Barefoot Coffee

The new harvest 2008 harvest Finca Vista Hermosa coffees have arrived. They are quite simply impeccable. Wonderfully balanced sweetness with complex chocolate and light lemony citrus highlights. The Martinez family has outdone themselves again. Barefoot is so proud of our five year relationship with Finca Vista Hermosa.

2008 is the first year that we had two of the microlots vacuum packed in mylar bags at origin. In our pre-harvest tastings the Hermosa microlot stood out with it’s intense complexity and crispness. In a fit of joy we bought the entire microlot of 100 bags and had it all vacuum packed to preserve the fresh harvest flavors all year. The Hermosa Reserva is powerfully complex and nuanced. It makes sublime espresso that will knock you for a happy loop.

For 2008 we also had the Peaberry Reserve vacuum packed the same way. This si seriously the most chocolatey coffee we have ever tasted. It is almost too much chocolate for one cup. (almost…) It makes a head spinning french press and knee dropping espresso.

The other standout microlot was the Edlyna. This microlot made it to the final round of the Cup Of Excellence this year and it is a roundly sweet coffee with nice chocolate, light lemony citrus and hints of saffron and bay leaf warmth.

Rev up your mouth engines folks! This is going to be the best year yet for Finca Vista Hermosa and Barefoot!

November 4th, 2008 | Tags: coffee, espresso, fvh, guatemala, sos | Category: coffee | Comments (1)

Slow Food Nation. How can something called Slow go by so fast? It was a whirlwind of frenetic activity and coffee magic. I keep realizing how historic the event was in every way. It was a monumental undertaking and was amazingly well executed. A huge bow down with high fives to the curators Andrew Barnett, Eileen Hassi and Tonx.

It was truly historic and groundbreaking. But it was also exactly the way all of us have been doing great coffee for years. The Coffee pavillion was not so much of a unique event as a typical gathering of the coffee lovers that habitually make up the artisan end of things. It was not just that everyone knew each other, even the new Baristas were welcomed in with smiles and high fives, It was how comfortable everyone was with the very idea of what we were trying to do. For most of the team coffee is treated as a culinary art every day and the coffee farmer has been front and center for years.

There was so many amazing coffees as filter coffee and espressos that it was hard not to get completely wasted on coffee. I failed utterly. I drank so much coffee and espresso that I got the dreaded coffee hangover. It is seriously horrible. And seriously wonderful.

A few coffee highlights. Probably the three standouts were the conciousness altering coffee from Abdellah Bergersh from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. Roasted by the cool cat Andrew Barnett at Ecco Caffe. I have never had so many people startlingly actually taste strawberry preserves in a coffee. I am not able to speak about the coffee without tearing up. I managed to grab a whole bag. I actually had to wrestle it from the grasping hands of a rather concerned young woman who did not realize the treasure she was holding and the depth of my desire for this coffee.

The other mouth ringer was the Don Pachi Panama from Francisco Serrasin Jr. The boys at Stumptown did an amazing job of finding and roasting a huge bunch of orchids and orange blossoms hiding inside a coffee bean. It was truly remarkable.

And finally Edwin Martinez’s namesake micro-lot Edlyna from Finca Vista Hermosa pulled as espresso by Billy Wilson. Even though it was a year old and a 2007 harvest it was so lemony sweet and cacao powder chocolatey and amazingly balanced for an unbalanced lemon and chocolate drop. And best of all Edwin himself got to taste it several times as espresso and was blown away by how great his coffee tasted as espresso. We talked abotu it the whole way home that night.

So overall it was a historic and inspiring event that did a good job of highlighting the farmers hard work and the glory of truly wonderful coffee done well. It was extremely difficult to be a taste captain for literally thousands of coffee fans in a non stop marathon of 2.5 days. But damn it was worth it.

September 3rd, 2008 | Tags: coffee, edwin Martinez, slow food nation | Category: events | Leave a comment

Barefoot Coffee Roasters is bringing Edwin Martinez from Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala to Slow Food Nation Labor Day Weekend to share coffee growing stories and great coffee.

San Jose, CA, August 25^th, 2008 – Slow Food Nation is the ultimate celebration of food and drink and is happening Labor day weekend in San Francisco, CA at Fort Mason. Barefoot Coffee Roasters is celebrating by flying Edwin Martinez, owner of Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala, in to give talks about growing award winning coffee and even to serve his own coffee to thousands of participants. Barefoot Coffee was selected as one of the ten top roasters from around the country to participate in the Coffee Taste Pavilion.

Slow Food Nation is hosting 23 Taste Workshops, one-hour in-depth taste experiences led by passionate artisans guiding students of Slow Food in the complexity and delight of good, clean and fair food. The Taste Workshops will be held on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31, during Slow Food Nation at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. They coincide with Taste, Slow Food Nation’s grand celebration of food in America, being held in the Festival Pavilion of Fort Mason Center. Tickets to the Taste Workshops are on sale now at www.slowfoodnation.org.

An unprecedented event, Slow Food Nation will bring together tens of thousands to experience an extraordinary range of activities highlighting the connection between plate and planet. Taste and the Taste Workshops present an exceptional opportunity to sample the diversity of regional foods of America.

Though most coffee is enjoyed far from where it grows, coffee roasters committed to building a sustainable and just food system work hard to narrow the gap between producers and consumers. The Coffee Pavilion will showcase a broad variety of coffees that exemplify the preeminent role of the coffee grower in producing outstanding quality and flavor. Multiple tasting stations will serve flights of contrasting coffees, highlighting different coffee origins, botanical varietals, and processing styles. A world class espresso bar will feature coffees which, when prepared as espresso, communicate the craftsmanship of the farmers. Some of the nation’s most skilled baristas will be participating, providing a glimpse at some of the exciting advances in North American espresso culture.

COFFEES will be provided by a number of roasters and importers including:

• Ecco Caffè

• Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea

• Ritual Coffee Roasters

• Terroir Coffee Company

• Barefoot Coffee Roasters

• Counter Culture Coffee

• Olympia Coffee Roasting

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters

• Verve Coffee Roasters

• Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Co.

Coffee Pavillion

The Barefoot cafe is also celebrating Slow Food Nation by giving away free single origin espresso shots all day Saturday August 30^th. Single Origin espresso is an espresso made from the beans from a single farm rather than a blend.

About Slow Food Nation

Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement. It was created to organize the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair through enjoyable, accessible and educational activities. Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food and aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious.

About Slow Food

The Slow Food movement was founded in 1989 and flourishes in 131 countries around the globe.

Currently supported by 83,000 members worldwide (16,000 members in the U.S.), Slow Food’s

ethos is defined by the belief that food is a common language and a universal right, and an

appreciation for slowing down and savoring the convivial traditions of the table. Established in

2000, non-profit Slow Food USA has grown to 200 local chapters in 47 states. Its members

include culinary professionals and food enthusiasts, farmers and food producers, educators and

students. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat delicious food that is good

for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.

Finca Vista Hermosa, Beautiful View, is a legacy of three generations of coffee lovers who have poured their hearts into the rich land of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The United States purchases more specialty coffee from Guatemala than any other country in the world. Because it is situated in the highlands, Huehuetenango coffees are among the more coveted coffees of altitude from Guatemala. Our family plantation is located in Agua Dulce, Huehuetenango in northwest Guatemala. Finca Vista Hermosa is ecologically sound and healthy, a model for many shade grown and organic plantations.

August 25th, 2008 | Tags: coffee, slow food, slow food nation | Category: events | Leave a comment