Coffee Roaster in San Diego Brings on the Jo: Ironsmith Coffee

There is no denying that San Diego's coffee scene is growing by giant strides; from Downtown to Encinitas, craft coffee roasters are bringing the beans to the local coffee community with expertise to rival any major US city. The San Diego coffee landscape has changed again thanks to Iron Smith Coffee, the newest coffee roaster in North County.  At this establishment, every cup is created by hand, beans selected and roasted in house. Fuel up: here's your exclusive first look. 

Ironsmith Coffee

458 S Coast Hwy 101 San Diego, CA 

(760) 230-2311 ironsmithcoffee.com

The Inspiration

The coffee journey began when friends Matt Delarosa and Raul Macias were rock climbing and debating what the next step in their lives would be: start their own business. Wanting to get out of the IT industry, Delarose found this the opportune time to invest in creating something new. Both of them had a love for coffee, so opening Ironsmith was the right choice. Over a road trip up the West Coast and a series of visits to coffee houses from Santa Barbara to Seattle, Delrosa and Macias were inspired to develop delicious coffee and create a long–lasting community. 

"My experience in coffee was I liked to drink coffee. I was working IT and knew I wanted to do something different. I read everything you can about coffee, from roasting to making drinks. Going from coffee house to coffee house something resonated in me; how they  built a community. I wanted to expand the coffee culture in San Diego," expressed Delarosa. 

The Process

Ironsmith stems from simplistic espresso based drinks. The 4 main: expresso, macchiato, cappuccino, and latte. They keep the same amount of espresso, then add more milk. The origin of the beans offers unique flavors of coffee. Delarosa hand selects the beans from  Central America, Guatemala, Columbia, and even Ethiopia. The coffee beans roasted are switched out every 2–3 months so there are constantly different flavors to experience. 

For the non–coffee lovers, they offer tea along with bakery items like scones, cinnamon, crumb cake, and sea salt oatmeal chocolate cookies baked locally. 

The Name 

Iron Smith: the term means a worker who works with iron and crafts with his hands. The equipment they use is made of steel and metal, which compliments the coffee house’s architecture. The creativity with roasting from hand offers the perfect cup of coffee. 

The Community

Before every cup, Ironsmith serves a smile. "Ironsmith has become a hub of creativity of locals to come to work or create art. For us, it is important to build a personal connection followed up with a cup of coffee," continues Delarosa.

Ironsmith Coffee is located at 458 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas and open 7 days a week 6 a.m-6 p.m.