Jim Stewart, inspired by Herb Hyman, began roasting in 1969 and opened his company The Wet Whisker in Coupeville, WA.
Shortly thereafter, he would move to Pier 70 on Seattle’s waterfront. Jim’s popular light roast, which he called his Northern European roast, would set the tone for the light roasts widely used today. His company was Seattle’s only artisan Coffee Roaster providing fresh roasted gourmet coffee beans to the region.