Media everywhere is blasting us with the most recent Starbucks venture – Blonde Coffee.  I heard it on NPR, Fox News, online, national newspapers – Starbucks is innovating this new roast profile for those consumers  (60%) who don’t like their standard darker than dark coffee beans.

For the last decade, many micro roasters have been roasting their beans considerably lighter than Starbucks, Peet’s and other National Brands.  We do so in order to ‘develop’  and ‘define’ each varietal’s specific attributes.  Attributes encompass taste, aroma, flavor, body, acidity.  Dark roasting is tantamount to ruining a good bean.

Americans believe that the European coffees, which are heavy bodied and offer intense flavor, are darkly roasted.  When in fact most European coffees are lightly roasted preserving the natural heavy body of the bean allowing for that intense cup.

Lighter roasts can coax the delicate nuanced notes of a quality bean i.e. cacao, almond, berries, (far too many to note here) and preserve the natural ‘body’ of the bean.  Each bean has the perfect roast profile to maximize its taste and body. The darker we roast a bean – the more we burn off its natural attributes.

Considering the machinations  we go through to source some of the world’s finest organic, shade grown coffees from up to a dozen different countries it would be tantamount to taking an exceptional gourmet loaf of bread and toasting it till its burnt to a crisp.  You simply wouldn’t do it. It would be silly.

Local, small roasters have led the specialty coffee industry in not only artisan roast techniques, but also in effecting change and promoting ethical and responsible trading practices to assure our farmers earn equitable prices for their product which encourages them to continue growing their crops responsibly and sustainably.  We embraced and encouraged these practices almost a decade prior to the big national brands jumped on board due to consumer pressure.

So is Blonde Coffee new or just ‘spin’ by a huge international company which feels it has lost a titch of its market share to local artisan roasters who have been doing it right  all along?

Blonde coffee, really Starbucks?

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50 Brews on Tap

Manito Tap House S. Grand Blvd is a coffee partner who does things well.  They offer 3 choices of our sustainable, organic beans, making each cup fresh by either french press or Melitta service.

The Tap House’s menu items are made from scratch and primarily involve local, sustainable, and organic food products. And they feature 50 tap handles that serve craft beers, specializing inbrands from the Inland Northwest and West Coast.

They do LOCAL on a whole new level – they don’t just ask you to support them because they are local – almost everything, from their food to the remodel materials, are/were sourced locally and  is comprised of recycled or used materials.

Building out a new restaurant with ‘used’ materials takes a huge commitment – it isn’t easy.  You don’t just order materials – you go out and ‘look’ for materials which meet your needs – as with  the ‘leaf springs’ (from the rear axels of autos)  that support the ‘bench’ seats along the north wall in the bar .  And speaking of the bar – they made it from the reclaimed wood of a Reardan barn!

I applaud them as they seek certification from the Green Restaurant Association.  To be certified as a sustainable, or green, restaurant, the applying business must meet minimum requirements in the categories of water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings & building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, & chemical and pollution reduction.

Manito Tap House opened last September in the 3,200-square-foot leased space that The Pear Tree Inn previously occupied. So even their space is ‘re-used’.

Try one of the local micro brews or better yet try a micro brew “sampling” (6-2oz servings) – my favorite way to learn about and appreciate their 50 taps.

Grown in the coffee district of San Juan del Rio Coco, this outstanding Nicaraguan features a harvest of sweet citrus, ripe pear, and honey flavors. Balanced and medium-bodied with subdued acidity, floral aroma, and a chocolate-toned finish, the Nicaragua Rio Coco is SHG (Strictly High Grown) and is considered “shade-grown”.  Native trees and farmers’ management practices sustain an ecosystem that promotes biodiversity, as well as soil and water conservation.

Nicaraguan coffees during the ’80s and ’90s went virtually unnoticed due to trade embargoes. Rio Coco, along with other small farms and co-ops are making a  comeback and this bean, half of the blend of our favorite Cafe de’ America’s, makes a wonderful Italian style cup of coffee -I affectionately call ‘puddin’.

Come join us and lets brew one of our  ethical, sustainable, delicious coffee varietals every way imaginable or at least almost every way imaginable!

Nothing should come between you and your shade grown beans.  Especially not those little plastic, single serving brew pods/cups.

ETHICAL. SUSTAINABLE. DELICIOUS. COFFEE GIFTS. YUM!

Available as of next week… personalized coffee gifts with your ‘own’ holiday greeting for family, friends or employees.

As always, our ethical coffees will be ‘roasted to order’ for you, your friends, your family.

Nutcracker Blend is an exceptional/limited proprietary blend of sustainable beans (only avail the 5 weeks of the holiday season) available in full 1lb red foil bag. This blend is available on-line, here at Roast House or at Huckleberry’s (on Monroe) and at Atticus on Wall. Limited offering. It is first come, first served.

The Holiday or Santa/Bike labels are available at our local retail partners  Huckleberry’s,  Atticus Coffee and Gifts, Main Market, Yokes, South Hill Albertsons.

For those of you ‘in the know’ the Santa/Bike and Happy Holiday labels   are available here at Roast House (or on-line for your out of town friends and family).  

These two options (come in and order or use our on-line option) allow you to 1).  choose a label; 2). choose a blend (on our website); 3). choose between bag sizes – single serving (limited selection) versus full 1lb bags; 4). Personalize your message.

These label options can make your holiday coffee gifts, not just fairly traded and organic, but fun and personal.  And the two size options can make it more affordable to share holiday joy with co-workers and friends without breaking the bank.

We will need 48hrs (excluding weekend days) to fill your personalized in-house orders.

Just be sure to provide, for each gift, the following info:

• Which label (Nutcracker cannot be personalized, downsized or swapped out for another coffee blend)

•  What size bag – single serving 2.5oz or one full pound

•  Which blend

• Drip or Whole Bean

• Your message – keep this minimal (up to a dz words)

Are you picking up or do you want us to ship your holiday coffee gifts?

Let’s have fun this season.  We want to make sure we contribute to you holiday fun by making you a Nutcracker latte – not available anywhere but here at our roast house.

Ever wonder where the coffee blend name 423 came from?

This pic, courtesy of Ann Colford, is of our address on our building.  Get it now?

This is our house blend – it is sweet and complex, great for everyday. Notes of chocolate and spices in the aroma meld with a rich creamy body, balanced acidity and flavors of dry chocolate and cocoa. This blend works great in a latte, straight black, or with milk.

And of course, as with all our coffees, this blend is sustainably grown and the farmer earn Fair Trade or better (Farm to Cup is our direct relationship program with coffee farmers – since their beans rock, we pay them more) so its far more equitable then standard commercial distribution offers.

Its in our espresso grinder hopper this morning…pop on by let us make you a cup.

House Blend

Organic Certification

Organic coffee a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Organic farming can be an ecosystem unto itself—one that must be kept healthy and in a state of balance. Soil is enriched with compost, green manure and organic amendments. This is both beneficial to both the producer and the consumer.

The definition of certified organic coffee can  include the emphasis on recycling, composting, soil health, and protection of the environment.  These are important aspects to sustainability that are both cost effective,  socially and ecologically responsible.

That is why organic fair trade coffee and organic shade grown coffee often goes hand in hand. Through environmentally sound practices, organic producers and processors strive to sustain the health of the earth while providing quality food for those who inhabit it.

Why Choose Organic?  After tobacco and cotton, conventionally-produced coffee is the third most heavily chemically treated crop in the world. Not only are some of the synthetic pesticides and fertilizers used banned in most western nations; they’re often used without any genuine regulatory supervision.

More and more consumers want certified organic foods because they know that these foods are:  Grown without genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers, antibiotics, or hormones.

Most roasters offer some varieties of organic coffees while the majority of their product line is comprised of the less expensive, and more profitable, non-organic beans.  Though, there is a small contingency of artesian roasters leading the industry in their commitment to sustainable and healthy coffee.

We are committed to socially and ecologically responsible coffee. Is it a big deal to anyone? We believe so. Our beans, ALL OF OUR BEANS, are organic. Fair Trade is the MINIMUM we pay for ALL our beans.  We do this because it is the right thing to do for you, for us and for those who produce these exceptional quality beans!

Ethical.Sustainable.Delicious.

Organic, Fair Trade Winter Brew…

Is the perfect blend for those chilly mornings— It’ll make you feel human again.

Our Winter Brew (skull by Dan Kobe-Smith) is the perfect blend for those chilly mornings— with just enough dark roast to kick your eyes open regardless of the weather.

It will warm you from the inside out and make you feel human again!

This blend of sustainably grown Ethiopian Harrar, Sumatran and Nicaraguan beans is not only delicious and exceptional quality, but its good for you.  Grown naturally without use of chemicals and within a natural shade environment allows these beans to grow slow which contributes to their very complex and varied ‘tastes’ , which blended together…well – simply makes a rockin great cup of coffee which laughs in the face of winter.

You can purchase this seasonal organic blend at Huckleberry’s, Yokes, Main Market, Super 1 on 29th Ave, the Albertsons on 37th Ave and  57th.

Chairs Coffee is serving it not only as a 3rd espresso option but also as french press or melitta service!

Size matters when you’re buying great coffee. We sell our beans in one pound bags. Sixteen full ounces. Not downsized, cute-sized or under-sized. Don’t wind up paying more for less. Choose Roast House – where a pound of coffee is well…a pound of coffee.

Oh What A Pair…

Carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting – might that taste perfect with our  Sumatran Noir or one of the six other FARM TO CUP sustainable coffee varietals?

Will the ancho chili in the chocolate cupcake overwhelm the delicate pear notes in our Fair Trade Nicaraguan Rio Coco?

Are you getting the picture?

Next Saturday, Oct 8th, at 9:00 am, here at  Roast House, we will line up 6-8 organic and FARM TO CUP varietals from that many countries to pair with that many different cupcakes made by cupcake aficionado friends.

Since our core values embrace sharing great coffee and food and having fun with friends and our community, it just seems the perfect way to spend an early Fall Saturday morning.

It will be better than yummy… Wanna join us?

RSVP deborah@roasthouse.net The gathering is limited to the first 30.

Guest Blog on Local Farmers Markets by:

Ellen Maccarone, Associate Professor, Gonzaga University

www.ethicaleatingspokane.blogspot.com

Sustainable Summer's Bounty

Take Rest

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop– Ovid.
It’s Labor Day weekend, which many of us associate with the last days of summer. A week or so ago I was asked to write something to be cross-posted on my blog and on my friend Deb’s business’s website—Roast House. I have been thinking ever since on what I would write about (she told me I could write on anything I thought was important and bore repeating—I told her that was maybe a dangerous thing to do for a philosopher!).

But it is Labor Day weekend and as I walked around the Spokane Farmer’s Market this morning it struck me that for these farmers, Monday was probably not a day off, not a holiday. I am a professor and have spent most of my life in academic institutions in one way or another, so Labor Day really feels like the end of summer, since it is the beginning of the academic year. But we are still in the height of bounty of the agricultural season—the fruits and veggies of high summer are coming into their best and yet we start to see that which is good of fall—the winter squash and pumpkins, apples, potatoes and storing onions. There is likely a lot of work to do on farms on Monday.

Labor Day in the US started over 100 years ago as a sort of day of thanks to those who work hard in the US, who by their labor were reaching out for the American Dream and achieving for the nation prosperity and strength. (for an interesting history check out http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm). As those things are challenged by tough economic times, it serves as a good reminder that there are many who have labored hard in this country for generations and some who have newly arrived. Agricultural labor has changed a lot in the US in the 100-plus years since the beginning of Labor Day, and agricultural labor has been almost wholly overlooked when we think about labor here, too.

But I won’t overlook this agricultural labor. Nor the labor in other countries who provide me with things I need and want. Worker’s rights are often a third or fourth thought for people who are concerned with local sustainable food, but for me it is high on the list. I want to know, as much as I can, that the food I eat was grown in a way that was good for the earth and good for who grew it. Buying fair trade or relationship coffee, as I do from Roast House, is one way of doing that. Buying from farmers I have gotten to know, is another. Asking questions and learning about what I eat, where it is from, and who is selling it are others.

As I am asked, pretty frequently now, “what’s one thing you would recommend doing about food?” I find myself thinking about Alice Waters collection of essays from a special edition of The Nation (see http://www.thenation.com/issue/september-11-2006) a few years back called “One Thing To Do About Food” in which she had food writers, activists, and scholars write short pieces describing what they would do. I think in particular about Wendell Berry’s piece in that collection, not so much for the content he offered, but for saying that he’d have to say to things. I am afraid I have even a third thing to say: know your values, know your food, put your values to work.

A lot of our everyday values can have a food aspect. That the labor that helped bring food to my table isn’t taking a break on Monday, whether here in America or abroad. Agricultural labor is hard work, especially when done in a sustainable way with fewer industrial and mechanical inputs. That’s what I am remembering this Labor Day Weekend.