Need a little coffee in your day? Try these three products.
Ironworker Half Caff Coffee from Carrollton’s 4AM Coffee Roasters
Five years ago Shane Galloway was roasting coffee for himself and for his friends. When he couldn’t keep up with the demand, he figured it was time to make his hobby his business. So four years ago, 4AM Coffee Roasters was born in downtown Carrollton and Galloway turned a donut shop into a coffee shop plus farm-to-table breakfast-lunch-dinner cafe. He’s roasting his coffee in an air roaster rather than a drum roaster so the beans “float” in a stream of hot air as they heat. Bits of chaff from the coffee bean husks that would make the coffee bitter blow away. For those times when you don’t want a fully caffeinated day, we tried his Ironworker blend. It’s a half caff combination of water-processed decaffeinated Sumatran coffee beans with natural processed Ethiopian coffee beans. The natural process means the beans are dried with the fruit (called the coffee “cherry”) on the beans and the resulting coffee really does taste fruity and smooth. His Etsy shop offers eight fully caffeinated coffees as well. Buy a bag of coffee at the shop and they’ll brew you a cup for free.
$12 per 12-ounce bag. Available at the shop, 105 N. Park Street, Carrollton or online at etsy.com/shop/4AMCoffeeRoasters.
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Big Bang from Peet’s Coffee
The New York Times described Alfred Peet as "the Dutch coffee merchant who pioneered a revolution ... that led to America's love affair with high-end coffee." Peet's first shop in Berkeley, California (opened in 1966), was ground zero for understanding that where coffee is grown matters. He was generous with his expertise and Starbucks co-founder Jerry Baldwin credits Peet for teaching him how to cup, how to roast and how to blend. Peet's started in California but now has 400 coffee bars across the country and Peet's coffee is available in grocery stores across the Atlanta area. We tried their Big Bang blend, named for Corby Kummer's quote (Kummer is a former dining critic for Atlanta magazine), "]Peet] was the big bang. It all started with him." This is a medium roast coffee that includes natural processed Ethiopian coffee beans that give it a sweetness we really liked. (We also like their limited release Anniversary Blend with beans from Colombia and Rwanda. Rich and delicious.)
Big Bang is $15.95 per pound. Available at Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger and Target. Anniversary Blend is $19.95 per pound available online at peets.com/.
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Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans from J. Martinez & Company
I don’t know about you, but coffee and chocolate is my very favorite flavor combination. And while mocha drinks are fine, chocolate covered coffee beans are even better. No cup required, just grab a handful! Atlanta’s classic coffee roaster, J. Martinez & Company, was founded in 1988 by Jamaica native John Martinez. He offered his customers the chance to purchase “estate” coffee, sourced from individual coffee estates. It was pretty revolutionary at the time. One of the coffees the company has offered since its inception is renowned Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee, and those are the beans they use for this chocolate covered treat. The dark chocolate version is their best seller, but there’s a milk chocolate version, too, that will appeal to those who want a milder chocolate experience. Chocolate-covered coffee beans for your Easter basket this year?
$15 per 1-pound bag. Available at their roastery, 3934 Green Industrial Way, Atlanta, or online at https://www.martinezfinecoffees.com/.
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