Author: Erika Berlin

Americans have an intimate relationship with their coffee. It’s the drink that gets them going, the first hit of flavor in their day. It’s the steaming (or iced) cup that sets the tone for what’s to follow. And at a time when tastes have evolved past watery, gets-the-job-done brews into the bold, the origin-specific, and the fair trade certified, it had better be good. With so many interesting coffee roasters out there, including many who have set up shop in just the past few years, selecting the best one in each state was quite difficult. We researched our picks carefully, with an eye for detail that honors the studious methods of coffee innovators across the country.

1. ALABAMA // MAMA MOCHA’S COFFEE EMPORIUM & ROASTERS

Location: Auburn, Alabama

Take it from the caffeinated college crowd, who’ve left one rapturous review after another for this roaster and café: Mama Mocha’s makes the best coffee around. Owner Sarah Barnett Gill and her team get extra credit for blends that are both well crafted and highly eclectic, like Dawn of the Dead, a house roast with an extra caffeine jolt, and the whiskey-infused Black Moonshine.

2. ALASKA // KALADI BROTHERS COFFEE

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

In coffee-obsessed Alaska, Kaladi Brothers stays ahead of the curve with stringent quality standards and a splash of ingenuity. The company, which operates 13 cafes and began in 1986 as a roadside stand, selects only organic, shade-grown beans, then air roasts them—a process that many prefer for its clean, uniform flavor. With more than a million pounds of beans roasted each year, Kaladi offers plenty of fuel for those long, cold winters.

3. ARIZONA // CARTEL COFFEE LAB

Location: Tempe, Arizona

Cartel’s methods are no secret: Just stop by their Tempe warehouse for a tour, or browse their website for ratios and other nitty gritty details. Transparency aside, Cartel’s sophisticated roasting process isn’t easily duplicated. The same goes for its direct sourcing program and stringent barista training, which suffers no slouches. Taken together, Cartel’s process has helped the roaster and café become one of Arizona’s premier coffee destinations.

4. ARKANSAS // ONYX COFFEE LAB

Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas

A region best known for big companies like Wal-Mart and Tyson might not seem like the ideal place to roast small-batch coffee by hand. But Onyx has found an enthusiastic audience in Fayetteville, who come for their daily cup and for special events like roasting classes and an annual barista throw-down. Onyx prizes unique tasting notes like “mulled wine” and “brouléed grapefruit.” And true to its name, it’s a laboratory for experimental roasts, like micro-lot Ethiopian varietals and beans roasted with lactic acid.

5. CALIFORNIA // FOUR BARREL COFFEE

Location: San Francisco, California

What does it take to be the best roaster in hip, caffeinated California? Start with a sourcing team that spends most months on the road seeking out the best beans from Africa, South America, and beyond. Then, using a vintage German roaster, turn out light, flavorful coffee that draws long lines of customers all hours of the day. In addition to mind-blowing coffee, Four Barrel offers classes like a “Water Quality Seminar” aimed at making you a better at-home brewer.

6. COLORADO // BOXCAR COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Boulder, Colorado

The Rocky Mountain state has seen a boom in coffee roasters over the past few years. But Boxcar has a secret weapon: a refurbished 1929 Gothot Ideal Rapid roaster from Germany. The nearly century-old workhorse turns out beans that have garnered many a loyal patron in Boulder and throughout the country. To bring out the full flavor in every cup, Boxcar employs a special boiling method in its two cafes that utilizes custom-made flasks. It’s old school meets new school, with very flavorful results.

7. CONNECTICUT // J. RENÉ

Location: West Hartford, Connecticut

Proprietor José René Martínez Onofre thinks he might have actually tasted his first cup of coffee before he learned to walk. That early love affair led him to open his first shop in West Hartford in 2012, an “artisanal coffee gathering place” that’s as much a social hub as a java shop. Martínez is fanatical about bean sourcing and brewing techniques—French Press as well as Chemex pour-overs—which is probably why he’s earned rave reviews since he first unlocked his doors.

8. DELAWARE // NOTTING HILL COFFEE

Location: Lewes, Delaware

Notting Hill owner Amy Felker keeps her coffee roaster in the front window of her café in Lewes, but it’s not much of a distraction: she roasts most of her annual 40,000 pounds of coffee at night. Felker’s obsession with coffee is all-encompassing: she deals in flavored beans, often derided by coffee purists, and has found that some self-mixed concoctions wind up being her biggest sellers. (One tastes like a certain nautical-themed breakfast cereal.) The blends are also available via mail-order.

9. FLORIDA // PANTHER COFFEE

Location: Miami, Florida

Panther’s reputation for an excellent cup has done more than expand their Miami-area footprint: their coffee is known all over the country. Locals can walk into their storefronts and get information sheets about growers; beans are available online. Not bad for a business that started serving cold brews out of a food truck.

10. GEORGIA // COOL BEANS COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Marietta, Georgia

A “Best of Atlanta” winner in 2015, Cool Beans tackles more than 40 different varieties of coffee in a roaster they’ve dubbed Big Red. And if you can’t make it in to sip your selection on their outdoor patio, the roasts are also offered via their web store.

11. HAWAII // BIG ISLAND COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Mountain View, Hawaii

As the only state that grows coffee in commercial quantities, Hawaii might be home to some of the freshest beans in the U.S. Big Island doesn’t have a retail front, but its distinctive artisanal beans are sold all over the territory and they’ve picked up virtually every award out there—the USDA even honored them with a grant for their continuing efforts to improve local coffee quality. If you ask nicely, they might even give you a farm tour.

12. IDAHO // DOMA COFFEE

Location: Post Falls, Idaho

Staunchly supportive of fair trade, the coffee buyers at DOMA go through considerable hoops—and expense—to support smaller, organic farmers. DOMA never skirts corners, shipping their coffees in recycled bags, utilizing a roaster that uses 80 percent less gas to operate, and making sure every cup served is as environmentally responsible as possible.

13. ILLINOIS // INTELLIGENTSIA

Location: Chicago, Illinois

In business for over 20 years, Intelligentsia has spread all over Chicago owing to demand for their specialty craft coffees. The key to their success: standing side-by-side with growers to develop and select their preferred beans.

14. INDIANA // BEE COFFEE

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis Monthly named Bee Coffee Roasters one of the best indie coffee roasters in the city, thanks partly to their self-imposed limitations. The company uses only a five-pound roaster for beans, which means small and frequent batches of ultra-fresh coffee with a different flavor every time. Bee also likes to spend time on aesthetics: co-owner Andy Gilman spearheads a “League of Lattes” milk art competition in the city.

15. IOWA // SIDECAR COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa

Home-roasting began as a hobby for Jed Vander Zanden, but after he and his wife moved to Cedar Falls, Vander Zanden decided to launch his own business. He opened Sidecar in 2012, and java aficionados are welcome to swing by the downtown location on Washington Street to watch as he roasts small batches of specialty, direct-trade coffee beans from around the world. You can buy them at food co-ops, markets, and coffee shops around Iowa, or online.

16. KANSAS // PT’S COFFEE ROASTING CO.

Location: Topeka, Kansas

Photojournalist Jeff Taylor, and his roommate, fast food chain manager Fred Polzin, founded PT’s (P for Polzin, T for Taylor) in 1993 after Taylor tried—and failed—to find a local outlet that brewed an amazing cup of coffee. Taylor eventually convinced Polzin to give roasting a try, and in 1997, PT’s reestablished itself as a roasting operation, and began sourcing beans from skilled artisan farmers around the world. Nearly 80 percent of their coffee is acquired through direct trade, meaning the company buys beans straight from the growers, cutting out the middlemen. In 2009, Roast magazine named PT’s their “Macro Roaster of the Year,” and you can now find the company’s product across the Midwest, and in select East Coast coffee shops.

17. KENTUCKY // SUNERGOS COFFEE

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is famous for being the home of the Kentucky Derby—but it’s also becoming known as one of the South’s go-to coffee destinations. Sunergos Coffee (which gets its name from the Greek word meaning “working together“) is a local coffee franchise and micro-roastery that sources sustainably harvested, responsibly farmed beans. Swing by the Woodlawn Avenue outpost, and you might even catch the roasters in action: their 1500-foot micro-roastery is at the back of the store, and is clearly visible through a glass wall separating the production facilities from the café area. And though Sunergos is still largely a regional operation, it has a national reputation: In 2014, it won the “America’s Best Espresso” competition at Coffee Fest, an annual trade event for tea and coffee enthusiasts.

18. LOUISIANA // RÊVE COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Lafayette, Louisiana

Deep in the heart of Cajun Country, you’ll find Rêve Coffee Roasters—a coffee shop/micro-roastery in Lafayette that was founded by two Louisiana natives, Nathanael Johnson and Christopher Pickle. Recently, they moved the business to a much larger location on Jefferson Street, which allows them to serve meals and use the bar space so employees can roast beans directly on site. Rêve operates a wholesale business, and sells its beans to local cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores. Many of the bean varieties come from Royal Coffee New York, but Rêve is also establishing direct trade operations with farms in Guatemala and El Salvador.

19. MAINE // TANDEM COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Portland, Maine

In 2012, husband-and-wife team Will and Kathleen Pratt opened Tandem Coffee Roasters—a combination coffee shop and micro-roastery—in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood. Two years later, the duo converted an old gas station in Portland’s West End into a second outpost—this time, a bakery and coffee shop.

Tandem sources its beans from all over the world, and on Fridays patrons can visit the company’s East Bay location to enjoy free tasting sessions and watch the roasting process. And if you love coffee and music, you can sign up for Tandem’s “coffee and vinyl club,” a partnership with online record sellers KMA in which subscribers receive both a new record and a different bag of Tandem’s beans each month.

20. MARYLAND // CEREMONY COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Annapolis, Maryland

Ceremony Coffee Roasters sources coffee beans from four continents and imports them to their flagship location—a storefront/roastery in Annapolis (other locations are in Baltimore and D.C.). Java lovers who visit the franchise’s West Street location can enjoy a seasonal coffee menu, and at the building’s back they can watch the roasters in action (or, if interested, partake in a specialty brewing class).

21. MASSACHUSETTS // BARISMO COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Greater Boston Area

Barisimo is small, yet flourishing—and more importantly, it’s ready to innovate. Founded in 2008, the roastery operates three Barismo cafés in the greater Boston area (Barisimo 171, a shop at the roastery’s original location in Arlington, operates a lab-style coffeebar). Barisimo sources direct trade beans from around the globe, but the roastery is equally known for its creative approach toward coffee: They recently developed a patent-pending cold-brew injector to make nitrogenated cold brew kegs.

22. MICHIGAN // MADCAP COFFEE COMPANY

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Madcap Coffee Company co-founders Trevor Corlett and Ryan Knapp—who launched their business in 2008—source their beans directly from farms or cooperatives around the world.  After sampling thousands of coffees, they select 15 to 20 to roast and sell. With that kind of attention to detail, it’s no surprise that their product is carried in select coffee shops around the country, from San Antonio to New York.

Customers can sip on Madcap Coffee in two of the roastery’s specialty coffee shops in Grand Rapids (one of them is located adjacent to the micro-roastery, and lets customers watch the roasting process). East Coasters can also enjoy the brew: Madcap Coffee recently opened up a satellite office and training center in Washington, D.C.

23. MINNESOTA // PARADISE COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Ramsey, Minnesota

If the word “artisanal” appeals to you, Paradise is the way to go. Since 2002, founder R. Miguel Meza and his team have been hand-selecting and micro-roasting the very best blends from growers in Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia. Looking for a new morning roast? Check out Paradise’s chocolaty Blue Sky Breakfast blend, which scored 91 out of 100 in Coffee Review.

24. MISSISSIPPI // BEANFRUIT COFFEE COMPANY

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

BeanFruit proudly focuses on single-origin coffees and educating consumers about the beans in their cup. “We want our customers to be aware of what beverage they are drinking, where it came from, and how it affects coffee farmers around the world,” says founder Paul Bonds. Try BeanFruit’s Kenya Nyeri Chinga Peaberry for a bright, complex roast with notes of melon and nectarine.

25. MISSOURI // ODDLY CORRECT

Location: Kansas City, Missouri

The self-described “coffee zealots” at Oddly Correct are on a mission “to freak out your morning cup.” If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, head over to their website or check out the café on Main Street for a cup of Space Monkey Seasonal Espresso, which boasts a creamy body, raw-sugar sweetness, and tropical fruitiness.

26. MONTANA // BLACK COFFEE ROASTING CO.

Location: Missoula, Montana

If you like your coffee dark and your products green, head over to Black Coffee Roasting Co. in Missoula. The company and café’s blends are all sustainable, craft roasted, and 100 percent organic. They’re also delicious. For an indulgent sip, try the rich-bodied variety called The Hunt, which promises hints of baker’s chocolate, strawberry, honey, and graham cracker.

27. NEBRASKA // BEANSMITH COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Seasonal sourcing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of coffee, but the heartland-based Beansmith Coffee Roasters have built a business around finding the freshest, most vibrant beans for every cup. For new autumnal flavors, pop into the Old Market Café on Harney Street in Omaha and try the smoky, clove-flavored Phoenix blend.

28. NEVADA // HUB COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Reno, Nevada

Hub Coffee Roasters were founded on two ideals: coffee and community. (Don’t think coffee is an ideal? Just talk to them.) The company now has an online shop and three Reno locations and has recently begun sourcing its own beans from South America. A good pick: the Peruvian Nuevo Trujillo roast, with notes of plum and dried fruit.

29. NEW HAMPSHIRE // FLIGHT COFFEE CO.

Location: Bedford and Dover, New Hampshire

Flight Coffee Co. founder Claudia Barrett began with a dream and a passion for fresh, farm-to-pot coffee. Today she’s the leader of a small army of obsessive coffee roasters who regularly take classes to keep up with the latest science, techniques, and trends. Visit the roasting lab and tasting room in Bedford or treat the coffee connoisseur in your life to a monthly bean subscription.

30. NEW JERSEY // MODCUP COFFEE

Location: Jersey City, New Jersey

Founded by Justin Hicks and Travas Clifton in 2013, Modcup prides itself on serving up the freshest roasts, and sells all of its coffee within 18 days of its roast date. In addition to Modcup’s Jersey City coffee shop and roastery, the company built a unique mobile roastery inside a restored 1969 Citroen H-Van, which was once used to deliver fresh bread in France. The truck now splits its time between serving fresh coffee outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City and making appearances at parties and fairs in the Tri-State area.

31. NEW MEXICO // MICHAEL THOMAS COFFEE

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

For over a decade, local coffee roaster Michael Thomas and his two daughters have created unique blends and single origin roasts for customers at their Albuquerque shops. Thomas and his team experiment with every new batch of beans they order to find the perfect roast profile for each. In recent years, Thomas has opened an online store as well. In addition to roasting their own beans, the two Michael Thomas Coffee shops in Albuquerque also host regular coffee classes, teaching coffee lovers about coffee history, and how to make different coffee varieties.

32. NEW YORK // GIMME! COFFEE

Location: Ithaca, Trumansburg, and New York City, New York

Winner of Roast magazine’s 2013 “Macro Roaster of the Year” award, Gimme! Coffee has come a long way since it was first founded in a charmingly cramped cafe in Ithaca back in 2000. Nowadays, the coffee roaster has seven locations in Ithaca, Trumansburg, and New York City, and supplies its beans to shops and markets across the country. The company prides itself on creating flavorful, high-quality blends and on its sustainable, ethical practices which include a composting program and partnerships with their coffee growers.

33. NORTH CAROLINA // COUNTER CULTURE

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Counter Culture is based in Durham, but sells its beans on its website, and wholesale to coffee shops around the United States. The North Carolina roaster believes in sustainable practices, embraces fully transparent business practices, and, of course, makes some truly delicious coffees. Unlike some specialty roasters, Counter Culture encourages its customers to make their versatile beans using any brewing method they want. They also offer free weekly coffee tastings and brewing classes at regional training centers in Durham and 10 other cities around the United States.

34. NORTH DAKOTA // TWENTY BELOW

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

You can find Twenty Below’s single origin roasts and blends online, served up at coffee shops throughout North Dakota, and at their Fargo coffee bar and roastery. The coffee roaster works with small farms and cooperatives to acquire beans that can’t be found at larger coffee chains, and reviewers on Yelp have called their roasts “delicious,” “complex,” and “unique.”

35. OHIO // CRIMSON CUP COFFEE & TEA

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea may supply coffee to stores around the country, but it still roasts its beans carefully in small batches. Each shipment of 150-pound bags of coffee arrives at the Crimson Cup headquarters in Columbus, where a master roaster oversees the roast profile of each bean variety. The company, which won Roast magazine’s 2016 “Macro Roaster of the Year” award also hosts coffee tastings and roasting lessons at its Innovation Lab in Columbus. 

36. OKLAHOMA // ELEMENTAL COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Elemental Coffee Roasters in Oklahoma City is obsessed with serving up “elemental” coffee flavors. It puts an emphasis on retaining the natural flavors of its beans, and refuses to intentionally tamper with or add to its flavor. “You might say our coffee has a mind of its own,” the Elemental website explains. “It tastes this way one day, but it may taste completely different the next.” Elemental Coffee Roasters sells its coffees online and at its Oklahoma City location.

37. OREGON // STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Portland, Oregon

Portland has a sea of high-quality coffee outfits, but Stumptown remains a favorite both locally and in cafes across the country. One of the pioneers of the third-wave coffee movement, Stumptown won Roast magazine’s Roaster of the Year competition back in 2006. The coffee-focused Sprudge.com calls the company’s Portland headquarters, which opened in 2012, “an absolute sight to behold.” The company hosts daily free tastings there, with $15 behind-the-scenes roastery tours and classes also available. If you do take a tour or an intro to coffee class, you get to take home your own bag of freshly roasted beans.

38. PENNSYLVANIA // SQUARE ONE COFFEE

Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Square One Coffee is a family-owned roasting company that has accumulated some serious accolades. The roastery has won a Good Food Award in the coffee category three years running, and one of its baristas won 10th place at the U.S. Barista Championships in 2015. Stop by the Lancaster café and sip a brewed-to-order cup in the backyard garden, or head to the roasting facility across town to take a class alongside the cafe’s own up-and-coming talent, lead by instructors certified by the Barista Guild of America and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. (There are also two locations to enjoy in Philly.)

39. RHODE ISLAND // VANUATU COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Single-origin obsessives, pay attention. The beauty of Vanuatu Coffee Roasters lies in its absolute dedication to the South Pacific island nation that gives the roastery its name. Co-founder Jimmy Lappin traveled to the Republic of Vanuatu in 2009 as a tourist, and was so taken with the local coffee that he and his sister, Martha Soderlund, teamed up with a local cooperative to source beans exclusively from farmers on the island of Tanna. No need for milk here; Lappin boasts that Vanuatu coffee lacks any trace of bitterness.

40. SOUTH CAROLINA // COASTAL COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Summerville, South Carolina

Coastal Coffee Roasters, located outside Charleston, sources beans from around the world, then roasts them to perfection in small batches. The downtown Summerville café is host to a rotating calendar of events, including yoga, open mic nights, and local music—and they serve up a decent sandwich to go with that perfect cup.

41. SOUTH DAKOTA // PURE BEAN ROASTERS

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota

Pure Bean Roasters was started out of a garage in 2013, and the owners only opened up a café this year, continuing to roast their beans at co-owner Mark Royalty’s home long after the company began shipping nationwide. Pure Bean only sells organic, fair trade beans that are air-roasted in small batches, rather than in the high-capacity drums that most commercial coffee roasters use. Instead of being stirred in a hot drum, the beans float on a bed of hot air, ensuring consistency in the roast. The result is a smooth, low-acid cup of coffee.

42. TENNESSEE // VIENNA COFFEE COMPANY

Location: Maryville, Tennessee

Don’t head to Nashville for the state’s best coffee. Take a trip to the Vienna Coffee Company outside of Knoxville. The small-batch roaster has everything from single-origin and estate coffees to certified shade-grown, bird-friendly, Rainforest Alliance-approved, and fair-trade beans. If you aren’t in the area to come by for a free tasting, you can always sign up for their mail-order coffee club.

43. TEXAS // BROWN COFFEE COMPANY

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Brown Coffee is one of San Antonio’s most well-established craft coffee outfits, and even other cafe proprietors admit that owner Aaron Blanco is “the most coffee-knowledgeable person in Texas.” In 2015, Food Network star Alton Brown called the drink he got from Brown Coffee “the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life.” Beyond the delicious drinks, the PourLab hosts classes for a range of skill levels, from novices looking for basic tips to enthusiasts wanting to learn how to identify the type of soil coffee was grown in just from tasting the brew.

44. UTAH // MILLCREEK COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Over two decades ago, the aptly named Brewster family founded Millcreek Coffee Roasters in a small building with one 12-kilogram roaster. Today they’re a major presence in the Salt Lake City coffee scene with a café, a wholesale store, and an outpost in the city’s airport. Coffee lovers who don’t have time to pick up their beans in person can shop for them online. Millcreek also offers “Roaster’s Choice” coffee subscriptions that are delivered each month by the pound.

45. VERMONT // VERMONT COFFEE COMPANY

Location: Middlebury, Vermont

The folks at Vermont Coffee Company know that good coffee starts with a quality product. That’s why all their beans are carefully selected and slow-roasted to order in small batches. They also know that the coffee experience doesn’t have to end when a customer finishes their cup. They write on their website: “Coffee is a social stimulus that brings people together to share ideas and stories, and when people come together, a community is formed and friends are made.” The company proved their commitment to this concept when they opened a community theater in the neighborhood. If you can’t make it to the Vermont Coffee Company Playhouse or their on-site café, you can find their coffee in establishments along the East coast.

46. VIRGINIA // CERVANTES COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Springfield, Virginia

Cervantes’s single origin coffee is sold in over 40 retail stores in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Java enthusiasts who live near their north Virginia headquarters can swing by for tours or coffee “cupping” (think wine tasting) events every second Friday of the month. The entire coffee warehouse is also available to rent out for private affairs.

47. WASHINGTON // DILLANOS COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Sumner, Washington

In a state as obsessed with coffee as Washington, Dillanos Coffee Roasters has managed to rise to the top. They’ve been recognized as best in the region multiple times, and in 2011 Roast magazine named them the best macro coffee roaster in North America. With dozens of coffees of varying roasts and sources available to purchase, they offer something for every type of coffee connoisseur.

48. WEST VIRGINIA // BLACK DOG COFFEE

Location: Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia

Black Dog’s café in Shenandoah Junction offers coffee and a show. Patrons can come to see one of America’s oldest operating coffee roasters in action—a vintage 1931 Jabez Burns & Sons model named Plutonius. The business also hosts community events like yoga classes, drum circles, and taco Tuesdays. Even without the entertainment factor, a taste of their single origin, micro-roasted coffee is worth a trip (or at least an online order).

49. WISCONSIN // KICKAPOO COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Beer isn’t the only brew in Wisconsin that deserves attention. The team behind Kickapoo Coffee Roasters has been roasting high-quality, full-flavored coffee in Milwaukee since 2005. Once a month, they open up their tasting room for the public to sample offerings, tour the roastery, and ask any coffee-related questions they may have.

50. WYOMING // JACKSON HOLE COFFEE ROASTERS

Location: Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson Hole Coffee Roasters brings a European commitment to coffee to Western Wyoming. Owners Stefan and Lubomira got their start in the coffee business as baristas. They took over Jackson Hole Coffee Roasters after moving to the U.S. from Slovakia, and today they sell their coffee wholesale to restaurants, coffee bars, and specialty stores and serve it fresh at their café.

By Michele Debczak, Kirstin Fawcett, Shaunacy Ferro, Anna Green, Kate Horowitz, Jake Rossen, and Jeff Wells.

Born September 26, 1888, modernist poet and playwright Thomas Stearns (T.S.) Eliot is best known for writing “The Waste Land.” But the 1948 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature was also a prankster who coined a perennially popular curse word, and created the characters brought to life in the Broadway musical “Cats.” In honor of Eliot’s birthday, here are a few things you might not know about the writer.

1. HE ENJOYED HOLDING DOWN “REAL” JOBS.

Throughout his life, Eliot supported himself by working as a teacher, banker, and editor. He could only write poetry in his spare time, but he preferred it that way. In a 1959 interview with The Paris Review, Eliot remarked that his banking and publishing jobs actually helped him be a better poet. “I feel quite sure that if I’d started by having independent means, if I hadn’t had to bother about earning a living and could have given all my time to poetry, it would have had a deadening influence on me,” Eliot said. “The danger, as a rule, of having nothing else to do is that one might write too much rather than concentrating and perfecting smaller amounts.”

2. ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING BROADWAY SHOWS EVER EXISTS THANKS TO HIM.

In 1939, Eliot published a book of poetry, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, which included feline-focused verses he likely wrote for his godson. In stark contrast to most of Eliot’s other works—which are complex and frequently nihilistic—the poems here were decidedly playful. For Eliot, there was never any tension between those two modes: “One wants to keep one’s hand in, you know, in every type of poem, serious and frivolous and proper and improper. One doesn’t want to lose one’s skill,” he explained in his Paris Review interview. A fan of Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats since childhood, in the late ’70s, Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to set many of Eliot’s poems to music. The result: the massively successful stage production “Cats,” which opened in London in 1981 and, after its 1982 NYC debut, became one of the longest-running Broadway shows of all time.

3. THREE HOURS PER DAY WAS HIS WRITING LIMIT.

Eliot wrote poems and plays partly on a typewriter and partly with pencil and paper. But no matter what method he used, he tried to always keep a three hour writing limit. “I sometimes found at first that I wanted to go on longer, but when I looked at the stuff the next day, what I’d done after the three hours were up was never satisfactory,” he explained. “It’s much better to stop and think about something else quite different.”

4. HE CONSIDERED “FOUR QUARTETS” TO BE HIS BEST WORK.

In 1927, Eliot converted to Anglicanism and became a British citizen. His poems and plays in the 1930s and 1940s—including “Ash Wednesday,” “Murder in the Cathedral,” and “Four Quartets”—reveal themes of religion, faith, and divinity. He considered “Four Quartets,” a set of four poems that explored philosophy and spirituality, to be his best writing. Out of the four, the last is his favorite.

5. HE HAD AN EPISTOLARY FRIENDSHIP WITH GROUCHO MARX.

Eliot wrote comedian Groucho Marx a fan letter in 1961. Marx replied, gave Eliot a photo of himself, and started a correspondence with the poet. After writing back and forth for a few years, they met in real life in 1964, when Eliot hosted Marx and his wife for dinner at his London home. The two men, unfortunately, didn’t hit it off. The main issue, according to a letter Marx wrote his brother: the comedian had hoped he was in for a “Literary Evening,” and tried to discuss King Lear. All Eliot wanted to talk about was Marx’s 1933 comedy Duck Soup. (In a 2014 piece for The New Yorker, Lee Siegel suggests there had been “simmering tension” all along, even in their early correspondence.)

6. EZRA POUND TRIED TO CROWDFUND HIS WRITING.

In 1921, Eliot took a few months off from his banking job after a nervous breakdown. During this time, he finished writing “The Waste Land,” which his friend and fellow poet Ezra Pound edited. Pound, with the help of other Bohemian writers, set up Bel Esprit, a fund to raise money for Eliot so he could quit his bank job to focus on writing full-time. Pound managed to get several subscribers to pledge money to Eliot, but Eliot didn’t want to give up his career, which he genuinely liked. The Liverpool Post, Chicago Daily Tribune, and the New York Tribune reported on Pound’s crowdfunding campaign, incorrectly stating that Eliot had taken the money, but continued working at the bank. After Eliot protested, the newspapers printed a retraction.

7. WRITING IN FRENCH HELPED HIM OVERCOME WRITER’S BLOCK.

After studying at Harvard, Eliot spent a year in Paris and fantasized about writing in French rather than English. Although little ever came of that fantasy, during a period of writer’s block, Eliot did manage to write a few poems in French. “That was a very curious thing which I can’t altogether explain. At that period I thought I’d dried up completely. I hadn’t written anything for some time and was rather desperate,” he told The Paris Review. “I started writing a few things in French and found I could, at that period …Then I suddenly began writing in English again and lost all desire to go on with French. I think it was just something that helped me get started again.”

8. HE SET OFF STINK BOMBS IN LONDON WITH HIS NEPHEW.

Eliot, whose friends and family called him Tom, was supposedly a big prankster. When his nephew was young, Eliot took him to a joke shop in London to purchase stink bombs, which they promptly set off in the lobby of a nearby hotel. Eliot was also known to hand out exploding cigars, and put whoopee cushions on the chairs of his guests.

9. HE MAY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST PERSON TO WRITE THE WORD “BULLS**T.”

In the early 1910s, Eliot wrote a poem called “The Triumph of Bulls**t.” Like an early 20th-century Taylor Swift tune, the poem was Eliot’s way of dissing his haters. In 1915, he submitted the poem to a London magazine … which rejected it for publication. The word bulls**t isn’t in the poem itself, only the poem’s title, but The Oxford English Dictionary credits the poem with being the first time the curse word ever appeared in print.

10. HE COINED THE EXPRESSION “APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH.”

Thanks to Eliot, the phrase “April is the cruelest month” has become an oft-quoted, well-known expression. It comes from the opening lines of “The Waste Land”: “April is the cruelest month, breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/Memory and desire, stirring/Dull roots with spring rain.”

11. HE HELD SOME TROUBLING BELIEFS ABOUT RELIGION.

Over the years, Eliot made some incredibly problematic remarks about Jewish people, including arguing that members of a society should have a shared religious background, and that a large number of Jews creates an undesirably heterogeneous culture. Many of his early writing also featured offensive portrayals of Jewish characters. (As one critic, Joseph Black, pointed out in a 2010 edition of “The Waste Land” and Other Poems, “Few published works displayed the consistency of association that one finds in Eliot’s early poetry between what is Jewish and what is squalid and distasteful.”) Eliot’s defenders argue that the poet’s relationship with Jewish people was much more nuanced that his early poems suggest, and point to his close relationships with a number of Jewish writers and artists.

12. YOU CAN WATCH A MOVIE BASED ON HIS (REALLY BAD) MARRIAGE.

Tom & Viv, a 1994 film starring Willem Dafoe, explores Eliot’s tumultuous marriage to Vivienne Haigh-Wood, a dancer and socialite. The couple married in 1915, a few months after they met, but the relationship quickly soured. Haigh-Wood had constant physical ailments, mental health problems, and was addicted to ether. The couple spent a lot of time apart and separated in the 1930s; she died in a mental hospital in 1947. Eliot would go on to remarry at the age of 68—his 30-year-old secretary, Esmé Valerie Fletcher—and would later reveal that his state of despair during his first marriage was the catalyst and inspiration for “The Waste Land.”

Thanks to Ivan Pavlov, we’re all familiar with classical conditioning and the Pavlovian response (ring a bell before giving a dog a plate of food enough times and he’ll eventually begin to salivate at the sound of the bell rather than the sight of the meal itself). But if you want to know more about the man himself, from his side gig selling canine gastric juice to his couchsurfing days, it’s time to examine these 12 facts about Ivan Pavlov (who was born 167 years ago).

1. A LOT OF WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW ABOUT HIM IS WRONG.

Pavlov’s biographers point out that most people have misconceptions about the Russian physiologist. For example, instead of ringing a bell to train dogs, Pavlov actually used a variety of tools such as a metronome, buzzer, whistle, light, harmonium, and even electric shock. And Pavlov’s concept of the conditioned response is, in reality, not exactly what he pioneered. He discussed the conditional response, but a mistranslation of the original Russian word uslovnyi gave us the phrase conditioned response, which is still used today.

2. HE PLANNED TO BECOME A PRIEST.

Pavlov was born in Ryazan, Russia in 1849. His father was a priest, and Pavlov enrolled in a theological seminary. But after reading the works of Russian physiologist Ivan Sechenov, Pavlov decided to change course. In 1870, he left the seminary and enrolled at what is now known as St. Petersburg University to study natural science, physics, and math.

3. HIS CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR WAS A BIG DEAL.

During Pavlov’s first year of university, one of the classes he took was inorganic chemistry. His professor, Dmitri Mendeleev, was a big deal in the world of science. In 1869, Mendeleev published the first periodic table of elements and is credited as the father of the periodic table. Not too shabby.

4. HIS EARLY WORK DEALT WITH PANCREATIC NERVES AND ANIMAL DIGESTION.

Throughout the 1870s and early 1880s, Pavlov studied the natural sciences and physiology, conducting research and working on his doctorate thesis. Specifically, he wrote about the function of the nerves in the pancreas and the heart. In 1890, Pavlov was asked to develop and direct a physiology department at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, where he studied the interplay between the nervous system and digestion.

5. HE WAS SO POOR THAT HE COUCHSURFED FOR A FEW MONTHS.

Russian scientists worked in modest labs and were paid very little, so Pavlov struggled with finances. In 1887 he couldn’t afford his apartment anymore, so he spent a few months away from his wife (Serafima, or Seraphima, Karchevskaya) and young son. Pavlov crashed with friends or slept in his lab, and he took on extra jobs; he taught physiology and worked on a medical journal to earn more money.

6. HE FINANCED HIS LAB BY SELLING CANINE GASTRIC JUICE AS A CURE FOR INDIGESTION.

Pavlov kept his physiology lab running by selling something that he had easy access to: canine gastric juice. While conducting experiments on dogs’ digestive systems, Pavlov collected gastric juice from hungry dogs that stared at a big bowl of meat all day. Pavlov paid an assistant to run the gastric juice collection operation, and he sold thousands of containers of the juice each year to people around Europe, who drank it daily to treat dyspepsia (indigestion). Yum!

7. AFTER HIS FIRST SON DIED, HE NAMED ALL HIS FUTURE CHILDREN WITH “V” NAMES.

If you think Pavlov and the Kardashians have nothing in common, think again. After the sudden death of their first child, Wirchik, at a very young age, the Pavlovs had four more children: three sons and a daughter, whom they named Vladimir, Victor, Vsevolod, and Vera.

8. HE WON A NOBEL PRIZE FOR REMOVING DOGS’ ESOPHAGI.

Although Pavlov’s most well-known work—showing how an environmental stimulus can influence a behavioral response—was groundbreaking, he won a Nobel Prize in 1904 for something different. He earned his Nobel Prize for his research into the animal digestive system. After surgically removing a dog’s esophagus, Pavlov fed the animal and observed how the process of digestion worked, measuring the digestive secretions of the stomach and pancreas.

9. H.G. WELLS WROTE ABOUT PAVLOV FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE.

In November 1927, science fiction writer H.G. Wells wrote an essay about Pavlov for The New York Times Magazine. Because Wells didn’t fully understand the science behind one of Pavlov’s articles about reflexes, he ignored the heavy-duty science and focused on Pavlov the man. Wells wrote about Pavlov’s “vastly heroic” nature and devotion to advancing science in the face of poverty, war, and revolution. After a 23-year-old B.F. Skinner read Wells’s article on Pavlov, he became a fan and grew up to be one of the most influential behavioral psychologists.

10. HE HAD A BAD TEMPER.

According to his biographer, Daniel Todes, Pavlov had issues with anger management. Beginning in childhood, his mood could change suddenly, and as an adult, he hit aggressive dogs in his lab and was known for his uncontrollable outbursts of anger. Pavlov himself described his angry outbursts as “morbid, spontaneous paroxysms.”

11. HE SPOKE OUT AGAINST SOVIET COMMUNISM.

In 1921, Vladimir Lenin publicly praised Pavlov for his scientific contributions, and the Soviet government funded his research and offered him increased food rations (he didn’t accept). But Pavlov spoke out against communism, requesting in 1922 that he be allowed to move his lab to another country. Lenin refused. Pavlov said: “For the kind of social experiment that you are making, I would not sacrifice a frog’s hind legs!” Pavlov also decried his government’s persecution of political dissidents and clergymen; in a letter, Pavlov told Joseph Stalin that he was “ashamed to be called a Russian!” Surprisingly, Pavlov wasn’t killed for his contrarian views because the government determined that his scientific work was too valuable for Russia.

12. HIS HOME AND APARTMENT WERE CONVERTED TO MEMORIAL MUSEUMS.

Pavlov’s estate in Ryazan, Russia is now a museum where visitors can explore his life and achievements. If you visit, be prepared to see stuffed dogs (and even a monkey) that Pavlov used in his experiments. And if you find yourself in St. Petersburg, you can check out The Pavlov Memorial Museum, where Pavlov lived for almost two decades before he died on February 27, 1936.

Now that fall is here, the idea of wrapping up in a comfy fleece blanket with a cup of cider and a good book is all-encompassing. From lesser-known works by the masters, to deep historical dives, to required source reading before new TV shows debut, let this list serve as a fall book club guide. Happy reading!

1. MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, BY JOHN BERENDT

When magazine editor John Berendt moved to Savannah, Georgia, he had no idea that the town’s real-life residents—most notably eccentric art dealer Jim Williams and transgendered drag queen The Lady Chablis—would be such fully-realized characters that they’d provide a true-crime murder plot and witty dialogue so compelling that they’d propel his 1994 non-fiction novel based on them to set New York Times bestseller records. In honor of The Lady’s passing earlier this month, pick up the book that made her a national name. “She had a great repartee,” Berendt told the Times after her death, “and she had a way with words … And she also knew she was everybody’s favorite.”

2. TO THE LIGHTHOUSE, BY VIRGINIA WOOLF

The end of summer might be the perfect time to read Virginia Woolf’s 1927 Modernist masterpiece, To the Lighthouse. The novel follows the Ramsay family over the course of a decade on their visits to a vacation home in the Scottish isles—and its stream-of-consciousness style, with shifting narrators and a nonlinear plot is a journey unto itself. Get wistful, consider life’s big questions, and curl up with the work that Woolf herself described as “easily the best of my books.”

3. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, BY RON CHERNOW

How did Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury—and the “bastard brat of a Scottish peddler,” as John Adams called him—get his own musical on Broadway? It all started with Ron Chernow’s incredible 2004 biography, which Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up on a whim at the airport. Alexander Hamilton covers the founding father’s less than illustrious beginnings in the West Indies, where he was born; how he escaped to America by writing one epic letter; his time as George Washington’s aide-de-camp; how he created our national bank; his family life and scandalous affair, which was one of the first sex scandals in American political history; and the circumstances that led to his infamous duel with Aaron Burr. A must read for fans of the musical and of history.

4. LAFAYETTE IN THE SOMEWHAT UNITED STATES, BY SARAH VOWELL

If you’ve memorized every song on the Hamilton cast album and found yourself particularly taken with “America’s favorite fighting Frenchman,” your next move should be to devour Sarah Vowell’s 2015 biography of the Marquis de Lafayette. America’s secret weapon proves to be as fascinating as his friend Alexander Hamilton. And even if you’ve never seen Hamilton (and are perhaps a little sick of people talking about it), Lafayette in the Somewhat United States is still a captivating (and brutally honest) retelling of early American history.

5. REAL FOOD/ FAKE FOOD: WHY YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, BY LARRY OLMSTEAD

Olmstead’s expose on the rampant counterfeit food industry will have you seriously reconsidering your grocery list. Name-brand olive oil that’s been diluted with vegetable or peanut oil; “lobster” that’s made up of unidentifiable sea creatures; wheels of “authentic” Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese that never rolled out of Italy. Olmstead paints a disturbing portrait of black market foods that each of us unknowingly consume every day and offers tips on how to find the real thing. You’ll never walk the supermarket aisles the same way again.

6. THE HUNTER, BY RICHARD STARK

True crime television may be all the rage right now, but this 24-novel series about fictional career criminal Parker will have you putting down the remote. His first appearance in The Hunter sets the table: former allies owe Parker money, and he won’t stop until everyone gets what’s coming to them.

7. THE HIKE, BY DREW MAGARY

The latest book (released last month) from Deadspin columnist and GQ correspondent Drew Magary is an ambling tale about a man who gets lost in the woods. The quirky story mixes traditional folklore with contemporary video game themes to create a story that’s truly hard to tear away from. For what is a relatively short read for a fantasy novel, Magary does an a excellent job of building out an elaborate world with its own monsters, landscapes, and rules that is simultaneously horrifying and hilarious.

8. THE HANDMAID’S TALE, BY MARGARET ATWOOD

With the new Hulu adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale (starring Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss) slated for an early 2017 release, now is the perfect time to dive into—or revisit—Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian novel. It may be set in a futuristic United States, but Atwood’s story of female oppression under a theocratic regime—one in which women’s bodies are rigorously policed—is especially chilling in today’s political climate.

9. HAROUN AND THE SEA OF STORIES, BY SALMAN RUSHDIE

Packed to the gills with exuberant wordplay, silly puns, oceans of notions, and bizarre creatures of all shapes and sizes, Haroun and the Sea of Stories isn’t just Salman Rushdie’s joyful first foray into children’s fiction—it’s also the perfect introduction to the legendary author for readers of all ages. Rushdie wrote the novel, about a young boy who has to rescue his storyteller father from “the arch-enemy of stories,” for his son Zafar in 1990, and it’s as much a love letter to storytelling, itself, as it is a children’s adventure novel.

10. A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, BY JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE

If you’re waiting for the movie version of this cult-turned-contemporary classic to hit a theater near you, you’ve got some time to kill—certainly enough to make it through Toole’s sizeable tome, which won a Pulitzer Prize 35 years ago. Ever since the New Orleans-set novel, which follows the tragicomic exploits of pop culture-hating “slob extraordinary” Ignatius J. Reilly and his mom, was published in 1980, its film rights have passed through some of Hollywood’s biggest names. But the book, partly because of its picaresque style, has proven impossible to adapt. Yet the novel’s long road to publication might be worth a film all its own: It was Toole’s mother who found the manuscript, shortly after the author committed suicide in 1969. She spent more than a decade trying to get it published; ultimately, it was novelist Walker Percy—author of The Moviegoer, another classic Louisiana-set novel—who helped bring it to the masses.

11. SEX AND DEATH: STORIES, EDITED BY SARAH HALL AND PETER HOBBS

This recently released anthology of stories highlights the essential themes that drive all of humanity—survival and reproduction. Some of the short stories included are darkly serious, and others lighthearted, but they all explore either one or both of the topics at hand from an honest, illuminating perspective.

12. THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, BY THOMAS MANN

Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain might take quite a while to read through, but it’s worth the time. For over 700 pages, Mann chronicles how his young protagonist’s quick visit with a cousin in a mountaintop tuberculosis sanatorium stretches into a years-long exposure to illness, political philosophy, art, and everything in between. You’re unlikely to find another novel that can make tuberculosis feel this funny.

13. WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE, BY SHIRLEY JACKSON

With a movie in the works for next year and a new biography of author Shirley Jackson due out later this month, now is the perfect time to pick up We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962). Deceptively slim, it packs a mordant (and morbid) punch: there’s a creepy old house, twisted family relationships, possible psychopathy, and something terribly wrong with the sugar. Though some readers know Jackson only for her short story The Lottery, her sweetly charming brand of evil deserves to be far more widely appreciated—and her indelibly spooky images are perfect to put you in the October mood.

14. SEVEN BRIEF LESSONS ON PHYSICS, BY CARLO ROVELLI

Clocking in at 78 pages, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics can be blown through in a single sitting. But readers shouldn’t equate the book’s slim package with the ideas inside—the essays in the collection explore hefty topics like quantum mechanics, elementary particles, and the fabric of the universe. Rovelli’s enthusiastic prose prevents the material from ever veering into textbook territory.

15. LILA, BY MARILYNNE ROBINSON

Robinson’s 2004 novel Gilead dazzled readers and Pulitzer Prize judges alike with its lyrical prose and quiet-yet-powerful storytelling. Four years later, Home explored the same loving, hurting, small-town families from a new perspective. But Lila (2014) may be Robinson’s best tale yet, leading readers through its fierce heroine’s pitiable past and into the unexpected blessings of her present.

16. LETTERS FROM THE EARTH, BY MARK TWAIN

You likely studied The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in high school English class, but Mark Twain’s lesser known short stories and essays are also worth a read. In the years preceding his death in 1910, the iconic American author wrote an assortment of humorous (and occasionally deeply cynical) works, which were published posthumously in 1962 in a volume called Letters From the Earth. Some of the vignettes lampoon Christianity; others question mankind’s intrinsic goodness. Most of them, however, present Twain at his most introspective—and his most hilarious.

17. THE GREENLANDERS, BY JANE SMILEY

Written in the dry, matter-of-fact style of an Icelandic saga, Jane Smiley’s 1988 novel The Greenlanders is a 700+-page epic covering several generations of a settler family and their community as they forge lives in the often harsh world of medieval Greenland. It sounds esoteric, but it’s highly compelling—historical fiction that transports you to a very specific time and place where the human struggles are nevertheless timeless and universal.

You know the blue-and-white packaging and that elegant cursive logo. And there’s a good chance you know just where to find all those Honey Buns, crumb coffee cakes, and chocolate chip cookies in your local supermarket. But we’re willing to bet a box of chocolate frosted doughnuts—the company’s best seller—that there are a few things you don’t know about Entenmann’s.

1. IT ALL STARTED IN BROOKLYN.

William Entenmann learned the baking trade in Stuttgart, Germany, where he spent his teenage years working at a bread factory. Eager to set out on his own, he moved to America with his family, and in 1898 opened a bakery on Rogers Street in Brooklyn. Every day, he delivered fresh-baked rolls, cakes, and bread loaves by horse-drawn wagon to customers throughout the neighborhood.

2. IT BECAME A LONG ISLAND TRADITION BY FLUKE.

A few years after opening his Brooklyn shop, William’s son, William Entenmann, Jr., came down with rheumatic fever. The family doctor recommended they move out of the city, where fresh air could flush out the illness. Entenmann moved his bakery 40 miles east to Bay Shore, Long Island, and eventually passed it down to his son, who helped grow Entenmann’s into a profitable, far-reaching company. In 1961, Entenmann’s opened what was then the world’s largest commercial bakery on the site of the elder Entenmann’s shop. It remained a Long Island institution until 2014, when parent company Grupo Bimbo closed it.

3. BREAD USED TO BE A SPECIALTY.

For decades, Entenmann’s turned out loaves of bread along with pastries, pies, and its original best seller, All Butter Loaf Cake. In 1951, after William Entenmann, Jr., died of a heart attack, his wife, Martha, and children gathered to discuss the company’s future. They decided they needed to narrow their focus in order to stay competitive. So they jettisoned the bread loaves and put all the company’s manufacturing muscle behind its pies, cakes, and other sweet treats.

4. MOVING TO SUPERMARKET SALES WAS A RISK.

The Entenmann family also decided to do away with home delivery and focus solely on retail sales. After decades spent building a loyal network of delivery customers, this was a big risk. And it was difficult to stay the course after frozen food sales, mail order, and other opportunities came calling. But the Entenmanns stuck with their choice and were rewarded handsomely as they rode the growth of the supermarket industry in America.

5. FRANK SINATRA HAD A STANDING ORDER.

The famous crooner had a thing for Entenmann’s coffee crumb cake, and would receive weekly deliveries to his house. Other famous clientele included J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilt family.

6. THE COMPANY INVENTED THE FIRST SEE-THROUGH BOX FOR BAKED GOODS.

A few years after going all-in on retail sales, Martha Entenmann and sons had a revelation: If customers were able to see pies and cakes on display at the bakery, then shouldn’t the same hold true at the supermarket? In 1959, Entenmann’s came out with the first see-through packaging for baked goods. The company’s cellophane window boosted sales and quickly became an industry standard.

7. PEOPLE WOULD PASS THE CAKES AND PIES OFF AS UPSCALE TREATS.

In a 1979 feature for New York Magazine, writer Jean Bergantini Grillo confessed to passing off Entenmann’s baked goods as her own gourmet creations. She also wrote about image-conscious hosts and hostesses who would present the company’s creations as homemade, or fresh from the local bakery. “Rich people have been stocking up on Entenmann’s cakes and pies for years, craftily disposing of the telltale boxes and serving them anonymously.”

8. IT BATTLED NAGGING RUMORS INVOLVING A RELIGIOUS LEADER.

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, word spread that Entenmann’s was funneling money into the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church. It’s not clear how the Korean religious leader, who considered himself the messiah and was imprisoned for tax fraud, came to be linked with a baked goods company. But the rumor was persistent. In 1979, Entenmann’s sent out 10,000 letters to clergymen and other influential sources pleading its case. “Absolutely, completely, unequivocally false, untrue and unfounded,” was how a company spokesman put it to the Associated Press.

9. IT’S BEEN THROUGH QUITE THE CORPORATE SHUFFLE.

The Entenmann family sold the company to pharmaceutical giant Warner-Lambert in 1978. Four years later, Warner sold the baking brand to General Foods, which then sold Entenmann’s to Kraft. The company was sold again several years later, this time to Bestfoods, which was purchased by Unilever in 2000. Unilever offloaded its baking division to Canadian manufacturer George Weston. Finally, in 2008, Entenmann’s sold to Mexican baking company Grupo Bimbo, its current owner.

10. IT SELLS SCENTED CANDLES.

Ever wished your home or apartment smelled more like butter pound cake? Well wish no more! Several years ago, Entenmann’s introduced scented candles that recreated the smell of some of its hallmark creations, like apple strudel, caramel pecan pie and, yes, butter pound cake. The candles even come in see-through boxes that replicate the baked goods’ packaging.

11. IT TURNS OUT MORE THAN 100,000 DOUGHNUTS EVERY HOUR.

To keep all those college dorms and office break rooms stocked, Entenmann’s turns out a dizzying 15 million donuts every week, and upwards of 780 million each year.

12. THE ENTENMANN FAMILY IS STILL IN BUSINESS.

The wine business, that is. After selling the baking company in 1978, Robert Entenmann, grandson of founder William, bought a potato farm on Long Island’s North Fork and turned it into a horse farm. In the mid-’90s, he converted the property into a vineyard, and today it turns out bottles of red, white, and bubbly under the Martha Clara label.

As fall arrives, Oktoberfests are springing up across the U.S., thousands of miles from where their original debut took place. In October 1810, the citizens of Munich gathered to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I of Bavaria) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The royal celebrations included feasts, beer, and horse racing in front of Munich’s city gates, and after a celebration so grand, it was hard to deny it should become a tradition.

Today, the annual autumnal celebration gives Germans, their descendants, and anyone who enjoys a good festival the chance to toast their roots with a stein, some sausage, and a side of spätzle. Looking for a place to throw back a beer and enjoy traditional German polkas? Here are 10 American Oktoberfests to visit this year.

1. ZINZINNATI OKTOBERFEST // CINCINNATI, OHIO

When: September 16-18, 2016

Cincinnati has a rich German heritage, and was once considered part of the “German Triangle”—one of three Midwestern cities (including Milwaukee and St. Louis) where a large majority of the German immigrant population settled during the late 1800s. Since 1976, the Zinzinnati Oktoberfest has celebrated the German influence on southwestern Ohio, with more than 500,000 people attending each year. The crowd feasts on Deutschland-inspired favorites, including an average of 3600 pounds of sauerkraut, 80,500 bratwursts and 1875 pound of potato salad, along with German-brewed beers such as Erdinger, Warsteiner, and Weihenstephan. Be sure to get there for the opening festivities—the annual Running of the Wieners—where 100 dachshunds dressed up like hot dogs race through downtown.

2. LINDE OKTOBERFEST // TULSA, OKLAHOMA

When: October 20-23, 2016

Toward the end of the 19th century, German immigrants made their way to Oklahoma, settling in and sending word to other immigrant families. In 1890, only 739 German-born residents called the then-territory home, but within 20 years, nearly 10,000 Germans lived throughout Oklahoma. German immigrants would go on to greatly influence the area, building churches, launching social clubs, and starting their own newspapers (the state had 16 German-language presses between 1889 and 1920). The Linde Oktoberfest annually recognizes the contributions of German culture to the region, and has celebrated Oktoberfest since 1978. Be sure to snack on authentic sausages, schnitzel, and strudel, not to mention beers by Spaten and Hoegaarden.

3. DENVER OKTOBERFEST // DENVER, COLORADO

When: September 23 to October 2, 2016

This cowtown is now known for its cool brews, and for that, Colorado can thank German immigrant Adolph Coors, who launched the Coors brewery just outside of Denver in 1873. To pay homage to the state’s German background, Denver’s Oktoberfest runs two weekends and sees crowds of 350,000 people. This Oktoberfest is considered one of the largest beer festivals in the country, and this year it features sponsorships from German breweries Spaten and Franziskaner (also on tap is the annual Denver Oktoberfest Special Brew, created and supplied by local breweries). Don’t miss the oompah bands, the bratwurst eating contest, or the stein hoisting championships.

4. OKTOBERFEST USA // LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN

When: September 29 to October 2, 2016

Wisconsin is home to the first kindergarten in America, created by in 1865 by (you guessed it) a German immigrant. Margaretha Meyer Schurz was just one of many Germans to influence Wisconsin, which now celebrates that heritage with the Oktoberfest in La Crosse. This old world fest began in 1961, primarily due to the town’s need for a fall festival. According to fest lore, two German employees at the local G. Heileman Brew Co. (a brewery launched by German immigrant Johann Gottlieb Heileman) suggested an Oktoberfest celebration and the idea took hold. The trademarked Oktoberfest USA features a Lederhosen Luncheon with authentic German food and music, parades, and a craft beer event paying tribute to Heileman’s beer contributions.

5. FRANKENMUTH OKTOBERFEST // FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

When: September 15-18, 2016

Frankenmuth knows how to throw an authentic Oktoberfest—in fact, it’s been approved by its Deutschland originators. In 1996, German Parliament members in Munich gave their “blessing” to Michigan’s oldest German heritage and culture festival and its claim to be a true Oktoberfest. For the past 20 years, Frankenmuth’s fest has taken place at the same time as Munich’s Oktoberfest. Organizers focus heavily on authentic music, folk dancing, and food (such as slaw, sauerkraut, spätzle, and sausages), and the brews on tap include some notable imports—Hofbrauhaus is the official German brewery sponsor.

6. STOWE OKTOBERFEST // STOWE, VERMONT

When: October 1-2, 2016

The town of Stowe, Vermont transforms for a weekend Oktoberfest celebration. Underneath a large tent, this small town of 4000 people gathers for a family-friendly weekend that includes traditional German music and sing-alongs, Schuhplattling (Bavarian folk dancing), and games. But what makes Stowe such an interesting spot for Germanophiles? It was once home to the Trapp Family Singers, and the von Trapp family still operates a lodge in the area. While you won’t find German-brewed beers at this event, the local von Trapp Brewing recreates Deutschland’s tastes with its own lagers.

7. NASHVILLE OKTOBERFEST // NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

When: October 7-9, 2016

Nashville uses its Oktoberfest to not only honor its German roots, but also as a fundraiser to restore its historic Germantown district. The Nashville Oktoberfest spans eight blocks through the historic area, outside of downtown Nashville, and showcases traditional German music and oompah bands on three stages. Biergartens are stocked with Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Schöfferhofer, Weihenstephan, and other German beers (last year, the crowds tapped 700 kegs), as well as German wine. But that’s not all this fest uses beer for—a fest-proclaimed “world’s longest” slip ‘n slide is a main event, powered with beer instead of water. The festival also includes a weiner dog race and an arts and crafts fair.

8. ALPINE VILLAGE OKTOBERFEST // TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA

When: September 9 to October 29, 2016

Hosted by a German-inspired tavern and market, the Alpine Village Oktoberfest runs for eight weekends, dishing out sauerkraut, giant pretzels, sausages, and strudel. Entertainment features oompah bands, stein holding contests and other games, while taps readily serve imported Warsteiner, Schöfferhofer, and König Ludwig Weissbier beers. Various special events are planned as well, such as a German-American Heritage celebration or a Bavarian Renaissance Festival.

9. HERMANN OKTOBERFEST // HERMANN, MISSOURI

When: September 30 to October 30, 2016

As the gateway to the west, many migrant Germany families passed through Missouri in search of new homes, and many stayed, helping to develop the area’s beer and wine industry. Hermann has held onto its German roots, especially celebrating them every weekend in October. The entire town becomes a festival, complete with biergartens, locally brewed lagers, and al fresco dining of sausages, wurst, and other traditional foods. And because Hermann’s German heritage is displayed in its many landmarks, be sure to step inside its historic schools, businesses, and buildings for some self-guided tours of their exhibits.

10. FREDERICKSBURG OKTOBERFEST // FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS

When: September 30 to October 2, 2016

Texas isn’t just cowboy culture! This south-central Lone Star State town has a strong German heritage dating back to its founding in 1845 by John O. Meusebach, a German-born baron and local leader who helped make peace with nearby Native American tribes. To celebrate the annual onset of fall, the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest hosts a festival featuring a wide variety of German foods, such as flammkuchen (a pizza-like baked dish), mettwurst (a flavored sausage), pfeffernüsse (spiced cookies), and cold pickled sausages. Brass bands, polka, and oompah music are popular entertainment at this fest, alongside traditional folk dancers and yodellers. And with imported Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, and Franziskaner, there are plenty of authentic beers from the fatherland. Prost!

Born in New Jersey in 1956, David Copperfield has been surprising and entertaining audiences with his illusions for decades. To celebrate his 60th birthday, we’re taking a look at his best stunts, from making the Statue of Liberty disappear to walking through the Great Wall of China. Without further ado, prepare to be amazed by nine of Copperfield’s most memorable illusions.

1. SURVIVING NIAGARA FALLS

In a 1990 TV special, Copperfield has his arms and legs chained and his body restrained in a yellow raft. After being locked in, a fire blazes underneath him, and he’s dropped into the water above Niagara Falls. In this nail-biting stunt, Copperfield has less than 60 seconds to escape (via a Jet Ski attached to the raft contraption) before falling over the edge of the rapids. His raft does fall over, but a minute later, we see him alive and well, dangling from a helicopter’s rope. Reflecting on the stunt, Copperfield told the Las Vegas Sun that he feared for his life while preparing. “I remember going to my hotel room every night and dreaming about how I was going to die. It was really, really horrible,” he said.

2. WALKING THROUGH THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

In a 1986 TV special, Copperfield appears to travel through the Great Wall of China, walking into one wall and out the other side a few minutes later. As crowds on each side of (and above) the wall watch the illusionist’s silhouette inside a lighted box, he appears to enter the wall, in a Harry Potter platform nine and three-quarters style. He then exits on the other side of the wall. And to add a healthy dose of drama, the audience can hear Copperfield’s heartbeat via a heart monitor, which flatlines moments before he comes out of the wall.

3. ESCAPING FROM ALCATRAZ

In 1987, Copperfield traveled to San Francisco to escape from Alcatraz prison, the former maximum-security federal penitentiary once considered to be one of the most secure prisons in the world. With dramatic music playing, he stands behind bars (wearing a straitjacket, naturally) with two minutes and 30 seconds until the first planned detonation. After getting out of the straitjacket, he turns three coins into a tool to pick the lock of a cell door, conjures a cat out of a box to distract guard dogs, and escapes via helicopter, wearing a police uniform, and cradling his feline accomplice.

4. MAKING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY DISAPPEAR

Arguably Copperfield’s best-known illusion was making the Statue of Liberty disappear (and then reappear). During a live TV event in April 1983, the illusion features an audience sitting on Liberty Island, facing the Statue of Liberty. After Copperfield raises a sheet to obscure the statue, the statue appears to be gone. To prove to the audience that the statue isn’t there, a helicopter flies above and searchlights move through the space. Copperfield remarked that the point of the illusion was to emphasize the importance of freedom and “how precious liberty is and how easily it can be lost. I can show with magic how we take our freedom for granted.”

5. FLYING

Copperfield shared that as a child, he was lonely and often dreamed of flying. Although he has “flown” above a stage in many live shows, he first “flew” in his 1992 TV special. He begins the stunt by holding a bird in his hand and marveling at its ability to fly. He then takes flight, moving gracefully through the air, and assistants spin big hoops around him. He also floats in a glass box and flies while holding a woman from the audience. Want to spoil the illusion? Copperfield “flies” by wearing super strong wires that are controlled by a computer and too thin to be visible.

6. TELEPORTING

Called “Portal,” this illusion has a bit of everything—random audience participation, Polaroid photos, an emotional father and son reunion, a beach in Hawaii, and teleportation. With an audience member, Copperfield vanishes from a suspended platform and soon appears on a beach in Hawaii.

7. CUTTING HIMSELF IN HALF WITH A LASER

In this illusion, green lasers appear to cut Copperfield in half, across his waist. He then separates the lower half of his body from the upper half and moves around the stage in two pieces before coming back together.

8. MAKING AN AIRPLANE DISAPPEAR

Two years before making the Statue of Liberty vanish, Copperfield was already making massive objects—such as a seven-ton jet aircraft—disappear. Fifty blindfolded spectators stand around the plane, forming a human chain. After screens block the plane from view and lighting reveals the plane’s silhouette, the plane vanishes.

9. FLOATING OVER THE GRAND CANYON

Copperfield enlisted singer Bonnie Tyler to provide the live soundtrack to his 1984 stunt when he floated over the Grand Canyon. Part ’80s music video and part illusion, the stunt features Copperfield in a seated position levitating through oval sculptures before floating across the Grand Canyon. The stunt ends with Copperfield back on land, embracing Tyler. What a rock star.

Tupperware is a household name in food storage, but there’s a lot you may not know about this decades-old container company.

1. TUPPERWARE GETS ITS NAME FROM CREATOR EARL TUPPER.

The famed storage containers weren’t named at random. Inventor Earl Tupper branded the plastic sets with his own name after years of working with plastic and decades of flopped inventions. Tupper was a prolific innovator who had begun his own business, Tupper Tree Doctors, to help him in his goal to become a millionaire at age 30, while also supporting his wife and five children. After business dried up with the Great Depression, Tupper landed a job at a plastics factory in Leominster, Massachusetts. The new gig inspired him to venture out on his own and mold the then-new material into beads and plastic cigarette containers. By the late 1940s, Tupper’s experiments produced the first Tupperware bowls—called Wonderbowls.

2. TUPPER CREATED A NAIL DESIGN KIT THAT WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME.

Tupper didn’t just create food storage solutions. He was a serial inventor and his notebooks (which have been digitized and are stored at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History) feature dozens of ideas meant to solve everyday problems. Tupper thought up no-drip ice cream cones, more comfortable corsets, fishing poles that weighed your catch as it was reeled in, and even a fish-propelled boat. One of Tupper’s ideas prior to Tupperware was his nail design kit. Created in 1937, the kits included tiny, plastic embellishments that could be glued on for dazzling manicures. While friends and family enjoyed the kits, they never went to market.

3. TUPPER’S EARLY BOWLS WERE WORKS OF ART.

Tupper focused heavily the Wonderbowl’s design, working to create an elegant piece of dishware that stood out from other kitchen items sold in stores. Initially, the Wonderbowl snagged accolades and won several design contests. By 1956, Tupper’s plastic products were even on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art. For some time, Tupper even had a Fifth Avenue retail spot for his innovative food storage bowls.

4. THE STORAGE CONTAINERS WERE INITIALLY A FLOP.

While Tupper was a clever inventor, he wasn’t the best at marketing. In its early days, Tupperware struggled at its Fifth Avenue store and catalogue sales slumped. Even with a good idea, Tupper’s salesman skills weren’t strong. His previously invented “Sure-Stay” bobby pins offered superior grip to other hairpins, but Tupper’s awkward ad copy didn’t make the sale: “Many women wear more or less false hair. Wigs cost good money, and romance or social prestige often hangs by the hairs on one’s head. A good ‘Sure-Stay’ hairpin is needed.” Early Tupperware suffered similar slumping sales as Tupper’s other oddly marketed products.

5. A MOM-TURNED-SALESWOMAN SAVED TUPPERWARE.

Tupper believed he had created a useful piece of art for the modern housewife, but he knew his efforts weren’t helping the products sell. And if it weren’t for Brownie Wise, a divorced single mom with an eighth-grade education and expert sales skills, Tupperware wouldn’t have become a household name. Despite being a successful saleswoman for Stanley Home Products, Wise knew she had no future with the company after being told “management is no place for a woman.” After encountering Tupperware, Wise quit selling brooms in 1949 and picked up plastic storage containers. That same year, she sold $150,000 worth of Tupperware and became a distributor for the state of Florida. After several years of sales, Wise called up Tupper to express her dismay about the downsides of the company, namely incorrect orders and shipping delays. Within a month, the two met and Wise gave Tupper the secret to her success and Tupperware’s future: home party sales.

6. BROWNIE WISE JUMP-STARTED THE HOME PARTY SALES.

Soon after Tupper met with Wise, she was offered a leadership role unusual for a woman in the 1950s: Vice President of Tupperware. Wise’s grand idea for Tupperware’s success wasn’t her own. Her former employer, Stanley Home Products, only sold its goods through home parties at a time when many sales companies still sold door-to-door. But, she used the sales tactic to Tupperware’s advantage, successfully transforming the company into a thriving home goods company and changing the way retailers of the time made sales. Within Wise’s first year as vice president, Tupperware orders surpassed $2 million, all because of the home party idea. At the heart of it, she knew it was the small people along the Tupperware chain that made the company successful: “Build the people and they’ll build the business.”

7. EARLY TUPPERWARE SELLERS DIDN’T SELL—THEY DATED PARTIES.

Selling Tupperware was a viable side job for many stay-at-home mothers and housewives of the 1950s, ’60s, and beyond. Hocking these plastic containers and tools required little specialty training and could be scaled up or down based on a woman’s schedule. But Tupperware made it clear that its saleswomen—called dealers or consultants—weren’t scheduling sales pitches, they were “dating” parties (which even today Tupperware explains as “a.k.a. scheduling”). The goal was to create an atmosphere of fun complete with games, such as one where guests won Tupperware miniatures for writing the best sales ad for their husbands.

8. TOP TUPPERWARE SELLERS ROPED IN THEIR HUSBANDS.

While most Tupperware sellers were women, those who did exceptionally well got their husbands involved. Top Tupperware dealers quickly rose through the ranks and could be promoted from dealer to manager, which had perks such as additional commission, features in the company newsletter and prizes at the annual Tupperware Jubilee. But women who excelled at manager status could become a regional distributor, tasked with overseeing Tupperware sales and operations in their area. Because of social conventions of the time—and the difficulty for women to get their own business loans or have a bank account—married women were only awarded a distributor role if their husbands agreed to quit their day jobs and join their wives full-time.

9. WISE LOVED TO REWARD TUPPERWARE SELLERS WITH EXTRAVAGANT PRIZES.

As part of fostering Tupperware’s hardest workers, Wise launched the annual Tupperware Home Parties Jubilee, a gathering of top hostesses, managers, and distributors. With exotic themes such as “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Arabian Nights,” Tupperware’s best won German clocks, fur stoles and coats, Chinese carvings, and entire wardrobes packed with clothing. At the first Jubilee in 1954, Wise ran with a gold rush theme that led to attendees digging up buried prizes.

10. ONE TUPPERWARE JUBILEE LED TO COUNTLESS LAWSUITS.

The 1957 Tupperware Jubilee went horribly awry due to dangerous weather. Wise planned an island party but when a thunderstorm threatened the beach luau, a panicked rush by the 1200 guests led to several boat accidents and 21 injured attendees. Tupperware spent several years in and out of courtrooms handling injury lawsuits.

11. TUPPERWARE’S SECRET WAS IN THE BURP.

The key to perfect food preservation lies in the Tupperware “burp,” the process of closing the lid and reopening a small portion to let out any remaining air. Earl Tupper’s idea for lid burping came from the practice of closing paint cans with the intention of creating an airtight seal. But, the burping process wasn’t easy for everyone, such as people with disabilities or difficulty using their hands. Tupperware introduced its Instant Seals line in the 1960s, featuring containers that could be closed with the push of a finger.

12. TUPPERWARE CREATED ITS OWN TOY.

At the height of Tupperware mania, the company began to sample plastic products outside of dishware, such as drawer organizers, portable lap desks, and fly swatters. With the baby boom well underway, Tupperware set out to create its own toy in the 1960s—the Shape-O. Kids have been popping geometric shapes into this large red and blue ball ever since.

13. TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS ARE IMPRINTED WITH BRAILLE.

In 1993, Tupperware looked to make food storage more accessible for people with visual impairments. The company launched its CrystalWave line in the early 1990s, including Braille on the bottom of containers to indicate volume.

14. BROWNIE WISE AND EARL TUPPER DIDN’T END ON GOOD TERMS.

While Tupperware has gone on to become a staple in kitchens nationwide, the team that made it a household staple wasn’t nearly so indestructible. While Tupper and Wise didn’t always get along, their teamwork helped grow the company and its products. But by 1958, Tupper allegedly had enough of Wise’s ideas, extravagant spending and reputation as the “First Lady of Tupperware”—not to mention the previous year’s Jubilee disaster. Tupper supposedly told top Tupperware executives that he’d “had enough of Brownie Wise” and planned to fire her. Wise had no stock in the company and after battling Tupper in court, received one year’s salary as severance pay. Wise went on to dabble in her own home party cosmetics companies, though never found the same level of success as she had with Tupperware. Tupper sold Tupperware within a year for $16 million, divorced his wife, and moved to Costa Rica. He died there in 1983; Wise died in 1992.

15. VINTAGE TUPPERWARE IS A HOT COLLECTIBLE.

Tupperware styles have changed with each decade to reflect new ideas, color schemes, and food storage needs. Older containers have become common collectibles and many sets, such as the iconic Wonderlier Bowls manufactured throughout the 1960s, sell for nearly $45 per set. Even the Smithsonian has its own stash of more than 100 Tupperware pieces, dating between 1946 and 1999. Who knew your fridge was housing such an important part of pop culture? Just make sure you don’t lose any lids.

If the piano isn’t the coolest musical instrument, it’s definitely one of the most versatile. From classical music halls to jazz clubs to rock ‘n’ roll bars, the piano has popped up just about everywhere people have made music over the last 300 years. It can sound heartbreakingly sad or annoyingly jaunty, and while most kids who are forced to take lessons quit before they reach Carnegie Hall, it’s rare to find an adult who can’t at least bash out “Chopsticks.” What follows are 15 of the awesomest pianos on the planet. You can’t play them all, but you can go see ’em, and that might be the next best thing.

1. MOZART’S LAST PIANO

Housed at the Mozarteum museum in Salzburg, the piano Wolfgang Mozart used during the final 10 years of his illustrious life is only 3 feet wide, 7 feet long, and 187 pounds. And it’s a good thing—Mozart would schlep his piano to concert halls all over Vienna rather than relying on them to have one for his use. He wrote with it, too, using the instrument to compose many of the 600-plus pieces he finished before his death in 1791 at the age of 35.

2. BUILT LOUD FOR BEETHOVEN

Given to Ludwig van Beethoven in 1826, a year before his death, the piano on display at his namesake museum in Bonn, Germany, was quadruple-strung and therefore believed to be especially loud. Extra volume would’ve been nice, on account of Beethoven’s deafness, but scholars believe the instrument wasn’t actually louder than other pianos. By the final years of his life, the legendary composer had mostly stopped tickling the ivories, so this thing didn’t get much use. But it’s a beauty nevertheless.

3. CHOPIN’S FINAL PIANO

In 2010, on the 200th anniversary of his birth, Polish composer Frédéric Chopin was honored with his very own museum in his hometown of Warsaw. Items displayed there include a plaster death mask and, more happily, the final piano the Romantic composer wrote with before his death in 1849. It was built by Ignace Pleyel, one of the era’s most respected piano makers.

4. BRAHMS’S TEACHING TOOL

It’s hip to be square—at least if we’re talking about the piano Johannes Brahms used to give lessons from 1861 to 1862. Built by Hamburg piano maker Baumgardten & Heins in approximately 1859, this square-shaped instrument is among the prized possessions at The Brahms Museum in Hamburg, the German icon’s hometown.

5. LENNON’S FAVORITE UPRIGHT

Even in a city brimming with Beatles artifacts, the so-called “John Lennon piano,” now on view at the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool, is pretty special. Lennon played the instrument—outfitted with special tacks to produce a more percussive sound—on his Walls and Bridges and Double Fantasy albums. It was a constant part of his post-Beatle life in NYC, and he reportedly had it moved to every studio where he was recording. He even played it on December 8, 1980, the day he was gunned down outside his apartment building.

6. DIG THOSE RHINESTONES, LIBERACE

Liberace wasn’t big on subtlety. The late Vegas showman was way into sparkles, though, and that’s what makes the nine-foot Baldwin on display at the Piano Mill in Rockland, Massachusetts, so special. This thing dazzles with 200 pounds of Austrian rhinestones, all of which survived a 2015 roof collapse at the Piano Mill showroom. This thing’s so glitzy, it’s indestructible.

7. A KEYBOARD FIT FOR THE KING

In 1955, notorious momma’s boy Elvis Presley bought his mother a grand piano he played regularly at Graceland. After she died a few years later, it went into storage, but then the King’s wife, Priscilla, had it decked out with a 24-karat gold leaf finish to celebrate the couple’s one-year wedding anniversary in 1968. Last year, Hard Rock picked up the jaw-dropping piece at auction and announced plans to display it—most likely in Tampa, where there’s plenty of other rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia to justify the trip.

8. GOOD GOLLY, THAT’S A NICE PIANO

A sign at the Tubman Museum in Macon, Georgia, reads, “Do Not Attempt to Play Little Richard’s Piano. He Will Know.” It’s best to obey that rule—no modern musician can light up the keys the way flamboyant ’50s rock legend “Little” Richard Penniman did back in the day, when he played the instrument at Anne’s Tic Toc Lounge in his hometown.

9. IT’S BIG, ALRIGHT

Tom Hanks got to play with lots of cool toys in the 1988 coming-of-age comedy Big, but the raddest of them all was the 16-foot, three-octave “walking piano” that he and Robert Loggia deftly danced across at FAO Schwartz, hitting most of the right notes to “Chopsticks” and “Heart and Soul.” The giant keyboard was made specially for the film, and you can see it without making a wish on a Zoltar machine. It resides at Philadelphia’s Please Touch museum.

10. AND SPEAKING OF BIG PIANOS …

When he was 15 years old, Adrian Mann of Timaru, New Zealand, started work on a piano that now stands as the world’s longest. Measuring 7.5 meters (nearly 25 feet), the homemade instrument has popped up at various museums, and it’s even been used in concerts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear Sir Elton John has taken Mann up on his offer to stop by and give the thing a try. (But if he ever does, he should totally play “Tiny Dancer.”)

11. A WONDER-FUL PIECE

After releasing his 1962 debut album on Motown’s Tamla label at age 12, Stevie Wonder enrolled at the Michigan School for the Blind, where the preternaturally talented R&B star added classical to his musical repertoire. The grand piano he learned on now lives at the Michigan History Museum in Lansing, where Wonder says he wrote his classic “My Cherie Amour.”

12. MOTOWN MEMORIES

Another great reason to visit Michigan is the Motown Museum in Detroit, where you’ll find an 1877 Steinway used on many of the label’s iconic ’60s recordings. By 2011, the piano had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer playable, but thankfully Paul McCartney stepped in to refurbish the instrument. It’s now on display in “Hitsville, U.S.A.”

13. A PIANO FOR POTUS

If President Obama ever gets the urge to accompany his singing with a little piano, he’s got a fine one at his disposal. Given to the White House in 1938, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was the guy getting his mail there, the 300,000th piano produced by Steinway & Co. boasts a Honduran mahogany frame, legs shaped like American eagles, and gold leaf decoration highlighting “the five musical forms indigenous of America.”

14. AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER

Among the treasures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is the world’s oldest surviving piano, built by none other than Bartolomeo Cristofori, the Italian man credited with inventing the instrument. This particular piano dates back to 1720; according to the Met, it was 75 years before anyone improved on Cristofori’s hammer mechanism.

15. A FLOOD OF EMOTIONS

A deafening silence surely surrounds the piano greeting visitors to the Louisiana State Museum’s “Living With Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond” exhibition. The baby grand belonged to local musical icon Antoine “Fats” Domino until Katrina’s floodwaters ravaged the Lower Ninth Ward in 2005, leaving the instrument turned on its side and utterly wrecked. Fortunately, Fats survived the storm, as did another Steinway that was restored in 2013.

What’s better than waking up to sizzling bacon and fresh-cooked eggs? Waking up in Delaware to the smell of scrapple, or in New Jersey to the hangover cure that is Taylor Ham. Across the U.S., people are cooking up some unreal—and unusual—breakfast dishes, including these eight regional favorites that should be on every morning menu.

1. SPAM MUSUBI // HAWAII

You read that right: Spam for breakfast. Hawaii took that questionable blue can and turned it into a popular snack-turned-breakfast dish. Spam musubi puts a slice of grilled Spam between two blocks of rice, wrapped up with a sliver of dried seaweed. In other words, Spam sushi.

2. GOETTA // OHIO

Goetta, a mix of ground pork shoulder, beef, onion, spices, and pinhead oats, may sound more bizarre than appetizing, but it’s actually a breakfast icon in the greater Cincinnati area. The dish (pronounced get-uh) is a product of Cincinnati’s German roots, and is celebrated so widely that it has its own annual festival—the Glier’s GoettaFest in Newport, Kentucky. Meat lovers, mark your calendars: the next GoettaFest is August 2017. Until then, you can make your own at home to serve up with other breakfast staples like eggs and hashbrowns, or pancakes and syrup.

3. SHRIMP ‘N’ GRITS // THE SOUTH

While it started as a quick breakfast for busy fishermen, shrimp ‘n’ grits have evolved into one of the south’s most sought-after comfort foods. Southerners dress up this porridge-y mix of seafood and cornmeal with toppings like bacon, jalapeños, peppers, and mushrooms.

4. TAYLOR HAM // NEW JERSEY

Taylor Ham—or “pork roll” depending on who you ask—has been an east coast favorite since 1856, when John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey, introduced his secret pork roll recipe. Taylor Ham is sliced, grilled, and served on a round roll, typically accompanied by egg and cheese. While various types of pork rolls are served worldwide, New Jerseyans agree: The secret Taylor Ham recipe is the only way to go, and a bill was even introduced in April 2016 to make it the official state sandwich.

5. BEIGNET // NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans locals know the best mornings begin with powdered sugar and carbs. The beignet—a pastry made from deep-fried dough—originated in France, and has evolved into a staple Creole dish, served fresh and hot with bananas, plantains, and a heavy dash of powdered sugar.

6. JOHNNYCAKES // NEW ENGLAND

With a recipe that only requires cornmeal, boiling water, and a dash of salt and sugar, the Johnnycake may seem like a dull breakfast option, but it’s a tradition New Englanders have sworn by since the pilgrims landed at Plymouth. When their wheat spoiled on the Mayflower’s journey to America, the pilgrims adapted and learned to cook with corn as the Native Americans did. Today, the unleavened Johnnycake is served with maple syrup, honey, and a variety of other sweet toppings.

7. SCRAPPLE // DELAWARE

As a loaf of pork trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, it’s easy to see where scrapple got its name. Scraps of pig snouts. Scraps of leftover livers. Scraps of (gulp) hearts. But Mid-Atlantic residents know the “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach is well worth it for the absolutely mind-boggling tastes this Delaware delicacy has to offer.

8. ENCHILADAS MONTADAS // NEW MEXICO

New Mexico turns the traditional enchilada into a huge, gooey, scrumptious breakfast meal. The enchilada montada consists of enchiladas stacked with red or green sauce, and onion and cheese layered throughout. The cherry on top of this southwestern delicacy? A fried egg. Elastic waistbands recommended.