Thrillist’s Top 21 Coffee Roasters

We’re thrilled to be among the top 21 coffee roasters in the country, according to online food, drink and travel mag Thrillist. Crimson Cup is the only Columbus or Ohio coffee roaster to make the list.

Thrillist staff writer Dan Gentile said “… based on the recommendations from trusted industry professionals and personal experiences, we’ve settled on the following 21 as representation of everything that makes American coffee culture great.” The list included national, elite roasters such as Blue Bottle, Counter Culture, Intelligentisia Coffee and Stumptown as well as regional and local players known for java excellence.

Here’s how Thrillist described Crimson Cup:

“The best coffee companies are about more than just roasting beans. Crimson Cup exemplifies the total package with a lengthy resume of community activism. The founder’s book Seven Steps to Success: A Common Sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee is basically a bible for fledgling shop owners, and for true disciples there’s a free franchise program to guide them to opening day. Ohio State helps spread Crimson’s great coffee gospel through educational seminars, and its direct trade relationships with farmers come with Peace Corp-style community improvement projects attached. The breadth of this coffee activism is part of what earned it Roast Magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year award, but it wouldn’t mean a thing if those beans didn’t sing, which they do enough to impress the hardened tasters at Coffee Review, who for instance, gave a light-roasted Ethiopian with notes of honey, jasmine, and orange juice a score of 95. Bonus points for the next-level nitro cold coffee, which includes creative additions like hops and cacao.”

A big Crimson Cup shout-out to Thrillist, and to everyone in the Crimson Cup community – from our central Ohio cuppers to the small farmers who grow our coffee and the community of thriving independent coffee shops and specialty grocers across 29 states and internationally who distribute Crimson Cup coffee to consumers. This recognition is as much about you as it is about us. Thank you!