Coffee’s a passion at Paper Tiger

Coffeehouse starts with raw beans and grows its own warm community

By Christy Lochrie for The Columbian

Friday, January 14, 2011

Why: First came the necessity: Caffeine-infused cups of joe that Zachary Gray used to keep himself chugging along on freelance graphic art projects, sometimes into the night.

Then came the culture: the Portland coffeehouses where he hung out, sipping brew and working on those freelance projects. That’s where he developed a taste for coffee, coffee culture, and all things related to the coffee bean and brew.

Enter the budding coffee connoisseur. Gray bought a home roaster and got to work toasting his own beans. Once he perfected that process, some 2 years ago, he hatched another idea: He wanted to open a coffee roasting company.

“Truly, it’s a passion that turned into an obsession,” Gray said.

When retail space on Grand Boulevard in Vancouver became available, Gray parlayed the roasting project into a coffeehouse and opened Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters, a business that both roasts coffee and serves it.

Atmosphere: The neighborhood is tired-looking, but the building’s fresh coat of lime-green paint hints at renewal.

Step through the glass front door, and the earthy scent of coffee brew wafts about. Clark College student artwork, which changes monthly, dots the walls. Burlap coffee bags hang from the back wall, along with maps and a well-traveled trunk with a venerable decoupage of country stickers. A coffee roaster churns in the back. And, next to the old-school cash register — think punch buttons — a community bulletin board announces neighborhood and Paper Tiger events.

Patrons linger at the scattered wooden tables and blond chairs. Some sidle up to the bar, where you can snag a ringside seat to watch the baristas steam milk and pour espresso.

What I tried: My first order of business was breakfast and a caffeine boost. That came by way of a bowl of granola and a cappuccino.

A sudden rush hit the coffeehouse as I ordered — a mixture of the to-go crowd and those looking to sip and linger. The barista promised to bring out my order in a moment and kept that promise.

First came the cappuccino, topped with a delicate heart and leaf in the foamy top layer. The granola came next, a crunchy mixture that included dried fruit, nuts and oats, all poured into a porcelain-white bowl. The milk (you can also order it with yogurt or soy) arrived separately in a pint-sized pitcher.

The cappuccino was a light mixture of espresso, milk and foam. I’m a leave-the-foam-on-top drinker, so I tasted the frothy bubbles with each warmed sip.

The granola was a hearty mixture, with cranberries for a tart contrast to the nuts and light honey coating. Gray said it’s his wife’s recipe, and fresh batches are made every couple of days.

While Neil Young played on the coffeehouse’s stereo, I ordered a chai tea. The recipe is a house newbie, the barista told me, adding that they’ve been serving it for about a week. In a later interview with Gray, he said he’d been trying to perfect the spice blend to craft a drink that’s authentic and not as sweet as much of the premade fare. He brews it in batches every day or two and refrigerates the mixture for use on demand.

The taste that swirled in my cup was a fusion of scents and flavors: cloves, cinnamon, a hint of cardamom and more, all melded with the froth of steamed milk and a touch of sweetness.

Other observations: Gray, an exceedingly polite man who greets his regular customers by name, sees his coffeehouse as an extension of the neighborhood and community at large. Outside of regular hours, the venue hosts poetry evenings, live music, films and special dinners. During its first year, it has become a cultural hot spot in Vancouver.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: During my interview with Gray, he brewed a batch of Siphon Coffee and offered a sample. Picture those old B movies with a scientist immersed in a lab filled with boiling glass beakers, and you start to get an image of this brew system.

A butane burner boils a glass carafe of water, which, following mysterious laws of science, is suctioned out of the carafe, up a glass tube and into a glass bowl above it, where it’s mixed with ground coffee. As the pressure drops, the brew flows through a filter and back to the carafe, where it’s ready for a cup. The process takes minutes, and the result is a sediment-free cup of coffee that’s the smoothest and cleanest I’ve ever tried. Next time, I’ll order a whole cup to savor and sip. Gray said that in the summertime, it’s refreshing iced, too.

*Updated information from the original posting of this article*

On the third Tuesday of the month, free cuppings — tastes of coffees — are offered at 4 and 5 p.m.

Cost: Most things coffee run in the $3 to $4 range. Figure $2.50 to $3.50 for a pastry, nibble or bowl of granola.

Hours: Weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30am to 2 pm

Telephone: 360-553-7900

Where: 703 Grand Blvd., Vancouver.

Health score: Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters received a perfect zero at its November 2009 inspection. Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.

Chris Martin Studios produced this glimpse inside Paper Tiger Coffee, revealing the methods behind our passionate pursuit of coffee perfection. Check out his other videos on YouTube.

If video does not load, click here to watch video at YouTube.

 COFFEE CULTURE

Coffee Houses in the 'Couv

VanVoice Dining Guide, April 2011
by Kate Dyer-Seely

Paper Tiger

"Life's too short – drink good coffee," says artisan roaster Zachary Gray, and we agree. Paper Tiger is a relative newcomer to the Vancouver coffee scene, but don't let its unassuming Grand Boulevard digs fool you. This joint doesn't behave like the rest. They fresh-roast small batches of single origin coffee and their signature espresso blend, Tiger Stripe, daily. Their traditional Italian-style menu leaves no room for syrup induced drinks. They'll gladly prepare you a cappuccino, espresso, Americano, latte, mocha, cold-brew, or house coffee, but don't stray from the menu. While sipping a perfectly stained macchiato on a recent visit, I overheard a customer attempt to order a white chocolate mocha. The barista whipped out house-made vanilla bean and chocolate syrups and politely asked her to pick one. My coffee counterpart claimed her mocha was the smoothest she'd ever consumed, beautifully blended and nicely bittersweet. If you have a penchant to expand your roast repertoire, check out one of Paper Tiger's Tuesday tastings at 3:00pm and 6:00pm weekly.

Home brewed, international flavor

BY JOSH OJALA for the VBJ

August 20th, 2010

"We're doing awesome."

That's how Paper Tiger Coffee Brewers owner Zachary Gray describes his first year in business

And despite a tough 2009 for many emerging small business ventures, Gray's optimism in regards to his Grand Boulevard coffee shop might not be misplaced.

According to the Vancouver resident, Paper Tiger has carved out a coffee-flavored niche in a tough market by emphasizing on java beans imported from plantations throughout the world.

"We're not just re-packaging product from someone else and selling it under our name," Gray said. "We're a business founded on specialty coffee - and that means ordering from a lot of different wholesalers and roasting our coffee right here in the shop.

A graphic designer by trade, Gray got into the coffee business as a result of two factors - his love for quality Joe and the fallout from one of the toughest job markets in memory.

Already accustomed to looking in vain for the right blend at the coffee shops he frequented as a graphic designer, Gray one day decided to make his own perfect cup of coffee.

"I figured I might as well drink good coffee if I was going to drink it at all," he said.

When the economy worsened, Gray says that his options as a graphic designer began to look sparse. Instead of fighting for employment, he opted to take his coffee brewing hobby and turn it into a business.

Thus, Paper Tiger was born.

So far Gray says his strategy of relying on specialty coffee not easily found elsewhere has drawn in enough business to merit hiring additional staff.

Gray also cited his coffee shop's location as a contributing factor to his business' sticking power. Placed amidst a mix of residential and commercial properties, Paper Tiger has a diverse clientele which includes residents, office workers and area business owners.

And while Paper Tiger may be the area's "best-kept secret," for this coffee shop owner, at least, the status quo isn't good enough. Instead, Gray says he wants to keep pushing forward.

"Specialty coffee is a market that's seeing a lot of growth right now," he said. "We stagnated a bit in summer, but in the fall more people start drinking coffee, so we're looking forward to a really strong season."

Despite the difficulties associated with running a small business, Gray still sees possibilities ahead for himself and others like him.

"Learn your craft, have integrity, and don't quit," he said by way of advice for other small business owners. "Those have always been the most consistent aspects to keep in mind."

When you think of great coffee cities, Vancouver, Washington is probably not the first name that comes to mind for Portlanders. Snide PDX residents refer to Vancouver as “Vantucky” (apologies to my relatives in Louisville), implying that the city is somewhat less cultured than its southern neighbor. This is an unfair characterization, however. I live in Southeast Portland and I can assure you it is not more sophisticated than Vancouver.

Fans of Portland coffee can be a bit the same way. Portland has great coffee and it is tempting to look down on our neighbors. However, if you look around some, you can find good coffee outside Portland. You just have to work a little harder to find it.

One way to keep up on what’s going on around the city and in the suburbs is through social networking. Social networking tools like Twitter can be a great source of coffee information. I might never have found Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters in Vancouver, Washington, had they not been on Twitter. Their tweets made it sound like they were coffee enthusiasts, so I went to go see if their coffee was as interesting as their Twitter feed. It was.

(By the way, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to subscribe to my Twitter feed to keep up to date with what is going on at Caffeinated PDX. Click on the icon on the right sidebar).

The tiger roars

If you're just driving by, you might not think much of Paper Tiger. When I pulled up to the corner of Grand and Evergreen on a gray Friday afternoon, I was unimpressed by the cinder block building painted sea foam green. Fortunately, I misjudged the character of the café by its appearance, and was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door and walked in. The café had a very welcoming interior that looked as hip as any PDX café, and the air was charged with a powerful smell of fresh-roasted coffee. It gave me the impression that the owners knew what they were doing.

I walked up to the register and asked the barista on duty what the espresso was like. He explained that it was a “five-bean blend, with two beans from Africa, two from Latin America and one from Asia” that was “fairly sweet with a nice smooth finish.”

“Would you like a double?” he asked.

It seemed a little strange that he knew I wanted a double espresso, but it wasn’t that much of a stretch. I ordered two, one for later, since I was going to be there for a while. [Side note: If you know you’re going to want two drinks and you’re paying by credit or debit card (as I happened to be doing that day), I encourage you to pay for two up front—it’s better for the shop owners, since they only get hit with transaction fees once.]

Inviting

Shortly after I sat down, the barista brought over the first espresso. It was a “21-gram shot,” which means something to baristas who might be reading this. The espresso was balanced but still fairly juicy—definitely a Northwest-style blend. It was sweet, a little bit citrusy with flavors more like a tangerine than a lemon.

As I sat there close to the bar, the manger pulled out a siphon (vacuum pot) and began training a new barista on how to use it. I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation. As loyal readers know, a vacuum pot makes great coffee theater, and soon a couple people gathered around to watch the show. I overheard one particularly astute observer exclaim “oh, so it’s like science-based coffee!” Indeed, it was. I don’t think I could say it any better.

The siphon is impossible to ignore

When the show was over, I went back to writing. Pretty soon the barista brought over a small cup. At first, I thought it was my second espresso (which I hadn’t yet asked for), but instead, it was a sample of the siphon coffee.

“Here you go, Will. I thought you’d like a taste of the siphon coffee.”

I raised an eyebrow. How did he know my name?

“I’m Anthony,” he introduced himself. “You write Caffeinated PDX, right?” He glanced at my open laptop. “Are you working on another post?”

I was surprised (and encouraged) that he had recognized me. Anthony told me he spends quite a bit of time online reading about Portland coffee, and three or four times each week he takes the bus from Vancouver to Portland to try out different cafés and their coffees. He had stumbled across Caffeinated PDX looking around on the internet. Social networking works.

Anthony told the owner, Zachary Gray, that I was there. When he finished training the new barista, he came over to sit down and chat for a while. I asked him for the story behind the Paper Tiger. He began his story with a trip to Italy nearly seven years ago.

In 2004, Zachary and his wife Rebecca spent five weeks in Florence, Italy on their honeymoon. While they were there, they got hooked on coffee and the café culture. When they got back to the states, Zachary started working for Moon Monkey Coffee, a small roaster located just south of Chicago.

Looking for a place with a more developed coffee culture, the pair moved to the Portland area after checking out several cities around the US. They really liked Portland and its coffee scene, and felt it was the best fit for them.

Gray started experimenting with doing his own roasting and thought about maybe starting his own company. The defining moment for him—the day that he knew he was going to go for it—was the day he tasted the ’07 Panama Esmeralda. When he tasted the jasmine notes in that coffee, he was completely hooked. After that, Gray worked at home to refine his roasting technique for a couple years before opening up the Paper Tiger in October 2009.

Zachary Gray, the owner of Paper Tiger Coffee, and his US Roasting coffee roaster. Note the flag of Florence in the background, a tribute to the city where he fell in love with coffee

Zachary came across as very enthused about the specialty coffee industry. “It’s not just Intelligentsia and Stumptown who are doing this. It’s not even just Portland or the West Coast. I’ve been to southern Illinois, even to Oklahoma. There are micro-roasters there too. It’s a movement.” From what I’ve seen over the last several months, I agree.

To help create more followers of the movement, Paper Tiger is doing its part to educate customers on what makes great coffee. Every Tuesday, at 3pm and 6pm, they encourage customers to come come in and try out various coffees by hosting free cuppings. If you can’t make it to the cuppings, at least you can try out different brewing methods. Paper Tiger generally prepares all of the house coffees with a French press, but you can also get pour-over or siphon coffee too.

With an enthusiastic, forward-looking owners and baristas, Paper Tiger is a Vancouver café that holds its own in the outstanding Portland coffee scene. If you’re up in Vancouver, check them out. Don’t worry about the outside, either. Paper Tiger has good things going on inside. It might even surprise a few of the Portland sophisticates. If you need a little convincing before you go, follow them @PaperTiger360 on Twitter. You’ll find them interesting enough to want to make the trip up.

Java on a Grand Scale

Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters a hub in Central Vancouver

The year-old coffeehouse has brightened a rebounding commercial zone along Grand Boulevard.

by Howard Buck, Columbian Staff Reporter

Soon, the fruits of his DIY roasting drew raves from friends and colleagues, and an idea was
hatched.

“Hey, this could be a really fun line of work,” Gray told himself. He studied techniques and
roasting machines before buying a model manufactured by hand in Oklahoma City for about
$10,000.

There was no doubt about the name: “Tiger” is in tribute to the orange and brown stripes in
Grayʼs carefully extracted espresso that forms the base for all his drinks. The nuanced sweet,
sour, salty and citrus sensations reflect the complexity of coffee, which has 800 or 900 flavor
components, he said.

At 1 and 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, he shares his joy with anyone interested during free “coffee
cupping” seminars.

Poetry night
Gray has hired two more enthusiastic baristas who also fuss over customers. Each day, they post
a menu of direct-trade coffee grown in Latin America or Africa.

Other touches include a used book rack, eye-catching photography from Clark College students
and pleasant ambient music.

A 21st century creature, Paper Tiger also reaches fans via Facebook, Twitter and its website, at
http://papertigercoffee.com. The shop has Wi-Fi, of course.

Special events include live music. In November, the shop hosted Culture Control, a daylong
Vancouver music and art festival. Every third Thursday evening (the shop normally closes at 6
p.m.), itʼs home to a poetry night that consistently draws 30 to 40 writers from Vancouver-Portland
for open-mic readings and musings.

“This is a great venue,” said Dan Nelson, a participant who simply treks a few blocks from his
Central Park home. He found out about the place from a friend who raved about “the best coffee
in Vancouver,” he said.

“Itʼs not just a neighborhood thing,” said Nelson, whoʼs heard from regulars all across town.
Itʼs also easy enough to find, reached from the East Mill Plain Boulevard exit off Interstate 5 or
first exit off state Highway 14, Gray noted.

Still, Grayʼs prime motive is to nurture local bonding.

An appreciative Kevin Hiebert, 37, a nonprofit group manager, said heʼs succeeded in forging a
congregation point. “This has been a real lighthouse for the neighborhood,” he said.
Obviously pleased, Gray deflects the praise.

“Iʼve been privileged to meet my neighbors here. Thatʼs been the best part of the year,” he said.
“Itʼs been a mutual blessing.”