December 9, 2025 • 38 mins
Today on Brewsers, we talk to Jake with Ursa Coffee Traders. We talk about how he got into roasting, what his first year has taught him, and so much more. Follow us on instagram and twitter at Brewserspod. Like, share, review, enjoy and cheers. #brewsers #brewserspod #Enjoylife #DrinkLocal #Cheers
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:20):
Welcome to Bruisers, a podcast about beer, a coffee, booze
and Bruisers. I'm your host, story John, and today we
talked to Jake with Ursa Coffee Traders. We talked about
how he got into roasting, what his first year has
taught him, and so much more. Jake is all the
way up in Billings, Montana, and he is doing absolutely
fantastic things. When it comes to Ursa Coffee they're roasting.
They are thinking about getting a spot later down the line,
(00:43):
but right now he has definitely just focused on roasting
those beans and getting them out to you. So you
don't hear from me, you want to hear from him. So,
without further ado, here is Jake with Ursa Coffee Traders.
(01:05):
I would like to welcome to the show Jake with
Ursa Coffee Roat Traders. How are you doing today, sir?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Good? How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm doing well? So for those listening, kind of paintus
a word picture, where are you at? What's going on
around you?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Sorry? Could you repeat that?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
This kind of paint us a word picture? Where are
you at and what's going on around you?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Right now, I'm sitting at my coffee roastery. It's a
warehouse type shop is about fourteen hundred square feet with
a roll up door, and then I have my palettes
of green coffee and my roaster and packaging equipment. So
it's pretty simple little shop, but it works really well
(01:46):
for what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
That sounds wonderful. Well, let's go all the way back
in time. What is your earliest memory of coffee?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
The first time I remember drinking coffee is at my
grandma and Grandpa's house when I was probably like five
or six. I think it was probably more milk and
sugar than it was actually coffee, but it's kind of
the first time I actually remember drinking it. It was a
little tin cup, and man, I felt like an adult,
(02:15):
so super excited that when I was little.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
For that, I love that they doctored it up for you,
just so that you know, obviously the bitterness of it
wouldn't have hit you so bad. Right, Well, how did
you end up? I mean, where did you begin coffee
roasting on your own?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So I kind of had a not a super direct
path to it. I I've always wanted to have a
business of my own. Ever, for as long as I
can remember, I thought about lots of different things. For
quite a while, I wanted to have a brewery and
(02:56):
thought it'd be the best thing in the world to
own a brewery and be a but I developed an
analogy to alcohol, and wow, I yeah, I get super
red and itchy, and it makes drinking any be really
not a lot of fun. So that kind of went
to the side. And right about a year ago, I
(03:18):
found an advertisement for this coffee roaster and a roasting shop,
and I really got me thinking, like I really enjoy coffee,
of tried it all over different places, coffees from all
over the world, and just kind of started thinking about it.
The more I thought about it, the more I liked
the idea of it and wanted it. And I'm super
(03:41):
fortunate with my my regular job allows me enough time
to run this other one. And right last year it
just pulled the trigger and and bought the equipment and
got at least for the space to set up the roastery,
and then and in January last year, got everything permitted
(04:04):
and started roasting and putting out coffee. So I really
didn't have any uh any experienced roasting coffee at all.
Uh So maybe not maybe not the brightest way to
go about it. But uh, the person that I bought
their the roasting equipment from was nice enough to help
(04:27):
train me with how to use the equipment and get it,
you know, get it moving and get the like the
roasting profiles for the coffee down pretty well. And then
after that it's just like cooking anything like control your
heat and your time and wasted a little bit of coffee.
(04:48):
There were probably about five batches when I started out
that they were they were drinkable, but they weren't good,
and so uh yeah, I got it dialed prett pretty quick.
I've kept it really simple. I only I have four
four main roasts right now, and by keeping into those
(05:11):
four and blending coffees from three regions, it's helped me
keep that part of it simple so that I'm I'm
producing a better, you know, a good a good quality
product that and I'm not trying to jump too many
things right now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
No, that makes sense. I mean, keep it simple, like
you said, And I imagine you were gonna have some
batches at first that probably weren't the best or you know,
you you gotta get some mistakes out of the way.
I mean the same thing with brewing beer. If you
you know, you'll have the first few that you're like,
you know what, I'm gonna tough my way through this
or pour it out whichever way you feel, and then uh,
you know, keep going because it's just getting the reps
(05:49):
in and getting all of the mistakes out of the way.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, absolutely, putting it like having like just get weird.
The biggest things with coffee is it comes out roasted,
like you get a weird flavor like in the middle
of like when you taste it, like in the middle
of the taste, like it's not forward and it's not
the finish, but like right in the middle of like Okay,
(06:13):
how do I how do I fix that? And so
then it's you know, reading, reading and talking to other
people on how to work through that, and then you know,
trying it on the next roast to get it to
to even out to where eventually it comes to the
roast that you want to have.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So right, No, that makes sense. Yeah, I've heard so
many people will start with like a popcorn roast, like
kind of a roaster. Uh and but no, you went
you went full board.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, yeah, I jumped right in the middle of it.
My my roaster will do up to twelve kilograms, so
about twenty five pounds at a time. But I usually
roast rate at fifteen pounds at a time. If I
fill it all the way up, it gets pretty crowded
and the the outside that doesn't turn the coffee over
(07:10):
well enough to where part of it's getting over roasted
and some of it's getting under roasted. So at the
rate of that fifteen pounds, it seems it puts through
a good one. I can get through a good amount
of coffee. But it's really consistent.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I mean, yeah, that makes sense. You don't. Yeah, Like
I said, if you overcrowded, you're not. It's not gonna
get all the heat where it needs to, and it's
just gonna the stuff in the middle is not gonna work.
So yeah, you gotta again. You got to figure that
part out yourself too.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Well, where do you get your sources of beans from?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I use a I use a coffee broker that's
here in the United States, and then I get beans
that are from Brazil, Columbia, and Guatemala.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
And so I use those three or beans, and then
I mix some some like my my light and my
dark roast are single origin. And then my medium and
espresso are are blends and each each origin has a
little bit different profiles to it and a little bit
(08:18):
different flavor like tasting notes to it. And so like
my medium roast is kind of my is my flagship roast.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And I I well, in all honesty, I made it
for myself, Like I drink coffee out of a French
press every day, and it's made to have a good
body to it, but be like kind of calmely and
like buttery and super smooth and a coffee that you
can drink all day long.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
And so but by blending the beans, like the citrusy
notes from the Brazilian beans and like the really full bodied,
like dark chocolate notes out of the Columbian and then
the gateumale, it's really like uh kind of malty, bready.
Like by mixing those all together, it it gives it
a good, good flavor profile that has enough body to
(09:10):
like really carry itself well but not be bitter and
and not and finish super smooth, so it's it's always
easy to drink. And like I drink coffee black, so
I want to be able to taste all the different
flavors through it and but not have that bitter catch
at the end of it.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Right, how long did it take you to well, I
guess how long did it take you to actually find
coffee the where you knew that you could actually drink
it black as opposed to whatever you would kind of
doctor it up with beforehand. So, like.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Before before I own the coffee roastreet. I, like I said,
I tried coffee from all over the place, and I
kind of fell into you know, I kind of knew
what I liked, like a a lot of Colombian coffee,
or like Indonesia like or some Matrian coffee. I like
those because they're just like, you know, a big strong
(10:10):
body to them. But I never really liked the uh,
the bitterness that came with them. And so I got
some help with the flavor, with building the roast profiles,
and I used a resource that is they're a company
(10:30):
that helps you know, you tell them kind of what
you're wanting to do and they give you suggestions of
how to how to blend things in like a roasting outline,
and they used that too. You know, I told them
what I was wanting for it, and they helped me Taylor.
They you know, made suggestions of coffee, the green coffee
and then roasting it, and so that that was a
(10:57):
good resource to use. It cut down my time on
going from starting up to having a solable product, and
I was just drinking a lot of coffee with it.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
So that's not a bad thing. I mean, obviously you
got to taste your own product and you got to
make sure that if it's working for you, then it's
gonna work for other people.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
How has the reception been at the farmers markets and everything?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
The farmers' markets has been fantastic for me. I went
our local farmers market here in Billings. They started They
starting kind of mid to late July and run through September,
and that was a great they I've kind of found
the hard way that people if people can see and
(11:49):
smell coffee, they buy it way better. It's not something
they buy a ton of, like just seeing it online
and deciding to grab it. And so having that market
exposure and getting to talk to you know, a thousand
people a week about my coffee was was a huge,
(12:11):
huge boost for me.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I imagine it was me moving with it. Yeah, I
imagine it was intimidating at first, but you know, once
people actually started, like you said, smelling and tasting the coffee.
Then it was probably so much easier because then they're
so much more, like you said, willing to buy more
and as opposed to just being like, all right, well
maybe we'll try this one. We've never had it before,
(12:35):
but why not.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Yeah, And that that, you know, being able to get
them hands on with that coffee made all the difference
for me. There's the biggest thing is there's a ton
of coffee out there. Yeah, if you look at any
any grocery store and there's you know, ten to twenty
(12:58):
different brands of coffee, and each of those brands have
three to you know, three to six different roasts in it.
So there's just a ton of coffee. And but the
Farmer's Market were great, And my favorite part about it
was that the people that came back in like two
(13:18):
weeks and bought another bag from me. And like just
this morning, some people came to the Road Street to
pick up some coffee and they bought their first bag
of coffee for me, I think the second weekend that
was at the Farmer's Market. And so to have those
repeat customers and people that really enjoy it, like that's
that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah, I mean those return that's gonna help you so
much more because they're gonna not only they buying more,
but they're gonna tell their friends about it, and they
tell their family about it. And you know now that
you know, as we're recording, this is right forward Thanksgiving,
so people are they're having people over the holidays, and
so they're gonna try it and they're like, oh, what
is this and then you know they're gonna start finding
more of you.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah, that word of mouth, Hills was great. It really
helps move things along, get people, get more people trying
it and finding it.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
So yep, they just gotta you know, they gotta sip
right to their lips, that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, how did you actually decide on the name? Obviously
the logo so much goes into when you do start
a business. Is this kind of a name you already
had in the back of your head or did you
come up with it when you actually realized that you
were buying a coffee roaster.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I came up with it when by on the coffee
Road street. I there's a ton of coffee out there,
and to find a name for a coffee company that
has that isn't being used. Was way more difficult than
I anticipated. I went through probably twenty five different names
(14:54):
to land on Ursa Coffee Traders. And the biggest thing
is it wasn't super long. I could get the domain
name for it and all the social media stuff for it,
and so it kind of fit. And like how I
ended up getting to it is like being in Montana.
(15:18):
We're in the north and especially in the winter when
it's cold and clear out, you can see the stars
really well. And I've always liked the Big Dipper in
the North Star and one of the names for the
Big Dipper is Ursa Major, and I, you know, I
just liked that, and so I picked I was gonna
(15:40):
go with Ursa Major or like north Star Brewing or Roasting,
and there were already stuff there, and so I ended
up on just down to Ursa Coffee Traders. And so
that's like my logos the bear, and it kind of
has a a more geometric shape and pattern to it,
and so that's kind of referencing back to that the
(16:01):
the stars and like the old constellation drawings built into
the face of the bear and kind of to tie
that all together. And then the blue and Silver's tour
just colors that I picked that I really liked, and
so you know, added made it that colors and something
(16:21):
that you know, like I personally enjoyed and thought looked good,
and so that's what I stuck with.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
M I mean it works, you know, the silver obviously
with the stars and then the blue with the sky
like it is funny also like looking back at some
of those drawings that they would come up with from
the constellations, I'm like, how did you end up with that?
With those? Like with three stars? But okay, well true,
why not?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yeah? I think that's probably why I liked They can
always called it the Big Dipper, but URSA major is like,
well yeah, it looks like a spoon. Makes sense, and
you know, talk about like a Ryan or the other ones.
I'm like, I don't I get the three stars in
a row. But that's about where it ends for me.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Well, like you said, you only have a few varieties
right now, how did you end up on those? And
what other ones you trying to think about for the future.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
So it ended up on the four me the four
roasts that I have now cover the main spectrum of
roasts for coffee. From the light being a little more
aromatic and wider notes and kind of more citrusy to
you know, the medium being the buttery one, and my
(17:38):
my dark roast being like just a really classic, full
bodied Columbian dark roast. So those three I just kind
of wanted to cover all of the mostly the home
people drinking coffee at home, and you know, it covers
pretty much everything everybody normally in those three blends. And
(18:01):
then I wanted an espresso my like, I don't have
a cafe or like a coffee shop rate at the moment, right,
and so my thing is selling wholesale beans, and so
I wanted a really good, solid espresso as an offering
for coffee shops, coffee kiosks, anything like that. And so
(18:23):
that's why developing that espresso for it as well. And
so those those four coffees cover everything, you know, from
people drinking at home to a a really solid European
style espresso to sell for you know, other people making
an espresso in the coffee industry. And then that way
(18:45):
is kind of I could cover a lot of market
with just those four, right, And then yeah, things I'm
looking at, I get a lot of requests for decaf
and I haven't dabbled with that at all yet. Part
(19:05):
of the decaps a little tricky with the process it
goes through and to decaffeinate it and then to roast it,
so I'm not quite there yet. The other thing I've
been working with that I want to get through is
an organic coffee, and I just recently got samples and
(19:26):
roasted those. So we're gonna pick one and probably do
it as a winter a late winter like seasonal offering
into January, right, but that way, just have a coffee
that's all organic, and it's super important. Our coffee that
we get already is it's not organic, but it is
(19:48):
clean washed and it it gets shipped without pesticides or
fungicides or anything sprayed into the bag when it's shipped,
so when we're roasting it, we're not cooking any of
those chemicals into it. So you know, we're working really
hard to keep it keep it as clean and healthful
(20:10):
as we can, and so the you know the next
step in that progression is to start working into the
organic coffees and going through there, but right now they're
kind of hard to come across.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So yeah, well, tell us about that process for those
of us that don't really know the difference between the
organic and what you what people normally get.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So or an organic coffee is similar to everything else.
It's not gonna it still can have herbicides and pesticides
used during it's growing to certain points, and then after
that point, think you can't add anything else to it.
(20:50):
So that way, as the the coffee cherries develop and ripen,
there isn't any chemical in them. And then the biggest
part is when it goes into the drying process that
there isn't anything added to help it dry or to
keep it or any like to either make it dry
(21:14):
faster or any chemicals to alter that process. And also
that it it isn't there's you know, there's essentially nothing
on it on the when it dries down into the
green beans. And then when it comes in a lot
of coffee that's that's shipped in big commercial bags and palettes.
(21:36):
They in coming from tropical climates. Getting a fungus in
the bag is a big issue and it can destroy
you know, thousands of dollars worth of coffee. So that
you can spray a a pesticide that's essentially like a
gas or a fungicide that's a gas into the bag
(21:57):
and it'll kill it. But it's also another chemical that
when we cook it and then pour water over it
and drink it, it's not exactly good for us. And
so so I order a coffee that doesn't have that
done to it, and then that way, you know, and
then on the other side of it, I buy I
have insurance that protects it. If you know, if it
(22:18):
gets here and then the bag is moldy, I can
use that, so I'm not just out an entire bag
of coffee.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Right, what have you? What do you think you learned
the most through this entire year when it comes to roasting.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Oh, and roasting, I would say the most. The biggest
thing I've learned with roasting is temperature control. And the
thing with that is here where we're at, like the
temperature varies. Like last year, in January and February I
first started roasting, there'd be days when it was well
(22:59):
blow zero out side and pulling the is pulling in
cold air that is really really cold, and to where
this summer, like I always tried to roast in the
morning so that it was only like seventy five or
eighty degrees, and so that difference in realizing how those
(23:20):
the changes in the ambient temperature affects how my roast
runs and then affects the end product so that it's
finishing at the right time. The the thing with roasting
is always getting the right development time for the roast
so that you're it you know it comes out on
(23:43):
the profile that you want and has all the the
features that you're looking for. And so when in different
stages of your roasting process, you allow different amounts of
air to be pulled in through the roasting chamber, and
if that air coming in is like forty degrees compared
to if they are coming in as eighty five degrees,
(24:04):
it really affects the end of the roast. So learning
to adjust the amount of gas that I'm put into
it and like when I'm putting the air to it
was one of the really tricky things to learn because
it's just it's there's no really set formula for it.
It's watching the watching the beans go by in the
sight glass and watching the temperature curve and the roasting
(24:27):
curve on the computer to try to mix them back
and forth to get them to to come out right
where I want them to.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
So yeah, I love that. What about the business side
it have you learned so much a man?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
The thing that I have learned a ton and is
still a bit of a struggle for me is cash flow,
like keeping balancing the amount of money I have coming
in to my expenses to doing the next project, whether
it's you know, making sure I have the right amount
(25:07):
of money set aside to be buying green coffee or
like for right now, I have gift coffee, gift baskets
and buying the products ahead of time to have everything
to put together in the right time, but still have
enough cash to do all my regular day to day stuff.
That's been That's probably that's definitely been the hardest part
(25:29):
for me to figure out and learn about and learn
to manage.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
So you're having the gift bags right now for the holidays.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Yeah, Yeah, it's a gift box and it has three
our three main it has light, medium, and dark roast
sample bag. They're like four and a half ounces, has
each of those three in there, and then it has
three chocolates in with it. And so it's just kind
(26:00):
of a nice little or a little white box with
some stuff so you can add whatever you want to.
The box or ribbons are right on them. They're all
just cardboards, so they're easy to write on. But it's
a I don't know. I think it's a good way
for people to try all of our coffees, and we're
selling them for twenty dollars. In that way, it's a
(26:23):
it's an easy gift to get going out.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
So who love that? Yeah, A nice little variety pack.
It's it's perfect again, Like you said, people can try
all of them to see what they'd like, to see
what they don't like, and then order more. What they're doing. Yeah,
now you're just doing this for the markets. Are you
putting this on the website as well?
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I haven't put it on the website just yet. Okay,
they're gonna go up this weekend or make sense. Yeah,
they'll go up this weekend. So that's for route. I
had a few issues getting the shipping worked out for them,
so I guess that's probably the number two thing that
I've that has been the learning care for me, is
(27:07):
running my website and figuring out how to get shipping working.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So I bet they know you well at the parcel
place now.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Yeah, yeah, I gotta figured out a little better. I
got a few different things working through the ordering of
my website to where it does shipping for me now
and that has saved me a ton of time.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Oh that's awesome. That makes Yeah, Well, when what does
twenty twenty six kind of look like for you?
Speaker 2 (27:43):
My hope with twenty six is to to move more
into the commercial and wholesale space. Right now, I have
I have two commercial accounts ones a local car wash
here that has like a car wash and service shop
(28:04):
and they use my coffee and their machines for their
waiting room. Yeah, and so move into the more spaces
like that. I'd really love to pick up some coffee
shops or baker's ers something like that. To have established
places where my coffee are at. Is that all the time?
(28:25):
Right now, I'm in three different grocery stores. They're all
regional town and country grocery stores. But I have one
here in Billings, one in Livingston, and then one in Bozeman.
And so that was a great step that got through
this fall, and I'd like to keep expanding into a
(28:46):
few other grocery stores because they it's it helps me
in getting exposure and more people seeing it. And then
it's for customers buying my coffee. That's, you know, simpler way.
They're already at the grocery store doing other stuff and
they can grab a bag of coffee at the same time, right,
So I'd like to do that. I'm right now, I'm
(29:11):
trying to set up my calendar for a few events.
You know. I did the Farmer's market this year, and
then a couple of other like craft and vintage markets
here this fall. And while selling retail isn't really what
(29:33):
I'm I'm hoping for for the whole business of my coffee,
I'd like to be more in that wholesale commercial space.
It's been really good to build up a customer base
and get my product out there. So I'm working on
building the schedule to have some of those and in
some different places outside of just billing, so that I
(29:55):
can continue to build that market for myself.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Yeah, I mean, those are great goals for the next year.
And then, like I said, that will be the beginning
of the year two, which means, you know, you'll just
be doing bigger and better things. Well have you have
you always lived in Billings, Well, no, I lived here.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Let's see, I've lived here for the last seventeen years.
I grew up in eastern Montana, about an hour and
a half uh northeast of Billings here, and then went
to college in Missoula on the west side of the state,
lived there for four years, and then ended up coming
back to Billings and living here. So I've lived in
(30:37):
Montana my whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
How is how do you feel about the growth of
the state.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
It's kind of double sighted, right. I'm glad that, like,
like it's it's growing and there's more opportunity, especially like
for my kids, like they have so many more opportunities
here now than there were before. But on the other hand,
uh man, when I go to my favorite camping spot
and it's full of people like a little a little
(31:07):
perturbed about it, and they obviously moved here and didn't
know that was my spot.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
So true, you know, it wasn't marked, so.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yeah, you know it's public campground.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
But yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
So it's it's kind of doubled that way forever you think, like,
you know, like I've always enjoyed so many things about
being outside and doing stuff here in this state, and
you know, it's it's so easy to see why people
will be drawn to it right, So it's you know,
(31:39):
it's like everything. There's there's really good parts to it,
and there's some drawbacks from it, but think overall it's
probably good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, I mean it'll be great. I think, uh. I
would never move up there, no offense. I don't like
the cold and you guys get very cold. And yeah
I am good on that. I but I will never
come live there.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, come come here in August.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
You'll be all right, exactly I figured in the summertime.
But it'd be great anywhere after that. I you know,
I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Well I have a second on the show. I call
it the five Count. It is just five random questions. Okay,
what would your last meal be?
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Pizza?
Speaker 1 (32:23):
How do you take your pizza?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I like the like combo, like bell peppers, onions, sausage
and lots of cheese and like a good Marinier on
the base.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Love it. Number two. If you were a pro wrestler
or MMA fighter, what would your name be? Oh?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Man, I got called Jake the Snake a ton when
I was a little kid. But I don't think I
could bring that one back. Man, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I was gonna say, I'm I think something else was
snake in there, but I mean snake man Jake, but like,
I don't know, it's still roughly the same. We'll figure
it out.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
We'll get it all right.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Number three, what were the last three things you googled?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Let's see, it looks like Montana Grizzley football. I was
checking on those score in the playoffs, Broncos football, and
then Metallica, so looking trying to see what they're doing
for concerts. It's kind of both My wife and I
(33:39):
was like, bucket list thing is to get to go
to a Metallica concert, that.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Would be Yeah. I've been lucky enough to see him
twice when I was younger. I would love to see
him now that I'm older as well. I think there
aren't they going on tour with like Anthrax and like
three other people. Maybe I'm thinking about another tour.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Well. I think they're in Europe a bunch in the summer,
and I don't think there's anything past that. As what
I found from my search there.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Interesting, I imagine, not something pretty big.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Number four, who or what inspires you?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
My grandma inspires me a ton. She's ninety five and
still lives on her own and she's just one of
the most resilient but loving people in the world. That
just her family is her everything, and she's just always
always been there for me and always been my one person.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
So I love that. And number five, what would you
tell your seventeen year old self?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Probably just to stop worrying about what everybody thought and
just enjoy what you're doing. I remember being that age
and just like always worried if I was doing the
cool thing, or if what people thought of what I
was doing, and man, just not to worry about that
and just go be yourself.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Yes, you can tell yourself that at any age. Really, right, Yeah,
Now people want to find out more about you, follow
you online by your beings. How can they do all
the things?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
So we're we're on Instagram, Ursa Coffee Traders, We're on Facebook.
That one's a little different. It's at Ursa Coffee Roasters
and I can't get them to let me change that
back to trader. That that was an auto fill mis
type and I didn't catch it till it was a
little late. So, but if you search Ursa Coffee in
(35:48):
either one of those and look for that bare logo,
that'll come up. We're online you can always throw URSA
Coffee Traders into Google. It'll take you to our website,
Coffee Traders and get you through do anything there, and
then our contact page on the website, we'll get in
(36:09):
touch with me through email or phone or however you
need to. You can order all of our coffee on
online there, and yeah, we ship everywhere in the US.
We haven't opened up shipping to anywhere outside of the
US yet, so.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah here. Canada's having a bit of a postal strike situation,
so yeah, yeah, Jake, I love this so much. I
can't wait to try your coffee and then I can't
wait to see where you guys are in at a year,
two years, five years from now. So thank you so
much for your time and this is gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Thank you. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to
be on here. I really it's been really fun.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Thank you. Thank you so much for Jake for being
on the show again. Definitely make sure to go and
check out URSA Coffee Traders online order them. It is
a holiday time. Who doesn't want more coffee in their life?
(37:12):
So help small businesses when it comes to getting your
gifts for the holidays and for yourself, you know, you know,
treat yourself as they say now while you're checking them
out on social media. Definitely to make sure to check
on us on social media. It is bruisers Pod. That
is b R E W S C R S p
O D on the Instagram, the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to send us an email, it is
(37:32):
Bruiserspod at gmail dot com. If you want to follow
me directly, it is Roady John. That is r O
d I E j O N. Roady John is the
name on the Twitter and untapped. Case you want to
find out what I'm drinking, maybe we can have a
beer together. If you want to follow me on the
threads or the Instagram, it is a fisher Rody John.
So until next time, make sure to enjoy life, drink
local and cheers. Three two White Down
Welcome to Bruisers, a podcast about beer, a coffee, booze
and Bruisers. I'm your host, story John, and today we
talked to Jake with Ursa Coffee Traders. We talked about
how he got into roasting, what his first year has
taught him, and so much more. Jake is all the
way up in Billings, Montana, and he is doing absolutely
fantastic things. When it comes to Ursa Coffee they're roasting.
They are thinking about getting a spot later down the line,
(00:43):
but right now he has definitely just focused on roasting
those beans and getting them out to you. So you
don't hear from me, you want to hear from him. So,
without further ado, here is Jake with Ursa Coffee Traders.
(01:05):
I would like to welcome to the show Jake with
Ursa Coffee Roat Traders. How are you doing today, sir?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Good? How are you doing?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I'm doing well? So for those listening, kind of paintus
a word picture, where are you at? What's going on
around you?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Sorry? Could you repeat that?
Speaker 1 (01:19):
This kind of paint us a word picture? Where are
you at and what's going on around you?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Right now, I'm sitting at my coffee roastery. It's a
warehouse type shop is about fourteen hundred square feet with
a roll up door, and then I have my palettes
of green coffee and my roaster and packaging equipment. So
it's pretty simple little shop, but it works really well
(01:46):
for what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
That sounds wonderful. Well, let's go all the way back
in time. What is your earliest memory of coffee?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
The first time I remember drinking coffee is at my
grandma and Grandpa's house when I was probably like five
or six. I think it was probably more milk and
sugar than it was actually coffee, but it's kind of
the first time I actually remember drinking it. It was a
little tin cup, and man, I felt like an adult,
(02:15):
so super excited that when I was little.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
For that, I love that they doctored it up for you,
just so that you know, obviously the bitterness of it
wouldn't have hit you so bad. Right, Well, how did
you end up? I mean, where did you begin coffee
roasting on your own?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So I kind of had a not a super direct
path to it. I I've always wanted to have a
business of my own. Ever, for as long as I
can remember, I thought about lots of different things. For
quite a while, I wanted to have a brewery and
(02:56):
thought it'd be the best thing in the world to
own a brewery and be a but I developed an
analogy to alcohol, and wow, I yeah, I get super
red and itchy, and it makes drinking any be really
not a lot of fun. So that kind of went
to the side. And right about a year ago, I
(03:18):
found an advertisement for this coffee roaster and a roasting shop,
and I really got me thinking, like I really enjoy coffee,
of tried it all over different places, coffees from all
over the world, and just kind of started thinking about it.
The more I thought about it, the more I liked
the idea of it and wanted it. And I'm super
(03:41):
fortunate with my my regular job allows me enough time
to run this other one. And right last year it
just pulled the trigger and and bought the equipment and
got at least for the space to set up the roastery,
and then and in January last year, got everything permitted
(04:04):
and started roasting and putting out coffee. So I really
didn't have any uh any experienced roasting coffee at all.
Uh So maybe not maybe not the brightest way to
go about it. But uh, the person that I bought
their the roasting equipment from was nice enough to help
(04:27):
train me with how to use the equipment and get it,
you know, get it moving and get the like the
roasting profiles for the coffee down pretty well. And then
after that it's just like cooking anything like control your
heat and your time and wasted a little bit of coffee.
(04:48):
There were probably about five batches when I started out
that they were they were drinkable, but they weren't good,
and so uh yeah, I got it dialed prett pretty quick.
I've kept it really simple. I only I have four
four main roasts right now, and by keeping into those
(05:11):
four and blending coffees from three regions, it's helped me
keep that part of it simple so that I'm I'm
producing a better, you know, a good a good quality
product that and I'm not trying to jump too many
things right now.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
No, that makes sense. I mean, keep it simple, like
you said, And I imagine you were gonna have some
batches at first that probably weren't the best or you know,
you you gotta get some mistakes out of the way.
I mean the same thing with brewing beer. If you
you know, you'll have the first few that you're like,
you know what, I'm gonna tough my way through this
or pour it out whichever way you feel, and then uh,
you know, keep going because it's just getting the reps
(05:49):
in and getting all of the mistakes out of the way.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, absolutely, putting it like having like just get weird.
The biggest things with coffee is it comes out roasted,
like you get a weird flavor like in the middle
of like when you taste it, like in the middle
of the taste, like it's not forward and it's not
the finish, but like right in the middle of like Okay,
(06:13):
how do I how do I fix that? And so
then it's you know, reading, reading and talking to other
people on how to work through that, and then you know,
trying it on the next roast to get it to
to even out to where eventually it comes to the
roast that you want to have.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So right, No, that makes sense. Yeah, I've heard so
many people will start with like a popcorn roast, like
kind of a roaster. Uh and but no, you went
you went full board.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, yeah, I jumped right in the middle of it.
My my roaster will do up to twelve kilograms, so
about twenty five pounds at a time. But I usually
roast rate at fifteen pounds at a time. If I
fill it all the way up, it gets pretty crowded
and the the outside that doesn't turn the coffee over
(07:10):
well enough to where part of it's getting over roasted
and some of it's getting under roasted. So at the
rate of that fifteen pounds, it seems it puts through
a good one. I can get through a good amount
of coffee. But it's really consistent.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I mean, yeah, that makes sense. You don't. Yeah, Like
I said, if you overcrowded, you're not. It's not gonna
get all the heat where it needs to, and it's
just gonna the stuff in the middle is not gonna work.
So yeah, you gotta again. You got to figure that
part out yourself too.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Well, where do you get your sources of beans from?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
So I use a I use a coffee broker that's
here in the United States, and then I get beans
that are from Brazil, Columbia, and Guatemala.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
And so I use those three or beans, and then
I mix some some like my my light and my
dark roast are single origin. And then my medium and
espresso are are blends and each each origin has a
little bit different profiles to it and a little bit
(08:18):
different flavor like tasting notes to it. And so like
my medium roast is kind of my is my flagship roast.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
And I I well, in all honesty, I made it
for myself, Like I drink coffee out of a French
press every day, and it's made to have a good
body to it, but be like kind of calmely and
like buttery and super smooth and a coffee that you
can drink all day long.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
And so but by blending the beans, like the citrusy
notes from the Brazilian beans and like the really full bodied,
like dark chocolate notes out of the Columbian and then
the gateumale, it's really like uh kind of malty, bready.
Like by mixing those all together, it it gives it
a good, good flavor profile that has enough body to
(09:10):
like really carry itself well but not be bitter and
and not and finish super smooth, so it's it's always
easy to drink. And like I drink coffee black, so
I want to be able to taste all the different
flavors through it and but not have that bitter catch
at the end of it.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Right, how long did it take you to well, I
guess how long did it take you to actually find
coffee the where you knew that you could actually drink
it black as opposed to whatever you would kind of
doctor it up with beforehand. So, like.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Before before I own the coffee roastreet. I, like I said,
I tried coffee from all over the place, and I
kind of fell into you know, I kind of knew
what I liked, like a a lot of Colombian coffee,
or like Indonesia like or some Matrian coffee. I like
those because they're just like, you know, a big strong
(10:10):
body to them. But I never really liked the uh,
the bitterness that came with them. And so I got
some help with the flavor, with building the roast profiles,
and I used a resource that is they're a company
(10:30):
that helps you know, you tell them kind of what
you're wanting to do and they give you suggestions of
how to how to blend things in like a roasting outline,
and they used that too. You know, I told them
what I was wanting for it, and they helped me Taylor.
They you know, made suggestions of coffee, the green coffee
and then roasting it, and so that that was a
(10:57):
good resource to use. It cut down my time on
going from starting up to having a solable product, and
I was just drinking a lot of coffee with it.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
So that's not a bad thing. I mean, obviously you
got to taste your own product and you got to
make sure that if it's working for you, then it's
gonna work for other people.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
How has the reception been at the farmers markets and everything?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
The farmers' markets has been fantastic for me. I went
our local farmers market here in Billings. They started They
starting kind of mid to late July and run through September,
and that was a great they I've kind of found
the hard way that people if people can see and
(11:49):
smell coffee, they buy it way better. It's not something
they buy a ton of, like just seeing it online
and deciding to grab it. And so having that market
exposure and getting to talk to you know, a thousand
people a week about my coffee was was a huge,
(12:11):
huge boost for me.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
I imagine it was me moving with it. Yeah, I
imagine it was intimidating at first, but you know, once
people actually started, like you said, smelling and tasting the coffee.
Then it was probably so much easier because then they're
so much more, like you said, willing to buy more
and as opposed to just being like, all right, well
maybe we'll try this one. We've never had it before,
(12:35):
but why not.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Yeah, And that that, you know, being able to get
them hands on with that coffee made all the difference
for me. There's the biggest thing is there's a ton
of coffee out there. Yeah, if you look at any
any grocery store and there's you know, ten to twenty
(12:58):
different brands of coffee, and each of those brands have
three to you know, three to six different roasts in it.
So there's just a ton of coffee. And but the
Farmer's Market were great, And my favorite part about it
was that the people that came back in like two
(13:18):
weeks and bought another bag from me. And like just
this morning, some people came to the Road Street to
pick up some coffee and they bought their first bag
of coffee for me, I think the second weekend that
was at the Farmer's Market. And so to have those
repeat customers and people that really enjoy it, like that's
that's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Yeah, I mean those return that's gonna help you so
much more because they're gonna not only they buying more,
but they're gonna tell their friends about it, and they
tell their family about it. And you know now that
you know, as we're recording, this is right forward Thanksgiving,
so people are they're having people over the holidays, and
so they're gonna try it and they're like, oh, what
is this and then you know they're gonna start finding
more of you.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Yeah, that word of mouth, Hills was great. It really
helps move things along, get people, get more people trying
it and finding it.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
So yep, they just gotta you know, they gotta sip
right to their lips, that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, how did you actually decide on the name? Obviously
the logo so much goes into when you do start
a business. Is this kind of a name you already
had in the back of your head or did you
come up with it when you actually realized that you
were buying a coffee roaster.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I came up with it when by on the coffee
Road street. I there's a ton of coffee out there,
and to find a name for a coffee company that
has that isn't being used. Was way more difficult than
I anticipated. I went through probably twenty five different names
(14:54):
to land on Ursa Coffee Traders. And the biggest thing
is it wasn't super long. I could get the domain
name for it and all the social media stuff for it,
and so it kind of fit. And like how I
ended up getting to it is like being in Montana.
(15:18):
We're in the north and especially in the winter when
it's cold and clear out, you can see the stars
really well. And I've always liked the Big Dipper in
the North Star and one of the names for the
Big Dipper is Ursa Major, and I, you know, I
just liked that, and so I picked I was gonna
(15:40):
go with Ursa Major or like north Star Brewing or Roasting,
and there were already stuff there, and so I ended
up on just down to Ursa Coffee Traders. And so
that's like my logos the bear, and it kind of
has a a more geometric shape and pattern to it,
and so that's kind of referencing back to that the
(16:01):
the stars and like the old constellation drawings built into
the face of the bear and kind of to tie
that all together. And then the blue and Silver's tour
just colors that I picked that I really liked, and
so you know, added made it that colors and something
(16:21):
that you know, like I personally enjoyed and thought looked good,
and so that's what I stuck with.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
M I mean it works, you know, the silver obviously
with the stars and then the blue with the sky
like it is funny also like looking back at some
of those drawings that they would come up with from
the constellations, I'm like, how did you end up with that?
With those? Like with three stars? But okay, well true,
why not?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yeah? I think that's probably why I liked They can
always called it the Big Dipper, but URSA major is like,
well yeah, it looks like a spoon. Makes sense, and
you know, talk about like a Ryan or the other ones.
I'm like, I don't I get the three stars in
a row. But that's about where it ends for me.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Well, like you said, you only have a few varieties
right now, how did you end up on those? And
what other ones you trying to think about for the future.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
So it ended up on the four me the four
roasts that I have now cover the main spectrum of
roasts for coffee. From the light being a little more
aromatic and wider notes and kind of more citrusy to
you know, the medium being the buttery one, and my
(17:38):
my dark roast being like just a really classic, full
bodied Columbian dark roast. So those three I just kind
of wanted to cover all of the mostly the home
people drinking coffee at home, and you know, it covers
pretty much everything everybody normally in those three blends. And
(18:01):
then I wanted an espresso my like, I don't have
a cafe or like a coffee shop rate at the moment, right,
and so my thing is selling wholesale beans, and so
I wanted a really good, solid espresso as an offering
for coffee shops, coffee kiosks, anything like that. And so
(18:23):
that's why developing that espresso for it as well. And
so those those four coffees cover everything, you know, from
people drinking at home to a a really solid European
style espresso to sell for you know, other people making
an espresso in the coffee industry. And then that way
(18:45):
is kind of I could cover a lot of market
with just those four, right, And then yeah, things I'm
looking at, I get a lot of requests for decaf
and I haven't dabbled with that at all yet. Part
(19:05):
of the decaps a little tricky with the process it
goes through and to decaffeinate it and then to roast it,
so I'm not quite there yet. The other thing I've
been working with that I want to get through is
an organic coffee, and I just recently got samples and
(19:26):
roasted those. So we're gonna pick one and probably do
it as a winter a late winter like seasonal offering
into January, right, but that way, just have a coffee
that's all organic, and it's super important. Our coffee that
we get already is it's not organic, but it is
(19:48):
clean washed and it it gets shipped without pesticides or
fungicides or anything sprayed into the bag when it's shipped,
so when we're roasting it, we're not cooking any of
those chemicals into it. So you know, we're working really
hard to keep it keep it as clean and healthful
(20:10):
as we can, and so the you know the next
step in that progression is to start working into the
organic coffees and going through there, but right now they're
kind of hard to come across.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So yeah, well, tell us about that process for those
of us that don't really know the difference between the
organic and what you what people normally get.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So or an organic coffee is similar to everything else.
It's not gonna it still can have herbicides and pesticides
used during it's growing to certain points, and then after
that point, think you can't add anything else to it.
(20:50):
So that way, as the the coffee cherries develop and ripen,
there isn't any chemical in them. And then the biggest
part is when it goes into the drying process that
there isn't anything added to help it dry or to
keep it or any like to either make it dry
(21:14):
faster or any chemicals to alter that process. And also
that it it isn't there's you know, there's essentially nothing
on it on the when it dries down into the
green beans. And then when it comes in a lot
of coffee that's that's shipped in big commercial bags and palettes.
(21:36):
They in coming from tropical climates. Getting a fungus in
the bag is a big issue and it can destroy
you know, thousands of dollars worth of coffee. So that
you can spray a a pesticide that's essentially like a
gas or a fungicide that's a gas into the bag
(21:57):
and it'll kill it. But it's also another chemical that
when we cook it and then pour water over it
and drink it, it's not exactly good for us. And
so so I order a coffee that doesn't have that
done to it, and then that way, you know, and
then on the other side of it, I buy I
have insurance that protects it. If you know, if it
(22:18):
gets here and then the bag is moldy, I can
use that, so I'm not just out an entire bag
of coffee.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Right, what have you? What do you think you learned
the most through this entire year when it comes to roasting.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Oh, and roasting, I would say the most. The biggest
thing I've learned with roasting is temperature control. And the
thing with that is here where we're at, like the
temperature varies. Like last year, in January and February I
first started roasting, there'd be days when it was well
(22:59):
blow zero out side and pulling the is pulling in
cold air that is really really cold, and to where
this summer, like I always tried to roast in the
morning so that it was only like seventy five or
eighty degrees, and so that difference in realizing how those
(23:20):
the changes in the ambient temperature affects how my roast
runs and then affects the end product so that it's
finishing at the right time. The the thing with roasting
is always getting the right development time for the roast
so that you're it you know it comes out on
(23:43):
the profile that you want and has all the the
features that you're looking for. And so when in different
stages of your roasting process, you allow different amounts of
air to be pulled in through the roasting chamber, and
if that air coming in is like forty degrees compared
to if they are coming in as eighty five degrees,
(24:04):
it really affects the end of the roast. So learning
to adjust the amount of gas that I'm put into
it and like when I'm putting the air to it
was one of the really tricky things to learn because
it's just it's there's no really set formula for it.
It's watching the watching the beans go by in the
sight glass and watching the temperature curve and the roasting
(24:27):
curve on the computer to try to mix them back
and forth to get them to to come out right
where I want them to.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
So yeah, I love that. What about the business side
it have you learned so much a man?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
The thing that I have learned a ton and is
still a bit of a struggle for me is cash flow,
like keeping balancing the amount of money I have coming
in to my expenses to doing the next project, whether
it's you know, making sure I have the right amount
(25:07):
of money set aside to be buying green coffee or
like for right now, I have gift coffee, gift baskets
and buying the products ahead of time to have everything
to put together in the right time, but still have
enough cash to do all my regular day to day stuff.
That's been That's probably that's definitely been the hardest part
(25:29):
for me to figure out and learn about and learn
to manage.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
So you're having the gift bags right now for the holidays.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Yeah, Yeah, it's a gift box and it has three
our three main it has light, medium, and dark roast
sample bag. They're like four and a half ounces, has
each of those three in there, and then it has
three chocolates in with it. And so it's just kind
(26:00):
of a nice little or a little white box with
some stuff so you can add whatever you want to.
The box or ribbons are right on them. They're all
just cardboards, so they're easy to write on. But it's
a I don't know. I think it's a good way
for people to try all of our coffees, and we're
selling them for twenty dollars. In that way, it's a
(26:23):
it's an easy gift to get going out.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
So who love that? Yeah, A nice little variety pack.
It's it's perfect again, Like you said, people can try
all of them to see what they'd like, to see
what they don't like, and then order more. What they're doing. Yeah,
now you're just doing this for the markets. Are you
putting this on the website as well?
Speaker 2 (26:46):
I haven't put it on the website just yet. Okay,
they're gonna go up this weekend or make sense. Yeah,
they'll go up this weekend. So that's for route. I
had a few issues getting the shipping worked out for them,
so I guess that's probably the number two thing that
I've that has been the learning care for me, is
(27:07):
running my website and figuring out how to get shipping working.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So I bet they know you well at the parcel
place now.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Yeah, yeah, I gotta figured out a little better. I
got a few different things working through the ordering of
my website to where it does shipping for me now
and that has saved me a ton of time.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Oh that's awesome. That makes Yeah, Well, when what does
twenty twenty six kind of look like for you?
Speaker 2 (27:43):
My hope with twenty six is to to move more
into the commercial and wholesale space. Right now, I have
I have two commercial accounts ones a local car wash
here that has like a car wash and service shop
(28:04):
and they use my coffee and their machines for their
waiting room. Yeah, and so move into the more spaces
like that. I'd really love to pick up some coffee
shops or baker's ers something like that. To have established
places where my coffee are at. Is that all the time?
(28:25):
Right now, I'm in three different grocery stores. They're all
regional town and country grocery stores. But I have one
here in Billings, one in Livingston, and then one in Bozeman.
And so that was a great step that got through
this fall, and I'd like to keep expanding into a
(28:46):
few other grocery stores because they it's it helps me
in getting exposure and more people seeing it. And then
it's for customers buying my coffee. That's, you know, simpler way.
They're already at the grocery store doing other stuff and
they can grab a bag of coffee at the same time, right,
So I'd like to do that. I'm right now, I'm
(29:11):
trying to set up my calendar for a few events.
You know. I did the Farmer's market this year, and
then a couple of other like craft and vintage markets
here this fall. And while selling retail isn't really what
(29:33):
I'm I'm hoping for for the whole business of my coffee,
I'd like to be more in that wholesale commercial space.
It's been really good to build up a customer base
and get my product out there. So I'm working on
building the schedule to have some of those and in
some different places outside of just billing, so that I
(29:55):
can continue to build that market for myself.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Yeah, I mean, those are great goals for the next year.
And then, like I said, that will be the beginning
of the year two, which means, you know, you'll just
be doing bigger and better things. Well have you have
you always lived in Billings, Well, no, I lived here.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Let's see, I've lived here for the last seventeen years.
I grew up in eastern Montana, about an hour and
a half uh northeast of Billings here, and then went
to college in Missoula on the west side of the state,
lived there for four years, and then ended up coming
back to Billings and living here. So I've lived in
(30:37):
Montana my whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
How is how do you feel about the growth of
the state.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
It's kind of double sighted, right. I'm glad that, like,
like it's it's growing and there's more opportunity, especially like
for my kids, like they have so many more opportunities
here now than there were before. But on the other hand,
uh man, when I go to my favorite camping spot
and it's full of people like a little a little
(31:07):
perturbed about it, and they obviously moved here and didn't
know that was my spot.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
So true, you know, it wasn't marked, so.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yeah, you know it's public campground.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
But yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
So it's it's kind of doubled that way forever you think, like,
you know, like I've always enjoyed so many things about
being outside and doing stuff here in this state, and
you know, it's it's so easy to see why people
will be drawn to it right, So it's you know,
(31:39):
it's like everything. There's there's really good parts to it,
and there's some drawbacks from it, but think overall it's
probably good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Yeah, I mean it'll be great. I think, uh. I
would never move up there, no offense. I don't like
the cold and you guys get very cold. And yeah
I am good on that. I but I will never
come live there.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, come come here in August.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
You'll be all right, exactly I figured in the summertime.
But it'd be great anywhere after that. I you know,
I'm okay.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:12):
Well I have a second on the show. I call
it the five Count. It is just five random questions. Okay,
what would your last meal be?
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Pizza?
Speaker 1 (32:23):
How do you take your pizza?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I like the like combo, like bell peppers, onions, sausage
and lots of cheese and like a good Marinier on
the base.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Love it. Number two. If you were a pro wrestler
or MMA fighter, what would your name be? Oh?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Man, I got called Jake the Snake a ton when
I was a little kid. But I don't think I
could bring that one back. Man, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
I was gonna say, I'm I think something else was
snake in there, but I mean snake man Jake, but like,
I don't know, it's still roughly the same. We'll figure
it out.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
We'll get it all right.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Number three, what were the last three things you googled?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Let's see, it looks like Montana Grizzley football. I was
checking on those score in the playoffs, Broncos football, and
then Metallica, so looking trying to see what they're doing
for concerts. It's kind of both My wife and I
(33:39):
was like, bucket list thing is to get to go
to a Metallica concert, that.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Would be Yeah. I've been lucky enough to see him
twice when I was younger. I would love to see
him now that I'm older as well. I think there
aren't they going on tour with like Anthrax and like
three other people. Maybe I'm thinking about another tour.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Well. I think they're in Europe a bunch in the summer,
and I don't think there's anything past that. As what
I found from my search there.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Interesting, I imagine, not something pretty big.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Number four, who or what inspires you?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
My grandma inspires me a ton. She's ninety five and
still lives on her own and she's just one of
the most resilient but loving people in the world. That
just her family is her everything, and she's just always
always been there for me and always been my one person.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
So I love that. And number five, what would you
tell your seventeen year old self?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Probably just to stop worrying about what everybody thought and
just enjoy what you're doing. I remember being that age
and just like always worried if I was doing the
cool thing, or if what people thought of what I
was doing, and man, just not to worry about that
and just go be yourself.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Yes, you can tell yourself that at any age. Really, right, Yeah,
Now people want to find out more about you, follow
you online by your beings. How can they do all
the things?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
So we're we're on Instagram, Ursa Coffee Traders, We're on Facebook.
That one's a little different. It's at Ursa Coffee Roasters
and I can't get them to let me change that
back to trader. That that was an auto fill mis
type and I didn't catch it till it was a
little late. So, but if you search Ursa Coffee in
(35:48):
either one of those and look for that bare logo,
that'll come up. We're online you can always throw URSA
Coffee Traders into Google. It'll take you to our website,
Coffee Traders and get you through do anything there, and
then our contact page on the website, we'll get in
(36:09):
touch with me through email or phone or however you
need to. You can order all of our coffee on
online there, and yeah, we ship everywhere in the US.
We haven't opened up shipping to anywhere outside of the
US yet, so.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
Yeah here. Canada's having a bit of a postal strike situation,
so yeah, yeah, Jake, I love this so much. I
can't wait to try your coffee and then I can't
wait to see where you guys are in at a year,
two years, five years from now. So thank you so
much for your time and this is gonna be awesome.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Thank you. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to
be on here. I really it's been really fun.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Thank you. Thank you so much for Jake for being
on the show again. Definitely make sure to go and
check out URSA Coffee Traders online order them. It is
a holiday time. Who doesn't want more coffee in their life?
(37:12):
So help small businesses when it comes to getting your
gifts for the holidays and for yourself, you know, you know,
treat yourself as they say now while you're checking them
out on social media. Definitely to make sure to check
on us on social media. It is bruisers Pod. That
is b R E W S C R S p
O D on the Instagram, the threads and the Twitter.
If you want to send us an email, it is
(37:32):
Bruiserspod at gmail dot com. If you want to follow
me directly, it is Roady John. That is r O
d I E j O N. Roady John is the
name on the Twitter and untapped. Case you want to
find out what I'm drinking, maybe we can have a
beer together. If you want to follow me on the
threads or the Instagram, it is a fisher Rody John.
So until next time, make sure to enjoy life, drink
local and cheers. Three two White Down
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