‘Cup of Joe’ gets a brewed awakening

It takes a lot to impress a coffee drinker in the Pacific Northwest. Fair trade, single origin? That's just the beginning. Following the trail blazed by Stumptown Coffee Roasters founder (and hometown hero) Duane Sorenson, a new class of caffeine geeks has taken up the micro-roast cause, tending tiny batches of carefully curated beans and setting up superspecialized cafes all over Portland. Whatever you do, just—please—don't try to order a venti.

Barista
This Pearl District café is named for the people who pull the shots. Three-time Northwest Regional Barista Competition champion Billy Wilson plays scientist behind the bar using double-chambered glass vacuum pots (539 NW 13th Ave., baristapdx.com).

Ristretto Roasters
Art shows staged by a local curator, a designated "cupping" area for tastings, and a loft-like setting in a former bicycle factory elevate owner Din Johnson's newest outpost well above satellite-office status (3808 N. Williams Ave., ).

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Cellar Door Coffee
Roasters Andrea Pastor and Jeremy Adams met as apprentices in the sustainable-farming program at the University of California, Santa Cruz; fittingly, their 2-year-old Southeast Portland café is equipped with an environmentally friendly roaster that runs on green energy (2001 SE 11th Ave., ).

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Red e Café
At this 9-month-old newcomer, owners Keith Miller and Mindy Farley run their baristas through minicourses to prepare them to talk about each day's 6 to 10 roasts (1006 N. Killingsworth St., ).

Extracto Coffeehouse
Last year's addition of a hulking, four-by-seven-foot 1950s cast-iron Probat roaster upgraded this casual Northeast Portland neighborhood hangout into a bona fide mecca for bean fiends (2921 NE Killingsworth St., ).