Unique Fresh Blends Latest Trend in Coffee ; Purveyors Roast Beans Themselves for Top Flavor

Summary

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Aromatic and heady, the smell of freshly brewed coffee envelops customers the moment they enter Misha's Coffeehouse and Roaster in Old Town Alexandria - so rich, nutty and inviting, the aroma offers a taste of the steaming java even before they order a cup.

In a world otherwise driven by haste, the simple pleasure of savoring a good cup of Joe has become for some an obsession - for others an addiction. There are nearly 18,000 specialty coffee shops around the United States, and more open every day.

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Extract

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Unique Fresh Blends Latest Trend in Coffee ; Purveyors Roast Beans Themselves for Top Flavor

One of the newest trends in this fast-growing market is the specialty coffee shop known as a roaster, according to Chris Ferguson, spokesman for the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

Roasters - whose owners often import their own unroasted (green) coffee beans from countries outside the United States and then roast them on site or in local plants - account for nearly 10 percent of all specialty coffee shops.

"In the '90s, every city and town was getting their first coffee bars or shops," Mr. Ferguson says. "Now in the last few years, all of those towns or cities that got their first coffee shop are now getting their first coffee roaster."

The roaster trend is burgeoning nationwide, but it has been a steady presence in the Washington area since the dawn of the last century. Long before Sta...

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