About
One Obsession,
Documented.
Shots & Stories started as a personal log of learning espresso — shot notes, gear experiments, failures and breakthroughs. It became something more: a record of what happens when you take a craft seriously and share it honestly.
Based in Philadelphia, PA. Pulling shots since 2022. Still learning.
How It Started
The first machine was a hand-me-down from a friend who'd given up on espresso after six weeks of bad shots. I almost gave up too. The shots were bitter and thin, the machine was confusing, and the learning curve felt vertical.
What changed was a YouTube rabbit hole and, eventually, a shot log. I started writing down every variable I could control — grind size, dose weight, yield weight, time — and comparing them against what I tasted. Slowly, patterns emerged. And then, eventually, a good shot.
Why Philadelphia
Philadelphia has a coffee culture worth caring about. Elixr, ReAnimator, Menagerie — these roasters are doing serious work with sourcing and roasting. The city has cafés where the baristas know extraction and will tell you exactly how they're pulling if you ask.
But there's also a gap: most of that knowledge stays inside the cafés. Most people never learn what espresso is actually capable of tasting like. That gap is part of what Shots & Stories is trying to close.
What This Is
A journal. A review platform. A service offering for events. A directory of local roasters. And — eventually — a community hub for Philadelphia coffee people who want to connect, share setups, and talk seriously about the craft.
The reviews are honest because they have to be. The opinions are clearly labeled as opinions. The ratings have methodology. The goal is to be the kind of resource that would have helped me learn faster when I was starting.
The Bigger Picture
Coffee doesn't exist in isolation. Behind every bag of beans there are farmers, pickers, processors, importers, and roasters — most of whom are paid less than they should be for work that requires enormous skill. Part of what this site wants to do is make those supply chains visible and point toward roasters who prioritize direct trade and fair sourcing.
Great espresso is only possible because great people grew, processed, and shipped the beans. That deserves acknowledgment.
What Guides This
Get in Touch
For booking inquiries, roaster suggestions, gear questions, or anything else — reach out directly. The goal is to build something useful for the Philadelphia coffee community, and that starts with actual conversations.