If there’s one thing Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (CBRC) is more passionate about than coffee, it’s the environment.

We all know how important clean water is for our health and for the earth—but imagine producing a product, like coffee, that is made up of 98 percent water. That’s just one reason why CBRC is doing their part to help clean the bay, one cup (of joe) at a time.

“Coffee, community, [and] clean water,” said Rick Erber, founder of CBRC and director of sales and marketing. “It’s all about [our] passion [for coffee] and the water, and tying those passions together.”

It all started in 1992, when Rick and his brother, Tom, began importing commercial espresso machines from Italy. Customers quickly began asking where to get coffee beans, so the brothers hopped in and joined the bean business. The roasting company officially launched ten years later in 2002.

Now 17 years later, CBRC continues brewing up a storm in its Crofton-based warehouse, all while supporting the local waterways and a variety of environmental groups, charities, and community organizations. The roasters serve up nearly 350,000 pounds of coffee each year.

“The idea (and where our name came from) is from the great passion that we have,” said Rick. “It’s about where we live, it’s about giving back to the community, and it’s about doing things to give back through great coffee.”

Chesapeake Bay Roasting Co. gives back to the bay region in a number of ways. One percent of gross sales goes to the H20 Initiative, a program started by CBRC to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The program focuses on educating the public about watershed issues, oftentimes through their coffee blend names and online promotion.

The roasting company also makes sure it is conscious about the impact it has on the environment. Every week, CBRC collects more than 125 pounds of coffee grinds and husks to be composted. The composting is taken on by the Master Gardeners of the University of Maryland Extension in Annapolis and educates residents about safe and sustainable gardening practices.

“It starts with great coffee and giving back to the community, especially the Chesapeake Bay and initiatives around the health of the bay,” said Rick.

One of CBRC’s strongest collaborations is with the Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP), a nonprofit focused on improving the environment and expanding economic opportunities in and around the Chesapeake region. Since 2005, the coffee roasters have given back to the partnership through specialty coffee cans, volunteer work, and events. Interested in supporting the bay? Look for coffees that include the word “reef” on the cans! All proceeds go directly to ORP.

The roasters also have a food truck for events that support their initiatives, like a local river clean-up, or the annual Annapolis Oyster Roast and Sock Burning. Additionally, the company’s employees and families volunteer their time and support causes and activities that benefit the bay; according to Rick, everyone is very passionate about CBRC’s mission.

“We currently employ 18 [workers], and we recently acquired our cold brew partner in Baltimore, so we’ve expanded in that sense. Many people who work here have been here for years,” said Rick.

In the end, CBRC’s main passions are roasting great tasting coffee, supporting the environment, and having fun while doing it.

“We work hard and have fun. That’s what it’s about.”

Chesapeake Bay Roasting’s regular and flavored coffees can be found in 220 food service establishments, such as restaurants, cafes, college coffee bars, and also in stores at Whole Foods, Graul’s Market, and Wegmans.

You can also catch CBRC’s name in collaboration with one of Maryland’s many local craft beverage companies, including Tobacco Barn Distillery, Blackwater Distilling, Crooked Crab Brewing Co., Calvert Brewing Company, Heavy Seas Beer, and Reckless Ale Works.

Learn more at www.cbrccoffee.com.