Coffee Brands

I’m enjoying it right now. You might be as well. Odds are over 2 million people can simultaneously attest to the same. What are we talking about here? No, not that, get your head out of the gutter. We’re talking coffee, boys and girls, café, kaffee, kopi, kofe, the translations are endless because every culture enjoys it. Honestly, we can’t think of another product that has such a loyal following across multiple countries. Alcohol perhaps, and you could even throw tea into the mix. But coffee is one of those things that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, and there are even folks that can’t drink it for one reason or another but still brew it in the morning to achieve that “morning smell.” Now that’s love!

Coffee dates back a long way – the 15th century to be exact. The commonly held origin is Ethiopia, and Sufi monasteries in Yemen were big drinkers, which later spread to Persia, Turkey, the whole Middle East, the Horn of Africa and Northern Africa. The next destinations were Southeast Asia, the Balkans, Europe and eventually America. In the U.S., post the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a large chunk of the population took on coffee. In fact, drinking tea was considered unpatriotic and this spurred on the development of coffee farms in poorer countries to serve U.S. demand such as Guatemala and Costa Rica. Brazil jumped in late but scaled quickly, becoming the largest coffee producer in the world by 1852. Since then, some other previously irrelevant players have become players such as Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Colombia and Vietnam. The latter overtook Colombia as the second largest producer (to Brazil) by the early 2000s.

The array of coffee brands available in 2020 is mind-boggling. They’re everywhere, which is good. But they’re also everywhere, and as such, overwhelming from a choice perspective. One of the best overall brands you can choose is La Colombe Corsica Blend. They’ve got stores that you’ve likely frequented, but they also have a whole assortment of coffee online as well. Their blends are made from beans ethically sources from Mexico, Honduras, Colombia and Brazil. It is dark, deep, robust and even contains chocolate, oh joy! This blend pairs very well with cream or milk and can stand alone without anything, black and rich.

Speaking of black and rich, if you’re looking for a dark roast, Death Wish Coffee Company is your first stop. This up-state New York coffee giant claims to make the world’s strongest coffee. It is described as a “high-octane” experience with such a high caffeine concentration that it will bring you back from the dead, should death have chosen you as its unlucky victim of the day. Rather bold statements, and the skull and crossbones logo give a glimpse of what you’re getting into.

And finally, if the dark roast isn’t for you, go for a mild blend, and one of the best is Lavazza Super Crema. A beloved Italian brand, this blend is said to offer a velvety Super Crème Espresso that is second to none. Their beans are sourced from India, Vietnam, Colombia and Brazil, and many report switching immediately to Lavazza after just one sip. That is some recommendation, but as a coffee connoisseur, any of these three will knock your socks off. Nothing better to start the day!