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Weekly Newsletter: Fair Trade Organic Dark French Italian Roast

Posted on September 7 2012 by Holly Fike

Fair Trade Organic Dark French Italian Roast

What a difference a week makes!  We actually had a little sprinkle of rain this week, and it’s starting to feel like fall.  I know, the season doesn’t officially change for another two weeks, but September always seems like the start of autumn to me.  If I was in charge of the seasons, June-August would be summer, and September-November would be fall.  What, it’s based on the orbit of the Earth around the sun?  Not my personal preference?
The trees seem to be on my side anyway.  Have you noticed that the tops of the trees are starting to turn?  Fall is creeping in on us, no matter which model you follow.  The sun is sleeping in a little later each morning, and I’ve been donning a sweater for our morning walk to school.  It’s a good season for coffee.

Dark Roast beans have an oily sheen to them.

This week we have a coffee for all of you dark roast lovers.  You tend to get short shrift around here, since our dark roasts don’t change each week.  In fact, I think that some of you early morning regulars would panic if we changed our number one or our number six: it was bad enough when we moved the pump pots three feet to the left.  If your morning ritual is a strong, hot cup of our inkiest brew, you don’t want to see something else in its place.

Never fear, we’re not changing the coffees we offer.  Our Fair Trade Italian will remain in its position as the number six pump pot.  This week, however, you can have a cup on us (mention the code “coffee of the week”).  For those of you who normally drink a light roast, you’re welcome to change it up this week and visit the other side of the roast profile.  The difference between our regular light roast, and this Fair Trade Dark French Italian is about 30 degrees and around five minutes.
The full name of this coffee is Fair Trade Organic Dark French Italian Roast, as the title says, but it gets a bit cumbersome to say.  Since no coffee is grown is Europe, the name of this coffee is referring to the roast, not the point of origin.  It is a blend of our Fair Trade coffees, and sometimes the blend changes, but they generally come from Central or South America.  This is always the darkest coffee that we have available.  As the weather cools into fall, this coffee will keep you going.  Happy Brewing!
 –Holly Fike
Post Script: We have been so busy lately, I think that it is time for another giveaway in appreciation of our wonderful customers.  Check our Facebook page for details next week!
Fair Trade Organic Dark French Italian Roast
This week: $12.99
List Price: $13.99 
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Weekly Newsletter: Papua New Guinea Peaberry

Posted on August 31 2012 by Holly Fike

Papua New Guinea Peaberry

One of the great things about living in Nevada County is the proximity to world-class destinations.  Within few hours you can travel to California wine country, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Pacific Ocean.  This week Trace and I went on a spontaneous trip to celebrate our anniversary.  We rented a Ford Mustang convertible, and drove off without any plans on Tuesday afternoon.  By Tuesday evening we were sitting on the veranda of the Little River Inn appreciating the cool blue of the Pacific and the rhythmic sound of the waves rolling in.

Ready to be off!

On Wednesday we spent the day navigating s-curves on Highway 1, all the way to San Francisco.  There was not a trace of fog and I’m not sure you could find prettier vistas anywhere.  We even had handmade pizza on a sandy beach inhabited only by friendly seals.  Our trip was marred only by the fact that we forgot to take coffee with us, and we spent both mornings we were gone on a search for good coffee.  That’s harder to find than you might think!

This weekend is often seen as summer’s last hurrah: I heard a AAA statistic that 33 million of us will hit the road over Labor Day–that’s a lot of vacationing folks!  Don’t make the mistake we made and drive off without coffee, especially if you’re headed somewhere rural.  We even had trouble finding a perfect cup of coffee in San Francisco: within walking distance of our hotel there were a number of coffee shops, but they were mostly chains.  The one independent shop we found was a great neighborhood gathering place, and seemed like a Carolines Coffee Roasters transported to the big city–but they roasted only dark.  It was a little disappointing as light roast lovers.

If you too prefer to start your day with a light roasted coffee, we have another new one for you.  This is a Papua New Guinea Peaberry, similar to the one we brought in last Christmas.  The taste profile is not too different from the regular PNG that we featured in June, but you’ll notice more piquant tones and perhaps feel the higher caffeine content.  As it cools the citrus notes dim and the flavor becomes earthier and more mellow.

I hope that your weekend is relaxing whether or not you travel.  I’m looking forward to staying home with my kids after being gone, and catching up on glamorous things like laundry.  Truly I love to start a week with the house clean and the chores done, so I will enjoy our time at home.  Thank you to all the workers out there who keep food on our tables and roofs over our heads, and happy Labor Day!  We will be open reduced hours on Monday, from 7 am to 3 pm for those of you who need your morning coffee regardless of the date.
 –Holly Fike
Papua New Guinea Peaberry
This week: $12.99
List Price: $13.99

 

 

Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Holidays, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekly Newsletter: Fair Trade Organic Mexican Oaxaca

Posted on August 24 2012 by Holly Fike

Fair Trade Organic Mexican Oaxacan

My days are starting earlier now: I get up at six so that I’m ready before the kids get up.  Gone are the days of luxuriating in a summer breeze cooling down the sheets, knowing that the kids aren’t up yet.  Those days will return (it is the weekend tomorrow), but in the meantime I’ve been enjoying the glimpse of the sun low on the horizon as I sip my morning coffee.  The beams sneak through the trees to shine on my new succulent plant and to wish me good day.
Two weeks ago we moved the coffeemaker to our bedroom, and I’m loving the new ritual of choosing a favorite mug the night before so that I don’t have to leave my sanctuary for a few more minutes in the morning.  I treasure the calm.  This week we’ve been drinking the Bali (wasn’t it wonderful?), but the pound I take home today will be our Organic Fair Trade Mexican.
We don’t carry a lot of Mexican coffees, for a personal reason: for many years Mexican coffees gave Trace extreme allergies.  With the heightened availability of Organic Mexican coffees in the last ten years, we have been able to carry more of these high-grown coffees without adverse effects.  I’m sure the reaction was to something sprayed on the bags or the beans, not the coffee itself.
Oaxaca borders the Pacific Ocean, and coffee has been produced here for centuries, brought over by European sailors.  The state has a diverse population, and varied terrain, so that most farms are still small family affairs, or co-ops where a group works together.  Oaxaca also grows a lot of chocolate, or rather cacao beans, which are native to the Americas, but are now grown around the world in similar regions as coffee: between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
Our Organic Mexican Oaxacan is roasted light, and you will taste chocolate notes as it cools.  We sampled it earlier this week as a single varietal espresso, and as such it has bright tones and beautiful crema.  I prefer our regular Espresso, with its creamy and smooth tones, but it was educational to see the difference.  As a cup of brewed coffee, you don’t taste as much forward acidity: I’m drinking it now and the predominant taste is light berry and nut flavors.
There is a coupon below for a free cup: we’d love to hear what you think, on our Facebook page or in the comment section here.  Have you visited Oaxaca?  What was your experience like?  Come in and let us know while you drink a cup on us!
 –Holly Fike
Fair Trade Organic Mexican Oaxacan
This week: $11.99
List Price: $12.99 
Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Garden, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekly Newsletter: Organic Blue Krishna Balinese

Posted on August 17 2012 by Holly Fike

Organic Balinese

Ben Kopec, summer intern, cupping Sumatra samples

Oh my there’s a lot going on this week.  As you can see by the header picture, we did a coffee cupping this week, the kids started school, the LaTeDa Mobile Boutique was here this morning, and we have a unique new coffee offering for you.  Whew!

First of all, as the summer is drawing to a close I realized that I never introduced our summer intern.  If you’ve been here on a Tuesday morning, you might have met Ben.  He came once a week to learn about roasting from Trace, with the goal of someday being in the coffee business.  It is always fun to teach someone who is truly interested in your craft, and I think Trace enjoyed passing on his depth of knowledge and experience about roasting.

The Balinese bag, and our board this week, courtesy of Tracie VanWicklin.

The coffee of the week is from Bali, a country we have never featured before.  I know that it is beautiful there, and I love that this coffee was grown under a canopy of orange and tangerine trees–doesn’t that evoke a brilliant tropical scene in your mind?  Can you picture shiny coffee bushes with their lipstick cherries sheltered under a glistening citrus tree?

The taste of this bean is far from citrus: in fact, the closest coffee we’ve carried by cupping profile is the Extra Bold Sumatra that we featured in April.  Since Bali lies just east of Java, and is also an Indonesian province, it’s not surprising that the two are so similar.  This is also a full-bodied coffee, with a depth that lingers even as it cools.  It has earthy tones, and it’s full of flavor–something we shouldn’t take for granted, as our cupping this week reminded us.  Two of the varietals we cupped were pretty bland.
Bali is known for tourism far more than for coffee, so I would guess that not many of you have tried this bean.  You can mention the code “coffee of the week” when you stop in to try a cup on us.  If your favorite coffee is Indonesian, come see what you think of this Balinese version.
In other news, scroll down the blog to see pictures of the boutique this morning, and of a garden harvest.  The tomatoes in our sandwiches are currently coming from a local farm, but we hope to have a steady supply from our own garden soon!
–Holly Fike
 
Organic Blue Krishna Balinese
This week: $14.99

List Price: $15.99

Posted in Coffee Descriptions, Garden, Weekly Newsletters | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

LaTeDa Mobile Boutique

Posted on August 17 2012 by Holly Fike

We had so much fun this morning shopping at the LaTeDa Mobile Boutique!  Debbie pulled up in her truck, opened the doors, and she was ready for business.

If you missed the mobile boutique today, we’ll do it again sometime.  In the meantime, you can find out where she’ll be popping up next on her facebook page here.  

Posted in Downtown Events | 1 Comment

The garden

Posted on August 16 2012 by Holly Fike

The garden is producing! This heatwave might not have been fun for humans, but the plants are doing great.

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Weekly Newsletter: Colombian Supremo

Posted on August 10 2012 by Holly Fike

Colombian Supremo

It’s fair week around here!  Yes, that is an exclamation point: despite so many years of working out at the fair, I still love it.  I did feel a little sad this year that my kids were more excited about the rides than the animals (could those years really be gone already?), but we spent six hours out there yesterday and had a great time.

This is an old-fashioned county fair!

If you don’t live in this area, you might not know about how unique our county fair is.  It’s a beautiful setting under tall pine trees, the food booths are all run by local non-profits, and 4-H and FFA are still active in this area so maybe a third of the fairgrounds is dedicated to kids showing their animals, with ribbons proudly displayed.

Historically fair week means that our downtown location slows down as tourists and locals alike migrate the two miles to the fair–but that hasn’t been the case this year.  I don’t know if it’s the heat that makes the indoor air conditioning so appealing, or some other reason, but we’ve been especially busy.  Thanks!  We appreciate the business, and we’re glad to be able to serve your drink of choice.
Sometime during this heat wave we will be receiving a coffee shipment, so look for some fun new coffees in the next newsletter.  In the meantime, we are down to our old standbys: and as a general rule, these are coffees that have stood the test of time, and are beloved favorites.  This Colombian Supremo certainly fits that description.
We’ve been known to recommend this Colombian as a “starter coffee,” for someone new to the world of gourmet coffees.  It’s easy on the palate, and generally a crowd pleaser.  Trace roasts it light, and in the cup it is very balanced: the medium acidity is countered by the depth of the flavor.  This particular Colombian comes from the San Agustin area, and it surpasses most Colombians on the first sip.
As usual, you can try a cup of this Colombian Supremo by mentioning the code “coffee of the week.”  If you’re headed out to the fair this weekend, I hope your experience is as wonderful as was ours.  Enjoy!
–Holly Fike
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Weekly Newsletter: Fair Trade Nicaragua

Posted on July 27 2012 by Holly Fike
Fair Trade Nicaragua
As I type this, there are five kids chatting upstairs, making animal sounds, and definitely not sleeping.  Perhaps they have decided to imitate a zoo?  On the television in the other room, the Giants game is on, alternating with the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, on tape delay.  We had seven cousins at dinner tonight, but two have gone home with their Aunt Becky, hopefully to a house a little more quiet than this one.

The reason for the big slumber party tonight is the annual CEM Agony Ride.  This is a 24 hour ride to raise money for “the ranch” as it is affectionately called.  The local newspaper ran an article about it this week, which you can read here.  My sister currently holds the woman’s record for the most miles ridden in this grueling bike-a-thon–and tonight she and her husband are out there riding together to beat her own record.  My brother and his wife are also riding.  It’s hard to imagine the mental and physical toughness that it takes to stay on a bike that long, no matter how many miles you go.

Go Agony Riders!

My part in the ride for the last two years has been babysitter.  I’m no good on a bike, and I couldn’t be happier to take care of all the kids.  I am so impressed with the commitment of my siblings: last year all three of them rode, although this year Becky joined me in the babysitting capacity after six years of riding.  Tomorrow morning we’ll drive up to the Sierra Valley to cheer them on for the last few miles until the event ends at 1:00.  They’ll all be falling over as their kids hug them in glee.

All that to say that I never made it to the store today.  We do have a wonderful coffee to share with you, but my day was filled with swimming and catching frogs, and this e-mail comes late at night.  This week’s coffee is our Fair Trade Nicaragua.  It might not keep you going through twenty-four hours of bike riding, but it will certainly help.  It will easily carry you through a day with 5-7 kids playing!
Fair Trade Nicaragua has gathered compliments since we started serving it Wednesday morning.  It seems to be a crowd-pleaser: smooth, with light nutty and chocolate tones.  It’s easy to drink and extremely mild.  The tones are reminiscent of the Costa Rican of last week, which might not seem surprising given their geographic proximity.  Most Nicaraguan coffees do not have such subtle flavors, in my experience, so this one is unique.
Come on in for a free 12 ounce cup of our Fair Trade Nicaraguan by mentioning the code “coffee of the week.”  We’d love to know what you think!  Check our facebook page for an update on how the riders do tonight: we’ll post an update after the ride tomorrow.  In other news, the garden is starting to produce: we’ve been eating fresh squash for a week or two now.  Cheers!
 –Holly Fike
 
Fair Trade Nicaragua
This week: $12.99
List Price: $13.99
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Weekly Newsletter: Costa Rican Tarrazu

Posted on July 20 2012 by Holly Fike

Costa Rican Tarrazu

Right now I’m wearing a dress, all ready to help customers if needed.  We celebrate “dress-up Friday” around here, since we’re casual everyday.  It always seems to be a busy day, and dressing nicely keeps us all extra cheery in the midst of the craziness.

Caroline, Caroline, and Becky enjoyed the ferry ride last week!

I’m planning on heading out of here soon, however, and changing into clothes suitable for camping.  My kids slept in a tent last night with three of their cousins, and Trace and I are headed up to join them after all the coffee is roasted for the day (oh, and the e-mail sent).  We have packed our stainless steel French Press, and a pound of our Costa Rican coffee: what else could we need?

The Costa Rican that’s coming with us is the same as our coffee of the week: our Rubie’s Tarrazu.  Tarrazu is a county in Costa Rica, in the highlands, where a lot of gourmet coffee is grown.  It lies on the western side of the country and has the volcanic soil that arabica bushes love.

This Tarrazu is smooth, in contrast to last week’s Tanzanian Peaberry.  It has low acidity, and it is extremely mild.  The aroma is earthy and nutty: it draws you in and entices you with its soft nose so that you want to take a sip.  The flavor does not disappoint: clean fruity tones awaken your taste buds and then it finishes with a light nuttiness.

If you haven’t tried our Costa Rican, take a pound camping with you, or even better, come in and mention the code “coffee of the week” for a free twelve ounce cup.  Tomorrow would be a good day to come by: it’s the downtown Sidewalk Sale from 9 am to 4 pm.  There’s always something going on around Grass Valley!

–Holly Fike

Costa Rican Tarrazu
This week: $11.99
List Price: $12.99
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Weekly Newsletter: Tanzanian Peaberry

Posted on July 13 2012 by Holly Fike

By Sbork (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Tanzanian Peaberry

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

 

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Thursday Night Market

Posted on July 13 2012 by Holly Fike

There were  tomatoes at the Thursday Night Market last night! It must truly be summer.  If you haven’t made it downtown yet on a Thursday evening, this event lasts until the end of August, and it’s always a blast for the whole family.  We’re open until 8 pm on Thursday nights, so you can grab a mocha freeze as you head up the street.  Come on out!

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A fun link

Posted on July 5 2012 by Holly Fike

Erin, over at Outside Inn in Nevada City has been whipping up some crafty goodness.  Today is her birthday, and she’s decided to celebrate by giving away three handmade coffee-themed cards, along with a decorated pound of coffee and a mug.  To read more about the process, and to enter her giveaway, you can find her blog here.  Happy Birthday Erin!

Posted in Giveaway | 1 Comment


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