Weekly Newsletter: Panama Boquete

Wow, it’s been quite a week.  We’ve been short-staffed around here, so I’ve been working the counter more, and I was the designated cook twice this week.  In the end it all got done, and hopefully none of you who stopped by this week even noticed that we were a little frazzled.  We strive to not pass that stress on to you.

In fact, one of my favorite responses to the question “why would you like to work for us?” during an interview is: “because it looks so simple and fun.”  I’m delighted that’s how it comes across to customers.  As all of my employees can attest, this job is far from simple.  You need to know about coffee from seed to the roasted bean, about the origins and nuances of each of our varietals, about tea, about coffeemakers and about espresso drinks.  On top of that you need to be able to run a register, help wholesale and retail customers, know our food offerings and be able to open and close a store.  It’s complex, but the fun part is certainly true: I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working more closely with our closing crews this week.

To all of you who so kindly asked, the wedding was great, and we had a wonderful non-stop weekend full of family and food.  Mrs. Hargrove will be back from her honeymoon next week, and ready to serve drinks at the best coffee shop around (but I might be a little biased).

This week we have a new coffee for you, one that we haven’t carried in probably over a decade.  This is a Panama Boquete, from the Chiriqui province on the Pacific side of Panama.  This Cafe Ruiz Classico coffee is from a family farm that has produced coffee since the late 1800’s, according to their website, here.  They also have information about their environmentally friendly and traditional growing techniques, as well as a  photo gallery with an aptly named video “The Beauty of This Land.”

Our Panama Boquete this week has been a winner, according to a strictly informal poll of our customers.  You all love this coffee.  It is a light roast, and incredibly smooth.  The flavors are delicate, but it has soft citrus notes at first and then a caramel finish.  Even diehard Special Blend drinkers (yes, I’m referencing you, Casey Jones) have really liked this Panama.

In other news, we’re going to try something different with our free drink coupon.  We’re going to switch up the code for all of you who mention the term “coffee of the week.”  In the weekly e-mail, and on the blog, I will highlight two words in bold and red, and those will be the code.  It will change every week.  For this week, the coupon code is “caramel finish.”  I will give you fair warning that I almost made the code “Panama-shmanama,” and I don’t promise not to do something goofy once in a while.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the header picture.  Those are all different varieties of tomatoes from our garden, brought in for our sandwiches this week at the store.  We’ve had such a warm September that we have tomatoes coming out of our ears, despite how late we planted.  Is there anything better than a fresh-picked tomato off the vine, with a sprinkle of salt?  Or sliced with some mozzarella and basil also from the garden?  Or a tomato sandwich?  I can’t get enough tomatoes this time of year.  If you feel the same way, come on in for some home-grown goodness!

–Holly Fike