OK. I'm an avowed, self-proclaimed, coffee snob. I've been roasting my own coffee for probably 20 years. No coffee is better than mine. I even created my own rating scale. It's called "The Sweat Sock Scale". I rate coffee based on how many dirty sweat socks it tastes like the coffee was filtered through. (i.e. Starbucks is regularly a solid one... strictly a caffeine delivery system). So are we all in agreement that I was (oh..."was"... foreshadowing! ) a coffee snob. I would see a sign that said "Cafe" and I had to be careful not to snap my nose in the air too fast and too hard and do myself a neck injury. Well, I just completed a tour with Jonathan. Talk about a guy with encyclopedic knowledge of the coffee establishments in PDX! He took us to places that a day ago I would have "noped" my way by. My rating of the day? Each of the establishments we visited had AT LEAST one coffee sample that was a STRONG -2 Sweat Socks rating! Mole in coffee?!? Who da thunk? A couple of the samples felt like they were taking the enamel off of my teeth and cauterizing my digestive track but these were quickly forgotten by the next sample served. One suggestion... build food into the tour. Snacks are fine, but having time where participants can buy a sandwich (or whatever) would be nice. Oooh! Idea incoming! Jonathan, what if you had people voluntarily make their OWN unique rating system as part of the tour? And then they could use that scale throughout the tour. Fun and you could get an idea of what people are thinking. Thanks, Jonathan! read more

I really enjoyed the Third Wave Coffee Tour I took with my friend Matt while visiting him and attending the Specialty Coffee expo in Portland. On our NW/Pearl District Specialty Coffee Tour we visited four unique shops, seeing the city through coffee. 1st: Case Study Coffee, 2nd: Good Coffee, 3rd: Sisters Coffee Co., and 4th: Nossa Familia. Because of Covid, the max tour capacity was lowered to six people, which meant our tour was extremely intimate and personal, and we each got to ask a lot of questions. A fun fact that I learned is that Portland is one of the most caffeinated cities based on the amount spent per month on coffee & the number of coffee shops per capita! We met at Case Study Coffee, where our tour guide Lora had a reserved sign on the table so that we knew we were in the right place. Upon arrival, the barista directed us to her reserved area, which is there where we sat for the next hour as we learned coffee 101. During this informative lesson, we learned about coffee processing (natural vs washed vs honey), varietals, types of espresso-based beverages, coffee is a seed and not a bean, the history with dancing goats, and that all parts of the coffee plant (leaves, cherry, and seed) are caffeinated. She had laminated slides that were passed around for us to look at, some of which included photos from her coffee farm visit with Nossa Familia. Our first stop, Case Study, was started in 2010. They roast their own coffee, make their own syrups, toast their own hazelnuts, and they even get their honey from a coffee farm. We tried their drip coffee from Peru and their blend for the espresso drink in small paper cups that said Case Study Coffee Roasters with a very artistic C. The location we visited opened a year ago and they have 5 shops in town, and make a great destination if you're looking for flavored lattes. We then walked to our second stop, which was just about a block away, and I loved their atmosphere with large windows and healthy plants. At Good Coffee we started with their cold brew, then we tried the Horchata latte both hot and iced - I personally preferred hot but it was fun to do a side-by-side comparison. Both the tour guide and barista staff were very considerate of dietary restrictions. Given that I'm gluten free and lactose intolerant, I was really impressed with how thoughtful and communicative our tour guide was at each location. If you have dietary restrictions, you tell her on the ticket form and you can feel taken care of. At Sister's (stop 3) she was able to arrange for two different vegan & gluten free pastries (one of Sister's main people has celiac and therefore they're very gluten conscious). It was also very nice that one of Sister's baristas sat and talked to us about their coffee program and was very engaged with us. At Nossa Familia (stop 4) she was able to arrange for a dairy-free espresso con pana with chocolate whipped coconut cream instead of regular dairy whipped cream. She didn't make me feel embarrassed for my restrictions, and instead she made me feel safe and seen. I recommend this tour for any coffee-lovers and caffeine-addicts visiting Portland and wanting to experience a part of their strong coffee scene. I'd recommend wearing comfortable shoes and layers. The walking distances were very reasonable and you're sure to learn about both coffee and an area of Portland! read more

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Visited Portland over the Memorial Day weekend and decided to check out this tour. Laura was very nice and knowledgeable in all things coffee. It was a small group of us about 6 people which was great. We checked out about 5 different shops and tasted all ranges of coffee's and espressos. We were supposed to take a cable car but sadly missed it due to unexpected timing. Laura made it up to our group and had us do a bonus coffee shop which was really great. My personal favorite was our last stop which had an Horchata iced expresso. Would 100% recommend this tour for coffee lovers. Disclaimer: If you are thinking it's like Starbucks, think again. These are actual coffees (mainly black) with no sugar or creamer with the exception of 2 or 3 tastings. read more

Third Wave Coffee Tours - a close up of two people holding cups of coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me

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Had a great time with Third Wave Coffee tour - it was so cool to learn the different notes of coffee, how the beans are processed, as well as try multiple coffee shops based on the guidance of a local. We tried drinks we never would have ordered and ended up finding our favorite coffee shop, beans, and drink so much so that we came back the next day. One of the highlights of our trip and completely worth it. read more

I loved my experience with Third Wave Coffee Tours. They were very accommodating for our high school group and showed us some hidden gems in our tour of the city. I can't wait to come back and check out their other tour offerings. read more

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Lora was great! we went on the specialty coffee and artisanal donuts tour - donuts were at the beginning of the tour and so good! also at the beginning of the tour was a lot of information about coffee, including what the different types of coffee varietals are and an explanation of the farm to cup journey of the coffee we drink. we were able to try a wide variety of coffees from a good selection of quality coffee shops. there wasn't a ton of walking between shops, but a decent amount that allowed us to enjoy the blue sky and fresh air :) very enjoyable tour, even for portland locals! read more

very entertaining and informative. surprisingly ad how - in a good way. she adjusted to take advantage of extra opportunities along the way. tasted some superb coffee in very comfortable and attractive venues. had a great time. read more

This was a really fun, different kind of tour. I have been in plenty of sight-seeing tours, haunted pub tours, etc but never a coffee tour. There were four of us who went for my friend's birthday and it was interesting, informative and a really fun time. We went to four different coffee houses and tasted several different types of espressos and coffees. Our guide even got us a cinnamon roll snack because we passed by a cafe and commented how good it smelled. I definitely would recommend this tour! read more

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These kinds of tours are about people and the places they love, and it came through here. I took the Sunday Streetcar tour... Informed, enthusiastic guides brought us to some (5) great shops, introduced us to roasters and baristas (learned a good bit about that trade!) and offered insights into coffee trade and the inner-workings of the industry. This is a great way to see a bit deeper into something very dear to this incredible city, meet cool people, and catch a nice caffeine buzz, while learning to better appreciate something so increasingly ingrained in our culture. Enlightening for the aficionado, helpful for the novice or simply enjoyable for the curious type who likes getting closer to the city, definitely worth the investment. read more

This was really fun. We met in the morning in a coffee shop that has wonderful coffee (of course) and food; I arrived a little early and had a sweet breakfast. Lora gave us a great overview of the global coffee scene and we had a demo and talk about roasting. We then used the street car to get to four other shops, for a total of five. Each barista taught us about something different and provided a sample of a different coffee beverage, plus a treat. I was impressed with Lora's knowledge. I was also impressed with how organized the tour was. Lora provided everyone with a streetcar pass & showed us how to use them. She passed around interesting visuals during her intro. I actually wish this had been longer and not as hurried. The baristas at each shop clearly expected us and were prepared to do a presentation and give samples. Lora also clarified dietary preferences and accommodated vegan and gluten-free needs. I live in Portland and am a coffee person; still, I learned new stuff and discovered a new coffee spot. I'd definitely go on another tour and take out of town visitors with me. read more

Third Wave Coffee Tours - Cup & Bar-- Trailhead Coffee Roasters - Coffee & Tea Near Me

We had so much fun on our tour. We tasted several tasty specialty coffees and espresso drinks from three trendy coffee shops around Portland. Laura brought a lot of energy to the tour and was fun to talk to and learn from. Highly recommend for coffee lovers! read more

A must do if you"re visiting Portland. Make sure its one of the first things you do. Not only is Lora full of great places to go and knowledge, you can see just how passionate she is about coffee, Portland and the food. Im ready to do another tour. I dont think you could get anywhere near the same education or experience without her. Thank you, thank you, tgank you!!!! read more

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As a Portland local, I regularly visit my neighborhood specialty coffee shops, and I'd like to think I know a thing or two about Portland's coffee scene. I hadn't realized how much I actually didn't know until I I took a tour with Lora on her East Side Pioneering Roasters tour -- I learned SO much! We got to do some tastings and see some brew demonstrations at a few places. (I learned what I was doing wrong with my Chemex at home!) We learned about the various processes that go into making coffee taste the way it does. My favorite part of the tour was getting to see the behind-the-scenes at Coava's roasting headquarters. Igor did a cool demonstration and we sampled their cold brew which they make in house. Definitely recommend if you're a coffee (or tea) drinker. You'll learn a bunch about the Portland coffee community and how coffee gets from the farms to our cups. Fun for locals or visitors to the PNW. After this tour, you'll definitely appreciate your morning cup of coffee so much more :) -- side note: there's also a downtown coffee and donuts tour and one that takes you around the city via streetcar! read more

I want to start by saying that this is an amazing tour and if you are visiting Portland you should definitely check it out. The tour is so much more than just a tasting of a few area coffees. It is also a really educational process. It helps you understand the best ways to brew coffee as well as what coffee you like or dislike the most. The tour was far and away the best thing we did on our trip. My wife and I were in town for 5 days and we were staying in the Pearl District. Upon hearing about Third Wave Coffee Tours, we signed up for the Tuesday tour of the Pearl District. We met up with Lora, the owner of Third Wave and our tour guide for the day, at a coffee shop a few blocks from where we were staying. Along the tour we learned about the origins of coffee and all of the people that are involved in exporting of the coffee we drink. Moreover, we saw 3 different methods for brewing coffee and we were able to see a coffee roaster @ Nossa Familia as well as participate in a cupping. The tour was a ton of fun and with Lora's help, my wife and I were able to find out which type of coffee we like the best as well as the best way to brew it at home. I recommend this tour to anyone and everyone visiting Portland. Also worth mentioning, Lora was incredibly helpful in pointing out things to do while visiting Portland. She has a plethora of knowledge about all things Portland and she was able to make several recommendations that made our trip even better. read more

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I have a confession to make: I don't drink coffee :/ But being the wonderful girlfriend that I am, I rearranged our itinerary and booked the Pioneering Eastside tour for my bf and I. I did not expect to have as much fun as I did! Probably one of the best tours I've been on! We met up with Lora, our tour guide and owner, at our first stop along with two other couples and a translator for the Japanese couple in our group. The 3 hour walking tour... yes 3 hours, thank goodness for no rain...took us to 5 different coffee shops and even a tea shop (the malted matcha latte at Smith's was finger licking good). This was much more than a tasting tour. We got to stroll the inner city of Portland while learn about the behind the scenes of how coffee is sourced, roasted, and priced before it is served. Even though I am not a coffee enthusiast, I had a lot of fun learning about the third wave coffee scene and how coffee is such a beautiful craft. I think I might be a coffee convert! Lora has a true passion for coffee and the city of Portland. She also shared a lot of great food recommendations. I would love to come back for another tour when I'm in town. Highly recommended! read more

This is an absolute MUST do for coffee drinkers and foodies - or history/culture buffs. We always take our of town guests on these tours and they are always a little different -- going several times a year surprisingly not redundant, I always learn more about coffee, culture and my city. Lora is very knowledgeable--she has traveled the world to learn about coffee and coffee culture. She has great relationships with the locations on the tour -- you gain a great understanding of how Portland became the artisan coffee capital. Try interesting methods for roasting, grinding and brewing--it all makes a huge difference in your final product. I compare coffee knowledge to wine knowledge -- it actually is that interesting and varied. Highly recommend for locals and tourists! read more

Allow me to start by saying that this is HANDS DOWN the best tour I've ever been on. I'll go as far as to say that it'll be the best tour you'll ever go on, too. Perhaps the most important detail of this review is that I am not a coffee drinker. In fact, I detest coffee. Well, until now. I purchased this tour as a surprise gift and went along for the streetcar ride around Portland. But wait. A three hour tour?! A three hour touuuurrr... Oh no. What was I possibly going to do for three whole hours while everyone else was enjoying coffee? Little did I know, I'd never want the tour to end! Lora, our amazing and knowledgeable tour guide made our adventure fun and engaging from the first moment we all sat down at Case Study Café. She is truly a wealth of knowledge! By the time she had finished explaining different types of beans, I was curious enough to try a sip. I'm so glad I did! Ethan, our first barista, taught us about different brewing methods using the same coffee. We tried samples from each brew and the tastes were drastically different, albeit all delicious! No bitterness. No burnt taste. Just perfect, amazing coffee! So, it's safe to say that by stop #1, I was a coffee convert. Hooray! The next four stops were equally as amazing as our first. Each of the stops were completely unique and Lora offered a very well rounded experience for all of us. Our tour group members tried coffee beverages that we've never had before. No coffee was left behind. I think that's a pretty great testimony! Luckily, my tour group was amazing in itself. Everyone was friendly, funny and open to good times. What a perfect tour with perfect people! Can't wait to experience another tour with Third Wave! Hope to see people from my group again. Maybe I'll see you, my fellow Yelper, next time! :) read more

A fun and interesting tour for everyone! Yummy drinks and a great guide...a must do for birth visitors and locals

My husband is a coffee addict and I knew that we needed to do this coffee tour on our recent trip to Portland. We did the East Side tour with stops at some of the best third wave coffee roasters. At first I thought that the $40/each was a bit pricey, but this tour is worth the money. You get coffee at every stop, plus snacks to keep the caffeine high in check. Lora (owner & tour guide) was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I especially liked that we got to participate in a cupping at Portland Roasting Company. On this tour you'll learn about: - the coffee plant - how coffee is produced and sold - how coffee is roasted to produce different flavors - how coffee is graded and priced The tour is informative and fun and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Besides coffee, Lora knows a lot about the food scene in Portland and we took her advice on lots of yummy restaurants and food carts to visit. read more

Decided to post another review on Yelp because it would reach out to more people than the tour booking website. Anyway, if you love coffee, and would like to be educated on coffee-making/drinking, go for the tour! We booked this tour because we have recently come to take our coffee drinking a little more seriously. It was a great tour! Lora is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and we were throughly educated on this tour. Lora even threw in tips on where to eat and drink! We tried out several of her food recommendations, and it did not disappoint. Definitely recommending this tour to coffee lovers, and people who want to try out as many cafes as they could possibly squeeze in a short amount of time. read more

What a great way to start off my trip in Portland! I took the Downtown Coffee Crawl and experienced some great downtown local coffee shops. Lora does a great job in introducing the group to some of the many local coffee shops in downtown Portland. She is very knowledgable in the coffee culture in Portland and specialty coffee. I went in thinking I knew a lot about coffee but left with so much more knowledge about specialty coffee and the Portland coffee culture. Durning the 3 hour tour we visited 7 local shops, each with a different brewing method and coffee to taste. If you are a local or visiting from out of town Third Wave Coffee Tours should be your first thing to do on your list. Not only will you enjoy great coffee but you will leave with a huge appreciation for the Portland Coffee scene and Third Wave Coffee. read more

Sent my mom and a friend on the tour as a gift and they can't stop talking about it. They loved Lora, the guide and enjoyed learning more about the coffee scene in Portland. They were also lucky enough to join when a film crew was tagging along for the day. Highly recommended. read more

This tour is a lot of fun, even as a local. You visit several boutique coffee shops and roasters, and get insider access to the industry and experts. I learned a lot and enjoyed the opportunities to observe high end coffee brewing and roasting methods. read more

Do you love coffee? Are you visiting Portland? Then this is should be the #1 thing on your list to do. Hands down. The Third Wave Coffee Tour was my favorite part of the my 4 day trip to Portland. It was so fun to to see the coffee industry up close and taste plenty of coffee and special treat along the way. It cost ~$45/person, but it is WELL worth it. We did the Eastside Tour which was on a Friday morning. We visited 5 locations. Between those 5 locations we tasted 7 or 8 types of coffee (latte, pour over, cold brew, etc.), several different types of tea and 3 flavorful treats. PLUS you get to ask as many questions you want and drink more if you can handle all the caffeine. DO THIS TOUR! You WILL NOT regret it!!! read more

I feel like the biggest jerk in the world for not remembering my Streetcar Named Delicious coffee tour guide (the one on Sunday 07/10). The tour itself was just incredibly informative and very enjoyable for pretty much all types of coffee lovers. In 3 hours, you get to see, listen, and enjoy Portland's 3rd wave coffee scene through 7 coffee shops and roasters. The tour goes over many different aspects of the industry and the scene, which to me was such an eye opening experience. And of course, my tour guide, she was hands down one of the nicest I've met. She was knowledgable (she used to work in the coffee industry), attentive, and very kind. The tour deserved 4 stars and the 5th one goes out to her. Definitely will book another one next time I'm in town. read more

Third Wave Coffee Tours - My tour guide is the one in the white pants. - Coffee & Tea Near Me

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Lora did a great job with this tour! I hadn't heard of Third Wave until I got a gift certificate from my brother, but after riding the Streetcar Named Delicious, I'm looking forward to checking out other tours too! Whether you're visiting Portland or already live here, this is not only a great way to learn what you didn't know (and didn't know to ask) about coffee, but it's also a great way to see the city, and drink some of Portland's awesome artisan coffee! I think our tour lasted about 3 hours, well worth the price of admission, even if you didn't have a certificate! Lora provided a ton of great information about coffee in general and Portland's coffee scene, shared a ton of restaurant recommendations with fellow tour-goers who were visiting from out of town, and even shared tips for coffee excursions in Seattle (where I was headed the weekend after I took the Streetcar coffee tour with her). read more

What a fun and educational tour through Portland's Pearl District. Not only do you taste and experience the world's best coffee in the quaint and unique parts of Portland, but, as you walk, you experience the sites of the finest restaurants, shops and historical sites of the city. Third Wave Coffee tours offer it all! read more

Third Wave Coffee Tours - Coffee & Tea Near Me

This is the first review I've ever written & it's because of the great experience Lora gave us. We booked a personalized coffee tour with Lora today. We scheduled a night tour (4:30-6:30) because we had other activities scheduled for the day. Lora was extremely accommodating and responsive to all our needs. Our group arrived late (coffee shops close relatively early from what we are used to in CA), but she was still able to work her magic and we were able to follow the itinerary she initially designed. Definitely a must do when you visit the city!!! Thanks, Lora! read more

If you love coffee then this is the tour for you. Not only will you get to some great coffee shops around town, but you will get so much information on coffee. Which if you are a coffee connoisseur you will really enjoy the education on these trips as well. We discovered coffee shops we didn't even know existed and learned about different brewing methods and were able to sample all of it. There were snacks along the way to help with the caffeine buzz too. Now if all that isn't enough, they have just launched a new tour that includes Donuts. You will get to drink coffee that has been carefully paired to select donuts from different shops. I have done both tours and I highly recommend the donut addition if you are a donut lover. So if you have guests coming in from out of town, this is a great way to show them around or if you just want to be a tourist in your own city, pick a tour and enjoy! read more

We had a great time on this tour! My husband is a Portland local and we were looking for something new to do on our most recent visit. All the coffee was delicious. The owner of the business was our guide and she was very knowledgeable and fun to be around for the morning! Definitely recommend. :) read more

I was surprised with the tour by my fiance and I could not have had a better time! Lora was a such a fantastic guide. She knows everything about coffee. I highly recommend it. My fiance did not like coffee and now she is a fan! read more

If you're into coffee, you should go on this tour. Laura is extremely knowledgeable and the baristas tend to the group with a ton of attention, so not only do you hear their spiel but you can also ask questions and get into the gritty details about all aspects of coffee. read more

I love coffee. But I never appreciated the art and craft of it, till this GREAT tour! Lora - you are a wealth of knowledge and fun to hang with! Thanks for exposing us to the local gems of artisanal coffee in the Portland area and enabling us to discover what truly fine brewed coffee SHOULD taste like! read more

We really loved our tour. We also enjoyed the ride on the Portland Street Car. Lora is an excellent host and tour guide. All of the baristas were charming and informative. I recommend this tour for anyone who enjoys coffee. read more

This streetcar coffee tour was excellent! Lora did a fantastic job in organizing the tour with respect to choosing the coffee places and getting the group to each location. Each place was unique, 5 stops in total, with the last place offering a "cupping" experience. Lora/the employees/owners were all knowledgeable about their coffee and addressed each question with enthusiasm. Lora also did a great job orienting the group to Portland and offered many recommendations to eat and drink. Highly recommended! read more

Lora guided me through wonderful downtown Portland coffee shops. After some fascinating coffee history we sampled at several shops learning more and more at each stop. A beautiful highlight of local businesses and a great way to spend the afternoon! read more

I highly suggest this tour or any tour Laura gives! She knows Portland like the back of her hand! She also knows coffee and is amazing at educating you in in it. Her tour was an experience for the senses. I never tasted, smelled or sensed such amazing coffee cuisine. Everywhere she took us was an education. We even learned how to "cup" when evaluating coffee. She also has a chocolate tour and a future donut tour in the works. We are soooooo coming back for those!! Bravo! read more

4.5 stars Coffee and Donuts tour: 5 stops: 2 donuts + 4 with coffee. We started at a local donut shop that prides itself on"every day donuts." Once the group was completed, we were allowed to start the sampling of donuts AND coffee. This stop was my favorite for the primary reason of the idea of sampling different coffee notes and then pairing it with different donut flavors (ala wine tasting and pairing). Even a novice coffee drinker (or ones that just buy the run of the mill stuff) can tell if this coffee tastes "nutty" or "not so much" with this or that donut. The manager of the store had good info on the tasting notes (we did NOT dive deep into), but Lora really shined here on knowledge bomb(s) of "first", "second", and then "THIRD" wave coffee movements. The donuts themselves were fun too. The shop let us sample 4 types: yeast, cake, old fashion, and buttermilk. These were all good, but I tend toward the more "light and airy" (to fit more in, of course!). The yeast was phenomenal! This ain't no dunkin donut! There were two coffees - one light-medium Ethiopian and one medium-dark Columbian (they pride themselves on NOT having dark roasts, which I applaud). The next stop was a coffee roaster, who just so happened to be ROASTING the minute we walked into the shop. It was awesome Q&A for him and his roasting machine. The aroma was just heavenly, and we got a house-made hazelnut milk + coffee drink (on ice). Very cool. Third stop was a highly rated donut shop. We just stopped to buy them (as we would sample them later at another coffee stop). But the tour guests had enough time to purchase our own donuts. Fourth stop was a more European experience with a macchiato. I tend to blame the Italian method (espresso and it's offspring) for the horrible way Americans obsess toward burnt, sweat tasting coffee. So I thought this stop was "ok." They added a nice heart to the froth. Fifth stop was a coffee retail store that did a demo for the tour group. This barista was quite extensive in his knowledge and fun-facts. His demo included tasting notes from the same coffee: hot versus poured over ice. It was different afterall, and each tasted different with the different donuts (which were great!). I'm not sure if anything on this tour blew my mind for my own coffee experience, but it was definitely informative and fun. We walked about 6 blocks up and maybe 4-5 blocks over. It's casual sped and definitely lasted the whole bit of 3 hours. Lora and cohorts were great. Negatives: A) It's just too much coffee for me, which is funny b/c I drink about 2 mugs a day while at work. But this coffee tour was about quality NOT quantity, and quite simply, I over indulged. And then the donuts! Lora provided everything a tour guide could, even a quote to "drink water" and "you don't have to drink everything." It's just the nature of this tour. B) I wish there was ONE more donut shop fit in there C) Little things: the donuts were a side note, talk about the roasting at the roasting shop, start at the roaster and end at the everyday donut shop (kinda like a coffee bean would? from farm to table?) For me personally, I've taken multiple coffee planation tours, and it was neat to see what happens AFTER the farm. I think for me I just always thought "magic!" But what really DOES happen after the farm? Lora helped us search for this answer along the tour and in the middle of it we got some good donuts. read more

Had a great time. Perfect little tour of downtown and a great for people new to coffee.

Learned a lot about how the preparation, methods used for a great cup of coffee. Then set out to sample some great brews and espressos. Portland is very coffee innovative and Lora really knows her Portland history. Worth your time and you'll away with some great coffee knowledge. read more