Crafting Fall Magic
As the heat of summer begins to fade, fall brings a welcome change to Washington DC. The first breezes of the season start to turn the air crisp, and thoughts drift to cozy mornings spent over hot drinks. For us, these early days of fall always take us back to our first cafe on 7th St in Shaw, which we opened on a gorgeous September day in 2014. The details of those days are still vivid in our memory—the way the autumn light filtering through our cafe windows in the morning seemed to make the steam rising from a fresh cup of coffee glow, the buzz and excitement as we began to form a community of regulars who would become fast friends. For us, fall is a season of gratitude, and a reminder of the countless connections we have formed over cups of coffee. This sense of community and these shared moments inspire us every year in the creation of Autumn Blend. This special blend is more than just a coffee; it's an invitation to reconnect, to share, and to create new memories even as you cherish the old ones. Every fall, our roasting team works hard to create a special blend that captures all love about the season and more. This year, Autumn Blend is a carefully crafted mix of beans from Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil. Colombian beans add balanced, chocolaty notes, while Kenyan beans give a light, refreshing acidity. Brazilian beans bring in full-bodied richness, resulting in a cozy dark roast with great body, light acidity, and a tantalizing hint of spice.
Sourced with Purpose
Our commitment to quality starts at the source. Long before the first leaves turn, we visit the farms that produce our beans and connect with the people who make it all possible: industry innovators who are as passionate about coffee as we are. In the hunt for the beans that would become Autumn Blend, we visit Gabriel de Carvalho Dias on his farm in the highlands west of Sao Paulo. Gabriel has transformed his farm from a modest processing center into a cutting-edge hub for coffee research and development. His pursuit of excellence and willingness to experiment with new varieties over our long relationship together—going all the way back to 2014—place him at the forefront of Brazilian coffee. We're reminded that our coffee community extends far beyond the walls of our cafes. It's through global collaborations like these - thanks thanks innovators like Gabriel - that the magic of Autumn Blend is possible.
At origin on the farm of Gabriel de Carvalho Dias.
Making Fall Flavors Shine
The journey from bean to cup is one of precision and care. After we return from origin with raw coffee in hand, we delve into the delicate art of sample roasting. This step is crucial; it's where we find the precise degree of roast that amplifies each bean's unique characteristics. We roast small samples from Colombia, Kenya, and Brazil, each to a degree that best brings out their individual qualities—balance and chocolate notes from Colombia, light acidity from Kenya, and full body from Brazil. Finally, our team of master roasters takes these individual samples and blends them together to create a coffee that is a whole lot more than a sum of its parts.
In sample roasting small batches, our master roasters bring out the best from every bean.
A Very Special Blend
Autumn Blend shines, no matter how you choose to brew it—there's really no wrong way. That being said, we'd love to share some of our favorite brewing methods that bring out unique characteristics of this special blend. Using a French press will emphasize the full body of the dark roast. On the other hand, a pour-over will highlight the lighter, acidic notes contributed by the Kenyan beans. And for those who prefer to keep it simple, brewing it in a standard coffee pot still delivers an exceptional cup. The most important thing is that Autumn Blend is crafted to be versatile and delicious, however you brew. We hope that it will come to mean as much to you as it does to us.
