Fair Trade Organic Bolivian
See the headlights reflecting on the wet pavement in the above picture? Yes, we are finally enjoying a rainy day in northern California. I think that the plants are shaking their leaves and standing tall in the shower, while the flowers hunker down and wait for it to pass. The kids and I enjoyed walking to school in the rain this morning, and Caroline in her rain boots stomped in every puddle she could find.
Raindrops coat our early-opening flowers.
Tomorrow, rain or shine, is the annual Foothills Celebration. This is a food and wine tasting in downtown Grass Valley, where participating stores host local wineries and restaurants. We’ll be serving our coffee-rubbed tri-tip while Szabo Vineyards pours a selection of their wines. The event runs from 1 – 4 pm tomorrow, and you can find more information here and here.
This week we have a Fair Trade Organic Bolivian as our coffee of the week. Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, so you can imagine the difficulties that poses for Andean coffee growers. They not only have infrastructure problems within the country (see the photos of the road here), but their coffee has to be sent to Peru or Chile for shipping.
These farmers have banded together to process their coffee before bringing it to market. They come from small family farms, generally located in the forests on the slopes of the Andes. We had fun as a staff zooming in on the town on Caranavi, around which most of these farms are located, and marveling at the steepness of the terrain.
Fair Trade Organic Bolivian is a washed coffee, and we’ve roasted it light. It’s easy to drink, and especially good if one of your employees brings in homemade cookies to share (thanks Elyse!). It has a medium acidity, and the aroma is rich with chocolate notes. Once brewed it will warm your hands and taste of tobacco and cedar with a bright finish.
I hope that you are appreciating the weather wherever you are. If you happen to be in Nevada County, come on in this week and use the code Andean coffee* to try a cup of this Bolivian on us. I’ll be drinking it this week as I look forward to waking up to the rain drumming down tomorrow. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Fair Trade Organic Bolivian. Code expires on 3.06.14. 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.