Alto Mayo Forest Protected Coffee: Fair Trade Coffee with a Conscience

Fair Trade Coffee That Has a Conscience

We’re passionate about coffee and we know you are too – which is why Joffrey’s is committed to roasting the best beans in the world. Producing premium coffee is about taking care of our beans every step of the way, but there’s more behind the brew than you think. Farmers, hard-working communities, an incredible amount of knowledge and of course, the environment are key components to growing the finest coffee possible.

The first step to a beautiful cup of coffee is showing appreciation for the environment it was harvested in. Joffrey’s is proud to align with Disney to support one of our favorite growing regions, Alto Mayo in San Martin, Peru. The ecosystem of Alto Mayo plays a critical role in the survival of Peru’s widespread fauna and flora, and with the launch of the Alto Mayo Protected Forest project, we can help keep it alive.

To support coffee farmers who participate in the Alto Mayo Protected Forest project, we sourced a single origin coffee to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly farming practices in Peru and you’re going to love it! Before you try a cup, you should know about the impact you’re helping us make just by drinking it.

Why Revitalize Alto Mayo?

For decades, the Amazon forest has been shrinking due to farmers cutting it down for new crop space, otherwise known as clearcutting. Although the production of new crops is positive looking from the outside in, this type of non-sustainable farming contributes greatly to deforestation. Clearcutting can cause an increase in carbon dioxide emissions, threatening the lives of many animals and plants in the forest. The San Martin area is particularly in critical danger, but the Alto Mayo Protected Forest project seeks to change all of this. As a supplier and roaster of the coffees offered at select signature restaurants at Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort, Joffrey’s is invested in supporting sustainable practices and working with farmers engaged in the project. We are excited to align with Disney to bring this high quality bean to Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort guests. Why, you ask? Because sustainable coffee farming can help deforestation while delivering our fans another delicious brew – and that makes us feel amazing!

 

Earth Friendly, Animal Loving, Sustainable Goodness

Joffrey’s has always been proud of the relationships we build, whether they’re with our customers or suppliers. We first learned about the Alto Mayo Protected Forest project from Disney’s work with Conservation International (CI) – a global nonprofit organization working to build a healthier, more prosperous and more productive planet.  Disney helped CI launch a ground-breaking project in the Alto Mayo region of Peru, which is helping support coffee farmers to grow coffee in a way that helps the farmers be more productive while protecting the environment.  When we heard about this amazing work, we welcomed the opportunity and were anxious to learn more. So naturally, we sent our Roastmaster, Chris DeMezzo, to experience it.

And what an adventure it was! After landing in Peru, Chris and his team set out for the farm. First they rode mules and then took a ferry across the river. After drifting across the river, the team hiked an hour and a half through the Amazon to the reserve.

“When we got there, I pulled the farmers aside to get a sense of how they liked working with Conservation International (CI). They had nothing but positive things to say. Then I sat down with CI and asked questions about their involvement and what they’re doing – and concluded that it’s the real deal,” said Roastmaster, Chris DeMezzo. “I felt so good about moving forward with the project.”

The Alto Mayo Protected Forest project also gives coffee farmers the tools, education, funding, and wages they need to use environmentally friendly practices, and employs workers to help maintain sustainable farms. This means that the project is saving hundreds of thousands of acres of endangered species’ habitats, and is curbing greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation.

“Meeting the farmers was a humbling experience. I wanted to make sure that they understood that I appreciate and understand all the hard work it takes to produce a good coffee. During our first meeting, I was showing them pictures of all the cafes that serve our coffee at Disney Parks. I wanted them to know that this is where their coffee was going – and for them to be as proud as they deserve to be!” Roastmaster, Chris, shared regarding his visit.

Farmers and their communities will get an economic boost, the air will be cleaner, the forest is conserved, majestic animals keep their homes, and we get top quality sustainably grown coffee in our cups. Who could say no? Next time you buy Joffrey’s coffee online or sip on our coffee at Walt Disney World® Resort or Disneyland® Resort, you can take solace in the fact that you’re drinking coffee with purpose!

 

The Story Behind Sustainably Grown Coffee

Sustainable coffee farming replenishes nutrients to the soil to keep it healthy and rich. Rich soil produces better beans and better tasting coffee. Would you want anything less in your coffee?

Growing more fair trade coffee is a wonderful thing. But the gleaming story behind this project is that it impacts the lives of the producers in an incredible way. In return for using sustainable coffee farming methods, families are not only being paid more, but they’re receiving access to certain benefits and technologies that they didn’t have before (cooking stoves are just one example). The project also rehabilitates family farms that have been destroyed by Roya, a fungus that devastates coffee farms and financially devastates the families that live and work on them.

The Alto Mayo Protected Forest project doesn’t focus on coffee farmers alone, it helps families that farm shrimp, rice, cocoa, and tea too. When you buy this coffee online or purchase a cup of this coffee at select restaurants at Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort, you’re not just buying a memorable beverage; you’re helping improve the lives of families that call this region home.

 

Planet Perks

If this coffee supports animals, why shouldn’t it support the planet too? Protecting the Alto Mayo Protected Forest doesn’t just benefit the local ecosystem; it benefits the Earth entirely. Since CI’s work started with their key partner- Peru’s National Service of Natural Protected Areas, the project has generated over 6 million tons of emissions reductions. This is like removing over 1 million cars from the roads for an entire year. If that’s not progress, what is? Of course, there is still much work to be done.

Ordering the Alto Mayo Protected Forest coffee online and enjoying a cup at select restaurants at Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort are two ways you can support the Alto Mayo Protected Forest project. Beyond that, you can take care of the environment every day in small ways that add up to huge gains.

As a consumer, you have quite a bit of power because you can also support environmentally sustainable companies. The more you support companies that do business responsibly, the happier our planet will be. Animals, plants, and people all share the same Earth. Why not make it a better place for ourselves, our kids, and generations to come?

Support the cause. Click here to order Joffrey’s coffee online.

 

 

Love at First Coffee: Q+A Interview with Joffrey’s Roastmaster, Chris DeMezzo

 

Q: Tell us about the first time you drank coffee.

A: “It was a year after I’d been working at Joffrey’s. I was roasting by the seat of my pants – scared to death and hoping I wouldn’t burn the place down. I would drink a bottle of coke every morning and all the sales people would tease me. Don’t ask me why I remember this, but one morning I had just taken a roast out and I said, you know what, I’ve been doing this for a while and I never stopped to try or taste what I was doing all day, every day. It was time to try it! So, the coffee I had just roasted was Mocha Java, I went over to the barrel, took a handful and ground it, brewed it and poured it into an old ceramic cup. I remember taking a sip and I did what I call a “Joffrey’s Roll Back,” which is when someone tries our coffee and their eyes roll back in their head because they’re amazed it’s so delicious. I was really, really surprised that it tasted so good. Of course, I drank it black. And at that moment I caught the spark and it’s never left me.”

“Being a thorough bread Italian and being one of five children, I grew up on my mother’s apron strings. I was always in the kitchen cooking with her. She would explain all the flavors she was cooking with so I had a pretty decent palate for tasting things. After I tried coffee I was inspired to experiment with the different flavors of all coffees. Let me try this Panama, let me try this Ethiopia; I began to taste everything. I started to experiment with different roasting profiles – some a little lighter, some a little darker, mixing some together. It was an epiphany that I could effect change. Instead of settling for what any coffee gave me, I knew I could bring out the flavors I wanted. I realized that roasting coffee was not a one roast fits all proposition.”

 

Q: When did you realize, you wanted to be a Roast Master?

A: “Fate. I came down to Florida, after working for Reynolds Aluminum in New Jersey manufacturing beer and soda cans. I did that for 10 years and the plant was closing because of a labor dispute. At that time, I had the option to relocate to another branch of our company, either in Tampa or Virginia. I had a sister that was living in Tampa at the time and liked what I had seen while on vacation. So, I sold my house in NJ with my wife Linda and we moved to Tampa. When I got down here, the job I was supposed to work at fell through.”

“My sister introduced me to Joffrey’s because she was doing part-time accounting work here. And my first reply was I don’t know a damn thing about coffee… I ended up talking to the owner and he agreed to hire me to for 8 bucks an hour. The next day I showed up and that was the first day of my coffee experience. They brought me in the back of this little room, pointed to a bag of green coffee and said this is what it looks like before you roast it. Then we popped open the top of a coffee barrel and saw what the beans looked like after being roasted. We walked over to the old-pre-world-war 2 Probat roaster. They showed me how to turn it on and then they said have a great day, we’re going to lunch. That was it.”

 

Q: What do you love most about traveling the world to source the best beans?

A: “Seeing beautiful places and meeting new people. It’s a mix of emotions because amongst so much beauty there’s also a lot of hardships. There’s a lot of poverty along with primitive living and working conditions. You have to tell yourself that you’re looking at it from your eyes, not theirs. For them, that’s a way of life. One of the most rewarding things is going back to places I’ve visited before and seeing how coffee roasters, in general, have begun to contribute to improving the living conditions of the people we owe our living to. You have no idea how hard these people work and the amount of labor that goes into producing and growing great coffee. If you did, you would appreciate it so much more.”

 

Q: What’s the best part about your job?

A: “The fact that Miguel (my roasting partner at Joffrey’s) and I can see people’s reactions when they drink our coffee, is the most humbling, rewarding part of our job. We travel to origin and see our coffee being grown and nurtured by people who truly care about the product. If the farmers aren’t growing great coffee, we wouldn’t be able to roast great coffee. It makes the days of standing in 120 degrees for 8-10 hours roasting delicious coffees for our deserving customers, well worth the effort.”

 

Q: How do you know when coffee beans are perfectly roasted?

A: “The appearance will tell you. Every bean goes through 4 phases when they’re roasting. The first phase is when the temperature reaches 212 degrees and moisture dissipates, making the color of the bean fade. Phase 2 happens about two or three minutes later when the beans hit around 270. That’s when the beans change from green to yellow because the chlorophyll disappears. Phase 3 is what I consider most critical. At 320 degrees, the sugar breaks down. Sugars break down one of two ways, they melt and caramelize to remain sweet or they burn and become bitter and astringent. If you’ve ever had a cup of coffee that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up, or if you’re the unlucky recipient of the last cup of coffee after its been sitting on a burner for hours… then you know what I’m talking about. A lot of roasters roast coffee to be extra dark and have “more body.” They want that taste. As a rule, Joffrey’s doesn’t roast coffee past the point of what I’d call a French roast. The darkest we’ll go is between a chestnut brown or indigo color. I like my Kenya’s to taste like Kenya’s and my Sumatra to taste like Sumatra. The final stage is when the beans have heated to the epicenter, pores expand and then you get what’s called a crack. The first crack is slower; the second crack is rapid. When you hear a crackle in the beans and that means the c02 is being released. It sounds like a big bowl of rice krispies.”

 

Q: If coffee didn’t exist in the world, I would __________. (fill in the blank)

A: “Being as coffee is the second most consumed beverage after tea (and water), I think I’d be pretty heart broken. Bored. Unsatisfied. I can’t imagine life without coffee!”

 

Q: How often do you drink coffee and how do you take it?

A: “I start every day with a French Press of coffee, using beans we’ve roasted in the past 48 hours. I drink it black because I like the taste of coffee. And I drink it up until noon usually. I used to drink a lot more coffee than I do now, but I’m drinking probably 4-5 cups every day now. Then I’ll sneak in an espresso in the afternoon. There’s so many different nuances to each type of coffee. Even though I might drink a Kenya today, tomorrow I’ll drink it again and probably taste something different than I did the day before. This is the greatest job in the world because there’s always something else around the corner. I can’t wait to see what flavor I’m going to discover next.

 

Q: What inspires you when you’re inventing new specialty drinks?

A: “The unwavering commitment that I can, and we as a company, can always make something better. If it was good today, it’ll be better tomorrow. I’m strictly a black coffee drinker, but I love seeing the expression on people’s faces when I make them their first real specialty beverage, like someone who’s never had a good espresso and is amazed that they could drink it without sugar and enjoy it. It’s like YEAH BABY, that’s what this is all about.”

 

Q: If you could compare your love to coffee with something else, who or what would it be?

A: “God, my wife and my family are up in the top of my love list. The other thing that I LOVE is cooking. I’ll cook anything Italian.”

 

 

5 Coffee Cocktails to Ring in the New Year

Happy almost New Year, coffee and tea lovers! The holidays will be over in a few short days, and you know what that means. It’s time for a well-deserved cocktail. While you’re finalizing New Year’s Eve plans and collecting funky, celebratory hats, we’ll be in the kitchen shaking up coffee infused cocktails… Because every champagne toast deserves a grand introduction! If you’re looking for a dependable plus-one to ring in the new year with, check out these signature cocktail recipes.

 

Bananas Foster Coffee Infused Eggnog  feature-header17 

Photo & Recipe Credit: https://www.jamieoliver.com/news-and-features/features/best-eggnog-recipe/

Our holiday season would be incomplete without eggnog! It’s creamy, packs a punch of festive flavor and most importantly, it’s a wonderful way to wave farewell to 2016. But why settle for the standard recipe when you can mix things up? Try our Bananas Foster Coffee infused eggnog recipe inspired by www.jamieoliver.com. It’ll keep you dancing into January.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 vanilla bean pod, split it and remove seeds
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg (and set a few pinches aside for garnish)
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • ¼ Pint of Joffrey’s Bananas Foster Coffee, chilled
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup Myer’s Dark Rum

Instructions

First, combine milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and the vanilla bean with seeds in a saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and let it steep.

Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until happily combined. Slowly whisk in the milk until your eggnog is smooth, then stir in the rum and Bananas Foster Coffee. Set egg whites aside separately and refrigerate the mixture overnight or up to 3 days if you have time!

Before serving on New Year’s Eve, beat the egg whites in a bowl until beautiful, fluffy peaks form. Gently fold into your eggnog until the whites are safely combined. Serve and garnish with nutmeg. If you prefer a stronger cocktail, top with a splash of cognac to get the festivities going.

First things first, buy the coffee for your cocktail here.

 

Winter Wonderland Coffee Mint Martini

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Photo & Recipe Credit: www.Monin.com

Coffee and mint are a match made in Christmas, especially when it comes to holiday martinis! We’re grateful for our favorite flavor experts at Monin for inspiring this delicious cocktail. The cool vanilla notes of Joffrey’s Winter Wonderland Coffee with Monin’s Peppermint syrup will have you singing into the new year. Cheers to this creamy collaboration!

Ingredients

How to Make

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Drizzle chocolate syrup inside of your martini glass and pour mixture over top. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and serve! If you’re feeling adventurous, top the drink off with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle chocolate shavings.

Savor the flavors of Joffrey’s Winter Wonderland Coffee and purchase it here.

 

Cinnamon Cookie Martini with French Vanilla Coffee

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Photo & Recipe by www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com

There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction you get from biting into a warm sugar cookie – unless you’re drinking it instead! If your cookie cravings are at an all-time high, we suggest inviting this martini to your New Year’s Eve party. This boozy creation has just the right amount of sweetness with a hint of bitterness from the coffee.

Ingredients

  • 1½ oz. Kahlúa Cinnamon Spice
  • 1 oz. Chocolate liqueur, to keep you smiling all night long
  • ½ oz. Joffrey’s French Vanilla Coffee, chilled
  • ½ oz. Absolut Vanilla Vodka
  • ½ oz. chocolate milk or heavy cream
  • One pinch of ground cinnamon
  • Chocolate shavings and cinnamon sticks (for garnish)

Instructions

Place ingredients into a martini shaker filled with ice and shake until they’re well-combined. Strain into a glass and garnish with a light pinch of ground cinnamon and chocolate shavings.

Order Joffrey’s French Vanilla Coffee here, and let the celebration begin!

 

Irish Bananas Foster Coffee Cocktail

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Photo by Rob Palmer; Recipe inspired by Kim Coverdale

If you like clever cocktails with an energizing kick, this is the drink for you. Irish coffee is typically served hot, but we prefer to drink it on ice. If you’ve never tried it cold, you’re in for a treat! Chilling this cocktail brings the nutty, coffee flavors to life one sip at a time. Here’s what you need to get the party started:

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Irish Cream Liqueur
  • 1/3 cup Hazelnut-Flavored Liqueur
  • 1 cup Joffrey’s Jazzy Java Coffee, chilled
  • Whipped cream and cocoa powder, to garnish
  • Ice cubes

How to Make

Fill the cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes, and add all ingredients. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain the drink into a chilled serving glass, garnish with a whipped cream and cocoa powder, and enjoy! This recipe will serve you plus 3 of your favorite friends.

Purchase a bag of Jazzy Java Coffee for your cocktail here.

 

Sparkling Viennese Coffee Cocktail

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We love the fizzier things in life, don’t you? Champagne is a given on New Year’s Eve, but that doesn’t mean it should be the only bubbly star of the show. Introducing the Sparkling Viennese Coffee Cocktail. The name might be long, but the process to make it is short and easy.

What to Buy

  • 5 oz. Club Soda to satisfy your fizz craving
  • 1 oz. Montenegro Amaro
  • 4 ½ oz. extra strong Joffrey’s Viennese Blend, chilled
  • Grapefruit Zest for garnish

How to Make

Fill a glass with ice cubes and add the Montenegro Amaro and coffee. Swirl, and top with club soda. Twist the grapefruit peel over the drink and drop it into the cocktail.

Stock up on Joffrey’s Viennese Blend here.

 

 

 

 

 

Next Stop: Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is finally here and we can’t wait to share the coffee love with you! Visit our website to receive 30% off select coffees and teas. This sale is today only, so be sure to stock up on your favorite beverages just in time for the holidays!

Don’t forget that coffees and teas make magnificent holiday gifts for your family, friends and co-workers. We can assure you our stockings will be stuffed with flavors like Jamaican Me Crazy, Banana’s Foster and Jazzy Java Coffee. And of course, there’s always our Disney Parks and Resorts Specialty Coffee Collection for the Disney lover in your life.

Well, what are you waiting for? Let the shopping festivities begin!

Buy Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea online here.