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Panther Coffee

Panther Coffee at The Betsy

Panther Coffee, Miami’s original specialty coffee roaster, is a local institution. Owners Joel and Leticia Pollock, coffee gurus with 30 years experience between them, moved to Miami from Portland in 2010 and founded Panther at a time when Miami’s artisanal coffee scene was nonexistent. Opening their first wholesale and retail store in Wynwood, Joel and Leticia set out on a mission to source, roast, and prepare the finest coffees in the world, curated from individual growers on small farms and creating a transaction mutually beneficial for all involved. In time, Panther not only introduced the city to single-origin coffee — it also helped catalyze Wynwood’s transformation into a dynamic, creative neighborhood and cement its current status as Miami’s artistic haven. What began as a bicycle cart selling cold brew now has multiple locations across Miami and is one of the city’s cultural and culinary touchstones. 

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The Roaster

From the beginning, Joel and Leticia have roasted their own beans, using one of the rarest machines of its kind — a vintage Probat “Perfekt” drum roaster made in 1927 in Emmerich, Germany. Joel and his dad refurbished the roaster in 2008 back in Oregon, which, along with Panther’s other Perfekt from the 1920s, are the only known operating roasters of this model and era (besides those in the antique roaster museum in Emmerich). Visit the Panther shop for yourself to see it in action.

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The Betsy Blend

Inspired by a father-son coffee growing team in Nicaragua, Joel created this bespoke Panther blend just for The Betsy, with father-son duo Jonathan and Zach Plutzik in mind. The blend brings together single-origin beans from Uganda’s Gorilla Summit and Nicaragua’s Finca la Amistad coffee farms, where Joel’s relationships with the growers stretches back over a decade.

Flavor Notes 
Gorilla Summit beans (Kiganda, Uganda)
sweet, with a dense body, prominent notes of wild fruit

Finca la Amistad beans (Jinotega, Nicaragua)
soft, sweet profile with clean finish, vividly sparkly fresh fruit character

the betsy culinary series: panther coffee

A Conversation with the Founder

Join specialty coffee expert and founder of Miami’s Panther Coffee Joel Pollock on the art of cultivating and roasting the finest coffees in the world. Learn about Panther’s partnership with The Betsy and with small-batch coffee producers in Nicaragua, Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia as Michael takes us on coffee’s journey from planted seed to harvested bean to the dark roast in your cup.