By Rebecca Huff, Senior Staff Writer
With the help of Oxford's first and only roastery, Oxford Coffee Company, Quarter Barrel Brewery and Pub combines late night drinks with early morning caffeine to create the Oxford Coffee IPA beer.
"The coffee flavor in it was way better than any other coffee flavored beer I've had before," said Quarter Barrel bartender Ethan Bartlett.
Both Quarter Barrel and Oxford Coffee make their products by hand. Quarter Barrel brews its own beer and Oxford Coffee roasts its own coffee.
"Quarter Barrel Brewery & Pub produces the best beer possible, and presents it alongside the best that North American craft brewers have to offer," said founder of Quarter Barrel Brandon Ney.
Quarter Barrel has been in business for four and a half years, and Oxford Coffee since 2012.
"We are proud to offer [Oxford Coffee] and solely offer their coffee," said Ney.
Robert Thurston, owner of Oxford Coffee, was senior editor of the book, "Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage and the Industry," and a history professor at Miami.
Thurston was able to spend two different academic years in the Soviet Union, where he visited coffee farms and talked to coffee farmers in a number of places.
"I wanted to try to interact with people in a different way by running a business," Thurston said.
The Oxford Coffee Company practices green methods by using compostable cups and filters, as well as saving the coffee grounds, which Shademakers Nursery and Landscaping Company use for their business.
"The roaster is highly energy-efficient because it uses natural gas to heat up ceramic blocks, which give off infrared heat," said Thurston. "It's a more efficient system than just using gas burners and is far more efficient than any electric apparatus for roasting coffee would be."
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Quarter Barrel practices a local-first philosophy; it tries to use as many local ingredients and services as possible.
The beer, on the other hand, is not as locally centered as their entrees. The ingredients are imported from all over North America, but brewed at Quarter Barrel - similar to Oxford Coffee, which makes their own coffee by hand, but gets the coffee beans imported from all around the world.
"The goal I have is to buy good quality coffee so that we can make good quality coffee and so that the farmers get decent money back in their pockets," said Thurston.
Expanding a business takes a lot of money that local businesses like Oxford Coffee and Quarter Barrel don't have easily accessible. In order for them to expand they would need bigger tanks for brewing and a bigger roaster for the coffee beans.
Although expanding the restaurant is not in Quarter Barrel's five-year plan, expanding the brewery is.
"We would love to have a production facility that could make more beer for here but for bottling can sales across Southwest Ohio," said Ney.
Oxford Coffee has also had Miami chemistry, anthropology and business classes visit the shop since its opening. The coffee shop offers tastings and live music, too.
"The Oxford Coffee Company is a wonderful option to have," Ney said. "They provide a great service for us because they work with us to get us the kind of roast that we desire and then they'll grind it and deliver it. We can't ask for more."
Miami gets 10 percent of each sale made at Oxford Coffee, because the university licenses it. That money goes toward a scholarship fund.
"We are the only place that produces Miami-branded coffee," said Thurston.
Oxford Coffee can now also be bought at the Oxford Kroger, and although the Oxford Coffee IPA is not currently available at Quarter Barrel, it will eventually return to the restaurant.
"We rotate our beers, so they usually last anywhere from two weeks to a month," said Bartlett. "We like to try different varieties here."
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