Mile 229.1 - RBD Baton Rouge City Wharf: Community Coffee
229.1 RBD Baton Rouge City Wharf: Community Coffee
If the wind is blowing directly across the river when you are loading in or taking out at Glass Beach you might detect the distinct aroma of roasting coffee beans. This is not a delusion. Amidst all of the other caustic smells swarming the general atmosphere the famous Community Coffee Company is adding the reassuring pleasures of fresh roasted beans to the mix. It is America’s largest family-owned coffee business, and is definitely a SoLa standard. To be sure, you’ll find Community Coffee through the Deep South, and the closer to SoLa you get, the stronger it gets. The Chicory “New Orleans” Blend is my favorite, but the Breakfast Blend, Cafe Especial, and Dark Roast are all good also. Started in Baton Rouge in 1919, Community touts itself as the oldest family owned and operated retail coffee brand in America. Be sure to grab a cup if you get a chance and make sure it’s got chicory. Or give the smaller Baton Rouge coffee brand, River Road Coffees, a try. River Road offers an organic blend that has become my personal favorite. Both make great beans! Coffee has been one of the major imports entering the country through the Mississippi River for centuries.
From the Community Coffee website: “Community Coffee grew out of a small country store started in 1919 on the north edge of Baton Rouge by Norman ‘Cap’ Saurage and his family to serve their neighbors. Because Cap was working alongside his family, and because he was serving his neighbors, he knew his coffee had to be the best-tasting, highest quality coffee possible. By 1919, Cap had discovered a secret blend that was richer, bolder and smoother than any coffee around. He named his popular coffee ‘Community Coffee’ to honor his friends and neighbors. It was a coffee for his community. Four generations later, the Saurage Family is still selecting, roasting and perfecting great-tasting blends for coffee lovers everywhere.”
SoLa Coffee Companies
Coffee, and the serving and sharing of it, is a fine tradition honed to perfection in Southern Louisiana. Ce Bon! In Cajun country you will be considered unfriendly if you don’t offer you guests or visitors a cup of fresh brew. We identified Community Coffee above because it is housed right on the banks of the river in Baton Rouge, and commands such a strong presence. But there are many, many other great SoLa choices to sample including French Market, River Road, Luzianne, Cafe Du Monde (CDM), Union Coffee, and Mello Joy. Paddler Robert Landreneau who grew up in a multi-generational Lafayette family swears by Mello Joy. I prefer River Road Organic. Baby’s Coffee in Breaux Bridge should be added if possible. Try them all. Be sure to sample at least one chicory blend. Chicory is as SoLa as it gets! Chicory is roasted sassafras, derived from native traditions, and commonly used in SoLa during the depression and the World Wars as a coffee substitute or extender. Not everyone enjoys chicory, but you can cut the bitterness with some sugar and milk like they do at Cafe du Monde. You’ll soon find out which most titillates your personal coffee senses! They’re all good if they’re from SoLa, and will be fresher roasted than most other store-bought coffees you’ll find anywhere else in America. And there is a reason for this: bulk coffee beans arrive here at these same ports quicker from coffee-growing nations in Latin and South America than they do anywhere else in the US! You’re in SoLa now, dear paddler, and you might as well taste it all, the freshest beans in America. Enjoy the sensation!