Monthly Archives: January 2012

Little Seattle Shines

| January 30, 2012

May we offer you a light? Bowery Boogie has posted an update with photos of our progress in NYC. Neon for the new store went up last week and we’re excited to see our Punchinello represented on the Lower East Side.

For more photos, including a few of Via Tribunali, go here.

Sumatra Gayo River – New Crop Arrival

| January 26, 2012

As always, the arrival of new crop Farm Direct Sumatra Gayo River is a cause for celebration, particularly when we take into consideration the challenges facing our farmers and producing partners in Aceh, Indonesia. The damaging weather patterns continue to hamper production, to the tune of a nearly thirty-percent drop over the past two seasons. The primary cause for this decline has been higher-than-average rainfall during the critical blossoming and ripening stages of development.

A period of dry weather is necessary to stimulate a timely and consistent flowering, and the extended rains have led to a scattered harvest with low yields. As a result, prices are higher than ever, but this coffee is worth it! We have transitioned into this new crop and it is one of the best yet, featuring everything we love about the Gayo profile — syrupy body, blackberry sweetness, and herbal complexity.

Pick up a fresh bag of these rich, organic beans at any Caffe Vita cafe or online.

Public Brewing School is Back in Session

| January 25, 2012

On February 18th, Caffe Vita’s Public Brewing School is officially back in session. Public Brewing School (PBS) is our complimentary class that delves into the world of understanding and brewing better coffee at home.

PBS is focused on manual brewing methods, but is also an open forum to talk all things coffee. Set aside your automatic drip machine and learn about the joys and benefits of using superior brewing methods like French Press, Chemex, Vacuum Pot, Bialetti, Pour Over and more. PBS is held at our roasterie on Capitol Hill.

As always, Public Brewing School is free, but we won’t tell if you’d like to make it a belated Valentine’s Day gift. To reserve your spot, please email trainingdept@caffevita.com.

Happy Pie Day!

| January 23, 2012

Here at Vita, we like our pie. Thankfully, we know a few of the best spots for the all-American divine dessert. Today is National Pie Day, one of our favorite days of the year! Below is a short list of our friends who are celebrating right along with us.

Portlanders will be indulging in a pie pairing special today at Random Order Coffeehouse & Bakery and Caffe Vita Alberta in Portland. A cup of French press and a slice will set you back a mere $6.

The 5 Point Cafe is celebrating new homemade pies made in house by Kate Drummond (Bunny’s Baked Goods). Today’s pies are Pecan and Blueberry Lemon. Stop by for the $5 Vita & Pie special.

The ever-illusive Banoffee pie.

Even though every day is pie day at High 5 Pie, today they’re serving up extra-special Banoffee pie, key lime, coconut cream, dark chocolate lavender, and more!

Pie man Rick Friel at Pie Party!

In more pie-related news, our very own Rick Friel hosted Pie Party this past Saturday, a sweet bash to benefit ovarian cancer research!

The Harvest in Honduras

| January 20, 2012

Last week, Caffe Vita travelled through Honduras in the midst of what is set to be their largest harvest on record. Our time was focused in the western departments of Copan, Ocotepeque, and Lempira, and as we met with producers, cupped coffees, visited co-ops, and spoke with farmers, we gained a greater understanding and appreciation of how excellent Honduran coffee can be.

Historically, Honduran coffees have been sold as a cheap alternative to the more established coffees of its neighbors, Guatemala and El Salvador. In fact, coffees from Honduras were sometimes smuggled into Guatemala to be sold as such, or poorly handled and stored, leading to inferior cup quality and shelf life. The truth is that

Honduras

possesses all of the ingredients necessary to produce some of the finest coffees in the world — lushly forested, ecologically diverse, high-altitude terrain with rich soils and tropical climate. Some of the more progressive exporters are now taking the necessary actions to identify the best producers and handle their coffee with care every step of the way from branch to port.

Most of the coffee in Honduras is grown on small farms, typically ranging in size from 2-15 acres, making the formation of cooperatives a necessary means to centralizing processing and providing the structure necessary to sell their coffee. Some of these cooperatives purchase cherry from their members, while others accept both wet and dry parchment.

We met with farmers such as Pancho Villeda of the Capucas cooperative, who is a shining example of the kind of progressive farmer that we aim to work with. In his backyard, he has built his own mini wet-mill, and he dries his coffee in a solar drier that he constructed as well.

In Mercedes, Ocotepeque, cooperative director Rosalio Ventura accepts only ripe cherry and processes the coffee entirely on the premises, which we believe will result in a very consistent and clean coffee. The harvest was just beginning during our visit, as the elevation was quite high (1400+ meters).

This trip also presented a fantastic opportunity to learn about how coffee lands can be suitable for migratory birds, as we were accompanied by Robert Rice, geographer from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. We found the criteria necessary for their certification to be both excellent for habitat, and for quality as well. In addition to organic practices, the farm must have diverse and varied native species for shade. This kind of environment ensures a wealth of soil nutrition and the presence of helpful critters such as insects and birds.

Many of the coffees we cupped were impressive in their sweetness and tropical fruit flavors: mango, caramel, and lemongrass. We are very excited to be working towards a shipment of beautiful coffees for late spring. In the meantime you can check out some more photos from our trip here.

Celebrate National Pie Day with Vita & Random Order

| January 17, 2012

Are you ready for National Pie Day? January 23rd is right around the corner and we’ve got plenty of events planned to prepare you for this very important pie holiday (no disrespect to Pi Day, that is). Caffe Vita PDX has teamed up with our friends at Random Order Coffee House & Bakery to bring you pie and coffee pairings leading up to the big day.

Savory samplings from Random Order.

Join us this Thursday, January 19th from 6:30PM to 8:30PM at Random Order (1800 NE Alberta) and Saturday, January 21st from 4PM to 6PM at Caffe Vita Alberta (2909 NE Alberta) to sample sweet and savory pairings and choose your favorites. All this leads up to the big day on Monday, January 23rd, when a cup of Vita Fair Trade Organic or Single Origin French press coffee and a slice of delectable Random Order pie is just six bucks at both locations.

Not to worry, you’ve got plenty of time until Pi Day rolls around. Pie to the people!

You’re Invited: A Birthday Bash For Scribes

| January 17, 2012

Join Caffe Vita, Neumos, Via Tribunali, and Seattle Boxing Studio on February 3rd to celebrate Scribes’ birthday! One of the northwest’s most notable hip hop artists, Scribes has collaborated with artists such as Stone Gossard & Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Macklemore, SOL and Zion I. His album “What Was Lost” was #23 on KEXP’s Varitety Charts in Feb 2011 and is currently #18 on the CMJ Hip Hop Charts.

Want to learn more? Watch the video below on Scribes’ music and his work with the Seattle Boxing Studio.

For a free download of his latest album, visit www.scribesmusic.com. Come out on February 3rd and celebrate Scribes with us!

VITA RECORDS RELEASE: Fresh Espresso

| January 12, 2012

Rik Rude and P Smoov are Fresh Espresso, members of Seattle’s new rap guard who have firmly cemented their place in the local hip hop community. The two have been playing packed house after packed house since arriving on the scene in 2009.

Here at Caffe Vita, we love Fresh Espresso, and not just in name only. That’s why Vita Records has paired with the Fresh Espresso to release their single “Show Me How You Do” as a limited-edition record postcard. The record is printed on an honest-to-goodness postcard, playable on any standard turntable.

We’ll be selling the cards in all of our Washington cafes as of tomorrow. Come listen up!

Want more Fresh Espresso? Follow them on Twitter & find them on Facebook.

Introducing: The 12,000 Rain Gardens Blend

| January 11, 2012

Last week, we shared a first look at our first new coffee of 2012, a rich, all-organic blend of shade-grown coffees from Ethiopia, Guatemala and East Timor with notes of dark cherry, cocoa and honey. Today, we’re excited to announce the inspiration behind the blend: a collaboration with the 12,000 Rain Gardens project.

In support of Stewardship Partners and Washington State University Extension’s 12,000 Rain Gardens campaign to reduce flooding and runoff pollution into Puget Sound, we have officially released the 12,000 Rain Gardens Blend. Vita is donating 10% of the purchase price of each bag towards the installation of 12,000 rain gardens in the Puget Sound area by 2016.

Each year, 14 million pounds of toxins enter Puget Sound. This pollution is primarily cause by rainwater runoff from our streets, driveways, lawns and rooftops. Rain gardens take advantage of rainfall and stomwater runoff in their design and plant selection. The 12,000 Rain Gardens project will capture, filter and infiltrate 160 million gallons of pollution that would otherwise flow untreated into the waters of Puget Sound.

12,000 Rain Gardens Blend is available at our seven Washington cafes and in our online store. Be on the lookout for events and promotions in the community as we help clean the waters of Puget Sound one cup at a time.

To learn more about rain gardens, including where you can find them in your neighborhood and how to build your own, visit 12000raingardens.org.

Caffe Vita Featured in Diner’s Journal

| January 10, 2012

Last week, Caffe Vita was featured as a notable player among the new crop of coffee bars, coffee roasters and coffee training labs that have set up shop in New York as of late. Oliver Strand announced our impending opening (roaster in tow) on the Lower East Side in Diner’s Journal. We look forward to bringing our uniquely northwest personality to roasting locally in New York City.

Read the full article here.