A small California-based coffee house chain is working on its first location in Northern Virginia. It’s called Rare Earth Coffee and it specializes in air roasted coffee.
According to the company’s website, the brand is planning to open an outpost at 2351 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria. It is the first location outside of California, where Rare Earth has nine stores.
Online foodie sources say air roasting of coffee beans has been around since the 1970s, but has never gone mainstream.
The beans are roasted on a bed of hot air versus the more traditional method of tumbling the coffee in a heated steel drum. The result is reportedly a smoother and less bitter tasting product when compared to the drum roasting method.
No word on when the Alexandria location will open — the website just says “opening soon.” Time will tell if this is the start of a new coffee trend featuring air roasted beans.
(Image at top: Rare Earth Coffee)