Welcome to The Dispatch

Hi there! Sam here, Education Coordinator at Offshore Coffee Co.

We’re excited about our new Substack newsletter—The Offshore Dispatch—and wanted to take a moment to share a bit more about it. This is a place we’ll geek out on great coffee, share what’s happening at Offshore, and dive deeper into the craft and science behind every cup.

If you’re a regular at our cafes, you know there’s always something new brewing: from single origins and monthly specials to events, coffee cart pop-ups, and more. But when we’re behind the bar, there isn’t always time to tell you the whole story. This is where we can get into it.

We’ll share what’s new at Offshore and dig into the details, like how to brew better coffee at home, what to look for when buying beans, how different variables affect your cup, and whether that new piece of equipment is worth it.

Coffee can get complicated fast. We’re here to make it less intimidating—and a lot more interesting.

If you just want us to make you a latte or pour-over, stop by one of our cafes, we’re always here for you. But if you’re curious about coffee, love learning how things work, want to experiment at home, or enjoy a good rabbit hole, you’ve found your people.

Why a newsletter?

I’ve been interested in specialty coffee shops for years, but being exposed to the complexity of coffee has increased my enjoyment tenfold of making it for myself and visiting other coffee shops. Coffee can be snobby and gatekept, and part of our mission here will include breaking down these facets of brewing theory and understanding how things work.

I hear all the time, “Oh, you work at Offshore? Offshore is so good.” I agree—that’s how I felt when I was a customer, too. The reason for this is primarily because we prioritize quality in all aspects of our business, not just with our coffee, but with our team. This wealth of knowledge and now, sharing it, is what I believe makes Offshore distinctive in a sea of amazing coffee shops.

Now more than ever we have a larger frame of reference for good food, from increased access we have in our community to excellent restaurants to the ubiquity of discourse on food through reviews and social media. Someone might not know much about coffee, but they know when something is delicious, high quality, and pleasing to them. Humans are constantly perceiving sensory information and interpreting it. We’re aiming to translate our insider coffee knowledge for our community of enthusiasts.

Why me?

You may know me from working behind the bar at all three of our shops. From barista to manager, I’ve been around for post-dawn patrol huddles at Long Branch’s iconic couch, watched feet of snow pile up through Belmar’s picture windows, and sweat it out behind Asbury’s bar in historic Convention Hall.

But why am I qualified? In truth, in many ways, I’m not. I started as the Education Coordinator at the beginning of the summer to help our influx of seasonal staff get trained up before the busiest season at our shore cafes. And while I’ve worked as a barista for over two years and managed several of our locations, I’ve realized in training to become a master that I knew very little about the why behind so many of the things I did each day. Also, I knew a lot about the coffee at Offshore, but my overall coffee knowledge was lacking.

It was during this process that I began training under Michael Rosas, our Director of Coffee and the lifeblood of Offshore. Michael is responsible for developing the roast profiles of every coffee, he has a wealth of knowledge on everything in our shops from espresso machines and grinders to ice machines and everything in between, and his expertise informs our well-trained staff. He is an educator through-and-through with over a decade of coffee experience, including a Q Grader certification (think of sommelier training for coffee—though it is far less common across this industry). Michael’s palate is truly calibrated to an international standard.

I laugh when I tell people I’m training like a samurai, completing sensory evaluations with aroma kits, taking things apart and putting them back together (I learned how to use a screwdriver on the job), and having endless conversations on subjective experiences that have no end. Mastering everything with honor, intention, and loyalty, of course. It’s through my learning journey that I hope to guide you.

Consider this the first step. In the weeks to come, you’ll learn more about Michael and get a taste of the conversations we have about coffee each week. In the meantime, you can order our beans online for home delivery, visit us at one of our cafes down the New Jersey shore, and follow us on Instagram—if you aren’t already.

Cheers!