Meet us @ The World of Coffee in Berlin!

Meet us @ The World of Coffee in Berlin!

We’re thrilled to take part in the World of Coffee event in Berlin this June! It is meant to be Europe’s largest coffee trade show gathering both professionals from the industry and coffee enthusiasts. We can’t wait to meet you all there! We'll be brewing our full range of delicious coffees non-stop this Thursday, Friday & Saturday (6th-7th-8th of June) so come and meet us at the Roaster Village (table 14, Hall 1). We look forward to tasting some coffees together and we’ll also have plenty of samples to give out.

A roasting summer in the West

A roasting summer in the West

Hello! Since our last blog back in February we’ve had a few exciting and intense months setting up our new roastery space on the farm where we live. It’s included the refurbishment of a wooden shed and the installation of a new Probatone 12-kg roaster that miraculously made it over from Germany undamaged, despite various adventures along the way. The machine is a beauty and we love it!

New year, new coffees!

New year, new coffees!

This is our first blog since we’ve been back in Ireland and lots of exciting things have happened since then. We started exploring the possibility of setting up a coffee roasting business during our time in Colombia and were thrilled to finally launch Carrow Coffee Roasters and start selling our coffee bags at local markets and shops throughout Sligo last November. And the response has been very positive! We plan to bring you regular insights and stories about the coffees we’re roasting on this page, so stay tuned! This month we have two new coffees, a bright Colombian and a fruity Rwandan, both light roasted and recommended for filter.

Salento – At the Heart of Colombia’s Coffee Area

Salento – At the Heart of Colombia’s Coffee Area

Coming to the end of our time in Colombia we decided that we couldn’t leave without visiting the traditional coffee-growing area (eje cafetero) and the popular town of Salento. Up to now we’ve avoided the touristic hotspot, concerned about crowds, but curiosity won out and it was definitely worth the visit.

The world’s highest coffee

The world’s highest coffee

Landing in Pasto airport is a challenge for even the best pilots. The runway in Colombia’s Nariño province sits on a narrow plateau, constantly buffeted by crosswinds that swirl across the Andes mountains.

What lies below - some of the highest-grown and finest coffees on the planet -makes it worth the bumpy approach. Indeed, altitude and coffee quality are inextricably linked.

Roasting up a storm in Bogotá

Roasting up a storm in Bogotá

Just because a gringo has long hair and a neck tattoo, it doesn’t mean they’re right”

Alvaro Pelaez, roast master

Or put another way, drinking some of the ultra-light roasts currently in vogue may make you feel ill, no matter how trendy they are. Which is not to say that here at ZipaCoffee we’re endorsing burnt coffee. Obviously it’s a question of balance.