Specimen No. 001 · the man himself

The Legend

the official record

Kamren Starkey
Exhibit A · the wizard, allegedly

You may know him as a barista, a teacher, traveling salesman, or the guy hauling an old espresso machine into your event.

His name is Starkey. Kamren Starkey.

The Coffee Wizard started as a nickname among the customers, and he kept the name.

Okay. Talking about yourself in the third person is weird. Anyway.

I'm Kamren, but my friends call me Starkey. You can too. Or you can just call me your local coffee wizard.

I learned most of what I do outside Indiana. A lot of that was in Denver, then at festivals and events around the country.

I've made coffee backstage, in parking lots, at weddings, and in offices. Sometimes the power was bad or the water was questionable. There was still a line of people waiting for coffee.

I'm based in Indiana now and booking events again. If you're looking for coffee at your wedding or office, you can hire me here.

the record, such as it is

Recorded

  • Roasts his own coffee. I do. For myself. I am not a professional roaster. Yet.
  • Pulls shots on lever machines that fight back.
  • Co-founded Street Coffee Collective.
  • Has made coffee in places that were definitely not designed for making coffee.
  • Runs on notebooks, checklists, and an irresponsible number of open tabs.

Rumored

  • Has fixed an espresso machine using something purchased at a gas station.
  • Once drove several hundred miles for a cup of coffee and did not think this was unusual.
  • Owns at least one machine that should probably have been allowed to die.
  • Has said “I have an idea” immediately before creating several hours of unnecessary work.
  • Can turn almost any conversation into a conversation about coffee.
  • May not actually be a wizard.

what I'm doing now

I co-founded Street Coffee Collective with Hannah (Fish) Staple. We're building it into a network of coffee professionals and artists. You can find Street through the link below.

The Coffee Wizard is the name I use for my own work. At the moment I'm building a roadcase and figuring out weekly cold-brew delivery in Kokomo. I also roast coffee for myself and write here when I have something to write about.

I'd like the things I make in the future to have a place here too. For now, you can see what I'm working on under Projects, or get in touch about an event.