We got up especially early today to drive up to Portland, Maine to shoot some VIP events hosted by Coffee By Design. First, former farmer-turned importer with Arango Specialty Coffee – Juan Carlos Arango – gave a fascinating talk about the need to build strong relationships between coffee roasters, importers, and farmers. He also dropped these bombs: that the average age of a coffee farm owner in Columbia is 70! And get this, the average age of a coffee picker is 60! Obviously this is a serious issue, and Juan Carlos and Coffee By Design are working diligently to keep the coffee growing business in Columbia sustainable and equitable. While the talk was a bit sobering, it was paired with some very interesting coffees, which kept everybody delighted and attentive.

The VIP event in the afternoon was the launching of a new collaboration between Coffee By Design and Three of Strong Spirits – a Gin Barrel-Aged coffee named after the 18 th –Century badass, Dame Alice Greele. A distinct gin-like flavor featuring cane sugar, fig, and botanicals, this is one unique coffee that tastes boozy but has no actual alcohol in it – grab yourself a bag of this stuff and grind it up and enjoy on a cold winter day. Special thanks to the kind and generous Mary Allen Lindemann and her team at Coffee By Design!