Kaldi’s Coffee is committed to building sustainability into the specialty coffee trade, and one of the ways we do that is by offering several different blended roasts of a Fair Trade Organic (FTO) coffee year-round.
The Fair Trade certification for green coffee helps ensure that no child labor has been used in the coffee’s cultivation and processing, and that fair wages are being paid to all workers. The organic certification, of course, means that only organic-approved pesticides and cleaning agents have been used in the growing and preparation of the coffee at all stages.
Kaldi’s Coffee’s most popular coffee profiles using FTO coffee are the FTO Birds & Bees, and the FTO French Roast. Each of these coffees has a particular niche, and here we'll go into just a bit more detail about this longstanding blends.
SHOP FAIR TRADE ORGANIC COFFEES |
FTO Birds & Bees
A medium roast, we carefully develop the beans as they roast to actually make it very similar to our popular 700 blend, our primary espresso coffee. For those wanting an FTO equivalent to the 700, Birds & Bees offers a close resemblance. The roast development allows the coffee’s acidity and fruit notes to be experienced alongside the richer chocolate and caramel notes. FTO Birds & Bees’ approachable acidity and balanced sweetness makes it perfect for any occasion, and should please almost any palate.
An oft-asked question is... what's with the name? Roasting for 26 years takes your coffee blends on quite the ride, and FTO Birds & Bees used to be made with only Rainforest Alliance coffees. These coffees were produced with a mission to protect all kinds of wildlife - like Birds and Bees - and the name just kind of stuck. Today, we use the same ethos with Fair Trade Organic certifications, and continue the legacy of sustainability through other efforts and new Relationship Coffee models. One of which includes....
Honeymoon Chocolates: This year, our FTO Birds & Bees coffee blend is going on a little adventure, courtesy of Honeymoon Chocolates. For a limited time in February 2021, we are offering chocolate bars in our cafes from Honeymoon that have been made with our Birds & Bees - the perfect pairing for a chocolate featuring honey as its sweetener and a mission to protect the bees. We’ll also use these chocolates in the crafting of not one, but two limited release drinks in our cafes: the Love Chai, and the Cherry Cordial Latte. Keep an eye out for news of these delicious new drinks.
FTO French Roast
This blend is almost the darkest roast in our coffee blends lineup (Cafe Malta beats it, by just a bit!). With the longer development time, this darker roast of our Fair Trade Organic coffee is a crowd favorite and the perfect nightcap for a big meal. Its longer development allows almost all of the coffee’s natural essential oils to rise to the surface, contributing to its richness and warmth. With almost no acidity, and a deep sweetness with caramel and dark chocolate notes, this coffee hits the spot for darker roast lovers.
Our FTO French Roast has always been one of our most popular coffees with our grocery partners. Its familiar name (French Roast is ubiquitous for being deeper and darker), its sweet warmth, and deep notes make an easy go-to for those dabbling in specialty coffee. The FTO distinction only aids in that decision, and we really encourage those French Roast lovers to give our other FTO blends a try.
Where do our FTO coffees usually come from?
Coffee is seasonal, of course, and along with our mission for sustainability is our mission to always source and roast fresh coffee. So, the coffee inside each blend changes through the year, but three of our most common FTO coffees are from Peru Rutas del Inca, Honduras Las Cupacas, and various partners in Colombia. All coffees are sourced to ensure they have the familiar chocolate, apple, and sweetness notes that the blends are known for, and to hold up to any roast level.
A farmer from Peru Rutas del Inca, one of the most common coffees included in our FTO blends.
Other Blends That Are Much More Than Blends
Looking to further explore the world of coffee blends and roasting profiles? Take a closer look at our different year-round coffee styles in our Blend Buying Guide.
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MUCH MORE THAN A BLEND: CAFE KALDI
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