Anu Menon, Driftaway Coffee Roasters

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What: Co-Founder of Driftaway Coffee, a small-batch coffee roaster
Where: Brooklyn, NY
Find online: https://driftaway.coffee/ • @driftawaycoffee

"I would say, always go for it. Start small, though...Start small, you know, where you can test out the idea."
• Anu Menon

My conversation with Anu went on much longer than our CoffeeFest NYC podcast session. She exudes joy for coffee and the coffee community. Beyond being a pleasure to chat with, I was inspired to keep seeking out the positive. Running a small business is a grind. Being able to find the happy when things are stressful is a great skill that needs to be cultivated.

Driftaway Coffee is the brainchild of Anu and her partner, Suyog Mody. Both come from an engineering background that, as Roast Magazine's recent feature pointed out, freed them from any preconceived notions of what a coffee business could be.

Free from preconceived ideas about how a roastery “should” start, they began in a setting familiar to them—online. “That’s where we’re comfortable,” says Anu. “That was the world we came from, so from the beginning, the idea was to do it online.”
• Excerpt from Roast Magazine, Kat Melheim (author)

14 years after their launch, Anu and Suyog are still forging their own path. Their tasting room emphasizes the experience by slowing things down. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays (primarily by reservation),* they brew your coffee—or coffees—at an intimate six-seat coffee bar, where you're served in the omakase-style, meaning, you're giving your coffee order and yourself over to the barista. They'll choose the coffees and style to brew for you, and walk you through their history, origin, and tasting notes during the process.

I'm looking forward to my next visit to Brooklyn and my next conversation with Anu.

*Those looking for a pour-over or espresso can still pop in reservation-free during open hours.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE POD

• You want to have fun at the end of the day.
• What has changed in the coffee industry? The coffees! There are so many new options that just weren't common when Driftaway launched. For example, Thermal Shock coffees, which are recognizable by the unique patterns caused by the cracking of the coffee seed (bean)* during the heating and cooling of the seed during the fermentation process.
  
  One of Driftaway's submission for the Roaster of the Year competition was their Colombia Edinson Argote Sidra Thermal Shock Washed coffee from Huila, Colombia. Click the button below to learn more about the farm, farmer, and to buy the coffee.

• I really like the Driftaway package fonts, which are Industrial Compostable bags from Roastar. Roastar's compostable bags come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and customizations, including stand-up or gusseted Kraft-paper or white bags with compostable de-gassing valves and zippers.
  
  It's important to note that Industrial Compostable doesn't mean your home compost bin or pile. It refers to larger-scale composting like the type your city or state might offer (or mandate). If your community doesn't offer an industrial composting program, request one! More composting facilities programs will divert more bags from the landfill. These bags may not be the most sustainable option if your roaster sells primarily in an area that doesn't offer composting services.

• Driftaway won Roaster of the Year 2026 from Roast! Magazine (Macro category). The annual contest encompasses the whole of a coffee business, not just the coffee. That means the coffee has to be good, but the business has to meet certain standards, including (per Roast Magazine):
  • Company mission
  • Commitment to sustainable practices
  • Commitment to employees and educational practices
  • Commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity
  • Commitment to and involvement in the coffee industry
  • Innovations in roasting, marketing and business practices
  • Quality of coffee
• You can visit the Driftaway tasting space, but book a spot ahead of time. They stay busy, and walk-ins are not recommended if you're looking to try one of their omakase coffee flights. Reservations are made through the Resy app.

*That was for you, Jared.

FROM THE WORLD OF COFFEE

Our friend, Nick Brown,* over at Daily Coffee News, wrote about the prices of grocery-store coffee hitting all-time highs, recently. If you're drinking specialty coffee, you're probably already paying more than the grocery store average. Specialty coffee roasters may be able to better absorb price jumps temporarily, but it is likely you'll be seeing the economic impact of the war in Iran, tariffs (still), and the resulting increased cost of goods at your local coffee shops, too.

U.S. Grocery Coffee Prices Hit All-Time Average High in April

BLS data shows U.S. grocery-store ground coffee prices hit a record $9.72 per pound, outpacing broader grocery inflation.

Daily Coffee News by Roast MagazineNick Brown

*I think we can call him a friend. Industry acquaintance, at a minimum.

UPDATE

The new podcasting space is coming long. I built a desk and began the painting process.

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