It was an ordinary September afternoon at the Charleston City Paper office. I was heading upstairs ready to write my “City Picks” – that is: small, informative pieces on local events – like I did every day I came in as an intern. Writing for the Paper was fun and all, but I quickly learned that the coolest aspect of working for a local newspaper was the insane amount of freebies that were brought right to the office’s doorstep. It seemed like every afternoon I came in there was a new tasty or exciting surprise up for grabs thanks to new and eager local businesses looking to put themselves out there. I was never there early enough in the day to experience the generous offerings (and offer-ers) first-hand, so I often had to settle with leftovers (with which I was still more than happy). This particular afternoon, however, I completely and entirely missed a real treat. A brand new local coffee shop had offered free coffee to all of City Paper’s employees (and interns). Good local coffee is something for which I normally go out of my way, so I was bummed when I heard from my fellow interns that the baristas in question were long gone by the time I arrived. I was told that it had been a mobile coffee shop – one attached to a bicycle – that had parked in front of the office. Needless to say, I missed out on what sounded like the coolest local coffee experience ever. One year later, I am proud to say I have since seen the contraption with my own eyes and met the masterminds behind it. I still have yet to try a cuppa by Sassyass Coffee, but, after hearing what they had to say about their story and offerings, it is now high on my priority list.
The first thing that strikes people about Sassyass Coffee is the name. When asked about the origins of such a unique and funky title, proud owners and friends Sheri Johnson and Mike Berndt commented, “We wanted a name that reflect[ed] our personalities, so Sassyass was the only true option. Sheri Johnson is ‘Head Sass’ and I am ‘Chief Ass.’ Those are our titles on our official paperwork with the city. Though, to be honest, we can each fill both roles when necessary. If we ever get to phase two (our dream downtown brick and mortar [shop]) we want to allow all who work there to choose their own titles. Personality is everything to us.” Sassyass certainly has plenty of that to go around.
At first glance, Sassyass is an oddity. Apparently, espresso-a-go-go is not as commonplace in the United States as it is in some European countries. According to the Chief Ass and Head Sass, their take on the mobile coffee shop came to be as a result of “a year’s worth [of] planning [their] escape from the corporate coffee world over many nights of obsessively competitive Scrabble matches.” At first, it was just their wistful dreaming of “what [they] would do if [they] no longer had to make someone else’s coffee for someone else’s profit.” They explained that their original dream of a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in downtown Charleston was beyond their financial reach as two baristas earning hourly wages. For the duo, the flexibility and controlled costs affiliated with a half-bike-half-espresso machine was the obvious choice. It helped, too, that Berndt was already a cycling enthusiast and that Charleston welcomes “bike culture.”
So far, business is good for Sassyass Coffee. Johnson and Berndt are enjoying making coffee again (since they are now able to exercise creative license and choose their favorite equipment). That has been the most exciting part for Berndt, who has methodically chosen to use an Astoria Rapallo named Lucille as his weapon of choice. Come again? Berndt explained that this jargon can be translated into “a two group lever espresso machine that is mechanically unchanged from the first lever machine Astoria developed in 1953. Unlike your modern conventional machine, the pressure is provided by a spring-driven piston instead of a mechanical pump.” This choice, he explained, makes for a gentler process and allows for a wider range of beans to be used. The resulting espresso shot is heavy in extraction and caffeine-rich with an especially thick layer of crema on top.
As is the case with any business partnership, though, Johnson and Berndt are not without their minute weaknesses (despite being awesome enough to caffeinate the people of Charleston in a super unique way). When asked about the challenges of embarking on such an adventure, Berndt said, “Sheri and I are both great with ideas and terrible with execution. Fortunately, we were spurred on by the desire to not let each other down. We are dear friends with a great working dynamic, so even though we share many weaknesses it was a great fit. Neither of us could have done it without the other.” And, thus, the business prospered.
Of course, with all of this in mind, one is left wondering about what really matters here: Sassyass Coffee’s actual coffee. Johnson and Berndt generously credit Kudu Coffee and Craft Beer for sharing their bean-roasting skills with Sassyass. “Josh and Jason Bell [of Kudu] have been an enormous help in getting us going and Jason roasts a damn fine bean,” said Berndt. So, basically, if you like Kudu you'll love Sassyass. The dynamic duo claim that all of their drinks get you moving and keep you going. “We don’t mess around with caffeination,” stated Berndt. Sassyass’s three most popular drinks are: The Salty Bastard (a proper Aussie-style flat white with salted caramel), the Violet Femme (a latte with violet, particularly delicious when iced), and the I'm Your Huckleberry Mocha (huckleberry is like a blueberry crossed with a black currant).
Wondering where you can stumble upon this wild little outfit? The answer is Marion Square on any given day this year (unless it is raining or hurricane-ing). If you swing by on a Monday (and are a student), you will receive $1 off your purchase. If you happen by on a Friday, you’re allowed one syrup of your choice at no extra charge (“Free Flavor Friday”). And, finally, you need to like Sassyass on Facebook and follow the cart on Instagram and Twitter.
