If you are familiar with Kalkar, our Cornish coffee spirit, you'll know the coffee component is a key aspect of what makes Kalkar a truly special drink (aside from the scratch distilled British rum of course.) But what you may not know is that the coffee we use in Kalkar directly supports the coffee producers and mill partners, who are committed to environmentally and socially sustainable practices.
The coffee that is released 'drip by cold brew drip' comes to us from Origin Coffee - who source through direct trade, meaning (in their own words), 'we are able to support our farm and mill partners directly, giving our drinkers full traceability of the coffee in their cup. When we direct trade we pay at least 50% over and above Fairtrade prices, without exception.'
The particular coffee we use for Kalkar is made by the The Mierisch Family in Nicaragua who the team at Origin visit every year....
"Los Altos is a geographically dynamic farm composed of just over 70 hectares of rolling coffee hills at the base of Kilambé Mountain. When standing on the farm it’s hard to get sight of the impressive mountain due to the towering trees that rise and fall in the small valleys. Each time we arrive at Los Altos, we’re greeted by the workers that come together to create this incredible crop, from coffee growers to pickers. The familiar smells of the coffee pulp, the pot of beans cooking in the kitchen and the smell of forest after rain surround us as we head to the cupping table to taste the newest crop." (Illustrated image credit: Origin Coffee)
The medium, creamy body of the evocative Los Altos coffee, with flavours of red berries, milk chocolate and caramel add a distinct smoothness to the distilled rum with no bitter aftertaste in sight. It's just one of the reasons why Kalkar was revered by the judges at the Great Taste Awards in 2017 "Genuine, aromatic, complex, cold brew coffee flavour, masterfully made...It has no bitterness, lots of character and raises the bar on coffee liqueurs."
Kalkar coffee spirit is available to purchase from The Artisan Food Village here.