More Than Just a Pretty Cup

Coffee Realpolitik

2011-08-06T10:44:00.002-04:00

I really enjoyed this conversation I had with Brian James at WPAZ radio. I do get going on some of my favorite topics, mostly economic realities in the global games we play, plus buying local.

Welcome Handcrafted Cookie Company

2010-03-30T19:57:00.006-04:00

If you don't think a person can have tears of gratitude for a cookie, you haven't experienced what Chad and Theresa Williams are doing at the Handcrafted Cookie Company in Phoenixville, PA. Please consider what you would do if something with a name like one of these appeared in your hand: Lavender Vanilla Sugar Cookie, Blueberry Bliss Oatmeal, Mocha Coconut, or Chocolate Cherry Cordial. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. They custom bake for gifts, have great party trays, or you can buy the dough and show off at home.

Now you can get Kimberton Whole Foods Coffee there too, including our classic Northern Italian espresso blend, extracted on their La Marzocco Linea, one of the finest coffee machines you'll find in our area. And they really know how to use it. Espresso and cookies... I think I need to have my next birthday party there.

I'll be hanging out with them this Friday, April 2, about 6-9pm for Phoenixville's First Friday, answering questions and getting to know the customers. Hope to see you in the Ville.

A Tale of Two Decafs

2010-02-21T08:58:00.008-05:00

We've tweaked our existing decaf and added a new one. Here's the story:

We're darkening the roast for our Sumatran Decaf, and introducing a new Peruvian decaf. The natural sweetness of the Peruvian makes it winning candidate for a medium roast, and the deep, earthy characteristics of the Sumatran enable us to roast it darker but retain full flavor.

Both are decaffeinated by the Swiss Water Process. If you've heard that term for years, but still don't really know what it means, this diagram makes it very clear.

Introducing Bali Blue Krishna

2010-01-28T06:11:00.005-05:00

We have a really fun coffee for our 'Roast of the Month.' Balinese Blue Krishna is a perfect example of the surprising and unique coffees that are tucked away in little corners of the Coffee Belt between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

The classic Indonesian profile -earthy, fruity, chocolaty, - is certainly present, but this dear little bean has its own taste twist: the chocolaty goes to milk chocolate and the fruity goes to floral, producing a delicate but full bodied cup. Many farmers in Bali cultivate tangerine and orange trees in the same fields, creating biodiverse shade covers and an opportunity to imagine our two favorite breakfast beverages growing side by side!

Bali's Subak Abian is a traditional Hindu farming structure based on "Tri Hita Karana," the "Three Causes of Happiness." They are: good relations with God, with other people, and with the environment. So small family farms work cooperatively to create a world class, sustainable product, and they do it because that is their responsibility. Sounds like an approach we could all learn from. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing troubling about the notion of spiritually cultivated coffee. The best cook I ever knew told me his secret ingredient was love. We'll have it in the cafe and on the shelf - hope you can stop by soon. Hari Bol!

Community Development in Cameroon

2009-11-26T06:20:00.002-05:00

Last summer I had the great pleasure to meet Matti Foncha, a true global citizen, who has an import business based in Atlanta, and has been helping farmers in his native Cameroon organize cooperatively to bring their crops to world markets. Matti's vision for equitable trading is summarized here.

At Kimberton Whole Foods, this coffee is our first experiment with Direct Purchase from coffee farmers. We're helping pre-finance the 2010 harvest, an approach that helps stabilize the local economy, and gives farmers a chance to help their famlies and each other during the growing season, now underway.

We learned about this opportunity from Mocha Joe's, a coffee roaster in Brattleboro, VT. They've sent their own folks over there to help train the farmers to grow, sort, and process for the specialty coffee market. They've also organized local roasters (like us!) around this project, and are helping create resources and funding for new processing mills in Cameroon, to be farmer-owned.

Cameroon is the only region in West Africa with the altitudes and soils to support high-grade Arabica beans. The coffee is very robust and interesting, a unique combination of buttery chocolate notes with an earthy spiciness. We're offering it as a French Roast.

I have exactly one 130# bag in stock from the 2009 harvest. I think I can get more if customers clamor. This is a great coffee, and the 2010 crop promises to be even better.

Grounds for Health Giftbox

2009-11-25T08:27:00.005-05:00

We have a new online offering that benefits Grounds for Health. This post will be admitting a little hat trick we're performing for the sake these dear mothers and their children. They are our three best selling coffees, but two of them have arrived in disguise!

The first is our dedicated, year-round fundraiser, "El Amor de Madre." We wrote about that a few months ago. "La Esperanza de los Ninos" is actually "Hobo Ed's Morning Mojo," the coffee I have sold more of than any other offering. Cupping and origin notes for Mojo have also appeared on our blog. "Afya Ya Mataifa" (that's Swahili, for the work GFH is doing in Tanzania) is actually "Hobo Ed's Midnight Special," a light French Roast that has recently threatened to unseat Morning Mojo. It's our version of the classic Moka-Java, the first blend in the history of coffee, combining Ethiopian coffee (historically shipped from the port of Moka) with Sumatran, the first coffee propagated outside of Africa and Yemen, by the Dutch on the island of Java.

As you make your holiday purchases this year, please consider the benefit Grounds for Health brings to women in coffee growing countries. All of us can make a difference in the world - it's easier than we think.

Morning Mojo blending notes

2009-09-29T09:56:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite coffees that came through last year was an organic, Fair Trade offering from the COOPARM cooperative in Peru. Sweet, high grown, hard bean - what's not to like? The return of this excellent coffee gives me occaision to talk about blending magic. Most coffees go in and out of season during the year, and blends, like our beloved Morning Mojo, need to be tweaked for the new crops. The taste components can always be found - earthy, fruity, nutty, etc - as long as the right bean is selected and the roast profile adapted. Mojo is essentially a sweet South American coffee with an Ethiopian highlight. In succession, the South American component has been Peruvian, Bolivian, Nicaraguan, and now the crop cycle begins again. In mainstream coffee, biodiversity is the enemy, where one cup dare not vary slightly from the last. In specialty roasting, it is a cause for celebration, and an invitation to adventure. (Watson, the game's afoot! The Peruvian Messenger has arrived....)

Introducing KWF's Costa Rican

2009-08-24T06:40:00.007-04:00

My son Mike and I were cupping a few versions of this when suddenly he said, "Golden Honey Nut Coffee." So true. The high grown Costa Rican beans are well known for their sweetness, and we've roasted it medium light to take full advantage of its natural flavor.

This single origin offering is from the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Dota R.L. At current count, there are 769 member farms. Their recent community projects have centered on compost, recycling, and waste management.

If you don't have translation features on your browser, try this link to view an English language video from their website. I particularly enjoyed watching the pulping and processing details, and there is a nice overview of their social objectives.

This coffee carries the Rainforest Alliance certification. From their website: "The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior." As a roaster, I strongly support certifications based on a range of factors: sustainability, fair treatment, and a forward looking mission.

Costa Rica, Heaven on Earth:

Fair Trade on You Tube

2009-07-22T08:45:00.003-04:00

There is a wonderful Fair Trade channel on youtube now. If you want to learn more, or direct friends to a very comprehensive overview, you couldn't do better than to take advantage of this site.

I still represent an increasingly dusty generation that skips video feeds and reads the article. My bad, as proven by this excellent presentation. Makes me very grateful that young webdesigners and innovators are dedicating their talents to important issues like this.

Me, I had to type the title of this post 3 times. youtube? YouTube? You Tube? They all look wrong. photo courtesy Transfair.usa

El Amor de Madre

2009-07-01T06:19:00.005-04:00

Here is an organization doing very important work. Grounds for Health addresses cervical cancer in developing countries. From their website:

In many countries where coffee is grown, cervical cancer rates are among the highest in the world. However, this disease is both preventable and, when caught early, one of the most treatable cancers.
Our mission is to bring effective cervical cancer screening and treatment to women in coffee-growing communities. We currently work in Mexico, Central America and Tanzania. We use an innovative, affordable and community-appropriate method called the Single Visit Screen & Treat Approach, which has been endorsed by the World Health Organization.
Our work is made possible through partnerships with local coffee co-operatives, national and regional ministries of health, and specialty coffee companies. These partnerships have made it possible for us to bring better and sustainable health care to women in coffee-growing communities.

In my own words, I'd say, "For God's sake, let's keep the Mommies alive." We need every one of them.

Our new coffee label, "El Amor de Madre" - a Mother's Love, will be a permanent fundraiser for this organization. You can get it at our regular grocery outlets, and as our cafes begin to participate, we'll let you know.

Designing the blend, I went looking for 'smooth and sweet, a little spicy and nutty' (like Mom! lol) with deeper caramel flavors. It is mostly a Brazilian bean from Poco Fundo. So many featureless commercial coffees come out of Brazil that we can almost forget the dedicated farmers creating exceptional coffees like this one. I've added a Fair Trade, organic bean from the Mancotal Valley in Nicaragua as an accent, rounding out the flavor profile. Enjoy!

Do Good, Have Fun

2009-05-05T09:45:00.000-04:00

Call it the Hobo Way, best approach to putting a smile on the planet.