BeverageLife
  • Home
  • BevLife Blog
    • Beer & Cider
    • Coffee
    • Spirits & Cocktails
    • Tea & Juice
    • Wine
    • & Eats
  • Events
  • Resources / Merch
    • Q&A Series
    • Lifestyle
    • KC Cafes
    • KC After Hours
    • Midwest Tea Stops
  • About
    • Team
    • Press / Portfolio
  • Contact

Q&A: Melody Harwell of Coffee Slingers Roasters

6/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
~ Talking coffee & community with Melody in OKC ~ 
Coffee Slingers has been a go-to OKC coffee stop for our team since before their participation in the first Caffeine Crawl OKC in 2013, and we've loved watching them engage the coffee lovers of OKC as Oklahoma's specialty coffee scene continues to grow. We hope you enjoy our chat with Melody, and grab a cup of coffee next time you're in OK!

- The LAB Team 
Picture
The LAB: What's been the best part of watching Coffee Slingers grow as a company?

Melody: Creative thinking from my crew - watching development and confidence grow in the people I've mentored.  Also growing as a leader that can trust and let go as well as have the time to see the whole picture, and where we are going next.

​
The LAB: What are a few key things you look for when hiring a new barista, and what do you wish was a bigger (or smaller) focus in the barista community in general? 

​Melody: Can they be a team player, and can they learn from mistakes and take feedback - being an assertive communicator is also important. 

I wish the community would focus more on the coffee and a little less on the latte art - because pretty coffee has to taste good, too. I would also like to see us putting less focus on making coffee that just tastes 'approachable' - this is difficult for producers at the farm level trying to accommodate the industry, and makes a lot of amazing coffees muted. Just like in craft beer and wine, a diverse flavor variety is available for different palates, and some of us want coffee, beer and wine that is complex and makes us think! ​
Picture
The LAB: Three things you love about OKC?

Melody: I have loved watching Oklahoma grow into a more friendly city for out-of-towners, as well as bikers and walkers - we now have covered bus stops and a bike share program.  We are really starting to focus on the welcoming factor, health, and diversity. This has been very enjoyable for me to see and be a part of - I love being a part of something that's growing in OKC!

​
The LAB: What ways have you seen the OKC specialty coffee scene grow and change since opening Coffee Slingers? 

Melody: It's changed so much since the day we opened our doors in 2008 - Oklahoma City is familiar with specialty coffee now. It has helped finding people that want to be a part of the specialty coffee industry, which makes it better for all coffee shops. We have all helped plant the seed to create a culture that understands the combination of hard work and quality - we take a humble pride in the job we do, and can enjoy it creatively in a fun, flexible, and always growing industry. ​​
Picture
The LAB: What's your go-to morning routine?

Melody: Breakfast, then ride.  it's necessary way for me to start my day or I feel a little off.


The LAB: Favorite music artists currently?

Melody: The Skatalites, Howlin' Wolf -  anything with clear defined instruments displayed in layers.

​
The LAB: What's an ideal day off for you look like?

Melody: Jumping out of an airplane, rock climbing, or just going to the Wichita Mountains for a hike with my new dog Millie, who I just adopted. I guess you can say I'm in love...

Picture
The LAB: Favorite after-hours beverage (and favorite place to order/drink it)?

Melody: Vino! Summer it's Pinos from Oregon - winter it's Malbecs from Argentina, or a Cabernet from California. I definitely enjoy French wines in the spring/summer. Weather and food is a huge deciding factor when it comes to wine. 
If I'm going to go get a drink, it's definitely going to be an outside patio like Sidecar, Flip's Wine Bar, or the O Bar. Wine temperature is usually a selling point for me. I enjoy understanding the processes and how aging affects the flavors of the wine - I think having diversity in the things that you're in to helps with staying passionate about what you do everyday.


The LAB: ​Totally agree! What was your first job in coffee, and what do you remember most about it?

Melody: My first job was in a outdoor coffee kiosk at a grocery store in Tacoma, Washington.
I wore cut off gloves and we had space heaters on the floor - I remember opening my first bag of fresh coffee to fill the hopper, and wondering why it didn't taste like it smelled.

Another memory would be a customer with more worldly experience coming by and trying to show me how to grind, pack and pull a shot - if you can only imagine - it was 1995 and I was 16. I remember really wanting to make tasty drinks. 

The LAB: That's awesome, and cool to see how far you've come! Thanks so much for sharing, Melody.

Melody: Cheers for listening ~ 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Advertisements
    Australia
    Barista Skills
    Bartender
    Beer
    Beer Tour
    BeverageLife
    Bikes
    Bitters
    Boulder
    Bourbon
    Brandy
    Caffeine Crawl
    California
    Cappuccino
    Cappucino
    Chai
    Champagne
    Chartreuse
    Chemex
    Chicago
    Chocolate
    Cider
    Cocktail
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    Cognac
    Cold Brew
    Colorado
    Colorado Springs
    Columbus
    Community
    Cupping
    Danny Meyer
    D.C.
    Denver
    Design
    Destination:Drink
    Digestif
    Distillery
    Doughnut
    Espresso
    Fall
    Family
    Fernet
    Food & Wine
    Fort Collins
    Friends
    Gifts
    Gin
    Green Coffee
    History
    Holidays
    Home Bar
    Home Brewer
    Hospitality
    Hot Buttered Rum
    Houston
    Ice Cream
    Illinois
    Indianapolis
    Industry Terms
    Interview
    IPA
    Italy
    James Beard
    Juice
    Kansas City
    Latte
    Louisville
    Madison
    Media
    Mezcal
    Milk
    Minnesota
    New Orleans
    New Year's
    New York
    Nitro
    North Carolina
    NPR
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Oklahoma City
    Omaha
    Orlando
    Pairings
    Personalities
    Philadelphia
    Pina Colada
    Pittsburgh
    Portland
    Portugal
    Pourover
    Press
    Pride
    Punch
    Q&A
    Riesling
    Rose
    Rum
    Sacramento
    Salt Lake City
    San Diego
    Santa Barbara
    Scotch
    Seasonal
    Sherry
    Single Origin
    Social Media
    Soda
    Sommelier
    Spirits
    Sports
    St. Louis
    Subscription
    Summer
    Tales Of The Cocktail
    Tea
    Tequila
    Throwback Thursday
    Tiki
    TopTenTuesday
    Top Ten Tuesday
    Travel
    Tulsa
    Twin Cities
    Vermouth
    Vintners
    Vodka
    Washington DC
    West Coast
    Whiskey
    Wine
    Wisconsin
    WordWednesday
    Word Wednesday

  • Home
  • BevLife Blog
    • Beer & Cider
    • Coffee
    • Spirits & Cocktails
    • Tea & Juice
    • Wine
    • & Eats
  • Events
  • Resources / Merch
    • Q&A Series
    • Lifestyle
    • KC Cafes
    • KC After Hours
    • Midwest Tea Stops
  • About
    • Team
    • Press / Portfolio
  • Contact