ST. PETERSBURG — Raw coffee beans are to Raphael Perrier what grapes are to a winemaker.
The coffee bean roasting process is a lot like wine making, according to the co-founder of local chain Kahwa Coffee. The aging process is much shorter — mere days, not years — but just as thoughtfully orchestrated to create the right flavors, he said.
With a massive coffee roaster rattling behind him, Perrier pried the lid off a large plastic bin, revealing thousands of dark beans. They were “resting,” he said.
“A lot of people think the best a coffee will taste is with beans that are just out of the roaster,” said Perrier.
“But you want to give it between 24 and 72 hours,” he said, scooping up a handful of espresso beans that gleamed from hints of oil.
Raphael Perrier and his wife, Sarah Perrier, founded Kahwa when Starbucks was firming itself up as the world’s dominate coffee chain. By 2005, the Seattle chain had more than 10,000 locations.
That same year, the Perriers began their…
