By Sbork (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
For seven weeks in a row now our coffee of the week has been a mellow bean, with low to medium acidity. They’ve all been different, but none of them have had much of a kick if you’re looking for extra caffeine or for floral and citrus tones in your drink. Well this week we have a coffee for all of you caffeine lovers!
How would you describe these peaberry beans?
I have yet to read a good explanation anywhere of why peaberries are higher in caffeine. Actually, I’ve read and heard a lot of explanations over the years, but none definitive and some contradicting: the consensus is that they are. A peaberry bean occurs naturally when only one bean is present in the coffee cherry, instead of the usual two. They are smaller and rounder than most other Arabica beans–the adjective that comes to mind is “cute.” Can you imagine picking out all the peaberry beans out of a harvest? Many farms still do their sorting by hand.
Our Tanzanian Peaberry is roasted light, to reveal every detail of this unique bean. It does have citrus tones and the higher caffeine content will keep you going all afternoon. It’s quite a pick-me-up, if you don’t switch to iced drinks this time of year! Of course, it would also be great chilled and served over ice (may I recommend the Toddy Coffeemaker for your summertime iced coffee?): the piquant flavors would come through even cold.
The country of Tanzania contains much of what I know of Africa geographically: the Great Rift Valley, Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain on the continent), the Serengeti desert, Lake Victoria (the largest lake in Africa), and even coastal areas. Not all of this is suitable for growing coffee, but the slopes of Kilimanjaro are ideal. Isn’t the header picture of Mt. Kilimanjaro inspiring? Somewhere below that summit, coffee is growing. And although the best known coffees of Africa may come from Ethiopia and Kenya, this Tanzanian stands tall among them.
Thursday Night Market Flowers
In other news, the downtown Thursday Night Market continues, and you can see a few photos on our blog, here. It’s a great event for socializing and for shopping. Most of the downtown stores are open in addition to the farmers and other artisans selling their wares.
Tomorrow is the Second Saturday Art and Wine Walk. Over thirty downtown businesses are staying open until 7 pm to better serve you as you enjoy local art and wine. We’ll be here if you need a mocha freeze to start you off right, and you can also pick up a gamepiece for an opportunity to win prizes!
–Holly Fike