Farmers Market: Fresh-brewed coffee worth the wait

Special to the Green Valley News

His shirt reads, “I’m not addicted. I just really, really want it!” His customers seem to agree. Scott Gilliland, owner of Adventure Coffee, carries beans from all the major growing regions: Central and South America, Africa and Indonesia.

“We also have some Mexican coffees,” he said. “We’re not a dark roaster like Starbucks or Peets. I want people to taste the wonderful distinct flavor of each coffee and you can when they’re light roasted.”

“Of special interest to people in Green Valley — I carry many low-acid coffees,” he said.

On top of this, Adventure Coffee now carries a new, innovative coffee maker that brews one cup at a time and so quickly the coffee doesn’t have time to develop acidity. Scott says, “It makes the best, rich cup of coffee; all you do is put in the coffee, the water and stir about 10 seconds then plunge.”

Try a different free sample each week to be sure you’re getting the coffee best suited to your tastes. If you can’t wait to get home to have more, Scott will sell you a 16-ounce “bottomless” cup with all the fixin’s, including real half and half. You can tell when he starts to brew a new pot, the people start to line up.

Sipping her cup, winter visitor, Joan England of South Dakota says, “It’s so nice. It’s not acidic... just wonderful.”

Scott says, “We roast our Wednesday market coffee Tuesday night. Once roasted, coffee looses volatile aromatics in a matter of days and certainly in a week or two. Would you like to get a loaf of bread baked this morning and use it fresh or wait two, three, four weeks? Coffee’s like that too; just buy what you need this week.”

Scott promises he or his son Joshua will be here every Wednesday to sell you fresh coffee. Remember, ‘Shop the Market First’ to improve your diet and enjoy the excitement and the music while visiting the vendors and your friends.

Adventure coffee has a small roastery at Kolb and Escalante in Tucson where they roast 2 tons of coffee a month.

“The roaster is surrounded by literal mountain ranges of coffee beans — always!” Scott said.

Adventure Coffee comes in one-pound and half-pound packages. The price per pound remains constant at $12 per pound of caffeinated, $13 per pound of decaf; that’s for any variety and either size. Scott says, “You’ll get a cup on the house if you buy a pound. I accept credit cards, cash, checks, first-born ... no wait; I have enough of those!”

If you go

The Green Valley Farmer’s Market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday at the Green Valley Village, Esperanza Boulevard and La Canada Drive.