Like for many other countries, the coffee industry has contributed greatly to Costa Rica's GDP and its development. The first arabica plant was grown the 1700's and it soon became the country's main source of revenue, even more so than cocoa, sugar and tobacco. The land was even given to farmers for free, as the benefits of the coffee industry and exports would be greater in the long-run. It started exporting to nearby countries and made its way to England in the 1800's, which was the biggest importer of Costa Rican coffee at that time.  The revenue that came in also contributed o the bui ..read more

When it comes to brewing the perfect cup of coffee, there are many variables that come into place, such as the soil, origin, climate and many more that are not in our control. However, choosing to buy green, roasted or ground coffee is.  If you'd like to start roasting your coffee at home, check out this blog for a few tips and tricks. If you are torn between roasted beans or ground coffee, you should take into consideration a few factors such as: if you are in a rush in the morning and prefer something quick and convenient, or if you'd rather have as much flavour in your coffee cup ..read more

Did you know that the Turkish brewing method was actually the first one ever invented? There are many stories regarding the discovery of the method, so we cannot know for sure if it goes back to 800 B.C. or the 1500's. However, what we do know is that Turks adapted to the method to create the brew that we know and love today, which they called 'kahve'. The beans would be roasted over fire, ground and boiled. Needless to say, it soon became one of the most popular drinks, and we certainly understand why.  Turkish people are well-known for their merchant skills. They used to export silk, fu ..read more

Colombia became a coffee-producing country somewhere at the beginning of the 1700's. It went through periods of decline and growth due to the everchanging prices of exporting, however the farmers created a system to penetrate the supply-chain and became one of the biggest exporters of coffee beans in the world. All of us coffee-lovers know of Colombian coffee and probably had it at least once, and that's for a good reason since it accounts for 12% of the world's coffee supply. Another reason for its popularity is its caramely, chocolatey and smooth taste that goes well in hot drinks as a ..read more

Chai tea has a history going back thousands of years ago. The blend was created in India and it was thought to have cleansing and revitalizing properties and that would even be a cure for minor health problems. At first, only spices were used to create the brew that could be consumed either hot or cold. At the beginning of the 1900's a British owned Indian association adopted the recipe and added black tea in the mix, making the drink rather expensive for consumers. They created a marketing strategy and implemented tea breaks at work to warm the public to the newly-developed brew. In order to ..read more

A brewing method that has been around for years and has a fascinating history is the moka pot. Alfonso Bialetti had an aluminium workshop where he would produce household products and it was situated in Crusinallo, Piedmont. One day he was watching his wife do the laundry and noticed the system used to wash the clothes in the basket. The water was brought to a boil and pushed through a tube, and visualising this was how he thought of a similar system to implement for brewing coffee. His inspiration for the name came from the Mocha region in Yemen, which was one of the biggest importers of ..read more

Every year we have worked towards a new goal as we think it is important to give back by finding more sustainable ways to operate and help those in need.  As part of our corporate social responsibility we do the following: We work with Partners of Change Ethiopia. It is a charity that puts their effort and passion into helping the disadvantaged families in Ethiopia. They are working towards equal rights, fighting hunger and poverty and offering them access to clean water. We are proud to be able to help them every year and support their cause. We buy our green coffee beans through direct ..read more

All of us like to get into the festive spirit and indulge in cosy hot drinks. Most of them have flavours that we define as festive, such as gingerbread, orange, cinnamon and so on.  The thing is, methods of adding flavour to coffees have been around for thousands of years. It was customary for people in the Middle East to add pepper, cardamom, dried fruit and many other spices to their coffees to give it that extra kick. It is still a tradition in Arabic countries and Turkey to add cardamom in their traditionally brewed coffee. Italians also like to flavour their coffee with cocoa powder ..read more

We have all heard of or had a cup of classic Earl Grey tea. It is a nice alternative to an English Breakfast when you fancy a sweeter hot beverage. Earl Grey tea has as a base black tea, which originated in China thousands of years ago when they started boiling leaves in order to create hot drinks. It is said that variations of it have been around since then. However, the most well-known story says that Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and former prime minister of Britain was gifted a black tea with bergamot oil, which is the main ingredient that gives the tea the citrussy distinctive notes. He lik ..read more

Drinking coffee is a habit that's been around for quite some time now, and many generations before us have adopted this commodity and made it into a lifestyle. There are various types of coffee beans, grown at different altitudes, in different climates and of different tastes. However, not all of us want that kick of caffeine throughout the day, so then a decaf coffee sounds like the best solution to satisfy a craving. Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, a German chemist first discovered in 1802 that the coffee beans' caffeine can be reduced drastically if he soaks them in benzene. After the discovery ..read more