Random acts of kindness, coffee and a few simple joys. January 1, 2012

Let’s be clear, right from the beginning, this isn’t a fluff story. There may be some warm fuzzies involved (that’s up to you) but there are no big-eyed kittens or elaborate holiday fables that are dripping in sweetness. This is better. Sure, there’s some talk of coffee (what could be wrong with that?), but coffee is just the delivery mechanism for something even better: doing good doesn’t have to be hard… in fact it can be as easy as offering a warm drink to another human being.

The holidays are a crazy season for most. There’s a certain high-octane vibe to December and it’s easy to get caught up in the press of crowds and mob scenes (literally) for super-duper-killer-deals. The crazed hunt for gifts coupled with a dose of stress (both physical and mental) from all those gatherings and merriment can overwhelm the simple backbone of what it’s supposed to be about: doing good for others, spending time with loved ones, and maybe even contemplating what’s most important in that life you’re living.  It’s easy to see how doing more or finding ways to ‘do good’  might seem overwhelming, but here’s the deal… giving hope and joy can be SIMPLE and it can happen any time of year.

Perhaps you’ve heard the recent stories of ‘layaway angels’? If you haven’t, here’s the gist: in the past month quite a few individuals have been swooping in and paying the majority of layaway purchases for strangers (most of them for kid’s items and many were about to be reclaimed by the store). It’s a moving story (click here to see the news clip) and so far over $412,000 has been given to cover 1,000+ Kmart layaway accounts. Of course, not everyone can afford that kind of generosity, but there are no price rules to giving.

Everyone’s heard the stories of strangers ‘paying it forward’ and covering other people’s meal or drink costs. It’s such an easy gesture and is bound to brighten the day of whomever it benefits.. and that has to trickle outward. Things like that tend to spread in one form or another; in fact, sometimes it even gets viral. In 2007, one woman in Marysville, Washington made a habit of  paying for the person behind her in line… Her goal was to create an act of kindness that grew. The story goes, that at this one Starbucks store her efforts led to over 800 customers (by the time it ended) paying for someone else’s drink. And any money that was left over in this generosity wave went in to a donation fund for a toy drive.

Not too shabby…

Giving can also be a ritual, or a sort of touchstone in the memory of others, that helps the giver to keep their footing and simultaneously spread a dose of joy for themselves and others. Recently a great story surfaced about Dan Dewey (of Pontaiac, Michigan). Dan used to take his father in for chemotherapy treatments. On every visit, Dan would also hit the local Starbucks and get his father his favorite drink. Dan’s dad asked him to keep the tradition alive and help other people feel special and cared for at the chemo unit. And so, every Thursday morning Dan goes the chemo center, takes orders and then brings back a bounty in specialty beverages.

It may seem like a small thing, but Dan’s delivery is a bright spot for a lot of people. He used to pay out of his own pocket, but these days he’s made a lot of friends waiting in line at Starbucks and the store actually started a special account for him called ‘Dan’s Coffee Run‘ so other people can chip in, too. (See the original story from MSNBC here.)

Dan has kept his coffee run promise since 2007, long after his father passed away, but there’s nothing that says giving has to be focused on one group or a long term commitment. That’s the beauty of giving.

An act of kindness can be as simple as buying a hot drink or meal for someone who looks like they could use it. Giving can be random or precise, repeated or a one time gig. There are no rules. But be prepared for a little happiness and perhaps, if you aren’t careful, find the whole experience a bit addictive. That’s ok. There are actually studies out there that indicate that giving and thankfulness are really good for us (see my previous blog writeup about a great study here).

If you enjoy it, feel free to do more…

Ya. I’d like to buy that latte with my phone… thank you very much. January 15, 2011

Turning that phone into your mobile bank...

Want to pay for that bagel and coffee with your phone? Well, if you’re one of the 30% of the population with a smart phone, odds are you won’t have too long to wait. Right now, you have a few options too.

There are a lot of apps out there; Apple’s iPhone alone has over 300,000 apps and sprinkled among them are purchasing programs for various stores and companies. Here are a couple of phone apps on the market that turn your phone into a credit card for coffee… and more.

The top pick for innovative coffee shop app goes to Splick-It. This app is a dream for people on the go.  Imagine you’re running late for work and want to avoid a long line of caffeine craving insomniacs. Splick-It has a simple, intuitive menu set up and makes it easy to order from your phone. It allows you to add notes (like: make that a skinny, flat latte with whipped topping… I’m having a bad morning.), select a time for pick-up, and pay with the click of a button. Then just grab it and go. No line, no fuss, no problem.

The drawback of this app is that it is still in limitted release around the country. It’s in use at about 50 participating locations in the Boulder/Denver area (and a couple of other Colorado cities). They are also found in Chicago, Lynchburg – Virginia, Tacoma – Washington, and Moorpark – California. They are expecting to grow a lot in LA and Chicago this year. So, if you’re in those cities, this is an app that you’re going to want. For those of you who live in Boulder, here are a few locations you can use Splick-It’s grab and go app: Amante Coffee, Atlas Purveyors, Brewing Markets, Corner Coffee Bar, Flatiron Coffee, Great Harvest, Pita Pit, Saxy’s Café, Snarf’s and Treppedas.

I feel so special. I have my own barcode.

On the whole most smart phone purchasing apps aren’t quite as convenient. They simply turn your phone into a credit card using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology imbedded in the phone or the app actually creates a personal bar code on the phone’s screen that you swipe over a scanner. All things considered, aside from not having to sign, these don’t really make buying a coffee more convenient… at least not yet.

But if you like Starbucks Coffee and you want to give it a try, you can test drive their mobile app. It allows users to access their account (just like their membership card) and then creates your very own barcode. The coffee megolith’s app works at selected stores in the U.S. Currently they have several hundred regular stores and 1,000 Target stores where you can use it.

With membership cards and perks for stores on the rise and America’s love for plastic, being able to ditch a thick wallet could have its perks. Prepare yourself, this is just the first wave of apps. Someday soon, you’re bound to find yourself able to wield that phone like a mobile bank just about everywhere else.

Make A Coffee Resolution for 2011 January 3, 2011

Drink up and do good at the same time.

A whole year awaits us, shiny and uncertain.  It’s bound to be filled with political upheaval, struggling economies and packed full of moments beautiful, absurd and horrific. One thing will remain much the same, COFFEE. Start 2011 off right by adopting a few simple changes to your coffee routine and enjoy how easily you made the world a little bit better.

 

Coffee has become an entrenched staple in life and the caffeine fix isn’t likely to disappear any time soon. American’s consume an average of 400 million cups of coffee a day (146 billion cups a year) and the National Coffee Association reports that in 2009 a whopping 56 percent of the U.S. population drank coffee daily regardless of economic conditions. So, why not extend those New Year’s resolutions to include one of the things nearly as stable as death and taxes? Here are a few simple things you can do to make that coffee more environmentally and socially responsible.

 

Look out for the environment and cut those convenient but totally wasteful, disposable paper cups from your routine. If you aren’t staying at a coffee shop or making your drinks at home, bring a reusable mug out with you. In 2006 alone over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups for U.S. consumers. That equals (among other things) 4 billion gallons of water used in production and 253 million pounds of cups in the garbage. Imagine the impacts if American’s curtailed their use of paper cups! Do your part and keep a mug in your backpack, handy at the office, or waiting in your car. (Added bonus, travel and vacuum mugs keep those precious drinks hot a lot longer.)

 

Not quite ready to cut out the convenient cup? Then get your coffee from a shop that puts that coffee in a compostable cup and then actually compost it. Another option: consider leaving the disposable sleeve behind or buy a reusable sleeve. Atlas Purveyors in Boulder sells cup sleeves made from ultra chic recycled fabrics for $5 a pop (Atlas uses them in-house and has kept an estimated 13,800 sleeves from going into the trash in 2010!). They’re adorable, comfortable and can be used with pint glasses or partnered with disposable cups. Every little bit helps.

 

Become a champion of the underprivileged and marginalized coffee farmers of the world! All you have to do is buy coffee from sources that are Fair Trade. Choosing socially conscious coffees helps to alleviate poverty and protect the environment. You will pay a premium, but there is a lot of amazing, reasonably priced Fair Trade coffee out there.

 

Fair Trade coffee gives once exploited farmers a livable wage and other opportunities (like education and support for environmentally sustainable practices). Keep in mind that no system is perfect and often the most reliable Fair Trade coffees are directly sourced by coops and roasters to guarantee first-hand that farmers and workers get paid well for their product. Feel free to ask your local coffee shop or roaster about their beans and Fair Trade options.

 

If you aren’t already doing these things, why not give them a try? Not only will you get your caffeine fix, you can also feel great knowing that you are actually making the world a little bit better… one coffee at a time.

Start-ups and cafes and Boulder… oh my! October 10, 2010

It’s the era of the mobile office: a time with meetings seem to take place more often in coffee shops than in conference rooms. Go into any coffee shop and you are bound to overhear deals being made and ideas being born. The shift seems a natural one… cafés are comfortable; they marry community, style and comfort. Plus, who wouldn’t like great coffee with their daily dose of work discourse? –But why stop there?

As times change, cafes are in a position to prosper from and even help facilitate development of industry in their hometowns. Boulder may be somewhat of an anomaly, but as a hotbed of creative people, deep pockets and techies (not to be confused with Trekkies, though some are probably both) it offers some unique opportunities to marry innovation and business.  After all, Boulder is making itself known as a tech start-up mecca (with the bonus of mountains and environmental awareness) and people are taking notice. In April 2010 Business Week called Boulder “America’s Best Town for Startups”.

In fact, the number of people employed in technology in Boulder is second only to Silicon Valley (American Electronics Assn.).  For entrepreneurs and those in clean tech and green tech, Boulder offers many opportunities for mingling, idea sharing and company growth. Among them are 3 group events that all techies should know about.

The first two are, sadly, caffeine-free but do have beer and wine and are currently housed at Colorado University: The Boulder Green Tech Meetup –usually on the 2nd Thursday of the month and the New Tech Meetup –generally on the third Tuesday of the month. Both events have a similar format: with mingling, presentations and questions and answer time. They have thousands of members, and bring together an average of 150-200 people per meet.

The third group is another animal entirely. For those looking for a less formal gathering that also comes loaded with caffeine, then the Boulder Open Coffee Club will be an eye-opener (pun intended).  The Coffee Club is smaller, with 550 fans on Facebook, and averages 30-50 participants. It meets twice a month in a coffee shop. This club fills a real need for Boulder’s ever growing start-up community. The group is very informal, with no set format, and is more of a gathering point for techies than a demonstration of concept prowess. This group is all about providing a network, about bringing like-minded individuals together to discuss issues and ideas that interest them.

By hosting this growing group, The Cup (previous host site) and Atlas Purveyors (current host) help foster business in their town (something every city could use more of these days) and simultaneously build goodwill and clientele from the techie and start-up community. It’s a win-win and it isn’t surprising that ideas like this are raising eyebrows; word has it that next weeks meeting (Oct. 12th) will also be attended by reporters from Japanese TV and Fox. Of course, the real story isn’t just Boulder’s start-up industry; it’s the fact that cafes are a natural medium for fostering community and business… and that is good news for everyone.

Want to attend the next Boulder Open Coffee Club? The next meeting is THIS TUESDAY, October 12th at Atlas Purveyors on Pearl. The event starts at 8 am, but it’s best to get there early if you want a seat.

Equal treatment for soy! One Boulder coffee shop breaks the mold… July 21, 2010

It has been a long battle and unfortunately it isn’t over. However, there is a glimmer… a hint of hope that perhaps one day soon all milks will be charged equally. Yes, it is true. For many a year soy, rice and almond milk have been available in grocery stores and in Boulder it’s hard to find a coffee shop that doesn’t offer at least one of them. Wondrous as this fact is (considering there are many corners of the U.S. where dairy is the unrivaled king of cafés) having options comes at a cost.

Most coffee shops charge $0.50 for an upgrade and in a market where a 16 oz. latte already costs $3.25-$4.00, an extra 50 cents can almost feel punitive. Fortunately, the difference in cost for alternative milks has gone down as more and more people make the switch from dairy milks. Yet the coffee shop charge for lactose-free options has remained static, this has been justified by the fact that dairy milk remains the cheaper option but should the costs to the dairy sensitive be quite so high? One coffee shop in Boulder has decided it shouldn’t and has made the non-dairy-drink-charge a thing of the past. In fact, they have never charged extra for soy or almond milk.

If you would like your milk without the dairy and want it for free, then stop by Atlas Coffee Purveyors (at 1505 Pearl St.). This deal appears to be here to stay. Not surprisingly, there has been absolutely no backlash to Atlas’s shift in coffee shop ideology, but can cafés afford such a deal on a daily basis? Chris Rosen (partial owner of Atlas) had this to say, “We price out every drink, from the cup to the milk and the lids to the beans and for us the cost (of soy and almond milks) is a non-issue. It’s about a cent a drink.” and that cent of additional cost for Atlas is easily recovered by building stacks of loyalty from lactose-free customers.

So, (technically) the soy at Atlas isn’t free, but it won’t cost you more than a dairy drink and that is what really counts. Equal treatment, it’s exactly (sort of) the principles that this great nation was created upon and since the founding fathers were really into their hemp, one can only infer that they would be thrilled to see it also being utilized as a milk alternative. Given time, perhaps hemp milk will be added to the rosters of coffee shops and find itself on equal footing too. One can only hope.

Would you like a beer with that latte, perhaps a glass of wine too? June 12, 2010

If you are looking for a neutral meeting spot like a coffee shop that is trendy and doesn’t feel like a crowded bar, then here are a couple of great options in Boulder that offer coffee and alcohol. Sadly, the list is short, but Boulder does have two coffee co’s that offer both and (happily) they also have winning happy hour specials.

The Laughing Goat
1709 Pearl Street
The laughing goat is a great location to hit if you are near Pearl Street. Truly, this coffee shop has quickly become a Boulder institution. There is plenty of seating, live music in the evenings, great art and the coffee and latte art is well done.

Yes please, happy hour at The Laughing Goat.

Happy Hour: 4pm-8pm
Beer: $2 to $3
Wine: $3 or $5

What you will find:
The alcohol selection at The Laughing Goat is constantly shifting; currently they have a dozen types of wine (red, white, rose) and nearly as many beers to choose from. For those adventurous souls, The Goat hosts a very unique beer: the Mate Veza. Yes, it’s a tea/beer blend and worth a taste.

Amante
Amante has three locations in Boulder:
4580 Broadway St, Boulder – (303) 448-9999
1035 Walnut Street, Boulder – (303) 546-9999
4699 Nautilus Court South, Boulder – (303) 449-5114
Amante is an Italian style, uber trendy and modern establishment. TV’s play music videos or the favored sporting event of the day. The coffee is strong, the cappuccino foam is perfect, and they serve coffee cocktails along with beer and wine.

A stocked bar at Amante.

Happy Hour: 4pm-7pm
Draft Moretti: $3.50
Wine: $5.00
Martini/mixed drinks: $4.00

What you will find:
They have one beer on tap, Moretti, and three bottled options (two of those are Moretti). Amante also has 5 wines to choose from and a fully stocked bar for mixed drinks. Their signature espresso-mixed drinks are: The Tiramisu (a Martini), the Amaretto (a Martini), the Caldo and the Irish Coffee.

Chai-Aholics unite! Boulder is a great town for Chai. May 18, 2010

A quick look around the country quickly reveals that many regions of the U.S. are still in their infancy when it comes to appreciating or even knowing about a good cup of chai. The only options that can be found in a lot of areas is Tazo or Oregon Chai. For those who know what chai can taste like, these brands are too watered down and fall short of the mark. However, Tazo and Oregon Chai should be applauded because they continue to pave the way for chai on a national scale and serve as “gateway” chai by promoting the expansion into stiffer, tastier and more exciting chais. So, hat’s off to them.

Yummmm.... indulge in a creamy, spicy cup of chai.

Thankfully, Boulder has a very healthy tea and chai culture. Two local chai companies can be found in the majority of the coffee shops here: Third Street Chai and Bhakti Chai (both offer organic ingredients and fair trade tea). Third Street has 6 chai blends (authentic, green, decaf, honey vanilla, sugar free and spicy ginger) and Bhakti’s signature spicy, ginger chai comes in original, decaf and an unsweetened option. If you haven’t tried them, give these Boulder companies a try!

Looking for more options? Don’t stop with Bhakti and 3^rd Street, keep going. Boulder has quite a few local establishments that offer their own unique house chai for you to try! Here is a list (sure to grow) of coffee and tea shops to check out:

Atlas Purveyors has two house chai blends: 1505 Pearl Street

The Brewing Market has six chai blends to choose from: (three locations in Boulder) 2525 Arapahoe Avenue, 2610 Baseline Road and 1918 13th Street.

Dushanbe Tea House has one option: 1770 13th St

Naropa Café (serving Dushanbe Tea House’s chai): located at 2130 Arapahoe Avenue

Dangerous Driving: The Mobile Phone vs. Coffee May 15, 2010

The saying “Put down your phone and drive” just isn’t good enough. There are dangerous distractions ready to impair the modern driver that extend beyond the mobile phone and these get little to no notice while the dangers of texting and cell phone usage in vehicles have been getting a LOT of press in the past year. For example: on May 10th NPR aired an episode on Morning Edition about teens driving and texting (listen to it at NPR) and on January 1st 2010 Colorado passed a ban on teens under 18 from using mobile phones (which originally had been directed at all drivers)  and across the US there are states pushing some sort of legislation to minimize cell phone usage in vehicles.

Some of those proposed laws go even further in an attempt to minimize distractions. Oklahoma’s Senate bill also address and seeks to penalize other distractions like eating, reading, writing and grooming. Of course making these actions illegal certainly seems unlikely at best (people would riot first), but this more encompassing approach address the key issue: as more people spend greater amounts of time in their vehicles, risky practices quickly become the norm. (See Walletpop for a list of truly sketchy things people have seen other drivers do on the road. For example… would you paint your toe nails while driving?). Currently, 35 percent of drivers feel less safe than they did 5 years ago because of the rise of distracted driving around them.

You sure you want that coffee in the car with you?

If people are tossing stones at a practice, they better be willing to look at the whole problem. Simply put, the phones are just a very obvious lightning rod; the problem is how poorly drivers understand their limitations and the risks they put themselves and others into on a daily basis. The average driver has become complacent and that is the real danger. For example, how many people know that eating or drinking while driving are actually more risky than your cell phone (when dialing or talking with a hand held device)?

Yes, technology has a lot to do with the rising tide of concern, but The AAA Foundation released a report in 2001 estimated that 25% of all accidents involve some kind of inattention. That number wasn’t surprising, what caused a stir was the fact that eating and drinking were more often to blame than hand held mobile phones (this is before texting became a norm) and both of these factors were significantly dwarfed by several other distractions. (For drivers under 20 years old –the most susceptible age group- adjusting the music/radio accounted for 28.9% of accidents, talking or dialing on cell phones was 0.1%, eating or drinking was 1.1 %.).  A British study for Privilege Insurance in 2006 found that eating and drinking doubled the likelihood of an accident and equated it with the illegal practice of using hand held phones in England.

Unfortunately, the worst of the edible distractions is an all time favorite for most Americans: coffee.
Understandably many will find this news hard to… swallow. Of the top ten most dangerous driving “foods”, coffee is the most likely to lead to an accident or a close call for several reasons. Simply combine extremely hot with very easy to spill (remember how McDonalds lost about $3 million in a lawsuit) and it’s already seriously questionable as a driving companion, but then stir in a helping of traveling at high speeds and throw in rush hour traffic with a dash of sleep deprivation and what may have seemed like a nice companion has become a hitchhiker with questionable motives.

Please keep in mind that eating or drinking while driving are not as dangerous as texting but they are an issue. Texting is the equivalent of putting a mafia boss of inattentiveness in the car with you. (An extensive study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute shows commercial driver distraction and cell phone use under real world driving conditions across over 6 million miles of road and the results are staggering: dialing equals 5.9 times more risk of crash or near crash event, while talking and listening are only 1 time more risky and texting is a whopping 23.2 times more risky.)  Again, texting while driving is the lightning rod to draw attention to the underlying problem: driver complacency.

So here is the sound bite to take home: It isn’t just a car; it’s a 4,000 lb hunk of metal traveling at high speed and only you can act as the safety control that keeps it from becoming a killing machine. So please, use this common sense guideline: if it limits your eyes and hands, save it till you are at a full and complete stop. Find that difficult? Then take the bus, taxi or walk and then feel free to text, talk and drink hot coffee to your heart’s content. Remember, you’re not the only one on the road.

For the curious, here is the list of dangerous driving foods from worst to less terrible -courtesy of insure.com:
1. Coffee
2. Hot soup
3. Tacos
4. Chili
5. Hamburgers
6. Barbecued food
7. Fried chicken
8. Jelly or cream-filled donuts
9. Soft drinks
10. Chocolate

Yes, I Understand That You Are Really Into Your Coffee, But Could You Please Drop the Attitude? May 2, 2010

As I am sure most of you (if not all of you reading my blog) have noticed, I really like coffee shops and the coffee industry, but what I really can not stand is the condescending, elitist, snide connoisseurs who seem driven to alienate through ridicule the other 90 percent of the coffee drinking world.

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Case in point:

A friend of mine spent some time with a couple of individuals who are REALLY into coffee. (He assured me that they discussed the topic of coffee, from its roasting to qualities and cupping for several hours.) These two unnamed souls were particularly impressed with one roaster, 49^th Parallel. My friend took them at their word and managed to visit one of 49^th Paralell’s “showcase” coffee shops in Portland only to feel like he was in hostile territory.

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When he ordered a latte there (his normal drink) he was told, “Why not buy a milk shake while you’re at it. Cause you’re just getting milk with a little espresso flavor.” (Insert barista’s snide smile and eye-rolling here).

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Granted, my buddy is a dabbler in coffee so being in a “coffee shop” that only sold straight-up espresso or coffee was a complete shift from his usual experience. In the end he left with a bitter taste in his mouth (pun intended) and felt like he’d asked for the unspeakable and been scolded for it, as if he had said “can I get my espresso with a spoonful of baby seal on top?”
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So, maybe the barista was having a bad day or maybe it’s the everyday vibe of this particular company; I don’t know since I’ve never been to any of their stores (I have heard good things about their coffee) but what I do know is that when connoisseurs use this approach, they crush what could have been a great opportunity to turn the coffee curious into life-long coffee enthusiasts.

My advice is twofold:

1. Yes, you love your coffee and no doubt your espresso is stunning all on its own, but the vast majority of American espresso drinkers take theirs with some milk, so offer a Cappucino (or something) and give them a marker they can understand. Heck, offer a taster cup of straight up, unadulterated coffee for them to try while you are at it and feel free to offer friendly advice on the merits of coffee so good, they (probably) won’t want to add cream and sugar.
2. Drop the freaking attitude. Though ridicule can be an effective way to bully with words the less informed, it is a disservice to everyone… you included. If you love coffee, provide an environment where others can share in the love; don’t send them running in the other direction.

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Thanks,

~one caffeine queen

Premium Coffee: Is $50 a Pound Worth the Price Tag? April 22, 2010

Yesterday I had the pleasure of some quality time at Ozo Coffee with Nolan Dutton, one of their roasters. Among other things, we sampled a “premium” small lot bean out of Ethiopia that Ozo had roasted for an interested high-end coffee supplier with a branch out in Denver. The estimated price tag $50 per pound.

The Amazine Coffee Bean...

Truly, the novelty of sipping a very expensive coffee was not lost on me. Even so, sometimes it is hard to determine whether what drives pricing is hype or true value and that can depend entirely on the individual. My take on this specific coffee I will certainly share, but first I’d like to say what this movement toward higher quality, small batch, single origin coffee signifies most clearly to me: the coffee connoisseur is becoming more common (IE: standards are definitely on the upswing) and so is awareness around social equity. Both of these are steps in the right direction. Hands down, this is good news. However, does that mean that $50 for a pound of coffee is “worth it”?

Each batch and each roast of that coffee as well as the societal impacts (fair trade vs. standard exploitative business practices) certainly need to be taken into consideration. But rare does not automatically equate to amazing (there is a lot of crap that is rare, but it’s still crap) and in the food industry expert perception and personal preference are always battling for dominance.

Regardless, my take from cupping this particular Ethiopian was that I certainly wouldn’t be willing to pay its price tag.  True, it was an explosion of flavors in my mouth… including a good deal of flavor “vibration” on the back of my gums and is certainly loaded with unique fruity tones, but it did not hold an aha moment for me of unrivaled appreciation. Then again, I’m not loaded and therefore am more cautious in my spending and as a rule will never be this coffee’s target customer.

Course, for my money, I’d very happily spend $13 for a pound on Ozo’s Brazil Samambaia. Especially since a cup of it gained much more of my attention and appreciation (It’s a lighter roast, very well balanced, with a touch of apricots, honeyed flavor and buttery, long finish).

Ozo... Notice the Mayan Style...

For those of you who are also interested in great coffee with a more limited budget, Ozo’s Brazil is a small lot with only 23 bags produced world wide, Ozo bought 8 of those. Plus, Ozo is not just Fair Trade, they are “Fairer Trade”. (That’s my definition since they pay $2.10/lb and Fair Trade is set at $1.26/lb.) So, buy a pound and enjoy your affordable premium, environmentally and socially friendly cup of coffee.

News flash: You can now try the Ethiopian Nekisse for yourself at Ozo for a more reasonable price tag – It now retails there, while supplies last at $35.00/lb.)

For more details on Ozo, check out their website at ozocoffee.com