The Future has been a beloved staple on our year-round menu for quite awhile now. With it, we have been able to showcase excellence in processing techniques, particularly in regard to anaerobic and co-fermentation endeavors.. Our goal with each of these unique blends is to elevate flavor as the guiding principle for each creation.

HOW WE GOT HERE | It’s no secret that we love co-fermented coffees here at Black & White. We also love taking inspiration from our favorite candies, desserts, and cocktails to create (or re-create) new and interesting flavor profiles in caffeinated form. With summer (at last!) fast-approaching, our minds have been drifting to the latter - tropical bevvies, good hangs, and teeny, tiny umbrellas. 

For this release, we were inspired by the many times we've managed to find ourselves sat in the back corner of a tiki bar with other industry folk - usually after long days spent in a convention center. Something about those places and the drinks they serve seem to draw coffee people in like a magnet - we seem to find something about the juxtaposition of complex flavor and simple silliness to be quite nearly irresistible.

Unfortunately, none of us here at Black & White ever had the privilege of swimming up to the original Soggy Dollar Bar in White Bay, BVI, where the iconic Painkiller cocktail was first served back in 1970. We have, however, shared many a Painkiller at those aforementioned tiki bars - and we have some pretty great stories to prove it. Considered a more complex riff on the classic piña colada, the Painkiller cocktail adds orange juice and a dash of nutmeg to the original ingredient list, and it's generous with the aged rum. We love this cocktail and the memories it conjures so much, we couldn't resist the urge to create a socially acceptable way of enjoying those same flavors - and vibes - first thing in the morning.

HOW WE DID IT | To re-imagine this iconic cocktail in coffee form, we sought out co-fermented coffees that were fruit-forward and boozy, but also light-hearted and fun. We needed to incorporate that signature touch of spice, too. After many experiments and one broken tiki glass (RIP), we eventually found everything we were looking for from four of our favorite Colombian producers:

• 40% Julio Madrid - Coconut Islands

• 28% Carlos Plazas - Cinnamon Pink Bourbon

• 25% Forest Coffee - Marlin (Lott 553)

• 7% Jairo Arcila - Lychee

TAKE A SIP | Both tropical and boozy, complex and silly: this coffee is the stuff our tiki drink dreams are made of. Tropical fruit, like passion fruit, transport us straight to the islands, while a sweetness like coconut cream seats us directly at the swim-up bar. Vibrant acidity, like key limes, balance a booziness reminiscent of dark rum. Taken all together, this coffee reminds us of so many times we've shared a fun drink with good friends - and now, we get to share that same sentiment with all of you.

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Origin | Huila, Risaralda, and Quindío, Colombia

Producers | Julio Madrid | Carlos Plazas | Forest Coffee | Jairo Arcila

Process | (mostly) Co-ferment

Variety | Various

Elevation | Various