GCAVixens: Fair Trade: Shannon Kelly & Mike Hash

Brazzers

Shannon Kelly, Mike Hash Pic(s)

The sun-drenched fields, where Shannon Kelly’s fair-trade coffee beans were first tenderly cultivated, felt a world away from the sleek, minimalist studio where she now stood alongside master roaster Mike Hash. Shannon, her hands still bearing the faint, earthy scent of the soil, watched with quiet intensity as Mike meticulously calibrated the vintage German roaster. He adjusted the drum speed with a practiced, almost reverent touch, his focus absolute as the green beans tumbled into the heated chamber. A complex aroma began to bloom, first like toasted grains, then evolving into whispers of dark chocolate and ripe stone fruit. This precise alchemy, a dance between time and temperature, was where Mike’s decades of expertise transformed Shannon’s raw passion into a consumable art form. She spoke softly of the cooperative’s farmers, her words painting vivid pictures of their dedication and the profound difference this partnership made in their communities. Mike, in turn, explained how each origin’s unique character demanded a specific roast profile to honor the bean’s inherent story. Their collaboration was a beautiful dialogue, a seamless fusion of grassroots integrity and technical perfection captured in every fragrant, oily bean. The final product, they knew, was more than a mere beverage; it was a narrative in a bag, a direct line from a distant hillside to a waiting mug. This shared belief in ethical sourcing and exquisite craft was the very heart of their mission, a promise sealed with every satisfying crack of the roast.