Joni Simmons, owner of Hillbilly Brew & Southern Sno, in Anderson, Texas was traveling out of state 5 days a week, as an outside salesperson in the oil and gas industry. The travel and the time away from home were getting old. She gave them a chance, but when the company wasn’t able to get her off the road, she took matters into her own hands. She quit and took three days off just thinking about what the next step would be for her. She decided that she “just wanted to serve up some coffee and have some fun.” And that’s where the adventure began.
But it turned into so much more than that. With no previous coffee experience other than drinking it black at home, she had a lot to learn. She found a roaster in San Antonio who helped her learn about the equipment and find classes. In the beginning, they used his beans, but as time went on and Joni’s knowledge developed, she knew that she wanted a different profile for her beans. So, she decided to source and roast her own.
They only serve Premium #1 Columbian beans, which they small batch roast themselves. Joni believes in controlling the quality of the bean and the profile to make for the best customer experience.
They have outfitted, and are getting permits for their roastery and they’ve upgraded from a small batch roaster to a commercial-grade roaster. Soon, they will be packaging and selling to the consumer; in either k-cups, beans, or ground coffee.
For now, you can consistently find their bright blue coffee trailer parked on Hwy 30 in Anderson, Monday through Friday 6 am to 5 pm. Boog and I showed up to visit with Joni on a windy, cloudy, 31* day in January, and she was there, smiling and just as happy and welcoming as if it had been a beautiful 80* day, full of sunshine. She believes that her customers should be able to depend on her being there, even on the hard days, with a smile and a cup of coffee.
Boog and I both got the caramel macchiato, Joni’s most popular drink. She started by lining
the cup with extra caramel and added a few pumps of caramel syrup. “We always try to do extra, we always try to do more for less.” She ground the beans, and then, for my large caramel macchiato, she pulled four shots of espresso. The machine whirred as it began to drip a dark espresso, with a cloud of beautiful crema stacked on top, and the air of the small trailer filled with the rich coffee aromas. When she poured the espresso into the waiting cup, the warmth of the earthy espresso scent wafted up to me. I watched as the steamed milk created a velvety microfoam that, as she poured it, swirled into the espresso; softening the intensity of the coffee.
Just a few weeks later, once the weather had warmed up, I returned and ordered the same, but iced this time. She just happens to be parked on the road I take to my mom’s house. Now I’m not saying that I’m going to stop every time I head out that way, but…..
If you’re out takin’ the backroads, stop by and see Joni at Hillybilly Brew and Southern Sno in Anderson, Texas. Tell her I said hey, and grab an awesome coffee, or even a sno cone, when the weather’s nice. You’ll be glad you did!
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Aurora Store (Chevron) 5015 Hwy 30, Anderson TX 77830
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