Rowing and Roasting

The father-daughter business of Seaworthy Coffee Roasters is run by Chad and Jenna Hetzell, out of New Jersey and Rhode Island, as co-owner and co-owner-roaster, respectively. Both are passionate about the water (thus the name): Chad for sailing and Jenna for rowing. She began rowing as an undergrad at the University of Rhode Island and wound up as a coach, working part-time as a barista and a roaster. She found that she loved the coffee connection as much as the water one, with parallels in patience and trusting her senses to guide her. “I have a true passion for roasting and hope to build the business up around me, while I put my creative energy into the actual roasting,” she says. Slow-roasting in small batches gives her more control over the roast and the flavors. This technique, she stresses, creates a lower-acid, deeper-tasting, smoother cup of coffee. Her most popular is a medium roast, Even Keel; followed by the dark roast, Mainstay. Hetzell’s decaf coffee is Swiss Water Processed, which uses water to gently extract 99% of the caffeine instead of harsh chemicals. She also offers two fair trade/organic blends; and three fair trade/organic/single origin blends; her Engine Room espresso; and 11 flavors, including pumpkin muffin and peppermint bark (all flavors are available in decaf).

Seaworthy coffees are available in restaurants and specialty stores throughout Rhode Island with a strong presence in South County. Also find the beans in Maryland and Massachusetts, as well as at SeaworthyCoffeeRoasters.com.