Open Works

Open Works Weekly 1-28-22

Open Works

Open Works Weekly 1-28-22

Black Acres Roastery Kembata roast and views of coffee farm and farmers in Durame Village of Kembata

I had a chance to catch up with Travis from Black Acres Roastery and hear about a unique single origin roast from Ethiopia that’s currently available. They were able to get beans from this farm, located in the Durame Village of Kembata, last year and were excited to get their hands on some again this year.

The uniqueness of this roast comes from its chocolatey characteristics, which differ from the fruitiness usually associated with the coffee from this region. For the less experienced coffee aficionados like myself, hearing about notes of berry, chocolate, or fruit can be a little intimidating. Thankfully, Travis provided some helpful context, explaining that it’s only “a visual trigger and a sensory trigger” a roaster will use to convey what they feel are some of the defining characteristics of the coffee. This is only a reference point though. Chocolate may conjure images of milk chocolate to some and dark chocolate to others and what reminds one person of blueberries could just as easily remind someone else of strawberries.

Behind the counter, Black Acres has been featuring this roast in their espresso, which really compliments these beans by bringing the flavors more forward in the beverage. “With espresso it’s almost like using the word expressive,” Travis explained. “It’s more expressive coming off of the bar.” This makes for a very approachable espresso, with a subtle build of flavors across the chocolate, blueberries, and tropical fruit.
If you pick up a bag of the Kembata roast and it tastes a little familiar, that might be because it’s been popular with the cafes and hotels that Back Acres Roastery supplies, including the beautiful Hotel Revival here in Baltimore.

This is a single origin roast, so pick yours up at the Black Acres Roastery Café here at Open Works today, while supplies last. 

Maryland Makerspace Initiative Pilot Program

Exciting opportunities for the future of makerspaces in Maryland!!!

The Maryland Makerspace Initiative Pilot Program is being presented before the Generally Assembly in the 2022 legislative session. If passed, this would help create more makerspaces throughout the State of Maryland, with Open Works serving as a model for their success. Because of your success here at Open Works, our elected officials are starting to notice that investing in makerspaces creates economic growth led by entrepreneurs, and investing in access to resources and training creates jobs.

We’ll be keeping you posted on Senate Bill 453 (SB453) and subsequent House Bill (whose number is yet to be assigned) over the next few weeks with updates on their progress, public hearings, as well as opportunities to get involved. In the meantime, reach out to your representatives in Annapolis and tell them why YOU think greater access to makerspaces would benefit Maryland. If you’re not sure who your senator and delegates are, you can look them up here.

last chance to shop the kiosk

Last chance to shop the Made in Baltimore Kiosk at Open Works.

The Kiosk will be heading back to the folks at Made in Baltimore and on to its next deployment on January 31st, so you only have a few days left to pick up whatever you’ve had your eye on for the past few months. We really enjoyed having the Kiosk in our lobby and this opportunity to promote more member products, but we also really want to know what you think. Let us know in the comments on Instagram if you enjoyed the Kiosk, or want to see more projects like it in the future.

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Make it Happen at Open Works

Looking for something else? Open Works has all the tools and resources you need to bring an idea to life, learn a new skill, find a space for your new business and so much more.

Contact Us

1400 Greenmount Ave,
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 862-0424
info@openworksbmore.org

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