Holiday Blend Coffee 2018

A beautiful brew that can turn any day into a holiday!
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s 

If you’re thinking about what to drink when you dive into a nice bite of pecan pie, this seasonal brew from the Coffee Company could just be the trick. We’ve been doing an annual Holiday Blend for over a decade now, but I’m pretty sure that the 2018 vintage is the best one yet!

In Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 3, in secret #37, “A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Time Management,” I shared my sensibilities about time. One of the keys to my approach, developed over many years of making mistakes and trying to learn from them, is that I really try to approach every day as if it’s a holiday. This coffee—at least for the next few months—is helping me make that a reality. I’ve been drinking it daily since the Coffee Company debuted it earlier this month, and I plan to keep pouring it straight through ‘til they stop at the end of December. Even with Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, and any other celebrations coming up in the next few months, the reality is that the majority of days remain…technically just another day in the calendar. This compelling coffee gives you—and me—the chance to make each one of them just a bit more marvelous!

I asked Matthew Bodary of the Coffee Company, the man behind this year’s Holiday Blend, and also one of the staff partners in the ZCoB, for some background. His write up was so good, I figured I’d just quote him here:

“When we developed this year’s Holiday Blend, we started with our favorite estate coffees from Costa Rica and Brazil. For complexity and balance, we added a bit of cooperative-grown coffee from Colombia. The resulting blend is rich, layered, and smooth with hints of cocoa.

We’ve been working with Brazil’s Daterra Estate since our early days. Over 10 years later, Daterra Estate is still producing some of the finest coffees we have ever tasted. The mix of natural and pulped-natural beans from Daterra that make up the base of this blend give it a smooth, velvety body with a nice cocoa-like quality.

The Costa Rica component, which adds natural sweetness and a caramel-like note, comes from our friends at Hacienda Miramonte. Started in 1917 by the matriarch of the Gurdian family, Lucila Duval de Morales, the farm is now operated by her great-grandson Ricardo.

We rounded out the blend with a bit of a great Colombian from a producers’ group of 15 farmer associations and coffee cooperatives in the mountains of Southwestern Colombia. The coffee has a balanced, clean profile that is classic for high-grown Colombian beans, and we think it adds another dimension of complexity to this blend.”

To my point about making every day a holiday, Matthew closed out with this: “We think the Holiday Blend is the kind of coffee you can drink day or night, at breakfast or with dessert, indoors, outdoors, with family and friends, or just by itself, as you sit fireside wrapped in a blanket. You and your coffee, comfort and joy.” Beautiful with babka from the Bakehouse, perfect when you pair it with that pecan pie, or after a bowl of the Creamery’s terrific Cardamom gelato(more on that soon—seriously check it out!).

Happy holidays!

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Tree Town Blend

October’s “Coffee of the Month” just might make your day!
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s 

I have to admit that I’m generally biased against coffee blends. More typically, I prefer to taste one origin at a time, so I can backtrack to where it came from and understand what the growers and producers are doing. But, this new Tree Town Blend from the Coffee Co. took me by surprise. I love it. I’ve been drinking it pretty much daily this month and, other than when I go out of town, I’m pretty sure I’ll be drinking it every day for the rest of the month as well.

Why “Tree Town?” Because, of course, trees are embedded in the name of our town. Founded nearly 200 years ago, in 1824, the original spelling was Annarbour—it was named for the wives of the founders who were both named Ann and the Bur oak groves which were so prominent in the area (and a good reason why it’s right for us to smoke over oak wood logs at the Roadhouse).

Aside from the fact that it tastes so good, the blend does seem sort of perfect for Ann Arbor. Like the town, it’s made up of interesting components that come from the far corners of the earth that are blended by local culture and expertise to make something really special. I was actually having a hard time remembering the five origins in the blend so Erin Dion from the Coffee Company came up with a clever mnemonic device nice phrase to help me embed it in my mind: “Tree Town Coffee Means Killer Beans”.

T is for Tanzania
C is Costa Rica
M is for Myanmar
K calls up Kenya
B brings back Brazil

All together they make something special. Every time I taste it, it pushes my old bias further into the background. It sure does have an excellent flavor! The Coffee Company crew called it, “Caramel, stone fruit, cocoa. Complex and juicy.” I agree. I’ll add nutty and toasted sesame. It’s a medium roast which to my taste helps make it super smooth. The other day I tried it out at the Coffee Company brewed with three different methods and all were excellent! Here are my tasting notes:

Fetco (those are the bigger, bulk, brewing machines) — Really fine. Shockingly smooth for this brewing method. Well-rounded. Dark toasted sesame.
Pour over — Lighter, cocoa, toast.
Chemex — “Wow! Wine-y, smooth, brown cane sugar syrup (like we get from Charles Poirier)

I’m hoping for a nice fall day where I can sit under a big, beautiful, old tree, and reflect a bit on where I get to live, and appreciate all the Ojibwe people who lived on this land for so many centuries, and then the men and women who formally founded the modern version of this very special town of which I feel so fortunate to be a part.

 

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Drink Coffee the Stress Free Way at Narrow Way Café!

Michelle Abbey – Zingerman’s Coffee Company

Location:
Detroit, MI.

Business Type:
Cafe

Founded:
April 2016

It’s a hot summer morning, and I’m driving into Detroit. My A/C is lukewarm at best, so my windows are down, and my hair is whipping onto my face. It’s my first time driving to the Avenue of Fashion, and to Narrow Way cafe. You know how it is – even if you’re looking forward to the destination, sometimes the journey is frazzling. Finding parking, making sure you’re getting there on time, defensive driving. I’m stepping on the skirt that’s too long for my 5’2” stature, quickening my steps to make sure I get there on time.

As soon as I walked through the door of the Narrow Way (a cafe we provide roasted coffee beans to), it felt like I closed my eyes and sank into a bath. My shoulders dropped, and I felt like I exhaled for the first time that morning. I was greeted with calm, friendly smiles from the baristas. The first thing that caught my eye was a light wood bar that opened onto the sidewalk, with seating on either side. This is made possible with a garage door that opens up and tucks away. It creates this balance in the cafe of natural lighting, with soft dim lighting further inside. Soft music was playing at the perfect volume to add to the ambiance, but not loud enough to take over a conversation.

Sabrina, the General Manager and Partner at Narrow Way cafe, greets me with a warm hello. We take a seat at the en plein air bar. A barista brings me my coffee order – the sleek minimalist cups say “Stress Free”. I laugh and tell Sabrina that my morning stress really did dissipate as soon as I stepped through the doors, and I’m eager to learn more about their approach!

Zingerman’s Coffee: You say that you offer a “stress-free” environment. How do you and your team curate this experience for your guests?

Sabrina: My partner and I were discussing a study conducted at the University of Michigan about understanding the core of your business, what business you’re in. So, we brainstormed, we did not want to limit ourselves. For example, the railroad industry focused on railroads versus keeping the big picture of general transportation in mind. We thought, sure, we want to sell coffee, but what business are we in? We thought more about coffee…lots of people drink coffee, not just for the taste, but for the energy. They need energy because they’re tired! They have a lot going on in their day. Drinking coffee is a moment to decompress and to get a boost for the next thing in your day. Sometimes, cafes do not offer the type of environment that people are seeking from their coffee. It’s loud, names are shouted, lines are long. We’re not in the coffee business; we’re in the “stress-free” business. This was taken into account for everything – the warm low lighting, the open air seating, comfortable booths. Usually we’re playing instrumental jazz, which is very soothing. There’s plants, flowers, even the bathrooms are relaxing. “Stress free” carries into our business practices, too – it’s something we keep in mind for our staff meetings. We’re even working with a local Detroit company to create organic, all-natural bath salts and scrubs – we have a coffee scrub! The reviews we get reflect what we’re doing here – we get wonderful comments about the customer service, and the overall vibe.”

ZC: Tell me a bit about the Cafe’s neighborhood. What do you see happening that you’re excited about?

S:Detroit is awesome, despite what’s thrown our way. We’re strong and resilient. There’s a resurgence happening, and not just downtown. Small business popping up everywhere! We’re a part of Motor City Match, whose affiliates are helping Detroit natives carry out their dreams and ambitions, and it helps with the upswing of economy here. We’re located on the Avenue of Fashion, and it’s an honor to be part of this historical community. We see people coming back, shopping small, local, black-owned businesses. We love it, and want to be a part of it.”

“Our cafe started in a church, and it was really about serving and sharing love at that point. What better way to do that then extend it beyond the congregation? We noticed that this area didn’t have small, privately owned coffee shop. The community reception, even before we started and then during buildout, was amazing. People in community as well as local business owners have supported us; neighborhood councils have reached out to have us join.

The attraction and enthusiasm seems mutual! We wanted to provide a place where people can see their neighbors and familiar faces, and we see that every day! Customers who we didn’t know knew each other! We had regulars within the first week.

ZC: How did the decision to work with the Zingerman’s Coffee Company align with your business perspective?

S: Working with Zingerman’s was our greatest idea – it has been such a help and benefit. The relationship we have with Zingerman’s is key! Not only great product, but the mentorship, too. We see great values in product, customer service, and how Zingerman’s does business. We look at that and love, appreciate, and aspire to incorporate it into our own business. It’s absolutely key in so many ways. We love the Zingerman’s Coffee Company! We have great partnerships with Steve, Matthew, Chris – they are a wealth of knowledge. Diane was amazing and still is! Even when Diane transitioned out of her role, you know, you worry about who you’re going to work with next…but Laura is amazing! Zingerman’s is always conscientious of the realities of being a small business, and willing to help a lending hand. It’s been a great resource.

ZC: What does success and progress for the Narrow Way Cafe look like?

S: Do we want to expand? Absolutely! Can’t pinpoint when that would be. We want other Narrow Ways. Within the city of Detroit. We want to not only serve more people, but provide more things. We have grown from providing to baked goods to sandwiches as well. We have gotten into catering! It came out of nowhere. We get calls and requests for things that we don’t do yet, but we will certainly consider down the road. We try to accommodate as best we can! We even had a birthday party here for a little girl with smoothies and baked goods.

As I was wrapping up my morning at Narrow Way, I sat down to enjoy the rest of coffee. An older gentleman beside me had a bright mango smoothie that I immediately envied. I asked him if he was a regular customer. Jeffrey told me it was his first time there, that his barber just down the street who had been in business for 30-plus years recommended the cafe to him. He was looking for a boost and needed a break today, and found it in Narrow Way’s cozy dark booths. “I just realized that the seating is partially outside” he said, thumbing toward the long high-top table that had seating within the cafe on one side, and seating on the sidewalk on the opposite side. “I like it. I like this place.”

Jeffrey and I both agreed that we would not be strangers at Narrow Way.

To learn more about Narrow Way cafe (and enter to win a free bag of beans via weekly raffle!) check out their website here: https://thenarrowwaycafe.com/

If you’d like to become one of the cafes, grocery stores, or universities that are serving our coffee, get started here: http://www.zingermanscoffee.com/wholesale-information/

Guatemala – Buena Esperanza

Sensually wonderful new micro-lot coffee from northwest Guatemala
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s 

Back in the ‘60s, Scott McKenzie sang the famous song: “If you’re going to San Francisco, Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair; If you’re going to San Francisco, You’re gonna meet some gentle people there.” He was talking about San Francisco, California of course. But he could have written it about San Francisco, the small town in northwest Guatemala, not far from the farm where this fabulous Buena Esperanza coffee is grown. The gentle spirit of the song, the focus on beauty and love, care and compassion, all come together in this very compelling micro-lot coffee that’s just arrived. Pretty much every staffer at the Coffee Company is all abuzz about it. And, now, I am as well. I’m betting you will be, too!

The coffee comes to us from a woman I’ve yet to meet, Noe Castillo. The beans are grown on her family’s small, 16-acre farm. It’s up in the remote mountains of northwest Guatemala.The region is one of the most diverse in the country, with a strong presence of Maya people—there are seven different Mayan dialects spoken in the area. Noe’s mother worked on the farm for 40 years; now her brothers all work there. The family clearly has a great work ethic and a commitment to quality. Because, with all due respect to Steve, Chris, Asa and everyone who roasts at the Coffee Company, not even an alchemist could turn only average raw material into an amazing coffee like this.

Grown under shade trees at about 1900 meters (altitude contributes to complexity of flavor), the beans are “washed” to remove the pulp, which enhances some of its soft mellowness. I’ve heard flavor descriptors for Buena Esperanza like sweet iced tea, green grapes, brown sugar, brown butter, honeydew melon, golden currants, and raisins. It’s definitely juicy, silky soft, floral…This flavor is this one is almost the opposite of the Domenica Fiore olive oil. Whereas the latter has edge and gets right up—elegantly, I should say—in your face, the Guatemala Buena Esperanza is a gentle, soft, sensuous, subtle set of flavors that remind me of freshly made cinnamon toast. A cup of the Buena Esperanza—I like it brewed as a pour over—would make a wonderful accompaniment to one of those Toni rolls from the Bakehouse (sourdough, studded with chunks of dark chocolate).

Buena Esperanza means “good hope.” It’s well named. Both for the quality of the growing, the roasting, and care that the Castillo family commit. It’s a sign of positive hope for a healthy, collaborative, ecologically sound future. As anarchist Peter Kropotkin once said, “it is always hope…which makes revolutions.” Here’s to calm, caring, collaborative times to come.

 

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Cold Brew: Coffee’s Hottest Beverage

Michelle Abbey – Zingerman’s Coffee Company

When poured into a glass from the tap, the foam of this cool, dark beverage cascades – it’s beautiful, even a little hypnotizing to watch. This time of year, you can see many folks in the new-and-improved courtyard of the Zingerman’s Southside enjoying swigs of it under the patio umbrellas. It’s totally lunch break-friendly – but please, permit yourself to feel a little “party” about it. What we’re serving up is not Guinness, but a more energizing brew – Nitro Cold Brew.

Chocolatey. Smooth. Creamy. Silky.

The infusion of nitrogen produces a stout-like beverage – it’s just one way to enjoy the drink that’s quickly conquering the coffee world. At the Zingerman’s Coffee Company, you’ll find our cold brew not only infused with nitro, but also in our Es Alpukat (an avocado smoothie…yes, that exists!) and its pure, delicious form: bottled up, sold individually and in 4 packs.

One reason cold brew is making the coffee industry stand attention is that it’s converting people. Those who previously shunned coffee for its bitterness are pleasantly surprised by cold brew’s smooth sweetness. The long, cool water extraction used to make cold brew produces a naturally sweet, less acidic beverage – a great alternative if you suffer from post-coffee heartburn, by the way. Cold brewing also extracts more caffeine than hot-brewed coffee – drink responsibly!

The finished product is bottled up and ready to drink at any time. It tastes amazing on its own or with a splash or cream, almond milk, or a bit of vanilla. It’s no surprise that cold brew is outpacing iced coffee sales (which is simply brewed coffee poured over ice). Cold Brew gets straight to the point. It has a potent amount of energy. And you don’t have to wait for it to be expertly crafted as you’re stalled behind a wrap-around drive-through line… you can keep it in your ‘fridge (or, stashed in the pantry…our patent-pending cold brew is ambient shelf-stable for up to a year, without the need for additives or preservatives!). It’s ready when you’re ready: you grab, you go. No preparation necessary!

In the case of our cold brew, convenience doesn’t mean a compromise in quality. It’s brewed with Papua New Guinea beans from our friends at the Apo & Angra Cooperatives, as well as beans from Daterra Estate in Brazil.  We’ve proudly worked with the folks at Daterra for over 10 years. They lead the industry in innovation and sustainability; this year Daterra Estate was awarded a Level A certification from the Rainforest Alliance, the first-ever award given and the highest possible!

Best of all, once you’re hooked on the stuff, you don’t have to give it up during the cooler months! We carry it and serve it year-round. It makes for a game-changing ingredient in many sweet & savory recipes, and of course a kick-butt cocktail. If you want to try for yourself, craft the recipe below (or, try it at the Zingerman’s Roadhouse bar – they’re serving it all summer!):

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

• 2oz Zingerman’s Cold Brew Coffee
• .5oz Nux Alpina (or your preferred) Walnut Liqueur
• .5oz Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur
• .5oz Calder’s Heavy Whipping Cream
• Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a coupe glass

 

 

Want to add a little more sweetness? Add a dollop of whipped cream! Fresh grated nutmeg brings a nice touch of warmth to this cool cocktail!

If the culinary crafter in you is curious, or if you simply want to try cold brew coffee in its bottled glory, stop by Zingerman’s Coffee Company to grab a bottle or 4 pack!

Summer passes by all too quickly, but cold brew is here to stay!

June’s Roaster’s Pick

KASAMA ESTATE: Zambia Coffee
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF ZINGERMAN’S

My longtime friend Lex Alexander has one of the best palates and finest food sensibilities I’ve known. A bit less than 10 years ago, Lex suffered a bad stroke. To his great credit, and to all those around him who supported him through the process, he’s come a long, long way in his recovery. His sense of food and his palate remain excellent. He remains a great friend, driven to learn, to connect, to play golf (his other passion), and he writes some, now and again, about his views. He cares deeply for his family, his friends, his community, and the world of wine and food. I hope that one day you’ll be able to read his work in properly published, print form. But for the moment, I figured I’d share a snippet of it here:

I think that rituals, if richly textured, can add a rhythm and a marker to your life. I have this coffee-making ritual I’ve had for 25 years. And I’ve evolved it as I’ve learned more about coffee. And the thing I love about it is, if you have a ritual of going to work out in the afternoon, oft-times something can come up and get in the way. But nothing ever gets in the way of something that happens at 5:30 in the morning. So I know that no matter what’s going to happen the rest of the day, I can do something really nice for myself and make something just for me.

Something I love about the coffee ritual is thinking ‘What went in?’—the farmers, the pickers, the shippers, the roasters—everything that goes into that cup of coffee. I have a German gram scale where I weigh out the grams of coffee, and then I have a nice grinder where I grind the beans right before I make it. I’ve gone through periods where I use a French press, but currently, I like a pour-over drip. I’ve got a really beautiful Japanese kettle that has a long spout where you can aim the water to saturate the grounds. You can sort of agitate the grounds because the spout is so precise.

If Lex were here in town (he lives in Durham), I think he might join me in appreciating the current crop of coffee we’ve got in from Zambia right now. I’m loving it. We found this lot from Kasama Estate to be rich, full-bodied, and complex, and loved its earthy, herbal, and bittersweet cocoa notes.

Zambia used to be known in the US, for the history buffs amongst you, by its colonial name of Rhodesia. Named now more appropriately for the Zambezi river that runs through it. Coffee came later to Africa than it did to most—in the 1950s. Kasama estate is in the northeast section of the country, about 400 or so miles to the west of the Mababu co-op with which our very good friend Shawn Askinosie works to get the great cacao beans for his terrific Tanzania chocolate.

To my taste, the cup is creative, caring, very cocoa-y, elegant. Easy going, but not in a bland way. More like mellow, but marvelous, Ry Cooder guitar-playing than any kind of uninteresting elevator music. Something with style, elegance, purpose, and subtle power, but all delivered in an unobtrusive, thought-provoking, emotionally supportive way. Elle Koski from Zingerman’s Coffee Company told me that she loves its savory, almost meaty (maybe bacon-y!) richness. I’m gonna send a bag down to Lex this week so he can try it as part of his morning ritual. If you happen to be up early, around 5:30 EDT, think about him and his meticulous grinding of the beans, his very exact weighing and the spot of his pot gently dispensing a soft but steady stream of hot water onto the grounds. If you can wait til 6 am, you can get it at the Roadshow drive-up trailer (9 on the weekends), or at 7 at the Deli and of course, the Coffee Company. Enjoy. As Lex often closed out his blog and our conversations: “And a beauty to you.”

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Totally Toasted Tournament: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Flavor

 

Battle against fellow foodies to create the best thing on a slice of bread!
Make the next great toast recipe for the Zingerman’s Coffee Company, for a chance to win an
$200 in ZingBucks and eternal glory!

 

TO ENTER THE CONTEST:

Submit a photo & description of your deliciously creative idea via social media post (we’re on
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!) using the hashtag #ZingToast, or shoot us an e-mail at
[email protected].
The winner will be chosen by Zingerman’s co-founder and CEO, Ari Weizweig.

TOAST CONTEST GUIDELINES:

• Ingredients must be sourced from the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (e.g. cheese from Zingerman’s Creamery, bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, spices from Zingerman’s Deli, etc.)
• Deadline for entries is June 15th , 2018
• Winner will be chosen by Ari Weizweig
• Winner will be contacted and announced through e-news, social media, in the café June 22nd, 2018
• Bonus points for recipes/ingredients that have an interesting story, present well, or have a kick butt name!
• Feel free to take a look at our existing menu here, to get a better idea of what new recipe would complement our current selection.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

Pimento Cheese on Roadhouse Toast at the Coffee Company

So good I could eat it every day!
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s 

 

Ever have one of those days where your stress level is shooting super high, anxiety is setting in swiftly, and it’s hard to get re-grounded? If it’s any solace, you’re not alone. I have ‘em all the time!

I have a whole bunch of mindfulness and self-management techniques I’ve learned from others and have made up on my own to help me calm my nerves and center myself. I journal, I practice my breathing, I go for a run….But one trick that’s not in the books is this terrific toast. I love it. I feel better every time I eat it. And if you’re one of the ever-increasing number of folks around Ann Arbor who have fallen in love with our pimento cheese, it might work for you, too.

It starts with the toast: one thick slice of wonderful Roadhouse bread (one of my favorites from the Bakehouse). I’ve written about it at length elsewhere, but at the moment, let me just say it’s a marvelous traditional American bread. In the context of American culinary history, this bread was in nearly every New England cookbook from the colonial era. It’s a mix of rye, wheat, and corn, very slightly sweetened with a bit of molasses. When you toast it (or double-bake it like we do at the Roadhouse for table service, or at the Deli for sandwiches), man, it really brings out the flavors. I love it! I can—and do—eat it on its own all the time.

What takes that into the “comfort zone” so compellingly is the rich, softly spicy, lively, kind-of-addictive flavor of our pimento cheese. Despite being northerners, we make really, really good pimento cheese. Southerner after southerner sings its praises. The latest was a chef from New Orleans—it got an eyebrow raise out of her, and she reached back to refill her plate more than once!

We finish the toast with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a nice sprinkle of the Zingerman’s 5-Star Black Pepper Blend. Order up, sit down, wait a few minutes, and then eat it while it’s hot. I always, always leave the experience less stressed, calmer, and better prepared to face the world!

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Costa Rica Micro-Lot Blend

Limited Edition new roast at the Coffee Company
Ari Weinzweig, CEO & Co-Founder of Zingerman’s 

This is one of the most exciting new coffee arrivals on our counter in years. Steve Mangigian, the managing partner of the Coffee Company, has been down there at least three times in the last few years working with the Guardian family. I’m happy to say that the rest of us now get to enjoy the fruits of their, and his, labors! The coffee comes from Hacienda Miramonte, who we’ve been working with for a number of years now. As our collaborations become more closely coordinated, the coffees just keep getting better.

In 1917, Hacienda Miramonte, marvelously—and unusually for that era—was started by a woman. Lucila Duval de Morales decided to do something constructive and, in the tradition that still sticks in Costa Rica, completely non-violent. She broke social norms by buying her own land and planting coffee bushes. She then set up her own business and built a plantation there. The farm is still family owned by her descendants and run with the same passion that Lucila had all those years ago in the town of Heredia, in the region of Naranjo de Alajuela.

This new micro lot is a particularly special offering—it’s a blend of three different micro lots that Steve personally selected during his visit last year. One of them is rare and unusual for Costa Rica’s “natural” process coffee. Most beans from Costa Rica are “washed”—water is used to remove the coffee fruit from the bean inside. The special roast includes one “naturally” processed coffee—the beans were dried, old-school, with the fruit still attached. Naturally processed coffees are known for having amazing natural sweetness and a rich, velvety body. And we definitely taste those characteristics here.

The finished coffee is delicate and nutty, with a really nice body. It’s supple, but more substantial than most Costa Rican coffees. Try it in a pour-over, or perhaps better still, a syphon pot where the flavors come cleanly and clearly to the fore. Enjoy it with one of those great Tahini cookies from the Bakehouse or a slice of the Portuguese cinnamon toast at the Coffee Company. It’s a beautiful thing to behold. Raise your cup in a toast to Lucila Duval de Morales, 100 years ahead of her time, and a model of a leader creatively making her way in a male-dominated world. The fruits of her high-quality efforts are clearly evident in the quality of this cup her grandchildren have helped to create.

Costa Rica Hacienda Miramonte Microlot Blend is here for a limited time, grab it here!

Excerpt from Ari’s weekly Top 5 E-Newsletter. To stay in-the-know about things that Ari is excited about in the Zingerman’s family, sign up here! 

Check Out Our Fresh Digs! Join Us For Our Grand Re-Opening.

Enjoy our fresh café with us during our Grand Re-Opening weekend, taking place February 24th and 25th! This event will mark the official unveiling of renovations that we underwent between July and November, 2017.

A few years back, we saw that our business was expanding and that a need for additional seating was needed. In addition, we knew there were many things we wanted to change in the cafe operation, and it has been a longstanding desire to add a toast bar. This renovation satisfies everything we wanted PLUS some!

Improvements: 

Expanded seating was a major part of the reconfiguration. Along with ample table seating to accommodate a growing clientele, our café now features a large section of banquette seating, equipped with multiple power ports for guests. Bar seating has also been added, providing a front-row view of the action behind the espresso bar.

A larger behind-the-bar kitchen area has made room for a larger menu of food options. In addition to a daily selection of pastries from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, we have added a new Toast Bar. The sweet and savory toast varieties currently being offered are made with ingredients from the Bakehouse and Zingerman’s Creamery as well as products sourced throughout the Zingerman’s Community.

An early bestseller is the Bulgarian Toast, made with Zingerman’s Bakehouse Sesame Semolina bread,  Zingerman’s Creamery handmade Cream Cheese, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It’s topped off with a generous spreading of Lutenitsa, a Bulgarian spread that combines roasted peppers, roasted eggplant and tomatoes.

The Grand Re-Opening festivities are open to all. Here’s a bit of what we have in store for you:

• Panama Geisha coffee – a rare, limited-release roast!
  
• Samples of our new toast recipes, all with ingredients sourced from within our Zingerman’s family
• The chance to win a fully-loaded coffee gift set, including a complete brewing system (Chemex brewer, filters, kettle, & scale), a bag of Panama Geisha coffee, logo tee,  a travel mug
• A never-before-served barista creation and a brand new toast recipe—to be revealed and served during our Grand Re-Opening weekend only!

 

It’s free to RSVP, you can do so here:

https://events.zingermanscommunity.com/event/zingermans-coffee-company-grand-re-opening

We hope to see you there, and thank you endlessly for your support!