They may not be located in the big city, but one Chilliwack coffee roaster has been voted the best in Vancouver.
Smoking Gun Coffee Roasters placed first for Best Coffee Roaster in Vancouver for 2023 as part of the Vancouver Coffee Snob awards.
“Sure, they’re not technically in Vancouver. But who cares, they’re close enough and their coffee is awesome,” wrote Tom Fitzgerald with the Vancouver Coffee Snob blog.
The ‘Snobby Awards’ are announced each year to the top 10 roasters, coffee shops, and new coffee shops in Vancouver, although winners have been located in other cities such as Richmond, Surrey and Burnaby.
Smoking Gun opened in September 2021 and owner Brandon Litun said they were “outrageously and very pleasantly surprised” to take the top spot for coffee roaster.
They announced the good news on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
“All of us here at Smoking Gun are absolutely floored and incredibly honoured by the love, support and encouragement we feel by those who entrust us with their coffee rituals,” Litun said. “These awards put so much wind in our sales!”
Smoking Gun also placed third for the top 10 best coffee shops, beat out only by Nemesis Coffee (first) and Prototype Coffee (second), both in Vancouver.
The winners of the awards are determined by public vote. This year, more than 7,500 votes came in.
Earlier this year, Litun bought an additional coffee roaster, second-hand. The Probat drum roaster can roast 25 kilos of beans at a time – five times more than the smaller roaster they have – and over the past two months he’s been using it, he said they’ve already roasted a few tons of beans.
“It’s such a gift that people are digging what Smoking Gun is doing, and are so supportive of our mission - connection,” Litun said. “We are so grateful to those who choose Smoking Gun and voted us best roaster in this year’s Snobby Awards.”
Last year, Smoking Gun won three Snobby Awards, including best new coffee shop in Vancouver for 2021.
READ MORE: Smoking Gun of Chilliwack just named best new coffee shop in Vancouver
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