Joshua Millman grew up in a suburb of Chicago, worked as a barista in the city, helped open and manage a café in downtown San Diego, and in 2011 came home to build a Chicago coffee company around “beans treated with respect at every step of their journey from seed to cup” and an inclusive culture. Music and Chicago culture sit at the centre of Passion House. Every coffee is tied to a song, an album or a place: the Chicago House Blend takes its name from the city’s house music, LSD Blend from Lake Shore Drive, Milly Grace from a character in a Phish song and Take It Slowly from a song about slowing down.

The range is organised by genre. Ambient coffees are the year-round blends, Mainstream the seasonal single origins roasted to show cultivar and terroir, and Experimental the limited lots from farmers trying new growing and processing methods. The lots come through long-standing relationships with growers in Central and South America and East Africa, and collaborations with partners and non-profits are part of how the company connects with its community. Each component of the Bassline espresso blend is roasted separately before blending, and there are decaf versions of both house blends.

The roastery is in East Garfield Park, where it doubles as a café, and there is a café on Goose Island. Online, a Roaster’s Choice subscription sends a single origin from the Mainstream or Experimental genre weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and an Ambient subscription covers the blends.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Passion House Coffee