November 20, 2011
Grand Opening went smashingly!
THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support us yesterday for our grand opening! We had at least 100 people walk through the doors, and for that we are thankful! Great music by Samuel Lockridge and Nate Barton and Justin did a great job with the roaster demo. Sorry to those of you who missed it because of the traffic jam :(. There are lots of really great photos posted on our facebook page of the whole evening if you'd like to see them! But, here are a few for you now:
Another fun thing about yesterday was that we unveiled our new premium offering for winter. Here's what Justin had to say about our new Kenyan "Winter Song" coffee offerings.
For several months I had been pondering roasting something special this winter. It had to be something that would be unquestionably superb as I wanted a coffee that would be ideal for a Thanksgiving or Christmas treat, a real special coffee. Then, back in October, as the idea was still taking shape, Emily and I were inspired by a charming, simple little song sung by a 7th grader at a talent show.
Meet "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles, a charming little duet sung with Ingred Michaelson with a music video that's even more charming than the song itself - you HAVE TO watch it! For days, the refrain of that song - "Is love alive?" - kept swimming around in our heads until, strangely enough, it inspired us to create a Winter Song of our own. But what would our caffeinated Winter Song be? Providentially, the answer to that question was only days away.
Sara Bareilles - Winter Song (See Below) |
I wanted a "top level coffee," something that you could serve on a special occassion and have people say unmistakeably know they are drinking something stellar. Enter a Kenyan AB coffee from the Fairview Estate. This coffee promised to be so big and full of flavor that it would make the perfect compliment to festive holiday meals and the long, cold winter days that lie at our doorstep this time of year.
While I had never roasted a Kenyan, their reputation as "the East African powerhouse of the coffee world" proceeds them. According to Tom Owens of Sweet Marias, "their research and development is unparalleled. Their quality control is meticulous, and many thousands of small farmers are highly educated in their agricultural practice - and rewarded - for top level coffee."
All that said, I present you with our new Kenya AB "Winter Song" limited offering. The pricetag is a little higher, but that is simply due to the fact that, these days, good Kenyans are easily a few dollars more than anything else on a coffee broker's list. I have two 30lbs vacuum sealed bags of this coffee. And, honestly, after drinking it for the past four days, I'm smiling ear to ear.
Is love alive? Unquestionably yes! And, from me to you, the Kenyan AB "Winter Song" is one tiny demonstration of that love.
We hope you'll try the new Kenyan. We know it's a little more expensive-but that's because it costs us more to get it here! Try something special this holiday season-you won't regret it :)