Specialty coffee in United States

Specialty coffee in the United States took shape with the third wave, when roasters such as Portland's Stumptown (1999) began buying direct from farms. The movement's reference points are regional. Stumptown in Portland, Intelligentsia in Chicago and Counter Culture in Durham, North Carolina, became known as the "Big Three" of direct-trade roasting, while Blue Bottle in Oakland anchored the Bay Area. The term "third wave" itself is generally credited to coffee professional Trish Rothgeb, who used it in a 2003 article.

Café density today is highest on the coasts: New York and San Francisco hold the largest clusters, with Portland and Brooklyn close behind. The more distinctive pattern is how roaster-heavy the country is. San Diego, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Philadelphia each have almost as many roasters as cafés, so a visit often means drinking at the source rather than at a multi-roaster bar.

Regional roasters shape local taste as much as the national names. Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. runs several Milwaukee cafés, including Bay View, Walker's Point and a counter at the Milwaukee Public Market; 8th & Roast, Alabaster Coffee Roaster & Tea Company and Amavida Coffee Roasters are other examples of independent roasters with their own bars. Espresso and pour-over sit side by side on most menus.