The blustery weather provided the perfect backdrop for this past Saturday's free Peace Coffee cupping, attended by more than 20 coffee lovers. When we arrived at Peace Coffee's Minneapolis headquarters, we were treated to Peace Coffee's new seasonal Pollinator blend (which replaces the well-loved Winter Snowshoe Brew), muffins and scones from the Birchwood Cafe, and Marketing Director Mel Meegan's tour of the warehouse and its impressive roasters. A few minutes later, we were sitting at long tables, staring at delicious-smelling cups of coffee grounds. I don't think any of us knew what to do.
Fortunately, Head Roaster Keith Tomlinson made it easy for us to follow along, offering all sorts of coffee factoids ("it takes three years for a coffee plant to bear fruit, and it will produce for seven years"), tips for keeping tasting notes ("if I smell something and I think of my Grandma, it's Guatemalan - where does your memory take you?"), and perfected slurping techniques (loud and quick!). It's clear that the folks at Peace Coffee are exceptionally talented, incredibly passionate about their work, and committed to fair trade ideals.
In the following 3-minute video, Keith describes what's happening in the fair trade market along with Peace Coffee's approach. The first few seconds are choppy, but if you stick with it, I bet you'll learn something. And if you enjoy Peace Coffee at all already, watching this video is bound to make you like it even more:
In many ways, the fair trade discussion is much like the organic food discussion - many companies see the advantages of aligning themselves with the growing market, but fewer of them are true to the ideals that define it.
Win a Pound of Coffee
SGT has partnered with Peace Coffee to offer our own organic, fair trade, Ugandan Peaberry coffee. (I don't like to brag, but many of the folks at this weekend's tasting thought it was the best one.)
To win a free pound of these glorious beans, post a comment below, telling us what kind of coffee (brand, roast, brewing method, etc.) is your favorite (don't forget to leave your email address). We'll pick a winner at random on Friday and let you know.
