Original Origin

Ethiopia is the source of the famous Blue Nile River,  on the banks of which civilizations have risen and fallen. The volume of water that flows through this stunning countryside is a beautiful parallel for the river of coffee that flows over our planet. The Blue Nile and the River Coffee both start in Ethiopia. It was here that Coffeea Arabia was discovered, here that it was ritualized, and here that the genetic reservoir awaits complete discovery. Sadly, it’s easy to underestimate the change coffee has had on our modern world. Where might we be if not for the charge it gave to the productivity of the workforce, propelling the Industrial Revolution. Many conversations in the coffee houses of old led to the longing for a better life, laying the groundwork for much political change. The societal changes resulting from the discovery, consumption, cultivation, and commoditization of Coffee all stem from the discovery of a bush in the Ethiopian hillside.

Discovery and Dissemination

Of course I will cite Kaldi as the person to discover coffee, after observing his goats and their excited consumption of coffee cherries. Although we can’t be certain of this mythos, we do know that coffee was first found in Ethiopia. Kaldi’s excitement over his discovery led him to the monastery near Lake Tana, the source of The Blue Nile. Legend has it that when Kaldi shared his treasure with the monks they were offended and threw his coffee cherries into the fire. This is where everything changed; the aroma emitting from the fire would change the history of our world. The coffee was rescued from the fire and covered with hot water for preservation. Later compelled by that aroma, the monks took to drinking the flavorful smelling and tasting liquor that, unbeknownst to them, would alter the path of man, plant and planet. While that may not be the true story, the rest is historical fact. By the 9th century coffee was being enjoyed as a drink, and for centuries the chewing of the cherries had been common place. At first the knowledge and use of coffee spread slowly. In 1511 Khair Beg banned the use of coffee, causing an uproar. When the Sultan of Cairo found out about this he reprimanded Beg and rescinded his order. The culture of coffee was born and would begin to spread. As the distribution network expanded so did its availability across the map; 1517 Constantinople, 1615 Vienna, 1650 Oxford. In 1688 Lloyd’s of London began as a coffee house. The River Coffee was breaching it’s banks as commerce was now in full bloom. Fortunes were soon made relocating Ethiopian coffee around the globe. Seedlings soon sprouted in many places; Sri Lanka in 1658, Java in 1699, Suriname in 1718, and the circle was finally complete in 1878 when plantings were made in Kenya. Even though the times have changed the culture and cultivation of coffee, one thing remains constant. Ethiopia has always been, and will always be the bedrock of the business of coffee.

Regions and Name Recognition

Of all the various phenotypes of coffee growing in Ethiopia ( 98.8% of the genetic diversity of Coffea Arabica resides within Ethiopia) some are truly extraordinary. The names associated with the various regions have been trademarked by the Ethiopian government to maintain the integrity and high standards that ensure excellence in the cup.

Harrar is a coffee with a dedicated following. The traditional method of leaving ripened cherries on the bush to dry provides a unique flavor profile that many find very pleasing. Modern processing has seen the transition to harvesting the cherries that are then air dried in the sun with the fruitbody intact. The coffee produced yields  a wild flavor profile that is fruity and sweet.

Sidamo and Yirgacheffe are both names of note in regards to premium Ethiopian coffees. Sidama is the region from which these coffees originate, Yirgacheffe is a city where the namesake coffee is produced. This gorgeous region is where the wet processing method was first introduced in 1972. Today a perfected low volume wet processing of these deep soiled, high grown coffees yield a luxurious and most enjoyable cup. Considered by many to be among the best the world has to offer. The complex perfumed citrus and flower notes with body enough to deliver a liquid expression of the terrior of this special region delivers the understanding of why coffee has become our second most commonly traded commodity.

Our Offering

Every year I look forward to sample roasting the various Ethiopian coffees that we are considering. The choice this year was an offering from Royal Coffee New York. The Fair Tade Organic Nura Korate was a perfect fit for us in many ways. Royal Coffee has spent the time and energy needed  to gain in depth personal relationships that ensure access to the best coffees available. Royal Coffee’s long standing connection to the  The Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU)  has afforded their deep understanding and connection with the many people involved in sourcing the best coffees. . The (SCFCU) represents roughly 50 smaller cooperatives. The Nura Korate Cooperative is located in the Dara district of the Sidama zone. The distinct climate of this area coupled with a prime elevation of 1800 meters produces a truly precious coffee. As is typical of the coffees produced in this region the Nura Korate must be tasted to appreciate. The full spectrum of flavorful body,  notes of citrus, fruit, and flowers meld into that most complete and uniquely Ethiopian experience. So it is with great pleasure that we offer this most enjoyable coffee to the Seven Hills family. When you consider that it is Fair Trade and Organic certified a great thing gets even better. So what are you waiting for get some now your taste buds are waiting! And remember as the Blue Nile flows through the birthplace of coffee, your water lovingly warmed longs to flow over  some fresh ground Nura Korate!!

Ethiopia: The Capital of Coffee

The story of man and coffee starts in Ethiopia, it’s present is firmly rooted there, and it’s future is tied to the vast genetic library that is found only here. Fifteen  million Ethiopians are employed directly in the coffee trade. Twenty eight percent of the nations GDP comes from the sale of coffee to the world.  Ethiopia exports over 850 million pounds of coffee. Interestingly it produces twice this amount, Ethiopians love their  coffee as much as we do. The complex ritual of making Ethiopian style coffee is fitting for the birthplace of coffee and the love affair it has spread the world over. Today our coffee culture can be traced back to the close bonding of man and bean grounded in the great tradition of simply enjoying the fruits the land has to offer. So till next time, thanks to Kaldi what an honor it is to walk the path he blazed so long ago! Cheers.

Rivers Walker

Honey Processed Coffee…..our new sweetheart

There are two major methods for processing fresh picked coffee cherries. The original method, or dry process, removes nothing, drying the fruit whole. Washed process removes the skin (de-pulping), removes the mucilage (the fruity layer of the cherry between skin and parchment), and then dries the bean. In between these two lies a sweet spot, honey processed coffee. The defining characteristic of this process is the retention of mucilage on the beans during drying. This small difference is truly transformative.

Classes of Honey Processed Coffee

Classification of this method is based on the retention of mucilage prior to drying. After the ripe cherries are picked and sorted they are pulped, and the decision of how much of the thick sticky sweet mucilage to retain is made. If all or most of the mucilage remains, this produces Black honey coffee. Eighty percent yields Red honey, fifty gives us Yellow, twenty-five Golden, and ten percent produces the subtle White honey. The secret of honey processed coffee is the magic of fermentation that takes place with the mucilage that remains on the beans.  During the drying process, naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts undergo a transformation on the mucilage that imparts a unique taste to the resultant coffee. Controlling the fermentation rate by rotation of beans, and exposure to light produces optimum results. Attention and observation must be continuous during fermentation. Even small batches must be properly husbanded to avoid under or over-fermentation, and rot. When skillfully completed to it’s fruition, honey processed coffee is simply SWEET!

Distinctive Taste of Honey Processed Coffee

The amount of sweetness in honey processed coffee is dependent on the amount of mucilage allowed to ferment on the beans. The higher the retention of mucilage the sweeter the taste of the coffee. The action of the bacteria and yeasts perform an enzymatic breakdown of the sugars and pectin present in the mucilage to elicit a wonderful taste profile. Complex fruit notes and flowery aromas are very common in honey processed coffee and the sweetness is noteworthy. Another benefit of fermentation is a reduction in the acidity of honey processed coffee compared to wet or dry process methods. This renders a coffee more easily enjoyed by coffee lovers with sensitive stomachs. Using cold brew to prepare honey processed coffee is even more advantageous for individuals in this beleaguered group,

Environmental considerations of Honey Processed Coffee

Some significant reductions in water consumption are realized in honey processed coffee when compared to wet processed coffee. Wet processed coffee uses a vast amount of water to remove the mucilage. Simply retaining some or all of the mucilage reduces water needs. Some dry processed coffee is mechanically dried. By removing pulp, the honey process can dry faster, minimizing the need of any mechanical manipulation. Honey processed coffee is sun cured and air dried. Careful and continuous monitoring dictates the the farmers decision of when to turn the drying beans, timing their exposure to sun and air to achieve desired results. This is where the connection between the skilled farmer and his land, along with his intimate relationship with it’s gifts, produces SWEET ART!

Don Oscar’s Finca Cual Bicicleta Red honey

We are lucky to offer as our first honey processed coffee an exquisite Honduran red honeyed yellow bourbon. Through skill and love, Oscar Omar Alonzo has produced a very highly regarded micro lot on his hillside Finca. Finca Cual Bicicleta rests at a gracious 1550 meters above sea level, providing ideal conditions for an old school classic yellow bourbon cultivar, that yields an excellent coffee.

Don Oscar pictured above, sporting his signature white hat

Don Oscar’s choice of honey process makes for an awesome taste experience. Organically grown in the remote hills of Chinacla Marcala La Paz Honduras, the terroir is truly stunning, and so craftily expressed in the red honey process. Red honey retains most of the mucilage which allows for ample fermentation to develop a deep and rich profile of both flavor and aroma. Don Oscar delivers a rare and excellent bean that we are proud to roast and offer to you.

@Rivers Walker

By now we have heard the story of Kaldi, the goatherd who discovered coffee. While it might not be true, I’ve heard he was a distance runner who drank coffee before workouts. People always wondered why he was so quick, had such good endurance, and always seemed ready to do it again. Well why did everybody else start drinking coffee? They wanted to be like Kaldi! How so? Well not only could he exercise better than everyone, he was quick witted and always in a great mood. Let’s face it; Kaldi was cool, and although he may not get the credit, he started the health/workout drink craze.

Hydration:

It’s true that coffee has diuretic properties, but it’s ability to hydrate is not compromised. It should also be noted that habitual consumption of coffee tends to diminish the diuretic effect. Researchers at the University of Birmingham U.K. studied a sample of 50 men, who had a daily consumption of 3-6 cups of coffee. The two phase study compared a mostly coffee based hydration, with that of an only water based intake. The findings indicated no difference in hydration. I just wonder how badly the study participants wanted their coffee back during the water trial. So the bottom line is you need your total daily water intake to be 2.7 liters (women) / 3.7 liters (men). With the knowledge that coffee counts like water, I’m on my way to make a pour-over now.

Antioxidants:

Think of antioxidants as the bodyguards who take care of the trouble so the party goes on without problems. Free radicals are the troublemakers who just need an electron to chill out. Antioxidants provide the electron and keep the party going, like a good mix-tape. If you didn’t know, coffee is filled with tons of antioxidants. Nearly 80% of antioxidants in the Western diet come from beverages. So it’s no news flash that coffee, as popular as it is, provides many people with their main source of antioxidants. One consideration of this is a study published in The Journal of Medicinal Foods: A comparison of caffeine content and antioxidant concentration relative to roast levels. The roasts that were studied were light, medium, City and French Roast style. The outcome of the Korean study was that caffeine content varies only slightly, but antioxidants were more prevalent in lighter roasts. If you’re interested in medicinal coffee, it’s worth noting the study used espresso machine extracts for testing.

Caffeine:

We’ve all felt the effects of caffeine from our first cup of coffee in the morning, but do you know how much caffeine is in that cup? Or better yet, do you know how little caffeine is in that cup? There are only 14o mg of caffeine in a 12 ounce cup of coffee. That’s .005 ounces out of 12, a testament to caffeine’s potency.  For an edge, world class athletes drink coffee before a workout to improve their performance. They feel it makes it easier to exercise longer and stronger with less pain and fatigue. The University of Illinois conducted a study that found a significant reduction in quadriceps muscle pain when caffeine was introduced to participants. Another point of interest is that caffeine makes muscles burn fat more quickly and efficiently. Coupled with a prolonged uptick in metabolism which aids in burning calories, coffee can help in weight loss. If this is not vindication for a cup of coffee before your workout, what is? Coffee’s mood enhancers also help you power through a workout when you might otherwise opt out. Researchers have found that consumption prior to a workout led to a drop in caloric intake later without any increase in cravings. By enjoying two cups of coffee a half hour before your workout, you can enjoy your favorite beverage and improve the results of your workout. Now you know how Kaldi did it!

Was that the sound of the mic dropping as I walk off stage?

Happy New Year, and may your blessings be bountiful and far ranging.

@RiversWalker.

So how many ways can you make coffee?

Do you always make coffee the same way?

Do you have a preffered brewing method?

Have you thought about trying a new way to make coffee?

Well today I’m hoping to tickle your fancy with a question for you….. How do you brew? There are many ways to brew, but they all fall into four catagories. A brief overview and example of the four will be covered below. In the end, you may find a new brew to suit you.

Boiling:

This is the simplest way to brew your coffee. By adding ground coffee to a water filled vessel ( like the Turkish ibrik pictured above) and bringing it to a boil, you have coffee. Sometimes by choice, other times by circumstance you may find yourself with no other option for a good cup of coffee. This oldest way to brew is bare bones, which provides a distinct taste in your cup. There are a few variations of this style of brew; two to note are Turkish and Cowboy.

Turkish coffee is an art all to it’s own. While simple in theory, this method must be prepared properly for optimum results, as it is an intensive, involved technique. What makes Turkish coffee interesting is that the coffee is boiled two to three times. This results in a thick, aromatic, and altogether very powerful tasting drink.

Cowboy coffee, also known as Camp coffee, is simple and easy in comparison. In fact all you have to do to make it is combine coffee and water at a boiling point, then pour your coffee into your cup. The grounds will stay in the vessel, leaving you with a clean brew.

Steeping:

If you take the next step up in brewing you come to steeping. Brewing methodology is advanced by the physical separation of coffee grounds from the already brewed coffee, the French Press being the main style of this method.  You first put your coffee grounds in the French Press, then introduce hot water ( for best results a coarse grind is recommended for this method ). Gently wet your grounds until the press is half full, pause for a smell, then carefully stir the blooming grounds. Finish this step by filling the press. Patiently allowing the grounds to steep for four long minutes before plunging can be hard, but it is worth the wait. After pressing, the pour yields quite an enjoyable elixir.

An interesting spin on this method is to use cold instead of hot water. Although this takes twelve or more hours to steep before plunging, it’s worth the try. This is a great option, especially if you have a sensitive stomach, as cold brew extracts less acids.

There are many positives to brewing with the French Press; namely inexpensive equipment, and a taste and mouth feel in the cup unlike any other.  I personally have worked myself into a jittery mess geeking on the revelations of varying varietal profiles derived from steeping.

Filtration:

Okay so here we are on the bedrock of modern coffee culture. The simple addition of a filter holding a bed of ground coffee is the foundation for this way of making coffee.  Examples within this grouping are well known by many drinkers, old and young.

The Electric Percolator harkens back to a time when quality coffee was not common place. This method yields a harsh, boiled-over liquid of maximum strength and caffeine that results in an undesirable, bitter flavored cup.

Electric Drip coffee makers are found in many homes and make quality coffee. Some fancy drip brewers offer a pre-wetting of grounds, just as pour-over fans do, to improve the performance of the filtered bed of grounds.

The simplicity of the pour-over and Chemex may be the pinnacle of this method. The Hario V60 is an easy to use pour-over dripper designed to produce awesome coffee.  Filling a paper filter in a cone with the proper amount of grounds ( 20g to 22g per cup ), you then add hot water ( thirty seconds off the boil, or about 200 degrees F )to the grounds insuring they are completely wet, then pause for thirty seconds before finishing brewing. This allows the grounds to bloom and settle, which facilitates even and consistent contact between the water and the grounds in the subsequent brewing.  After waiting, pour the remaining water in a slow continuous, motion, being careful not to pour along the sides of the filter, but on to the grounds. Proper timing is key. Your rate of pour should allow for the remaining amount of water to pass through the grounds in approximately two to two and a half minutes.  Your finished cup provides a clean, distinct taste and accentuates varietal profiles, yielding great results. The style of the Chemex method is very appealing, and is a pour-over method preferred by many serious coffee drinkers.

Another variation is the Toddy Cold Brew System; this technique is explained in our August 2016 blog–check it out!

While this grouping is familiar to many, if you have not yet tried Pour-Over, Chemex, or Cold Brew, I’m hoping to inspire you to delve deeper.

Pressure:

What makes these coffee styles unique is that they force pressurized water through coffee. Most everyone has had an espresso, but what about Moka or an Aeropress?

Firstly,  espresso is derived from a machine that forces hot water at nine bars of pressure through a finely ground puck of coffee. This delivers a concentrated drink that contains crema, the emulsification of fat and oil in coffee. The Espresso Machine has transformed American coffee culture, and is the money maker for the modern café. Machines vary in price, from modest home versions to very pricey multi-group commercial models.

The Moka ( pictured above )is also known as a stove top espresso maker. The bottom chamber holds water and grounds that when boiled, pressurize, pushing the coffee through a filter into the top chamber. While not exactly espresso, the taste and strength of this brew is a very pleasing substitute.

Lately, the Aeropress is gaining popularity. Like a French Press with a filter, this system delivers a fine drink.

So if an Espresso Machine seems impractical, maybe a Moka, or Aeropress should be in your future.

With this brief overview I hope to have made you think about trying a new method of brewing. Hopefully Santa brings you some new equipment. If not, check our online store for a Toddy System, French Press, Moka or Hario Dripper, and of course a wide selection of coffee. May you have a happy holiday season, and see you in the new year. Peace.

Randall Lee Ely

@riverswalker

So here is a story you may not know. It starts with a tree (Coffea Arabica).

Grown as a shrub, this plant produces a fruit called a cherry. Within this cherry resides a seed. Most often two seeds rest together within the mature cherry. On rare occasion, a single seed will occur producing the touted peaberry bean. So, in fact, it is the seed of a stone fruit which produces the green bean that when processed and roasted, provides our coffee we love to drink. The carefully selected, mature coffee fruits are processed mainly in two ways: wet or dry.

Dry processed is the original method, taking unwashed fruit whole and drying it intact. Wet processed is washed and fermented to remove the fruitbody from the bean. The end result of either process is a green bean that is ready to be roasted. In the most utilized method of brewing (drip coffee) just 1.25% of your cup is coffee. These proportions allow very little room for error in quality, making the sourcing of green beans of the utmost importance. A classic example of a little going a long way.

The selection of an extraction method will dictate the roast and grind styles to be used. Examples of these differences in regards to grind size would be a finer grind for espresso and a coarser grind for French press. The secret to roast perfection lies in determining the proper roast degree for each varietal. A bright, wet processed Panamanian lightly roasted to accentuate it’s crisp high end notes, and a dry processed Sumatran roasted slightly darker, to enhance it’s full-bodied profile. Skillfully roasting beans unleashes the complex chemistry awaiting within, yielding the magic of drinkable art.

From Kaldi’s time to today, coffee has found favor and commitment from an ever growing kinship of cup. Join me in toasting this.

Randall Lee Ely @riverswalker

Next month. How do you brew?

By the time you take your first sip of that mug of morning coffee, it has already passed through the hands of farmers, growers, pickers, shippers, and roasters. What began in faraway soil has traversed a continent, and an ocean or two–thanks to the tireless work of numerous people–to end up in your cup, to be enjoyed whenever and however you like it. To imagine the scope and magnitude of the work it takes to wake you up in the morning is staggering. So what a shame then that the journey generally ends unceremoniously and upside down in your trash can.  But that needn’t be the case.

Many home gardeners are taking the process full-circle by using coffee grounds in their gardens. Turns out coffee grounds provide generous amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper when it’s sown directly into the soil. They also release nitrogen as they degrade. Most of the acid in coffee ends up in the brewed product, so grounds boast a near-neutral pH level.

There is also anecdotal evidence that coffee grounds attract worms and repel slugs. We received this anecdotal evidence from Joe’s wife–and master gardener–Nancy, who swears by the method. 

Certain kinds of plants prefer coffee more than others. Rosebushes, azealas, rhododendrons, and camallias are coffee-loving flowers. Root crops like turnips and carrots grow well with the addition of coffee grounds.

Coffee grounds–and paper filters–are also compostable. Other uses for coffee grounds include:

• Before you clean out your fireplace, cover ashes with wet coffee grounds. This makes the ash easier to remove and also ensures your living room doesn’t become a dusty mess.
• Fix a stinky freezer by placing a bowl of used coffee grounds in it overnight. Add a drop of vanilla extract if you’re feeling fancy.
• Add a dose of used coffee grounds to keep bait worms alive and happy all day at the lake.
• Some people claim that a combination of orange peels and coffee grounds will keep cats out of your flower beds (and keep beds from becoming litter boxes), but a basic google search doesn’t offer much in the way of proof.

Saving used grounds from the trash can is a great way to help around your house and garden–and in a larger sense, to honor the work of coffee professionals around the world.

Over the years, we’ve helped many customers open their first coffee shop. Often, these customers come to us when the small but significant decisions about their new venture are piling up. While choosing the right coffee and designing a profitable menu are inarguably key factors in the success of a new cafe, the shop’s layout (everything from where the espresso machine resides to how easily a customer can find half-and-half) is equally vital. A well-executed layout will ensure a positive customer experience, while providing ease and economy of movement for the barista. Here are just a few things we’ve learned along the way:

• The espresso machine should be the star of the show, since it produces your most profitable drink. Place it prominently where the customer will naturally walk right up to it. It should be on the front counter so that the barista may engage the customer face-to-face.
• Placing the under-counter refrigerator beneath the espresso machine, but slightly to the right, seems to work best. This way, the barista will have the ability to fetch milk and other cold items without stepping back or breaking gaze with the customer. This placement also allows for a more positive fall angle for the espresso machine’s drain hose.
• The menu should hang on the back wall but near to the espresso machine (sensing a pattern?).
• Your back counter should be your cold bar and have room for an ice machine, blender, sauces, and sink. The back counter is also the perfect place for the coffee grinder, brewer, and airpots. Keeping these items further from the customer encourages them to turn their attention back to (you guessed it) espresso beverages.
• The condiment table with trash bin should be positioned some distance from the counter to promote traffic flow away from the line.
• Generally, your set-up should flow like this: pastry case→at least two feet of counter space for cash register and customer interaction→cups→the almighty espresso machine→espresso grinder→syrups→area to hand off beverage to the customer.

That’s just a little bit of the advice we offer new cafe owners. If you’re thinking of opening a coffee shop, let’s talk! Beyond our layout expertise, we just happen to offer the best beans in the business. We’re also really keen on helping new business owners make their reveries a reality.

To understand the history of coffee in El Salvador is to understand El Salvador itself. No other country in South America has been so deeply reliant on the crop, which the Salvadorans call “el grano de oro” or “the grain of gold.” Replacing indigo as El Salvador’s most important export in the late 19th century, coffee would decide the country’s economic and political stability for decades to come. During the course of the 20th century the Salvadoran coffee industry created vast fortunes for few and great misery for many others, spawning peasant uprisings, devastating massacres, and a 12-year civil war.

Agricultural tensions have existed in El Salvador since 1881, when legislation mandated that only land-owners had the right to farm the lush and fertile mountainsides of the country. Until then, many farmers had cultivated their crops communally, working together on shared land. For the next 100 years tensions between coffee barons and these landless campesinos simmered, often boiling over into violent confrontations. In the late 70’s–reacting to burgeoning communist sympathies in the country–the United States poured military aid and advisers into El Salvador. What resulted was a reform agenda that returned much of the land to plantation workers in the form of agricultural cooperatives set up by the Salvadoran government. Coffee barons opposed vocally and violently, and hundreds of cooperativists were killed as reform measures took effect. El Salvador had reached its breaking point.

The 12-year civil war that followed would claim 75,000 lives. However, when the UN helped negotiate a peace agreement between warring factions, hope for a new era of prosperity was almost tangible. In the 1990’s democratically-elected governments replaced rigged systems of oppression, 78 percent of coffee farms were back in the hands of small farmers, and the coffee industry employed 155,000 Salvadorans.

The challenges that Salvadoran coffee producers face now are largely external. Plummeting coffee prices have forced many farmers and pickers off the land and into cities in search of work.

The coffee we offer from El Salvador is grown on Finca Las Pampas, one of the many farms of the Magaña-Menéndez estate.

 

Located on the slopes of Cerro de Apaneca, in the Apaneca municipality, Las Pampas comprises a total of 60 hectares of land planted with Bourbon and red Caturra coffee. The area is known as one of the most fertile soils of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range. The Magaña-Menéndez estate is pledged to environmental stewardship, producing coffee that is Rainforest Alliance Certified.

The estate is just as concerned with the well-being of its workers and neighbors. It administers a central clinic (providing services in gynecology, pediatrics, and family practice) and pharmacy, providing free care to employees, employees’ families, and nearby communities. The estate has also supplied drinking water for adjacent towns and built soccer fields for school children. Workers at Las Pampas receive fair wages and extensive training in a safe work environment.

Coffee from Las Pampas boasts notes of toffee, cocoa, and lemon. It is a bright coffee with a clean and subtle body, fragrant but nuanced when compared with other Centrals. This exceptional coffee is a testament to the struggle, strength, and resolve of the Salvadoran people as well as their enduring commitment to el grano del oro.

Every day we receive multiple inquiries from folks looking to buy Seven Hills Coffee straight from the source. For 30 years, we have directed these requests to our retailers, opting instead to focus on our wholesale accounts.

In the last year, however, we have made the organizational reinforcements necessary to be able to seamlessly support our wholesale efforts as well as offer coffee to retail customers who are unable to get it elsewhere (we’re looking at you, Cincinnati ex-pats).

That means, for the first time in three decades, you can order Seven Hills Coffee directly from us! We’re currently hard at work getting an online store up and running, but, to make sure your holidays are as happy (and as caffeinated) as they should be, you can now place your personal orders by phone (call us at 513.489.5220).

Furthermore, for mega fans of ours–okay, or just people who appreciate comfy t-shirts–we also have for sale new Seven Hills Coffee apparel. Guaranteed to make you look as cool as these fellas:

We’re really excited about these new efforts, but don’t worry, all the good stuff is still the same. We’re still carrying all of your (and your customers’) holiday favorites. As in years past, we’re offering the following flavored coffees for the season:

*Christmas Morning*  *Nutcracker Sweet  *Holiday Cookie*  *Roasted Chestnut Cream*

*Pumpkin Spice*  *Cinnamon Orange Spice*  *White Chocolate Christmas*

It has been a momentous year for us. We adopted a new logo and launched a new website and helped open dozens of shops in the area. We feel endlessly lucky to serve the best customers in a beautiful city, and want to thank you sincerely for inviting us into your cafes, your restaurants, your grocery stores, and now–your homes!

May your holiday season be filled with all the things that matter most: fun, family, and incredible coffee.

According to Worldbank, nearly 80 percent of the world’s poor are farmers. The shocking reality that a significant number of the people who produce our food are going hungry themselves is the primary justification for the Fair Trade movement. Fair Trade USA promotes a market-based approach that empowers farmers to get a fair price for their harvest, helps workers create safe working conditions, provides a decent living wage, and guarantees the right to organize. Through direct, equitable trade, farming and working families are able to eat better, keep their kids in school, improve health and housing, and invest in the future. Often, these efforts are accomplished through the work of cooperatives. These cooperatives benefit from sharing technical assistance, taking their products to market at the same time, and leveraging their buying and selling power to better their lives as well as the lives of their neighbors.

Today, 97 percent of all Fair Trade certified coffee is produced by cooperatives. The extra money these farms earn by banding together under the Fair Trade banner is then spent on life-changing community assets like healthcare, education, and roads.

October is Fair Trade Month. We celebrate our Fair Trade commitment everyday, but for this occasion, we’d like to spotlight the inspiring cooperatives we work with. Not only do these growers produce some truly excellent coffee, they are revolutionizing the coffee industry in their respective countries. By purchasing coffee from these co-ops, you are directly supporting a better life for farmers and their families.

***

In Colombia, we support the ASEMPROGROPE cooperative, a newly-formed cooperative focused on the participation of women in the coffee business. The director of the co-op is a woman, as are half of the board of directors.

In Ethiopia, we support the Nura Korate cooperative, a member of the larger Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. The SCFCU was founded in 2001 and supports members through training, marketing assistance, and developing producer-buyer relationships.

In Guatemala, we support the Chajulense Cooperative, whose mission is to “promote a sustainable development model that is environmentally sound, economically feasible, fair from a social point of view and appropriate from a cultural standpoint.”

In Mexico, we support the CESMACH cooperative. Members are committed to environmental protection and social development. They are planting new coffee trees and other fruit-bearing trees, as well as spearheading a project to teach leadership development and cooperative management to women members. The co-op recently completed construction on their dry processing plant.

In Nicaragua, we support the PRODECOOP. Cooperative member, Allan Arauz Alguilera says this about his involvement with the group: “Fair Trade has helped me buy more land and add improvements to our house. Now we have access to electricity, water and television, but most importantly, we have access to consistent income. It guarantees that there is food for our children.”

In Peru, we support  CENFROCAFE. Beyond the vital technical support that the co-op provides, the CENFROCAFE financial team provides short-term credit that helps farmers cover the front-end costs of harvest and production equipment.

In Sumatra, we support the KBQB co-op, established in 2002 by 600 farmers in the highland district of Northern Sumatra. The cooperative’s name is Arabic and loosely translated means “getting to heaven through the wealth of our children.”

Seven Hills Coffee was among the very first Fair Trade coffee roasters in the United States, becoming Fair Trade certified in the fall of 1999. Since then, we have continued to expand our Fair Trade offerings, working with these and many more worthy cooperatives over the years. All of our Fair Trade certified coffee is also USDA certified organic, to promote environment stewardship and  sustainable growing practices.

We’re so proud to be members of the Fair Trade movement and we hope that you will encourage your friends, family, or local barista to take part as well. October might be Fair Trade month, but supporting ethical and sustainable labor practices is the right thing to do all year round.