Tag Archives: arizona

Christmas 2016 – Tarapoto, Peru (Plus – Snow in Arizona)

After a year of intense traveling related to our coffee business, we headed south as the cold winds of December began to blow in Northwest Arizona. Just today I saw on my Facebook page that the Hualapai mountains are covered with snow & Kingman, AZ awoke to a beautiful Colorado Rocky like display.

Meanwhile, it’s tropical hot and humid here in the cloud forest of the Andes & the beautiful City of the Palms, Tarapoto. As any self respecting city, Tarapoto has a pretty nice Plaza de Armas (town square) where every year is a Christmas display.

This year was no exception, but we were surprised at the amount of lights. The municipality did a great job this year. We’ll try and add some more pics in the next few days, but for now here’s a handful to give you a taste.

We hope that everyone has had an outstanding Christmas and that all are enjoying the holidays. For me, it’s a nice time to pull back on the throttle, and reflect on the year behind. May we all share in abundance in the New Year 2017.

First, let’s start with some snow…

Snow in the Mountains – Arizona

Snow in the Hualapai Mountains near Yucca, Az
Snow in the Hualapai Mountains near Yucca, Az (Photo: Jim Federico
Snow in the Hualapai Mountains above Kingman, Az (Photo: Kristi Rose Turman)

 

Now for a more tropical Christmas…

 

Nativity Scene, Plaza de Armas Tarapoto, Peru
Lighted Christmas Tree, Plaza de Armas Tarapoto, Peru
Tarapoto Christmas Lights 2016
Nativity Scene, Tarapoto, Peru 2016

Street Market in Tempe, Arizona – October 29th

Cortez Coffee Roasters in Tempe, Arizona will host a Street Market with food trucks, a raffle for a home espresso machine, and local artists will exhibit. Of course, there will be delicious coffee, tea, and fresh roasted cocoa (yum!) for your perusal. Next Saturday, October 29th. Proceeds benefit Special Needs Kids. Please stop by and enjoy the festivities!

 

Cortez Street Market 10/29/2016

From Guatamala to Arizona – Solanos y Hermanos

A new startup in Prescott brings a sustainable coffee supply chain to Arizona. Via Roast magazine:

When engineer Joel Clark head to Guatemala several years ago for work on a silver, lead and zinc mine, little did he know that it was gold he’d actually strike. Coffee gold that is, in the form of partnership with brothers David and Eddie Solano.

David Solano was a local engineer hired to work with Clark, while Eddie Solano worked alongside American financial engineer Chris Dratz in ironing out fiscal projections and strategies for the business. Eventually it came out in conversation that the Solano brothers’ family owned the vast and well-respected Buena Vista coffee farm, and soon after that, Clark happened to see an episode of the CNBC reality TV show The Profit in which the host looks into a coffee roastery and advises the roaster to skip his green brokers and widen his profit margins by buying directly from the source.

“I was like, ‘woah, that’s quite a difference,’” Clark recalled. “And then I thought ‘woah, wait a minute, I know some farmers!’ Then I started talking with David and we hatched this scheme.”

In February of this year, the scheme came to fruition: The café Solanos y Hermanos opened its doors to the public in Prescott, Ariz., about one block away from the Prescott University campus. A seven-pound-capacity Sedona Elite drum roaster runs in a 200-square-foot roasting workshop adjoining Clark’s home, while the 1,140-square-foot coffeehouse caters not only to lovers of top quality coffee — greens from Buena Vista farm have scored 93 points in SCAA cuppings — but consumers that appreciate knowing their patronage supports an ethically sound supply chain, all the way down to the harvesters laboring on mountaintops a world away.

Full article here: Solanos y Hermanos Offers a Great View From Guatemala to Arizona | Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine

1912 Coffee Announces Another Cappuccino Art Throw Down

Our friends over at 1912 Coffee continue to get good press with an article appearing recently in Daily Coffee News at Roast magazine:

 

A pair of coffee pros with a wealth of experience on the Arizona coffee scene have launched 1912 Coffee, a full-service marketing and consultancy firm with lofty ambitions to elevate coffee quality and culture throughout the state.

The coffee expertise behind 1912 comes from Jonathan Carroll, co-owner of Phoenix’s Songbird Coffeehouse, and Ron Cortez of roaster Cortez Coffee Co. in Tempe. While the two have maintained a wholesale relationship for years, they’ve also had many a conversation regarding the state of Arizona coffee and how it might be improved, or at least better marketed, on a shop-by-shop basis.

With a name referencing the year Arizona joined the Union, the business is being pitched as “the Grand Canyon of coffee marketing and branding,” as it hopes to fill some holes not only in existing businesses, but in the bigger image of Arizona coffee.

The list of services 1912 is offering to independent coffee retail and roasting clients includes social media planning and delivery, web design and maintenance, photography, videography, event planning and booking, barista training, quality control programming, and virtually any other day-to-day operational requirement. “We’re trying to reach the small shops and help them with any services we can provide,” Carroll told Daily Coffee News. “The goal is to help and promote the small, independent coffee shops because that’s where coffee culture comes from.”

Culture-building will also come in the form of 1912-produced events such as monthly latte art throwdowns at different coffee locations around the state. Carroll and Cortez have been busy lining up event sponsors and extending invitations to anyone in Arizona interested in coffee, with the goal of building local and statewide networks of coffee professionals.

Full article here: 1912 Coffee Has Grand Plans for Arizona’s Coffee Landscape | Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine

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Cappuccino Art Throw Down

The next Cappuccino Art throw down which had originally been scheduled for this week coming up is now at Exo Roast Company Saturday, January 30th 2016 from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Exo Roast Company

403 N 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ

All baristas across the state are welcome to compete.

From 6-7pm || Barista Registration $5 Entry Fee

 

All are welcome, baristas bring your best!

 

Real People, Really Good Coffee – Angela Patterson – Beale Street Brews

Angela Patterson – Beale Street Brews

Our Real People, Really Good Coffee this week spotlights Angela Patterson owner of Beale Street Brews in Kingman, Arizona. Angela has been a pivotal player in the revitalization of the downtown area. Along with her hip & friendly coffee shop, the Beale Street Gallery of Fine Arts has allowed many local artists to display their work. She also supports our direct market Curibamba coffee. Stop on by & say Hi!
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Spring Comes Early to the Desert

While this blog focuses on Peru and we spend a great deal of time there every year, we’re lucky to be home for Spring. Though the groundhog may have predicted 6 more weeks of winter for our northern friends, we are seeing unusually warm temps here in northwest Arizona. Already the Joshua trees are forming buds, and we’re hoping that we’ll at least get a little more rain this month which would herald a good wildflower season this year. Below are some pics that we’ve taken over the years:
Continue reading Spring Comes Early to the Desert