BOISE, Idaho — Coffee lovers have a lot of choices these days when it comes to finding a cup of joe in the Treasure Valley, but one local roastery is has been putting its own unique spin on coffee beans and brews for decades in downtown Boise.
Dawson Taylor sources their coffee from all across the world. Head roaster Aaron Nelson says you will find beans and brews that are made differently than many others you will find on the market today.
"The European style drum roaster is just a direct flame on a rotating drum," said Nelson. "It's a little different than other methods, very hand crafted and artisanal."
The roastery brings in coffee beans from all over the world that are then roasted by hand in massive drum roasters. The method ensures each unique flavor is able to shine.
"We really just have a chance to showcase a farm in another country that did hard work," Nelson said.
The idea of specially-curated and uniquely crafted coffee roasts was brought to Boise in the mid 1990s by a Washington couple, who realized the Treasure Valley was missing something.
"They had noticed Boise had the need for a specialty coffee roaster, saw there was an opportunity to start a really high end coffee roastery and so Dawson Taylor was born," said general manager Abbey Wymond.
The couple named the company after their son Dawson, who still works there today. Wymond says from the start, the company was interested in creating more than just coffee, they also wanted to craft a sense of community.
"That's really what Dawson Taylor is defined on and what our focus in the company is, is building community through coffee," said Wymond.
Besides the roastery and retail space near Boise State University, Dawson Taylor also operates a coffee cafe downtown, which has been a staple on 8th Street for years now.
"A lot of people have grown up in that shop and it's just part of the Boise culture and history. It's just a really fun industry to be in and to share with the community," said Wymond.
While the business has branched out, the culture and mission within this Made in Idaho company has remained the same. Wymond said, "Really it's just a small group of local people that come together every single day to share this craft that we love,"
Dawson Taylor also helps the Boise business community by sourcing as many high-quality, local ingredients as they can for the beverages they serve in their cafes. They also do bicycle deliveries to downtown Boise customers in an effort to keep the company be as "green" as possible.
