It’s National Coffee Day!  While you know we’d use any excuse – finished breakfast, found a lost sock, waiting for a haircut, you get the idea – to enjoy a good cup of coffee, today is the day that no excuses are necessary!  To celebrate, we’re all brewing up our favorite coffees, just the way we like them.  But how does our blogger team like to take their coffee?  We weren’t so, so we asked!

Roger - "I like very strong, dark roasted coffee and I drink it black as night."

Missy -  "I like iced coffee year-round and take it as follows… strict guidelines, you know."

• - Full cup of ice
• - One shot of Dark Magic® Espresso Blend
• - Smidgen of Wild Mountain Blueberry™, double brewed
• - Fill to the brim with Nantucket Blend® coffee
• - Top with a little cream and simple syrup

 

Winston - "My wife says I am an old man and stuck in my ways. I'm only 47 and I disagree, I just like what I like. At night before bed, I put out my French press, my whipped honey, the blue mug that my aunt made, and I fill the kettle with enough water for the pot. When I get up (and I get up pretty early) it's all ready for me. I like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe in a French press, served with honey and half and half. I know, it's heresy to use condiments in such a nice clean coffee like that. But I'm 47 and I can have my coffee any way I like it."

 

Amanda - “I love the unaltered taste and aroma of black coffee. No sugar, no cream masking the flavors of a great Sumatran or Kenyan. Every now and then though, I enjoy a splash of almond milk (lactose and I don’t mix), whose nutty flavor brings out the earthy notes in my coffee.”

Kristen - "I don’t drink coffee, but I’ll happily say that I take ice cream with my coffee – who doesn’t love an affogato?  Coffee and ice cream? The perfect combination."

Just wondering: Since it's your job to drink coffee, how many cups of coffee do you drink in a year?

-- First, a story: We just put a large addition on the front of our roasting and packing building in Waterbury, VT. While we have since moved into a larger Coffee Lab with big windows and more space, our old lab had one window, which looked out over the construction site. When it was raining and 30 degrees and guys would be out working on the steel and the concrete, we would be inside cupping coffee all morning.

Talk about gratitude and guilt. We would comment on how grateful we were to be paid to drink coffee for a living, but at the same time, how guilty we were to be warm inside while guys were working hard outside, in the cold, rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, well, you get the picture. Every now and then, you could get one of the worker's attention and we’d wave sheepishly giving them a mild thumbs up in thanks for building our new addition. If anyone needed a cup of coffee, it was our construction team!

Yes, our job is to drink coffee - and what a blessing! In our Lab, some people cup coffee - the evaluation of coffee before purchase using a spoon, lots of slurping, and copious notes. Some people do finished goods tasting: drinking coffee that we already roasted and packaged that is ready for sale, in order to make sure it is tasting the way it's supposed to taste.

In terms of how much coffee people drink, let's use me as an example. Last year I cupped 5,514 samples of coffee, and I wasn’t even the “high-scorer”. Brent cupped over 6,000 samples. Each sample has 6 cups (the size of a small bowl of clam chowder). When you cup, you're only sipping a little from each cup, and usually you spit it back into a cup or container. So that comes to at least 33,084 cups that I tasted.

But that's just with cupping.

Just about every afternoon at around 2 pm for "kaffee klatch", our green coffee planner Kevin brews up a pot of something different for us to enjoy. Since we probably only do it 3 days a week, and I travel a bit for work, and we get nice vacation benefits, let’s say that’s 110 cups per year. I usually drink 2 cups a day on Saturdays and Sundays, so 4 on the weekends, which comes to 208 cups over 52 weekends. So here’s the math: 33,084 + 110 + 208 = 33,402 cups of coffee in one year.

How much do you drink in a year? Tell us.

Each year, we here at Green Mountain Coffee® provide the opportunity for one lucky fan to win a new Keurig® Single-Cup Brewer along with a lifetime supply of K-Cup® portion packs!  The contest is called The Perfect Cup Sweepstakes and it's been growing in popularity since it was introduced.

I am happy to introduce you all to Raymond of Fall River, MA, who is this year's big winner!  Raymond was recently awarded with his new Keurig Platinum Brewer along with a lifetime supply of coffee.  Way to go, Raymond!

Raymond entered our sweepstakes as many days as he could, saying he might have only missed "a day or two" (Persistence is key!).  He was really surprised to learn he was the big winner, but says since receiving the brewer, he now drinks a lot more coffee due to the convenience of putting in a portion pack rather than brewing an entire pot of coffee and tossing most it.  Breakfast Blend is Raymond's favorite, but he's been known to drink a stronger blend on occasion.  In Raymond's words, "I would recommend this contest to anyone who likes good coffee."

Congrats again, Raymond!  Happy brewing!

So what does it take to be like Raymond?  Simply The Perfect K-Cup Sweepstakes , fill out the information – and you’re set!  There are daily prize giveaways with the chance at our Grand Prize which will be awarded in early 2012.  Enter early, enter often!

TOP TEN OFFICE GIFTS

#10 Small Revelation Travel Mug $2.95

We here at Business Coffee Express are often asked, "What is the best way to take my Green Mountain Coffee wakeboarding?" The answer is this cute little 12-oz. Revelation Travel Mug with a spill-proof, screw-on lid. It features a beautiful scene of the Vermont Green Mountains, and is the perfect size to grab and go whether you are free soloing, sky surfing, or even wakeboarding.  At this price you should buy one for everyone in the office!

#9 Logo Backpacker Thermos $19.95

The sleek, slender shape looks like you after the holidays, thanks to all the wakeboarding you've been doing! This compact, no-leak Thermos®, made by Nissan™ is so stylish it might just put mugs and tumblers out of style. Features an easy-to-open, spring loaded lid. Completely leak proof perfect for backpacks and travel. Double Insulation means your coffee stays hot for hours.

#8 Stoneware Logo Mug $14.95

Perfect for the boss who needs to be reminded on a daily basis that every office deserves great coffee! Each is individually hand-thrown by American master potters. Slight color and size variations showcase the unique properties of each one-of-a-kind mug. Solid and sizable, each of these mugs can stand on its own, but two make a nice pair.

#7 Bodum Milk Frother $19.95

The next time someone in your office tells you not to get worked up into such a lather, say "Why Not?" and show them this! This easy-to-use, battery-powered frother is perfect for foamy milk for your coffee without the hassle of an espresso machine. You will probably decide to keep it for yourself so buy two.

#6 Lake Champlain Chocolates Organic Truffles $22.95

Lake Champlain truffles— on the list because it's made in VT of course, and because they are the best Truffles I've ever had. Sorry Belgium, but cheer up, GMCR will probably never make a $25 raspberry beer aged in oak. Lake Champlain Chocolates has reached new heights with this collection of 15 all-natural, preservative-free truffles. Includes Ethiopian Coffee, Honey Fig, Ginger Lemon, Aztec, Mango, and Vanilla.

#5 Better World Gift Bag $59.95

Isn't dreaming of a better world what the Holidays are all about? Our exquisite chocolates, cocoa, coffees and tea help actually make it happen— plus they taste amazing. Includes 7 fabulous products contributing to a better world and a reusable shopping tote.

#4 Organic Breakfast Crate $37.95

Why a Crate? Because "Crate" just sounds cool, and who wouldn’t rather have a "crate" of something they love rather than just a box? Besides, it doubles as an "In" box. Filled with Fair Trade Organic coffee and Cocoa and Organic pancake mix and maple syrup, all from Vermont.

#3 K-Cup Ultimate Gift Basket $44.95

C'mon, "Ultimate" is right there in the name, of course it has to be in the top 10! The perfect gift if their office already enjoys a Keurig® Brewer. If not, get them one of those too! Our K-Cup Gift Basket gives you great coffee right away, and wonderful sustenance for the rest of the day. Includes 24 Green Mountain Coffee Sampler K-Cups.

#2 The Ultimate Office Gift Basket $49.95

Is it possible for two Green Mountain Coffee gifts to be called "Ultimate" at the same time? Yes, it's a holiday miracle! Packed full of delicious treats, and there’s more than enough to share. Brew up a pot of Breakfast Blend or French Roast while everyone in the office digs in to sweet granola, delicate shortbread, maple candy, or chocolate indulgences. It’ll be the most memorable Holiday coffee break ever!

#1 Keurig Office Pro Coffee Brewer $129.95

Not only the greatest invention in the history of humankind, but perhaps the greatest gift since frankincense and myrrh. (Gold is still hard to beat.) Even small offices deserve great coffee and the B145 Office Pro delivers. Designed for offices with 15 or fewer people, its small footprint makes it a perfect fit for conference rooms, board rooms and reception areas. Guaranteed to ward off office revolts, palace coups, passive-aggressive behavior and Monday sick days. They should rename it "Ultimate."

Welcome to another revelation-ary edition of Ask the Coffee Lab.  This week, our crack Coffee Lab tackles a question wondering about proper coffee etiquette:

"Be honest with me, is drinking coffee with sugar and cream the wrong way to drink coffee?"

--

The National Coffee Association does an annual drinking trends survey of coffee drinkers. The 2010 version says that 63 percent of surveyed coffee drinkers put some kind of milk or milk substitute in their coffee and 48 percent put some kind of sweetener in their coffee. Only 31 percent didn't put anything in their coffee.

If you are doing something wrong, (don't worry - you're not), you have plenty of company.  We used to have a customer brochure that said "the best cup of coffee is the one you like best." We don't have that brochure anymore, but we still believe in the saying. It's your coffee, you paid for it, you enjoy it the way you see fit.

Me, personally? Organic Valley Half and Half and local, raw, whipped honey, every single day at my house before work.

There's a reason sugar and cream are popular. Cream (milk, half and half, non-dairy creamers) all add body to your coffee, cool it off (!), and the fat in higher fat creamers coats your tongue and actually suspends some of the flavors in your mouth longer. Milk also cuts some of the bitter in any coffee.  Sugar? Sugar makes most things taste better.

Lastly, I will add some caveats: Lighter roasted single-origin coffees with very delicate, clean tastes tend to have their subtleties lost a bit with cream and or sugar. Darker roasts and dark roast blends take cream and sugar a little better. And when we say better, we mean the coffee stands up to the additives and still has some "say" in the end result. If you want to experiment, Fair Trade Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a great coffee to drink straight (no additives). Fair Trade Organic Espresso Blend in a French Press or drip coffee pot goes great with cream and sugar.

Do you have other suggestions, let us know!

The sun is shining, the lawn mowers are roaring, and we in the United States have a 3-day weekend ahead of us to celebrate Independence Day with family, BBQs,  and icy cold beverages.

Like iced coffee.  (What?  You thought we meant something else?)

In the spirit of this weekend, our Coffee Lab tackles a question asked by many, many coffee fans via Twitter, our Facebook page, and to our Customer Care team:

“How do you make iced coffee? Mine tastes horrible!”

--

I know I'm stating the obvious, but it's hot in the summer (in most places). It's probably hot where you are right now, too? But, even when it’s 99-degrees, you need coffee everyday (I know I do). So, why not have your cake and eat it too and drink coffee that is cold on purpose.

I can still recall when I made some amazing iced coffee one hot, sticky summer when I was building my house and falling behind schedule. One morning when I made a French press of something Fair Trade Organic and dark roasted, I made two servings in two separate mugs, added half and half, and some raw, whipped honey - yum. I drank one and put the other mug, hot coffee and all, in the fridge, for later. Lunch time came around, and I had heaven in a chilly coffee mug. I got a lot done that summer, needless to say.

Of course, that's an alternate way to make iced coffee – there is an official answer. When customers call and say that their iced coffee is horrible, it's because they are usually using someone else's coffee. Just kidding. Truth is, what usually happens when people hate their iced coffee is that the coffee brewed regularly and then got watered down with iced cubes when they melted, resulting in a watery, cold coffee as opposed to the refreshing iced variety. The way to make really good ice coffee is to make it bold.

Here's what we do in 3 easy steps -

1) Double brew a pot of your favorite Green Mountain Coffee - (Usual amount of water, twice the amount of coffee.)

2) Ice it - pour hot coffee into a pitcher of ice (Tip: If you like, make ice cubes a head of time out of coffee for an extra blast of flavor) and chill until the ice melts. (Remember: Brew in smaller batches to keep it fresh.)

3) Add more ice, cream, and sugar to taste.

Toddy Brewers are also the classic way to make iced coffee. You make a concentrate with an overnight cold brewing method and then add water and ice. It's great for camping: make a batch of concentrate, then bring it with you with your mug and you don't even need to bring a brewer or the coffee.

Lastly, another ways to get great iced coffee is to use Green Mountain Coffee’s Brew Over Ice K-Cups®  for iced coffee and use your Keurig® to brew right into a cup of ice. A few seconds later you walk away with a great cup of iced coffee with minimal effort.

And like that, horrible iced coffee is gone forever!

Green Mountain Coffees' Seasonal Coffee line, was created to show appreciation for each passing season; coffees that highlight the very best of each season. As a child, I can remember biting into a ripe juicy peach and ending up a sticky mess! With The Perfect Peach® Coffee, there is no more mess, just the sweet ripe peach flavors.

Going on an adventure this summer? Don’t go without our delicious Summer Safari® Blend in hand! And don’t forget, adventures and coffee are both best shared with a friend!

How to drink a Perfect Peach (on ice)

Step 1: Brew a pot, or plastic tumbler, of The Perfect Peach coffee at double strength.
Please Note: If you are brewing with a Keurig Brewer, add ice to your cup before brewing

Step 2: Pour hot coffee into a carafe, or tumbler, of ice. Add Simple Syrup* to taste, light cream, and more ice. Mix well.

Step 3: Topped with whipped cream or softened vanilla ice cream, and a peach wedge.

*Simple Syrup Directions: bring to a boil one part water and two parts sugar. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove from heat and let cool. Store and use as needed.

Fair Trade Month Quiz:

Question 22: What is Max Havelaar?

Answer: The name of the first Fair Trade certification initiative and a fictional Dutch character who opposed the exploitation of coffee pickers in Dutch colonies.

Haven’t answered our Fair Trade Quiz question of the day, yet? Well, why not? The answer’s right there! If that isn’t enough for you, the first 100 participants* get a sample of Green Mountain Coffee’s Fair Trade Certified™ Organic House Blend and all answers get entered to the grand prize drawing of 12-months of Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified™ Coffees. Go here to enter: http://www.eatdrinkandbefair.com/quiz.php.

*Sorry, employees and their immediate family members of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. are not eligible. But keep an eye out for our internal Fair Trade quiz.

---

While there’s no way to really know, we’d like to think that Max Havelaar would approve of our Fair Trade efforts at Green Mountain Coffee. Or, at least that he’d enjoy one of our most popular seasonal Fair Trade coffees, Pumpkin Spice.

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

People tell us they can’t wait for fall…and then they stock up on Pumpkin Spice like little squirrels. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors are even better when you add a touch of hot chocolate.  Try this yummy Fair Trade recipe:

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

• Brew a pot of Fair Trade Certified™ Pumpkin Spice or get a K-Cup of Pumpkin Spice


• Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg in the bottom of the coffee cup


• Fill the cup halfway with hot coffee (either from your pot or your Keurig machine)


• Fill the remainder of the cup with hot chocolate.  (We carry Fair Trade Organic Hot Cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates in our catalog and on our web site.)


• Top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon and/or shaved chocolate

Enjoy!

-Ken

Recently, the CBS Early Show featured gear guru Paul Hochman talking about how more families are choosing camping vacations over more pricey visits to expensive resorts this summer.

There’s nothing like waking up in the wild on a chilly morning and greeting the day with a cup of hot coffee!  Green Mountain Coffee’s coffee experts are outdoor enthusiasts and never without their daily cup, so I polled them for their recommended methods for brewing coffee tentside. 

Ed just returned from a car camping trip up & down the East Coast.  He picked up micro-roasts from boutique coffee shops along the way and brewed them up with a hand-grinder and an insulated French press.

Don prefers the Mocha Pot, a dual chamber “stove-top” espresso maker.  A standard for homes in Italy, this is ideal for camping as it makes a concentrated cup with little heat and water.  Perfect for Don’s canoe and backpack camping excursions!

Lindsey also uses a French press, made of thermal stainless steel so it won’t break during her hard core adventures.  Inside the press, she stores a bag with enough ground coffee to last a few days. 

Winston also likes the French press and pre-ground coffee for his Adirondack adventures.  Even easier, he says, is the Chemex brewer, or the Toddy cold brewer.  With the Toddy you make up a concentrate in advance, and add water when ready to drink.  It can be served cold or heated on the stove for a hot cup.

Deb clued me in to the convenient Mini Minit.  These biodegradable filters are perfect for making one cup of coffee or tea at a time.

Bottom line…with a little preparation and a small camping stove, you can make sure your next adventure is well-caffeinated.

People tell us they can’t wait for fall…and then they stock up on Pumpkin Spice like little squirrels. The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors are even better when you add a touch of hot chocolate.  Try this yummy Fair Trade recipe:

Pumpkin Mocha Supreme

• Brew a pot of Fair Trade Certified™ Pumpkin Spice or get a K-Cup of Pumpkin Spice or Pumpkin Spice Decaf.


• Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg in the bottom of the coffee cup


• Fill the cup halfway with hot coffee (either from your pot or your Keurig machine)


• Fill the remainder of the cup with hot chocolate.  (We carry Fair Trade Organic Hot Cocoa from Lake Champlain Chocolates in our catalog and on our web site.)


• Top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon and/or shaved chocolate

Enjoy!

GMCR was again included on Forbes' list of "Americas 200 Best Small Companies."  We were ranked #55, up from our 2007 ranking of #88.  This year, Forbes gave us a special call-out in the "Everyday Tech Stars" section for the Keurig brewer.

Click Here for our inclusion in the "200 Best" introductory piece.  Below is a nice quote from their story.

"Yet there are also many other companies utilizing technology affecting our everyday lives. Take Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (nasdaq: GMCR). Its Keurig Single-Cup Brewer has revolutionized coffee making for those not interested in making a whole pot. The single-cup market rose 59% last year to $176 million, according to research firm NPD. Single-cup penetration is still only 5% of U.S. households, leaving lots of room for growth."

Click Here to see the nice GMCR call-out in their "Everyday Tech Stars" section.  Forbes wrote:

"Green Mountain's Keurig single-cup brewer is an enabler for java addicts. Pop a coffee pack into one its machines, and a cup of the good stuff is a simple touch of a button away--no grinding, no measuring, no mess and no physical evidence (that can't be washed away)."

Click Here for Forbes' summary of our financials.