ROAST | LIGHT MEDIUM

ORIGINS | COSTA RICA, COLOMBIA, KENYA

NOTES | DARK RUM, COMPLEX CITRUS, CHERRY, BAKING SPICES

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 fermentation. In the past, we have predominately featured coffees from Colombia in this blend, though lots from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Peru have played a part in its conception as well. This year, however, we are shifting our focus away from the individual components of the blend and instead elevating flavor as the guiding principle for each creation.

You'll see several installments of this concept throughout the year, and today's release is the third in this flavor-forward series. What originally began as a blending experiment to replicate the flavors found in Cheerwine (North Carolina natives are now nodding their heads approvingly) resulted in something equally beloved but more globally renowned. With this blend, we are paying homage to an iconic and historically significant classic cocktail, the ever-popular Rum & Cola (or more accurately, Rum & Coke, but we couldn't put that on the label because, you know, copyright law and such...). With its simple ingredient list and and ubiquitous flavors, the drink first became popular in the early 1900's, and that popularity really hasn't waned since. Loved by Coke and cocktail consumers the world over, we sought to re-imagine the flavors of this storied cocktail in a cup of coffee that is equally high-class-yet-low-brow. 

To accomplish this, we blended five coffees from three countries. The majority share of this blend comes from father-son duo Allen Campos and Don Senel Campos, who produced a stunning anaerobic natural lot at their (appropriately named) farm in Brunca, El Cola Roja. Three co-fermented coffees from Colombia contribute many of the very specific flavors we sought to replicate: Jairo Arcila's Rum-aged Castillo lot contributes the big rum character we needed, his Honey Cinnamon coffee brings the spice notes that nod to Coca-Cola, and Wilder Lasso's lovely Lemon Gesha gives us that complex citrus flavor akin to the fresh lime juice used in the original cocktail recipe. Finally, our beloved Mahiga coffee from smallholders in Kenya brings everything together by balancing all of those big, unique flavors with the rich sweetness that is so familiar to Rum & Coke enthusiasts everywhere.

In the cup: Regarding the cocktail, purists will tell you to use a light Cuban rum, and they'll implore you to find Mexican Coca-Cola, which is sweetened with cane sugar and decidedly better than its American-made, HFCS counterpart. Finally, they'll insist on the addition of fresh-squeezed lime juice, which is original to the recipe but omitted in many bars around the world today. With their powers combined, these three simple ingredients result in a surprisingly complex flavor profile. And, if we've done our job right, you'll experience those familiar flavors anew in your first sip from this blend. Notes of dark rum, complex citrus, cherry, and baking spices will fill your palette with delight, and you can happily sip your coffee with the realization that you no longer have need of a cover band and a neon light to enjoy the essence of this ubiquitous drink. Cheers.

Producers | Allen Campos & Don Senel Campos, Jairo Arcila, Wilder Lasso, and smallholders from the Rukira Village 

Processes | Various

Varieties | Various