Issue 1
Hi friends,
This is Issue 1 of the French Press Newsletter!
If you’re receiving this, you’ve signed up on the landing page or reached out to me directly — perhaps as long ago as one year.
I’ve somewhat embarrassingly waited until now to put together and send out the first issue, after asking last May (as in May of 2015) if anyone would be interested in a monthly newsletter about coffee. (You were!)
I have several poor excuses for the delay, but here is one good one: I’ve actually started my own coffee company! It’s called Connect Roasters, and we have a simple mission: to sell specialty-grade coffee and return profits back to the country of origin to fund initiatives like health clinics, nutrition programs and education centers.
More on the company below, but I first want to share with you my motivation for starting this coffee newsletter.
For one, coffee is a subject that really intrigues me, and it’s one I want to learn more about. Learning is always more fun when you can share the experience with others, and my goal is for this newsletter to be a vehicle for anyone who wants to come along for the ride. The more, the merrier!
As I’ve started to research coffee more and more, I’ve discovered that the industry still has along way to go toward educating its consumers. Specialty coffee is a growing market, and millennials are enjoying coffee more now than ever; yet there’s much mystery and misinformation around basic things like brewing methods, supply chains, how to buy good coffee, and more. If I can somehow contribute practical information to the public domain, even in a small way, then this newsletter will be a win.
Finally, I must admit that I miss writing. My college degree is in journalism, and since leaving my everyday job as a reporter and editor, I’ve missed having conversations with interesting people doing interesting things and having the the opportunity to retell those stories. I hope this newsletter can be the medium for that type of writing, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy doing it.
All future newsletters will be sent on the first of the month, and of course, you can unsubscribe at any time. (Scroll to the bottom for the link.) But if you find this content valuable, and you know others who might enjoy it, I’d ask you to forward them this email to give them the opportunity to subscribe, too.
Now on to the coffee!
Until next time,
Caleb
So I Started A Coffee Company
Crazy, right? I’ve started a coffee company called Connect Roasters, and what we’re doing is simple: We import, roast and sell really good coffee; then we send a bunch of the profits back to partner organizations in the country of origin.
The idea was born a few years ago after trips I had taken to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It was on those trips that I encountered real-world poverty for the first time, and those experiences planted a seed in me for a business that could help alleviate poverty in developing countries.
Long story short, the business is up and running! The first coffee we’re roasting and selling is one from a farm in Guatemala that I visited last year. You can read about the coffee (and see a few photos from my trip) here.
The business, though, is built not just on roasting and selling quality coffee, but on the partnerships we’re forming in impoverished places. For each coffee we offer, we’re partnering with an organization that is using our profits to help fund programs like health clinics and education centers. You can read about our first coffee partnerhere.
If you’re interested in trying some of our coffee, let me know and I’ll get you set up. There will be a discount code included in next month’s newsletter.
Easy French Press Recipe
If you’re looking for cheap and easy, it’s hard to beat a French press for making coffee at home.
However, even though the mechanics of using a French press are simple enough — fill with coffee + water, plunge and pour — there are several variables: How much coffee? How much water? How long do you let it brew before pouring?
That’s where recipes come in handy. Here’s one that works, inspired by the work of a Toronto-based coffee enthusiast:
Try it out and let me know what you think. And if you have a French press recipe of your own, I’d love to hear about it!
From Around the Web
- I’ve yet to taste a really good instant coffee, but I’m interested in what this company is doing. It’s called Sudden Coffee, and they’re making instant coffee by making espresso then freeze drying it. Then you just add water or milk. This New York Times review reads like an ad, and $3 a cup isn’t cheap. Still, I’m interested in getting my hands on some and trying it for myself.
- Coffee consumption in China is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing. Starbucks plans to open its first international roastery and tasting room in Shanghai in 2017, and Dunkin’ Donuts says it will open more than 1,400 shops in China over the next two decades. One reason for the boom: More Chinese are traveling abroad and have experienced the cafe culture in countries like Japan and the U.S. They’re bringing that consumer want back to their traditionally team-dominated culture.
- As much as I like coffee, I’m not sure I’m ready to start buying special water for home brewing.
- Interesting: Taking inflation into account, the price of a cup of coffee in 2016 is about the same as it was 50 years ago.
Looking for a coffee podcast?
If yes, the most entertaining one I’ve found is the Cat & Cloud podcast.
It’s hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby, two former U.S. Barista Championship finalists who are in the process of opening their own cafe in California. It’s a mix of interviews with other coffee professionals; mailbags episodes, where they answer listeners’ questions; and stories of getting their cafe and retail line of coffee off the ground. Their style is super laid back, and I love that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
If you’re not working in the industry as a roaster, barista, etc., some of the episodes may get too far in the weeds. But their guests are entertaining, and I’m a fan of their talk on cafe culture, coffee education and moving the industry forward. They are at their best, I think, when they’re straight talking — whether it’s giving honest opinion on products like cold brew or debunking coffee myths.
