How Rubicon Roasting came to be

For so much of my life, I lived in the fast lane.

My corporate career gave me the chance to travel often, which was always something I deeply enjoyed. I’d travel through Europe, the Middle East and Central America, working, with a little time for fun along the way.

No matter how fast I bounced from destination to destination, there was always one thing that helped me to pause, connect with people and place, and take in all the beauty around me: a perfect cup of coffee.

In 1972, I was stationed with the Air Force in Colorado Springs. After that, I always returned to Colorado to vacation. The beauty, pace of living and the people of Colorado always enchanted me and called me back.

Finally, in 2010, I moved to Paonia, a small town nestled in the North Fork Valley of Colorado.

The agricultural bounty that pours out of this region, the stunning mountains that stand beside a desert valley, the many talented artists, writers and musicians that call this place home – everything about Paonia has made me feel right at home since moving here.

Ever since I arrived, I went on a search for that perfect cup of coffee.

I no longer needed the reminder to slow down and smell the roses – That reminder is now all around me in this quaint and vibrant place. I now began searching for that perfect cup to accompany the feeling I was beginning to live in.

In my search, I found some excellent coffee and many more mediocre ones. All in all, great coffee seemed to be missing from this enchanting town. So, I decided to start roasting my own.

After years of exploring the art of roasting, I finally came up with some superb roasts, sourcing beans from all across the coffee belt – an area of the globe existing between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.

Rubicon Roasting was born.

Since the beginning, I’ve worked with Fair Trade coffee suppliers who themselves work directly with the farmers that cultivate the beans, ensuring they have everything they need to continuously produce excellent crops and to be paid well for their work.

At Rubicon Roasting, our philosophy is to have as small of an impact as possible on the environment. We work relentlessly to make that happen.

All coffee we sell directly to consumers is packaged in bags made from 100% recycled natural kraft paper and lined with EarthFirst, a compostable film made from annually renewable plants. (We’re working hard to find compostable packaging that’s accepted by grocery stores!)

We believe in supporting the small farmers who grow the coffee beans we buy.

That’s why many of the beans we buy green are certified Fair Trade, and we always work with distributors who pay Fair Trade prices to farmers for their coffee.

These early years of Rubicon Roasting have been rich and exciting. I love engaging with customers and meeting so many people who love coffee the way I do.

Interacting with coffee drinkers brings the whole coffee roasting production full circle, and brings me back to the very reason I fell in love with coffee to begin with – Sipping the perfect cup of coffee helps us to pause, connect and take in all the beauty that surrounds us.