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Roaster of the Year: Thanksgiving Coffee Company
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ONCE IN A LIFE TIME AWARD
We are beyond excited to announce that we have been chosen as the 2017 Macro Roaster of the Year! This prestigious award is chosen through a vigorous process by Roast Magazine, and we are so honored to have been selected.
Pictured Below: The Thanksgiving Coffee team outside our Fort Bragg headquarters
Roaster of the Year Selection Process
The selection process at Roast Magazine is truly impressive. In order to apply, the team at Thanksgiving Coffee compiled a 30 page booklet, outlining some of the most fascinating aspects of our company:
- Our humble beginnings in 1972, along the Mendocino Coast.
- The history of the causes we’ve supported over the past 40+ years.
- Farms and co-ops that we’ve worked with for decades.
- Our certifications we have acquired over the years.
Pictured Below: CEO Paul Katzeff at the original headquarters in Noyo Harbor
Choosing the Coffee: Blind Tasting
Being Roaster of the Year is not just about what we've done or where we came from… it’s about the coffee. After choosing the finalists from the information submitted to them from coffee roasters around the globe, Roast Magazine does a blind taste test. More from Unpacking Coffee Video
Pictured Below: Roastmaster Jacob Long in the Roastery
For this test, they asked each finalist to submit three roasts, and our roastmaster Jacob Long made the decision:
“This is an international competition, we were competing against the best artisan roasters from around the world. With so many great coffees to select from, I chose to present the judges with a few of our freshest coffees with amazing flavor profiles, vibrant and rich Kenyan Peaberry, floral Ethiopian Gedeb, and the beloved fruity-chocolatey Paul’s Blend.”
These coffees were sent to two separate cupping labs for the blind tasting. The judges at these labs scored all of the coffees presented by the finalists, and then combined those with the scores from the written submissions. The top rated coffee company is then selected as Roaster of the Year.
Each of these award-winning roasts is available through our Thanksgiving Coffee online store!
2017 Macro Roaster of the Year
The Roaster of the Year announcement was made at the Let’s Talk Coffee conference in Puerto Vallarta, where our Vice President Jonah Katzeff accepted the honor. During this event, Jonah also had the opportunity to meet with the great people of Sustainable Harvest, the Specialty Coffee Association of America and so many more movers and shakers in the coffee industry.
Pictured Below: Vice President Jonah Katzeff accepting the award at Let’s Talk Coffee
We want to say THANK YOU to our fans, our friends and family, and everyone who has supported us over the 44 years of coffee roasting. This is such a huge honor, and we can’t wait to share even more of our coffees with the world over the next year!
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
University of California Davis Coffee Center
The University of California – Davis opened a new $6 million dollar Coffee Center on May 3, 2024, with all appropriate ruffles and flourishes, and I was proud to attend.
Over the last 9 years their elective course, Introduction to Coffee, has soared its way to being the most popular elective course offered to undergraduate students, outpacing “Into to Beer” and “Human Sexuality” making a strong case that to the UC Davis student body – coffee is more important than alcohol and/or sex.
Ribbon Cutting for the UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
COFFEE RESEARCH
Fascinating work was showcased on a wide variety of coffee topics, including:
- Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
(Spoiler alert… It’s the lid.) - Impacts of Total Immersion Brewing On Cold Coffee Flavor
- Climate Change Impacts on Coffee Growing Regions in Brazil
- A new mobile application for coffee bean grading and evaluation using color, size and defect analysis – all on a mobile phone.
Representative Raw Data -Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee
What does chemical Engineering have to do with coffee - source UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
SPEAKERS
Itenerary for UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
It was also fascinating that all these studies needed to be underwritten (in one way or another) by some type of sponsorship. The sponsorships ranged from in-kind sponsors who donated 100 cups, in 4 sizes, to Coffee roasters who donated services, to equipment suppliers who donated the funds necessary to do thousands of measurements to prove their thesis. Our higher education facilities are simply not able to fund all these kinds of projects without external financial aid, so they are very vocally appreciative for those who contribute sponsorships.
Upper left, Doctoral Candidate Laudia Anoke-Bempah, upper right Dr. William Ristenpart, Center, Chancellor Gary May, lower left, Peter Giuliano SCA, lower right Richard L. Corsi
The Coffee Center Building
The building itself was repurposed from previously unrelated research purposes, but remodeled to allow for classrooms, cupping labs, roasting, testing, green coffee storage, and more.
Attendees at the opening of the Coffee Center at UC Davis
Interior of the new Coffee Center at UC Davis
We are excited for the future to see what this program will mean for the next wave of bright new minds in the coffee industry and for the deeper appreciation of coffee to thousands of students per year. Cheers!
UC Davis student roasted beans, from Royal Coffee, chocolate covered by students as well.
EventsCoffee Center Opens at UC Davis
read more - Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
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Summer of Fun
July is only halfway done and yet the events are nonstop! Getting out amongst the world of coffee lovers gives us the best connection possible and exposure of our products to a wide range of audiences.
We have been doing lots and lots of non-stop local (and not-so-local) events recently, including:
Caspar-Fest
An annual event at the Caspar Community Center that brings the community together with local vendors and music in celebration of Caspar, CA
Bubbles, facepainting, kidzone at Caspar Fest with U'ilani Wesley
The band La Onda
The band Momma Grows Funk
The Redwood Coast Recreation Center
Here we offered our coffee to support the center in Sea Ranch, CA
"Your presence really added a nice touch and helped make it a successful event. We have gotten a LOT of positive feedback so we are hoping to repeat the event next summer!"
Beth Roland
B Local Bay Area
This event was a group mixer for B Corps in San Francisco. As a certfied B Corp we enjoy meeting and working with our local chapter to learn about the good work and practices of our colleagues.
The Chair of the Bay Area B Local Keira Murphy addresses the gathering, and a downtown view of Sales Force Tower in San Francisco
Nathan Nies at the Thanksgiving Coffee station sharing our delicious coffee and story with our fellow B Corp community.
The Mendocino Music Festival!
We have been serving coffee as a sponsor of the Music Festival since it's humble beginnings in 1986.
Festival Orchestra 1, with soloists Jessica Fellowes and Katie Kadarauch
View from the Festival Tent
Lavender Grace enjoying a cup of coffee at the Festival
Coffee brings people together. We are happy to support our community to learn and grow and celebrate one another with great coffee.
EventsJuly Events 2023
read more -
Single Origin Club: Kenya Nyeri Peaberry
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from. Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted, bringing out their unique aromas and flavor notes.
We are thrilled to share the fascinating stories behind each coffee. This month, Roastmaster, Jacob Long, hand-picked our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry coffee, which also happens to be one of our 2017 Roaster of the Year award winners! Join our Single Origin Club now to have only the finest of coffees delivered to your doorstep each month.
Coffee from Kenya
This Kenyan coffee is grown on the eastern slopes of Aberdares mountain ranges in Nyeri County, Kenya by the family-owned farms of the Othaya Farmers Co-operative Society Limited (FCS). Established in 1956, FCS has more than 14,000 members who generally have half acre plots averaging 250 coffee trees.
Tasting this coffee at its freshest is not something to be missed. This light roast from Africa has a unique mouthfeel with hints of milk chocolate, ripe peach, and caramel. We’re especially fond of this single origin, because it helped solidify our title as 2017 Roaster of the Year, from Roast Magazine. Along with our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Paul’s Blend, the Kenya Nyeri Peaberry was judged during a blind tasting alongside a variety of other entrants – and came out on top. We had the opportunity to meet with Jim and Phyllis, representing the Othaya Cooperative, at the Global Coffee Expo in April, 2017, and snagged this photo of them with our Roastmaster, Jacob Long.
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry Light Roast coffee.
From the RoasteryFebruary Single Origin Club: Kenya Nyeri Peaberry
read more -
Single Origin Club: Coffee from Peru
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.
Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted.
This month we're sharing our Miel de Cajamarca coffee grown in Peru by CENFROCAFE and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Miel de Cajamarca Coffee from Peru
The province of Cajamarca has long been the backbone of Peru’s economy due to its vast mineral wealth. Unfortunately, these days, modern mining techniques despoil the earth and surrounding rivers and forests. The cultivation of high quality organic coffee has become the key to Cajamarca’s economic and environmental sustainability, and the farmers of CENFROCAFE are leaders in this effort.
The members of CENFROCAFE carefully pick ripe cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and dry their coffee on their small farms ranging in size from one to three acres. The result is a finely crafted coffee with hints of honey, papaya, and milk chocolate complimented by a soft citric acidity.
Altitude: 1,700 – 2,000 meters
Processing: Wet / Washed
Cooperative: CENFROCAFE
Varietal: Caturra, Typica, Yellow Catui
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Miel de Cajamarca Light Roast coffee.
From the RoasteryDecember Single Origin Club: Miel de Cajamarca
read more
University of California Davis Coffee Center
The University of California – Davis opened a new $6 million dollar Coffee Center on May 3, 2024, with all appropriate ruffles and flourishes, and I was proud to attend.
Over the last 9 years their elective course, Introduction to Coffee, has soared its way to being the most popular elective course offered to undergraduate students, outpacing “Into to Beer” and “Human Sexuality” making a strong case that to the UC Davis student body – coffee is more important than alcohol and/or sex.
Ribbon Cutting for the UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
COFFEE RESEARCH
Fascinating work was showcased on a wide variety of coffee topics, including:
- Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee - What keeps To-Go Coffee Warmest? Study by undergrads.
(Spoiler alert… It’s the lid.) - Impacts of Total Immersion Brewing On Cold Coffee Flavor
- Climate Change Impacts on Coffee Growing Regions in Brazil
- A new mobile application for coffee bean grading and evaluation using color, size and defect analysis – all on a mobile phone.
Representative Raw Data -Thermodynamics of To Go Coffee
What does chemical Engineering have to do with coffee - source UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
SPEAKERS
Itenerary for UC Davis Coffee Center Opening
It was also fascinating that all these studies needed to be underwritten (in one way or another) by some type of sponsorship. The sponsorships ranged from in-kind sponsors who donated 100 cups, in 4 sizes, to Coffee roasters who donated services, to equipment suppliers who donated the funds necessary to do thousands of measurements to prove their thesis. Our higher education facilities are simply not able to fund all these kinds of projects without external financial aid, so they are very vocally appreciative for those who contribute sponsorships.
Upper left, Doctoral Candidate Laudia Anoke-Bempah, upper right Dr. William Ristenpart, Center, Chancellor Gary May, lower left, Peter Giuliano SCA, lower right Richard L. Corsi
The Coffee Center Building
The building itself was repurposed from previously unrelated research purposes, but remodeled to allow for classrooms, cupping labs, roasting, testing, green coffee storage, and more.
Attendees at the opening of the Coffee Center at UC Davis
Interior of the new Coffee Center at UC Davis
We are excited for the future to see what this program will mean for the next wave of bright new minds in the coffee industry and for the deeper appreciation of coffee to thousands of students per year. Cheers!
UC Davis student roasted beans, from Royal Coffee, chocolate covered by students as well.
Coffee Center Opens at UC Davis
read moreSummer of Fun
July is only halfway done and yet the events are nonstop! Getting out amongst the world of coffee lovers gives us the best connection possible and exposure of our products to a wide range of audiences.
We have been doing lots and lots of non-stop local (and not-so-local) events recently, including:
Caspar-Fest
An annual event at the Caspar Community Center that brings the community together with local vendors and music in celebration of Caspar, CA
Bubbles, facepainting, kidzone at Caspar Fest with U'ilani Wesley
The band La Onda
The band Momma Grows Funk
The Redwood Coast Recreation Center
Here we offered our coffee to support the center in Sea Ranch, CA
"Your presence really added a nice touch and helped make it a successful event. We have gotten a LOT of positive feedback so we are hoping to repeat the event next summer!"
Beth Roland
B Local Bay Area
This event was a group mixer for B Corps in San Francisco. As a certfied B Corp we enjoy meeting and working with our local chapter to learn about the good work and practices of our colleagues.
The Chair of the Bay Area B Local Keira Murphy addresses the gathering, and a downtown view of Sales Force Tower in San Francisco
Nathan Nies at the Thanksgiving Coffee station sharing our delicious coffee and story with our fellow B Corp community.
The Mendocino Music Festival!
We have been serving coffee as a sponsor of the Music Festival since it's humble beginnings in 1986.
Festival Orchestra 1, with soloists Jessica Fellowes and Katie Kadarauch
View from the Festival Tent
Lavender Grace enjoying a cup of coffee at the Festival
Coffee brings people together. We are happy to support our community to learn and grow and celebrate one another with great coffee.
July Events 2023
read moreWe Were There!
Participants of the Salmon BBQ in the beautiful Noyo Harbor, CA
The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ happened on 7/1, and again – Thanksgiving Coffee was there! This event brings together thousands of salmon lovers to raise money for salmon habitat restoration. The salmon fishery in California was closed this year – completely – in order to let the salmon population rebound, so everything that we can do to support increased spawning grounds will help the salmon, our local economy, and the entire ecosystem.
Thanksgiving Coffee Booth at the Salmon BBQ with CEO, Jonah Katzeff (on right ) out front.
Our booth provided hot coffee (Mocha Java and Royal Decaf) and cold brew (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Natural from the Gedeb region) in exchange for any donation to Salmon Restoration. We raised nearly $500 from donations alone. Our Office Manager, Jennifer, CEO Jonah, and co-founders Paul and Joan were on hand with Sales and Marketing Manager, Joe, to keep the coffee flowing for 8 hours.
Jennifer Brown at Thanksgiving Coffee Booth at the Salmon BBQ
All we can do to support increased spawning grounds will help the salmon,
our local economy, and the entire ecosystem.
We were not alone in this effort: fellow B Corps including North Coast Brewing Company and Harvest Market were on hand to donate, raise additional funds, and support the cause. The menu usually includes corn on the cob, but corn was in short supply this year, so Harvest Market was able to source organic new potatoes to supplant the menu.
Jennifer Bosma on right, representing both Harvest Market and Rotary
North Coast Brewing Company's CEO, Jennifer Owen, along with senior brewing staff serving a thirsty crowd at the World's Largest Salmon BBQ
Dozens of volunteers helped pull this event together and make it run smoothly including Rotary International (with participation from both Fort Bragg and Mendocino chapters), California Conservation Corp., Mendocino Sheriff’s Department, Salmon Restoration Association, and the celebrity grill team including lots of local dignitaries including Fort Bragg’s Mayor, several County Commissioners, local business owners, and many, many more.
Volunteers Serving up the food with smiles
"West of Nowhere" playing at the Salmon BBQ
The event had a lively festival atmosphere with great weather, great vibes and lots of live music including West of Nowhere (pictured), Steven Bates Band, the Caspar Kings, Earl Oliver, and Deep Pockets who started the day off with some very danceable grooves. One of the highlights is the annual release of the supporting shirt… this year’s shirt slogan, “If you must smoke – smoke salmon.”
The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ
read moreSingle Origin Club: Kenya Nyeri Peaberry
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from. Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted, bringing out their unique aromas and flavor notes.
We are thrilled to share the fascinating stories behind each coffee. This month, Roastmaster, Jacob Long, hand-picked our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry coffee, which also happens to be one of our 2017 Roaster of the Year award winners! Join our Single Origin Club now to have only the finest of coffees delivered to your doorstep each month.
Coffee from Kenya
This Kenyan coffee is grown on the eastern slopes of Aberdares mountain ranges in Nyeri County, Kenya by the family-owned farms of the Othaya Farmers Co-operative Society Limited (FCS). Established in 1956, FCS has more than 14,000 members who generally have half acre plots averaging 250 coffee trees.
Tasting this coffee at its freshest is not something to be missed. This light roast from Africa has a unique mouthfeel with hints of milk chocolate, ripe peach, and caramel. We’re especially fond of this single origin, because it helped solidify our title as 2017 Roaster of the Year, from Roast Magazine. Along with our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Paul’s Blend, the Kenya Nyeri Peaberry was judged during a blind tasting alongside a variety of other entrants – and came out on top. We had the opportunity to meet with Jim and Phyllis, representing the Othaya Cooperative, at the Global Coffee Expo in April, 2017, and snagged this photo of them with our Roastmaster, Jacob Long.
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry Light Roast coffee.
February Single Origin Club: Kenya Nyeri Peaberry
read moreSingle Origin Club: Coffee from Peru
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.
Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted.
This month we're sharing our Miel de Cajamarca coffee grown in Peru by CENFROCAFE and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Miel de Cajamarca Coffee from Peru
The province of Cajamarca has long been the backbone of Peru’s economy due to its vast mineral wealth. Unfortunately, these days, modern mining techniques despoil the earth and surrounding rivers and forests. The cultivation of high quality organic coffee has become the key to Cajamarca’s economic and environmental sustainability, and the farmers of CENFROCAFE are leaders in this effort.
The members of CENFROCAFE carefully pick ripe cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and dry their coffee on their small farms ranging in size from one to three acres. The result is a finely crafted coffee with hints of honey, papaya, and milk chocolate complimented by a soft citric acidity.
Altitude: 1,700 – 2,000 meters
Processing: Wet / Washed
Cooperative: CENFROCAFE
Varietal: Caturra, Typica, Yellow Catui
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Miel de Cajamarca Light Roast coffee.
December Single Origin Club: Miel de Cajamarca
read moreSingle Origin Club: Coffee from Sumatra
What is a Single Origin coffee? Simply put, these coffees are defined by the place they come from.
Single Origin coffees are from a specific farm or group of farms that make up small cooperatives. You’ll find that most of our Single Origin coffees are light roasted.
This month we're sharing our Sumatran coffee grown in Indonesia by the Garmindo Cooperative and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Organic Coffee from Sumatra
Our Sumatran coffee was grown by members of the Garmindo Co-op, formerly known as ASKOGO. This cooperative currently has 760 members, growing Fairtrade and Organic coffee in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah regencies of Sumatra which are renowned for producing excellent coffee. The small farms are tucked into the dense tropical forests of the Northern Gayo Mountains, from 1000 to 1500 meters above sea level.
The Garmindo Cooperative offers regular training activities to each of the farmers in their co-op, in order to improve the quality of their coffees, learn new harvest techniques, and implement more beneficial farming practices. This group was founded in 2008, and has continually improved their coffee in the subsequent years. We have been purchasing coffee from Garmindo Cooperative since 2015.
Altitude: 1,000-1,500 meters
Processing: Wet Hulled
Farmer: Garmindo Cooperative
Varietal: Catimor
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Organic Sumatra Medium Roast coffee.