Our Coffee Subscription Pick: Dec 19 - Jan 2

Banks Thomas • 19 December 2011 • Category: Exceptional Coffee

Holiday Blend.

** Seasonal supply is longer available at shop.saltspringcoffee.com

There’s nothing we look forward to more than our trips to origin. Even though our visits are business related, finding new coffee to share with you and spending time with our farming partners is one of the best parts of our job.

Recently, I visited Honduras on just such a trip. And after a few fantastic cuppings, I can’t wait to share our latest discoveries with you in the New Year.

A look back at our 2011 coffee subscription.

Our intention with this year’s coffee subscription was to challenge you; to share coffee from different countries of origin, of different varietals and with varying roast profiles to help you bust through your ‘coffee comfort zone’. Many of you shared your top picks from our subscription selection this year, and we want to thank you for the feedback. We’re always refining and tweaking the roast profile of our single origin coffees and your feedback is valuable.

Also, this year we wanted to highlight the importance we place on in-season coffee. Just as apple growers in BC’s Okanagan Valley don’t harvest their crops year-round, the same goes for our partner farmers in Nicaragua and Peru.

Sourcing in-season, single origin coffee by direct trade is a priority for our company in 2012/2013. I’ll be posting my Honduras Trip report to our blog shortly, where I share stories about some of the new co-op relationships we’re building in the Copan region of Honduras and notes on some of the great coffee we cupped along the way.

From all of us at Salt Spring Coffee, Happy Holiday and enjoy your cup,

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee

A new brew(ski) just in time for the holidays

Salt Spring Coffee • 05 December 2011 • Category: In Community

In stores now.

A heady ale with chocolate and roast coffee flavour, this beer is wonderfully balanced and we think a great addition to the R&B Brewing Co. line up.

Infused with Salt Spring coffee purchased by direct trade from the Aceh Gayo region of Sumatra, Indonesia, we love the cool twist the roast coffee flavour brings to this porter.

Pick-up the Spirit Chaser, Sumatra Coffee Porter at the following cold beer and wine locations in Vancouver:

• Brewery Creek – 3045 Main St.

• Firefly – 2857 Cambie St.

• Legacy – 1633 Manitoba St., Olympic Village

• Coal Harbour - 1212 West Pender

• Steamworks – 375 Water St., Gastown

• Viti - 900 Seymour

Why the name Spirit Chaser?

In Sumatran tradition a spirit chaser is a carved wooden totem that, like a Native American dreamcatcher, is used to protect sleeping people from subconscious negativity. While dreamcatchers filter the bad dreams from the good, spirit chasers (which can take many forms, from dragons to monkeys to the strangely gallant flying pig that you see on the beer label) are supposed to ward off evil spirits from harming dreamers. They guide their charges from the dream world to the real world, ensuring that those who leave reality at night awaken safely in the morning.

Giving Grounds

Salt Spring Coffee • 02 December 2011 • Category: In Community

Next time you stop into one of our Coffee Houses, we want you to take home a little something coffee-related for your garden (or home) too: our used coffee grounds.

For a handful of years (and free of charge) we’ve been sending used coffee grounds home with our employees, customers and with green thumbs who want to put our leftover grounds to good use in their homes and gardens. And now, you can too!

No need to bring your own container either. The coffee grounds come pre-packaged in upcycled Salt Spring Coffee bags.

Here's a few tips on how you can you make the most of our used coffee grounds:

• Tip 1# - Add the coffee grounds to your compost. Coffee grounds help speed up the decomposition process and add trace minerals, like calcium, that may not have otherwise been present in your pile.

• Tip #2 - Used coffee grounds are a great all-natural fertilizer. Sometimes our gardens #needalift. Used coffee grounds are chalk full of nutrients like nitrogen, calcium and magnesium – which are great all natural, environmentally friendly fertilizers.

• Tip #3 - Keep pesky pests out of your garden. Put used coffee grounds around the perimeter of your garden (and potted plants) to help keep cats, slugs and ants away.

• Tip #4 - Fuel for your earthworms. To earthworms this stuff is about as good as it gets.

No garden? No worries. Coffee grounds can also be used in a number of cool 'do-it-yourself' home concoctions.

• Tip #5 - Deodorize the all-natural way. Rub a small amount of dry coffee grounds between your hands to get rid of food prep smells left by onions and garlic. Or, place dry coffee grounds in a bowl to deodorize your fridge or freezer.

• Tip #6 - Mask scratches in wood and dark leather furniture. Steep the coffee grounds in warm water (a French Press is perfect for this) and dab a bit of the coffee-infused liquid onto wood or dark leather furniture to help conceal scuff marks and scratches.

• Tip #7 - Scrub your tub. Used coffee grounds are slightly abrasive and work well as an earth-friendly, biodegradable cleaning agent. When it comes to tackling bathtub, sink and stovetop grease and grime used coffee grounds work like a charm.

Our Coffee Subscription Pick: December 1 - 19

Banks Thomas • 01 December 2011 • Category: Exceptional Coffee

Roaster's Revolution.

Roaster's Revolution is known for its smoky, earth flavours and for having a very full body. One of our very first Classic Blends, it continues to be hugely popular with fans of dark roast coffee.

This two-bean blend is a combination of a single origin Sumatran and our French Roast Nicaragua, which means this coffee enjoys the best of both worlds: the full body of a Sumatran coffee and the delicious smoky and “roasty” characteristics of a French Roast.

Westcoasters often talk about their love of dark roast coffees. Though, the roast profile of a coffee is just one element of the overall coffee experience. Origin, varietal and harvest season all play an important role is shaping the tasting notes of a coffee. If you are a “dark roast lover” we challenge you to move beyond roast level when you describe your favourite coffees.

What key flavours do you come across when you sip your Roaster's Revolution? Post your tasting notes on our Facebook page or tweet them to us.

Enjoy your cup,

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee

Our Coffee Subscription Pick: November 16 - 30

Banks Thomas • 16 November 2011 • Category: Exceptional Coffee

Holiday Blend.

This is a real gem of a coffee, and one that we hope makes this winter a whole lot toastier…. and tastier.

Every year around this time, I start to receive a flurry of email from our coffee houses and customers asking when our three-bean Holiday Blend might drop. Well, good news. It’s finally here and a regular in weekly meetings at Salt Spring Coffee’s HQ. Always a good sign.

It has a wonderful walnut taste with just the right hint of chocolate and spice. Its nicely balanced body and acidity also give it a smooth finish.

This season my roasting crew and I cupped and revisited the percentage of each coffee in the three-bean blend many times over. All to ensure that we share the cup of coffee that our devotees have come to know and love at this time of year.

Limited in supply, we roast only enough of our Holiday Blend to last us until the New Year, so if you entertain a lot around the holidays, enjoy, refill and replenish.

Enjoy your cup,

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee