Dear Readers,   I’m having some serious fun exploring mild arabicas from all over the world.  My primary interest is Ethiopian coffees.  Lately we have sourced a Sidamo with extraordinary  blueberry in the fragrance and the finish.  And, every Sunday we offer a new single origin at our Brix and Alley 24 locations.  So far […]

November 16th h 2016 Author: David Schomer,   When all the factors are in control, machines are clean and temperature stable, coffee is fresh, barista techniques are solid, and grinder burrs are sharp, my baristi on the bar are mostly trying to control the flow-rate of the espresso oozing into the cup. To truly capture […]

After a couple months using the Baratza Sette grinder at home I see a slow shift towards a coarser grind occurring. (After several months I have been backed into the finest setting the machine can produce.) Kyle, the ever helpful owner of Baratza said they have noticed this as the burrs break in over time. […]

The bottomless, or naked, port-filter is especially well named.  Because there is no hiding: the entire integrity of the espresso program, from grinder burr sharpness, barista technique, coffee freshness and roast, and machine calibration is on display.  There is no hiding using this porta-filter.  And of course the closed, or traditional port-filter, is a huge […]

Hello expert baristi…we are planning our next Pro Barista class for mid November.  Contact Jes at trainer@espressovivace.com to get a spot.  We are limited to eight students, as always.   Here is a picture of the last class to graduate, with students from New Zealand and Korea.  

  Kyle Anderson and engineer Christian Etzinger have made an on-demand grinder so revolutionary that I predict it will influence grinders made to grind per-order for espresso  for years into the future. The two design elements that are allow this teeny machine to brew great espresso are both known, and I admit a bit of a […]

Co-Founder/Co-Owner / CEO In 1987 David got very excited by the espresso method. He started a company with his wife at the time, Geneva Sullivan, called Espresso Vivace (literally, espresso excitement). Currently he is responsible for quality control, roasting, and training, and visits each shop daily. His background includes a BA in Cultural Anthropology from […]

Co-Founder/Co-Owner When Geneva and David started Espresso Vivace in 1988, she was working as a technician full time. It was her salary that saw Vivace through the beginning stages, her strength and wisdom that got them through the “night sweats” of not knowing if they would survive or not, and her tenacity that got Espresso […]

Assistant General Manager / Bar Manager South Lake Union Greg started working for Espresso Vivace in 2015 as a barista and in 2025 stepped into the role of Assistant General Manager at Vivace’s South Lake Union café. As a customer, it was at Vivace that he first experienced what espresso could be.  As a barista, […]

General Manager / Capitol Hill Bar Manager Zach started his journey at Espresso Vivace in 2022, but his love for coffee started in a hometown bakery and coffee shop in Eastern Washington.  Throughout the years, he built an appreciation for both espresso and the value small businesses bring to the community.  Zach’s penchant for learning […]