Rabid for Goat Housed in a low Whiteaker building that used to be home to a bathtub-toy manufacturer is Eugene's newest addition to the coffee-culture expanding and intensifying in the Northwest. Wandering Goat Coffee Co. (268 Madison St.) is both coffee roaster and café; you can peek into the former from the latter, admiring the shiny, new roasting machine that keeps Wandering Goat owner Michael Nixon informed of the slightest change in temperature of the beans roasting inside. Bud Terwilliger Nixon and his partner, Heather Jones Nixon, began Wandering Goat in 2004 as a roaster "dedicated to bringing fresh perspectives to the craft of traditional artisan roasting," as the company web page explains. With a focus on balancing quality and sustainability, Wandering Goat's dedication goes beyond simply insisting on organic and fair trade coffee beans. It extends to the other businesses the Nixons support through their purchases (makers of recycled paper napkins and compostable straws), the efficient roasting machine they use and the approach they take to brewing coffee in the Wandering Goat café, which opened last November. "Bad cups reflect badly on the farmers," says Nixon, a slender, bearded 30-year-old with an infectious passion for quality coffee production from bean to cup. A former barista, Nixon adds that Wandering Goat "won't ever serve a drink that isn't absolutely perfect." If that sometimes means longer waits for a cuppa while baristas toss out imperfect shots, that's part of the process of "fighting against the idea of coffee as disposable," Nixon explains. Nixon sees Wandering Goat as part of a shift in the old-school method of coffee production, a shift away from the "guild method" to a more collaborative effort between coffee fanatics all over the world. Online communities allow far-flung roasters and baristas to share techniques, resulting, Nixon says, in "interesting and dramatic improvements, mostly in espresso, in the last five years." He notes that people new to Eugene are looking for coffee shops like Portland's Stumptown, and they're finding that same dedication to superior, sustainable coffee practices at Wandering Goat. They're also finding simply exquisite coffee in a welcoming space that hosts art exhibits, occasional live music and regular DJ nights, as well as weekly Moldy Pig Society events on Sundays, during which silent movies play as DJs spin old 78s. And though it's unfair to their admirable business practices and carefully roasted coffees, one of the first things you might hear about Wandering Goat Coffee Co. is about the milk. Unlike most coffee shops, which charge soy milk-drinkers extra for soy or rice milk, Wandering Goat charges extra for dairy milk. But charging for dairy isn't part of some scheme to make the dairy-drinkers suffer, Nixon explains; it's just that the milk they get, from Noris Dairy in Crabtree, is more expensive. "We almost didn't have dairy, because we couldn't find one we felt good about," says Nixon, who's pleased with Noris' all-organic, non-homogenized milk and the way the dairy treats its cows. For non-dairy drinkers, Wandering Goat offers not just the usual soy and rice options but almond and hazelnut as well. (A Wandering Goat iced hazelnut milk mocha is a thing of intense flavors that lasts for hours.) Combine any of these with the Goat's coffee — or don't, if you like it black — and you'll quickly taste why Wandering Goat is beginning to earn, as Nixon says, a "rabid following." — Molly Templeton     Little Italys | El Taco Express | Three Forks | Cheaper Eats | Super Natural Cooking | Wandering Goat | Hartwick's | Oakway Wine and Deli |