CARLSBAD — A chance meeting has led a local coffee connoisseur into launching a new blend celebrating his Midwestern roots.
Ryan Woldt, who lives in Carlsbad and covers coffee through his Roast! West Coast publication on Substack along with hosting the “Coffee People Podcast,” and Bryant Banker-Scannell, owner and roaster of Relative Coffee, joined forces to release a new coffee blend celebrating their Midwestern origins. Woldt, who is originally from Wisconsin, and Banker-Scannell, who lives in Minneapolis, hit it off upon meeting and built a story around their coffee as a tribute to the affable, down-to-earth and folksy style of the Midwest.
The duo calls their blend, “Yeah, no … Yeah,” which in the Midwest is often a substitute for “yes.” The two figured there was no better brand name than “Yeah, no … Yeah” for their collaboration.
“We took this approach about what we like about our favorite coffees,” Banker-Scannell said. “I like coffees from Columbia and Ethiopia being complimentary to each other. These coffees are great on their own, but when they come together, they make something better than the sum of their parts. It’s supposed to be something different.”
The blend combines Woldt’s favorite Columbian beans with Banker-Scannell’s preferred washed Ethiopian coffee to produce a juicy, candylike flavor with hints of black cherry, vanilla and cola, Woldt said.
