Peter Burrows, Phoenix Coffee, Stories from the Midnight Shift, and More!

This feature blog focuses on my long time friend Peter Burrows, @peterburrows8. Peter cares deeply about people and guess what....he also cares deeply about coffee. Dark, black coffee, with common additives found in nearly all coffee venues. He was candid in his interview about his go-to drink, favorite coffee memories, funny episodes and Phoenix vs. Traverse City Michigan coffee scenes. Enjoy!

 
Brewtoria: Working in healthcare you probably have been around coffee a lot working various shifts and interacting with doctors, nurses and other staff that need to stay alert. What's the coffee scene like working in a hospital?

Peter Burrows: Coffee is a necessity for many hospital workers. Not for all, but so many people I work with love their coffee and must have it. Let's just say that coffee is so much a part of the hospital scene that most hospitals in Arizona have coffee shops on premises.

Brew: When you're not at work, how and where do you like to get your coffee? What's you're favorite coffee and how do you take it?

PB: I go to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf not too far from my home. I'm what you call "a regular". I get the same drink every time. Iced Americano with a little room for half and half.

Brew: What's the coffee scene like in Phoenix. Is there a definite southwest vibe compared to the Midwest?

PB: Well I was just back in the Midwest last summer. We had a family vacation in Traverse City. One thing I noticed there is that many people were drinking nitro brews. It seemed to be a pretty big hit there. Right before we came up to Traverse City the Nitro brew was just starting to hit the coffee shops down here. It's not very popular here yet. I will say that I have noticed more people do the iced coffee's down here compared to the Midwest.

Brew: Who’s the most interesting person you’ve shared a coffee with?

PB: My grandfather. He loves his coffee too and usually does about two pots a day just for himself. I love that man with all my heart and drinking coffee with him is the best thing ever. He's he's a good storyteller and I can get more of those stories of him over a nice cup of Joe.

Brew: How do you drink your coffee? What is your favorite method

PB: Espresso for sure. Lightly creamed half-and-half no sugar. I love the taste of the espresso.

Brew: Do you prefer coffee in a mug, or in a to-go cup?

PB: seems like I usually get my espresso in a to go cup. However, I do coffee from a Keurig at home, and enjoy it from a mug like I am doing right now at this moment.

Brew: What's your funniest memory related to coffee?

PB: I worked with this guy on the overnight shift at the hospital. He would make the strongest coffee I've ever tasted up to that point. He would fill the bean reservoir to the top and call his brew "rocket fuel". It was very strong coffee!! I got a kick out of the strong coffee that he made, and how he would drink his coffee at times. Sometimes it wasn't easy keeping the Styrofoam cups in our department, so he would keep his used cups around to reuse. When he couldn't find his cup, then he would rummage through the trash to find any cups that were thrown away. He would find a used one in the trash and wash it out for his use. I laughed every time I watched him do this.

Brew: Tell me what you love about coffee? Some people really connect with the aroma, others get a warm fuzzy feeling. What's it do for you?

PB: I do love the aroma, and the thought of it gets me all fuzzy inside. I look forward to my coffee to start my day. I also like that it keeps me regular. Nothing better than a nice poo after the coffee kicks in!

Thanks for your coffee insight PB! Peter can be found on Twitter at @peterburrows8  As always Brewtoria is looking for more people to share their love of coffee. If your story needs to be heard, feel free to contact us at brewtoria@gmail.com or on twitter @brewtoria. Enjoy your coffee!