity. Delicate, complex, bright, juicy coffees are my jam.

I roast coffee according to my personal preference. While I understand people in this area generally prefer darker roasts, my goal is to reach those who already have a taste for lightly roasted specialty coffee, or who are curious about it. I didn't enjoy light roasts at first, but as I explored more and more I found that really good quality coffee has incredible flavor that can be flattened or destroyed with darker roasts. For me, coffee is not really a dessert or a means to an end, it's more of a daily, small delicacy. I see it as my job to preserve and express the inherent quality of the coffee I've chosen to roast; basically to roast each coffee to its "sweet spot." Coffee that is grown under ideal conditions, processed and handled with care, roasted with attention and intention, and brewed with proper parameters can be sweet, complex, rich, and creamy all on its own. The joy of roasting is in guiding the coffee along to its unique flavor profile while maximizing sweetness and pleasant acidity.

Owen Miller, founder/owner