Kick the weekend off with a treat that won't slow you down.

Before we begin - What is an Affogato?

 Affogato translates to "drowned" in Italian, which is exactly what we will be doing today - "drowning" a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a shot of hot espresso.

Now let's get started. Gather the following supplies & ingredients:

1 bag of coffee (we're using Sunset Blend) 

1-2 scoops of your preferred ice cream of gelato 

1 glass cup or bowl 

1 oz shot glass

1 Moka Pot or Espresso Machine 

1 spoon 

 

Selecting your coffee 

For this recipe we will be using one of our top selling coffees: Fidalgo's Sunset Blend - roasted skillfully to bring out notes of chocolate and brown sugar. 

Make sure your coffee is ground for espresso. The proper grind is crucial to a balanced and delicious shot of espresso. The texture your looking for is somewhere between powdered sugar and fine sand. If you aren't able to achieve this consistency at home, contact us and our team can grind your coffee on Fidalgo's commercial grinders. 

If you don't own an espresso machine, no need to fret. A Moka Pot and Aeropress filter creates a clean stovetop espresso from home. You can watch a demonstration by Gail from Seattle Espresso Gear here to learn more. 

 

Bring out the ice cream (or gelato!) 

Much like coffee, it is important to select a quality ice cream or gelato. We always find ourselves reaching for a pint of Lopez Island Creamery: Vanilla. They produce super premium, hand made ice cream which results in a denser and higher butterfat consistency.  

For the gelato lovers we can't speak highly enough about Seattle based D'ambrosio Gelato Vaniglia pints. Organic and slow churned, need we say more? 

Brew & Assemble 

Scoop 1-2 scoops of ice cream or gelato into your glass vessel.

Brew a 1 oz shot of hot espresso with a Moka pot or Espresso Machine. 

Drown the ice cream or gelato with the 1 oz shot of hot espresso. 

Grab a spoon, stir, and enjoy! 

Why does this recipe pair so well? 

The melted ice cream creates a silky mouthfeel with a bold kick from the espresso resulting in a decadent marriage of texture and flavor. 

Photos credit belongs to Rachel Coward. @rachelcoward
Story written by Ellya Camarillo. @ellyajoy 

 

Blind Assessment: Sweetly bright, deeply floral. Carnation, caramel, orange zest, pecan, golden raisin in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk, lightly juicy acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish centers around notes of carnation and pecan.

Notes: A blend comprised of 50% Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Adame Gorbota and 50% Guatemala Huehuetenango Adiestso, both washed-process coffees. Pursuing its core values of honesty, kindness, quality and teamwork, Fidalgo Coffee’s mission aims high: transforming the way specialty coffee is experienced in the U.S. For more information, visit www.fidalgocoffee.com.

The Bottom Line : A complex, nuanced blend with layered depth: richly sweet, floral-toned.

 

Read more here.

It means many things and has been a decades long conversation in our industry. I have written and talked about coffee beans as specialty by using the basics from SCAA standards. Here's my definition based on my experience as a member of the SCAA/SCA (Specialty Coffee Association): Specialty coffee is coffee that is free of primary defects in a 1-pound sample and with a notable taste. This definition best serves Fidalgo Coffee's needs and goals, but the story keeps going. For example, a cappuccino is to me the essence of specialty coffee as a finished beverage, which is where the specialty coffee retailer picks up the story. One of my favorite traits that I see alive and well in specialty coffee in America is the pursuit of making it better. Better beans, better coffee. Better roasting, better coffee. Better grinder, better coffee. Better water, better coffee. Better coffee maker, better coffee. Specialty coffee centers on the ingredient and then technique. The quality standard flows from the farm to the cup. I like to break it down into four parts--Producers, Importers, Roasters and Retailers.

PRODUCERS

This is where the story begins. The Farms, the Processing of the fruit, the Mill and the Exporter. Each of those steps are part of complex operations mostly organized as Cooperatives. Fedecocagua Coop is a a good example from Guatemala.

IMPORTERS

The Importer works with the Producer at country of origin. At Fidalgo Coffee we use Royal Coffee who is a Specialty Coffee Importer. Royal Coffee only imports specialty coffee. They send their representatives to coffee farms, producer cupping labs and mills to evaluate, cup and sample coffees before making purchases. Fidalgo Coffee relies on its Importer to source coffees to specification for our roasts, blends and single origin offerings. Fidalgo Coffee also uses Royal Coffee to facilitate our direct purchase of the Tierra Nueva farm's entire crop in Honduras each year. Fidalgo Coffee's relationship with Royal Coffee Importers gives our company advantages with reliable supply chain, consistent quality and in meeting sustainability goals such as verification of shade-grown farming, organic and fair-trade certification.

ROASTERS

That's what we at Fidalgo Coffee are. When we go to coffee country we are introduced as Roasters. Fidalgo Coffee is a specialty roaster. Our part in this industry is near the end of the story for the coffee beans. We put the finishing touch on the coffee by roasting, blending and packaging the coffee. Each roaster has a different personality. At Fidalgo Coffee we roast from light to dark and we practice Post-Roast blending. Which means roasting the different coffees in a blend separately and then blending the coffee. Our quality standard means that we blend immediately after roasting. Never holding roasted coffee in tubs for later blending days later. All Fidalgo Coffee is roasted and then packed immediately after roasting. Why? Because the enemies of coffee are air, light and humidity. We want to get those beans in the bag immediately to allow the aromatics to condition inside the bag. This helps our customers make delicious espresso.

RETAILERS

Roasters can also be retailers and vice versa. At Fidalgo Coffee we sell coffee direct at www.fidalgocoffee.com and from our Roastery Retail Shop & Tasting Room at 856 North Hill Blvd, Burlington, WA 98233. Open for retail sales Mon-Fri 10am-3pm. Fidalgo Coffee serves its customer as a supplier of quality coffee and as a resource of brew expertise and equipment guidance. Fidalgo Coffee also serves customers through its distributors and wholesale coffee customers who are espresso bars, cafes, restaurants, resorts and grocery. Fidalgo Coffee supports cafe owners by providing coffee trainings, menu support and espresso workshops. All with the goal of quality in the cup or as we like to say, the "perfect cup of coffee".

Spring into 2021 with our next seasonal coffee, Tulip Festival Blend! Roasted dark to bring out smooth, bold, and full notes. Certified Organic, Fair Trade, Shade Grown and Kosher. Available in 12 oz and 2 lb offerings. 

This year's poster features artwork by Jennifer McGill, jamcgill.com

There’s already enough for families to debate these days. Beyond traditional subjects of religion and politics, my household now has a daily discussion around the amount of screen time allowed, when/why/who gets to leave the house and who gets to control the remote when we’re home. Sound familiar?

Life is complicated enough, let’s take one potential debate off the table: coffee.

Here’s a quick guide to compromise:

We’ll start with my wife: she likes darker roast coffees. A great example is Fidalgo Seacost Blend. It’s a lovely brew, and perfect for the coffee drinker who adds something to their cup, perhaps a splash of eggnog?

Me on the other hand, I take my coffee black and prefer a lighter roast like Fidalgo 9 Bar, (which is in our grinder this morning). I absolutely love it. She scrunches her nose.

For the record, our 9-year-old appropriately prefers hot cocoa.

So, what’s the middle ground? How do we ensure our days start in harmony, before the pressures of quarantine life set in? Our household happy place is with Café Centro, Sunset Blend or Fidalgo Gold.

These three coffees fit into what we in the coffee biz call house style blends. Not too dark, not too light, but just right.

It’s inevitable we will all feel additional stress as the holiday season settles in (especially amid a pandemic). Fidalgo Coffee is here to take one potential pain point off the proverbial table and replace it with comfort and joy in your cup.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Darryl Miller, President and CEO 

2020 has brought a new series of hurdles for those working in the coffee & food industries.

This has people questioning, has coffee consumption changed during the pandemic? 

Here are some interesting findings from the National Coffee Association's latest report: 

• Just as before the pandemic, the vast majority of coffee drinkers (about 80 percent) drink coffee at home, but more than one-third miss visiting coffee shops. More than half of Americans have already returned to coffee shops or plan to do so in the next month.
   
• 75 percent of coffee drinkers say the pandemic has not changed their coffee consumption.  For those who have changed habits, the most reported change is making more coffee at home.
   
• App-based ordering, including delivery, rocketed up 63 percent amongst those who drank coffee in the last week.  Drive through ordering increased 13 percent amongst those who drank coffee each day.
   
• Consistent with measures recommended in NCA’s June 2020 COVID-19 reopening guidance, to feel comfortable and increase visits to coffee shops consumers most want to see visible precautions like workers wearing gloves and facemasks (48 percent) and mandatory facemasks for all customers (44 percent). 

Our team is here to help. How can we serve you today? Contact us at:  Orders@FidalgoCoffee.com 

 

Cozy up this fall season with a warm and festive drink straight from the Fidalgo Coffee kitchen: Orange Spice Mocha

HOW TO MAKE AN ORANGE SPICE MOCHA: 

INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
3 tbsp Fidalgo Coffee Orange Spice Mocha Mix 1-2 shots of Fidalgo Coffee  2 cups Dairy or Dairy Alternative.	Add two tablespoons of Fidalgo Coffee Orange Spice Mocha Mix in the bottom of the cup.  Pour in 1-2 shots of your favorite Fidalgo Coffee.  Steam your milk or milk alternative. Add the foamed milk to the cup.  Dust the top of your drink with Fidalgo Coffee Orange Spice Mocha Mix.

 

Thank you for stopping by! If you need personal assistance, or you're interested in trying the Orange Spice Mocha Mix, let us know by contacting Orders@FidalgoCoffee.com

Our mission is to bring joy to all with quality coffee. We want you to discover your perfect cup which is why we are thrilled to announce Fidalgo’s 9 Bar coffee scored 92 points out of 100 on coffeereview.com. You can read the report findings here.

As a coffee enthusiast, you may know about Coffee Review and their industry work. For those of you who are not familiar, Coffee Review conducts blind, expert cuppings of coffees from all over the world, and reports the findings in the form of 100-point reviews. This independent research team educates readers about coffee with in-depth tasting reports each month, themed around coffee origins, issues, and factors that influence coffee quality and character. The goal at Coffee Review is to point readers to the best coffees in the world that are available at any given time and to educate coffee drinkers, food service professionals, and the coffee trade with a trustworthy and easy-to-use guide based on objective, blind reviews, and cutting-edge reports. You can learn about Coffee Review’s industry work here. 
 
Available in 12 oz whole bean bags we invite you to order 9 Bar today.  If you want to learn more about 9 Bar, view our product video here.
 
Thank you for being a loyal Fidalgo Coffee customer. We appreciate your business. If you need personal assistance, let us know how we can serve you. Contact us at Orders@FidalgoCoffee.com

Independent coffee shops are one of the bright spots in the economy. Thanks for pouring on the hustle and pivoting to new ways of serving customers under truly difficult circumstances. Your flexibility, “can do” mentality, creativity and the customer’s passion for coffee are the perfect blend for business success.

Fidalgo Coffee is delighted to share the newly released report from Square and SCA on their Covid-19 findings so you can leverage the data and spring forward to greater growth.

All business owners have a natural gut instinct for their numbers. Savvy business owners know their real numbers, refer to them often, set goals for the next step up, and an action plan to get there. Have you had time to run reports and analyze where you are winning?  Where you can improve? The Fidalgo Coffee team is ready to assist you in reviewing your actual numbers.
 
As Washington State prepares to reopen, the playing field is in many ways wiped clean. What are your dreams for rebuilding and growing? Do your numbers support that dream? Where else can you pivot? How can Fidalgo Coffee contribute to your success?
 
As your business partner, Fidalgo Coffee is committed to running alongside you to grow profitably. Let’s discuss your product mix, every aspect of your customer marketing plans, finances, and more. We challenge you to see the future in a bold new way. We want to collaborate with you to develop an abundantly strong future. With a clear vision and path forward, it is easy to believe in the goal.  
 
We look forward to serving you and bringing joy to all with coffee. For the world’s best coffee, syrups, sauces, cups, and personal service, Contact Us.

Say hello to the taste of summer with Fidalgo’s new seasonal blend, Summer Breeze.

Available June 1 online, and in a grocery near you . . .sip the notes of cherry, caramel, apple cider, and pear.  Summer Breeze is a medium-light roast. It is smooth and easy drinking. At Fidalgo, we especially love to brew this coffee as espresso because it naturally produces a beautiful and luscious crema and toffee mouthfeel.

At Fidalgo Coffee our mission is to bring joy to all with quality coffee that’s good for people and good for the planet. Summer Breeze is fair trade, organic, and shade-grown. 

Just like summer, this seasonal blend won’t last forever. Order your cup of sunshine today. We hope you enjoy our new Summer Breeze so much that you plan and buy extra for “an escape to summer” during the long winter months. 

How can we serve you today? Contact us at Orders@FidalgoCoffee.com 

Give your customers their first taste of summer with Fidalgo’s new seasonal blend, Summer Breeze.

Available June 1 in 12 oz. or 2lb bags. Choose from whole bean, drip grind and custom grind upon request. Summer Breeze is sunshine in a cup. Its a medium-light roast, smooth and easy drinking. Your customers will sip the notes of cherry, caramel, apple cider, and pear. 

At Fidalgo Coffee our mission is to bring joy to all with quality coffee that’s good for people and good for the planet. Summer Breeze is fair trade, organic, and shade grown. 

Just like summer, this seasonal blend won’t last forever. Order Summer Blend today and start offering your customers their new favorite. 

For the world’s best coffee, syrups, sauces, cups, and personal service, Contact Us

We look forward to serving you.