International coffee connoisseur returns to Lakewood to open Sweet Bloom roastery

Roasting coffee is a multisensory experience for Andy Sprenger, owner of Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters.

After he fires up his 25-pound San Franciscan Roaster — the centerpiece of his 2,200-square-foot minimalist warehouse space in Lakewood — with the choicest coffee beans, he smells the aroma of the beans as they heat up. He watches for their color to change. He listens for the first crack of the beans. He even chews a few to sample the taste.

“You’re really using all your senses in the roasting process,” Sprenger said.

Sprenger opened Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters in December at 1619 Reed St. The business is one part wholesale roastery, one part cafe.

Sprenger said his initial goal was to focus only on wholesale, but the location is zoned for retail and he was encouraged to include the cafe. He said he is excited about the retail aspect because it gives people a chance to taste his coffee straightaway.

“I was looking for a warehouse site that I could do wholesale roasting in,” he said. “I think it works fantastic for wholesale roasting. There’s something exciting about being able to come to the roastery.”

For now, the cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sprenger said the wholesale side of business is taking off. He said there are coffee shops between Delaware and Washington state that sell his coffee, and he even has an account in Hong Kong. Locally, Sprenger’s coffee is available at a handful of coffee shops.

Sprenger prefers his coffee beans lightly roasted. As the name of his business implies, sweetness plays a major part in crafting a good cup of joe.

“Really good coffee should be sweet,” he said. “Coffee has to be naturally sweet. I’m looking for standout coffees from any given region that are also sustainably grown.”

Sprenger should know. He has 10 years of experience in the industry, and has won awards for his coffee roasting. He was United States Brewers Cup champion in 2011 and 2012, a runner-up in the 2012 World Brewers Cup Championship and the 2013 U.S. Aeropress champion.

Sprenger is also a certified Q-Grader, which he said is essentially a sommelier but for coffee.

“You have to go through a bunch of tests — mostly taste tests,” Sprenger said. “(Being a Q-Grader) shows your commitment to the industry, and it’s kind of a badge of honor. Having that experience, it states to others that you are very committed to the craft.”

While he’s gained international fame in the coffee brewing industry, Sprenger is no stranger to Lakewood. He lives here with his wife, Laurel, and has three children: James, 10; Leila, 6; and Josh, 4. He grew up near South Wadsworth Boulevard and West Jewell Avenue, and he plans to buy a home nearby so he can bike to work.

In 2012, Sprenger had been living in Maryland for 10 years working as head roaster for Ceremony Coffee when he started to put together the business plan for Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters.

“We just felt like this was the right time for us to come back (to Lakewood),” Sprenger said. “It’s been something I’ve considered for many years.”

Before coffee, Sprenger had a different interest — birds. He was working overseas in Lebanon to protect wetlands, doing bird census counts and scientific research. When he came back to the U.S. 10 years ago, Sprenger was just looking for a job when he started as a barista at Ceremony Coffee in Maryland. He ended up finding his life’s calling.

“I fell in love with the whole industry,” he said. “It went from being a job that I needed to being a passion — something that I wanted to make my career. I was able to grow with the business. I wore a lot of hats. I did whatever was needed.”

For now, there is only one other employee at the roastery: Sprenger’s 20-year-old nephew Caleb. He helps behind the counter at the cafe and bagging coffee. His uncle asked him to join him in the endeavor after Caleb returned from Thailand, where his parents were doing missionary work.

Caleb has a few paintings hanging on the walls at the cafe. He said he most appreciates the depth to coffee, which he never knew existed.

“I love it, it’s incredible,” he said.

While Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters is strictly a family business for now, Sprenger said he plans to expand.

“The plan is to grow and bring on other coffee professionals, people who are like-minded and are excited about doing great things with coffee here in Colorado,” he said.

Steve Shultz: 303-954-2617, sshultz@denverpost.com