Dish of the Week: M.E. Swing Coffee
Where: M.E. Swing Coffee House, The Brown Bag, Zola, Rodman’s, Whole Foods

Since the tea taxes of the 18th century, America has always been a country of coffee drinkers. The ubiquity of Starbucks brought about the rise of “gourmet” coffee, and recently, many people have been fixated on single origin, fair trade beans that are brewed in the latest multi-thousand dollar machine or fancy gizmo from Japan.

But in the end, it’s not the technology that makes the coffee. It’s careful attention to the beans used, and how they’re roasted. M.E. Swing has been roasting coffee in the D.C. area since 1916 using the same cast iron Probat-brand roasters. Prior to September 11, they were one of the favored coffees in the White House.

M.E. Swing sells a large variety of coffees, including an incredibly smooth espresso that easily competes with some nationally-known boutique roasters like Blue Bottle and Intelligensia. Their other coffees are roasted to the optimal darkness to maximize flavor, and don’t have the burnt bitterness that so many Starbucks drinkers have grown accustomed to.

The best place to try their coffees is their own coffeehouse on the corner of 17th and G Streets NW, but if you’re more of a home brewer, you can pick up the beans at Whole Foods and Rodman’s — at the latter, you can purchase the amount that you want from their bulk containers rather than a prepackaged bag. Swing’s is also available from a variety of restaurants, such as The Brown Bag and Zola.