IN THE KITCHEN

Making coffee on the next level

In the Kitchen | food

Sky 37 uses pour over kits, specialty beans for premium cup of coffee

Most of us drink our coffee to wake up and get moving, never really taking time to enjoy it. Jason Crum, owner of the brand new Sky 37 Bistro in Ashland, Kentucky, thinks about his coffee a little differently. Using handcrafted pour-over kits designed by the owners themselves, Sky 37 creates a unique coffee experience much more inviting than most shops in the area.

“We could probably do the drive-thru thing if we wanted to,” says Crum, while slowly pouring a customer’s first cup. “But I prefer to see the customers, to have them come in, sit down, relax and converse. The pour over method slows people down a bit.”

And this is no ordinary cup of joe. At Sky 37, Crum and company import coffee straight from Brazilian farmers. The results are more than just smooth and flavorful. They’re certified “special.”

“We only use specialty coffee here, which has to be scored between 80 and 100 on the coffee grading scale,” explains Crum. “Each bean is graded on size, color, formation and other qualities. The higher you go on the scale, the fewer defects are allowed. There are three basic levels; specialty, gourmet and commodity. Gourmet is more like Starbucks, commodity is your Folger’s and

food | In the Kitchen

Maxwell House, and then there’s Specialty. Everything we do is Specialty Brazilian, just because of our contacts.”

Those contacts originated during Crum’s tenure at SunCoke Energy. There he traveled the globe, helping to set up and build coke plants. He spent over 10 years traveling back and forth from his home in Greenup, Kentucky to Brazil, making lifelong friends and connections with every trip. While in Brazil, Crum fell in love with the handcrafted wooden furniture he would see in shops and roadside stores. Crum eventually decided that he wanted to bring this furniture, and the opportunity to buy it, back to the Tri-State.

“I knew nothing about importing anything,” Crum said with a laugh. “I would think to myself, ‘How does one even go about this?’ But just like anything else, it was all about finding the right people.”

Finding those connections led Crum and his wife, Carma, to start JC Mercantile, a furniture, home goods and coffee store in Lloyd, Kentucky. The shop’s success would quickly create a buzz in the area, leading to more business ventures within and beyond the Greenup County community. Using their imported coffee, the Crum’s helped establish the Warrior Cafe at Wurtland Elementary School. There, fifth grade students sell coffee to teachers and parents before and after school, using the profits to fund class field trips. Shortly after word of the cafe got out, bigger opportunities came knocking.

Allison Christie, developer of The Lofts at The Skytower in downtown Ashland, was seeking a new business to occupy the first floor of the newly renovated building. In Sky 37, she found what she was looking for.

“They wanted something in here that was different and unique,” Crum said. “It has been a perfect fit for us.”

Aside from offering world-class specialty coffee, Sky 37 also serves breakfast and lunch, both crafted by chef Carma Crum. Though there are plenty of American options like biscuits and gravy, homemade muffins and pizzas, the most alluring menu items are the Brazilian “Pastels.’’

These widely popular Brazilian treats are fried, flour-based pastries filled with various meats and cheese. As for the cafe itself, the room is beautifully outfitted in wooden decor, giving the entire Sky 37 experience a “modern primitive” feel. Though it has a decidedly vintage aesthetic, the cafe still offers all the modern amenities of a 21st century coffee shop, like free wifi, a couch lounge and hi-def television.

But even more noticeable than the stunning decor is the sense of community within the walls of the Sky 37 Bistro. A steady stream of regulars come in and grab their usuals while saying hello to other customers. Many gather around their familiar tables for lively conversations before heading out on their separate ways. The owners feel more like friends as they converse with their patrons while preparing exquisite coffee drinks and breakfast plates. The morning rush at this coffee shop feels different, and it is a much welcomed change of pace. a

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