Mighty Good Coffee

Home Delivery Changes in January 2011

2010-12-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Beginning in January, our home delivery service schedule will go to once each week. Orders placed each week through Thursday at 10:30 am will be delivered on Fridays. This will not affect mail orders placed on the Website, only our free home delivery service in Ann Arbor.

Why, you may ask? Well, several reasons. First, as we've grown and have more outlets for purchasing Mighty Good Coffee, less of you are ordering on the Web. More of you are purchasing coffee at our retail outlet on Main St., or in one of our partner grocery outlets. Second, we are spending a lot more time on the road making sure that all of our various retail outlets, including our own cafe are well stocked which leaves less time for getting to all the home deliveries. Last, in an effort to stay competitive with the rising costs of our green coffee (see annarbor.com), we need to be more efficient. Delivering once a week to homes will save on our energy use, employee time, and ultimately, allow us to keep our home delivery included in the price of your coffee, that is keeping it at the same rates we are currently charging.

Feel free to e-mail us with any questions.

Newest Places to Buy Mighty Good Coffee our

2010-11-22T19:10:00.001-08:00

We've recently expanded our coffee into the entire Busch's grocery store chain. This means you can now buy Mighty Good from Rochester Hills all the way down to Tecumseh and many places in between.

If you live in the Detroit suburbs, you can also buy Mighty Good at Plum Market in their Bloomfield and W. Bloomfield stores. In Royal Oak, our coffee is available at Holiday Market. In Clarkston, we're at Essence on Main. Further to the east, Sprout House in Grosse Pointe Woods also carries our coffee.

Of course, here in Ann Arbor, you can find us at the following fine stores:

Acme Mercantile
Busch's
Knights Market
Mighty Good Coffee - Cafe
Plum Market
Produce Station
Revive - Replenish
Sparrow Market

Why Tea?

2010-11-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

The short answer is why not? While coffee, with all its iterations of origin, blending and brew methods, could cover enough ground for a lifetime of exploring and drinking, it's great to have options for our customers and ourselves throughout the different seasons. For the moment, we'll focus on one of our teas that's unique among most coffee (and tea) shops. This is our Signature Chai, which we brew fresh each day at the cafe. Starting with premium large leaf Masala Chai, we then blend it with spices and just enough honey to produce a tea that's not too sweet so the full flavor comes through. When we combine that with fresh Calder Dairy milk and steam it up to just the right temperature, our Chai Latte is quite a bit different from the similar drinks made from standard boxed Chai mix. Lots of tea flavor and if you want to add more honey for a sweeter drink, you're welcome to.

While we strive to serve the best coffee possible, we know that our customers often want the option for something different and that's why we now serve over 10 different teas including our Signature Chai.

Thanksgiving Schedule

2010-11-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

Home Delivery and Web Orders - Cut off 11/24/2010 at 10 am.

All order submitted through our Website through Wednesday, November 24th at 10 am will be delivered before Thanksgiving.

All recurring customers can expect their orders on Wednesday as well.

Any orders submitted after this cutoff will be delivered on Tuesday, November 30th.

There will be now deliveries on Friday, November 26th.

Mighty Good Coffee Cafe Schedule

The Mighty Good Coffee Cafe will operate with the following hours during the Thanksgiving Holiday:

Wednesday, November 24th, Closing at 5 pm.
Thursday, November 25th, Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
Friday, November 26th, 8 am - 6 pm
Saturday, November 27th, 7 am - 6 pm
Sunday, November 28th, 8 am - 5 pm

November News

2010-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

Friday Night Arts Series: November 12th, 7 pm Michael Byers, Local Author

This Friday evening at 7 pm, local author Michael Byers will be reading from his latest works including Percival's Planet.

Michael Byers' first book, The Coast of Good Intentions, was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, won the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and garnered a Whiting Writer's Award. Long for This World won the annual fiction prize from Friends of American Writers and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Both were New York Times Notable Books.

Please join us at the Mighty Good Cafe, 217 N. Main St., for the first of our Friday Night Arts Series events featuring great guests, conversation, tasty deserts and Mighty Good Coffee.

New Coffee Arrivals

Honduran Organic We have two new coffees in stock this month. The first is a single estate organic Honduran, Flor del Pino. The name of this sun-dried coffee reflects the abundant variety of shade trees on the plantation that support a rich wildlife under which the coffee is grown. Produced using a variety of sustainable practices from patio drying to recycling the water used to wash the coffee at the mill.

Also new is Colombian El Pital - Huila (region). Smooth, well balanced and nutty, this is a great limited offering for those of you who love fine Colombian coffee.

Mighty Good Goods

As we approach the season of giving, our cafe is filling up with items to be given. From Bodum, Chemex, Clever, Aeropress and Freiling, we have a wide variety of brewing devices for the home brewing enthusiast. We also have copies of The Perfect Cappuccino Movie for home entertainment. (We'll be showing this movie at one of our future Friday Night Arts Series). Mighty Good Coffee mugs and t-shirts are also available. Last, on the non-coffee side, we are stocking Dirt Road Washtenaw, a book on bicycling the back roads around Ann Arbor, written by local author Rob Pulcipher. Dirt Road Washtenaw is an adventure. It explores over 700 miles of dirt roads in this county. That's nearly half of all the county's roads. Most of them are unique, relatively quiet and often beautiful. This book shares 17 routes with detailed maps that cover the entire county and wander through every township.

Home Delivery Schedule

You may see us running around town in our new delivery vehicle, the economical Ford Transit Connect. After much research and deliberation, this seemed to be the most mighty car for Mighty Good Coffee. We also want to mention that home and other Web orders will be going out for delivery on Tuesday and Friday mornings. This change will still honor our 24 hour roasting guarantee. We are having to stop late night deliveries on Monday and Thursday based on a revised roasting schedule as well as honoring the demands of our driver(s) who have always been students first and in the case of our newest driver, fathers of young children. If you have any questions about our home delivery, please feel free to contact us at sales at mightygoodcoffee dot com.

What's up with the lights?, and other updates at MGC.

2010-10-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, we've now been in the new cafe about 2 months. Time is flying by. We're continually working out some kinks, working to bring even better coffee and training our staff in order to brew our coffees to yield the best flavors via a variety of brewing methods. French press pots are now available for any of our coffees starting at $4.75 for 28 oz.

On the structural side, it's been an electrical experiment at the new cafe this month. Our contractor, Snider Electric, has been converting the industrial lights in the roasting area from metal halide to energy saving compact fluorescent fixtures. And while it's gone well in terms of energy usage and better lighting, there seems to have been a bad batch of commercial bulbs on the market which have been burning out in an untimely fashion making the cafe darker than any of us would like. The good news is that George Snider's crew was here today working on the issue and light has been restored. AT&T has also been working on internet connectivity issues. The entire block is losing connection in short blips here and there. And while we bought a license for commercial usage for satellite radio, getting the stars to align and a signal to reach our antenna has proven difficult. Perhaps we'll have a day when everyone comes into the cafe wearing tin-foil hats and see what happens.

Thanks to the Scudder family for requesting a baby changing station in the restroom. I'm happy to report that we have one on order and it should be installed in the next few days. I told them today that before you know it, their baby will be asking for a summer job here. They've been customers from the days when all we provided was home delivery of coffee and have been with us every step of the way. I'm happy to have customers that take the time to get to know us and work to make the environment better. Relationships. That's what building a local community business is about.

We now have self-service ice water in the counter across from the wood bar. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your time here more enjoyable.

Did you know that we have 22 seats at the new location and are planning to add more? Seems like a long time ago that we started with just a coffee bar and three window seats. Whew! Time flies.

Angela Arnold, our cafe manager, recently returned from Camp Pull-a-Shot which was a 4-day training seminar held in a camp about 2 hours north of Los Angeles. It was coffee from 6 am to midnight (and beyond for many) every day. She came back with a lot of new knowledge, enthusiasm, and, of course, her Specialty Coffee Association of America Barista Certification for passing the rigorous exam held on the first day. Angela's biggest challenge in preparation was making latte art using soy milk, which was a requirement at camp. Don't like our Calder Dairy milk? Then stop by some morning and ask her to make you a soy latte.

Speaking of Calder Dairy, it's one of the most respected family owned farms in the state. All of their products are produced from hormone free milk from cows that have names, not numbers. We're proud to support another local business that's so close to ours, both geographically and spiritually. You can even get Calder milk delivered to your home in Ann Arbor every week.

We'll continue to make updates at the cafe as we evolve our business and become even more a part of the Ann Arbor community fabric.

Thanks for drinking Mighty Good Coffee-

David

October News

2010-10-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

This Friday morning, from 6 am - 10 am, Martin Bandyke from 107.1 will be broadcasting from our cafe at 217 N. Main St. We'll be selling our 12 oz. cups of coffee for $1.07 during the morning so come on down and join the fun. We'll be roasting coffee all morning too and full pounds of Guatemalan organic will be on sale for $10.70 as well. (Only from 6-10 am though...).

Mighty Good Lunch and Special Fall Drinks
We've partnered with our good friends on E. University to broaden our offerings at the cafe. You can now enjoy a fresh salad, wrap or sub sandwich at the cafe. These are prepared each day and delivered just before lunch time.If you can't make it to our side of town, you can always enjoy a fresh cup of Mighty Good Coffee at Revive + Replenish.

We've also added two fall drink specials. Steamed apple cider and chai-der which is steamed cider with our fresh made chai.

We'll be expanding our tea selections this month as well for those of you who want an alternative to coffee or want to bring friends who don't drink coffee.
Out on a limb because it's still all about the coffee

Of course, even though we've added a few food and drink options, we're still very focused on the coffee. This month, we have some really spectacular coffees arriving. While all our coffees are specialty grade and highly rated, I've been wanting to introduce a few things on the very upper end of the spectrum. Maybe that going out on a limb, but that's the beauty of what we do.

The first coffee is a fair trade organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from the Koke co-op. This coffee is floral, bright and sweet. The flavor is the result of exacting selection of the picked cherries before the milling process paired with a lighter roast to reveal the delicate nuances of this bean. I am really excited to have this even for a short time.

Second will be La Minita Estate Costa Rican. This is undoubtably the premiere Tarrazu coffee produced and we are able to procure this direct from the farm and mill. I visited this estate in early 2009 and saw first hand the quality of this coffee production from the care taken in maintaining the farm down to the milling process which is done on the farm as well. This is one of the first bags of the new crop that's just become available.

Mighty Good at 217 N. Main in Full Swing

2010-10-05T05:28:00.001-07:00

Well, we're already into our 4th week at the new digs 217 N. Main St. I already feels a bit like home. Considering we were at our previous roasting location over four years and the marketing experiment (our first cafe) for over a year, the transition for both our staff and customers has been relatively easy. We've been enjoying meeting a lot of new people as well as proximity to the Farmer's Market and the Spring St. neighborhood have brought in many new faces. For me, I have a lot more time to see everyone with the roasting operation in full swing in the back half of the cafe. It's great being able to see everyone during the roasting day where before, it was a bit isolating.

We have a special event coming up this Friday when Martin Bandyke from 107.1 will be broadcasting live from our cafe from 6 - 10 am. 12 oz. coffees will be specially priced at,... you guessed it, $1.07. We hope you get a chance to stop by for the fun.

Time to roast the coffee...

Mighty Good on the Move...

2010-08-05T14:48:00.001-07:00

Big News, or Go North Young Man...

Well folks, it's been a wild ride this past four years. That's right, come this Labor Day, it will have been four years since we first put beans in the hopper, poured them out fresh and loaded up our first home delivery. I'm proud to say that after all this time, our first customer, (you know who you are), is still getting coffee delivered to her door each and every week. And she's not the only one. Many, many others have been with us since the very first week and we thank every one of our customers from home delivery to the many small independent markets and locally owned grocers. While it's an ever growing list, we think our attention to our customers remains one of our greatest values.

So, what will be happening in the coming year, or even coming month or two. Those of you who know me surely know it's hard for me to sit back and not keep planning and looking for ways to enhance the coffee experience. In visiting many (and I mean many) coffee operations around the country, one thing I thought would really be fantastic is combining our roasting operations with a cafe. How cool would that be?... Call me crazy, but talking to an architect friend a few months ago about some redesigning of our current set-up, he said the exact same thing, and wouldn't the empty store front below his office be just the place? I looked in the window and saw a vast expanse that led from Main St. through to the alley running behind all the buildings in downtown Ann Arbor. "Way too big." I said. "Out of our league. Thanks but can we get back to the task at hand." Pause.. "Let me get the key and just show you around" he said, and there started a months long effort to bring the first roaster/cafe located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor.

Many final details are still being completed, but I can say that plans are drawn, permits are pulled and, gas lines and lumber are being delivered and that this new spot, 217 N. Main St., is within spitting distance of our current location. So stay tuned for further updates on our site, and in the local news as we get closer to this becoming a reality.

August Special - Organic Sumatra

2010-08-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

We're bringing back the Monthly Coffee Special, at least for August. Organic Sumatra is only $11 per pound (save $2). Website orders only.

First Taste Saturday, May 1st

2010-04-25T07:12:00.001-07:00

We'll be introducing two new coffees later this week. First up is a Tanzanian peaberry from the Ruvuma region of the country. Second up will be a new blend, yet to be named. It's not so dark, blended from two organic coffees, and quite tasty! We'll be posting our cupping notes later in the week.

Saturday, May 1st, we'll be offering samples of these coffees at our first First Taste Saturday. From 10 - 11 am, we'll have new coffees out for sampling along with some nibbles. This will be a regular event at our cafe so come on down, bring some friends, learn about our coffees with our staff and socialize with other coffee hounds.

What's with the WiFi?

2010-04-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

We know there have been problems with our wireless as of late. Untold hours on the phone and rerouting wires and changing out routers all week to get it resolved. Thanks for your patience...

Ethiopian Coffees, Coops and Exchanges

2010-04-21T18:27:00.001-07:00

A customer came in this week to investigate our newest offering, an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe organic. The customer was a bit confused as another coffee purveyor had explained that regional varieties had all but disappeared from the market place with the institution of the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), run by the Ethiopian government which controls much of the coffee exported into the world market. By doing this, the government all but did away with many of the fine exceptional micro lots that many small green distributors and micro roasters in the US and Canada had been buying in small quantities and marketing to you (the drinkers) and me the roasters. It's all now centrally processed by the ECX. As a side note, one of the first steps the Ethiopian government took in gaining control over their most precisous export was trademarking Yirgacheffe (and all its various spellings) to better charge a premium on this coffee. This happened a full two years before the ECX was instituted. The intent of the trademark as well as the formation of the ECX is to trickle down and distribute the profits to all involved in the chain of that coffees life. We'll save that for another day...

So, how i s it that small micro roasters, like me, are still able to get some exceptional coffees like natural organic Yirgacheffe and Sidamo that are not traded on the EXC? In simple terms, many of the well established coffee co-ops that have been operating in Ethiopia for many years were exempt from the ECX and are still functioning quite well. Moredocofe, Oromia, Koke, Shakiso and others still pool their regional coffees through the coops and sell directly to green buyers at the Addis Ababa coffee auctions. In addition, late last year, the ECX announced that a Direct Specialty Auction would be held this past February in which 45 select coffees were offered that linked buyers directly with specific farms with 85% of the profits going directly to the farmer.

So, when you come into Mighty Good Coffee Cafe and see both a Sidamo and a Yirgacheffe offered, they really are what we say they are.

NYC Road Trip

2010-03-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Last week, most of our staff took a road trip to New Jersey to attend Coffee Fest, a trade show that offers classes, workshops, competitions and of course, the exhibit hall where you can envy over all the stuff you want, if only...

This event was held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, located in Seacaucus, NJ. In clear sight of the Empire State Building and less than a mile from the Lincoln Tunnel. The temptation to visit the City was the real draw to this adventure. But I'm ahead of myself.

Thursday, we pushed all the coffee out the door for homes, offices and our own cafe and by 3:30, Angela, Nick, Teresa and I were crammed into the wagon for the 9 hr. drive. By 1:30 am we had arrived, checked in and tucked in as the first seminar started at 8 Friday morning... Zzzzzzzz.

Friday we met in the lobby by 6:45 and loaded up for the supposedly 7 minute drive to the convention center. To say we got lost is an understatement. GPS was of no help. Left seat and backseat drivers failed me miserably. Hunger overtook our rationalle and we settled on the first respectable diner we could find. Fueled and with a new set of directions, we again ventured off in search of espresso. Diligence and patience (and slow driving) paid off and we arrived.

Coffee was the first priority and we had plenty. We started with the lobby coffee provided the the show sponsor, a local restaurant service vendor. Pretty good. We divided to different seminars on the coffee business. My first was given by a substitute speaker who was ill prepared, not happy to be there and slammed through a 45 minute PPP in less than 15 minutes, didn't take questions, and walked out. Fortunately, the following two seminars I attended were much better. What did I learn, mostly that MGC is doing it right in this economy and this time in the experience of coffee shops and roasters. By the time these ended, the trade show was ready to open and we hit the floor in search of espresso samples, pastry samples, biscotti, every variety of frozen blended powder drink, and even soup. We then watched a bit of the free pour and mid-Atlantic barista competitions where top coffee shop jockeys try to claim top honors for their latte art and signature drink skills. The top baristi in the country often train a full year for these competitions. Whew! By 3 pm, we'd had enough and I suggested we head into NYC for more coffee experience.

Stop 1: The Good Burger on Union Square. Note Starbucks on the corner... They're everywhere. Fortunately, The Coffee Shop is still entrenched just a block away.

Stop 2: Cafe Grumpy on W. 20th. Very limited seating. We crammed into a window bench. Good coffee. We all took note of the 3 group Synesso. Bastards!

Stop 3: Took a break at my friend Ned's photo studio on W. 37th. Haven't seen him in several years and was glad to get a chance to catch up for a bit. He even had a pot of coffee on when we got there...

Stop 4: Veniero's Pastry on E. 11th. This was the treat of the evening. This pastry shop has been in continuous operation at the same location since 1894. It's a favorite haunt every time I visit NY as I met my wife there one warm summer night almost 20 years ago. I actually tried something new, Sicilian cheese cake. Fantastic! We walked around the neighborhood some but 9th St. Espresso was already closed so we headed back to New Jersey.

Day 2: Again, bright and early. Nick chose a local Nutley, NJ pancake house. It went something like this:

Waitress (really, she was.): So, what'd youz in town for?
Us: The coffee convention.
W: Cawwfee? Do you mean C O F F E.. E?
Us: Yes, at the Convention Center.
W: Interstin'. Hey Lou! They're in town for the cawwfee convention.
Lou: Yeah, Lacas, you know the stuff you buy is there. Big show. Hey, who ate my left over muffin from yesterday. Can you believe this guy? Thinks the leftovers are for him...

Off to the show. Sadly, the main event seminar was another BUST! So, off to NYC and more cafes. This time we hit Stumptown at the Ace Hotel on W. 29th. Great time and good conversation with Peter from Counter Culture in N. Carolina who happened to be doing the same thing as us. The last stop was Ess-a bagels on 3rd Ave. Unbelievable New York bagels. Still warm!

Back to the show. Nick and Teresa wanted to better their scores at the Aroma Challenge. 18 scents, 36 boxes on the form. Teresa was on the leader board most of Friday with 11 correct but had been overtaken by Saturday. And while Nick was gaining (up to 10 from 8) 6 rounds later and with a falling scores, I convinced them to depart. The car ride home was most entertaining. Conversations ranged from top 5 movie and song list to human free will and predetermination. We only had to text Barista/Philosopher Jason back at the cafe 2x for help with questions to complicated to look up on an Iphone with limited coverage in the middle of Pennsylvania.

So what did we all learn from this 3 day whirlwind? First, that we are doing a lot of things right and following our instincts. Second, there are things that others are doing that are really great and worth exploring. Third, we all really have a good time together, get along under some stress and are committed to great coffee and a great coffee experience. Last, I learned what I already knew. What a great group of unique people I'm lucky enough to have found to help me at MGC.

Thanks, and enjoy your coffee!

February Events, 118 S. Main St. Ann Arbor

2010-02-05T04:42:00.000-08:00

2/6 Winter Warriors, Main St. Ann Arbor, 12 - 6 pm. Dress up warmly, ride your bike. Discounts at Mighty Good Cafe and many other downtown businesses.

2/7 Carter's Barber Shop Quartet, Mighty Good Cafe, 1 - 1:30. Heard the Java Jive lately?

2/22 French Press brewing with Teresa, Mighty Good Cafe, 10 am. Learn the brewing techniques for French press and compare how it compares with standard drip.

January Newsletter

2010-01-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

Full Cup Newsletter
Mighty Good Coffee
January, 2010

Coffee Notes - Rwandan

Our newest coffee comes from the Rusenyi Coffee Growers of Rwanda. This limited production coffee (only 3 containers each season) has a distinct dark caramel note with undertones of candied orange peel. With a medium body and sweet finish, it pairs well with many desserts but is equally at home all by itself. Try a cup at our cafe with dolce de leche cheesecake bites from Decadent Delights.

Cafe Events

January 29th - 31st, the UM Ice Carving Team will be creating sculptures in front of many downtown businesses including Mighty Good Coffee. Stop by and see them in action and enjoy a hot drink at the same time. We'll stay open late on Friday the 29th as they begin to carve a Mighty Good Cup.

February 6th, 12 - 6pm, Winter Warriors Unite! This first time event for Main Street Area Association businesses encourages you to come out enjoy food and drink at your favorite sidewalk hangout. Dress in your warmest (or not) winter gear as specials are only for those Warriors who can brave the elements to partake out of doors. Mighty Good will have our sidewalk picnic table available for you to enjoy a $1 cup of coffee or $3 latte. Bike parking also available. Random prizes for the best dressed and least dressed Winter Warrior (no streakers please!). For more information on participating businesses CLICK HERE

February 20th, 10 am, French Press Demo
Join our staff on Saturday morning for a demonstration on French Press brewing. We'll be brewing up some of our favorite coffees for you to sample and offer the chance to compare the results brewed using a drip maker versus a press.

Friday Cupping / Fund Raiser- 1/15 at 1:00 pm

2010-01-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Friday coffee cupping / Coffee Kids fundraiser. Come down to the cafe this Friday at 1:00 for our first cupping event of 2010. We'll be cupping our new Rwandan and Kenya AA coffees. Space is limited to about 8 people. Suggested donation is $5 for Coffee Kids. Of course, you can give more...

Sign-up at the Mighty Good Cafe or e-mail us at: sales@mightygoodcoffee.com

Rwanda Bourbon

2010-01-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

We just broke open our bag of Rwandan Bourbon from the Rusenyi coffee growers association in the Lake Kivu region. This group of small farms only produces three containers of coffee each year. Grown in volcanic soil at 1500-1800 meters, this coffee is hand-picked, fully washed and sun-dried on raised beds. The result is a coffee that has distinct notes of caramleized sugar (think creme-caramel or flan), dates and raisins. It has a very pleasant mouth feel and a smooth aftertaste. At our staff cupping, it was the hero coffee of the day. Available at our cafe as a pour-over or by the pound. Also available on our Website at $14 pp.

Thanksgiving Break, Coffee on the Road

2009-11-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

I made the annual trip to St. Louis for Thanksgiving again this year. This year, to accommodate the large crowd, I loaded up a commercial brewer and several air pots so that we wouldn't have trouble keeping up with the demand during the onslaught of relatives and friends visiting the homestead on Aberdeen Pl. Despite my parents large collection of coffee apparatus, including a new Frieling French press, it just seemed easier to take it upon myself to make the brew for our meals.

I usually take the Friday after turkey day to explore the coffee culture of St. Louis, but today, I just didn't get to it. Tomorrow, I'll most likely walk to Kaldi's Coffee, one of the early micro-roasters in the most recent Third Wave of coffee roasters. Their original coffee house is just 3 blocks down the street and although it no longer houses a roaster, it's still retains the quaint and bustling atmosphere of a local neighborhood coffee house. I've heard that there are a few more new kids on the block so I will seek them out and see what my compatriots are doing and hopefully sample some great coffees.

Winter Hours

2009-10-12T17:04:00.001-07:00

We're changing things a bit for the winter. New hours are:

M-F: 7:30 - 7
Sat: 9 - 7
Sun: 10 - 5

See you at Mighty Good Coffee...

Perfect Cappucino

2009-10-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

When I traveled to Costa Rica last February, Brian Franklin, a cafe owner from Tulsa was along on the trip. His cafe is Double Shot and at the time, we had just finished fighting off Starbuck's for the use of his name and trademarks. Fast forward to the release of The Perfect Cappucino, a movie about the cafe industry in Italy and the US. Much of the battle between Brian and 'bucks is documented in this movie along with what's wrong and right with the fast growing coffee business in both countries. The movie maker's quest is for a perfect cup, replicating what is found at thousands of small, family owned cafes in Italy. We're happy to say that we are doing our part to provide that experience right here in Ann Arbor. We've also ordered copies of the movie so you'll be able to get a copy right here too... Stop by and see us at 118 S. Main St. in downtown Ann Arbor.

Private Stash Coffee...

2009-08-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Tucked away at the roaster, I quietly stashed an unmarked burlap bag of green coffee that I was saving for a rainy day, which happened to come this week. I pulled out my roasting notes from the last time Red Sea Blend was on our menu, weighed out 10 lb. and fired up the roaster. We were cupping some new samples of coffee that I had test roasted and I wanted to slip in one of my favorite coffees to get a reaction from our staff at the cafe. I set up a table of many really great coffees that we were evaluating. Bali Blue Moon organic, Nicaraguan San Jan del Rio Coco FTO (available soon!) and Ethiopian organic natural Sidamo were on the table as was a cup of Red Sea Blend. We went around the table and everyone stopped at the Red Sea wondering what the hell was in this coffee! Since it's a blend, not a single origin, it was hard for the staff to really comprehend the complexity and richness of the flavor and aroma at hand. So I divulged the origin of both the coffee (2 different Ethiopians and a Yemeni) and that this was something I was saving for a special occasion. The occasion? Well, as most people who know me will attest, the occasion is my whim, or in this case, when I just couldn't stand waiting to have a cup of coffee that I want. And in this case, it's something I'll readily share with customers at our cafe. And don't worry Jim, I'll save you a few beans to savor before my private stash of coffee runs out...

Mighty Good over the Golden Gate

2009-08-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Mighty Good Coffee customer, cyclist and mass spectrometry guru Steve Arrivo sporting his MGC jersey on a ride this past Monday in San Francisco. Fueled by our coffee, of course...

Looking for latte artist

2009-07-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Join the MGC crew. E-mail Kate to find out more:
kate at mightygoodcoffee.com

Barista Profile - Angela Hockstein

2009-07-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Angela Hochstein has been a barista for over four years. She got her start at Cafe Europa in Denver CO. Starting out as a barista and working her way to operations manager. After three years at Cafe Europa in Denver, she moved back Michigan where she is originally from. She spent time working at other independent coffee shops in the Wixom and Novi areas before moving to Ann Arbor and becoming a part of the crew at MGC. You can find her most afternoons and evenings pulling shots at the cafe.

When she isn't at the cafe, Angela is usually spending time with her fiance, her two cats and working on her art.

Favorite Coffee : Ethiopian Natural Sidamo
Favorite Espresso Drink : Whole Milk Latte
Sign : Virgo

Bombadill's Serves MGC

2009-07-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Peter, owned of Bombadill's in Ypsi and I have cycling and coffee in common. We met at the Get Downtown bicycle event at the Farmer's Market a few months ago and started a conversation about having Mighty Good Coffee on the menu at his cafe. Today (7-9-09), we roasted the first batch of coffees that are being delivered to Peter's cafe for you to enjoy.

We hope you'll take the time to stop at his cafe at 217 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Ypsi and sample the new coffee offerings on their menu.

Barista Profile - Kate Olson

2009-07-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

MGC Cafe manager Kate Olson has been making lattes like this for years, first at Cold Creek Coffee in Laramie, WY, then at Oren's Daily Roast in NYC. Kate walked into the roaster one day, not long after finishing her masters degree in music, made a latte like this and she's pretty much been working with us since, helping plan the cafe menu, training staff and pulling shots 3-4 days a week.

When not involve with the cafe, Kate is the administrative director of the International society for Improvised music, which will have it's annual conference this December in Santa Cruz. She teaches saxophone, flute and clarinet lessons at Oz's Music (another locally owned business).

Favorite Coffee: Kenya Peaberry
Favorite espresso drink: Whole milk latte.
Sign: Pisces. Ha.

2009-06-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Music at Mighty Good, Sunday June 28th from 1:30 - 2:30. Glen Thomas Rideout will be singing and playing keyboard in the Workantile Loft. Cover charge is a the price of the best coffee drink we can make for you. Come on down, listen, drink coffee, meet some new friends and get a tour of Ann Arbor's newest work space for creative thinkers, e-tinkerers and philosophers.

Mighty Good Coffee is located at 118 S. Main St. in downtown Ann Arbor. Serving caffeinated (or not) beverages made from locally roasted coffee beans if the highest quality.

More about Glen:Glen Thomas Rideout, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, is an award-
winning conductor and baritone. Glen Thomas earned his bachelor’s
degree in voice from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree from
the top- ranked conducting program at the University of Michigan - Ann
Arbor. Glen Thomas has studied voice with Gayle Shay, Jonathan
Retzlaff and Stephen West. His conducting mentors include Philip
Olsen, Robin Fountain, Paul Rardin and Jerry Blackstone.

Glen Thomas enjoys an active music minister, conductor and clinician,
having led the music ministries of congregations in Maryland,
Tennessee and Michigan. While serving as artistic director of the
Voices of Praise at Vanderbilt University, Glen Thomas facilitated the
choir's growth from 20 to 70 members in three years and remains the
choir's longest- serving elected director. While studying at the
University of Michigan, Glen Thomas won second prize in the National
Student Conducting Competition of the American Choral Director’s
Association. He has served as assistant conductor and resident
composer for the McDonogh Concert Choir's tours of Poland, Prague,
East Canada and Croatia. Upcoming conducting engagements include
concerts in Catalonia, Paris and Andorra. In addition, Glen Thomas has
founded chamber choirs in Maryland and Tennessee that continue to
provide unique leadership opportunities to aspiring young conductors
and music educators.

Glen Thomas’s work as a vocalist includes singing engagements include
work with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Mark Morris Dance
Group and the University of Michigan. An award- winning pianist, he
has served more than 15 churches, ministries and organizations as a
concert and worship service artist. Glen Thomas's compositions have
been performed in the United States and Europe, six of his gospel
songs having been recorded by the Holiday Choir of Hemingway Temple
A.M.E. Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

Glen Thomas has served the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation
of Ann Arbor as Director of Music since August, 2007.

Updates, Week 2

2009-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

The MGC shop in now into its second week and things are running well so far. Biggest news is that our credit card machine is now working so we can accept MC/Visa with AmEx coming soon.

In other news, Len Swanson, our former delivery guy, is back this summer from the University of Oregon and working as our intern until mid-September. He's glad to be off the dorm coffee for the next few months.

Nicholas Handran is about to celebrate 1 year as a MGC employee and has really gotten involved with the whole process of our coffee from inventory of the green shipments to getting the home deliveries done on Monday and Thursday. In between he's been tasting A LOT of coffee and is well on his way to becomming a certified Coffee Geek.

We're open at the shop 7 days a week so stop on by.

First Day Complete!

2009-06-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

We had our official first day today at MGC on Main St. Pretty good traffic and I got to see some friends too.

Kate Olson, our shop manager and barista extraordinaire is opening each morning this week serving up fantastic hand crafted lattes and my favorite macchiato.

We're opening every weekday at 8 am, 9 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. We'll be here late on Friday June, 12 for the Green Fair and Bike Fests on Main St. Come on down!

Menu for June 9th

2009-06-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Mighty Good Opens Doors

2009-06-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for a long time. I absolutely love having coffee lovers come in the doors of our new coffee shop on Main St. We opened up today for a 4 hour trial run. 6 baristi in the House and plenty of friends, family and a few new friends too. Our friend Kim Bayer came by and posted a few photos and notes on her wonderful blog. She also invited us back to participate in the annual Pie Lovers Unite event to benefit Slow Food Huron Valley Saturday, July 25th from 7 - 9 at the Ladies Literary Club in Ypsilanti. We enjoyed some fine treats from Tim at Old World Bakery and Sava Cafe sent over a plate of hummus, veggies and pita for the crew to knosh on.

The coffee flowed continuously all day with lattes make by Kate Olson a big hit with everyone.

Mike Kessler took time out of his day to give tours to the new Workantile Exchange shared work environment which is up and running and has a growing and diverse group of members that provides great interchange for everyone involved.

We're taking Monday to re-group and Tuesday morning at 8 am, we'lll be open during regular business hours. Check the header on our site for the latest info.

David

Compostable Bags

2009-06-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

A lot of my friends (i.e. coffee junkies) have been asking about the new bags we're using for home delivery customers. Most of them assume that this was a cost issue, not an environmental issue and I quietly explain that this was not the motivation for the switch. Rather, it's a response to many comments I've gotten as well as my own feeling that when possible, we should do what's possible to reduce our footprint.

You may remember that about a year ago, we also switched our home delivery plastic bags to a recyclable bag. The new compostable bags are just an extension of the process.

As well, on my recent trip to visit various roasters / coffee shops in the San Francisco area, I noticed that across the board, all were using this type of bag. So onto the bandwagon I go...

Instructions for composting are printed on the bottom of the bag.

Coffee Kiosk Progress Report #3

2009-05-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

The coffee shop on Main St. is closer and closer to reality. The finish work on the counters and cabinets is just about complete and the plumbers are connecting all the sinks and brewing equipment after Memorial Day. Fetco Extractor brewers have been shipped and the La Cimbali espresso machine will be pumping out the shots in just a few days. Stop by on Saturday mornings for a free sample until we open in June.

Uganadan and Kenyan Arrivals

2009-05-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Two fantastic coffees arrived last week and available on our website for order. The first is an organic Ugandan Bugisu which is grown near the border of Kenya in the Mt. Elgon region of the country. This coffee has distinct citrus notes and a honey like sweetness that is exceptionally pleasing on the palate.

Our second coffee is a Kenyan peaberry that has the typical brightness of Kenya AA but a more intense and concentrated flavor and is a bit fuller in the cup.

Both of these coffees broaden our offerings of African coffees, which also include a fantastic natural Sidamo for those of you who enjoy a more rustic and wild fruit flavor.

118 S. Main and Compostable Bags

2009-04-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

Word is out that we are ever so close to finalizing the shop at 118 S. Main St. inside the new Workantile Exchage. Rough plumbing and electrical is in and the Health Dept. has our plans for review. June 1st a possibility.

Home delivery customers will see a change in the next few weeks as we move to compostable PLA lined paper bags. You simply remove the tin-tie and can use these bags for old grounds or other compost material. Typically, these will break down in 12 days.

Stay tuned for other updates, changes, etc. as we move towards year three.

African Coffees and Store Fronts

2009-03-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

MGC will now feature two distinctly different African coffees. Ethiopian natural Djimma and Kenya AA. Both are medium roasts but quite different in the cup. Ethiopians have a bit more fruit while the Kenya is a bit cleaner in the cup. Both are bright and lively.

Much news has been floating around the rumor mill about our proposed site on Main St. We are still pursuing this option and hope to have more details released in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned...

Trip to Costa Rica

2009-02-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

To look out over the hills from the top of the La Minita Estate is to gaze out on the broad and steep landscape of coffee as far as your eye can see. From the front porch at 4500 ft., you can imagine what the McAlpin family saw when they first bought the land over 40 years ago. The opportunity to live on and cultivate one of the most beautiful places one could stand. Today, that same piece of land, albeit a much smaller piece, is still owned and cultivated by the McAlpin family. Since the mid-80's, they have continually produced some of the finest coffees available by carefully tending to this estate and the entire path their coffee travels all the way to your cup.

I arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica on Saturday, Feb. 7th. We were just told to look for someone with a La Minita shirt on and get in their car... Within 15 minutes or so, everyone had found each other and we headed towards the hills. While only a 25 mile journey, it takes 2 hours to get there. Between the twisting and turning roads and traffic, there is no way to make this shorter. By 4 pm, we were finally driving through Bustamante, the village near the estate and then through the gates and into the driveway. Passing a chicken coop as we pulled up, we knew where our eggs would be coming from in the morning. We each took our bags to the assigned rooms then met on the porch for freshly made guacamole and liquid refreshments. Before dinner, we made a short walk down to one of the employee housing enclaves. It being a Saturday, everything was pretty quiet as the work day ended before noon and families were congregating in the village or with other families. The collection station near the village was also empty, the fruit having also been collected and trucked off the farm and sent down to the mill at the bottom of the valley. Those workers would start their day in the late afternoon and work until the early evening. After dinner, we were introduced to the game of Sapo (frog) in which you take turns tossing coins at a wooden box with frog in the middle. Getting the coin into the mouth of the frog is the primary goal, the other involving shot glasses. The playing of this game late into the night would continue each night of our stay...

Sunday morning, we met early and after breakfast, loaded up into one of the Toyota farm trucks, the only way to get around the steep interior roads other than walking. Standing in the back and holding on tightly, we could see the Tarrazu river far below on one side of the farm and rounding a bend, the Alumbre river to the north. At the convergence of both rivers is the estate owned beneficio (mill) where all their coffee is processed, sorted and bagged. All along the roads were bags of organic fertilizer ready to be spread now that the harvest is almost completed. The coffee tree leaves were also being treated with a mixture of molasses along with other natural nutrients. This is all done by hand and only to the underside where the mix could be readily absorbed. The trees are also selectively pruned at different times as are the large poro trees that are used for shade management. The next stop would be the nursery. I had in mind a large glass covered indoor facility, but instead we entered a piece of the land shaped like a large bowl and complete protected from the high winds we felt on other parts of the farm. This large bowl is home to 80,000 seedlings that will eventually replace older trees currently producing coffee. The producing life span is 15-20 year after which the trees are used for firewood for cooking, or at the mill to produce heat for the drying process. Back into the truck, we drove off the farm and into the village to catch the tail end of a soccer game which featured team La Minita. Sunday club football is a big part of the culture with games going on all day and evening after church. The town center, dominated by both the church and soccer field, was very much alive and bustling with activity on the day of rest everyone living in the area. Back to the front porch for lunch and time for everyone to write in their journals, the only real way to take notes on this trip and there are no computers, Internet or reliable phones on the estate or anywhere close by. (Although, AT&T international cell service was available, depending on the weather...). We then ventured out for a long walk to the estate nature preserve. This is about 200 acres of land that is allowed to grow naturally and has never been in coffee production. We walk into a tall canopy of trees where the air is cool and slightly more humid. This piece of land is the protected home to many small animals, insects and native plants. It was fascinating to see all the different micro climates contained on one small farm. After 2 hours of walking, we had made our way back to the house for a much deserved rest and for the six of us on the trip, a time to reflect on all that we saw. Including me, the cast included: Brian, a roaster and cafe owner from Tulsa, OK; Will, a cafe owner from Richmond, VA; Ron, a roasting assistant from a wholesale roaster in Richmond; Rodney, a newcomer to the coffee industry looking to open retail roaster franchises (quite popular in Japan), Jim, our La Minita tour guide from Vermont; Paul, my friend from Ann Arbor. The downtime as also when we all compared notes on our various businesses. This in fact was one of the best outcomes of the trip. Well, as you can guess, Sunday ended with another great dinner prepared by Ilsa, the house and family cook for the past 20 or so year. Then on to more sapo...

Monday rolled around early. It would be the longest and most informative day of the trip. Instead of loading up into the truck, we walked through the entire estate ending up a the mill by the river. Along the way, we toured the medical clinic which includes a full dental facility, which is located next to one of the three employee housing complexes. This is a unique feature among coffee estates as Costa Rica has national health care, but the nearest clinics are too far for many in this region to reach. For full-time workers, the medical facility is open to all family members, including elders who may or may not have worked on the estate. The housing is also provided for the 80 full-time employees free of charge for as long as they wish to live in it. For many this allows the purchase of cars which might not be affordable otherwise. The other thing to note is the steepness of the terrain. Walking the roads is more difficult than standing in the back of the truck. And looking down at the coffee trees planted on the hillside, it's hard to imagine standing all day picking cherries and hauling them back to the road in 80 lb. sacks. However, the entire hillside is terraced and one you get the feel of standing in between the trees, it's not as hard or as dangerous as it looks. After an hour, we reached point of land where the two rivers converge. A small hydro-electric plant provides power during the rainy season. The produce enough to sell back into the grid and at the moment are operating carbon neutral. Walking across a suspended foot bridge took us to the mill. The first thing we came to was a patio covered with sun-drying coffee. This method produces a somewhat sweeter taste than the mechanically dried coffee that is the norm. From there we entered the main mill where 8 large drying bins were tumbling the coffee until the reaches the ideal perfect moisture level. From there it goes into a silo where it rests for several days before being sorted mechanically by size. At this point, the coffee has already been divided into 9 separate quality batches during the milling process which happens each night after the fruits is delivered to the mill. Since this was a Monday, the coffee we were looking at had been de-pulped, washed and fermented several days earlier. The objective of all this sorting is to find the best beans from the estate which will bagged as their premier coffee. This represents a small fraction of the coffee picked on the farm. The best of the beans eventually go to a hand sorting room to make sure there are no defects or other damage that is missed. The hand sorting of beans is typical of the specialty coffee industry. While in some countries workers are paid on a quota system, that's not the case here. Moving along, we went to a small room off the mill where samples from each day are roasted a tasted, or cupped. There we tasted 4 different batches of coffees, all from the estate, separated by quality after the milling process. These were first, second, third and "greens" and the difference between them was quite evident in smell and taste. Primera's had a smooth, bright taste with an excellent balance. From these would come the estate coffee. So where does all the other coffee end up? Well, every bean eventually has a home from blended lots to coffee that stays inside the country. Costa Rica law mandates that 1% off all native coffee be made available for domestic consumption. Sadly, this is often the lowest grade coffee, and further, this is also the case around the world. Leaving the mill, our next task was to try our hand at picking coffee. We picked up our baskets and bags and headed to a patch of trees still covered with ripe fruit. We had an hour to fill our basket after which we would take them to a pay station for weighing and a payout for our efforts. None of us could fill the basket in that time, even with our guide Jose taking a turn helping each of us. Jim was constantly calling out the time left to pick and reminding us not to slip with full basket thereby negating our efforts. After riding back to the pay station, the average payout was 550 colones, or about $1. This gives further appreciation to the chain of activity that we take for granted with each cup of $2 coffee we purchase at the local coffee shop or national chain!
We took a short break for after picking before heading back to the mill for dinner and to see the part of the operation that filled the middle of the path coffee travels on the estate. The trucks full of fruit would start lining up around 8 pm and all the coffee would be weighed before going through the de-pulping, washing and fermentation process. This operation take 18-24 hours before the beans are sent into the dryers, the part of the process we had seen earlier in the day. By 10 pm, we were ready to load back into the truck for a drive back to the top under a full moon. It was a long, exhausting day that showed us the exact route each bean would take from the tree to bags of green coffee that are exported to the US and to roasters like myself and eventually into your cup.

We started Tuesday early as it was our last day and we all had flights to make. We loaded into cars and headed to the La Minita offices in San Jose where we had the opportunity to sample all of the Costa Rican coffees they offer. In addition to the estate coffee, we were able to sample the newest offering from a farm they recently purchased near the Panamanian border. This is their Rio Negro rain forest single origin which we hope bring into our roaster later this summer. This is the first full year they have operated the estate. Many of the same practices that have been so successful in the Tarrazu river valley have been adopted, including the housing and medical facilities on site. We left for the airport and a 3 hour wait until our flight home. The San Jose airport gift shops all seem to be controlled by one vendor, Cafe Britt. This is Costa Rican coffee that isn't exported and roasted and packaged in San Jose for tourists. Cafe Britt also has a coffee theme park, a bit like Disney Land for caffeine lovers. This concept is in stark contrast to the fine estate coffees that we bring into the US and really shows the wide variety of ways coffee is marketed, packaged and distributed to consumers, often without the consumer having any idea what's really in the bag.

In all, the trip served as education and confirmation about the way we conduct our business at MGC. The best beans really do make a difference and that's where we start each day. We hope you can taste the difference in your cup!

Coworkers in Ann Abor Must Have Coffee

2009-01-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

The excitement is building as we get closer to having our own place to brew and share our coffee with everyone. Not just selling beans anymore... Met with the builder, architect and building owner just a block away from what I hope will be our first outlet for the finest coffee roasted and brewed in Ann Arbor. Stay tuned.

I'm off to Costa Rica on Saturday, Feb. 7th to tour Hacienda La Minita. Can't wait!

Costa Rica Bound

2009-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

As of today, I've made my reservation to visit the famed La Minita estate in Costa Rica, Feb. 7 - 10th. I am anxiously waiting my expedited passport which will allow me to make the trip. Assuming this all comes together, I'll be meeting a group in the San Jose airport then traveling to the estate for 3 days of total Tarrazu immersion. The estate La Minita coffee is one of the most highly acclaimed Costa Rican coffees available and the plantation is a model for contemporary practices from the housing, medical and dental clinics available for workers to responsible land use and stewardship of the estate which has been producing coffee for the past 30 years. Stay tuned for updates from Central America...

Mighty Good On Main St?

2009-01-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 27th, we'll be serving coffee at the Co-Working Ann Arbor space at 118 S. Main St. People interested in the project can sign up for a tour at Co Working A2. Starting at 1 pm, we'll open up for coffee until about 2 pm. Come try our Black Diamond Dark Roast and Bolivian organic. We might even have the espresso machine going...

This space will become a hub for many of A2's independent contractors, free-lance rocket scientists, code writers and probably even a few poets. We're excited to be a part of this open house, or open office, so come on down and have a cup of Mighty Good on us.

Obama Blend Update

2009-01-12T05:02:00.001-08:00

Obama Blend Coffee is still available through the Inauguration and maybe beyond. Have a preference? Love the coffee? Hate the coffee? Take the survey and let us know what you think. In the mean time, you can order Obama Blend on our website or buy it at Plum Market in Ann Arbor.

Obama Blend shirts will be available at our Plum Market demo on January 20th or on our website. Stay tuned for updates.

Fire Roasting Video

2008-10-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a video clip from my fire roasting video. Hot stuff...

OBAMA Blend is Ready

2008-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

As a nod to the upcoming election, I've taken the plunge and invested in beans to make this once in four year coffee diversion. Part Hawaiian Kauai, part Kenyan AA with a little bit of Indonesian to balance the budget, this is a coffee of distinction worthy of the Presidential race. And while we aren't necessarily declaring our support for one candidate or another, there just aren't any good coffee beans in John McCain's past, or heritage, worth roasting. The most important thing we can encourage you to do is to get out on November 4th and vote and make sure you have a cup of Mighty Good on your way to the polls.

Recycling Time

2008-10-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

I had a long conversation with a customer today about our home delivery bags which if you've been getting our coffee are made from plastic. While I haven't actually had that many comments about the bags, the few I have had keep me thinking about the choices we make and what to do going forward.

One of the primary reasons we use the plastic bag is that it helps protect the coffee bags from the weather when we leave your coffee on an outside door in inclement weather. As well, it protects your coffee bags when the driver is running from the car to your door in the rain or snow. Another reason for the plastic bags is of course the significant cost difference between a plastic bag and a Kraft paper bag.

Now, there are several customers who have requested that we either not use the bag, or that we pick-up the red bags and re-use them, which we will certainly do. Just leave them out prior to your next delivery and we'll take them back and use them again and again.

But back to a different option. Would you, our customers, support using paper Kraft paper bags even if it meant a small increase in the cost of the coffee, something on the order of $.35 per pound? And beyond that, would you support having the actual coffee delivered in recyclable coffee bags instead of the zip seal pouches we currently use?

See the poll to the right of this post and let us know what you think.

Coffee Word of the Day - Brightness (AKA Acidity)

2008-09-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Brightness, or acidity, is used to describe the sensations you experience when you drink a particular coffee. It's the snappiness of the coffee as it rolls around your taste buds, creating a bright feeling in your mouth. The brightness level is often where you'll notice the different fruity notes in a coffee which can range from mild in a dark Sumatran, to medium in a Guatemalan, to light and lively in a Ethiopian Yirgacheffee or Sidamo. A good analogy, for wine drinkers, are very dry wines that have a distinct sharpness. Many people call some coffees winey for this very characteristic. If you are not a wine drinker, try relating the acidity of a coffee to different fruits. Zesty lemons, Valencia oranges, and blueberries often come to mind. So when it comes to coffee, think of brightness, or acidity, in the most pleasant terms. When you're enjoying your next cup of Mighty Good, let the coffee swirl around your palette and see what kinds of analogies you can conjure up in your mind. Hopefully, this will expand your enjoyment of the many different types of single origin and blended coffees we offer.

Demo Schedule

2008-09-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

We're on the road this fall, serving up Mighty Good Coffee at some of our favorite stores and events.

September 20th, Plum Market, Ann Arbor, 10 - 1

September 21st, Hope Harvest Dinner, 5 - 8 pm

October 18th, Cupping Room at Mighty Good Coffee, registration opens on our website Oct. 1st.

October 23rd, TechKnow Forum, Power Center, Ann Arbor, 3 - 7 pm

October 23rd, Boulevard Market, Tecumseh, 6 - 8 pm

Nov. 15th, Plum Market, Ann Arbor, 10 - 1

Coffee Vocabulary...

2008-08-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

I know many people who subscribe to "word of the day" type services. These come in as e-mail, text messages and is a great conversation starter and vocabulary builder. So I thought I could do the same, although perhaps not every day, as a way for our customers to build on their coffee lexicon.

The word for today is: Body.
This is used to describe the way the coffee feels in your mouth. It's the lightness or heaviness in a coffee as it swirls around your palate. Fuller bodied coffees can carry their flavor through rich desserts or cream whereas lighter bodied coffees fragrant and more delicate flavors can get lost by adding cream or pairing with very rich foods. Our Sumatran coffee has a very full body that is syrupy rich while the Costa Rican is lighter and a bit brighter on the palate and is more suited to lighter pairings or by itself. You can experiment at home by trying our different coffees with cream, different meals, or just on their own.

Enjoy!

Customer Comments...

2008-07-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Got this note from a new customer:

I moved back to Michigan after living in VT where food and drink culture is top of the line. I didn't know of anywhere in MI to get good locally roasted coffee so I continued buying my coffee from my Vermont roaster. The guy made great coffee but had poor business and personal skills so I recently stopped buying from him. Now I have just discovered you - my coffee savior! You roast some of the best coffee I have ever had, and I have had some pretty good coffee in my day! I am known as a coffee connoisseur to some and a "coffee snob" to others. I know what good coffee is and I refuse to drink anything else. After one decadent cup of your coffee I am hooked. Bravo! Fabulous job! You have won my heart.

~Danielle

MGC on You Tube from Concentrate Media

2008-07-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Keith Jeffries, the resident film maker from the A2 film fest stopped over for a cup of coffee last Thursday and made this video. He also got a full day education on the intracacies of the coffee biz. All in all a great day for both of us. You can view the video by clicking the image above:

Video / Mighty Good Coffee Roasters

Coffee and Radio Buzz

2008-07-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ann Arbor Radio fans, get ready for a jazzed up staff on 107.1 as they start drinking Mighty Good this week, July 14th!

I'm a big fan of the on air hosts on this station. From Martin Banyke in the mornings to Accoustic Brunch in Sunday's with John Bommarito, you can enjoy some of the best music programming in the country every day of the week.

We're sure that Mighty Good will keep them going all day and night!

Big Ring at Bike Shops

2008-06-24T04:24:00.000-07:00

Support the MMBA with each purchase of Big Ring Blend, now available at these fine locally owned and operated bicycle shops.

Jackson Rd. location.

Pacific Rim serving Mighty Good

2008-06-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Pacific Rim in Ann Arbor is now serving Mighty Good Coffee. How we got there needs more of an explanation...

Coffee, good food and bikes have seem to have a way of coming together. Several weeks ago, my wife and I were enjoying a few days without kids and visiting different restaurants in Ann Arbor each night. We decided on Pacific Rim for appetizers and dessert late on night. It was fantastic, made better by the great service. We finished with their warm chocolate cake and a cup of coffee. It's always hard not to ask, or at least investigate, where a restaurant gets their coffee. We asked and that turnedinto a conversation about coffee we don't usually get when eating out as Sysco or some other food conglomerate is often the answer. Our server not only knew the exact roaster, but was quite familiar with the flavor profile of the Colombian being served and how that complimented their menu. So, my wife hands him my card and says we're looking for help at the roaster which while true, wasn't how I planned on that conversation ending...

Two weeks later, our server, Michael, rides over to the roaster on a fixed-gear road bike, a retro Schwinn. Those of you who know me know that my love for coffee often competes with my love for bikes. So Michael and I didn't talk much coffee at first. But at the end, I took his number and invited him back for a formal coffee cupping the next week. Now, a month later, Michael is not only serving some of the best food in Ann Arbor several nights a week, he's immersed himself in the world of coffee too at the roaster on Monday and Thursday. He'll be helping out with special events too.

We hope you'll have the chance to visit Pacific Rim on W. Liberty between Main and Ashley the next time you are out for lunch, dinner or warm chocolate cake...

Coffee Lab Update

2008-06-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

The new Mighty Good Coffee Lab is making progress. Yesterday, we took delivery of the new counter top. It's a beautiful maple butcher block that was made just up the road by B&B Heartwoods.

We'll be making the finishing touches and be ready for visitors in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Mighty Goods

2008-06-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

We have added several new products that you can test out at Mighty Good.

Gaggia espresso machines for the home. From manual to super automatic, these fantastic machines are a great addition to the Mighty Good espresso beans!

Yama siphon pots are fun, easy to use, and make great coffee.

Cheese and Coffee in Tecumseh

2008-05-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I got a call from Erika Aylward at the Boulevard Market in Tecumseh, MI. She and her husband John own the market along with The Four Corners Creamery where they make their own cheese. Erika had gotten a sample of Mighty Good Coffee and wanted to visit the roaster. We set an appointment and she and John came with a bag of their own cheeses for me to try. What a flavor fest! A few days later, they placed an order for the Market and are now the latest addition to the Mighty Good family. I made a trip to their market with their first order and had dinner at the Evans St. Station which also uses some of the cheeses from Boulevard. We ordered a wide variety of dishes; duck, Scottish salmon, white fish, and kids chicken fingers. Every dish was perfect. It was a fantastic way to end an evening trip to Tecumseh. Between Erika and John's market and creamery and the fine dining experience, it's well worth putting Tecumseh on your list of places to visit in Michigan for great food.

Coffee in Wine County?

2008-05-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

I spent the past weekend in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. Absolutely beautiful! Rolling hills covered with vineyards in every direction. I was reminded of Detroit as I rode my bike past the Firestone Vineyard and had dinner at their brewery / restaurant. I found out that the building was originally designed as a brewery, but that instead, it's a giant wine warehouse. I also learned that the Firestone family just sold the vineyard last month.

As I rolled along each day, taking in the scenery by bicycle, I saw many landmarks made famous by the movie Sideways. I had a nice debate about the meaning of the ending of that movie as well. I saw it as hope and the person I was talking to saw it as endless hopelessness.

Which leads me to the point of all this. No where could I get a good cup of coffee. And how is that possible in an area know for the quality of things?

Fortunately, the trip is over and I'm back in Ann Arbor about to enjoy a cup of the new Guatemalan organic coffee that's just arrived.

Until next time-
David

The SCAA Show

2008-05-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Annual Coffee Show

This past weekend, I made the journey to Minneapolis for the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America conference and trade show. I have attended many trade shows over the years for different associations, but this was by far the best smelling, best tasting, most informative that I have been to. Some highlights:

Day One: Small Mart Revolution seminar on the advantages of locally owned and operated businesses and their beneficial effect on the local economy. I had missed author Michael Shuman when he spoke at the Think Local First annual meeting in Ann Arbor last year, and was glad to have the opportunity to hear his thoughts on how locally owned coffee companies can compete with Starbucks. Now, I don't think I'm any threat to the S-Bucks machine, although I do think our coffee tastes better. The reality is that in many communities where companies like Starbucks and Whole Foods have staked a claim, locally owned competitors often see an increase in their business, not a decrease. Ann Arbor is full of locally owned businesses that support each other and I'm proud to be part of a group that puts local ahead of national. So when you're headed out for the weekly shopping trip, Think Local First.

I spent the rest of the day talking with green coffee importers, growers, coffee cooperative ambassadors from Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia and every other part of the world where coffee is grown, and of course, espresso manufacturers. I think I was getting a shot of espresso every 10 steps, and frozen coffee and fruit smoothies everywhere in between. I spent the last 45 minutes of show time watching the US Barista Championships. Each contestant must make 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature drinks they have created which are served to 4 judges. They do this while 2 technical judges watch their every move and cameras record the event which is shown on a large screen, so even those in the nose bleed seats of the bleachers can get a good view of the action.

The barista must also explain everything on an open microphone to everyone attending. It's quite wild with cheering sections and fans rooting for their favorite coffee jockey. I'm sure I heard someone shout "I love you Natasha" during Natasha Lebedev's turn behind the espresso machine. You can watch this by clicking the image.

I finished the day by walking over to the Metro Dome to watch the Twins beat the Tigers 4-1. At least I was awake for the game...

Day Two: I got to the show very early so that I could get on the waiting list for a hands on roasting seminar. I managed to get the last spot and joined about 45 other roasters from all over the country for the three hour session. Each group received two samples of two different coffees which we roasted using very different profiles. We then cupped each sample, noting the good and bad qualities of each and then picked one coffee to roast with the intention of bringing out the best qualities of that coffee. Our group leader was Bob Arceneaux from New Orleans, who sways towards the artisan side of roasting over science using sound, color, smell and a stop watch during each roast, as we made notes and plotted the profile.

For me, the real value of these seminars goes way beyond the information presented. It is really confirmation that what we do at Mighty Good is in line with the best practices at the best roasters in the country. It's the interchange with people like Bob Konsinski, a coffee farmer from Hawaii who only started roasting his own coffee a few years ago. He promised to send me a few pounds of his award-winning coffee and I hope to have that for tasting at the next MGC open house. From there, I went back to the show floor looking for some espresso gear. The most unusual new product I saw was the Handpresso, a personal hand pump, one shot espresso maker. At first, it looked more like a fancy bike pump, and in fact, it would probably be quite easy to adapt it to your water bottle mounts. Another great product was the Clover coffee maker. This one cup machine which originally retailed for $11,000 (that's right) has quite an active used market right now as the originator sold out to Starbucks and the early adopters have quickly turned into the early abandoners.

I also got a look at a new drip station made from recycled scrap metal reclaimed from roaster manufacturers. This in particular interests me as its simplicity (read self serve) would be great on days when my many friends stop by for coffee. All in all, it was a great two days that served our greater purpose of expanding and sharing our coffee knowledge and experience so that Mighty Good can and will continue to offer the best and freshest coffees from around the world. Read on for more news.

Good news for west-siders

2008-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who shop on the west side of town, we're happy to announce that Mighty Good Coffee will now be sold at Arbor Farms Market on Stadium Blvd. starting May 3rd. This long time Ann Arbor grocery store, along with all our partners, offers many locally produced and grown products. Arbor Farms also has a great selection of natural vitamins, homeopathic remedies and other stuff to feed you body and soul.

Mighty Good in the News

2008-04-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Check out the article about Mighty Good on MLive.
I also just got back from California where my father and I had the opportunity to sample many new coffees and get a tour of some fantastic coffee shops in the Bay area. What a life!

Here's a photo of the Port of Oakland where much of the coffee from around the world arrives in the US.

Espresso Machine - Love at First Shot

2008-04-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

My new espresso machine arrived this week and after looking at it for several days with much anticipation, I was able to fire it up this morning. I was at the roaster early making a batch of espresso roast so today was the perfect opportunity for a trial run. And let me say, without any bias..., it was definitely love at first shot. Plenty of crema, perfect temperature and the flavor I expect from my own coffee.

Over the past 2 years, I've been dabbling with both the espresso roast, and several different home machines, which have happily found homes with customers. At this stage, I decided to go with a commercial unit that will have a long life and the opportunity to bring the espresso experience to my in-store demos. Many thanks to Ken at Rancilio for his assistance through this process.

I'm also happy to report that home espresso drinkers now have more options for machines that can be purchased from Mighty Good. In addition to La Pavoni's fine lever machines, options also include Solis and Rancilio. And don't forget about burr grinder. Mighty Good carries La Pavoni, Baratza and Rancilio Rocky espresso grinders.

Thanks and enjoy your coffee as much as I do!

David

Mighty Good at Jefferson Market

2008-03-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

Starting this Tuesday, you can get a hot cup of Mighty Good Coffee at the Jefferson Market and Cakery which is set to reopen under new ownership. We'll have a brewed coffee of the week along with freshly roasted packaged coffee to purchase. This week, try our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe organic.

Mighty Good Hits the Big Apple

2008-03-28T09:48:00.001-07:00

As a former, albeit temporary, New Yorker, I am extremely happy to announce that our coffee will be served at a new store in my old stomping grounds. Insomnia Cookies, opening at 50 W. 8th St. in NYC will begin serving Mighty Good next week! WOW. This section of 8th St. was at one time known as the shoe district as every store front was a different shoe store selling everything from high end Italian to Converse All-Stars and flip-flops. By the time I moved away, the strip had become one after another of not so nice stores, all selling basically the same thing, either original products, or more often fake or shoes sourced from less than reputable places.

The neighborhood has been re-born and with its close proximity to the NYU campus, the perfect spot for late night cookies and Mighty Good Coffee. Word is that we'll be invited to join the Insomnia Cookie shop at Cornell University soon as well.

And for those of you visiting, remember, we roast and ship their coffee within 24 hours so the coffee you experience on the east coast will still have all the flavor and integrity of what you buy here in Ann Arbor.

Thanks for reading-
David

Coffee Classe Registration Open

2008-03-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

I will be teaching a coffee class this spring through the Washtenaw Community College's Life Long Learning program. This class will cover the history of coffee, different types of coffees, their various flavor profiles and unique characteristics, and learning to home roast and "cup" coffee to further expand your understanding of the 2nd most traded commodity on the planet. Everyone will receive several samples of coffee from around the world and roasted right here in Ann Arbor.

Register on-line at WCC
The class CRN number is: 52247

Fair Trade, Beyond Fair Trade, Direct Trade...

2008-03-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

These are the types of terms I am most asked about being in the coffee business. And it can be confusing for both the consumer and seller of products like coffee to navigate all the differences and nuances of products that come primarily from less developed countries. So I thought that by explaining our process, it might help to clarify these terms and how they affect our local coffee business.

That process is what I call Direct Trade, once removed. This is also called Beyond Fair Trade as the process for buying goes "beyond" the prices paid for Fair Trade certification. Consider this. Coffee can often change hands six times before it reaches the roaster. At each step in the exchange process, it costs a little more adding to the final price you pay. When large brokers are buying large amounts of coffee for the world market, it's in their interest to pay the least possible price for that coffee. This price is tied to the New York C Market, as is all coffee. By moving to a direct trade model of business, several layers of middle brokers and mark-ups can be eliminated. In the premium coffee market that we deal with, our trading partners are dealing directly with the cooperatives that sell the coffee, asking for the highest quality of bean in exchange for a premium price to the co-op. At this time, I have established relationships with three direct traders for coffee to supply the beans for Mighty Good. Because I'm not in a position to go cavorting around the globe personally selecting and negotiating for our beans, I find this is the most responsible method for getting not only very high quality coffee, but do so with the knowledge that the price paid to the co-op is substantially higher than the commodities market, or the premium being paid for the Fair Trade certification.

I do in fact, buy some Fair Trade certified coffee and label it as such on our bags. But the reason I choose coffee is not based on these types of certifications. Rather it's based on the quality of the coffee regardless of the price I pay, which is well and above the minimum Fair Trade rates. And more importantly, my coffee purchases are based on the trust in the relationships that I have established during the last two years. These relationships, like the ones between me and my customers, is really the basis for doing what I believe is responsible and sustainable for our local community and as a result, the larger economy that we all live in.

Thanks for reading-
David

Produce Station and Roaster Tours

2008-03-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at The Produce Station in Ann Arbor today. Many customers got to try our coffee for the first time and many were there just to taste our new offerings. As it turns out, we sold most of the coffee we had on hand and we'll be re-stocking their store Monday.

We are also inviting people to contact us for roaster tours and tastings. Look for expanded hours coming soon.

We also have plenty of space for private functions, indoors or out. Contact us for more information.

Community Support Programs

2008-02-23T06:47:00.001-08:00

As part of the Ann Arbor community, both living and business, we feel it's important to give back to some of the organizations that support our families. So here are some programs that you can support by purchasing Mighty Good Coffee:

The Leslie Science and Nature Center of Ann Arbor: Each purchase of Peruvian organic, shade grown, bird friendly coffee will help support this local center. Countless families have sent their children to science camps in the summer and almost every Ann Arbor Public School class has paid a visit to learn more about the environment we live in.

Michigan Radio: Mighty Good Coffee is now an official underwriter of The Splendid Table on 91.7 FM, Sunday's at noon. Tune in for the most wonderful hour of food talk with host Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

Peter Sparling Dance Gallery: One of Ann Arbor's gems for children and adults alike. If you've watched the joy on the faces of the dancers at this studio, you can't help but feel like taking a step or two yourself. Coffee purchases that are delivered to the DGS will help support their programs.

Michigan Mountain Biking Association: Have you ever wondered how those fantastic cycling trails at Olsen Park came into existence? Thank the MMBA and the local chapter based in Ann Arbor. Bill Mayer, executive director of the MMBA can often be found at Olsen Park, putting in long weekends maintaining the trails before riding them himself. We've created a new Big Ring Blend in honor of the work done by the MMBA in support of cycling advocacy in our community.

Espresso Maker For Sale

2008-02-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

SOLD... Better Luck Next Time

Hours...

2008-01-10T06:39:00.001-08:00

We are changing our open hours to accommodate a multitude of issues.

You may stop by the roaster on Mondays and Thursdays from 2 - 3:30. You can also drop by those days from 10 - 3:30, but coffee isn't packaged until the last few hours of production.

Of course, you are welcome to purchase anything we have an abundance of.

We are working on an after hours drop box as well as looking at ways to have regular hours during the week. It's all an evolution and we appreciate your coming along the journey.

Fair Trade, Organic and Other Concerns

2007-12-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

We recently received a question about whether our coffees are Fair Trade. The simple answer is that we do sell many Fair Trade and organic coffees and they are labeled as such on our offerings. This means that the coffee we are buying is certified as organic and / or Fair Trade.

A more complicated question related to that is why we don't place the Transfair logo on our coffee bags. This is easy to answer. Adding that logo to our bags will end up costing our customers more per bag of coffee as we would have to pay a royalty fee for each pound of green coffee we buy and then pass that cost on. This fee would be in addition to the fee that the importer is already paying on that coffee and passing on to us. We don't think that paying twice for the same certification is necessarily justified.

And, it gets even more complicated when you really start to delve into the coffee trading business which is second only to oil in world commodity trading. Now, having a background in the oil industry prior to coffee, it's hard to explain why a gallon of gas, that started as crude oil 6000 ft. under the ocean, can be brought up from those depths, transported around the word, refined into gasoline and again transported across the country and sold at the corner gas station for less than a gallon of milk is truly mystifying. Fortunately, we only drink coffee and don't depend on it to fuel transportation or we'd be in heap of trouble!

So, the short, and slightly complex answer to all of this is that we rely on trustworthy, competent brokers and education to guide our coffee buying principles. For instance, our Aceh Sumatran coffee is purchased directly from the person who travels to Indonesia to inspect and purchase those beans from a small cooperative. Those beans are purchased as a very high premium compared to run of the mill Sumatran coffees that are more widely available and found at every corner mass coffee shop. This type of buying, known as relationship purchasing, also eliminates several layers of brokers who each make a profit from the trading of beans. This means that a higher percentage of the price paid for the coffee is going directly to the growing cooperative ensuring that they have the resources necessary to continue to grow and harvest the same quality coffee in subsequent years. The end result is better coffee in your cup with the knowledge that sustainable and responsible practices are being carried out at every step in the process of getting that coffee to you.

Quakers in my cup?

2007-10-26T04:25:00.001-07:00

Quakers: "Defective coffee beans that fail to roast properly, remaining stubbornly light-colored."

Recently, I was talking to a customer about our beans and the subject of quakers came up. Now, having some experience with Quakers as one of my closest friends was a Quaker School Headmaster, I was at first confused by the question. That's because as much I I'd like you to think I breathe and drink coffee 24/7, my mind often makes associations that have nothing to do with coffee at all...

So as you might infer from the title of this post, one bad quaker can spoil the whole bunch. The particular question this customer was asking is if we have a quaker problems and if so, how do we eliminate them from the bags of beans we deliver to your door. The answer is quite simple.

It starts with the essential premises of our business. First are the beans we buy which are the highest quality available on the world market. This means that non-uniform and defective beans are rarely found in the hundreds of pounds (and millions of beans) of coffee we roast each week and therefor, don't find their way into your coffee.

Second, we are a small batch artisan roasters and in fact, the "we" is somewhat of a misnomer since it is me that roasts, inspects and cups (samples) each batch of coffee going out the door of Mighty Good. Catching quakers is a simple task of paying attention to the beans as they come out of the roaster and spin in the cooling tray. In a batch of 25 pounds, the maximum we can roast at a time, it's actually possible to see the quakers, which are very light in color, go by as the beans fall from the drum into the tray. It's then a simple matter of picking them out before they have the chance of going into the packing process.

The final factor is that a few beans get trapped in the tryer of our roaster during the 15 minutes of so that each roast takes. The tryer is the wooden handled scoop that allows me to pull a few beans out during the roasting and inspect them, or just show them to people who stop by. Invariably, a few beans get stuck in the tryer and when the roast is finished, I simply clean it out after all the roasted beans have be put away so that quakers go into the trash and not your coffee.

The end result? Quakerless and better tasting coffee in your cup.

Have a question about your coffee? E-mail me at:
david@mightygoodcoffee.com

I'll do my best to answer here on the blog or through a personal e-mail.

Thanks,

David

The Mighty Good Story

2007-10-17T04:19:00.000-07:00

The Mighty Good Story, or how I ended up in the coffee business.

When I was a kid, growing up in a town neighboring Ann Arbor, my parents would make the weekly trek west for things not available anywhere else. The first stop was the Blue Front for the New York Times. Next was the Bagel Factory where we would get still warm salt bagels that wouldn’t last the trip home. The last stop we made was the most curious to me. It was the old Big Ten Party Store. We would walk in the back door and there, in barrels on the floor were seemingly dozens of types of coffee. My parents would walk around the floor, examining the selections, oohing and ahhing at the Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kona and Kenyan AA. My dad would often let out some exclamation about the price of a particular coffee, weighing the price per pound against the college tuition of my older sisters. In the end, they would walk out with several varieties which would be tried with one brewing method or another in hopes of making the perfect cup of coffee to be enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon while reading the NYT. In a way, this was mysterious to me as I wasn’t yet drinking coffee, but it was obvious from my parent’s devotion to their brew, that this was something of extreme importance and, being something of a gadgeteer like my father, I loved all the different coffee makers they were collecting.

Fast forward 25 years. I am now a coffee lover in my own right. I am amazed at the varieties of coffee available and the proliferation of both locally owned and mass market specialty coffee shops. In fact, by 1995, there were over 30 coffee shops in Ann Arbor alone and specialty beans were becoming common in stores from the Merchant of Vino to Meijer. I visited many of the different shops in town, tried beans from just about everywhere but I found something was missing in my coffee experience. It seemed that the coffee was getting buried under music, chocolate syrup and names for drinks that were marketing buzz. Now that’s not to say that I have anything against anyone drinking their coffee the way they want it. It’s just that the experience, origins, history and flavor of coffee seemed to be secondary to raising the roaster’s stock price.

Again, fast forward 10 more years, and my moment of truth, or rather, coffee truth. A vision appeared to me as I was writing another paper for a graduate class. This educational path was intended to get me out of a long term funk with my business. It would be the spark that ignited a flame in me for the future. And as I sat there, the serial entrepreneur in me was busy churning ideas that would fit not only the town I lived in, but my future in that town and my connection to community, friends and family. And coffee just came to me and I was lost in thought, dreaming, scheming, sketching the entire thing in my head in just a few moments. I remember re-filling my mug with coffee that had probably been brewed from beans bought at Costco and knowing that there was truly something to this idea. I tucked it away, finished the marketing paper, e-mailed to my group and went off to my next project.

A few weeks later, I mentioned my coffee epiphany to one of my closest friends and partner in a few earlier ventures. We both loved great coffee and started buying beans with some regularity from the west coast. We also both knew that exceptional coffee had once been roasted here in Ann Arbor but, as quickly as it seemed to appear, it disappeared and, again, we were buying mail order or just accepting what was available to us locally.

Then our fateful journey began. We contacted the owner of a micro roaster who was leaving town and looking for the right people to take over his operation: people with a passion for great coffee, a love of the local community and perhaps, a bit more time and business know-how to make a real go of it. So we thought and thought; created spreadsheets; consulted with other business owners, friends, and family; examined the market and came to the conclusion that perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea. But we were evangelical about how fantastic the coffee was. We were actually roasting our own beans and drinking the resulting premium coffee. We became increasingly passionate about the quality of this product that we had made ourselves and couldn’t wait to share with everyone.

And so here we are, entering our second year of providing what we believe to be the highest quality and freshest coffee available in Ann Arbor and, arguably, all of southeast Michigan. If you’re reading this, we hope that you will also share our passion for this great coffee.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your coffee!

David Myers

Pie and Coffee Unite at Pie Lovers Fest

2007-09-04T08:23:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday, we had the privilege of serving coffee at the Pie Lovers Unite pie contest hosted Slow Food - Huron Valley and Growing Hope. This event featured 31 different pies, all made with all local and fresh ingredients. There was also a pie walk (think cake walk), recipe sharing, and of course, lots of tasting of the wonderful variety of pies that people brought for the competition and to share with everyone.

You can read more about this event at the Sustainable Table.

For more information on the Slow Food Movement go to:

Slow Food - Huron Valley

For more information on Growing Hope, go to:

Growing Hope

We will also be supplying coffee for the Hope's Harvest coming up September 23 at Cobblestone Farm from 4- 7 pm. Tickets are available online-- purchase yours now here!

Acme Mercantile is Mighty Good

2007-08-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

Starting this Tuesday, you will be able to shop for Mighty Good Coffee at Acme Mercantile at 111 West Liberty St. in downtown Ann Arbor. Pick up your coffee and browse their great selection of home goods, gift items, and other fun and entertaining products. My personal favorite, Axis of Evil finger puppets.

Our Roasting Schedule Explained

2007-08-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Or why we have a deadline on Monday and Thursday.

Number one reason, so that each pound of coffee we roast has a home. We plan all our roasting for the day based on the orders we receive by 10 am that day. Each batch coffee is carefully weighed, logged and matched to the orders we have for that coffee. We then fill the roasted coffee orders and again log each one on our delivery records. Ideally, when we are done roasting, bagging, logging and filling our delivery bags, there is no coffee left. It's quite common for us not to have remembered to include our own orders and not have enough coffee to take home. A bit like the cobbler whose children have no shoes...

In any case, we think this process ensures that each bean we send out is roasted within 24 hours and that our customers are getting the freshest and highest quality product we can deliver.

That all said, there are rare occasions where an order will come in at say 11:15 for a coffee that hasn't been roasted yet that day. We do make every attempt to fill as many orders as we can on each day and have, in some cases, been able to fill orders submitted past the deadline. If you have been the fortunate recipient of such an order, we are happy to have been able to adjust on the fly that particular day. However, just to be fair, this is not the norm.

Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions or comments on our schedule, coffees, process, etc. We'll make every attempt to respond in a timely manner.

Thanks,

David & Jim

August News

2007-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

We are back in full roasting mode after a short vacation.

Our new shipment of Ethiopian Yrgacheffee FTO and Mexican organic decaf are in stock and ready for you to try.

Colombian Reserva del Patron is the monthly special at $10 per pound, delivered to your door in Ann Arbor.

Plan ahead for Labor Day. We will roast and deliver on Thursday the 30th. There will not be any roasting on September 1st.

VACATION

2007-07-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

We are now closed until August 6th. Order placed between now and the 6th at 10 am will be roasted that day.

Sumatra Notes

2007-07-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

We are about to change our Sumatra offering to Aceh Gold from Iskandar towards the end of this month. The Iskandar hasn't been available all summer and our supply is almost gone. Knowing this, we started buying in Aceh Gold so that we wouldn't have a gap in our offering of a super premium Sumatran coffee. Many of you may remember that Aceh Gold was a staple of the old Amazing Beans roaster. It's an excellent coffee with many of the same characteristics of Iskandar. We are happy to once again offer this premium coffee you to.

If you happen to read the Wine Spectator, the July 31st issue has an interesting, and alarming, article on Sumatran coffee production. This was previously reported by the WWF. Several mass producers of low-grade coffee are destroying an endangered Sumatran tiger habitat in the southern tip of the country. We would like to point out that none of the coffee we sell comes from this region. However, it's a reminder to know where your coffee, or any other food product you buy, comes from. Our mission is to only bring our customers the highest-grade coffees from around the world and to buy them from reliable sources that have a strong commitment to sustainability, cooperation, fairness, and quality.

The Move West to Growers Ranch

2007-07-16T04:59:00.000-07:00

Mighty Good Coffee is moving west, all the way to California. Our newest retail partner, Growers Ranch, in Costa Mesa is a family owned specialty grocer that's been in business for over 38 years. Starting as a roadside fruit and vegetable stand, it's grown over the years, but the values of their business and family haven't changed.

You can visit Growers Ranch in Costa Mesa, or take a virtual look at their store by using their link in our list to the right.

Can't Find Mighty Good? Look Here!

2007-06-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Mighty Good Coffee is expanding into some familiar places in the Ann Arbor area.

Mighty Good Coffee is available at the following retail stores:

Kight's Market, 420 Miller Ave. Check out their selection of fine meats and Amish chicken.

Sparrow Market, Kerry Town Shops. Fine meats, veggies, olive oil and lot of other wonderful items.

Wine, Etc., Scio Town Center, 283 S. Zeeb Rd. Great selection of Australian, European and California wines, many micro beers and Belgian chocolate.

Mighty Good Coffee is served at the following establishments:

Ann Arbor Country Club, East Loch Alpine Dr.

Liberty Athletic, 2975 W. Liberty

Mighty Good is available for your office on a weekly basis and our home delivery is available free in the Ann Arbor area.

Contact us at: sales@mightygoodcoffee.com

New Coffees

2007-06-16T17:50:00.001-07:00

Our Ethiopian Yrgacheffee fair trade organic coffee has arrived and is available for purchase on our web store. This medium roasted coffee is full of complex flavors that you can savor anytime of day. Notes of blueberry and floral aromatics are the dominant features of this earthy bean from the birthplace of coffee.

Cupping at Royal Coffee

2007-04-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

These are more photos from my recent trip to Royal Coffee in Emeryville, CA. The story from our monthly newsletter is below. Enjoy!

David and Jim

The roasters, dating from 1925, are used to prepare the samples each day.

Patrick has all the coffee ready to add the boiling water. The round table in the background is one of two he is preparring this morning.

The second table is set for a particular client cupping a large order being sent to a roaster in Oregon.

Patrick pouring the water made easier by just spinning the table.

Each coffee has three to four sample cups. By comparing each one in succession, it's easier to taste any defects. In some cases, there are four cups with two each containing a different roast level of the same coffee.

It's important to get your nose right into the cup to test the aroma quality of the cup.

Alex and Helen comparing notes on today's samples.

The coffee trading floor. Much nicer than Wall Street.

The bean sample and logging room.

Story on this from our newsletter:
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit one of our green coffee suppliers, Royal Coffee, in Emeryville, CA. Located on a point of land in a former marina building, the location is stunning for its view of the water with the port of Oakland on one side, and the marina full of sailboats on the other. Once you step through the doors into the workspace with extraorinary views all around, you are quickly transformed into a world that's part of the ancient world of coffee combined with a high-tech trading floor where deals are made around the world on the green coffee, second only to oil as a traded commodity. But the environment is relaxed and at 10:30 each morning, many freshly roasted samples are cupped by the staff that wanders in and out of the tasting room, smelling, slurping and spitting coffees, one after another, until each person present has given their impressions.

Earlier that day, Patrick, Royal's roaster, had preparred these coffees in a row of small batch test roasters that date from 1925. In a binder nearby, notes for each coffee are recorded by both the roaster and the various tasters. The staff then decides whether to make an offer for that coffee, whether the coffee is of acceptable quality, if the lot being sampled is the same as a batch that was already shipped, or if the shipment is ready to sell to roasters around the country like Mighty Good.

Cupping coffee is very much like a wine tasting. Smell is a primary factor, followed by taste. At this particular session, four cups of each coffee were prepared. Each was tasted in succession to ensure that each cup was the same. The round table acts as a lazy Susan so many people can sit and taste the various coffees. Each person has a cupping spoon, which is a bit like a large soup spoon, and a few rinsing cups are located in the center. At one point, I stopped on a particular Peruvian coffee situated right next to a similar Peruvian. Going back and forth between them a few times, I was finally able to detect that one was a previous year's crop while the other was current. The older coffee had started to pick up the faint taste of the jute bag on the finish, while the current crop had an extremely smooth, amost buttery finish. It was quite an experience as Alex, one of the coffee traders, led me through each of the samples.

Later, we toured the room where each of the current and future samples are kept along with information on each such as arrival date, number of bags available and lot number that corresponds with the tasting notes kept in the log book. When a new sample is sent out to us for tasting, we get a bag with all of this information included, making it easy discuss over the phone and share information on how that coffee roasts on our particular equipment.

We finished the two hour session talking about the cost of coffee worldwide and the differences between coffee that's traded on the commodity market and specialty coffees that are estate or cooperatively grown and command a much higher price.

Schedule Change

2007-04-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

I am travelling to Oakland this Thursday to sample the new crop of coffees we are buying.
Orders received by 6pm this Wednesday will be processed this week and delivered Thursday and Friday.
Orders received after that will be processed Monday 4/16.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

New Retail Partners and new coffee on the way

2007-04-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

We'd like to welcome our newest retail partner, Knight Market, located at the corner of Miller and Spring St. Knight's is probably most famous for their restaurant, located on Dexter-Ann Arbor Road just before Maple. The market, well known to local carnivors, carries a wide selection of Amish chicken and other fresh meats that you can cook to perfection in your own home if you can't make it to the restaurant. If you can't wait for your next delivery of Mighty Good Coffee, we deliver it fresh from the roaster each Monday evening just in time for those of you who are picking up fresh steaks, chops or chicken. You can have your Might Good for the next morning too.

If your children attend any of the Gretchen's House locations, we will be delivering to all seven of their centers every Thursday starting the week of April 16th. This is especially convenient for customers outside of our local delivery area.

We just received a new shipment of Sumatra Iskandar, Costa Rican El Conquistador and Colombian Reserva del Parton. We also put an order in for several new coffees. First, we're replenishing our supply of Ethiopian Organic FT Harar used in our blends. Also coming is a fine Brazilian FTO Poco Fundo which we will start offering in late April. And finally, we are getting our first SWP decaf, a Peru Organic.

And, in case you're wondering, we're finalizing our order for beans to make espresso roast.

So stay tuned to Mightygoodcoffee.com and get the freshest, finest coffee available in Ann Arbor.

Roasting and Delivery Schedule Reminder

2007-03-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Please remember that this coming week, March 26 and 27 are our only roasting and delivery days. Orders received after 2 pm on the 26th will not be filled until the following Monday, April 2nd.

Coffee In Your Soap?

2007-03-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

I recently reconnected with an old friend, Elizabeth Voss, who moved away from Ann Arbor several years ago. She and her husband Keith were regular mountain bike companions and Elizabeth also worked with me at my old photo studio. Now with three kids and teeming with creative energy, Elizabeth started a new company, Raw Olive, which manufactures "Hip, Natural and Indulgent organic soaps and other body products. Knowing that I was now in the coffee business, she sent me a few samples that have coffee in them. The first is Coffee bar Kitchen and Garden Soap. The other is Peppermint Mocha Latte Organic Sugar Body Polish.... These, along with the other Raw Olive products, look, feel and smell just as good as the descriptions. I hope you'll visit her website:
http://www.rawolive.com

Mighty Good Goes Retail

2007-03-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

We are testing our first retail partnership this week with Sparrow Meat Market at Kerrytown. A limited supply of various Mighty Good Coffee will be available throughout the week in their coffee section. These bags of coffee, freshly roasted each week, will only stay on the shelves for 6 days before being replaced if they are unsold and what are the chances of that!!!! A new supply will be available each week. So on your next trip for meat, fish, veggies, and the many other wonderful items available at Kerrytown, stop in and say hi to Bob Sparrow and pick up Ann Arbor's freshest roast, Mighty Good Coffee.

What's with my Bloomin' Coffee?

2007-03-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder why your coffee filter overflows with super fresh coffee? Why is it that you can only make 6 or 8 cups in a 12 cup maker without the coffee maker exploding all over the counter? The reason is simple. Your coffee has gas, a natural by product of the roasting process. That's why the coffee we deliver to you has that cute little vent just above the label. That one way valve lets the gas out, but no air in which preserves the freshness of the coffee beans. Now when you open up our coffee, just out of the roaster less than a day, those beans are still giving off that gas and when you pour hot water over the fresh ground grounds, the activity really heats up which can lead to an overflowing situation on your counter top. You will probably notice this is less likely to happen on the 2nd or 3rd day after you get your beans and the have almost completely degassed at that point, and the chance of a Mount Vesuvius event in your kitchen is greatly decreased.

Of course, this begs the question, when should you drink your Mighty Good Coffee? The simple answer is the morning after it's delivered. That will mean your coffee will have been degassing (excuse me) for 24-48 hours by the time your pluck it off your door.

A few more things to consider, especially in the cold months. We suggest that you let the unopened coffee bag come up to room temperature BEFORE you tear off the seal. This will prevent moisture from condensing on your beans and causing them to stale. We also suggest that you use our handy zip lock bags to store your beans in a dry, cool and dark place. After you scoop out the coffee you are about to make, seal the bag to keep the coffee fresh. You can also transfer the beans to an airtight container such as those cool glass jars with gaskets and metal flip closures that look like they're from the 50's but can be found at most grocery stores.

Monthly Special and Supply Update

2007-03-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Costa Rican El Conquistador is our March $10 per pound special. We are just about out of this wonderful Tarazzu coffee and a new supply won't be available for a few weeks. The same goes for our Mexican Oaxacan La Pluma FTO which we'll be out of by the middle of the month if not sooner. If you haven't tried either of these fine coffees, order your today. Of course, we have many other fine offerings. We are working through a new shipment of Guatemalan Flor del Cafe and are expecting a new shipment of Colombian Reserva del Patron soon. We have also broken into our recently arrived bags of Ethiopian washed Sidamo, our newest offering.

Finally, we are hard at work on a new, top secret blend which we'll introduce mid-month. So stay tuned to the Mighth Good Coffee blog and shopping site for tall the latest coffee news.

Joke Contest

2007-02-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

In our recent E Newsletter, I asked if anyone had a good joke to open my coffee talk at the Michigan Chef de Cuisine meeting in a few weeks. The person who submits a joke that's not only the funniest, but is one that I can also use in public, will receive a free pound of coffee.

The top, and only submission so far is:
"Just think, next year at this time, we'll all be celebrating the Lion's win in the Super Bowl."

Thanks to Ben Taub, Dataspace.com

Peaks and Valleys - Coffee Freshness

2007-01-29T17:35:00.000-08:00

The sight, sound and smell of coffee as it pours from the roaster into the cooling bin is truly something amazing. As soon as the beans are cooled, it's so tempting to just grind a few ounces and put them right into the French press. And it would be a pretty good cup of coffee, but wouldn't live up to the potential that will be possible in just a short time.
The question is, when will the freshly roasted beans hit their peak and deliver an amazing cup of coffee. The answer, for most of our customers, is about a day after your coffee is delivered to your door, or 36-48 hours after we roast it. The reason for this is that a lot of activity is still going on inside those beans after the roasting has completed. You will probably notice that over the course of a few days, a bit more oil comes to the surface of the beans and that the aroma released when you open the bag is stronger on day 3 than it was on day 1. You may also notice a change in the flavor and body of the coffee during this same time period.

This begs the question, how long with that peak last? The short answer is, about 7 days. The rest of this answer partly depends on you. We sell our beans in a zip lock bag with a vent. This vent is really a one-way valve, designed to let gas out (remember, the beans are active) without letting any air get in and stale the beans. WIthout that valve, our bags would explode on your doorstep... It's important that you store the beans in this bag tightly sealed, or move them to another airtight storage container and only take out what you need for each brewing. This will keep your beans as fresh as possible. We also don't think you should store your coffee in the freezer or refridgerator. The minute you take cold beans out and open the bag at room temperature, moisture will condense on the beans and make them stale. If you must store your beans in the freezer, let them warm up to room temperature before opening the bag!

In short, we suggest that you buy only the coffee you plan to use in about a weeks time. This way, both your coffee and you will stay in peak performance and avoid the valley of stale coffee.

Welome to MGC-Ann Arbor

2007-01-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

Mighty Good Coffee, located in Ann Arbor, is a micro roaster of the finest coffees from around the world. We custom roast each batch of beans and deliver it locally, or ship anywhere in the US, within 24 hours. If you haven't yet tasted fine, hand crafted coffee this fresh, it's time to treat yourself.

You can view our coffees at:
http://www.mightygoodcoffee.com

Our offerings do change from time to time based on the growing and harvesting seasons, as well as what is available from the select group of importers we have developed relationsips with.

Our current January special is Ethiopian washed Sidamo. This fine, hand selected coffee from the northeast region of Ethiopia is processed using the wet method (as opposed to dry processing), yeilding a very clean, yet full bodied and rich cup of exceptionally smooth coffee. This coffee is on sale for $10/lb. through January.

Mighty Good Coffee also makes the perfect gift anytime. You can also treat yourself to a Mighty Good Gift Pack and try four different coffees from around the world.

Please check back for new offerings, news, specials and commentary on coffee.

Thanks for reading,
David