​How long have you been a Pascal's barista?
I have been a barista since the Summer of 2015.


Why did you want to become a barista?
I love coffee, I love people, and I love the Pascal's community. I jumped at the opportunity to exercise these loves as a barista.


What kind of coffee do you keep in your pantry?
Shamefully, I do not brew much at home. Therefore, my roommates' Folgers coffee takes the dominant spot in our coffee pantry.


What do you most appreciate about the craft-coffee movement?
I love that the craft-coffee movement is a beautiful picture of work well done. The emphasis is on excellence throughout the production process, including the way the coffee is treated and the way that people are treated, from the farmer to the customer.


If you could have any drink in your cup right now, what would it be?
My usual go-to drink is a Cortadito.


What do you do on Saturday night?
I spend time with friends - playing games, watching movies, and just hanging out.


What song do you have stuck in your head right now?
Falling Asleep by the Good Mad.


What's your go-to Pandora station at the coffeehouse?
The Oh Hellos.


What do you think a coffeehouse’s role in the community is?
Coffee is one of the greatest catalysts of human interaction. People come together around coffee for conversation and relationship. A coffeehouse provides the coffee and the environment which can promote community in a powerful way.

How long have you been a Pascal's barista?
​Not long enough.
 
Why did you want to become a barista?
I didn’t want to become just any barista. I wanted to become a Pascal’s barista because I love the coffee that we serve, the people that work behind the bar with me, and the ones that walk through our front door.
 
What kind of coffee do you keep in your pantry?
One of Bold Bean’s latest roasts and some left-over bags from my European adventures this summer.
 
What do you most appreciate about the craft-coffee movement?
People are caring more about the coffee they drink in terms of where it’s from, how it’s roasted, how it was processed, etc. This paradigm shift means the coffee-growing communities are getting more attention and the coffee buyers are being held to higher standards in regards to their relationships with the coffee farmers. I think this craft-coffee movement has led to a change in social justice, which I think is beautiful.
 
If you could have any drink in your cup right now, what would it be?
A nice cortado in a glass cup.
 
What do you do on Saturday night?
I usually enjoy a different form of brewed-beverage with some friends.
 
What song do you have stuck in your head right now?
Growing Up by Run River Wild. Now that I’m a senior, I’ve noticed my song choices are getting a lot more nostalgic.
 
What's your go-to Pandora station at the coffeehouse?
​Alt-J, because I’m scared to try out any of the other ones.
 
What do you think a coffeehouse’s role in the community is?
Sparking conversation. Whether that’s over a cup of coffee, about coffee, across the counter or outside of our walls, Pascal’s coffeehouse should be inspiring meaningful conversations.

​How long have you been a Pascal's barista?
2 years! Woo!

Why did you want to become a barista?
I wanted to be a barista specifically at Pascal's because I noticed the attention they gave not only to their coffee but also to the relationships with people on the other side of the bar.


What kind of coffee do you keep in your pantry?
Right now I have some Counter Culture, but it changes pretty frequently.


What do you most appreciate about the craft-coffee movement?
The craft-coffee movement has changed expectations about the way coffee-drinkers enjoy and learn about their coffees. I most appreciate that it has benefitted coffee farmers and their communities by encouraging more direct trade and fair-labor practices in the industry.  


If you could have any drink in your cup right now, what would it be?
A hot latte.


What do you do on Saturday night?
I'm usually spending time with friends or my awesome hubby, Jordan.


What song do you have stuck in your head right now?
The Beat by Ben Rector.


​What's your go-to Pandora station at the coffeehouse?
Noah Gunderson.


​What do you think a coffeehouse’s role in the community is?
I think a coffeehouse can create a unique atmosphere where people feel comfortable reading, talking, drawing, writing, or just spending time with one another--all while enjoying a cup of coffee.

The Barista Q&A Series is our attempt to introduce you to the folks in our community who play a crucial role in making Pascal's the place we all love. We'll introduce ourselves to you with the hope that the conversation won't end here. Introduce yourselves to us, let us know what you're brewing at home, tell us who your favorite artists are, and give us some idea of what makes you tick. We love our community, and we want to know you.

​How long have you been a Pascal's barista?
Since this past summer.

​
Why did you want to become a barista?
I fell in love with Pascal’s as a customer last year. It became my favorite place to study and meet friends, and I was also attending the director’s class on Wednesdays. I figured any more time I could spend here, while getting paid to do so, would be amazing.


What kind of coffee do you keep in your pantry?
I actually stopped making coffee at home when I began working at Pascal’s. I practically live here, so it works out.

What do you most appreciate about the craft-coffee movement?
I love that it allows customers to consider the bigger picture of the product they buy. So much care is placed into the coffee. From paying the farmers fair wages to picking only the ripest coffee cherries, to roasters who roast each bean to its precise extent, to the barista who carefully pours the art into your latte, each cup has its own unique story.


If you could have any drink in your cup right now, what would it be?
A single-origin espresso or a cappuccino. But I don’t consider myself above enjoying a pumpkin spice latte on occasion.


What do you do on Saturday night?
My favorite Saturday nights are spent with my friends, cheering on the Gators in the Swamp. In the Spring, half my weekends are spent out of town at water polo tournaments.


What song do you have stuck in your head right now?
Farther Along by Josh Garrels.It’s one of those songs that don’t get old quickly.


What's your go-to Pandora station at the coffeehouse?
We seem to like the Alt-J station here. Sometimes I switch it up with The Lumineers or Mumford & Sons.


What do you think a coffeehouse’s role in the community is?
At Pascal's, we have some patrons come in with the purpose of working on their dissertations, and some with the purpose of lounging on the couches and chatting with their group of friends. I think a coffeehouse should aim to provide an atmosphere conducive to both.

This first coffee, from Ceremony Coffee Roasters up in Annapolis, Maryland, comes from Ocotepeque, Honduras, located right in the center of Central America. ​

Hundreds of years later and this region is still producing coffees with the bright and complex flavor that always stand out when tasted next to coffees from other areas of the world, like this Yiragacheffea coffee.

Our final retail bag for sale is a blend of coffees from Latin America, perfect for celebrating international coffees! Each bag is 50% Brazilian, 25% Colombian, 25% Guatemalan and 100% delicious. This signature espresso blend from Bold Bean always yields a perfectly sweet and balanced shot of espresso for any size espresso drink. It’s also great brewed via your favorite brewing process (chemex, v60, French Press, etc.)

We opened a week ago and it has been crazy! We're so thankful for all the community support. 

For those who are new to the community (and to those who've been a part of our community but have never gotten a sense of who we are), below is a little introduction. Stop by the bar and introduce yourself sometime. We'd love to meet you.


We at Pascal’s seek encounters with authentic coffees. 

We’re always growing in knowledge of the coffee world, tweaking our brewing parameters, and experimenting with various brewing methods so that we can provide our community with coffees that farmers and roasters have cultivated with the greatest care. 

We love our community and desire to unite folks of all perspectives and backgrounds through the experience of coffees with character.

We affirm scholarly inquiry, artistic expression, and thought that is 
faithful to the complexities of human experience. 

We view all this as our expression of Christian hospitality and presence.

Welcome to Pascal’s.

Hey, Guys,

Join us in wishing farewell to one of our baristas. Allie's graduating at the end of this summer and moving on to some cool things. 

Come get a drink from her during her last week!

Also, keep in mind that we'll close for the two-week break between summer semester and fall semester. We'll reopen Monday, August 24th.

Lots of really exciting coffees on the way!

See you soon.

The fact that we even get to serve this coffee here at Pascal's is the result of a collaboration between our friends in Jacksonville, Fl, Bold Bean Coffee Roasters, and the Pacas family in El Salvador. 

This particular coffee, from the Santa Ana region, is a Red Bourbon and, like all Cafe Pacas's coffees, it was separated at the farm and at the mill according to the lot and the maturation process of each coffee cherry. This intense attention to detail results in consistently robust brewed coffee.

When we cupped this coffee, we were amazed that, although tasting subtly fruity, it sat heavily in our mouths with a rich, dark chocolatey body. This coffee is so balanced, we're stoked to offer it to you. 

We're brewing it by-the-cup and in our airpods. Come get some while we've got it.


This is Bold Bean's first year working with the Pacas family, and they hope to continue growing in relationship with the folks at Cafe Pacas. 

Pascal's Folks, 

We're excited to present to you Ceremony Coffee Roasters. Based out of Annapolis, Maryland, Ceremony represents top-tier quality coffee roasting. They're committed to sourcing and roasting quality coffees through direct relationships with farmers around the world. 

Read this post from Ceremony's blog to get a sense for who they are and to what they're committed. 

They are passionate about sharing ideal coffees with their customers. These are coffees that are representative of both the highest quality and reasonable cost to all involved, from the farmer all the way to the drinker. 

We're stoked to share with you one of their current single-origin offerings: the Ethiopia, Yirgacheffe, Wazzala, a bright, sweet coffee with notes of strawberry marmalade and lemon zest. 

We'll be doing 20% all Ceremony pour-overs for the rest of the summer. Come get some Wazzala while we've got it, and be on the look out for more Ceremony coffees.

See you soon!

As many of you may know, we stopped pulling triple espresso shots this summer. In short, these shots were just inconsistent. Our last post went into a lot of detail, if you're curious, take a gander. But, that change and the changes in our processes and in just the overall aesthetic of the place are results of our constant pursuit for better quality. Change is hard, especially when it makes things maybe a little less convenient. We believe in a slight trade off between convenience and quality. We want to meet every possible request, but we also want to serve you something spectacular. 

So, let's talk chai. It's a favorite around here...and it's changing, for what we believe to be the good. Originally, we ordered a pre made chai mixture with some not so natural ingredients. So, chai ended up on our list of things to make better. We have come up with a new in house chai mix. We make it ourselves and buy the ingredients locally. I need to repeat, we want our customers to have the very best drinks. We are learning more and more how to do this and are also learning how to be more transparent with you guys. We are on our way out of blended chai and flavored pre made chai, they'll only be here while supplies last. So, be adventurous...try the chai.