Get roasted: Geek out on local specialty coffees at the first Dallas Coffee Day

The specialty coffee, like craft beer, is booming in Dallas. It seems like almost every neighborhood has its spot to grab a really solid, carefully crafted cup.

The roasters behind local mainstays such as Cultivar, Oak Cliff and Noble Coyote are relatively unknown to the public on a personal level. Dallas Coffee Day seeks to change that.

The event on Sunday afternoon, organized by Zac Cadwalader and Liz Goulding, will put members of the public and local roasters in the same room filled with everything coffee. The pair saw a need in Dallas for individuals to come and learn about the variety of roasters in Dallas and be able to dive deeper into the coffee culture.

"To try all of the coffees that we are going to have would take a lot of miles," Goulding said.

The eight local roasters featured are: Ascension, Avoca, Cultivar, Eiland, Noble Coyote, Novel, Oak Cliff, Tweed. All focus on specialty coffee, which is considered coffee that is grown, harvested, roasted and brewed with the utmost care and focus on quality. 

Essentially, you're not going to get a cup of Folgers at Dallas Coffee Day.

What participants will get is a space in which to be as nerdy as they want about their coffee.  You by no means have to be a master home coffee brewer who owns a V-60, Chemex and hand-blown water kettle to enjoy this event.

It is an opportunity for the public to try coffees from the eight roasters side-by-side and then ask questions to learn about what they like and dislike, Cadwalader said.

The event is being held at Tweed Coffee Roasters at 158 Express Street in Dallas. In addition to being able to taste a variety of coffees and chat with roasters, participants will receive a sweet mug (Cadwalader washed all 330 lbs of them) and be included in a roasting demo by Jonathan Aldrich, Tweed's lead roaster.

If you can't handle that much caffeine without some carbohydrates, then Trompo tacos will be on site to keep you on your caffeinated feet.

The event is sold out, but Goulding and Cadwalader said they are already brewing up plans for next year. However, the pair encourage any and all coffee aficionados to visit the roasteries represented at Dallas Coffee Day or search for them at local grocery stores. (Pro-tip: Many are available at Whole Foods or Central Market.)