Having two espressos on offer has been a part of Deeper Roots culture for a long time – but you might find yourself asking why bother with a single-origin espresso at all, or even what does that mean?

 Normally, we utilize a blend for our espresso drinks. Alchemy is a blend of 50% Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF) from Brazil, 25% San Miguel from Guatemala, and 25% Natural Shantawene from Ethiopia. We use a blend for espresso because it’s hard to find a single bean that gives us everything we want in a balanced shot of espresso. It should be sweet, tart – but not sour, bitter – but not overwhelmingly so, and full bodied – but not “chewy.” Balance is the name of the game with Alchemy. In order to achieve the flavor profile we’re after, we use Brazil to get a heavy body, Guatemala for some chocolatey sweetness, and Ethiopia for a bright cherry note.

 To put it simply, a single-origin espresso is just that: an espresso that hails from one origin; that is, rather than a blend of three coffees as in Alchemy, we’re using just one. The goal of having a single origin espresso on offer is the same as having a single origin coffee on drip or pour-over: we want to highlight that specific coffee, to showcase the flavor and perhaps even more importantly, the story of that bean. Balance is not the goal here. We want to showcase whatever particular flavors are present. For example, a shot of natural Ethiopia will be bright and juicy, no matter how you pull it. Contrastingly, a shot of Brazil will be chocolatey and full-bodied even if it’s a relatively short pull.

 When it comes to dialing in a single origin espresso, it’s a good idea to keep that in mind: certain flavors will jump out more than others. We’ll always provide you with some rough parameters to start out with, but it’s up to you which notes you want to emphasize. Sometimes it’s intimidating for new baristas to step into dialing in single origins, but I want to encourage you to be bold! There isn’t a “wrong” way to dial in a single origin, there are a range of different flavors to bring out – and there’s no shame in asking your fellow baristas to taste your dial.

It's also worth thinking about how we talk about single origin espressos to our customers. Most folks that regularly drink shots of espresso will likely be delighted if you offer them a different espresso. It’s generally good practice to offer the choice of espresso for anything smaller than a latte – but as with anything regarding coffee information, you have to play the game with each person. Does this customer want to hear the story of Kinini Natural, a quality-obsessed cooperative that is made up of 85% women – with delicious tasting notes of boozy orange and bright cherry acidity? Or do they simply want to grab their cappuccino to go and head into the office? It’s a challenge, but one that’s well worth investing in as we continue making all our drinks and stories “Good for the People.”