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At the end of 2017, Kim Westerman of CoffeeReview.com published an excellent report of the state of Nicaraguan coffees, comparing a few of the Nicaraguans that she’d had the opportunity to cup and score, including our Songbird Nicaraguan.

That article was recently published in the latest edition of Roast Magazine, and we’ve included the final paragraph from that review here on our blog.

From Roast Magazine and CoffeeReview.com:

“Perhaps the only coffee presenting a classic Nicaragua profile among the nine highest scorers is Thanksgiving Coffee’s Organic Shade-Grown Nicaragua (reviewed online at 92), a blend of the respected maracaturra, caturra and catuai varieties, meticulously processed by the traditional wet method. It is also the only coffee we reviewed that is certified Bird Friendly by the Smithsonian Institution, hands-down the most uncompromising and rigorous of environmentally focused certifications. The idealism and passion that drove the growing and farm management that produced this coffee clearly went into its processing as well: It is an impressively pure coffee. Of all nine coffees we reviewed this month, it most clearly represents the classic Nicaragua cup of tradition, with its inherent balance, quietly juicy acidity and buoyant, satiny mouthfeel.”

We want to say thank you to Kim for writing this article and featuring the country of Nicaragua as an origin. We also want to thank Roast Magazine for publishing it in their most recent magazine. You can find this entire article on pages 78 and 79 of the March/April edition of Roast Magazine, and online at CoffeeReview.com.

Our Songbird Nicaraguan is a Medium Roast that is part of our partnership with the American Birding Association. You can find this coffee at a number of supermarkets and Wild Birds Unlimited outlets across the United States (see our Store Locator), as well as online on the Thanksgiving Coffee store.

SongBird Nicaraguan
Benefiting the American Birding Association
$16 • 12oz
92 Points
Nutty, Smooth, Milk Chocolate
Songbird Nicaraguan

If you love good food and live in the Los Angeles area, you’ve probably already heard of this restaurant chain providing excellent Mexican food with the highest quality ingredients. Tocaya Organica currently has five locations through LA, with four more coming soon throughout Southern California. This month, Tocaya Organica started serving Organic and Fairtrade Thanksgiving Coffee espresso. We are so excited to have them on board.

If you’re in the LA area, there are a number of great cafes and restaurants to visit, but you’ll want to make sure that Tocaya Organica is at the top of your list! They’re serving up iced and hot espresso drinks of all kinds, alongside some of the yummiest looking food we’ve ever seen. Don’t believe us? Check out their Instagram page and you’ll be planning a trip in no time.

Visit Tocaya Organica in Los Angeles

These are the five locations of your new favorite Mexican restaurant chain currently open in Los Angeles, but keep an eye on their Locations Page for more coming soon. Be sure to stop by and tell them thank you for serving Fairtrade and Organic coffee!

TOCAYA ORGANICA WEST HOLLYWOOD
8720 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069
(424) 288-4871

TOCAYA ORGANICA VENICE
1715 Pacific Ave., Venice, CA 90291
(424) 744-8692

TOCAYA ORGANICA SANTA MONICA
507 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(424) 268-8219

TOCAYA ORGANICA PLAYA VISTA
12150 Millennium Dr #101, Los Angeles, CA 90094
(424) 289-6105

TOCAYA ORGANICA CENTURY CITY
10250 Santa Monica Blvd #2300, Los Angeles, CA 90067
(424) 255-6956

One of the newest additions to the Thanksgiving Coffee Store Locator is the Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Monica! This great little shop on Wilshire Boulevard just celebrated their grand opening this past Saturday, and they’re carrying the full line-up of Thanksgiving Coffee’s Songbird Coffee.

If you stop by this Wild Birds Unlimited on any given Saturday, you’ll have the opportunity to taste Songbird Coffee, as well as purchase a bag. They’re serving up coffee inside the store to customers (and employees!) alongside the usual array of exceptional bird watching and bird feeding equipment.

On their opening day, this WBU store partnered with a local bird rescue group to bring in an owl and falcon as a rare treat for the folks shopping. To stay in the know for future events happening with the birding community of Santa Monica, be sure to follow them on Facebook.

Visit Wild Birds Unlimited in Santa Monica

Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Monica
12433 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (424) 272-9000
Website: https://santamonica.wbu.com

Songbird Coffee, Benefiting the American Birding Association

Songbird Coffee is the result of the partnership between Thanksgiving Coffee and the American Birding Association. For every bag of Songbird Coffee purchased, a portion of the proceeds (10-25%) is donated directly to the ABA, benefiting their efforts to promote birding and environmental stewardship.

Every coffee in our Songbird lineup is Certified Bird-Friendly by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, a program put in place to protect the Neotropical Migratory Birds that live in coffee growing countries during the winter months. Coffee farms that are certified by the SMBC use a combination of foliage cover, tree height and biodiversity to provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. Keep an eye out for that gold seal to make sure that your coffee is doing the most for our birds!

Every once in a while, there’s a coffee in our Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club that really stands out. Our March coffee for the club has been the Enjambre Cafetalero, a micro-lot from the Mexico/Guatemala border that has the potential to become one of our favorites from the region. As a matter of fact, Paul Katzeff called it “the best Mexican coffee” he’s ever tasted.

This coffee is exclusive to members of the club, but if you sign up as a member before the end of the month, you’ll have the opportunity to be one of the few to enjoy this excellent cup.

Balanced medium body, syrupy-sweet, notes of chocolate resonate in a lasting finish.

Enjambre Cafetalero Origin Specifics

Founded: 2010
Total Members: 250
Average Farm Size: 2.08 hectares
Total Size: 520 hectares
Elevation: 1200-1700 meters

Enjambre Cafetalero is a cooperative society located in the region known as “La Franja de Oro” or “the Golden Belt” of coffee, located in the municipio of Amatenango la Frontera in the borderlands with Guatemala. The organization was founded in 2005 and legally incorporated in 2010. For years the farmers of Amatenango had sold their coffee to intermediary middlemen, who would in turn then sell their coffee to the national subsidiaries of transnational commodity brokerage houses for export. With the objective to bypass the predatory practices of local middlemen, Enjambre was founded in order to provide direct avenues of sale to national buyers. However, after having allied themselves with the non-profit Impacto Café, they were able to join the secondary-level organization Cafemex S.C., and develop the capacity to sell directly to international buyers while maintaining the traceability of their product.
The organization has for a long time promoted soil and water conservation as well as environmentally friendly production practices. With the accompaniment of Impacto Café they were finally able to achieve organic certification for the 2017 crop year. The cooperative has made it a goal to improve the incomes of its members by offering a higher quality, differentiated product.
Information courtesy of Impacto Café.

Want to try this coffee from Mexico? Join the Roastmaster’s Select Coffee Club!

Earlier this year, a Point Reyes staple celebrated their 44th anniversary, and we got the chance to have a quick meal there on a visit to Marin County. This great little spot is located in downtown Point Reyes, and is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a great meal on the Marin coastline. This is the Station House Cafe.

The Station House Cafe has been serving Thanksgiving Coffee for over 21 years now, and we are honored to be a part of this excellent establishment. Station House Cafe serves up coffee by the cup as well as espresso, and you can even order a Thanksgiving Coffee affogato (that’s a scoop of ice cream with an espresso shot)!

For a town with a population under a thousand, this place is serving up something special. With entrees ranging from Wagyu to Risotto, it’s hard to make a decision on just what to have for dinner. Not to mention the fact that these folks also serve breakfast and lunch, six days a week! Just make sure you’re not planning your visit on a Wednesday, the one day they close up shop.

On our most recent visit to Station House Cafe, the temperature was almost seventy degrees, so an iced latte was a necessity. We also ordered their excellent Point Reyes Mac and Cheese, which made for the perfect lunchtime stop before heading out to the National Park just next door.

Visit the Station House Cafe in Point Reyes

Don’t miss having a meal at the Station House Cafe next time you pass through Point Reyes Station, and be sure to order a cup of Thanksgiving Coffee while you’re there.

Station House Cafe
11180 CA-1
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Phone: (415) 663-1515

Visit this Point Reyes restaurant online at stationhousecafe.com

March 12 marked the official opening of the new coffee service at Adventist Health in Clear Lake, featuring Thanksgiving Coffee Company! We’ve been working with the team at the Mountain View Cafe (inside the hospital) to create an excellent espresso bar for employees, visitors and patients at Adventist Health in Lake County.

At the new espresso bar, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from your regular cafe drinks, like lattes, cappuccinos, americanos and more. If you’re looking for just a regular cup of coffee, the Mountain View Cafe has chosen some excellent coffees: Gorilla Fund, Songbird Colombian and Songbird Decaf. Each of these Cause Coffees is a testament to Adventist Health, making a difference there in Lake County, and around the world with organizations like the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and the American Birding Association.

Visiting the Roastery

Back in February, the Adventist Health team took the time to visit the Thanksgiving Coffee headquarters, and get to know the coffee roasting industry. They toured our roastery and learned the fine art of steaming milk and pulling espresso shots from our Roastmaster, Jacob Long. We got them caffeinated and introduced them to the behind-the-scenes details of coffee roasting.

Shane, Tracy, Mary and Rachelle from Adventist Health pose outside the Thanksgiving Coffee headquarters.

The Adventist Health team has done a marvelous job of setting up the new coffee station, and Thanksgiving Coffee is proud to be a part of bringing great coffee to the people of Adventist Health Clear Lake. Be sure to tell their new barista Mary hello from all of us! The coffee counter is open Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Adventist Health Clear Lake
15630 18th Ave
Clearlake, CA 95422

The past year went by in a flash, and it’s hard to believe that we are already three months into 2018. Now that it’s March, we are celebrating the one year anniversary for a coffee that is very special to us: our Congo Coffee, benefiting the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International!

Check out our original post from 2017, launching the Congo Coffee.

With a year of supporting the Grauer’s gorillas of the Democratic Republic of Congo under our belts, we wanted to take a look back and see what’s happened in the past year with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

The DFGFI Turned Fifty

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International celebrated their fiftieth anniversary this last September; this milestone is an tremendous accomplishment for wildlife conservation. Dian Fossey was a true visionary and pioneer, and the team working for the DFGFI now has held up her legacy in a huge way.

Grauer’s Gorillas Numbers are Higher than Originally Thought

In the middle of 2017, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International was thrilled to learn that there were more Grauer’s gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of Congo than originally estimated. This is an uplifting discovery for the non-profit, which has just begun surveying Congo’s enormous Maiko Park where these gorillas live. Read more about this Grauer’s gorilla discovery.

New Research Center in Rwanda

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi made a commitment to build a new research facility in Rwanda to further the work of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Check out Ellen and Portia’s video here.

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We are so excited to move into our second year of supporting the Grauer’s gorillas, and our fifteenth year of partnering with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has purchased our Gorilla Fund and Congo Coffees. Your Cause Coffee subscriptions are the reason we are able to help these organizations that do so much for the wildlife of our planet.

As you’re cruising along Hwy 1 through Mendocino and Sonoma County, you are most often looking west, toward the brilliant cliffs and headlands of our coastline. We’re challenging you to take an eastward turn on your next trip to the northern Sonoma coastline, because a new cafe has opened that you do not want to miss.

The all-new Ranch Cafe is just a quick turn inland from the highway onto Annapolis Road in Sea Ranch. We’ve been anxiously awaiting the opening of the newest coastal cafe in Sonoma County, and we are so excited that their doors have opened. And as a bonus, they are serving up Thanksgiving Coffee alongside some delicious sandwiches, pastries and desserts.

Ranch Cafe Reviews

Take a look at some of the amazing reviews they’re already getting on The Ranch Cafe Facebook page:

“Great service with a smile! Delicious coffee!”
Charmaine

“The Ranch Cafe is The Hot Spot for breakfast and lunch ~ yummy food with lots of selection, great prices and top notch customer service.”
Jami

“We happened to find this cute little cafe while visiting Sea Ranch. It’s an awesome family owned business and I got a wonderful Latte! We will be back!”
Adela

Visit the Ranch Cafe in Sea Ranch, California

The team at the Ranch Cafe is bringing excellent service and delicious food to the Sonoma coastline, and we are proud to be their coffee of choice. You can bet we’re planning to stop by every chance we get!

The Ranch Cafe
35590 Verdant View
Sea Ranch, California
Phone: (707) 785-4529

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Nope, that’s not the pi(e) that we care about. The pie we care about is filled with sugar and fruits, and wrapped up in a warm yummy crust. We’re talking about pie. It may be Pi Day (3/14), but we’re celebrating good old pie today.

You can find Thanksgiving Coffee at two different pie shops in Northern California, Petaluma Pie Company and Kemmy’s Pies! Both of these companies are blow-your-mind good, and use organic, local, wholesome ingredients. Plus, they can serve you a cup Thanksgiving Coffee alongside a slice of your favorite pie.

Visit Kemmy’s Pies in Willits, in the Skunk Train Depot, and Petaluma Pie Company in downtown Petaluma, in the Helen Putnam Plaza.

Petaluma Pie Company is open from 9am to 7pm on 3/14: 125 Petaluma Blvd. N. Petaluma, CA 94952

Kemmy’s Pies is open from 6am to 2pm on 3/14: 299 E Commercial St, Willits, CA 95490

Daylight Savings Time began on Sunday, and we are feeling it. If your office is anything like the Thanksgiving Coffee headquarters, there will be a lot of coffee consumed this week to make up for that lost hour.

Need that extra kick of caffeine? Our Pony Express is called The Jackhammer of Coffees for a reason. Pick up a bag, and get ready to take on your day with a lot more gusto.

March 3 is World Wildlife Day

This Saturday is the perfect opportunity to spread the word about how wildlife inspires you. It’s also a chance to raise awareness for organizations that are doing the work to protect these creatures. Because of your support, we are able to partner with these groundbreaking non-profits, who are making a difference for wildlife all over the world:

Click the links below to learn more about each of these organizations:

American Birding Association

American Wild Horse Campaign

Baby Rhino Rescue

Defenders of Wildlife

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Friends of the Earth

Need some coffee? Head on over to our World Wildlife Day coffee category to order a bag of coffee benefiting one of the organizations above!

If you’ve ordered our classic Mocha Java in the past few days, you may have spotted a difference in our packaging. Our new label design features a map that illustrates the story behind Mocha Java. In this blog post, we’re going to give you a little history lesson—so pour a cup of java (or grab yourself a mocha?) and have a seat.

While the word “mocha” may also refer to your favorite chocolate-y drink, that is not what we’re referring to in today’s post. Mocha Java is a historic blend of two origins an ocean away from each other: Indonesia and Yemen.

The History of Mocha Java

Back in the 1400s to 1600s, the majority of Europe’s coffee intake came out of the Red Sea, from the Port of Mocha [Makha or Mokha]. This coffee was grown in the country of Yemen, but was referred to by the name of the port from which it came. In the Pacific Islands, it was the same story. Most Indonesian coffee was coming out of a port on the island of Java, controlled by the Dutch East India Trading Company. This led to the term “java”, which has remained as slang for coffee to this day.

These two ports caffeinated most of the coffee-drinking world in those days, and trading ships passed through both on the same trip. Although 5,000 miles separated them, coffee from Java and Yemen lived together on the sailing vessels that made their way across the Indian Ocean and back to Europe. These two origins came together as the very first blend in the world of coffee, and it’s a combination that roasters continue to emulate.

Mocha Java Today

These days, your typical Mocha Java has a few slight variations. Most roasters (and coffee enthusiasts) prefer Indonesian coffee to be sourced from Sumatra, the next island over from Java. On the Middle Eastern side, buyers will often source their “mocha” from the African country of Ethiopia, across the Red Sea from Yemen.

This is the case for our own homage to Mocha Java. For the Thanksgiving Coffee Mocha Java blend, we source our “java” from farmers in the the Takengon region of Sumatra, Indonesia. Our “mocha” is a natural-processed coffee that comes from farmer cooperatives in Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Our Mocha Java is a coffee that we’ve perfected over decades of roasting, and we strive to maintain its consistency.

The history of Mocha Java is a history of the coffee world as a whole. The coffee industry has changed significantly over the past five centuries, and we love looking back and researching where it all came from. Next time you brew up a cup of our Mocha Java, take your time drinking it, because you are sipping a truly historic coffee.

Mocha Java, Deconstructed

Now that you know the background of the Mocha Java, you have the opportunity to create your own. Our organic Sumatran Coffee is available in two roast colors, and we have three different organic Ethiopian coffees that you can choose from online. You can mix up the “mocha” and “java” to create your own perfect blend.

Just a mile away from San Francisco’s crookedest street is a classic old-school diner on Lombard that has graced the city of San Francisco for over thirty years. Home Plate in San Francisco has long been the breakfast choice of Bay Area locals, and they have now grown into a new location.

Thankfully, they haven’t moved far. This homage to the baseball years of old has shifted their location to a block west on Lombard Street, into a larger space. With the added area, they’re almost doubling their sitting area, and will be able to accommodate many more visitors for breakfast and lunch.

Coffee at Home Plate San Francisco

Thanksgiving Coffee has been Home Plate’s coffee provider since the very beginning, and they’re one of our favorite accounts to visit in the city. The coffee at Home Plate also received an upgrade during the move; a new brewer was just installed, and we had took some time to train their new in-house barista on espresso drinks, as well.

The Bay Area continues to offer some of the best food in the country, and we are so happy to provide coffee for the leading breakfast spots.

Home Plate San Francisco is open now in their new location:

2150 Lombard St
San Francisco, CA 94123

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International has been one of Thanksgiving Coffee’s longest partnerships, and we’ve had the pleasure of donating over $40,000, with the help of our customers and wholesale partners.

The DFGFI has been working tirelessly for fifty years to continue the legacy of Dian Fossey, in protecting the magnificent mountain gorillas of Africa. First in Rwanda, and now expanding into the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International has changed the way the world thinks about gorillas, and has preserved and documented five decades of gorillas in the mountains of the Virungas.

Now, they are going to be able to do even more, with the extraordinary donation from Portia De Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres. On January 26, Ellen’s 60th birthday, Portia gave Ellen the gift of furthering Dian Fossey’s legacy and joining the DFGFI by establishing a permanent research center in Rwanda.

You can see the video on YouTube, of Portia surprising Ellen on her show with this spectacular gift.

This is a huge step forward for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, allowing them to expand their research in this specially-designed facility. President and CEO Tara Stoinski, Ph.D. said this about the gift:

“It’s impossible to overstate what this remarkable news means for the protection of these magnificent animals. We have continued Dian’s legacy for 50 years, and this new campus will serve as a brilliant focal point for our efforts to protect wild gorillas over the next decades.”

We are so excited to be able to watch as this new partnership grows and matures. Portia De Rossi also set up a Wildlife Fund in Ellen’s name: the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund. This fund will begin by supporting the Karisoke research facility, and will continue to take on projects for other wildlife preservation causes in the future.

Thanksgiving Coffee wants to give a huge thank you to Ellen and Portia for this amazing donation to the future of Rwanda’s mountain gorillas.

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About the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

The DFGFI was established in 1967 by Dian Fossey. She set up a research facility in the country of Rwanda, dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the mountain gorillas living in the Virunga wilderness. After her death in 1985, the organization continued her work in monitoring and protecting the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, and later the Grauer’s gorillas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Thanksgiving Coffee and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International partnered in early 2004 to create the Gorilla Fund Cause Coffee, using Fairtrade Rwandan coffee. In 2017, we launched our Grauer’s Gorilla Coffee, using Organic and Fairtrade coffee grown in the Congo. Through the fourteen years we’ve worked with the DFGFI, we’ve raised over $40,000 to support these gorillas.

Join us in taking a closer look at Bolivia as a coffee origin.

Bolivian coffee is primarily grown in the Yungas – a band of forests growing along the slopes of the Andes. This is the Caranavi Province, located just northeast of the city of La Paz. It’s a fertile land that is excellent for growing coffee, and ranges from 800-1800 meters above sea level.

For many years, the only way to access the coffee farms of this region was via the Yungas Road – a steep and winding route that led from the city of La Paz into the Andes. This path was the one link between Bolivian coffee farms and the rest of civilization until the early 2000s. It has been called “The World’s Most Dangerous Road” or “Death Road”, and currently attracts mountain bikers looking for a high-elevation thrill. These days, there is a paved, two-lane road that allows for faster and safer traffic to move between La Paz and the coffee villages to the northeast.

The History of Bolivian Coffee

As the poorest country in South America, Bolivia has historically had a number of problems. Transportation of goods over the Yungas Road was a monumental issue for years, and the overworked coffee farmers had no reason to care about the quality of their product, knowing they would be underpaid whether it was good quality or not. Coca farming was a much more lucrative business than coffee.

USAID made huge strides in Bolivia in the early 2000s, by building wet mills in the Yunga forests. Processing at origin made the quality of the coffee increase dramatically, and helped a new generation turn toward coffee instead of coca. The swelling popularity of the Fairtrade and Organic movements also assisted in boosting the Bolivian economy, and improved the caliber of coffee coming from the country.

Thanksgiving Coffee and Bolivia

This year’s crop of coffee from Bolivia landed at the Thanksgiving Coffee headquarters in late January, making it our latest arrival for February 2018. We continue to be impressed with how much Bolivian coffee has improved in the 40+ years that we’ve been sourcing and roasting it.

Co-founder and CEO Paul Katzeff writes about his first time roasting Bolivian coffee in the late seventies:

“It was not memorable. Like most coffees from South America that were not from Brazil, Venezuela or Colombia, it was poorly prepped and inconsistent from sack to sack. It was long before coffee was even called ‘Specialty.’ Coffee farmers in Bolivia were not selling or even thinking about producing better quality. Their market was used as filler for the multi-national brands. My interest back then was only because I was exploring new possibilities, seeking treasure where treasure had not yet been found. Bolivia came into its own as an origin within the last 10-15 years and quality has improved steadily into a well-prepared, sweet and bright flavor profile. Bolivia has come a very long way in a very short period of time.”

Thanks for taking the time to dig into the origin of your coffee – check out our light roast Bolivian coffee below:

Bolivian Coffee Origin Specifics

In the cold months of the early 1940s, a cocktail we know and love was created in Limerick, Ireland. A local chef combined the cozy warmth of a cup of coffee with the strong kick of Irish whiskey, and the Irish Coffee was born. The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco was the first recorded American bar to serve this drink, and these days you can order it in just about any pub you wander into.

By Marler (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

January 25 is National Irish Coffee Day, and there’s only one way to celebrate—by making yourself a drink! The Irish Coffee is a simple cocktail, but we did our research to find the classic way to brew and imbibe. There are four main ingredients in just about every recipe researched, so be sure you’re stocked up on these:

We’re featuring two great coffees from the beautiful island of Sumatra! With this particular single origin, you have the unique opportunity to try the same coffee roasted to two colors: a medium roast and a very dark (or French) roast.

Learn a little more about the origin of these Indonesian coffee beans below…

Sumatran Coffee

Our Sumatran coffee was grown by members of the Asosiasi Kopi Gayo Organic Cooperative, also 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.

ASKOGO 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 ASKOGO since 2015.

Sumatra Coffee Varietals and Origin Specifics

The Sumatran coffee we purchase is of the Typica, Bourbon and Catimor varieties. This coffee is grown in volcanic loam, a common soil for growing coffee, since you find these farms at particularly high elevations. The Takengon Highlands (where we source our Sumatra) have excellent soil, which accounts for such spectacular coffee coming from this region.

The processing method that most of Sumatra uses is “Wet-Hulled.” This process is traditional to Indonesia, and not something you’ll typically find at other origins. While it’s similar to the more common “washed” or “wet processed,” there are a few differences. Perfect Daily Grind does an excellent job of explaining the “Wet-Hulled” process in their 2015 article.

You can purchase a Medium Roast and a French Roast Sumatra here on the Thanksgiving Coffee website. If you’re a member of the Single Origin Club, you’ll be receiving a bag of our medium later this month! If not, shop organic Sumatran coffee through the link below:

We don’t want to brag, but Thanksgiving Coffee Company actually has the best customers of all time. Because you purchased Songbird Coffee in 2017, we were able to raise over $9,000 for the American Birding Association. That’s $9,000 last year alone that directly funded birding education and conservation initiatives.

2018 marks fifty years of the American Birding Association providing leadership to recreational birders all over the United States. This group has been a pioneer for decades, and has inspired millions of young birders and conservationists through classes, workshops and conferences all over North America.

For the past 22 years, Thanksgiving Coffee Company has been a proud part of this legacy, educating birders and coffee drinkers about the ecology of coffee farms, and how they play an integral role in the lives of many of the birds we know and love. We took a leading role in preserving bird habitat by introducing Songbird Coffee in 1996, and we have continued to purchase from farms that grow their coffee organically, under the canopy of native forests.

The introduction of the Bird-Friendly Coffee program was another huge step toward uniting the coffee and birding industries. This certification was created by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in 1998 and now represents the very highest standards of ecological sustainability, protecting habitat for migratory birds in coffee growing countries. We are proud to feature that seal on our nine Certified Bird-Friendly coffees in our online store.

We are birders ourselves, and constantly striving to provide coffee that not only tastes magnificent, but provides for the migratory birds that we love to watch every season.

Read more about Bird-Friendly Coffee from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, or shop for Bird-Friendly Coffee here on the Thanksgiving Coffee website.

Does anybody else feel like this year just began? 2017 has certainly been an inspiring year, and we have had so much fun looking over the calendar from the past twelve months to see what we’ve accomplished, what we’ve learned, and what’s coming up next in 2018.

To all of our friends and family who have been with us this year, THANK YOU! We adore you, and we can’t wait for another great year with you all.

We know this is a long blog post, so we made it easy to skip to different sections:

• 2017 Roaster of the Year • Congo Coffee • Wild Grounds • Favorite Coffees • Package Rebranding • Global Coffee Expo • Cold Brew at Coffeefest • Customer Reviews • CoffeeReview.com • Limited Edition Coffees • Local Partners • Puerto Rico Coffee Donation • New Wholesale Accounts • Thanksgiving Coffee Team •

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2017 Roaster of the Year

For the past twelve months, we’ve been celebrating our win of the 2017 Macro Roaster of the Year title from Roast Magazine. After 45 years of both leading and learning from the coffee industry, it was an honor to be recognized as the top roaster in the country.

The judging for this award looks not only at the taste and quality of the coffee, but also at the practices within the company and their history as a whole.

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Launch of the Congo Coffee

This is launch is very special to us, because we have such a long history with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. Since 2004, we have roasted Gorilla Fund Coffee, benefiting mountain gorilla protection and research in Rwanda. As the DFGFI has grown and increased what they’re doing in Africa, we have been building alongside them, with our second Cause Coffee benefiting their efforts.

Partnership with the American Wild Horse Campaign

This June, we had the chance to launch an all-new Cause Coffee with an organization that is doing important work in our country. The American Wild Horse Campaign is dedicated to preserving our free-roaming wild horses and burros as part of our national heritage.

We first met the people behind the AWHC at GreenFest in San Francisco. They tried our coffees, we discussed the needs of their organization, and decided to partner together to create Wild Grounds Coffee.

Thanksgiving Coffee Company has been teaming up with nonprofits for more than twenty years, and has been able to stand with some truly amazing organizations. We are so excited about what the American Wild Horse Campaign is doing, and we are glad to be a part of it.

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Your Favorite Coffees

At the end of each year, we take a look back to see what the top sellers were on our website, and it’s always fun to see what coffees our customers have chosen. For 2017, these ten coffees topped the list: four french roasts, three dark roasts, one medium, one light and one flavored coffee.

Did your personal favorite make it to the top?

1. Noyo Harbor French – Distinctly smoky with hints of jammy fruit, roasted nuts, and baker’s chocolate. This is our signature Fairtrade and Organic French roast.
2. Grey Whale Blend – We blend our Mocha Java with a mellow, earthy Sumatra, and then add just a touch of vanilla.
3. French Roast – Full bodied and toasty with intense dark chocolate notes and a smoky finish. This is our darkest roast – and we’ve been making it for over forty years.
4. Paul’s Blend – Co-founder and Roastmaster Emeritus Paul Katzeff created this blend to showcase his favorite coffees. Blueberry notes add to hints of cashew and chocolate.
5. Nighthawks’ Decaf Very Dark Roast – Bold and rich with intense notes of dark chocolate and toasted marshmallows. Our Decaf coffees are water-processed without chemicals. A classic French Roast.
6. Mendocino Vienna – A bold, sweet blend with hints of nuts, chocolate, and caramel. Featuring coffees from Central America, South America, and Indonesia. The secret to Irish Coffee!
7. Albion River Inn Blend – A full-bodied and well-rounded blend with sweet chocolate tones and a crisp, toasty flavor.
8. Kona Blend – Simply elegant, with notes of tropical flowers and milk chocolate. A perennial favorite among light roast coffee drinkers.
9. Sumatra Very Dark Roast – Full-bodied, smoky, earthy.
10. Beaujolais Blend – Heavy bodied, complex and rich with a French Roast character, hints of caramel, nuts and spice.

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Package Rebranding

When we took home the title Roaster of the Year, we decided to incorporate it into our packaging. The new design, which we launched in early 2017, incorporates the elements that make us who we are. Take a look at all the pieces that went into the new bag design through the link below.

Global Coffee Expo

In April of 2017, seven of the Thanksgiving Coffee team traveled to Seattle for the Global Coffee Expo, put on by the Specialty Coffee Association. We had the chance to see old friends, meet with coffee producers, participate in industry discussions, and taste a lot of great coffee.

Check out our recap of this event through the link below.

Cold Brew at Coffeefest Portland

In October, Lawrence and Jacob attended Coffeefest in Portland, and entered the West Coast Cold Brew Competition. While we didn’t take first place this time around, we did make it to the top four, and had a great time hanging out with other roasters on the cold brew circuit.

In addition to our cold brew coffee making waves in Portland, we are working toward a Nitro Cold Brew product that will be available for wholesale accounts in the New Year. We will have more information as the summer months begin to creep closer.

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Coffee Reviews

We never get tired of hearing what our customers have to say! Here are a few highlights from product reviews over the past year.

Anonymous in Moraga, California • Grey Whale Blend

I’ve been drinking Grey Whale coffee for over 10 years now. It’s my all time favorite! It doesn’t seem to have much of the bitterness I taste in many other coffees and the very subtle vanilla flavor adds to the smoothness, but doesn’t overwhelm. I only drink this coffee black because the flavor is that good!

Coffeeholic Birder in Port Clinton, Ohio • Songbird Colombian

I was told that bird friendly coffee was THE way to go for bird conservationists. I had no clue that I was going to have THE very best cup of coffee I ever had. It was. I highly recommend the ABA’s coffee. Save Wood Thrushes, drink this coffee!!

Liz in Washington, D.C. • Nicaragua Light Roast

I have been drinking coffee since high school but always with milk and sometimes even with cocoa powder as I couldn’t stand the bitterness – that is, until this coffee arrived at my doorstep. It is light, fruity, and for the first time ever, I am drinking black coffee and enjoying every moment of it. Thank you Thanksgiving and SOPPEXCCA for helping me find the right coffee for me!

Mayumi in San Marino, California • Wild Grounds Light Roast

We got the coffee mainly for the wild horse cause, but the aroma and the taste of the coffee exceeded our expectations. The light roast is very well done with an enticing smell and a hint of chocolate – pleasantly light but not at all under-roasted. We have had some disappointment lately with the lightly roasted coffee beans lacking aroma ordered from other specialty coffee roasting companies. Your coffee truly shines among the sea of so many coffee beans on the market. We look forward to ordering it again very soon.

James in Des Moines, Iowa • Nighthawks’ Decaf – Very Dark Roast

Excellent flavor. Your coffee is the best. Good taste and fresh.

Jerry in Oakland, California • Paul’s Blend

Retirement years have become even more enjoyable since I was introduced to Paul’s Blend. My awareness of Thanksgiving Coffee started with weekend in Mendocino a few years ago. Every year we return to Mendocino and Thanksgiving Coffee. Now, thanks to online ordering, everyday I can sit down with a cup of Paul’s Blend and the SF Chronicle ipad edition and feel like I’m back in Mendocino.

You can see more reviews from satisfied customers in the review section of each individual product page. Visit the Thanksgiving Coffee webstore to read them, or leave your own review.

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Songbird Nicaraguan Coffee Review

In addition to all the kind words from our customers, we also got this VERY special review from CoffeeReview.com. Run by Ken Davids, this website is by far the best review portal for specialty coffee, and the team there was very impressed with our Songbird Nicaraguan.

Check out the excerpts below, or read the full article, and the full review on CoffeeReview.com.

The New Nicaragua, from CoffeeReview.com

“Perhaps the only coffee presenting a classic Nicaragua profile among all of the nine highest scorers is Thanksgiving Coffee’s Organic Shade-Grown Nicaragua (92), a blend of the respected Maracaturra, Caturra and Catuai varieties meticulously processed by the traditional wet method. It is also the only coffee we review that is certified Bird-Friendly by the Smithsonian Institution, hands-down the most uncompromising and rigorous of environmentally focused certifications. The idealism and passion that drove the growing and farm management that produced this coffee clearly went into its processing as well: It is an impressively pure coffee. Of all nine coffees we reviewed this month, it most clearly represents the classic Nicaragua cup of tradition, with its inherent balance, quietly juicy acidity and buoyant, satiny mouthfeel.”

A Review of Songbird Nicaragua, from CoffeeReview.com

“Balanced, crisply sweet-tart. Lemongrass, cardamom, cocoa powder, rhododendron-like flowers, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. The structure fuses sweet, tart and savory tendencies, enlivened by a quietly juicy acidity. Buoyant, satiny mouthfeel. The crisp finish is richly sweet, with notes of lemongrass and vanilla-like florals carrying into the long.”

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Limited Edition Coffees

Over just the past six months, we launched two separate limited edition coffees on the Thanksgiving Coffee webstore. The first was from Nepal in July, and the second was our Kenya Red Cherry Project in November. Both of these coffees were very well received, and we hope to bring you even more limited edition coffees in 2018.

Local Partners

In 2017, we had the opportunity to partner with three new local causes, to create an extra stream of income for their organizations: Art Explorers, Family Medicine of Mendocino County, and the Noyo Center for Marine Science. Each of these nonprofits are doing very important things for the Mendocino Coast, and we are honored to be able to stand with them. Follow the links above to learn more about each individual cause.

This fall, we had a surplus of apples in the company orchard, and we were able to harvest and donate over 2500 pounds of apples to the Fort Bragg Food Bank. Our orchard features 25 heirloom varieties, and we were very happy to be able to donate so much to our friends and families in the community who need it.

Puerto Rico Coffee Send with the Hogwarts Running Club

At the very end of this year, we teamed up with the Hogwarts Running Club for a really great project. This partnership was thanks to two individuals on our team who are members of the club: Megan Smithyman and Marchelo Bresciani. Through the amazing give back of this group, we donated over 1,000 packages of coffee to relief workers in Puerto Rico, and the club sent another 4,000 more packages through other coffee roasters across the country.

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New Serving and Retail Accounts

We opened numerous accounts in 2017: restaurants, hotels, office accounts and cafes! Take a look at a few of the new ones to come on board this year.

Here in Northern California, we added some spectacular restaurants to our roster. Cafe Beaujolais, Relish Grill, Lizbby’s Restaurant and Bar and Mayan Fusion were just a few of the great additions here in Mendocino County.

As for grocery stores, Thanksgiving Coffee is now available in twenty new Safeways from Redding to Sonoma in California. Look forward to even more in the new year. We can also be found at Dahlia & Sage in Cloverdale, a great new grocery store featuring a lot of local Northern California brands.

For hotels and bed and breakfasts along our coast, we are excited about two fabulous new additions: Heritage House Resort in Little River, and Noyo Harbor Inn right across the Noyo River from us in Fort Bragg. The Noyo Harbor Inn is going to be opening in the next couple weeks, and the Heritage House has long been a staple of the Mendocino Coast.

The addition of Noyo Harbor Inn and the Heritage House Resort brought us to complete our Magnificent Nine–the nine best restaurants on the Mendocino Coast all feature their local Mendocino Coast roaster, Thanksgiving Coffee Company. These restaurants are: St. Orres in Gualala, Albion River Inn Restaurant in Albion, 5200 Restaurant and Wild Fish in Little River, the MacCallum House Restaurant and Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, Noyo Harbor Inn and Cucina Verona in Fort Bragg and Newport Ranch in Westport.

Breakers Inn is currently working toward providing Thanksgiving Coffee in each of its 28 rooms on the Gualala coastline. We are coordinating with them and a few other hotels along our coast to provide a revolutionary new in-room brewer. This product will be available to all of our accounts in the coming months!

Five new Wild Birds Unlimited stores across the United States have begun selling packages of Thanksgiving Coffee. Missouri, New York, South Carolina and Illinois were added to our list of WBU stores carrying our Songbird Coffee lineup.

As always, you can view the Thanksgiving Coffee Store Locator page to see where you can pick up a bag or a cup of Thanksgiving Coffee near you. Interested in carrying Thanksgiving Coffee? Reach out through our contact page!

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Changes to the Thanksgiving Coffee Team

Thanksgiving Coffee is always growing and changing, and 2017 featured some big updates. Longtime employees David Woolis (28 years), Bill Adams (24 years) and Susan Coy (10 years) retired in 2017, and we of course, miss them very much. Our fearless leaders Paul and Joan Katzeff continue to move us forward into the New Year, alongside Vice President, Jonah Katzeff.

It has been quite a year. Join us in raising a cup of coffee to the last twelve months, and look forward to the next! 2018, we’re ready for you.

Hello, my friends!

My name is John Elijah, and I am excited to introduce myself and my project to the Thanksgiving Coffee community. I have dreamt of creating a video production company here in Uganda for the past several years, and Paul Katzeff is helping me bring that dream to life. I have known Paul for over three years now, and with his blessing, I would like to introduce my story to you.

[Read the letter from Paul]

Over the past several weeks, I have held three different video shoots, and have put in over a hundred hours worth of editing. I believe that my country has something truly spectacular to offer to the world, but I need your help in making this a reality.

This coming Tuesday, look for an email and video with the details of my campaign, and how you can help build a thriving industry in Uganda!

When you receive this email in your inbox, I ask that you share it with your family and friends. Forward it onto your relatives, share the campaign on your social media pages, and help us create something remarkable.

This is our Uganda.

John Elijah

As we express gratitude for our families and friends during this season, you are at the top of my list. Thanksgiving Coffee’s supporters are some of the most forward-thinking and philanthropic people I have ever met, with great ideas and great heart. It’s an attitude that invigorates all of us here, and inspires us to grow and to give.

In the spirit of this season, I want to share a story and an opportunity with you. Back in 2015, I traveled to Africa to visit a coffee farm in Uganda. On my way off the mountain, riding in the back of an old Toyota pickup, my driver and I passed a party in progress. It was spilling out onto the dirt patio alongside the road. We slowed down to listen to the drummers banging out some rhythms that made you want to get up and dance. In the crowd was a young man with an old and bulky video camera, recording the chaos. He saw the pickup and rushed over to offer me a DVD he had filmed and edited. His name was Elijah.

This started a three year relationship between me and Elijah, via email from 10,000 miles across the globe. I’ve referred this young man to other business owners needing footage in Uganda, and have watched his skills grow and improve as he continues to work in his passion.

We have an opportunity here to showcase what Uganda can offer to the world at large, and support a young man who has the skills and is ready and willing to work.

I believe in Elijah, and I am excited to introduce him to my friends and family and supporters of Thanksgiving Coffee. In the spirit of giving this year, I am asking you to invest in the future of Uganda, by giving the gift of a charitable donation. Follow this link to back the campaign!

http://bit.ly/JohnElijah

Paul Katzeff

October 15 – October 21

This week, it’s all about the wolves. These magnificent creatures play an integral part in North America’s ecosystem, and Thanksgiving Coffee has partnered with Defenders of Wildlife to protect their legacy. During Wolf Awareness Week, we’re taking a moment to highlight wolves, and the part that each of us can play in protecting these animals for future generations. Spread the word about Wolf Awareness Week, and visit www.defenders.org to make a donation now!

Scroll down to learn more about how Thanksgiving Coffee is involved in protecting our wolves.

What do you know about our wolves? Take a look at the fact sheet below to learn more, and click the image to be directed to the Defenders of Wildlife Gray Wolf Basic Facts page.

Defenders of Wildlife + Thanksgiving Coffee

Thanksgiving Coffee is partnered with Defenders of Wildlife to save our wolves. We do this through our Cause Coffee program, donating 10% of every sale of our Save Our Wolves Coffee back to DOW. If you sign up as a Defenders of Wildlife member and purchase this coffee through the Shop Defenders page, you can give back even more! For every purchase made through their link, 25% of the proceeds will be donated.

Puerto Rico’s road to recovery will be a long and arduous one, but perhaps it will be a bit more bearable with a cup of coffee in hand.

Learn more about roast colors, to choose the right roast for you!

We want to offer congratulations to our friends at Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast. This unique place to stay in Northern California is a truly magical experience every time… and Tripadvisor has confirmed it by awarding them the 2017 Certificate of Excellence.

This award verifies what we already knew about this great bed and breakfast: they are spectacular. The certificate is awarded only to hotels, businesses and attractions that have held their 4-5 star ranking for a significant period of time. Other items are taken into consideration, like how often the business is reviewed, and the quality of reviews they receive.

Tripadvisor states that “This recognition helps travelers identify and book properties that regularly deliver great service. TripAdvisor is proud to play this integral role in helping travelers feel more confident in their booking decisions.” Only 10% of hotels worldwide receive this recognition!

Thanksgiving Coffee and Featherbed Railroad

Featherbed Railroad has served Thanksgiving Coffee for the past nine years, and we are honored to be affiliated with such a spectacular bed and breakfast. Lake County is lucky to have such a great place for guests to enjoy on the shore of Clear Lake. The shot below is from a visitor on Yelp, sipping Thanksgiving Coffee and enjoying a great view from their caboose.

Check out what people have had to say on Tripadvisor:

“The 9-10 am breakfast was too late for us so our hosts cooked a special breakfast for us at 8. Delicious and piping hot! Great coffee and juice too. The sweet attentive resident dog added to the homey atmosphere and we were sent on our way with a wonderful memory.” “My husband and I stayed at Featherbed for 4 nights earlier this month, and enjoyed every minute of it. The owners, June and Paul, are phenomenal hosts. They’ve taken care of often-overlooked details in the room like large, soft towels, high-quality bedding, locally sourced and delicious coffee.” “I am a local, but stayed over for the New Year’s Holiday! What fun. I had the Tropicaboose and the bed and decor was fab! Breakfast with homemade sausage gravy, fruit, egg casserole and coffee (to die for!) was terrific.”

Photos from Lake County’s Featherbed Railroad

This bed and breakfast features individual caboose rooms for rent! Each individual train car has its own special theme, and each one is individual Take a look through some of their photos to see why it was called One of the most Unusual Hotels in the World by Escape Travel and one of the Ten Wackiest Hotels in the world by Hotels.com.

Check out their website and stay the night: www.featherbedrailroad.com

Featherbed Railroad
2870 Lakeshore Blvd
Nice, CA 95464

(707) 274-8378

Song Bird Coffee supports the arts

Do you have a favorite bird? Is it the bold blue jay, or the striking red cardinal? Perhaps it’s the mischievous raven, or the sweet singing sparrow? Maybe you don’t know what it’s called, or even what it looks like, but you know its song as it fills your ears with a familiar refrain. Birds connect us to nature, regardless of where we live; from city dwelling pigeons to dramatic California Condors, birds are an ever-present aspect of our lives, but their numbers are dwindling. You don’t have to be an avid birder to enjoy their presence, but if we fail to appreciate them in our everyday lives, then we risk taking them for granted and losing them forever.

Fostering a love of the natural world can take years, especially now when more of us live in cities than ever before. Programs like BirdNote cultivate a love of nature with a wide audience, helping to bring the outside into our homes and deliver the delights of nature in small, auditory morsels.

The BirdNote radio program has been engaging listeners of all ages for over ten years, sharing daily two-minute stories about birds and the environment with audiences all across the country. These uplifting little vignettes are just the right length for everyone to enjoy, and the perfect remedy to ‘news fatigue’.

BirdNote and Song Bird Coffee

Song Bird Coffee has been partnered with the American Birding Association for 20 years and together we have raised over $150,000 in support of the ABA and Partners in Flight, which funds ornithological studies of migratory birds in Central America. Together, we are making a difference by promoting citizen science, ecotourism, and sustainable Bird Friendly farming practices, and now we are proud to be reaching new audiences by sponsoring BirdNote.

By working together, Song Bird Coffee, the American Birding Association, and BirdNote are committed to making the world a better place, for us and for the birds.

Give BirdNote a listen here.

Learn more about the American Birding Association and Partners in Flight.