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Holiday Coffee Collection
Brewing Coffee
Just like in our coffee grinding blog, there are some basics we have to go over first. So, before we get into how to brew your own “just cup”, let’s go over those basics. I’d also like to thank the many Thanksgiving employees who contributed info from past articles so that we could have this educational piece on brewing delicious coffee: Jacob Long, Marchelo Bresciani and Paul Katzeff.
1. Coffee to Water Ratio
“What? I’ve just been pouring copious amounts of grounds into a filter and adding a few cups of water.” I’d like to think we’ve all been there. At least I have, before I started working at Thanksgiving Coffee Company. But hopefully we caught you early enough to steer you in the right direction. 😉
Using the correct amount of coffee will ensure that your coffee is brewed to strength, without over-extracting or under-extracting the coffee to compensate for an inappropriate dose. While we do recommend weighing 2 grams of coffee for every fluid ounce of water, we understand that not everyone has a scale at home. And if you don’t, just estimate about 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee for every 5 ounces of water used to brew.

2. Grind Size (yes, this again)
s one of the most important steps in coffee brewing. In general, a finer grind will produce a more intense brew and a coarser grind will produce a less intense brew. At the same time, a grind that is too fine will produce an over-extracted, astringent brew, and a grind that is too coarse will produce a weak, under-extracted brew lacking flavor. In pour-over methods, grind size also affects the rate of extraction, as water will pass more slowly through a finer grind, and more quickly through a coarser grind. We strongly recommend burr grinders over blade grinders. For more information on this, see our last blog “How to Grind Coffee“.

3. Water Temperature + Quality
This one is a little bit more straight-forward. Water temperature dramatically affects the extraction of coffee’s flavor during brewing. We recommend brewing with water at 200° Fahrenheit for best results. Using fresh, clean, chlorine-free water is essential.

4. Coffee Freshness and Storage
Coffee is very sensitive to heat, moisture, and oxygen. It should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For best results, grind coffee fresh, just before brewing.
Staling is caused, in order of most harmful to least harmful
- Exposure to air (Oxidization)
- Exposure to heat
- Exposure to moisture
- Exposure to light
…and, if you address the problems of Air, Heat, and Moisture correctly, then Light will have little effect on your coffee. Read more about storing your coffee here.

5. Cleaning
This is the last one – of the basics – and it’s pretty easy. Because coffee contains numerous oils that build up over time, we recommend thoroughly cleaning your brewing and grinding equipment after each use. This guarantees the best, freshest cup of coffee every time.

So… we covered all the basics. I know it’s a lot, but we still have all of the brewing methods to cover from stovetop espresso to cold brewing. Stay tuned for part two, and we’ll help you discover which method is best for you and why.
Coffee Tips : How to Brew Coffee - Part I
Part I: First, we're going back to the basics. Learn some of the crucial preparation steps before you choose which brewing method is best for you.
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Ethiopia by Daniel Mijane and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Grown by Daniel Mijane
This family-owned and run farm is located in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, a little over 2,000 meters above sea level. Situated between the hills of Halo Hartume, this humid area provides the ideal coffee-growing environment. The Mijane family is deeply involved with the local community of coffee farmers to make sure the coffee is shade-grown with proper organic composting efforts and maintaining the high quality flavors that Halo Hartume provides.
Ato Mijane Worassa was the pioneer behind his family's investment in coffee culture. Now, his sons have grown up learning his techniques, not only in coffee farming but also learning how to manage the business. To carry on his legacy, one of Ato's sons began the Halo Hartume washing station. When you receive this coffee in the mail this month, know that you're supporting a long time family effort of some of the highest quality coffee beans grown in Ethiopia.
Altitude: 1,900 - 2,100 meters
Processing: Full natural and dried on raised beds
Farmer: Daniel Mijane
Region: Banko Gotiti, Gedeb - Ethiopia
Varietals: Indigenous cultivars
Roastmaster's Select Club: Daniel Mijane
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Single Origin Club: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
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 Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, 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 Ethiopia
Our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is one of three award-winning roasts from our 2017 Roaster of the Year prize. It's grown by the Worka Cooperative located in southern Ethiopia at about 2,000 meters above sea level. The cooperative is comprised of around 411 members, and is part of the larger Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union (YCFCU). The Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Gedeb coffee is picked and pulped and washed on the same day, then to be dried in raised beds for no more than seven days.
"Delicate, deeply sweet. Baker’s chocolate, magnolia, peach, black peppercorn, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Gentle, rounded acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates to baker’s chocolate and peach. An engaging coffee particularly appealing to those who value delicate, cocoa-toned coffees with gentle acidity and engaging spice notes. Reassuring environmental and socio-economic credentials.” -coffeereview.com
Altitude: 2,000+ meters
Processing: Washed, dried in raised beds
Farmer: Worka Co-op (YCFCU)
Varietal: Indigenous heirloom varietals
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Light Roast coffee.
October Single Origin Club: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Finca de Alexa
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing our Finca de Alexa coffee grown in Nicaragua by Alexa Marin of PRODECOOP and roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Finca de Alexa Coffee from Nicaragua
Alexa Marin lives with her two sons in the mountains of Northern Nicaragua, near the border of Honduras, where they focus on growing the best coffee possible. She has been a coffee farmer for many years and has worked with the cooperative PRODECOOOP since 1992, currently serving as their gender equality coordinator.
During a visit to Nicaragua in 2013, I had the opportunity to tour Alexa's farm. Above her coffee plants was an over-story of native trees and scattered here and there were decomposing into the soil which made me wonder what affect this could have on the flavor of the coffee cherries.
Later that day, I traveled to the PRODECOOP tasting room to do a blind tasting of coffees from 17 different farms. One coffee really jumped out as overtly sweet and citric. Guess what? It happened to be from Alexa's farm!
-Jacob Long, Thanksgiving Coffee Roastmaster
Altitude: 1,500-1,700 Meters
Processing: Wet/Washed
Farmer: Finca de Alexa
Region: Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua
Roastmaster's Select Club: Finca de Alexa
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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.
Altitude: 1,400-1,800 meters
Processing: Washed, dried in raised beds
Cooperative: Othaya Farmers Co-op Society Limited
Varietal: SL28
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry Light Roast coffee.
September Single Origin Club: Kenya Nyeri Peaberry
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Coffee from Costa Rica
Each month, our Roastmaster, Jacob Long, hand-picks fresh and unique micro lot coffees that we deliver straight to your doorstep. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Jacob’s selection this month is an eco-friendly coffee grown in Costa Rica.
Join the Roastmaster’s Select Club to begin your coffee journey around the world.
Coffee Grown in Costa Rica
This month's coffee selection from our Roastmaster, Jacob Long, is not only delicious and awakening, it's also environmentally-friendly - which is very important to us. Our Costa Rican Santa Maria de Dota is grown by the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Dota R.L. (CoopeDota), established in 1960 and made up of over 900 farmers in the San José region.
To emphasize their environmentally-conscious farming techniques, CoopeDota is one of the first to utilize a certified carbon-neutral mill with hydro-powered energy consumption, water efficient eco-pulpers and mechanical coffee dryers fueled by coffee parchment. If all of that wasn't impressive enough, CoopeDota also provides trash pickup for the entirity of San Jose, furthering their committment to a healthy environment and bettering of the planet.
We're so thrilled to share this coffee with you! Remember to leave us a review and add a photo to earn more beans, for more discounts!
Altitude: 1550 – 1950 meters
Processing: Eco-pulped and dried inthe sun and mechanical driers
Region: Dota, San José, Costa Rica
Varietal: Catuai, Caturra
Image from Cafe Dota's Facebook Page
August Roastmaster's Select: Santa Maria de Dota
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Single Origin Club: Congo Kivu
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 Congo Kivu coffee grown on Lake Kivu, Congo by the SOPACDI Co-op and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Medium Roast Coffee from Congo
Our Congo Kivu coffee is grown by the SOPACDI Co-op. (Solidarité Paysanne pour la Promotion des Actions Café et Développement Intégral) was created in 2002. This coffee co-op is located on Lake Kivu, straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
SOPACDI now has over 5,200 farmers, 20% of whom are women and is a leader in promoting gender equality and helps revitalize the country's coffee economy. SOPACDI is the very first certified Fairtrade co-op in the DRC and is the 2014 Sustainability Award Recipient from the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
A loving review from one of our customers:
"Just had my first cup of the Congo Medium Roast this morning! It's wonderful! I may not have the sophisticated words of a real coffee connoisseur, but it was rich and full and smooth! Totally enjoyable! You just want to have one cup after another! My previous coffee had been from a grocery store, and this was such a treat to savor!"
-Margaret of PORTSMOUTH, Virginia.Altitude: 1,460- 2,000 meters
Processing: Wet processed
Farmer: SOPACDI
Varietal: Bourbon
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Congo Kivu Medium Roast coffee.
August Single Origin Coffee Club: Congo Kivu
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Our Quarterly Coffee Feature
from Southeast AsiaTimor-Leste from Southeast Asia
Our Quarterly Roastmaster's Select coffee is wet-hulled, and we've talked about this a few times but just in case, here's what that means:
"Wet hulling’s popularity can be attributed to producers’ need for prompt payments. It was also adopted specifically by many producers who lacked the drying infrastructure that was needed to shelter drying parchment from the high humidity and inconsistent rainfall typical in Sumatra. At higher elevations with constant humidity and unpredictable rainfall, drying can prove to be slow, risky and difficult." -Sucafina
‘Wet Hulling’ or ‘giling basah’ in Indonesian is not to be confused with wet processing. Wet hulling is similar to wet processing initially – with the first steps of picking and pulping the coffee beans, then fermenting in order to break down the fruity layer of the coffee cherry called the mucilage, which is washed off the next day. The difference is, the drying process is much shorter in wet-hulling and it’s only dried until 50% of the moisture remains, resulting in lower acidity levels and more flavor and aroma.
Altitude: 1,000 to 1,900 meters
Processing: Wet Hulled "giling basah"
Farmer: A variety of small farms in Timor Leste
Varietal: Catimor, Timor, Typica
Roastmaster's Quarterly Coffee: Timor-Leste
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Single Origin Club: Guatemala Guaya'b
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 Guaya'b coffee grown in Guatemala by the Guaya'b Cooperative and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Guaya'b from Guatemala
The farmers of the Guaya’b Cooperative grow coffee under a dense forest canopy that doubles as the winter home for dozens of species of migratory birds as well as local flora and fauna. It wasn’t always this way.
When coffee was introduced to this remote region 40 years ago, it was promoted as an alternative to subsistence agriculture, and farmers were taught to clear forests to make way for this new cash crop. Fortunately, these farmers are closely connected to the health of their land, and have re-established their once logged forests providing much needed shade and diverse ecosystems in which coffee thrives.
Now, a new generation of farmers works to cultivate coffee and a variety of other cash and subsistence crops to increase incomes, and to protect the health of the land. Thanks to their partnership with our importer, Elan Organic Coffee, Guaya’b has perfected the art of picking, depulping and fermenting their coffee to produce deep, juicy, and full flavored coffee with a truly distinctive character.
Altitude: 1,300-1,600 meters
Processing: Wet/washed
Farmer: Asosicacion Guaya’b Civil
Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra
In fact, the farmers’ coffee is so unique that they periodically run into trouble with ANACAFE, Guatemala’s national coffee marketing wing, which tries to subdue Guaya’b’s flair and replace it with a more generic cup profile produced by less-inventive processing methods.
Not content to merely develop members’ coffee production, Guaya’b has a pilot organic honey project, which also helps to increase coffee yields thanks to improved pollination.
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Guatemala Guaya'b Light Roast coffee.
July Single Origin Club: Guatemala Guaya'b
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Timor-Leste
Each month, our Roastmaster, Jacob Long, hand-picks fresh and unique micro lot coffees that we deliver straight to your doorstep. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Jacob’s selection this month is a special coffee grown in Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia.
Join the Roastmaster’s Select Club to begin your coffee journey around the world.
About this Coffee
Our Roastmaster's Select coffee this month is wet-hulled, and we've talked about this a few times but just in case, here's what that means:
"Wet hulling’s popularity can be attributed to producers’ need for prompt payments. It was also adopted specifically by many producers who lacked the drying infrastructure that was needed to shelter drying parchment from the high humidity and inconsistent rainfall typical in Sumatra. At higher elevations with constant humidity and unpredictable rainfall, drying can prove to be slow, risky and difficult." -Sucafina
‘Wet Hulling’ or ‘giling basah’ in Indonesian is not to be confused with wet processing. Wet hulling is similar to wet processing initially – with the first steps of picking and pulping the coffee beans, then fermenting in order to break down the fruity layer of the coffee cherry called the mucilage, which is washed off the next day. The difference is, the drying process is much shorter in wet-hulling and it’s only dried until 50% of the moisture remains, resulting in lower acidity levels and more flavor and aroma.
Altitude: 1,000 to 1,900 meters
Processing: Wet Hulled "giling basah"
Farmer: A variety of small farms in Timor Leste
Varietal: Catimor, Timor, Typica
June Roastmaster's Select Club: Timor-Leste
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Single Origin Club: Flor de Jinotega from Nicaragua
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 since this brings out their unique aromas and flavor notes.
This month, we’re sharing our Nicaraguan Flor de Jinotega with you, grown by the SOPPEXCCA Cooperative.
About the Farm
Nestled in the mountains above the regional capital Jinotega, the farmers of SOPPEXCCA grow coffee under the protective shade of bananas, mangos, and mahogany, and alongside dense forests providing home to dozens of rare orchids and winter habitat for hundreds of migratory songbirds. Jinotega is the heartland of Nicaragua’s coffee producing zone and many of the country’s finest coffees come from the thousands of small-scale family farms arrayed throughout the department’s lush mountain landscape.
This landscape wasn’t always organized this way. Before the revolution of the 1980s many of these small family farms were actually consolidated in expansive haciendas owned by foreigners and the country’s elite and farmed with the intensive use of agrochemical fertilizers and pesticides. The farmers themselves were hired labor, invariably poorly paid. In fact, the genesis of the revolution itself traces directly to these large farms, and the thousands of farmers without access to land. One of the central demands and outcomes of the revolution was a process of land redistribution whereby farmers gained access to the land they had worked for generations. Cooperatives arose out of the need to organize these small farms in larger economic unions that could market coffee, facilitate much needed financing, and serve the community’s broad social, economic, and environmental needs.
Altitude: 1,200 meters
Processing: Wet/Washed
Farmer: SOPPEXCCA
Varietal: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra
Though relatively small in membership, SOPPEXCCA has emerged as Jinotega’s leading cooperative. The cooperative represents 654 families and is recognized around the world as a leader in the movement to empower small-scale farmers, especially women and youth. SOPPEXCCA has built primary schools in its member communities, alongside pharmacies, cooperative grocery stores, and technical assistance centers. Extensive micro-credit programs offer members access to financing at a discount of 75% compared to locally available commercial finance. Long-term work to develop sustainable coffee production has resulted in a cooperatively-owned organic fertilizer production facility, innovative climate change adaptation efforts, and of course, ongoing coffee quality improvement programs.
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Flor de Jinotega Medium Roast coffee.
June Single Origin Club: Flor de Jinotega
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Premium & Unique Micro - Lot Coffee
Roastmaster's Quarterly Coffee Selection
Yemen Mocca from Pearl of Tehama was selected as our quarterly featured coffee by our Roastmaster and Director of Coffee, Jacob Long.
Our Yemen Mocca coffee comes from some of the oldest rootstocks in the world, originally having been transplanted from Ethiopia, to create the first commercial coffee trade. In fact, the word “Arabica” refers to Arabian coffee supplies that were the first to reach the West, initially from the port of Mocca.
Coffee is one of the crops in Yemen that continues to persist, despite a wealth of challenges, partly because of the deep social tradition among the coffee farmers which keeps these communities together.
Over 1,000,000 people work in Yemen’s coffee trade, from farmers to exporters. Over 3 million people have been displaced due to the protracted civil war in the country. Nearly 2/3 of the country needs food or medical aid, so when a new crop becomes available, we look at it with reverence, knowing the obstacles that had to be overcome in order to reach us.
Altitude:
1700 - 2400 meters
Processing:
Full Natural Dried on rooftops and raised beds
Farmer:
615 Farmers around Pearl of Tehama
Varietal:
Sa’adeh & Ibb Governorates, Yemen
Taste the generational knowledge, and heritage that creates this coffee's delicious flavor and texture. Try our Yemen Mocca for your self.
Roastmaster's Quarterly Coffee: Yemen Mocca
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Garmindo
Each month, our Roastmaster, Jacob Long, hand-picks fresh and unique micro lot coffees that we deliver straight to your doorstep. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Jacob’s selection this month is a special coffee grown by the Garmindo Cooperative in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Join the Roastmaster’s Select Club to begin your coffee journey around the world.
Coffee from the Garmindo Cooperative
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 "Giling Gasah"
Farmer: Garmindo Cooperative
Region: Villages near Takengon, Aceh
Roastmaster's Select Club: Garmindo
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Single Origin Club: Delicious Peace
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, making this one unique.
This month we're sharing our Delicious Peace coffee grown in Uganda by the Naminyoni Cooperative and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Delicious Peace Coffee from Uganda
In 2003, a Ugandan farmer walked door-to-door asking his Muslim, Christian, and Jewish neighbors to leave behind a history of conflict, and unite to face their struggle against poverty caused by low coffee prices. The farmers came together and founded a cooperative to build peace and prosperity in their community. From 2004-2014 they were known as the Mirembe Kawomera Interfaith Cooperative. Today, after a decade of support, the co-op no longer exists, having been depleted by the corruption of its founder.
But! We have helped the 200 members who left the co-op to form a new intertribal/interfaith cooperative called the Naminyoni Community of Shalom Coffee Cooperative. We now begin our second decade of interfaith support, happy to be their first and primary coffee buyer.
Also, our clean water project was inspired from our work with the Namanyoni Cooperative. Each sale of our Delicious Peace coffee is going to providing clean water to Ugandan coffee farmers and we've already provided the Namanyoni Co-op with clean water! It is a study in what moves Thanksgiving Coffee Company to be better at what we do, and it is about an evolving theory of change. Click here to read all about it!
Altitude: 1,400-1,800 meters
Processing: Wet/washed
Farmer: Naminyoni
Varietal: Typica
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Delicious Peace Medium Roast coffee.
April Single Origin Club: Delicious Peace
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Single 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.
March Single Origin Coffee Club: Organic Sumatra
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Byron's Arabica Natural
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Nicaragua by Los Piños Farm and roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Arabica Coffee from Nicaragua
Let's talk a bit about what it means when a coffee is "natural".
It essentially speaks for itself: coffee that's dried naturally. The pulp is left on the cherry and goes straight to drying as opposed to washed coffee, where the cherries are de-hulled, rinsed in water and then dried.
"In the natural drying process, the cherries are placed in the sun on concrete patios or raised drying beds. The skins tighten as they dry and the pulp juices move inward into the two seed in the cherry’s interior. When the mass is totally dry and crisp, and hard as a rock, they are milled like rice, cleaned and sorted and sacked. This process produces quite a different flavor profile from wet processed “washed coffee.” The coffees take on the hints of the fruit and at their best, notes of blueberry and strawberry prevail. There is a jammy sensitivity to the brew, lots of body and fruit aromas." -Paul Katzeff
We've had a working relationship with Byron and his family at Los Piños farm for over thirty years now, and the quality of their coffee speaks for itself.
"Behind every cup, there is a forest, a river to protect, a climate to conserve, many hands that work and a planet to save." - Byron Corrales
Roastmaster's Select Club: Byron's Arabica Natural
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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.
February Single Origin Club: Miel de Cajamarca
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Coffee from Kenya
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Kenya by the Ichamama Factory and light- roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Ichimama Red Cherry Coffee from Kenya
Our January Roastmaster's Select is grown in one of the most renowned coffee-growing countries in the world, Kenya, and in particular, one of the most well-known regions, Nyeri County. The soil is rich in volcanic minerals setting it apart from other coffee origins and giving the coffee its unique flavor profile.
The Ichamama Factory is under the umbrella of Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society, where we order our Kenya Nyeri Peaberry, one of the 2017 Roaster of the Year award winners! Othaya is fully farmer-owned made up of over 11,000 small-scale farmers, including the Ichamama Factory, made up of about 824 farmers. When you receive this fair-trade coffee in your Roastmaster's Select Club subscription this month, you'll feel confident knowing you're supporting thousands of hard-working families in the Nyeri region of Kenya. Thank you for your support!
Altitude: 1,740 meters
Processing: Fully washed and dried on raised beds
Farmer: 824 farmers around the Ichamama Factory
Varietal: SL28 & SL34, Ruiru 11
Roastmaster's Select Club: Kenya Nyeri Othaya Ichamama
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Single Origin Club: Gorilla Fund Coffee
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 Gorilla Fund coffee grown in Rwanda by the Dukunde Kawa Co-op and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Gorilla Fund Coffee from Rwanda
Over two thousand farms cover 10 km of curvy terrain in the hills of Rwanda - each farm is about an acre and provides homes to families who grow a collection of vegetables and of course, coffee. These farms are managed by the Dukunde Kawa Cooperative, comprised of over 80% women! This women-run cooperative is Fair Trade Certified and has won a Sustainability Award from the Specialty Coffee Association of America in 2012. We are proud to work with them.
This community of Rwandan coffee farmers—collectively known as Musasa after the area’s main town—produces one of the most elegant coffees in the world. During the harvest, the farmers bring each day’s ripe cherries to a central processing station. There, the fruit is removed and the beans are allowed to ferment before they are carefully washed and dried, revealing an exquisitely sweet Rwandan coffee with citric sparkle and deep chocolate undertones.
Altitude: 1,600-2,000 meters
Processing: Wet/Washed
Farmer: Dukunde Kawa Co-op
Varietal: Bourbon
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Gorilla Fund Medium Roast coffee.
The First Single Origin Club of 2023!
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Ethiopia by Daniel Mijane and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Grown by Daniel Mijane
This family-owned and run farm is located in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, a little over 2,000 meters above sea level. Situated between the hills of Halo Hartume, this humid area provides the ideal coffee-growing environment. The Mijane family is deeply involved with the local community of coffee farmers to make sure the coffee is shade-grown with proper organic composting efforts and maintaining the high quality flavors that Halo Hartume provides.
Ato Mijane Worassa was the pioneer behind his family's investment in coffee culture. Now, his sons have grown up learning his techniques, not only in coffee farming but also learning how to manage the business. To carry on his legacy, one of Ato's sons began the Halo Hartume washing station. When you receive this coffee in the mail this month, know that you're supporting a long time family effort of some of the highest quality coffee beans grown in Ethiopia.
Altitude: 1,900 - 2,100 meters
Processing: Full natural and dried on raised beds
Farmer: Daniel Mijane
Region: Banko Gotiti, Gedeb - Ethiopia
Varietals: Indigenous cultivars
Roastmaster's Select Club: Daniel Mijane
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Pichincha Imbabura Chirimoya from Ecuador
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Ecuador by Farm Crus Loma de Galo Morales and roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
The Story Behind the Coffee Bag
Introducing this month's Roastmaster's Select coffee, picked by Roastmaster, Jacob Long, Pichincha Imbabura Chirimoya. The Cruz Loma Farm is sheltered by the subtropical climate of San José de Minas to the northwest of the province of Pichincha at a height of 1,450 meters above sea level. These conditions make it possible to obtain a variety of quality products from its land, such as soursop, corn, beans, naranjilla, orange, tangerine, and, of course, the best coffee. One of the most important motivations of coffee farmers, Galo Morales, is to positively collaborate with the community's economic development, through implementing productive practices that benefit the local population around the farm. In addition, this activity allows him to connect with his family since his wife and daughters actively collaborate in its production and marketing. Being involved in the world of coffee has allowed him to value the effort, love, and passion that a producer must dedicate to his activity in order to achieve the highest quality; also, it has allowed him to improve his relationships with people by sharing the knowledge and experience that you have acquired over the years.
Altitude: 1,500-1,800 meters
Processing: Fully washed and dried in the sun on raised beds
Farmer: Finca Cruz Loma
Varietal: Caturra, Typica
Roastmaster's Select Club: Pichincha Imbabura Chirimoya
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Roastmaster's Select Club: COCASAM Coffee from Honduras
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing coffee grown in Honduras by COCASAM Cooperative and roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
COCASAM: Coffee from Honduras
Founded in 1988, COCASAM Cooperative resides on Botija ridge, a mountainous area in the Municipality of San Marcos de Colón. This cooperative produces excellent coffee with quality over quantity in mind. In fact, they have a small section of farm land within a sacred pine forest and are not capable of expanding due to its protection as a reserve. This leads them to focus on the quality of the coffee and to improve their technique rather than producing more each year.
With the importance of preserving the planet in mind, COCASAM relies on traditional methods of production that were first introduced in the coffee world in the early 1800s - and, ALL of the coffee is shade-grown and sun-dried. Not only that, but when you receive this coffee, you'll feel accomplished in knowing that you're helping to provide comfortable living conditions for each farmer in this cooperative and their families for generations to come.
Altitude: 1,200-1,600 meters
Processing: Wet/Washed
Farmer: COCASAM Co-op
Varietal: Caturra, Pacamara, Bourbon
Our Roastmaster's Select, Picked Just for You!
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Timor-Leste
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
This month we're sharing our Timor-Leste coffee grown in Indonesia by the Café Brisa Serena Association and roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Timor-Leste: coffee from Indonesia
This special selection for our August Roastmaster's Select Club is grown by Café Brisa Serena in Indonesia, made up of 33 groups and a total of 404 coffee farmers. They're driven to improve the life of their farmers, families and especially children.
Café Brisa Serena's mission statement is to improve the quality of life of coffee farmers in Timor-Leste, especially in Letefoho. CBS support high quality coffee production and deliver the coffee to domestic and International markets.
“We are able to use income from our coffee to purchase food, build our house, send our children to school and repay our loan.” – Teresa Maia, coffee farmer
Altitude: 1.780 meters
Processing: Washed, dried on raised beds
Co-op: Café Brisa Serena
Region: Ducurai, Letefobo, Ermera, Timor-Leste
Roastmaster's Select Club: Timor-Leste
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Single Origin Club: Las Lajas from Costa Rica
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 Costa Rican coffee grown and honey processed by Beneficio Las Lajas in Central Costa Rica and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.
Las Lajas Coffee from Costa Rica
This family owned farm is located in Central Costa Rica, at about 1,300 meter altitude. Las Lajas was born in 1936 by the Chacón family and has been in the hard-working hands of husband and wife team, Francisca and Oscar Chacón, since the early nineties.
The Las Lajas mill is well known for their unique and exotic honey and natural process coffees and their passion for coffee is evident in the care and expertise they impart in every lot of their organic coffee. The "honey process" doesn't involve actual honey from bees, but rather leaves a bit of the sticky, sweet inner part of the coffee fruit on the bean, and that subtle, fruity sweetness is revealed with the right roast.
Altitude: 1,300-1,600 Meters
Processing: Honey Processed
Farmer: Beneficio Las Lajas
Varietal: Caturra - Catuaí
Not ready to join the Single Origin Club? Make a one-time purchase of our Las Lajas Costa Rican coffee.
June Single Origin Club: Las Lajas
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Roastmaster's Select Club: Coffee for Peace
Once a month, members of the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club have the opportunity to sample unique micro-lot coffees from around the world. “What is a micro lot,” you ask? Read up on how we source the beans and what happens when they reach our roastery.
Following the harvest cycle, Roastmaster’s Club Members have exclusive access to these one-of-a-kind coffees at their peak freshness, and now it’s your turn!
Coffee for Peace from Colombia
From the Coffee for Peace website:
"Colombia is in the middle of a historic peace process, after fifty plus years of violence. The success of this monumental task rests not only on the political will of the government of Colombia and former rebels, but also on the willingness of the international community to support Colombia economically during this transition. For the thousands of farmers who live in post-violent regions of Colombia, this is an opportunity to leave behind the violence of the past, where production of illicit crops was the norm, and embrace a peaceful future through the production of specialty coffee."
In the regions of Antioquia, Bolivar, Caqueta, Cauca, Meta and Valle del Cauca, Coffee for Peace in Colombia, the initiative is to make specialty coffee a key component in the transition to peace. Through targeted technical training to improve coffee quality, as well as market linkages, thousands of coffee farmers are tapping into specialty markets, thereby increasing their incomes and helping to sustain the fragile peace process.
Coffee has been a faithful companion of Colombia for more than 350 years. Today it continues to support the construction of a new future for the coffee farmers.
Altitude: 1,500 meters
Processing: Fully washed
Region: Cauca
Varietal: Castillo
Roastmaster's Select Club: Coffee for Peace
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