Indah Ethiopian: my new coffee love, roasted in Columbia, SC
Awesome local food and drink report from sunny (but cold) Columbia, South Carolina:
I've been wanting to try the coffee that they roast on-site each Saturday morning at the All Local Farmer's Market at 711 Whaley in downtown Columbia, SC.
I finally remembered to bring enough cash to grab a bag of Indah Coffee Co.'s whole beans on my way out yesterday!
Anyway. THIS COFFEE IS FLIPPIN' AMAZING. Roasty, toasty, nutty, s'mores-y with the teensiest, weensiest ting! of anise. It's my new jam.
(Indah doesn't sell brewed coffee at the market, though.
The Gervais and Vine guys take care of that, along with their AMAZING $5 plates of brunch treats like smoked gouda & arugula strata, and gorgonzola hash browns.
Anyone know what kind of coffee they brew?)
Prior to this morning, I've been loving on Immaculate Consumption's locally roasted, fair trade coffee for a while.
But why, why why why why doesn't the Immac offer half and half as a coffee fixin? I'm one of those weirdos for whom milk in coffee tastes insipid, weak, and horrible. Why no half and half? (I know. I'm being a whiny-baby. But still. Half and half? Please?)
I have recently fallen in love again with the Immac in general, since my business partner Debi and I have been scheduling a lot of client and intern meetings there due to its indie vibe, warm feel, spacious tables, and fabu location right by the SC State house.
Oh -- and it's probably time to mention this fabulous new development: Debi Schadel and I are now partners in an events and PR/marketing/social media firm!
It's called Flock and Rally: Events + Communications for a Brave New South. Mega excited about our current mutual and individual clients and their projects, including the following:
Woot!
Anyhoo, back to coffee tawk.
I also have been having a long-term relationship with the organic, fair trade "EL Salvador Dali" variety of Larry's Beans (from North Carolina).
Both Larry's Beans and Immaculate Consumption coffee are available at Columbia's best independently owned source for organic, local produce; fabu wild salmon, shrimp burgers, macrobiotic, gluten-free and vegan deli items; bulk tofu, seaweed, spices, nuts and grains:
Rosewood Market!
I don't know if Indah's coffee is fair trade or organic, and their website doesn't say. I'll find out next time I see them at the market!
I can tell you that another local roaster of delicious coffee, Iron Brew Coffee out of Blythewood, SC, *does* go the fair trade route. In fact, they import directly from farmers they know in the Cerrado region of Brazil's central highlands.
Iron Brew is a really nice family-owned business, and the coffee is great. I know they sell it at Earth Fare; I met the son, Matt, one day recently when he was doing a demo there.
Matt informed me that light roast coffee has more caffeine than dark roast. Did you know that? I didn't know that! Crazy!
But really good to know. I have been feeling rather peppy in the mornings after having a couple of cups of the Iron Brew Breakfast Roast, a light roast coffee. Ha!
There's another fabu locally roasted coffee that cannot go without mention: organic, free trade Cashua Coffee! The Shop Tart loves her some Cashua Coffee, and they will bring beans to your house if you ask real nice. How cool is that?
I like Cashua, but I have trouble finding anything but a dark roast from that line. I am a medium roast kinda lady.
[UPDATE! (March 20, 2011) Turns out I LOVE Cashua Coffee! I got confused and thought that "Full City Roast" (all of their coffees except French Roast) meant dark roast.
In fact, in their lingo, it means MEDIUM ROAST! Am I stoked? Yes I am. Why? Cause their Ethiopian coffee is, to quote The Shop Tart's VP of Accounts, Carlie Gardner Flowers, "off the chain." I am drinking it right now, in fact, and it is influencing the many exclamation!! points I am using.]
Speaking of medium roast, that's what my new favorite coffee is. Indah Coffee Co's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. I'm going to go and make another cup. Right now.
I've been wanting to try the coffee that they roast on-site each Saturday morning at the All Local Farmer's Market at 711 Whaley in downtown Columbia, SC.
Anyway. THIS COFFEE IS FLIPPIN' AMAZING. Roasty, toasty, nutty, s'mores-y with the teensiest, weensiest ting! of anise. It's my new jam.
(Indah doesn't sell brewed coffee at the market, though.
The Gervais and Vine guys take care of that, along with their AMAZING $5 plates of brunch treats like smoked gouda & arugula strata, and gorgonzola hash browns.
Anyone know what kind of coffee they brew?)
 |
| image courtesy Immaculate Consumption |
But why, why why why why doesn't the Immac offer half and half as a coffee fixin? I'm one of those weirdos for whom milk in coffee tastes insipid, weak, and horrible. Why no half and half? (I know. I'm being a whiny-baby. But still. Half and half? Please?)
I have recently fallen in love again with the Immac in general, since my business partner Debi and I have been scheduling a lot of client and intern meetings there due to its indie vibe, warm feel, spacious tables, and fabu location right by the SC State house.
Oh -- and it's probably time to mention this fabulous new development: Debi Schadel and I are now partners in an events and PR/marketing/social media firm!
- Managing the venue rentals for City Roots Urban Sustainable Farm & Reception Hall
- PR, marketing + social media for Bone-In Artisan Barbecue on Wheels and Corley Mill Catering
- Event coordination for 701 Center for Contemporary Art
- Events Management for the Columbia, SC chapter of Slow Food USA, including the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, July 17, 2011 at City Roots
- NAMI Mid-Carolina's annual NAMIWalks 5k walk on April 30, 2011
- The Spring Valley Education Foundation's 25th Annual Auction on Feb. 26, 2011
- PR + social media for The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce + their BuySC directory + campaign
- The Nickelodeon Theatre's Oscar party Feb 27, and the Slow Food kickoff party for the 6th annual Indie Grits Festival on April 13, 2011 at 711 Whaley
- TurnHere Internet Video voiceover scripts for clients like Caesars Entertainment, Hilton + AOL
- Flowers for Motor Supply Company Bistro
- Website content + naming for Food Wisdom Rx
- Website for Patricia Feigley, MSW
- Event marketing + logistics with The Shop Tart for Jess James' Style Swap Columbia, March 16, 2011 at MoMo's Bistro
- Features for Spa Magazine
- Articles for the Free Times
Anyhoo, back to coffee tawk.
Both Larry's Beans and Immaculate Consumption coffee are available at Columbia's best independently owned source for organic, local produce; fabu wild salmon, shrimp burgers, macrobiotic, gluten-free and vegan deli items; bulk tofu, seaweed, spices, nuts and grains:
Rosewood Market!
I don't know if Indah's coffee is fair trade or organic, and their website doesn't say. I'll find out next time I see them at the market!
I can tell you that another local roaster of delicious coffee, Iron Brew Coffee out of Blythewood, SC, *does* go the fair trade route. In fact, they import directly from farmers they know in the Cerrado region of Brazil's central highlands.
 |
| image courtesy Iron Brew Coffee |
Matt informed me that light roast coffee has more caffeine than dark roast. Did you know that? I didn't know that! Crazy!
But really good to know. I have been feeling rather peppy in the mornings after having a couple of cups of the Iron Brew Breakfast Roast, a light roast coffee. Ha!
There's another fabu locally roasted coffee that cannot go without mention: organic, free trade Cashua Coffee! The Shop Tart loves her some Cashua Coffee, and they will bring beans to your house if you ask real nice. How cool is that?
I like Cashua, but I have trouble finding anything but a dark roast from that line. I am a medium roast kinda lady.
In fact, in their lingo, it means MEDIUM ROAST! Am I stoked? Yes I am. Why? Cause their Ethiopian coffee is, to quote The Shop Tart's VP of Accounts, Carlie Gardner Flowers, "off the chain." I am drinking it right now, in fact, and it is influencing the many exclamation!! points I am using.]
Speaking of medium roast, that's what my new favorite coffee is. Indah Coffee Co's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. I'm going to go and make another cup. Right now.
So busy! Oh my goodness! You always seem to handle it gracefully though.
ReplyDeleteLove your coffee post. One of the things that I still am grateful for having worked at Starbucks is the wealth of coffee knowledge I gained. At least back in the day, the company was big on that. Most "breakfast blends" are so called not only cause they have a milder flavor, but the lighter roast gives them more umph... which is appreciated in the A.M. The caffeine is essentially roasted out of the darker roasts (not that they're caffeine-free).
Also, I'm so excited about the event planning you're doing at City Roots!
I just got back from breakfast at the Gourmet Shop-- they're brewing Illy of course and it is oh so cup worthy. So naturally my husband and I got on the topic of good coffees and were saying that we need to seek out some local roasters. Leave it to you to give us the local info! Indah is on my list for next Saturday morning at the All Local and I'm also happy to learn about Iron Brew at E.F. and Cashua Coffee. Thanks Tracie!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jana! That makes sense about the breakfast blends, now that you note it. Ha!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks, Kim! That is so cool!
Thanks for the great post on locally roasted coffees! Great info. I've been loving the Cashua, too, and now I'm hot to try some Indah! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteCashua Coffee has plenty of Full City (medium roast) roasted coffees! Check us out www.cashuacoffee.com and yes, we will bring your coffee to your house!!
ReplyDelete