In late August, Chris and I attended Coffee Fest in Anaheim. It was our first foray into market events as Single Serve Co. So it was fun to meet new coffee friends and watch their interests pique when we told them we package fully branded, no minimum, Keurig compatible, bpi certified compostable single serve pods. 😛
We made some great new friends and tasted some delicious coffees as well ...a Brazilian bean, in particular, caught our attention. You may see it later.
We also entered the US Cold Brew Championships presented by ALTO Cold Brew.
Contestants had to present a still cold brew, as well as a specialty drink. Choosing our still cold brew was easy. Our Costa Rica brew fondly known as "Jet Fuel" was the obvious choice. It is a beautiful fatty bean from the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica. We source it directly from the Haug family. I met the Haugs when I worked with Bakt Koffee and have had the honor of having Jose Haug make me the perfect cup of coffee.
Our cafe favorite, Vanilla Oat Latte, was the obvious choice for the specialty drink. Our goal was to elevate it and before long I was making honey spun sugar and candied vanilla beans. But as we started assembling Chris's presentation, it just felt wrong. While there is truth to feasting with our eyes, we just aren't that kind of coffee company yet. And when in doubt, go with what you know. Don't slap a trying-too-hard, tooth breaking, choking hazard on top of perfection. So in the end, we just gave them a delicious drink with a straw. Our popular compostable straws made of coffee.
It paid off. Chris did an outstanding job presenting and we came away with 3rd place. We are honored and humbled. The competition was amazing, and the best part was everyone gathered behind the curtain, sipping, complimenting, questioning and trading business cards. THAT is what coffee culture is all about.
The road to here has been hard for Chris and I. There have been many doubters, many delays and many mistakes. So walking away with that beautiful trophy was more than just acknowledgement of a good cup of coffee. It is the proof. What we've known in our guts to be true all along.
We have something special to offer.
* Our nitro cold brew products are available by bottle or keg. We also do custom small batch cold brew with your beans.