09.29.11
Happy National Coffee Day!
Rebecca Gelston

Did you know that September 29 is National Coffee Day? That’s right—somebody, somewhere claimed this day as the annual celebration of coffee in America, and as specialty beverage providers who love to concoct delicious and inspiring specialty coffees, we would like to wish you a very happy National Coffee Day!

To celebrate, we encourage you to take advantage of the discounts and promotions associated with the “holiday.” Visit the National Coffee Day website for details on where to score discounted coffee.

If you’re feeling very festive, try making one of our signature specialty coffee drinks; the recipes can be found on our Recipes page. We recommend the “Ghana Single-Origin Gingerbread Mocha” as a perfect way to celebrate the day!

Ghana Single-Origin Gingerbread Mocha
1.5 fl. oz. (3 pumps) Chai Tea Concentrate
1.5 fl. oz. (3 pumps) Ghana Single-Origin Chocolate Sauce
1–2 shots espresso
Top off with steamed milk
Top with whipped cream and drizzle with Ghana Single-Origin Chocolate Sauce

Beverages
chai, coffee, single origin
05.17.11
See you in Chicago!
Michael Szyliowicz

The Mont Blanc Gourmet team will be at the NRA Show 2011 this weekend in Chicago, and we hope to see you there! This year, our booth is located at 1175E in the Organic and Natural Pavilion, and we’ve invited UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside to help inform convention-goers about sustainably-sourced coffee, cocoa and tea practices.

UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside is a market-oriented sustainability program for cocoa, tea and the world’s largest supplier of sustainable coffee. As architects of sustainable supply chains, UTZ CERTIFIED ensures a balanced standard regarding People, Planet and Profit. Unique to the UTZ CERTIFIED program is the focus on entrepreneurship of the farmer through cost efficient environmentally and socially responsible farming practices.

Our Director of Business Development Mark Crawford sits on the Board of Directors at UTZ CERTIFIED Good Inside, and our team wanted to inform NRA attendees about sustainable sustainably-sourced coffee, cocoa and tea...

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Innovation, News, Sustainability, Tradeshows, Travel
chicago, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, nra, sustainable, tea, travel
05.10.11
Pioneers in coffee
Michael Szyliowicz

I recently was treated to a tour of the largest single-floor coffee roasting plant in the United States. The company owns some of the most iconic names in coffee (including Hills Bros, MJB, and Chock Full O’ Nuts), and its corporate office features historic memorabilia and a vast archive of ledgers, documents, photos, and advertisements for renowned brands.

Having recently attended the centennial celebration for the National Coffee Association where organizers distributed a book that chronicles coffee in the U.S. over the past century, I have been in a bit of a nostalgic mood. Sometimes I think we forget the strong historic impact of the coffee pioneers of the mid-1800s and early-1900s.

Innovations like vacuum packing to preserve freshness are not much different than the one-way valve used on coffee bags. Promoting coffee consumption at home in advertisements resonates with current sales efforts featuring single serve coffee systems. And celebrating the beverage...

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Innovation
coffee, history, INNOVATION, nca
04.28.11
The SCAA Symposium 2011
Michael Szyliowicz

The SCAA symposium was conceived three years ago as a place for executives in the Specialty Coffee Association of America to get together and exchange ideas and discuss issues facing the industry. This year has proved to be as stimulating and challenging as the others.

Starting at 7:30 a.m. with sessions lasting until almost 5:00 p.m., panelists have weighed in on a series of topics. Have we seen “Peak Coffee,” the idea that production will now decline? Do we need to change the very idea of how coffee is graded? What is, and what is not, stellar customer service? What are the commonalities and challenges facing coffee producers? Will coffee prices continue their inexorable rise, and why?

Throughout the day, all of these topics were analyzed resulting in no consensus but rather an abundance of information to support both sides of each question.

Personally, I don’t think we have seen “Peak Coffee,” though there is clear evidence that global...

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier, Tradeshows, Travel
coffee, customer service, peak coffee, scaa
04.02.11
Topping the perfect drink
Michael Szyliowicz

The key to successfully selling premium drinks is thinking through the entire cup. How will you make it? What size should it be? What's the right price point, and - the last, most important visual cue - how will it be garnished?

I recently met with a customer regarding a unique hot chocolate drink they are launching. We talked about the different kinds of chocolate that will give the drink its flavor, what kind of whipped cream (scented with vanilla) will be put on top, and how many cocoa nibs to sprinkle on the finished concoction. Often the smallest detail can enhance the outcome of a new beverage launch, and this particular drink will be successful due to the amount of the thought that has gone into making it not only taste great, but also look great. Can't wait to try this one, somebody pass the marshmallows!

Do you agree? Do even the most minor details affect the way you taste and drink a beverage? How do you like to top your hot chocolate?

Beverages, Diary of a Chocolatier
cocoa nibs, coffee, hot chocolate, marshmallows, topping, vanilla, whipped cream