Well, wouldn’t you know: It’s that time of year where America’s favorite VJ, Carson Daly, throws on the leather gloves & ear muffs to guide us through the cosmos in NYC’s Time Square. Cosmos, you ask? Well, that would be referring to our ever-revolving planet, soaring through space, as a symbolic reverse disco ball descends above a skyscraper, officially closing out 2015. We here at Café Imports tend to get sentimental while changing our hanging wall calendar, in an odd, slightly too-ceremonial fashion. We think it is important as we roll into the new year to look back at the memories we cherish most, sit with them for a moment, and then totally forget them as we plow ahead into the future.
Move over 2015, there’s a new kid in town, right? People?
Well, at least we’ll leave this blog up for the Internet to enjoy for years to come, as a reference to where we once were….which reminds us, hello readers from the future, how is it out there? Good? That’s great!
There are almost as many memories at Café Imports this year as there are stars in the sky. We whittled it down to highlights in an order that’s only relatively chronological–but who’s keeping count? Carson Daly, maybe? Either way, come with us for a guide through the cosmos that were Café Imports 2015.
(click for links)
The Variety Select program joined our offerings
We changed it up.
We linked up with the Jamaican Coffee Farmers Association
Piero brought some samples in from El Sal.
The Yemeni Red Haraaz was stronger than ever
We USBC’ed and competed in the U.S. Cup Tasters Championship.
We Expo’d.
Joe got an award.
We partied.
We collaborated with Dr. Flavio Borem.
We worked with some dogs.
We swagged-out the Cup Taster Champions.
We made some vids
Joe ‘Pro’d.
Customer Service took advantage of some deals on wheels.
We coffee mapped some origins, and the quest continues…
Cafe Imports Europe grew from 1 to 4, follow them on instagram @cafeimportseurope and join the thousand of fans.
Gabe and Ari went to Russia…
Meister, Joe and Adrienne got Legendary in the PNW.
Matty B got huge at Lo Mejor de Mexico.
Fresh Crop Came.
The Costa Community Lots delivered.
We had a staff engagement – Matt and Kate set a date! #mattandkatesetadate
Cafe Imports Australia was born. Watch them grow up before our eyes over at @cafeimportsaustralia on Instagram.
We got to know our green buyers.
Benny Boo got published.
Dan travelled East and made some friends.
Omar celebrated national coffee day.
Roasters got stumped at Portland Coffee Fest
The Cafe Imports Education dept. joined the AV club
Noah and Jess barista-tripped with the best.
Cropster livestreamed.
We made a hat benefitting Grounds for Health — still in stock! Purchase here.
We got some solar power at HQ
Cauca Best Cup was the bestest:
Okay, time to SLOW DOWN THE SCROLLING. We are specifically extremely excited to note that the premiums paid for coffees from the Cauca Best Cup competition brought in over $500,000 USD to producers in the Cauca region!
Cuaca Best Cup, our Hats for Health, and recent solar-panel installation are few of many projects we’ve worked on over the years to create momentum, foster community, and safeguard the environment, from our small corner of the global coffee world.
We’ve typically only blogged about these projects in the past, or referred to them in our Beanologies, but we thought it was time to finally make a home for these programs to live in a new section of our website we have deemed “Progress”: a new category we have adopted into our driving principles.
We believe this framework should clear a path for us and our customers to travel together, strengthening these programs as we move forward in the new year.
On our Progress page, we break down our projects into three categories: community, development, and environment. Check it out here.
That’s a wrap on 2015, stick a fork in it, it’s done! We have a lot in store for 2016, and we couldnt do what we do best without the continued support of you, our amazing coffee patners. We hope that, together, we can continue to start our days with the best coffees this planet, barreling through the cosmos, has to offer.
Have a Happy New Year, a sweet ’16 it shall be!
— The CI Team
