Gillies Coffee Company

one of the oldest roasters still operating in new york, gillies has been at this since 1840, which means they were roasting coffee before most of the city's current skyline existed. that kind of longevity doesn't happen by staying comfortable. their current home on 19th street in brooklyn puts you in the red hook and sunset park borderlands, a part of the borough that runs more industrial than artisanal, and that context fits. this isn't a place performing specialty coffee for a new audience. the sourcing approach reflects decades of supply chain relationships built before "single origin" became a retail buzzword. if you're buying beans to brew at home, the range here will give you more to think about than a weekend's worth of experiments. start with whatever they're roasting light this month.