Ben Helt, of the Midwest Coffee Trading and the Specialty Coffee Association of America, talks beans and roasting and speaks a little Spanish in The Pitch‘s Questionnaire
Occupation: Sales at Midwest Coffee Trading and e-learning manager for the Specialty Coffee Association of America
Instagram handle: ben_helt
Hometown: Harrisonville
Current neighborhood: Southern Raytown, Kansas City border
What I do (in 140 characters or less): I hook up roasters across the country with the right coffee for their customers and run SCAA e-learning programs for coffee folks everywhere.
What’s your addiction? Coffee and burnt ends, because Kansas City. Also, I’ve been saying “bing-bong” around the office too much lately. I need to stop.
What’s your game? To watch: baseball. To play: 31, the card game
What’s your drink? Drip coffee, always extracted hot. We are constantly evaluating amazing (and not so amazing) coffees in our lab. So, I get a little spoiled. I have a mild sweet tooth when it comes to booze, and I’m good with whiskey. So, it’s usually a Manhattan, an old fashioned, a boulevardier or the like when I visit Julep, Drum Room or our other fine cocktail bars. Room 39 made me very happy with a pecan old fashioned recently. Bing-Bong! Dammit.
Where’s dinner? Weeknights are at home with the family, with a menu driven by the average level of hangriness. Lulu’s is a favorite for date nights when we want to use chopsticks instead of fingers or forks.
What’s on your KC postcard? It’s hard to beat that shot of a concert at Crossroads KC with the Western Auto sign, the Hyatt Regency, Hospital Hill and more in the background. Really shows the life that exists among the buildings.
“Kansas City got it right when …” Citizens and businesses continued to support KCUR 89.3, voters decided to reinvest in Union Station, and neighbors chose to support the streetcar. That’s just a few of the greatest hits.
“Kansas City screwed up when …” It got so spread out through annexation.
“Kansas City needs …” To keep up the good work.
“As a kid, I wanted to be …” A guy who didn’t wear husky pants.
“In five years, I’ll be …” A guy who still wears husky pants.
“I always laugh at …” Artisan, hand-crafted axes. (No offense to all the urban lumberjacks.)
“I’ve been known to binge watch …” The Walking Dead, Justified and Arrested Development.
“I can’t stop listening to …” Marc Maron’s WTF podcast.
“My dream concert lineup is …” More of a festival featuring Taj Mahal, John Prine, Wilco and the Band.
“I just read …” Several children’s books in Spanish as I learn the language. Muchos libros sobre conejos jóvenes que viven en el bosque.
What’s your hidden talent? The first rule of hidden talents is to not talk about your hidden talents.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Huey Lewis and the News. Actually, I don’t feel guilty about that at all.
The best advice I ever got: Find a way to say yes, and tell them what it is.
What is your spirit animal? The red-winged blackbird
Who (or what) is your nemesis? Time
What’s your greatest struggle right now? Gearing up to make the second half of this life as effective and enjoyable as possible
My favorite toy as a child: My Mattel Intellivision gaming system
What was the last thing you had to apologize for? Making fun of what my wife thinks is funny
My recent triumph: I’m super proud to be part of an effort to bring coffee industry events to the middle of the country that normally only occurred on the coasts.
