Alan Smith of Lamplighter Coffee Roasters with a cortado, his favorite drink (Photo by Monica Escamilla)
Alan Smith, 33, never thought his world would revolve around coffee beans. But the barista turned head roaster has been in the buzzy game for over half his life and established himself as a crucial component of the burgeoning coffee company since its inception. With a master’s degree in international development and economics, Smith’s knowledge and passion stretches far beyond Lamplighter’s Roast Lab. From designing packaging to exploring ethical sourcing to becoming a certified Q-grader, Smith has unexpectedly found his coffee calling.
Richmond magazine: How did you end up at Lamplighter?
Alan Smith: I was going to Lamplighter when it first opened [in 2009] because it was the new coffee shop, and I recognized [Lamplighter owner] Noelle from Crossroads [Coffee & Ice Cream]. We started talking about coffee, kind of shooting the s--t, and I didn’t realize she owned the place. She said, “You seem to know a lot about coffee,” and then asked if I wanted to work there.
RM: Why did you want to start roasting?
Smith: The other owner [Jenn Rawlings] was roasting, and I was trying to learn. After a few months, I asked if they needed help — it was so busy, and the rate of sales we were doing was going up so quickly because nothing else was around like that. They ended up needing help, and I started doing everything.
RM: What did you initially think of roasting?
Smith: I was immediately obsessed. There is this constant kind of revising and refining the process. I’m not really an extrovert, so roasting felt like, “This is my thing, I can stay here and pay attention to and perfect the craft.” It’s a never-ending process, and you can dive deeply into the minutiae and chemistry and specifics.
RM: How do you keep learning?
Smith: I’ve done a bunch of Specialty Coffee Association barista classes and have done a lot of technical and roasting training and seminars. The most exciting thing is that I have my Q-grader license, which is like a sommelier of coffee. I had to go through a seven-day series of tests, and it’s a lot of blind cupping.
RM: Do you ever get sick of coffee?
Smith: Absolutely not [laughs]. I usually have an espresso to see how our espresso is tasting and then probably brew another coffee and then cup coffee. I try to cut myself off by 2 p.m. so I’m not feeling super crazy later in the day. I love coffee — the problem is caffeine. I want to drink more coffee than I can physically consume.
RM: Future goals for Lamplighter and yourself?
Smith: I would love for Lamplighter to grow its sourcing program and become one of these companies that puts out transparency reporting. I’m working on that for this year.
RM: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Smith: I’ve gotten really into rock climbing and trail running. I love the outdoors and hiking and spending time running by the river. I take trips to West Virginia and climb and hike.
