We tasted most of our blends that day instead of the usual single-origins, and it was a great opportunity to try them all side by side. Here’s what I tasted:
Seattle Space: dried raspberry/loam/smoky chocolate
Mellow Seattle: dried apple/toasted walnut/nutmeg & cream
Emerald City: toasted bread/dark-roasted nuts/dark chocolate
Molly’s Blend: caramel/firewood/baking spices
Seattle Sunrise: toasted nuts/cream
-Delicious!
This is a good year to be in coffee. We see it in our cafe, and we hear it from our industry friends. It’s nice to have arrived in 2010.
A new analysis on mintlife (based on mint.com spending patterns) shows that:
+ Seattle is the top coffee market in the country when you consider spend per person (capita?)
+ Spending on coffee is up for folks who do spend on coffee (”users”) by 20% over 2009.
+ The average ticket is down a smidgen vs. 2009.
What we have seen at Seattle Coffee Works confirms these national trends but with one twist. Our average ticket is up by almost 4% vs. 2009: we’re selling more whole bean coffee and we see a trend away from consuming coffee in our cafe to home brewing. We also see a strong interest in single-origin non-espresso coffees away from the usual 12-oz latte. We’ll give an update on those numbers in the fall (once we’re through our busy summer season.)
Here is the graph from mint.com:
A quick alert about and an invitation to our event on Wednesday May 12 at 4:30 pm at Seattle Coffee Works (107 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 206.340.8867)
The event is open to the interested public. There is a suggested cash donation of $10 to participate.
If you’re planning on coming, just so we know how many to expect, please sign up in the comments for this blog. Or send us an email. Or both. Otherwise just show up. We’ll have a good time either way!
Here is the skinny:
+ Ahead of the May 18 Hacienda La Esmeralda auction (which last year saw prices of more than $100 per pound for green coffee), we’ll be tasting samples for the seven lots this coming Wed. The format will be part traditional cupping part samples made through another contraption (either the Trifecta or Hario filter)
+ The event is a fundraiser for Facing the Future, a local Seattle nonprofit currently reaching 1.25 million students nationwide each year. Facing the Future develops curricula for all grade levels to help teach about issues of sustainability, global inter-connectedness, North-South issues — all topics critical for the future of the enjoyment of coffee.
+ The event kick starts Seattle Coffee Works beer & wine offering and showcases various coffee making contraptions including the brand new Trifecta.
Tentative Program:
4:30-5:30 Hors d’oeuvres (appetizers, $3 beer & wine cash bar, free coffee)
5:30-5:45 Introduction to Facing the Future and why sustainability matters in an increasingly interconnected world. A short introduction of Hacienda La Esmeralda and why we believe this coffee farm can show the way to more sustainable coffee consumption
Speaker: Pipo Bui, Director of Development Earthcorps; Member Board of Directors, Facing the Future
5:45-6:00 Cupping and Tasting.
6:00-7:00 Raffle for top coffees; cash bar.
We hope you can make it.