Matt’s “Sojourney”

​We started with pour overs. If you’ve ever been in Northern or Southern California in need of coffee, you’ve probably happened upon a number of shops providing an array of specialty beverages based entirely on drip coffee. Accomplishing this is quite a marvelous feat, likely the result of collective experience and creativity. Such shops are fortunate to be located in the land of sunshine and experimentation (aka California). Most coffee shops outside of California usually use espresso as a base for their coffee offerings. Due to our love for the pour over, this proved to be a good starting ground for my training, and also Sojourner early operations. 

In winter 2018, I had the opportunity to work at a small cafe on the south side of Milwaukee. Driven to broaden my coffee horizons, the opportunity opened the door for formal barista training and greater understanding of the coffee tastes of the local community. From there, I entered into a world full of techniques and the language of coffee including pulling shots, milk texturizing, and latte art.

Since that time, I’ve gained experience from several coffee chains and shops in the Milwaukee and Atlanta metropolitan areas, including managing Sojourner’s Pop-up cafe. We’ve trained baristas for private events and catering, maneuvered our coffee cart through Milwaukee’s business and university districts, and manage our coffee operations both on-the-ground and remotely all the while making good coffee and sharing it with others. It’s been an adventure that I couldn’t have anticipated and the ride has been more than interesting. 

Much thanks to all who have been on this journey with me and with us at Sojourner. Looking forward to what’s ahead!