15th Ave Coffee & Tea

Perched on the hillside of the city of Lausanne, Switzerland overlooking French Switzerland’s Lake Geneva with the picturesque backdrop of the French alps, sits the Starbucks Coffee Trading Company (henceforth referred to as the SCTC); the office responsible for all of Starbucks’ green coffee buying.

There are several steps that take place between the time the coffee cherry is harvested and when it is brewed to your liking in the cafe. The most noteworthy of which are (in sequence) harvesting, processing, buying and roasting/blending. If you’d like to learn a bit more about how coffee is processed on a coffee farm, be sure to check out Luke’s post below. My name is Amanda, one of your 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea supervisors, and today I’m going to tell you a little bit about green coffee buying practices based on the wonderful day I was able to spend with our coffee buyers and tasters in Lausanne.

When the green coffee samples arrive at the SCTC, they are roasted to a sample roast profile for the following day’s cupping. Given that the coffee has yet to be tasted, for sampling purposes, the coffee is roasted to a constant sample roast profile based on its growing region. Unlike coffee sold in the cafe that is roasted for the purpose of showcasing the coffee’s specific attributes, having a constant roast profile allows for coffee to be compared side-by-side without having its roast define the flavor characteristics of the coffee and/or perhaps mask the subtleties that are products of the geographic regions and processing methods. Once the coffee is roasted, it is left overnight to de-gas (approximately 16 hours). De-gassing is an important step in this process. When the green coffee bean is roasted, not only does the water evaporate causing the bean to both dry out and expand in size, but some of the natural sugars in the bean transform into CO2 gas. The de-gassing step allows for the bean to emit the majority of the CO2 helping protect and stabilize the flavor.

When I arrived at the SCTC at 8:30am, I was just in time for the daily cupping. Being the industry standard for tasting coffee, the cupping was prepared nearly identically to one of the 11am cuppings you may have attended at 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea. Unlike our meager quantities of 2-3 cups per type of coffee we taste, at the SCTC they cup 6 cups of each single origin coffee. In order for the coffee to be considered for retail, each of the 6 cups must exhibit a consistently exceptional combination of flavor, body and acidity. One of the coffee samples we were tasting was an Indian coffee with a pleasant herbal flavor and medium acidity. As the Manager of Green Coffee Quality tasted the sixth cup of the Indian coffee she validated her analysis with the other Francophone tasters by asking if they too thought it was “moisi”, the French word for “musty”. When the team concluded there was an evident defect in that one cup, the coffee was to be rejected on a basis of inconsistency.

Tasting with our coffee buyers gave me an incredible insight into the care we take in selecting the coffees we serve in our store. Every day, at our daily cuppings, I learn or discover something new about our coffees and the subtleties that hide beneath the surface of this complex product. I encourage you to join us at 11 am one of these days and experience our coffees with me or one of 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea’s other passionate baristas.

Should you have any further questions about the coffee buying or tasting process, I’d love to hear from you in a comment below!

-Amanda

Hello All,

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a blog post about tea and as we’ve just introduced a new tea to our line-up, I thought it’d be just the time to do so. Without any further ado I’d like to introduce you to our new premium tea offering, Bai Hao Oolong or “Oriental Beauty Oolong.”

You may recognize the name “Bai Hao” from our Bai Hao Silver Needle white tea. Bai Hao literally means “white hair” and refers to the silver tips of this oolong’s delicate leaves. It’s told that when the tea was first discovered, the crop had been damaged by an infestation of grass hopper-like insects. One farmer, instead of destroying his crop, decided to process it into tea and take it to the local tea merchant who offered twice the price of his usual tea. When he returned to his village to tell his neighbors of his triumphs, his neighbors thought him to be exaggerating and mockingly named it “Big Mouth Tea” though it wasn’t long before many of the region’s farmers began to grow the Bai Hao Oolong as well. As the tea gained popularity in the western world, it was England’s Queen Elizabeth II who gave the tea its western name “Oriental Beauty Oolong.”

From the Fujian province of China, a region which is traditionally said to be “eight parts mountain, one part water and one part farmland”, Bai Hao oolong is grown at an elevation of 3,000 ft. It is the tea’s oxidation level of 70% that accounts for the fruit-like sweetness of black tea, yet with the hallmark honey fragrance of an oolong. The Bai Hao Oolong is famous worldwide for its magnificent smooth and sweet flavor.

While processing this tea, tea leaves are wound or rolled tightly in order to initiate the oxidation process which is ended by way of charcoal-fire. As a result, the tea as you’ll find it in the cafe is seen in tightly-wound strands that, over the course of several steeps, unwind into full leaves (as you can see in-detail by clicking on the picture above). As the leaves open up, so do the Bai Hao Oolong’s exotic flavors. In order to experience the depth and complexity of this tea, I recommend enjoying a pot of it through all of 3 to 7 steepings allowing for the flavors to best develop.

So whether it’s on Monday’s student night or during our Sunday jazz matinee, be sure to try a pot of our Bai Hao Oolong tea and enjoy as the flavors un-wind. If you have any further questions about our tea offerings, please comment below!

-Amanda

What: Ed Zincavage’s CD Release Party
Where: 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea
When: Saturday April 24th, 6pm

If you didn’t get a chance to stop in for the Michel Navedo Quartet’s CD Pre-Release Party then you’ll certainly not want to miss Ed Zincavage’s this Saturday, April 24th. This coming Saturday, 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea is hosting Ed’s CD release party for his new album “Blue Moon In December”

A regular performer at 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea since we opened, Ed will be playing a showcase of original songs featuring fingerstyle slide blues and folk guitar, harmonica, and vocals. Joining Ed on this memorable evening will be the special guests; Pam Mortenson on the digeridoo, Eric on guitar and Michel Navedo on the trumpet. Don’t miss the first performance of Ed’s new album and a guaranteed exciting event!

Hi There!

My name is Jay Gurney and I am proud to finally introduce myself as the manager of 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea. Having been a part of this project from day one I am honored to have the opportunity to take over as store manager. I have been in the role for the past two months and haven’t found the time to actually write to you all until now.

Having spent the last six years in the coffee industry, I have developed a strong passion for the product.  Our line up of coffee comes fresh from the roaster every week and many of the varieties we feature can only be found here or in their origin countries. We will continue to showcase Starbucks coffees at their best and strive to make them even better for you, our customers, every day. Working at this store, not only has my passion for coffee grown stronger, but I’ve expanded my appreciation of the vast world of tea as well. Anyone who has taken the time to sit down with a pot of Bai Hao Silver Needle or Ti Kwan Yin will tell you that our tea menu is second to none.

From the day we opened our doors I have worked to make this a place for the community. I didn’t want this to be just another coffee shop in the neighborhood, but to be the neighborhood coffeeshop. I’m eager to continue connecting with you all and always appreciate any comments of feedback you may have. So come in and introduce yourself, have a cup of coffee, a pot of tea, or a glass of beer or wine, and enjoy. This will always be a place for you.

I look forward to continuing our coffee and tea journey together…

Jay!

Hello surfers of the world wide web.  My name is Luke Reynolds and I am one of your devoted baristas at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. I’m writing today to fill in some details of how coffee is processed.  If you’ve ever joined me for one of our daily 11a.m. coffee tastings, then you’ve probably politely and patiently permitted me to pontificate on the process for processing coffee. Admittedly, I am often a bit verbose at the tasting table explaining how “processing methods” can affect coffee taste.  Ergo, here I am today as this page provides me with a nice venue to get detailed.  So let’s get to talking about coffee!

Exactly 1 year ago I was in the municipality of Dipilto, Nicaragua, test running a 10 day intensive coffee course that focused on coffee processes, from the seed all the way to the cup.

Although there is much to discuss about coffee nurseries, adult coffee plants, picking, husking, roasting and tasting, today we will just discuss what is referred to in the industry as the “wet processing method.”

Ripe coffee cherries, roughly the same size and color of a ripe cranberry, (here’s a photo of one with a pest related defect, see if you can spot the hole) arrive fresh-picked from the coffee farm and are dumped into a large tank above a depulping machine.  The coffee is channeled with water through a trough with baffle that prevents low density (bad) coffee cherries from continuing on to the depulper. Coffee from the top falls into a hopper and is then pressed through the textured metal screen of the spinner cylinder.  The pulp gets shot out to a pile, the coffee bean gets channeled to a fermentation tank.

Although the coffee bean is now devoid of its fruit, there is still a tenacious and slippery skin called mucilage that remains.  The fermentation tank– which is very much like a large bathtub- is simply an environment in which the coffee can begin to decompose so that the mucilage can be removed.  In these tubs hundreds of pounds of coffee will sit for 12 to 24 hours (depending on if it was depulped with or without water).

Once the coffee has sat in the tank it is ready to be “washed,” or rinsed out into another trough and agitated with water.  Here I am at the trough with a large paddle to agitate the beans back and forth before being bagged and sent to the drying patio.

Washed coffees are typical of Latin America (though not exclusive) and the process is to which washed coffees owe their bright acidity, chocolate and mildly nutty flavor profiles; the characteristics which make them excellent coffee and especially suited for breakfast and pairing with subtle desserts.  Indeed, one of my favorite coffees at 15th is and has been the Guatemala Medina.  This coffee is from a single farm in the Antigua region of Guatemala and possesses all the hallmarks of a great washed coffee with the subtle and soft flavor notes one finds in an excellent small-batch coffee.

I have a much greater appreciation for coffee after having worked on a farm and seen all of the processes first hand.  When it comes to producing coffee, each step along the way is soberingly labor intensive; from seed to cup.  I love sharing my knowledge, so please, if I have sparked your interest whatsoever today in any step of the process, please comment so I may address whatever questions you may have.  Or, comment, and then come on in and ask me in person!

Until then,

-Luke

We have been lucky to have amazing jazz music every Sunday night by the Michel Navedo Quartet.

15th Ave Coffee & Tea is proud to host their CD Pre-Release Party. Join us Saturday April 3rd from 7pm-9pm in celebration of their first CD!

So come in for some great food, delicious drinks, and an amazing live performance of their first full-length album!!

After many of your requests for a more substantial and sustainable breakfast option, we’re happy to inform you that we’ve decided to introduce granola to our menu.

We’re proud to continue our partnership with Seattle chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas, supplier of our tomato soup, by featuring his own Dahlia Bakery granola. At  this point granola will be served in the cafe as an option with milk, or without for a snack on-the-go.

Next time you’re in the cafe be sure to try out Tom Douglas’ granola and let us know what you think!

-Amanda

In observance of the common pastime of sleeping in on Sunday mornings, we are making changes to our hours of operation beginning this Sunday, March 7th. Starting on Sunday we will begin opening our doors one hour later, at 7am.

Join us this Sunday, March 7th from 7am to 8am and receive one of our newly featured Mighty-O Donuts free with the purchase of a handcrafted coffee or tea beverage. This offer goes out only to the first 20 customers in the door so don’t sleep in too late!

- Amanda

*Offer valid only at 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea with the purchase of any handcrafted beverage. Limit one free Mighty-O Donut per customer. Offer valid until 8am or until donuts are gone, whichever comes first.

Hi all,

I’m pleased to inform you that we have done a bit of revising to our food menu and are proud to now serve both Mighty-O Donuts and Homegrown sandwiches. As of today, a variety of both products are served in our cafe. We hope you’ll come by and check them out!

-Amanda

Featured Mighty-O Donuts:

Good O’l Glazed:

Vanilla Cake Glazed: Classic, original, ready for love.

Lots O Chocolate:

Lots O Chocolate people, don’t drive heavy machinery after this one.

French Toast:

Mighty-O makes french toast donut,  leaves out egg, adds spice: cinnamon, cardamon, coriander, ginger, orange peel, & maple syrup, to  their original donut recipe and call it french toast.

About Mighty-O Donuts:
Mighty-O is a producer of premium donuts. Using an original recipe  developed from scratch. Mighty-O donuts are made locally out of Seattle. All ingredients are certified organic and guarantee a wholesome, delicious, all natural product. Mighty-O donuts contain absolutely no chemical preservatives, no hydrogenated oils, and no artificial flavors or colorings. A donut that everyone can enjoy!

*All information regarding Mighty-O products sourced from www.MightyO.com*

Featured Homegrown Sandwiches:

Turkey, Apple Butter & Herb Cream Cheese
with organic roma tomato and mixed greens.

Ham, Shallot Relish & Beecher’s Flagship
with sage aioli, organic roma tomato and mixed greens.

Hummus, Veggies & Herb Cream Cheese
with organic roma tomato and mixed greens.

About Homegrown Sandwiches:
Our goal at Homegrown is not only to create sandwiches out  of sustainable ingredients but also to make sandwich creation  sustainable itself. In addition to using fresh, sustainable ingredients in our gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups, Homegrown strives for sustainability as a local business through the green materials we print and serve on, to our rejection of bottled water, to our 100% compostable and recyclable product.

*All information regarding Homegrown sandwiches sourced from www.EatHomegrown.com*

Stop by the cafe this Sunday for a very special Valentines Day affair.

To the live jazz backdrop of the Michel Navedo Quartet, enjoy the festive pairing of either our Stonecap Syrah or Silver Cap Champagne with your choice between two elegant Essential Baking Company desserts for only $15 a couple.

Chocolate Syrah Seduction
a Chocolate cake enrobed in chocolate ganache and syrah reduction.

Cherry Jubilee
a dark chocolate mousse filled with cherries in a light mascarpone filling atop a chocolate-almond cake.

Lights will be low for a romantic setting in which to enjoy a serenade by our favorite Sunday jazz quartet.
No cover, open to all, looking forward to seeing you there!