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.

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.

Jacob Long - Roastmaster

Raised in Fort Bragg, Jacob has worked at Thanksgiving since June of 2007. First and foremost he is enthusiastic about all aspects of coffee, from how it is grown and processed, to how it’s roasted and brewed. He is also excited by having the ability to work with one of the finest coffees in the word, and maintain the quality of the coffee at a company that is 50 years old and has a reputation for quality. In his spare time he likes to forage for wild mushrooms, fish, spend time with his family, and stay busy. His favorite music is reggae, punk, and a little bit of everything else. Old style reggae, rock steady reggae is what he likes the most.

Jacob takes his coffee black. He likes to brew it with a full immersion process either with a Soft Brew or a French Press. He prefers light roasts from Ethiopia, the favorite is a wet processed Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region.

Jon Baumeister- Roaster

Jon was also raised here in Fort Bragg and has worked with Thanksgiving Coffee Company for 17 years. What keeps him here is the coffee, and roasting the coffee. He likes the beauty of the coffee beans and how you never roast the same way twice. “There are different light roast, medium roast, dark roasts, so you’re always working at a set point and different coffees take a different temperature to get to the set point,” says Jon. He likes the challenge and how you really have to be focused on each variety of coffee, and what it needs in the roasting process. He also likes the people who work here and finds the owners, Paul and Joan, are very fair to their workers. When he’s not at work, Jon likes to garden and spend time outdoors. His favorite music is Rock and Roll, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival along with old groups from 60’s-70’s, 80’s Rock and Roll, and some Country.

Jon’s favorite coffee is Upsetter. He likes light roast coffees, especially SongBird Guatemalan, and Rwanda. Jon takes his coffee with milk or cream and is happy with a drip brew.

Steve Channel - Roaster Maintenance

Steve is a local of Fort Bragg, CA and has been with the Company for 10 years now. He say’s, “I just love the place” His father helped to start the company back in the early 1970’s. He used to work in the lumber industry and once that went South ad closed, Paul (Katzeff) offered him a job.

Steve likes to work with wood, and read in his spare time. His favorite music is “Solid Gold” from the 70’s and 60’s Rock and Roll.

Steve’s favorite coffee is a blend of Rwanda and Gedeb. He drinks it black and likes to brew it using a French Press.

Josh Long - Roaster

Josh was raised in Fort Bragg and has been a roaster with Thanksgiving since 2015. He likes to pick mushrooms and fish when he is not in the roasting room. He likes all kinds of music, but if he had to listen to one for the rest of his life it would be classic rock. He is motivated to work hard and maintain a good quality of life. He appreciates Joan and Paul for creating such a good place to work.

Josh takes his coffee black and likes to brew it “cowboy style.” He puts the ground coffee in a bowl, pours the boiling hot water in, lets it steep and pours the brewed coffee off the top. No filter, no fancy pot. His favorite coffee is a washed Ethiopian, Gedeb.

Songbird Nicaraguan

Each package sold benefits the American Birding Association's programs in Central America. By drinking shade-grown and bird friendly certified coffee every morning, you are supporting these coffee farmers, the efforts of the ABA, and the countless birds they are protecting through community outreach and conservation. Learn more. Since 1998 we have raised $212,012.30 and counting…

Sweet without sugar, mellow without cream, it is a great breakfast coffee.

Noyo Harbor French

Distinctively smoky flavor with hints of jammy fruit, roasted nuts and baker's chocolate. This is our signature FTO French Roast, featuring coffees from Central America, South America and Indonesia.

Paul's Blend

Paul's Blend is one of the award-winning coffee roasts from our 2017 Roaster of the Year prize.

With so many great coffees to showcase our work here at Thanksgiving Coffee, Roastmaster Jacob Long chose to present the Roaster of the Year judges with a few of our freshest coffees: the vibrant and rich Kenya Nyeri Peaberry, floral Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, and the beloved fruity-chocolatey 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.

French Decaf

Formerly known as "Nighthawks French", this Water Processed French decaf is roasted to our darkest level. It is amazing how much this tastes like regular caffeinated coffee! This coffee is organically grown in Mexico and decaffeinated at a nearby facility to reduce its carbon footprint.

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!

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.

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 Flor de Jinotega coffee grown in Nicaragua by SOPPEXCCA and light-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.

Since 2001, we have been proudly purchasing coffee from SOPPEXCCA, a cooperative representing more than 650 families in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua.

SOPPEXCCA is a global leader in the movement to empower small-scale farmers, mainly women and youth. Their youth program called "Children of Coffee" has inspired many to become baristas, coffee instructors and counselors and offers educational programs such as sports, leadership, environmental education, culture appreciation and more.

This cooperative has won many awards for the high quality production quality of their coffee - the quality may derive from the high farmer morale. With excellent living conditions, educational programs and gender equality, SOPPEXCCA knows how to take care of their people.

Step 1: Remove the portafilter

• Remove the portafilter from the machine. Knock out the spent puck.
• Lock the empty portafilter back into the machine.
• Run water to rinse for a few seconds.
• Remove the portafilter and use a dry towel to thoroughly wipe the inside of the portafilter until it is clean and dry.

Step 2: Grind

• Grind every shot fresh.
• Because coffee flavor begins to rapidly deteriorate as soon as it is ground, no grounds should be left in the hopper.
• Grind only what you need to dose one shot, then immediately turn off the grinder.

Step 3: Fill the portafilter

• Fill portafilter so that the coffee makes a cone shape about half an inch above the lip of the portafilter. This should be almost exactly 20 grams (hint: use a scale!)
• Use the side of your index finger to carefully, but quickly, distribute the grounds in a circular motion. You should be packing the ground coffee evenly, with no overdosed or underdosed patches.
• Level the dose by running the side of your index finger across the top. (very little coffee should wind up in the garbage if you dose and level correctly.)

Step 4: Tamp

• Lay tamper onto coffee evenly with very light pressure, but keeping your finger tips level with the top edge of the tamp's vertical edge.
• Press tamper evenly and with enough pressure so that your fingertips make contact with the top rim of the portafilter basket.
• Twist tamp so that it polishes the surface of the pressed coffee, and finish by wiping the grounds off the portafilter.

Step 5: Prepping the group head

• Purge the group head for one or two seconds.
• Wipe dry with a clean rag to prevent premature infusion.

Step 6: Pull the shot

• Put the portafilter into the group head, make sure it fits snug. No need to overtighten. If it leaks, your gasket may need replacement.
• You'll want to pull the shot directly into the mug you're serving the coffee in. Position it so that the espresso will fall roughly in its center.
• Press the double shot button and wait between 18 and 26 seconds from the time the espresso begins to pour to finish. (It may not begin pouring for 3-5 seconds, meaning total shot time should be between 21-31 seconds)
• Watch carefully to see that it has a thick consistency, reddish brown color in a thin, slightly wavering stream.
• When the espresso begins to thin and turn from orange/yellow to white, stop the machine immediately.
• The final product should have a thick crema of reddish-brown swirling color and be almost syrupy in body, with slight black flecking, small bubbles, and a warm, nutty sweet-tangy aroma.

Step 7: Check your work!

• If you are uncertain whether you followed the steps correctly, take out the portafilter and examine the waste. The top of the coffee should be hard and with a single, round dent in the middle (if your group head screen has a screw) and no pits anywhere.
• Knock out the grounds, it should come out in a round, hard puck with a single knock.
• Keep working to refind your technique until you find a perfect rhythm that generates consistent results and stick with it. Consistency is key!

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!

Situated between Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Ranges, is Othaya, home to the Othaya Farmers Cooperative Society - with over 11,000 small-scale farmers, including Mahiga Wet Mill. Mahiga Wet Mill is located in Rukira Village along the Mumwe River (originating from the Aberdare Mountains), which is used to pulp the coffee cherries. Their main harvesting season runs from October to December.

Well-drained, red volcanic soils that are rich in phosphorus make for the ideal coffee-growing environment. The coffee is wet processed, fermented, washed and dried slowly over a 2- 3 week period where the moisture content is reduced to 10-12%. The coffee is then delivered to the dry mill (Othaya Coffee Mill). What should you expect? A full smooth body and positively-interacting tones of black currant, vanilla and nutty hints.

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 medium roast an extra unique feature.

This month we're sharing our Gorilla Fund coffee grown in Rwanda by the Musasa Collective and medium-roasted here at Thanksgiving Coffee in Fort Bragg, CA.

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.