If there’s one thing colder than a prairie winter, it’s realizing the bus back from the Rev Nightclub only runs once an hour. I was a philosophy student in Edmonton then — still riding my bike through snowdrifts, cross-country skiing in Goldbar Park, and, truth be told, not much of a coffee drinker. I drank black tea, like Jack Kerouac did in The Dharma Bums, half-romantic about it all. But of course Kerouac was a beatnik first, and in New York he drank his fair share of good coffee.
Beyond Starbucks
Back then I worked at George’s Cycle on scrappy 118th Ave and later the much posher Whyte Ave. When Starbucks first opened on Whyte Ave that felt like a big city moment. Those burnt dark roasts tasted better than anything the Husky Travel Centres along Alberta Highway 2. But, it wasn’t until a trip to Costa Rica that I understood what a good roasted coffee could be. And then, years later in Toronto, a conversation with Sam James at Manic Coffee sealed the deal. He explained every reason why my “conversion” experience was real: that a lighter roast lets the bean speak; that sweetness is natural, not added; that clarity is the new comfort.
So here we are, full circle. With a good buddy, I now co-own a coffee shop — with apologies to Sam James for being just down the street — and I finally get to pay homage to that frozen university town by bringing in Rogue Wave Coffee.
The Prairie’s Own “Third Wave”
“Rogue Wave”is a strange name for a roaster on the prairies. There are no waves in Edmonton, unless you count the gusts that roll across the frozen prairie. But the name fits: out of all the third-wave roasters in Canada, Rogue Wave really is a bit rogue. They built their own roasting machine from scratch, they test everything, and they chase flavour with a sense of adventure we admire.
What we love about Rogue Wave is how they’ve combined curiosity, precision, and humility into one clean philosophy: roast well, pay fairly, learn endlessly. Their sourcing standards rival anyone’s. Their commitment to farmers is deep. And, crucially, they keep their pricing honest — usually $26 for a 340 g bag, a full 100 g more than most of their competitors. That balance of value and ethics is rare in specialty coffee, but it’s second nature to people who live where winter defines the year. Rogue Wave have become a fixture of the Canadian prairies. And, in true working-class fashion, they quietly out-roast some of Calgary’s fancier names without charging an extra dime.
Warm Hands, Cold Streets
When I think of Edmonton, I think of long walks home at –30 °C, missing the bus and watching my breath rise like steam from a locomotive. I think of the now defunct New York Bagel, a dark, cozy café playing bossa nova while snow stacked up outside. I think of mountain biking through the river valley — is Ewok Forest still around? — and the friends at Redbike who keep the city rolling (and who now, fittingly, sell Bullitt cargo bikes from Pedaal).
There’s something beautifully cyclical about that. The city that first taught me endurance now sends us coffee roasted by people who share the same stubborn optimism. Rogue Wave is prairie philosophy in a cup – proof that the cold builds character, and character builds flavour. Here’s to you, E-Town!
