Ceremony Coffee Roasters (Caffe Pronto)
We strive deliver the cup of coffee that changes someone's life.
At Ceremony, we really do hear it again and again from our customers: they simply cannot forget their enigmatic first experience with our coffee. Coffee becomes something entirely new to them, even if they had been regular drinkers.
That's simply because we have an unrelenting passion for producing the best coffee, and we know what it takes to do so at every step of the process. We are constantly working amongst ourselves and with others to push harder toward the best coffee possible.
Our work begins by sourcing some of the best arabica beans from four continents each growing season. We often travel to coffee farms to build relationships with farmers and to help perfect the process from the very beginning.
After the green coffee arrives in Annapolis, we set about honing a new roast profile for that crop of beans. Our goal is to to really understand the bean that we're working with and bring out its individual character and inherent qualities. This is where, most of all, our experience and craft is at its finest.
The result is that we can offer a consistently excellent but diverse line-up of coffees. If you live in or around Annapolis, we invite you to visit us at our roastery and coffeehouse. Ceremony coffee is also available in cafés, restaurants, and specialty food stores from New York to Florida.
Awards received by Café Pronto:
- Head roaster Andy Sprenger Wins SCAA 2011 Brewers Cup Championship by brewing three cups of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe from the Kochere District
- Head Roaster Andy Sprenger took 2nd place – 2009 - and 3rd place – 2010 –in the U.S. Cup Tasters’ Championship
- Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) Roaster's Choice 2010 - 1st Place for Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Koke District
- Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) Roaster's Choice 2009 - 2nd Place for Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Wondo Worka
- Small Business of the Year (Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce) 2009
- Owner Vincent Iatesta and Head Roaster Andy Sprenger served as judges at the Cup of Excellence competitions in Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua
- Top reviews on CoffeeReview.com
DESTROYER (on Destroyer Espresso C...)
Wakeknot | Wakeknot | Fri, 01/27/2012this is a coffee with a very fun name. I agree with others that this is not an acidic or fruity coffee, but rather a traditional chocolaty espresso. I found it to be very easy to pull in the sense that changing the dose or temp did not change the flavor profile much. I actually think it would be hard to make it sour, so perhaps this is a change from the "vincente" that was supposed to be the same blend or perhaps the machines or baristas were really badly off from the way they should be when the previous reviewer had it at a shop. Another hint that it may have changed since previous reviewers wrote about it is that it does not remind me of Toscano or Dolce, but this could be a result of the fact that coffees are crops and they change from month to month and year to year, so a blend won't taste the same in January as in October, etc, or it may just be a matter of my own personal tastes or the way I pull the three coffees. I would expect this to be an easy coffee to pull on inexpensive equipment since it seems fairly resistant to various conditions.
A GOOD FRENCH ROAST (on Ceremony French Roas...)
Wakeknot | Wakeknot | Sun, 11/20/2011I tend to find french roast too dark for me most of the time. My wife loves French Roast. She would probably give this 5 cups and I would give it 4 since it is a good french roast, but it is darker than my taste runs. It should be though since it is called a French Roast and it is accurately labelled. Pronto/Ceremony is a very good roaster.
GOT THIS FOR GIGGLES. FRENCH (on Ceremony French Roas...)
broseph | broseph | Sun, 11/13/2011got this for giggles. french roast! how dark can it be!? really, really dark and fireplace-y.
ETHIOPIA'S YIRGACHEFFE (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
bisrutemesgen | bisrutemesgen | Mon, 10/31/2011I'm enjoying strong but sweet coffee of Ethiopian!!
GREAT STUFF (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
Wakeknot | Wakeknot | Thu, 10/27/2011I find the flavors in this amazing. I do not think it could be mistaken for a "comfort food coffee" because it has such interesting flavors, but it is well worth a try.
AVERAGE TASTE (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
Kim C Abney | Kim C Abney | Mon, 10/17/2011I have to say I was disappointed in the flavor. Perhaps it was the roast. The taste was just OK but not like other Ethiopian coffees I've had in the past.
BEST (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
Rosemarie S. Tarampi | Rosemarie S. Tarampi | Sat, 10/01/2011I love the blend of fruity and cocoa-like flavors, I did not use any sugar nor creamer so I can really taste it pure, it is very good, no wonder it has the highest rating...definitely my favorite!
FANTASTIC COFFEE! (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
jaredament | jaredament | Thu, 09/08/2011The coffee is delicious. I lived in Ethiopia for several months doing medical work and always missed the citrus, blueberry, and cacao notes in my morning coffee. These are roasted to perfection, and I have no reservation about ordering this coffee again and again. I would recommend paying for faster shipping, however, since it did have to come across the country. I bought the 5lb special and it has stayed good in the freezer (I know, a contentious issue) throughout the weeks.
VINCENTE ESPRESSO (on Destroyer Espresso C...)
paul.nibber | paul.nibber | Thu, 09/08/2011This is the house blend at my local Caffe Pronto establishment. It is sometimes really sour depending on who pulled it, but usually it is very sweet. It is nothing like Starbucks or what most people have come to associate with espresso. For one, these beans are much lighter roasted, although not a 'light' roast. To me, this blend tastes like what I expect coffee to taste like... not the ashy, bitter stuff I've come to know over the years.
SWEET CHEEKS ESPRESSO (on Mass Appeal Espresso...)
dpablo19 | dpablo19 | Mon, 09/05/2011This blend isn't terribly different from the Vincente. It is one of the less citrusy/fruity offerings out there. I find it to be just as sweet as the packaging suggests. Unlike the Vincente, there is a tartness that shows up at the end of the shot. It is pretty forgiving as one of the other reviewers suggests, although I prefer it as a straight shot. It tends to get lost in milk, although it can make for a good macchiato, maybe cappuccino. A pretty decent Northern Italian style espresso.
GIDDY-UP (on Thesis)
dpablo19 | dpablo19 | Mon, 09/05/2011I enjoy this coffee from time to time. It's a bit spicier and more citrusy than Caffe Pronto's other offerings. It is a full bodied coffee with a bit of Brazil in it, which increases the caffeine content. This makes it an ideal breakfast coffee.
YIRGACHEFFE (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
dpablo19 | dpablo19 | Mon, 09/05/2011This is my go-to pourover coffee. It is very rare that I comment on the mouthfeel of a cup of coffee, but this feels velvety and substantive in the mouth. I have met Mr. Sprenger at the Caffe Pronto roasterie and his performance at the Brewer's cup was no coincidence. I can see why he chose this Ethiopian sourced coffee as it is bright without being sour, and retains a great deal of depth even when run through a vac-pot. It is reminds me of Earl Grey in flavor, and has similar natural sweetness. I would recommend this to all coffee lovers.
CAFFE VINCENTE (on Destroyer Espresso C...)
dpablo19 | dpablo19 | Mon, 09/05/2011This is very similar to your traditional Northern Italian style espresso. Notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and a slight nuttiness. It reminds me of Counter Culture's Toscana, although I find Vincente to be better. Vivace's Dolce blend is probably a better comparison as both have greater depth than the Toscano. Given the price differential and its availability in my area, I tend to prefer this over the Dolce. As for extraction... I use about 18 grams at about 200 degrees for about 27 seconds. This blend is definitely very forgiving if one or more variables go awry.
SMOOTH DELICIOUS NUANCED (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
tapnow | tapnow | Wed, 08/31/2011Smooth delicious nuanced cup. Great flavor profile.
SCRUMPTIOUS COFFEE... (on Papua New Guinea - W...)
dubbie98 | dubbie98 | Thu, 08/18/2011Yummy stuff here. I tried it just to try it, and ended up loving it.
CAFFE PRONTO'S YIRG (on Ethiopia Yirgacheffe...)
broseph | broseph | Thu, 05/19/2011I'm a little disappointed that this wasn't--as indicated above--roasted to order (it was roasted 4 days before the order was placed and I received it a week later), but it's still a very nice 90+ coffee. It takes the classic Yirg. profile (tea + sweet citrus) and bends it a bit by having some unusual florals. George Howell's Yirgs are consistently the best and this isn't that but that's maybe an unfair comparison.
IT IS OK... (on Mass Appeal Espresso...)
xprzzo | xprzzo | Tue, 04/19/2011Nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing that makes you want to try it again. After the first pound, I used up the remaining two in milk drinks and did my straight shots with the Ecco I still had....
CAFFE VINCENTE (on Destroyer Espresso C...)
JmanEspresso | JmanEspresso | Tue, 09/14/2010This blend is very different from the Sweet Cheeks Espresso. This was probably the best representation of a "classic Espresso" Ive had. Simple, with lots of crema, medium body, sweet and bitter balanced beautifully, with nice roast notes. I didnt get much fruit at all, but for the way this coffee presents itself, that works to its advantage. Every now and then, its nice to have a simple, tried and true espresso. Why? Because it just tastes good. I went with 18grams/93C giving about 1.7oz/27-30seconds. So, more towards ristretto. The normale style shots with a lighter dose didn't work out well for me, but, thats my tastes. Always play in the extraction space to find your ideal shot.
SWEET CHEEKS 'SPRO (on Mass Appeal Espresso...)
JmanEspresso | JmanEspresso | Tue, 09/14/2010This blend is a nice espresso. Is it the best Ive ever had? Probably not. However, it is quite good. Its quite forgiving and flexible, I had good results from 16gr up to 22grams, with temps ranging from 91-94C. Very thick, gloopy shots with rich bittersweet choc. and some nice winey fruit. Id certainly purchase again.