Yeakle uses only "the finest micro-lot beans, sourced seasonally from coffee farms around the world." A micro-lot is the term used by coffee farmers who harvest and process their best plot separate from their commodity-grade harvest, producing a superior -- as well as limited-availability -- bean.
Yeakle, age 28, is a Palm Beach Gardens native and serves as Rabbit's master roaster. His passion for hand-crafted java began thanks to a budding music career, a discovery he made while on a cross-country tour with his band. At the time, it was an introduction to the West Coast's many small-batch coffee roasters.
Like so many start-up South Florida roasters, when Yeakle returned home craving a more specialty cup of coffee, he couldn't find much. So he decided to try roasting his own. Yeakle bought an antique, hand-crank drum roaster from a woman in France on eBay and taught himself the rest. He later partnered with his friend and bandmate's father, Adriano, to bring Rabbit Roasting to life.
Born in Rome, Italy, Adriano also yearned for a better cup of coffee. "We started this because we couldn't find much good coffee here, and so we thought, 'Why not make our own?'"
"Some people are gifted in the arts, at singing, with numbers, or mechanical work. Iain was born to roast coffee," says Rabbit partner and marketing director, Kate Cerasaro.
Right now, Rabbit Roasting Coffee can be found at a number of Palm Beach County stores and cafés, listed here. The trio also set up shop in a booth at the West Palm Beach Green Market every weekend.
"It's about time something like this was here in South Florida," says Adriano. "And people are very excited about it."
Rabbit Coffee Roasting Co. is located in West Palm Beach. Visit rabbitcoffeeroasting.com, or call 561-351-1954.
Nicole Danna is a food blogger covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.
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