I talked with coffee expert Willem Boot all about specialty coffee: the business, the art, the ethics and more. We also discussed Willem’s company, Boot Coffee, including its offerings (consulting, courses, trips), Willem’s farms in Ethiopia and Panama, and the coffee that turned his world upside down.

Willem Boot is the founder of Boot Coffee, located in San Rafael, California. He’s also a coffee expert who has advised coffee companies, coffee associations, development banks and governments around the world. Willem appears in Dave Egger’s recent book, The Monk of Mokha. He has never lived in Istanbul, despite what a blog on his website might claim.