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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Talking Crow Roasters’ Decaf Sampler Pack

Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. A coffee roaster that specializes in decaf…with decaf sampler packs?

It’s no secret that being a decaf drinker means being comfortable with disappointment. When we’re not faced with The Token Decaf Bag while scrolling through a roaster’s portfolio, we’re sometimes faced with no bag whatsoever. To top things off, we’re inundated with lazy marketing tactics that treat decaf coffee like a punishment, a joke, or a cryptid to be whispered about.

It’s a little obnoxious, to say the least.

This purchase is a lesson in great coffee marketing. Talking Crow Roasters has eschewed the silly approach with a celebration of decaf as a coffee category worthy of nuance. They’re also Washington-based, which means I really had no excuse to take this long.

What do Talking Crow Roasters bring to the table other than a commitment to decaf coffee? Let’s take a look:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Talking Crow Roasters’ Decaf Sampler Pack”
coffee, guide

Not All Is So Gray: The Myriad Of Ways The World Brews Their Coffee

A world of nearly nine billion people can only beg the question…just how many ways can coffee be brewed?

Would you try fresh drip coffee poured over cheese? How about local beans mixed with pepper for an extra kick? Coffee is a popular drink just as much for its inspiring of community as it is for flavor, and nowhere is this more clear than Newsweek’s round-up of interesting coffee brewing methods around the world. They hop from the cold reaches of Finland to the birthplace of coffee in Ethiopia, taking a look at all the ways this drink can be shaped.

The Ethiopian coffee brewing ceremony has always been the most fascinating to me: it’s an in-depth process that lasts for hours and involves washing, roasting and steeping in one sitting. That said, I would be a very poor liar if I wasn’t also craving a fluffy Japanese latte (on my bucket list for when I visit the country in 2022). When the news is oversaturated with fresh doomsday theories and depressing statistics, it helps to be faced with the world’s parallel brilliance, community and creativity.

The pandemic has closed down several coffee chains and seen a resulting spike in home brewing equipment. Now’s a great time to get reacquainted with coffee and what it means to you, even if it’s the world’s cheapest instant package with a splash of grocery store creamer. We all got to get our comfort, any way we can. As for me, I’ve been turning to chai tea and hot chocolate until I find home brewing equipment in my budget. When I finally make coffee at home again, it’ll be glorious (and topped with brown sugar).

How do you like to brew your coffee?