As I sit here and sip on this amazing coffee from Aida Batlle I have time to reflect on the weeks events. Every month we have the local espresso enthusiasts descend on the shop to talk about coffee, espresso, and life. I always enjoy these times because my life is pretty hectic with doing the coffee shop and an internet startup. Most are in the computer or pharmaceutical companies that make up the bulk of employers in the area and also have hectic lives. They go on business trips, work under imposing deadlines, try to keep up with kid’s sports schedule. They also have a passion for coffee.
Many of them have spent one to two thousand dollars on their own home espresso machines. They tweak them out like mechanic working on a classic Mustang to get the best performance. Some roast their own coffee at home. Some run their own coffee website dedicated to the hard working people that have a passion for coffee at home.
What I see is a maybe a different take on when I was young and single where we the “Play Hard, Party Hard” attitude ruled our lives. As we got older we have changed and gotten wiser with more a “Play Hard, Enjoy Life” attitude. Enjoying the top 2% of the world’s high quality coffee harvests is a nice daily reminder that we are not prisoners to the job. Now when I say the top 2% I mean it. That does not mean going to a drive-thru at Starbucks and getting a high-fat sugar bomb with whip cream and sprinkles. I’m talking real coffee. High quality coffee that needs nothing at all. No sugar, no cream. A beautiful testament to Mother Nature and her hard working farmers. A coffee that is ground before brewed. A coffee that is weighed before being coursely ground. A coffee that is French Pressed to 4 minutes with water just after the boil.
The coffee? I am drinking Finca Mauritania peaberry from Aida Batlle’s farm in El Salvador. Located on the Santa Ana volcano she produces the most amazing coffees I have ever had the chance to drink. Peaberry is a genetic mutation in the coffee plant where only one seed is formed in the coffee cherry instead of two. Aida separated out the peaberrys to produce this amazing coffee. With aromas of jasmine and honeydew and flavors of fruit, cashews, and vanilla there is no other way to enjoy this coffee without careful preparation.
There is no compromise when it comes to quality of life for these hard working folks. And they are happy to let others in on their little secret of enjoy the best coffee.
