Alan Draper – Kazakhstan, the Art of the Roast, and Starting Over

Alan Draper founded 4A Coffee in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2004, shipping a roaster and espresso machines across the world before specialty coffee was a known concept there. After nine years and three kids, he brought it home to Brookline.

In this episode, we talk about Alan's path building 4A from scratch in Central Asia, the craft and precision behind roasting, surviving the Yelp era and alternative milk craze, and what drives him to keep getting it right — even after starting over.

Show notes:

• 4A Coffee (order online): https://www.4acoffeeroasters.com/
• SCA – Specialty Coffee Association (referenced by Alan): sca.coffee