Monthly Archives: November 2010

Holiday Blend is in!

| November 23, 2010

It’s that time of year again and we are very excited. Our Holiday Blend is finally in and should be available in all of our cafés by the end of the day. The label was designed by one of our baristas, Amelia, and the “Vita” is hand-stamped on each bag to lend a nice personal touch from us this holiday season.

Caffé Vita is pleased to offer a special treat this holiday season; a blend of two distinct coffees from our partners in southern Minas Gerais. Situated in the Rio Verde valley and flanked by the Serra da Mantiqueira mountains, the soil is rich with minerals and natural springs provide water for processing, all of which is done at the farm level under the supervision of Ibraim Chaib de Souza, and his son Pedro. The family has been farming in this region for 200 years, and this heritage and longevity is a testament to their ability to adapt to all of the challenges each growing season presents.   

Our recent trip to this farm led to an intensive cupping of multiple lots, separated by varietal and processing method, and helped to facilitate the selection of two standout coffees. A pulped natural peaberry was selected for its high notes, heady herbal aroma, and clean orange peel acidity. To provide body and sweetness, a naturally processed, late harvest coffee compliments with its dried fruit and dark chocolate flavors.

The resulting blend is balanced and easy to drink. Earthy, herbal aromas are supported by the flavors of dark chocolate and hazelnut, with just a hint of spicy orange zest acidity leading to a supple butterscotch finish.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Caffé Vita!

Cinerama Seattle will feature Caffé Vita coffee as it reopens…

| November 18, 2010

The historic Cinerama theatre at 2100 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle will re-open this Thursday night (or at 12am Friday if you wanna get technical about it) with the new Harry Potter joint. It’s a good thing they will be permanently serving Caffé Vita coffee at their concessions stand, as all the muggles are gonna need a little jolt to get them through the late showing. Vita coffee joins other local, non-typical, concessions fare like Cupcake Royal and Theo Chocolate. Best of luck to Cinerama  and we can’t wait to experience your new technology while sipping on some fine Vita coffee.

Cinerama’s website…

Order Head Like a Kite Reserve Blend, Get the Vinyl for Free…

| November 17, 2010

Just like you read it. When you buy our Head Like a Kite Reserve blend coffee in a 12oz bag, we’ll include a limited edition vinyl copy (plus a card for a digital copy) of Head Like a Kite’s “Dreams Suspend Night” full-length album.

The Coffee:
We are happy to announce the Head Like a Kite Reserve, hand picked organic Farm Direct coffee from select drying patios in the mountain jungles of Aceh. This Reserve coffee was hand selected from our Gayo farms in Northern Sumatra. Expect a rich, deeply aromatic cup with bright flavors of dark chocolate, roasted almonds, and exotic spice. Accented with notes of tobacco and vanilla throughout the finish. Certified Organic. 

The Album:
Breaking down beats seems as natural to HEAD LIKE A KITE’s Dave Einmo as breaking down genre barriers. On HLAK’s new full-length Dreams Suspend Night, blip beats dance around meaty analog synths and mischievous guitars, while HLAK drops the vocal hook bombs. Drummer Trent Moorman brings the beats live. Guests like Boom Bip (Neon Neon), Her Space Holiday, Asya of Smoosh, and members of The Long Winters, The Saturday Knights, and Swervedriver fuel the party. 12″ LP Vinyl with 12 new songs from HLAK. Includes download card of entire album. This Limited Edition Vinyl is available only at Caffe Vita.

Get yours here!

Vita will be at Seattle Mag’s Party of the Decade!

| November 11, 2010

Remember when we were partying like it was 1999? Man, 11 years goes by real damn fast. While 2010 doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like 1999 does, it will play host to the Party of the Decade…and it will be the party of the damn decade.

On Thursday November 18th, Seattle Magazine will host the Party of the Decade at the Seattle Design Center. Caffé Vita will be on hand with our mobile espresso cart serving up drinks that will help fuel the party late into the night. They are rolling out the purple carpet, so make sure you come on out and grab a glass of bubbly. Award winning chefs and restaurants will be on hand with fine edibles and we hear there might be some Skee Ball available (if our cart is empty we can be found here).

Tickets and info can be found here…

Sulawesi Toarco Jaya – Now Available !

| November 8, 2010



Beautiful Tana Toraja


Caffé Vita is pleased to offer a new arrival, grown by the people of Toraja on the island of Sulawesi. This coffee is processed at Toarco Jaya (“Glorious Toraja Arabica Coffee”) using the fully washed, dry hulled method – a style more common in Central America than Indonesia. As a result, this cup offers a cleaner, lighter bodied Indonesian profile, but still with great depth of character and a remarkable balance of ripe fruit sweetness and savory acidity. Aromas of coriander, juniper, and apricot compliment the floral honey and dark chocolate flavors with a finish of warm clove spice.

Available for a limited time. Visit our café locations to purchase, or click here to order online

Vita Coffee & Chocolate pairing Nov. 9th at Theo Chocolates…

| November 8, 2010

Tomorrow night, November 9th, Theo Chocolates will be holding a special pairing, tasting, and exploration of the goodness that comes out of roasting fine beans (be it coffee or cocoa). There are two sessions: one at 6:45 and one at 7:45, and the cost is $5 per person. Tastings will be held at Theo’s factory at 3400 Phinney Ave. N and if you’re interested please call 206-632-5100 to reserve your spot. One lucky attendee will walk away with a six-month Coffee & Chocolate subscription!

We’re now offering more coffee subscriptions online…

| November 5, 2010

For a long time, Caffé Vita has offered our Coffee & Chocolate monthly subscription; which includes a 12oz bag of coffee and a Theo chocolate bar, paired and shipped to your home. We thought there might some of you out there who just want the coffee, or just want some espresso beans to run through your home espresso machine.

Hence, we’ve created two new subscriptions. We call them Roaster’s Choice and Caffé Del Sol. They are excellent gift ideas for the coming holidays. Here’s how they break down:

Roaster’s Choice: On the 15th day of each month, we will package and ship one 12 oz. bag of small-batch roasted coffee beans directly to your doorstep. Our roaster and green bean buyer will collaborate to bring you the freshest coffee available. They may decide one of our signature and time-honored blends is best for that particular month, like our Queen City Blend; or they may decide to send you a bag from an exclusive and limited run, like a Sulawesi Toarco Jaya. It all depends on what’s new and available in our green bean storage room.

3 months: $60
6 months: $110
12 months: $220
*Shipping is included to lower 48 states. For elsewhere, please email Erin@caffevita.com for rates before ordering.

Caffé Del Sol – 24oz.: The Caffé Del Sol coffee subscription is designed for the at-home espresso connoisseur. On the 15th of each month, we will send two 12oz whole bean bags of our Caffé Del Sol.

Our in-house espresso blend consists of Latin American, African & Indonesian coffees. Rich and complex. Hints of dark chocolate, praline, & a silky deep amber crema with a caramel finish.

While we made this subscription with at home espresso makers in mind, our Caffé Del Sol blend actually makes an excellent cup of brewed coffee that is very balanced and mild, with a chocolate nut flavor and hints of dark fruit and cinnamon.

3 months: $90
6 months: $165
12 months: $330
*Shipping is included to lower 48 states. For elsewhere, please email Erin@caffevita.com for rates before ordering.

Eveleigh Restaurant opens to acclaim in LA, serves Caffé Vita

| November 2, 2010

From the restaurants of James Beard Award winning chefs to fine hotels on the East Coast to posh resort spas in Napa, Caffé Vita has a long and storied history of helping trendsetting establishments develop the finest coffee programs in the world. Yesterday, Eveleigh on Sunset in West Hollywood, opened to much anticipation and acclaim. Our trainer, Andy Kent, spent five days, two weeks ago in LA training Eveleigh’s staff on coffee and bringing their program up to the standard they hold for their farm-to-plate fair. Eveleigh serves our Farm Direct, organic, Gayo River Sumatra in a French press for a tasty apres meal pickmeup sure to get even the most seasoned scenester in Hollywood ready for another night on the town.

Read an excellent write-up on Eveleigh here…