Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan
Trace and I spent the beginning of this week in Yosemite. I don’t believe that I’ve ever visited in the winter before, but it couldn’t have been more lovely. We had a little snow as we arrived, but otherwise the weather was clear, and the valley was empty. You could drive or walk without seeing another car or pedestrian. Each morning of our stay we woke up with a French press of this Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan, and we both enjoyed it so much that we had to feature it this week.
A bit of Carolines history: labels from the days when we provided coffee to Yosemite.
This Guatemalan has such strong chocolate tones that when I opened the bag Trace asked me if I had pulled out a chocolate bar. Nope, it’s just the coffee dear. Actually, this bean would be amazing with a dark chocolate, like one of our favorites from Cello Chocolates. It has a full-bodied and nutty flavor that would make it a great pairing.
We stayed this week at the grande dame of Yosemite, the Ahwahnee. It’s a place with so much history, and we appreciated the original furnishings and the decor from 1927. Although all the grandeur could not beat the view of Glacier Point and Half Dome out our window. I could have watched the light change across the face of the cliff all day.
A bit of Carolines Coffee history intersects with that of Yosemite. Many years ago, Trace had a delivery route that spanned from Redding down to Yosemite. Every other week he would drive down Highway 49 and deliver coffee to markets in Jackson, Martell, Angels Camp, Sutter Creek, and other small towns.
At one point the purchaser for the Curry Company (the Yosemite concessionaire) visited our store, loved our coffee, and decided to carry it in the Village Store, Wawona, and the Ahwahnee. So Trace’s route stretched a bit further into the Yosemite Valley. We provided coffee to the Curry Company until the company was sold in 1990.
They might not serve our coffee any longer, but you can bring your own taste of Carolines Coffee and enjoy it: I know that we did. If you’re looking for a great coffee in this suddenly wintry weather, I highly recommend this weeks Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan. Its robust flavor will keep you going all day.
Last week we talked about coffee’s history, and this week you learned a little about our roots. Thanks for reading, and I hope that you enjoy the rain this weekend. If you venture out to see us at the store, you can use the code small towns* to try this Guatemalan on us this week. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan. Code expires on 2.13.14. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.