Who was in the September 2023 box?
I can't help but ask, "What's the story behind this?” in Tenerife (IC). Watch the rain turn into an art show in Dublin (IR), not drinking an ordinary cup of joe in London (UK), and have our morning cup in the bicycle-filled streets of Utrecht (NL).
Tenerife - Canary Islands
Jhon Boy
His artwork delves into the heart of the modern era, using simple yet profound characters to unveil the enigmatic complexities of our time. It's like opening a treasure chest of thought-provoking tales where even stick figures speak volumes! With a minimalist approach, he invites you into a unique dialogue with each masterpiece. His art creates a sanctuary for reflection and contemplation, where you can't help but ask, "What's the story behind this?” Prepare to be captivated by the artistry of Jhon Boy, the master of contemporary scenes and conflicts!
What inspired you to pursue a career in art, and when did you realize that it was your passion?
I've always had a natural curiosity and a creative spirit, but it wasn't until I turned 18 that I truly began to take it seriously and started heeding that inner voice in my head.
You studied in Antwerp, which places did you like going to?
I miss Antwerp so much; I truly cherished the bars there.De Muze, in particular, stands out as one of my all-time favorite bars. The Korsakov is also fantastic; Het Bos has an alt vibe that I adore, De Studio… Additionally, I long for those bike rides through the city center. Antwerp is, in my opinion, a vastly underrated city. The architecture there is really nice, and Het Zuid is super beautiful with its abundance of parks and green spaces.Let's not forget the Tim Van Lere gallery; it's another one of my beloved spots.
Many artists have rituals or routines that help them get into a creative mindset. Do you have any unique practices or habits that aid your creative process?
I can be pretty strict when it comes to time management. I truly value my schedules and do my best to adhere to them. I also have a touch of obsessive-compulsive tendencies, haha. I've got a bunch of rituals going on in my head, and everything needs to have a sense of order or harmony in my mind.
Coffee and art both have the power to evoke emotions and tell stories. Can you share an example of a piece of your art that was directly influenced by a coffee-related experience or thought?
During my time in Italy, I developed quite a coffee habit. I'm actually quite sensitive to caffeine. I recall one Friday night when I couldn't sleep at all. I came up with an idea and ended up staying awake until 4 a.m., creating this comic: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci0yU1sDh3q/?img_index=7
Are there any coffee shops or artistic spaces in Tenerife where you feel this synergy between coffee and art is particularly strong?
Hmm... I'm not entirely convinced, to be honest. Tenerife isn't particularly renowned for its appreciation of art, but it does have some charming coffee shops that serve up some excellent brews. One of my personal favorites is La Caffeina, and you can't go wrong with We The North either.
"The Transparency Society / Byung-Chul Han"
September box
Riso print5-colorsComing soon!
Dublin - Ireland
Cloud Picker
Introducing Cloud Picker, where the caffeinated clouds of creativity descend upon Dublin, Ireland, like a whimsical caffeine-induced meteorological event! Nestled in the heart of Dublin, this coffee brand doesn't just brew coffee; they conjure up a weather system of deliciousness that will have your taste buds dancing like a river-dancing leprechaun! Just grab a cup of Cloud Picker and watch the rain turn into an art show!
Can you tell us about the origins of Cloud Picker?
Cloud Picker first opened in 2013 with a micro roastery. We opened our current location on Pearse st, opposite Trinity College in 2019 and moved our roastery to a larger roastery in the suburb of Crumlin. Cloud Picker Coffee was inspired by a coffee farm in the Doi Chang area of the Northern Thailand/Burma border. We were inspired by the dizzying heights the pickers climb to get the best quality Coffee. We had to go up through the clouds to see the pickers!!
What sets Cloud Picker apart from other coffee roasteries in Dublin or around the world?
We like the idea of going where no one has gone before.That’s why we’re not afraid to venture off into new coffee zones to find the best coffee on the planet. Some origins of note being Indonesia, China, Thailand, and of course Yemen We partnered with Qima Coffee, who have been working with Yemeni farmers and growers to rebuild Yemen's speciality coffee industry. In August 2020, Qima announced the discovery of an entirely new mother population: Yemenia, found exclusively in Yemen. We teamed up with small roasteries around the world and secured a teeny-tiny batch of the Yemenia lots offered by auction, and donated 100% of the proceeds from this coffee to UNICEF, to help children in Yemen. We also recently acquired a small amount of Natural Bourbon from Pai in northern Thailand from Live Specialty Coffee Farm which we are excited to share! We were also the first in Ireland to provide a reusable bucket service to reduce waste, every Thursday our electric van heads out and delivers our beans in Buckets and collects the empty buckets from our wholesalers.Creating a circular economy we are really proud of which cuts the number of 1kg bags going to landfill. We are currently working towards B corp certification and hired a sustainability officer in February to help us on that journey.
Are there any unique or innovative roasting techniques or equipment you use to bring out the flavors in your coffee?
Quality and honesty are at the heart of everything we do.That's why we roast our beans gently and always just to first crack to ensure quality and flavor retention. We started using a Loring S35 Kestrel for its roasting benefits and proven reduction in emissions. Other than that we just try to maintain the quality through green quality assessment, Roast curve comparisons, and weekly QC cuppings with the team. Source well and let the beans and processes speak for themselves. We as humans can’t put anything in… we can only take out… so we source well and roast well, we respect the bean!
Jerry has never been to Dublin.Can you give some tips on what he should definitely do?
Dublin and Ireland in general are a must for Jerry, bin all that leprechaun stuff and experience some of the best food, drinks, landscapes, and of course coffee. One of our directors, Frank is from the beautiful Donegal, in the North west of Ireland. There's great surfing up there and hidden gems like Foam Cafe in Bundoran. Who proudly serves Cloud Picker coffee ;) Or head west to county Galway and try some fresh Flaggy shore oysters in Kai, another great produce lead restaurant with some exceptional coffee - ours!
What's the most memorable customer feedback or success story that you've had since starting Cloud Picker?
Gosh, that’s hard… we always get lovely comments from our customers, both online and wholesale… it always surprises us how much joy we bring to people's daily lives… we only sell coffee yet people feel touched by a really well-made coffee in our cafe or box of beans in the door. We especially noted this upsurge in positive comments during the pandemic. As for recent success… it would have to be our recent opening of a cafe in Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport… making us one of the first specialty coffee roasters at a European Airport!! We’re especially proud of our own team for this as we could not do it without them! Big love to team CP! xx
Ethiopia - Halo Beriti
Region: YirgacheffeAltitude: 1900 - 2150maslVariety: Local landracesProcess: WashedTasting notes: Camomile, peach, honeydew melon
London - United Kingdom
Dark Arts
Prepare to embark on a magical journey through the enchanting world of Dark Arts Coffee, straight from the mystical realm of London!Nestled amidst the foggy alleys and double-decker bus-filled streets of London, Dark Arts Coffee is not your ordinary cup of joe. No, siree! It's a potion so powerful that even Merlin himself would trade his wand for an Aeropress!
Dark Arts Coffee is appearing everywhere these days. Can you briefly share how all this started?
Lockdown seemed to be the tipping point, with everyone working from home, our retail site skyrocketed. We made sure to keep the content coming and give the folks something to laugh about and look forward to in the grim Lockdown times. And now that's a thing of the past we’ve maintained our momentum with the coffee quality increasing along with the content, collabs, and releases.
What do you love most about being part of the coffee scene in London, and how do you contribute to its growth and development?
The quality is so high in London, being able to cup coffee from our neighboring coffee roaster, and having an open dialogue on what everyone is working on and what they find interesting keeps us moving in a positive direction.
Jerry really loves the names of your coffees.Who comes up with these original names?
The names are simply down to what anyone is interested in or finds funny at that given time, there really is no method to the name selection. Could be as simple as laughing at something that morning in the office.
What is your favorite spot in your neighborhood?
Currently enjoying Profile in Islington, it serves great coffee, every time, and it has a bench out front, simple things to tick off my list, plus it's across the street from a greasy spoon cafe, so coffee then a full English, bosh!
How has the coffee industry in London evolved, and where do you see it heading in the future.
Seems like everyone found their sense of humor. You’ve seen the importance of Social Media come through.
"Bleep blorp."
Peru - Mud Flood
Region: JuninAltitude: 2200maslVariety: Typica, Pache, BourbonProcess: WashedTasting notes: Dark chocolate with purple plum acidity, and nougat
Utrecht - The Netherlands
Keen
Prepare to embark on a journey through the charming world of Keen Coffee, hailing from the bicycle-filled streets and picturesque canals of Utrecht! 🚲☕Keen Coffee, much like its hometown Utrecht, is a delightful blend of precision and whimsy, the kind that makes you want to say "Dank je wel!" (that's Dutch for "Thank you!") to your morning cup.
Can you share the story behind the founding of Keen Coffee and what inspired the name "Keen"?
From the very first start, we’ve been KEEN to learn and explore anything about the beauty of specialty coffee. Both in Dutch and in English Keen stands for eagerness to learn and to improve, which is still the driving force behind our journey.
How do you engage with your customers and coffee enthusiasts to build a sense of community around your brand?
We love to interact with our customers via Instagram of course, but we have people walking in at the roastery almost daily too. We’re always happy to help get the best brewing recipe or the right pick of coffee for each personal flavor. We hope to contribute to the specialty coffee community by introducing new exciting coffees every month. Besides that, we are really looking forward to this year’s Dutch AeroPress Championship, which we’re hosting for the fourth time now. This is a great party for everybody in the community to join!
What can you tell us about the coffee in our box, your Honduras - Jose Rodriguez?
Jose Yovany Rodriguez is a Honduran coffee guru who’s been brewing up a storm since ’85! This coffee’s silky texture is sure to soothe your senses.Hints of sweet caramel intermingle with the juiciness of blackberry and the crispness of red apple, creating a flavor profile that’s both comforting and exciting!
Utrecht is known for having more bicycles than people. Do you have a secret Keen coffee that powers those pedals with extra caffeine for the daily commute?
Our ‘secret’ Keen Coffee that’s served in some nice places in Utrecht is our organic Intimpa from Peru. We’re very proud of this social responsibility project we started in Peru with our partners. Investing in production tools and long-term relations to improve the quality of both coffee and the community over there.
Are there any upcoming coffee releases or projects that Keen Coffee fans should be excited about?
Absolutely! Coming from our intense collab with Peru, we now have this amazing Geisha lot from Andrès Torres, delicate, layered, and fruity. Besides that, we’re offering a new Tasting Box with three different filter coffees or two espressos every quarter and a cool coffee subscription with a new exciting coffee every month!
