I thought I would explain a little about our Mocha Java Blend which is NOT a flavored coffee.  It is the oldest coffee blend dating from the late 1600s and consists of Java coffee from the island of Java in Indonesia & Mocha coffee from Yemen or Ethiopia.  These two types of coffee beans combine to become a delicious full-bodied coffee with bittersweet chocolate overtones and complex flavors.

The name Mocha originally came from the name of the port city that the coffee was shipped out of and coffee from this region had chocolate undertones.  So while many associate the word mocha with chocolate, it is because when cocoa was first refined and sold in Europe, it reminded people of Mocha coffee from Yemen.

I am bringing in a fresh batch of our Mocha Java blend to Kahwa North.  I roasted it slightly darker than our last batch to bring out the inherent flavors to their peak.  We will be brewing it up for you to enjoy as a drip coffee for the next week at Kahwa North so I hope you will stop in and try it out.  And if you really want to enjoy the full flavors I suggest having a press coffee of it.

Let us know what you think! enjoy!

Can’t believe May is just around the corner!  Just wanted to update everyone on what we are up to lately.

If you are craving something a little different we have roasted up some single origin Guatemalan coffee this week that is available at both cafes or give me a call to mail order.  It is from the Northwestern region of Guatemala in the Huehuetenango province and is 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified. Amazing in French Press!

James Whittinghill’s exhibit is up at Kahwa South until this Friday so it’s your last chance to check out his amazing photography.  Frank Strunk III will be exhibiting his work starting this Saturday May 1st and he has collaborated with Calan Ree (who designed our website) on several pieces.  Can’t wait to see!  Here is Calan’s latest haiku paying homage to coffee www.gingerdead.com

We will also be part of the kick off Block Party for the 600 Block in St. Pete on May 8th.  We will be serving up hot and iced coffee so stop by and say hi!

Another great event we are sponsoring is a showing of the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove at Baywalk on May 5th.  Check out this link for more information http://ilovetheburg.com/articles.php?category=216.  All proceeds are going to support the Oceanic Preservation Society.

And if anyone is in NYC this May we will be serving coffee at The Top of the List Tasting on  May 11th hosted by Wine & Spirits magazine. Should be an amazing event!

It’s been a busy month getting our new location up and running!  We opened our doors Saturday, Feb. 13th and we are so excited to expand at the new location.  We are offering a yummy lunch menu featuring sandwiches (on freshly baked baguettes), soup & salads made fresh daily & “ready to go”. 

We have a beautiful custom bar built by Adam Welch and the guys at Spotted Lion Creations. 

Right now on the walls is an exibit by local artist Bask.  It is amazing work that was inspired by the “usual suspects” that you can find hanging out at Kahwa Cafe.  Come check it out and buy some art while your at it!  It will only be up a few more days as I am a little late posting this!

Up next, local photographer James Whittinghill will be presenting his work Shades of Street. Can’t wait!

Come visit us:
Kahwa Cafe South
204 2nd Avenue South
Downtown St. Petersburg 33701
727.821.1942

On a morning like today it is such a pleasure to fire up the roaster… the warmth of the flames cuts through the chill in the air… the rythmic sound of the beans turning in the drum soothes my ears… then the air fills with the sweet buttery aroma of our Mistral blend.  I found my happy place.

Here is a fresh batch of Sirocco cooling off.

I know I promised a coffee haiku but I haven’t been successful on my efforts so far.
Feel free to post any you might think up in your caffeinated state!

Tags: coffee, coffee roasting

We sure have been busy around town this month!
Check out some great events we are involved with this week:

Thursday, Nov. 19

7th Annual Charity Works Cup Challenge
Bellair Country Club

Friday, November 20th

Type Riot
Art show at Roundhouse Gallery
Curated by our own Sarah Hutcherson
7-10pm

FRAMCO Beaujolais Nouveau Celebration
St. Petersburg Women’s Club on Snell Isle
6-9pm

Saturday, November 21st

chilllounge St. Pete
Straub Park, downtown St. Petersburg
6-11pm
look for us in the VIP lounge

Saturday & Sunday, November 21 & 22

Holizaar Deux
Studio @620
2nd Annual Handmade Holiday Bazaar
presented by St. Pete Craft Heroes
we aren’t really involved but I am going!
make sure to check out Gingerdead by Calan Ree

And after this week you might not see us around town too much…we need a break! I will be in the warehouse, roasting away.  Stop by if you want to, just come over to 5th ave south and follow your nose!
More to come next week, maybe even a roasting haiku…

Ok, I knew the weather wouldn’t last…ahhh the humid Florida October air.  I hear there is a cooler breeze expected by the end of the week but in the meantime I thought I would refresh you with some info about our cold brewed coffee.

We started using the cold brew method  for our iced coffee just recently and we have had great feedback. We have found it to have a much smoother taste with less acidity but still strong flavor. 

Here is our method:
We make big batches using 5 lbs of our Sirocco blend ground for percolator – between paper filter and french press. We use the toddy system which is practical for the amount we have to make.  It consists of a large container with a spigot and a large strainer and filter bag.  We put the coffee and water in and make sure all the grounds are saturated.  After letting the coffee brew about 12 hours we have 2 1/2 gallons of yummy kahwa coffee concentrate.  We then mix that with filtered water (1 part concentrate to 2 parts water) and serve over ice!  You can add milk or our homemade liquid suger to taste but we think it’s awesome on its own.

Here is barista extraordinaire Aaron massaging the grounds.  What dedication!

So enjoy your iced coffee in the hot Florida sun and just think somewhere it is snowing already!

Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather…while it lasts!
Just wanted to let everyone know about some events Kahwa will be sponsoring in the next few weeks.

This Saturday, Oct 3rd
Brews by the Bay
at the Florida Aquarium
Tampa

Saturday, Oct 10th
Chilllounge Night
on the street outside Tampa Theater
Tampa

Friday morning, October 23rd
Angels After Dark
in lobby of Bank of America Tower
Downtown St. Petersburg

Friday evening, October 23rd
St. Petersburg Museum of History Benefit
In new Ovation Building
Downtown St. Petersburg

Come out and support some great organizations and get some free Kahwa! 
See you there!

Well, I know I said I would talk about our coffee names but I am just so excited about our new website we are launching that I wanted to say a few words about it.  Well one word…awesome! 

It is such a pleasure to work with talented people (such as Calan Ree, Dylan Marvin, & Jim Morey)!   Thank you , thank you , thank you!

I will be posting on here at least once a week and I’ll discuss coffee related topics as well as keep you up to date on what’s going on with Kahwa.  Looks like it is going to be a busy fall and winter so we’ll have lots to talk about! 

Let us know what you think of our new site.  Til next time…

To begin our blog, it seems fitting to answer a question we are often asked, “What does ‘kahwa’ mean?”

About our name:

Coffee was first discovered in the wild in Ethiopia in the Kaffa region. The Turkish name first given to coffee: kahve evolved to qahwa in Arabic. The spelling differs according to different countries but Kahwa is the original name for coffee throughout Africa. It evolved to café (in French) or caffe (in Italian) and remains common slang for coffee in France.

“Je veux un kahwa, s’il vous plait!”

So that is where Kahwa Coffee got it’s name.  But what about the names of our coffee blends?  As you might suspect, the names of each blend are an expression of their flavor.  More on this next time…