November 2012 Coffee News

-To Your Health
-2012 Holiday Flavors
-Alternative Gift Buying Oportunities
-Coffee Gift Ideas

Here in Minnesota we don't pay sales tax on food and so we like to joke when folks ask about it from time to time, "nope, no sales tax, coffee is essential nutrition, you know!" Joking aside, while we would never go so far as to claim that coffee is a health food, it has been nice to read of research indicating there are health benefits to this stimulating beverage. Since we hinted at writing about health last month -- that's what you'll find below -- a cursory look at coffee and your health. You'll also find the much anticipated holiday flavor list for 2012 and a number of great alternative gift buying opportunities.

To Your Health
Somehow it seems appropriate to talk about Health matters on the day after Halloween when many of us (especially our younger family members) have overdosed on sweets. Recently a coffee customer sent us a link from Dr. Oz's website, RealAge, sharing research that coffee reduces the risk of several types of cancer. It also appears to be beneficial in warding off Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's and in fighting diabetes. We did a quick google search and found the website Coffee and Health that offers a nice summary of recent health research about coffee. It seems pretty balanced, but keep in mind the website is sponsored by 7 major European coffee companies!

Now, we have no intention of exploiting what seems to be ever changing research results for our marketing purposes, but we are curious if there is any basis to all these claims. With a little more internet research, we came across a nice summary article by Dr Hensrud at the Mayo Clinic and that seemed to be a reliable enough source. His understated conclusion, "The best answer may be that for most people the health benefits [of coffee] outweigh the risks." That's good enough for us. Feel free to forward any other news you might run across about coffee and health and we'll all continue to learn together.

Announcing our 2012 Holiday Flavors
Our latest holiday flavor survey was met with incredible enthusiasm. 144 people voted, most of them on the first day. The first 50 votes came through in the first hour!! Knowing your anticipation for this seasonal event, we won't keep you waiting any longer. Here are the winning flavors for 2012:

  • Wind Chill -- Rich cream flavor with signature notes of vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate has all the warmth you'll need during those frosty winter nights.
  • Gingerbread Spice - Grandma's gingerbread cookies never smelled so good. Freshly baked characteristics of rich spices, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger that will make your mouth water.
  • Drunken Uncle -- Picture yourself around the fireplace basking in the soothing tastes of Kahlua and Irish Cream laced with Gran Marnier.
  • Almond Toffee - A crunchy butterscotch toffee with the sweetness of brown sugar and the nuttiness of toasted almonds.

All four of these flavors will be available in the coming 3-4 months in 8 oz packages, whole bean and ground and in limited quantities of decaf for $6.50. While we tried to order enough of each flavor, it is impossible to know for sure. Get your order to us quickly to make sure you get what you want. NEW THIS YEAR, you can also use our website store to place your order. (And of course our regular flavors continue to be available during this time as well.)

Alternative Gift Buying Opportunities
There are so many great alternatives for your holiday shopping. Here are a few of our favorites to share with you:

-Prospect Park UMC Bazaar and Art Fair -- Saturday, November 3rd from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. At our church located at 22 Orlin Ave SE, Minneapolis. Famous homemade rolls for breakfast. Homemade Pizza for lunch (and pizza and lefsa making lessons!) Plus a wide variety of beautiful products from local artists. See the website for a complete list of artists and directions.

-Northland Bioneers Conference -- Saturday, November 10th from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm at Macalester College in St. Paul. OK - this isn't a shopping event but it is a great opportunity to get inspired! Check out the conference schedule.

-Green Gifts Fair -- Saturday, November 17, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. At the Midtown Global Market, 920 East Lake St, Minneapolis. We'll be one of over 70 green vendors. They'll be green demos, kids activities, great food, an eco fashion show and much more. 

-The World Jubilee Fair Trade Market -- Also, Saturday, November 17th from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at Colonial Church of Edina. 6200 Colonial Way, Edina. Featuring beautiful fair trade products from all over the world.

-Buy Local Gift Guide -- Find great local gift ideas from members of the Twin Cities Metro Independent Business Association. Join Mayor Coleman for a Holiday Shopping Kick off on Monday, November 19 - 11:00 am at Victoria Crossing at Victoria and Grand in Saint Paul.  

Coffee Gift Ideas
Then again, you could just do all of your holiday shopping with us. Here are a few ideas for gifting coffee.

-Coffee Subscription Gift certificates. Give 6 or 12 months of coffee to a friend or loved one. We'll send you (or the gift recipient) a colorful gift certificate explaining the gift. Coffee will be delivered each month for free to people in our delivery route area, or we can also mail a coffee subscription for the added cost of postage. You can pick the type of coffee or let them pick.

-Coffee mailed for you. Make it easy on yourself and let us mail your coffee gifts for only the extra cost of postage. We mail nearly 40 packages of coffee each month anyway, so it is easy to do a few more. We can even include a note from you if you wish.

-Extra coffee with your November or December order. And of course, the easiest option is just to order extra coffee with your November or December order. It never hurts to have an extra bag or two on hand for guests or for unexpected gift needs. Coffee makes a great gift for teachers or to bring along for your hosts if you are traveling. Give it alone, or pair it with a set of coffee mugs or a coffee grinder, or include it in a gift basket with other goodies.

If you already know what your coffee gift needs will be, let us know before November 26 so that we make sure to order enough for you.