You go Anuhea!

Kohana Coffee's spokesperson and featured artist is Anuhea Jenkins. Anuhea is a talented young singer/songwriter from Maui who's moving quickly to the top (#3 as of yesterday!) of the R&B charts with her new album - follow this link for a free download from i-Tunes or to purchase her album online. http://www.itunes.com/anuhea

We love Anuhea's style, her voice, her songwriting abilities and are thrilled to have her be the talent behind our brand. The fact that she loves Kohana Coffee makes us happy, happy.

Healthy Job ~

I read a recent article from a Baltimore NBC station and discovered another perk to my job at Kohana Coffee (besides the free coffee) - recent studies show that caffeine may help prevent skin cancer (non-melanoma) and/or repair sun damage! You can choose to rub the caffeine directly on your skin or drink it – but most doctors would recommend not increasing your daily intake. Most of us surely get PLENTY of caffeine daily!

Some skin creams containing caffeine are already on the market but they’re marketed as anti-cellulite lotions. I’m sure as more research is done there will be an influx of caffeinated skin creams (or sunscreens). Until that day, I’ll be happy to pick up a Toddy maker and enjoy some delicious cold brewed Kohana Coffee this summer while I’m relaxing by the pool!
Article: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/19494729/detail.html

Cristin

Ted's Take on the Austin Chronicle's Poll results...

The results of the 2009 “Austin Chronicle” Restaurant Poll were announced today. Readers voted for Starbucks as the best coffee in Austin, followed by Jo’s Hot Coffee in 2nd place, and Honorable Mentions were given to Austin Java, Anderson’s, and Teo. The food critics of the “Chronicle” did not recognize any other coffee roasters or cafes in their award category. In 2007, Kohana Blend was selected by the critics as Best House Blend.

I think it’s unfortunate that Starbucks of Seattle should be awarded Best Coffee in Austin. Sure, they employ lots of Austinites and have convenient drive thrus, but is this really the BEST coffee in Austin? There are several local roasters in Austin producing marvelous, fresh coffee in small batches who should be given greater recognition. Micro roasters like Kohana Coffee, buy the finest specialty Arabica green coffee available and deliver it to our local customers like Whole Foods, Central Market, Cissi’s Market, Breed & Co and Blue Dahlia Bistro right after roasting. It’s fresh, it’s bought quickly, and we roast more. There’s no telling when the coffee was roasted at Starbucks. Even their bags in retail stores have expiration dates up to a year later.

Jo’s Hot Coffee is roasted by Little City, a fine small roaster with a café on Congress Avenue near the Capitol. However, unless you know that Jo’s buys it’s coffee from Little City, it’s just “Jo’s Coffee”. Why isn’t Little City one of the top coffees in the Best Coffee list? Austin Java and Anderson’s roast their own coffee too, and they are local. Mr. Anderson is the patriarch of specialty coffee roasting in Austin and deserves to be placed above Starbucks. Teo buys its coffee from out-of-town roasters (Café Piansa) and an Italian roaster (Palazzo) supplies their espresso.

I wish that the food critics and readers of the “Chronicle” were more supportive of the small, local roasters in Austin who produce what we know is really the BEST coffees in Austin. If not, the other large, corporate coffee brands who are competing against Starbucks will make next year’s Restaurant Poll results even worse: 1st Place: Starbucks; 2nd Place: McDonald’s; 3rd Place: Dunkin’ Donuts.

Ted

Kohana Guest Blogger - J'aime Mitchell, Whole Foods

Welcome to the newest addition to Kohana Coffee's Blog - our Guest Bloggers.

We have so many friends in the coffee world who's opinion we value. Our want is to put their thoughts, wisdom, insights and ideas up as frequently as we can. We hope that you, our readers, can learn to know them as we do.

We start with a very good friend to Kohana, J'aime Mitchell, the coffee/tea/chocolate buyer for the landmark Whole Foods Market in Austin. Her job is setting standards and having fun through quality retail experiences. She knows coffee - and it's been such a pleasure working with her. Sadly for us, she's off to Costa Rica soon - but we know it will be an amazing trip and can't wait for the stories she'll have to share.

From J'aime...

"Just started packing for the big summer plans: I packed my french press before realizing I'll be half a world away from my grinder... So with as much when-in-Rome gumption as I could muster, I left behind my security blanket of coffee accoutrements and settled for an extra pair of sandals.I'm looking forward to 10 weeks in Costa Rica, don't get me wrong, but this houseful of love is going to be hard to leave. I'm also going to miss the fabulous coffees coming into Austin. It's harvest season, and there are new coffees to taste every week. It's so much fun to finally have the talented roasters right around the corner; those early morning trips to Seattle and Vienna were so tedious! Anyway, I'll be on the road again for a spell which always means new cuisine to bring home. Hopefully I'll even make it down to Panama, then I'll understand where that magic Kohana brew grows! I'll make sure to learn a traditional dessert to go with it. Stay tuned... I might even share a piece... "

Coffee Talk by Anuhea

If you haven't heard of Anuhea yet, sit tight, you will soon enough. A Maui born n' bred talented singer/songwriter just released her first album and it's screaming to the top of the lists. Check out her new vlog (link below), Coffee Talk. There are many things we love about Anuhea - her voice, her philosophy, her talent...but the girl loves Kohana coffee!!!! She's the crema in our cup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMxhcnSWFmU

more on the Flores Bajawa...

Wanted to mention that this lovely coffee can be found on our website http://www.kohanacoffee.com/ under the Medium Roast category or locally in Austin at Cissi's Market (bag), Whole Foods/Lamar (bag) and Central Market (both stores, bulk).

Roaster's Blog of May 6th, 2009 by Ted King

Aloha,

Brewed a pot of Flores Bajawa this morning at The Warehouse. Kohana Coffee is one of a few roasters offering this sensational Indonesian coffee that became commercially in demand only 5 years ago.

“Flores” is the name of the island it is from, and “Bajawa” is both the people living there, and the harbor village where this coffee grows. It was recently certified organic in the U.S. and European markets. Our supplier of Flores Bajawa, Royal Coffee of Berkeley, CA, reports that the island is inhabited by gigantic rats, Komodo dragons, and massive saltwater crocodiles. We love what that adds to the cup.

When roasting, I often think about our coffees origins and want to research these places to expand my knowledge of Kohana’s products. Coffee roasting can be a meditative practice for me. Sometimes my mind takes me to Africa, South America, or Indonesian islands as I dream about these places. What would it be like to grow coffee and live in a place like Flores? What would a Bajawan coffee farmer think about drinking his coffee in Austin if he came here?

Despite having our hands in the same bags of coffee beans, I am removed a world away from those whose coffees I roast.

Stay tuned ~

TK

Kohana and Planet Cancer, Flamingo-a-Go-Go-Go!

Kohana Coffee was pleased to participate in Planet Cancer's Flamingo-a-Go-Go this past Saturday, May 2 at the Monarch. Alongside delicious foods from The Belmont, Whole Foods, Opal Divine's, Moonshine, and many others, we set out a choice of Kohana Blend (no one can resist our signature blend), Kohana Panama (a truly delightful dark roast that continues to win people over), and Decaf Kohana Blend (the perfect choice for decaf drinkers).

This was a party not to be missed! Besides the delectable food and drinks, DJ Manny provided fabulous music that was hard to resist! Please take a moment to visit Planet Cancer's website http://www.planetcancer.org/html/index.php. This organization truly deserves all the attention it can get- as its focus is to provide a support network for young adults with cancer. Planet Cancer provides a safe haven where its members can face the complex world of cancer together, both the serious and the not-so-serious, particularly when these individuals are supposed to be in their prime. We are proud to support this effort!