tis the season

'Tis the Season for Sharing... Coffee with a Crowd!

A new Holiday season is fast approaching! The season for sharing is here, which means it’s the perfect time to cover our tips on brewing a cup of coffee that will impress any crowd! Our method recommendations largely depend on the size of your crowd… so, know your crowd, and get ready to make them one of the best cups of coffee they’ve ever had!

If you’re having a small gathering, and are an Espresso aficionado, you simply can’t go wrong treating them to a freshly roasted, wonderfully-extracted Americano, Cortado, or Latte! It’ll give you the opportunity to showcase your skills and share a unique experience with your family or close friends. Our Crema Espresso Blend is a solid crowd pleaser, but almost any of our single-origins -particularly washed and honey Central and South Americans- all have great Espresso potential!

A second option is to make them a Pour-Over with your favorite coffee! (Chemex is our go-to for making 4-6 cups at a time). It will also give you an opportunity to showcase your skills (i.e. grinding, timing, slow pouring), and show that you don’t need any fancy equipment to make an amazing cup! Pick one of our naturals or honey-processed coffees for the most memorable craft coffee experience!

If your group is a little larger (6-12 people), consider brewing the same coffee employing two methods at the same time, i.e. Pour-Over and French Press. This will not just allow you to prepare a larger volume of coffee in a shorter period of time, but will also add another dimension to the experience (i.e. as people will be able to contrast differences between methods… you can even offer them a ‘half cup’ of each method!). Expect Pour-Over cups to be cleaner and more ‘transparent’, and French Press cups to be bolder and heavier in body. Central and South American beans - and our Swan blends - really shine on both methods! (our Red Swan Holiday Blend this year will be extra bold and fruity - absolutely perfect on Pour-Overs and French Press!)

Finally, if you’re hosting a large group (12+ people), Drip (aka. ‘standard coffee maker') is the best way to brew coffee for a crowd! Consider getting an insulated coffee carafe with a 2-3 L capacity, which will allow you to make a couple of batches in advance so everyone can enjoy their coffee at the same time. Trust us, as soon as that first person starts pouring a cup… everyone will want one! Any of our beans would be great here, though we’d encourage you to brew Poaquil - and hopefully get a chance to tell the economic empowerment story of the Guatemalan farmers behind your cup!

Always grateful to roast for you… and get to Brew Greatness in the world with you!

Jolian & Lisbeth

PS. Our new Poaquil Honey + Poaquil Natural just launched TODAY! Plus, our Holiday Gift Sets, Stocking Stuffer Specials, and our 2019 Red Swan Blend will be launching next Fri, Nov 1 (and available until Dec 31). And, if you’re going to the Holiday Gift Market in Tampa (Nov 7-10), come say hi! (and get some coffee and a hug!) Find us at Booth #602.