What's Brewing

When the coffee is good, you don’t need much to make it special. Your local coffee shop may have seasonal specialties with an ingredient list and directions longer than the instructions for rocket fuel, but it really shouldn’t take that much to get your powerful drink together.  When farmers crave making a treat out of their coffee, their go-to recipe preserves the flavor of the beans and maintains the simplicity of things in the countryside.  Without further due, here is the recipe: Ideally, boil some water and panela (raw sugar cane) in a pot until it melts and creates a...

If you’ve ever walked into a sophisticated coffee shop or bought coffee from any brand or store that’s not generic you’ve heard the term single origin. In short, if the coffee bag you are holding says “single origin” it means that every bean in that bag comes from the same location. It can be as broad as the same geographical region (I.e Uganda) or as precise as giving you the name of the family in whose farm those beans were cultivated, washed, and dried.  Some people take pride in testing coffee non-stop until they find a favorite bean and commit...

If you are a newbie into coffee, this article is for you. If coffee is already running through your body, but you’d like to reconsider how you buy coffee, this is for you as well.  Know Your Regions The flavor of coffee varies per region. African, Middle Eastern, and South American, they each have specific levels of acidity and a type of aroma and tones that distinguishes them. Even inside a particular country, there are even more regions with their distinctive flavors. Aside from longitude and latitude, the type of soil where the coffee grows also affects the flavor of...

Whether we like it or not, so much about us is shaped by our families. Our attitudes towards life, work, and play are largely influenced by those who raised us. Life at coffee farms is certainly different and there are some unique aspects that make child-rearing and family dynamics quite different from the more developed world. Below are three crucial elements about the experiences of the families responsible for our coffee beans.  Lead by Example They say good leaders are good learners, and I would add that the best way to learn is by example. We innately and sometimes unconsciously...

Unsurprisingly, a coffee farmer’s morning is synced with nature. They rise just before sunrise and get ready to touch the land as soon as the sun makes its appearance. There are plenty of benefits to this. Benefits to your health, levels of happiness, and even work performance. Hence, even if you are not spending the day in the fields, it may be worth considering taking some inspiration from coffee farmers.  Up Early There’s a local saying that goes “Al que madruga, Dios le ayuda.” meaning God helps those who wake up early. If one is to spend the day in...

Thrift is a virtue and one we all take pride in. We let others know about the bargains and good deals we make, and no matter how many sweet deals we have under our belt, we always have the energy to do our research and find the best deals around. Especially now in the age of connectivity and ecommerce, an extensive google search can take you very far and deep into every corner of the world, all for the sake of a good deal. But on the other hand, I’ve also come to learn that there are certain things that...