Roasting is an Art
Watching an Ancora roaster at work is much like watching an artist create a painting...
oh so carefully and confidently they tend and nurture each small batch, carefully eyeing the beans, and smelling
and listening to the crack to know just when to release the roast.
Learn more about roasting.
Our People: Meet the Roasters
Dennis Snapshot
Head roaster Dennis Jackson is a true coffee connoisseur. In fact, he was a home roaster before he launched a career in coffee and found his way to Ancora.
Best Coffee to Start the Day
Dennis prefers straight-up origins and gravitates toward coffees featuring distinctive brightness and acidity with a complementary body and nice, clean flavors.
The only way he makes it....
“French presses...seven days a week!”
Early Influences
On Saturday mornings during his childhood, Dennis and his father lingered over cups of coffee identically prepared with a spoonful of sugar and splash of milk.
Music & Coffee
By high school, Dennis was drinking coffee black and seeking out better beans found in independent coffeehouses. He headed to college and majored in music and then hit the road as a touring musician always seeking out the best coffeeshops in the towns along the way.
Favorite Coffee Trip
El Salvador! He trekked through plantations and cupped with the farmers in the winter of 2008 for a memorable trip.
Scott’s Favorites
With a discriminating palate and passion for excellence, Scott Pederson is a Roaster Extraordinaire. Scott found his way to a roasting career after honing his skills as an Ancora barista.
The Coffees he Loves
Kenya Nyeri, Ancora Espresso, Tanzania Ruvuma.
Best Coffee Advice
"Drink what you love!"
Chemistry & Coffee
Scott was a Chemistry major at Marquette University and didn’t drink a drop of coffee until his university days. He was hooked after a couple of cups and went to work part-time as a barista for a local roaster in Milwaukee before moving to Madison and Ancora.
Why Roasting is Good for the Soul
“It’s such an intuitive process because each coffee changes during your roast, and with each growing season. You must constantly stay attuned; it's a truly visceral experience.”
Drink he’s most likely to order in a coffeeshop
Scott always tries a cup of the house blend. “Sometimes you find real gems and sometimes you just cringe and have to walk away.”
All About Ralph
What is it about roasting that attracts musicians? Like Dennis, Ralph Alberts is a musician. A master guitarist, Ralph is Ancora's newest roaster.
California Dreamin'
Ralph, a life-long musician, headed to Hollywood where he studied at the Guitar Institute and lived for many years. Music sent him to Minneapolis and, eventually back home to Madison where he and his wife are raising their son.
Chocolate Beans
It's hard to believe now but Ralph didn't even start drinking coffee until he was in his 20's and a friend tempted him with a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans. The rest is history..".well that sort of did it for me," muses Ralph as he sips a steaming cup of French Sumatra.
Latte d'ah
Ralph got so into coffee he and his wife owned their own coffeeshop for 3 years.
Roasting suits Ralph Because....
"It's incumbent on me to do things precisely and make on-the-spot judgments."
Ralph's Drink
A double espresso!
Suggestions for Newbies
"Try as many origins and blends as you can because the range of flavors and characteristics are so wide." Ralph likes Indonesians and our Kenya AA. His favorite blend? Espresso Dolce.