Your CoffeeMate, Autumn Skinner

Hello, coffee lovers and curious drinkers!

This post is meant to serve as a quick-n-dirty intro to myself, the blog and how I adopted the coffee lifestyle...

I'm Autumn, better known as your friendly "LACoffeeMate" on Instagram.

What started as a part-time job as a barista when I was 16 grew to become my greatest passion and lifetime love affair. After six years as a barista, one year as a bartender and mannnny college majors, I dove into the world of advertising and PR... But I couldn't stay away from my hospitality roots. What started as a school journalism project blossomed into a hard-working hobby, keeping my creative gears turning and my excuse for drinking copious amounts of coffee valid. (...) 

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I aim to keep CoffeeMate as utilitarian as possible, which is the core of why I created it. I was astonished I couldn't find a guide to coffee shops in LOS ANGELES with all the information I found pertinent before going to one! Including: the parking situation (paramount, to the point of , the brand of coffees served, the vibe, if there's WiFi, if it's a good date spot, or more of a working spot... All the elements I naturally think of when I visit a coffee shop, but wish I had known about beforehand. Since I couldn't find this all-encompassing resource, I decided to create it! With sprinkles of human-interest, humor and lifestyle, CoffeeMate was born.

I started as a barista at the east coast-based supermarket chain, Wegmans. For those who aren't familiar, Wegmans is like a nicer, inexpensive, more authentic Whole Foods. Each market has a coffee shop with Wegmans' own coffee served, and this is where my love for the coffee culture, beverage, history and side-effects were born. I went on to become a certified Coffee Master at Starbucks when I moved west, and I knew my dream job one day would include never again having to pay for coffee. My favorite coffees admittedly come from Africa, so I realize I have quite a bias when reviewing coffees. I do try to branch out though, as the world of coffee is as diverse as the world itself. But to me, nothing beats a fruity, floral and citrusy African brew. Since diversity is important to me, CoffeeMate is not just an LA coffee shop guide, it also houses coffee and product reviews, health and wellness articles and coffee pairings.

Something I wish I could change about the coffee space is the accessibility. I think people drinking their first cup of coffee and world barista champs should be treated equally in-store as well as have the same amount of resources available to each of them. The craft coffee community is not inherently pretentious, but some within are, so unfortunately it's become the stereotype you are a coffee "snob" rather than "aficionado." This is part of what my blog seeks to establish: a layman's resource for the novice and expert alike.

A more career-oriented goal I'd love for my blog to accomplish, is gaining traction in the LA food & beverage community that evolves into a writing job for an authoritative outlet like LA Magazine, Imbibe Magazine or Eater LA, among others.

This is where Holey Brewed came in! I discovered the Canadian coffee and doughnut community while browsing Instagram one evening, one thing led to another... And now I'm happy to announce I'm writing among other coffee-lovers, educators and leaders.

When I'm not coffee-ing (which is 90% of the time), I am playing guitar, making tiki cocktails with my boyfriend or researching how to keep houseplants alive.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and please comment or email me if you have any questions or just want to chat!
I look forward to sharing a coffee with you ;) 

Cheers,
Autumn