Bird Rock Coffee Roasters started humble back in 2002 when founder Chuck Patton began roasting beans in his garage before eventually setting up shop in the chill Bird Rock neighborhood of La Jolla. They were pioneers in the Farm to Cup movement, meaning they skip the middlemen to build direct relationships with farmers and snag the absolute best micro-lots available. Their obsession with quality is no joke, they even grabbed the prestigious Roaster of the Year title in 2012 and are famous for hunting down rare, high-scoring varietals like Geishas. You typically won't find dark, bitter roasts here; they tend to keep things on the lighter to medium side to let the wild, fruity, and floral notes of the bean really shine through.