Blue Bottle Coffee

James recently headed down to Belcampo’s outpost in Belize to put on a master coffee course. You can learn more about Belcampo here.

Last night, “Edible Selby” author Todd Selby joined James and Caitlin for a book signing and talk at the SFMOMA. The reception featured a Selby-themed cookie wall and the longest darn Mondrian cake you’ve ever seen. We’re talking two yards of Mondrian cake here, people.

James and Caitlin have had quite the busy week. Their book tour has taken them to all points across New York City — from Greenlight Bookstore to the Apple Retail Store in SoHo to the stage of 92YTribeca. Special thanks go out to our whole New York Crew, especially our East Coast Wholesale Accounts Manager, Jessica Gorman (steadiest Chemex-pouring hand in NY, rest assured).

See you in the Bay Area for more events in the next couple of weeks.

Our West Coast book launch event went off without a hitch. Highlights from the evening (pictured above) included NOPA’s Blue Bottle espresso martinis, Alyssa’s delectable mini-pastries and Arno’s dry wit (almost the same moisture content as the beans he was roasting, incidentally). Additional highlight: hourly text message updates on James’ status in the hospital. He’s back on his feet now.

You can purchase the book here.

Stay tuned for pictures from our New York book release!

Today is the first roast of the Guatemala Maya Ixil here at the Oakland roastery. This delicious coffee will be available at our west coast locations this weekend.  Read on for details about Shaw’s visit to this beautiful cooperative in Guatemala. Slideshow included!
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From The Journal of the Green Bean Buyer:

While on my travels this year in Guatemala, I visited Cooperative Maya Ixil located in the tropical Ixcan region in the department of Quiche. The Ixil Community has remained mostly isolated from the rest of the world, up in the Cuchumatanes Mountains. The men are farmers and most of the women are weavers, crafting some of the most beautiful textiles I have seen. I was able to spend the day with Andres the General Manager and other members of the cooperative, learning about the co-op, visiting a member’s farm, cupping coffee, and sharing a meal.
Cooperative Maya Ixil produces a much different coffee than our most recent Guatemalan offering from La Voz Cooperative. One reason is due to processing. While La Voz members bring cherry to the co-op’s wet mill to be processed collectively, Maya Ixil coffee is produced by small-holder farmers who individually process their coffee down to parchment. This offering from Cooperative Maya Ixil shines with apple blossom and lemongrass aromatics and notes of brown sugar, honey, and chocolate. Enjoy!

Check out this slide show from my trip!

Shaw Sturton, Green Bean Buyer BBCC

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Have you tried our new Guatemala La Voz yet? Make a cup to enjoy with our Green Coffee Buyer’s report from the field!

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I had the opportunity to travel again to Central America this year. My travels took me all over Guatemala. While there I met with various cooperatives throughout the country in order to develop relationships and find exceptional coffee. Of the groups I visited, the dedicated members of La Voz que Clama en el Desierto (“The Voice that Cries in the Desert”) really made an impression with not only with their knowledge and dedication but with their hospitality. I spent time touring the mill, talking with members of the co-op, and cupping coffee with new friends.

La Voz is located in the Lake Atitlan region, a region which hosts the perfect conditions to provide excellent coffee. We look forward to working more with La Voz and enjoying more stellar coffee produced by this co-op.

Check out this slide show from my trip!
Shaw
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Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of clamoring from our customers who don’t live in the Bay Area or New York if there were a way to get our cold coffee in stores near them. We had to tell them that it wasn’t the case, but it got us wondering if were even possible to make a product which was delicious, didn’t use heat during any part of the steeping, bottling, and pasteurizing process, and have it taste just as delicious as in our shops. We might have cracked the code! We will be featuring a bottled New Orleans, and a bottled Kyoto (black) coffee starting December 26th for a limited time in our shops in the Ferry Building and at our roastery in Oakland. The drinks are steeped in cold water at St. George Spirits, and bottled and pasteurized near our roastery in Oakland. The ingredients are identical to the drinks in our shops. All of us at Blue Bottle are super excited about these drinks and think they are delicious. We hope you do too. If you have a chance to try them, please let us know what you think by answering a few questions here.

it will really help us out before we do the next bottling.
thanks!

we had a great time presenting today’s pop up coffee salon in the oakland cupping room. we promise: more soon.

This Sunday, September 18th, we are trying out a Japanese-style coffee salon in the cupping room of our Oakland Roastery. We are featuring two processing methods of our Aida Battle selection El Majahual lots in five preparation methods: three hot, two cold. The salon will be open from 11-3. Please stop by! No reservations are necessary. And there will be toast and cake.

“I love New York on summer afternoons when everyone’s away. There’s something very sensuous about it – overripe, as if all sorts of funny fruits were going to fall into your hands.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby,

Maybe it was beginner’s luck, but in our second summer in the city, we have lined up four lovely spots to drink coffee in three of New York’s five boroughs. We’re still working on the Bronx and Staten Island.

The Highline
(Chelsea Market passage)
m-th 9am-5pm
fri-sun 9am-7pm
iced coffee, beans, house-made granola and other treats.
Full coffee bar coming soon!
Ends November 2011 –ish

Rockaway Beach
full espresso bar, individually prepared drip coffee,
iced coffee, beans, house-made granola and other treats.
m-f 8am-4pm
weekends 8am-6pm
ends labor day

New Amsterdam Market
Sundays 11am-4pm
Individually prepared drip coffee, iced coffee, beans, house-made granola and other treats.
Ends December 17, 2011

Smorgasburg
Saturdays 9am-5pm
Individually prepared drip coffee, iced coffee, beans, house-made granola and other treats.
Ends late November 2011