Eclipsing the Senses!
To commemorate the upcoming solar eclipse, we have designed a new blend that will eclipse your senses with dark, complex notes of baker's chocolate and spices. 
We're calling it our Eclipse Blend! Available for a limited time in a variety of sizes from 2 ounce sample bags to 16 ounce bags.
Available in our shop or via our web site.
Coffee is not a word, it's a sentence!
- Coffee is not a word, it's a sentence. We just saw this posted in a Mississippi coffee shop yesterday and thought it appropriate.
- More summer-like weather is forecast for Portland next week so come see us for all your cold brew coffee and brewing supplies.
- For those who love to BBQ, check out this recipe!
- Check out our coffees on Amazon.com. Seven varieties are available through Amazon Prime so enjoy the convenience of Free Shipping! www.amazon.com/shops/stjohnscoffee
Many thanks for your on-going support!
Mount & Crew
Would I really tell someone NOT to drink coffee???
The concept of me telling someone not to drink coffee seems foreign. However, this past week, I received an e-mail from someone asking if our coffee was "gluten-free"? My initial reaction was ... I won't mention what I said.
After considering the question, I decided I should do some research to see if there was anything definitive before responding to the e-mail. Here's what I found.
Apparently, those who are gluten intolerant, may experience gluten-like side effects when drinking coffee due to similarities in the proteins present in coffee being similar to proteins in gluten.
Another culprit is when coffee is processed in the same facility as products containing gluten, there can be cross-contamination that takes place. And while I don't believe any of the coffees I purchase have been processed in this manner, I cannot guarantee it.
So the long and short of it is that for folks who find themselves gluten intolerant, you may want to find another option to coffee. I can't believe I just said that!
This Monday, we will be closed for the Fourth of July. If you are on schedule for home delivery on Wednesday, there will be not any interruption to your normal delivery.
The big news on the jazz scene is that on August 8th and 9th at 7:30 pm, Alan Broadbent will be returning to Classic Pianos for two shows. For those of you who are familiar with Alan's music... you'll know what his performances are like. Electric, profound, intimate and humble are just a few adjectives that come to mind.
He's performed at Classic Pianos multiple times and I've attended each of his performances. I have yet to be disappointed. If you would like to experience one of his shows, please call Peggie at Classic Pianos and reserve your tickets. They're guaranteed to sell out quickly. Peggie can be reached at 503.546.5622.
Be sure to check out our selection of coffees on Amazon. You may find them here - www.amazon.com/shops/stjohnscoffee.
Thanks for your continued support!
Mount & Crew
Ethiopian Coffees Rock!!!
Last week I mentioned we would be receiving a new Ethiopian Sidamo coffee. It arrived late Tuesday and had barely gotten into the shop before we were unloading it from the pallet and preparing it for roasting.
We just did a tasting of it and WOW!!! So full of blueberry!!! And smoothhhhh!!! Very very clean cup.
We sampled it next to the Dry Process Ethiopian Yirgacheffe which is also incredibly smooth but with so much going on! Hits one's tongue immediately and dances around all those taste buds.
Come on in and try them both. They both excel brewed as pour-overs so that would be my recommendation.
The big news this week, aside from the stellar Ethiopian coffees, is that our coffees will soon be available through Amazon.com. Stay tuned for more information.
New products scheduled to arrive next week, just in time for Father's Day:
- Espro Travel Presses - French press on-the-go.
- Espro Presses - double wall, brushed stainless steel. Keeps coffee hot for hours.
- Espro P5 Stainless French Presses. Heavy duty glass that won't slip and nicer price-point.
- Logo travel mugs
While the weather can't make up its mind if it wants to be 100º or 60º, it's perfect for drinking coffee. Tomorrow looks like an
other perfect day for coffee as well as the St. Johns Farmers Market.
Stop by and get fueled and warmed before heading to the market.
Meanwhile, keep the coffee flowing.
Mount & Crew
Be ready for Memorial Day!!!
Memorial Day is generally the kick-off to a season of bbq'ing so I thought I'd share a recipe for dry rub for any type of meat you choose. Oh and of course, one of the ingredients is coffee. Duh!
BBQ COFFEE RUB
- 1/4 cup finely fround coffee
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne
Many of you probably remember the amazing Brazil Grota Sao Pedro we had last year but sold out. Well, I have g
ood news. It will be returning to our line-up in the very near future. Last time we described it as being like drinking Cremè Brulee and I have a feeling this year's crop will be comparable. Perhaps more like Tiramisu. :)
If the Memorial Day weather proves too hot to serve your guests hot coffee, consider brewing some cold-brew coffee. We have a large selection of Toddy Brewers and accessories and ar
e happy to teach you the process. It's quite simple. Or, if you decide you'd like to serve something with a little "kick" to it, consider a coffee martini. We can show you how to make those as well! They're delicious!!!
Meanwhile, have a great weekend and keep the coffee flowing.
Mount & Crew
More new faces!!!
This week we'd like to welcome another new member to our staff. In addition to a passion for excellent coffee, Kirk Sanchez brings a nice quiet energy and attention to detail and I believe is going to be a nice fit here at the shop.
This Saturday is the 54th annual St. Johns Parade and 10th annual St. Johns Bizarre. The past few years we've been blessed with beautiful, sunny weather for these events but it doesn't look like we're going to have a repeat performance of that this year.
These two events draw thousands of people come from miles around because it is the proverbial "small-town" parade filled with marching bands, car clubs, etc.
In any regard, we'll be here ready to serve lots of organic and fair trade coffees, both hot and cold-brewed as well as delicious French pastries and Spielman bagels to keep you fueled.
And don't forget, we now have a nice assortment of organic juices from Columbia Gorge Organic Juices.
I'm often looking for different ways in which coffee can be used and found this recipe the other day which sounds like a splendid refreshment for a hot summer day.
Ingredients
Directions
- In a small bowl, stir together the water and coffee. In a blender, combine ice cubes, coffee mixture, milk, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.
Beginning today, St. Johns Coffee Roasters' coffee will be available in the Greenway location of Whole Foods Markets. If you live or work in the Southwest area of Portland/Beaverton, stop in and check out this beautiful store. It's located at 12220 SW Scholls Ferry Road - Tigard, OR 97223.
And this Saturday, Greg will be handing out samples of our coffee at Chuck's Produce in Vancouver from 11 am - 2 pm. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area and sample some REAL.GOOD.COFFEE.
We're also scheduled to receive a new shipment of the Baratza grinders tomorrow. We recently sold out but thankfully, the company is located in Seattle so it was a quick-fix. If you're not familiar with the Baratza grinders, come in and ask for a demo.
This was the grinder that changed my life.
Meanwhile, have a great weekend and keep the coffee flowing. I hope you're able to make it to the St. Johns Parade and St. Johns Bizarre.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!
Well, the outcome of the Super Bowl certainly wasn't what I'd expected? I thought the Panthers were going to run all over the Broncos. Good thing I'm not a betting person. :)
I received an e-mail from Espro (the company who produces the stunning stainless steel French presses we offer) a couple days ago, announcing the introduction of a durable glass French press. As with the stainless steel models, the design is stunning with the advantage of them having a lower price point.
Two models will be available. One will be called the P5 and the other a P3. I'm not sure of the numerical significance. As soon as more information and photos become available, I will certainly share.
The scheduled shipping date is in three weeks and I've already told them I want some so keep your eyes peeled for those.
In other news this week, I learned yesterday my grant application to the St. Johns Mainstreet has been approved so we will soon be adding some additional exterior lighting to the building which I'm very excited about. It will go along the exterior wall facing Ivanhoe Street.
So, I'm going to get up on the proverbial Soapbox for just a minute and talk about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Most of you are familiar with Yelp. It's a great resource for obtaining information about businesses one is considering patronizing. St. Johns Coffee Roasters has been very fortunate to have garnered such great Yelp reviews. Until yesterday.
Yesterday we received a scathing review from someone that I feel was completely mean-spirited and wrong. It seems the author had an agenda and didn't have the courage to speak with any of us directly.
That said, I'm not suggesting we're perfect. We make mistakes but I'd like to believe, we do our best to learn from those mistakes and grow. Each of us are very passionate about coffee and the level of service we provide and take those responsibilites very seriously.
So I just want to put it out there that if when you visit our shop, if your experience is anything less than stellar, please ask for myself or mention something to any staff member. We encourage your feedback, good or bad and I promise you, we will listen.
Taryn just left a few minutes ago to go to the Concordia New Seasons Market to conduct a demo of our line of coffees, sold by New Seasons. If you're in the area of NE 33rd and Killingsworth St., please stop by and say hi.
I think that's it for this week. Have a great weekend and keep the coffee flowing!
Many thanks,
Mount & Crew
