Coffee is the superstar of all beverages, enjoyed by millions around the globe daily, and showing no signs of losing its status. The coffee tree, which is thought to have originated in East Africa, is currently grown in more than 50 countries. Coffee can be a bit picky about its conditions, preferring high temperatures and high elevations. Coffee is ideally grown in what is called “The Bean Belt”, an Equatorial zone ranging between the latitudes 25 degrees North and 30 degrees South where the tree is known to thrive.  

These days you can’t walk down a street without passing a coffee shop or three, they have sprung up everywhere and appear to be doing booming business as their baristas cheerfully provide the caffeine people crave to get them through their hectic days. A very large portion of the population can’t even begin their days without a few cups of the hearty, dark beverage in the morning at home! A great gift to give any coffee lover is a specialty coffee subscription that ensures they have a ready supply of beautiful brown beans sent to their door every month, a delightful delivery to look forward to with delicious results! 

Coffee is grown all around the world, let’s have a look at just a few of the many exotic locations our favourite drink hails from: 

Hawaii, USA – The richly aromatic Kona bean is grown on the big island of Hawaii, thriving on the black volcanic soil slopes of the active Mauna Loa volcano. 

Mexico – The warm southern states of Veracruz, Chiapas and Oaxaca are the home of large plantations making Mexico one of the world’s biggest coffee producers. The Altura beans are grown in the high altitudes, their strong aroma and sharp flavour lend themselves perfectly to dark roasts. 

Costa Rica – This friendly Central American nation is known for delicious wet-processed Arabicas grown on small farms called fincas. The beans, famed for their high quality, have a medium body and a sharp acidity, making for a perfectly balanced beverage. 

Ethiopia – Legend has it this ancient African land is the cradle of coffee, which is harvested from forests of wild trees to this very day. The Ethiopian beans deliver a full-flavoured, bold, and earthy cup relished by any who have the pleasure of drinking it. 

There is a world of beans to savour, enjoy your coffee explorations! 

After all those lockdowns and isolation measures to help prevent the spread of Covid, isn’t it nice to get back to getting together with family and friends? We certainly think so. Humans are social creatures, and all that time alone didn’t do much good for anyone’s spirits. Unfortunately, many folks began enjoying their adult beverages a little too much during this time, as many studies have shown.

That’s why it’s important to offer alternatives to alcoholic beverages at parties and social events at your home or anywhere else. Even if you don’t have guests with alcohol issues, some people have to drive back home, work the next day, or simply aren’t drinkers. That’s why mocktail recipes are becoming so popular. Continue reading the article below to learn more about these delicious mocktails.

A Cucumber Vesper

Ingredients

● 3 cucumber slices

● .25 oz. lemon simple syrup

● 2 bar spoons of apple cider vinegar

● 2.5 oz. gin (non-alcoholic)

● 1.5 oz. Amethyst Lemon Cucumber Serrano

● .5 oz. dry vermouth

● 5 droppers of orange bitters

Directions

1. Place the three cucumber slices in a shaker tin and the simple lemon syrup and apple cider vinegar and mix it up.

2. Add the non-alcoholic gin, dry vermouth, Amethyst, bitters, and ice, and shake it until it’s chilled.

3. Strain it through a mesh sieve into a chilled glass and add a fresh cucumber slice for garnish.

2. Carly’s Pink Lemonade

Ingredients

● 1.5 oz. pink gin (non-alcoholic)

● .75 oz. simple syrup

● .75 oz. lemon juice

● 3 droppers of New Orleans bitters

● 5 oz. soda water (to top)

Directions

1. Add the lemon juice, simple syrup, pink gin, bitters, and ice to a cocktail shaker and mix until chilled. 2. Stain the liquid into a highball glass, add ice, and top with soda. Give it a quick stir.

3. Garnish it with a lemon slice

5. The Hemingway Daiquiri

Ingredients

● 2.5 oz. white rum (non-alcoholic)

● .75 oz. fresh lime juice

● .5 oz. fresh grapefruit juice

● .25 oz. orgeat syrup

● 3 droppers of New Orleans bitters

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake until chilled.

2. Strain the liquid into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and cherry.

A Champagne Cocktail (A Mocktail Recipe for Toasting)

Ingredients

● 1 sugar cube

● 5 oz. sparkling wine (non-alcoholic)

● 2 full droppers of bitters

● Lemon peel twist garnish

Directions

1. Put the sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne flute. Sprinkle it with 2 dashes of your choice of bitters.

2. Add the non-alcoholic sparkling wine to the glass, preferably a dry wine.

3. Garnish it with a lemon twist. This expresses the oils over the drink.

There are Countless Other Recipes to Explore Even if these drinks become a staple at all of your gatherings and events, don’t be afraid to expand the menu. There are thousands of other exciting and tasty non-alcoholic drinks you can offer to your non-drinking guests.

African coffee is in high demand and roasted across the world due to its unique taste, fruity flavors, and winy acidity cultivated by expert farmers. African coffee is grown on nutrient-rich volcanic soils, protected from the elements by a cool climate, then dried in the sun when ready. The result is tasty, aroma-filled beans that are used to make some of the world’s best specialty coffees, with fruity and flowery overtones.

Here are ten highly rated African coffees you may not have heard of to satisfy your interest and turn you into a fan.

1. Organic Ethiopia Sidamo Coffee

Ethiopian Sidamo coffee has subtle almond undertones, a medium body, and a balanced acidity. The “Natural” sun-drying technique produces a pleasant, wine-like scent. Ethiopian Sidamo is grown in Ethiopia’s Sidamo province’s Kaffa district – ‘The Birthplace of Coffee’ – where coffee was (arguably) originated over a thousand years ago. It’s a garden coffee grown on several tiny family farms between 1,750 and 2,200 meters above sea level. The fruits are hand-picked, and the coffee is rinsed and dried on specially designed platforms. As a result, we get very fine, elegant and prominent floral flavors of coffee.

Ethiopian Sidamo is a member of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe family. With an earthy flavor and notes of blueberry, organic Ethiopian Sidamo coffee is truly exceptional. Many coffee enthusiasts find this to be an excellent choice.

2. Decaf Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee

Decaf Ethiopian Sidamo coffee is dark and rich, with undertones of chocolate and an undeniably creamy finish. To preserve the coffee’s great flavor, the Royal Select Water Process decaffeinates it without the use of harsh chemicals.

The cooperative that produces this coffee is Ethiopia’s largest producer of Fair-Trade coffee, and it was created when 35 tiny cooperatives banded together to produce the best organic Sidamo coffee on the market. This valuable Sidamo is grown organically by indigenous farmers in the rainforests, who take meticulous care of the crop from start to finish to produce a cup with a lovely, fruity aroma and body.

This Organic Ethiopian Water Decaf Coffee is creamy and rich, with chocolate and cherry undertones. It’s the ideal coffee for those who want to avoid caffeine while maintaining outstanding flavor.

3. Organic Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Coffee

Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee has a sweet scent and mellow flavor. The acidity level is robust and bright, with notes of bright citrus, and the cup concludes with a dry, lemon tea finish. This can be found

at altitudes of 6,600 feet higher than sea level. It holds a spiciness to it that is balanced by a hint of sweetness. Yirgacheffe’s fragrance and flavor are inimitable, according to coffee experts.

4. Kenya Grade AA Coffee

Kenya Grade AA is wildly popular in Africa and around the world. The AA has a complex acidity level, with mild notes that have a rich taste and aroma. Kenya has established itself as the greatest place for coffee cultivation due to its reputation for high-quality coffee. The government is closely engaged in coffee cultivation. They ensure the best quality products by the country and reward farmers with good prices for superior quality.

This coffee is grown at higher altitudes of 6,600 feet in Kenya’s peak highlands. Kenyan coffee is known for having a sophisticated amount of tartness, but subtle tastes that have a strong flavor and fragrance.

5. Kenya Peaberry Coffee

Kenya Peaberry Coffee is a full-bodied, strongly acidic coffee with a winy black currant flavor. It’s highly complex, with flavors of strawberry, lemon, and guava. As is customary with Kenyan coffees, the tastes alternate with spice.

In Kenya Peaberry coffee, the ‘Peaberry’ grows as a single seed inside its cherry rather than the norm of two seeds per fruit. This divergence in development permits the coffee cherry to concentrate all of its nutrients and flavor into a single seed. Additionally, the acidity of this Kenyan Peaberry is extremely deep and complex, with savory undertones. As an espresso, filter, or white coffee, it’s fantastic.

6. Tanzania Grade AA Coffee

Tanzanian Grade AA coffee gives off a buttery almond cake scent on grinding with a dash of fruity brightness. It has a light body, delicate stone fruit acidity, and sweet, smooth peach and berry flavors when brewed, making it a softer, more subtle version of the African coffee profile. Tanzania AA Coffee is grown on Mount Kilimanjaro’s slopes. This coffee is graded AA, which means it is the best of the crop’s beans.

7. Ethiopian Harrar Coffee

The Ethiopian Harrar blend is dense and sharp, with spice notes including blueberry jam, cardamom, and apricots, with a jasmine finish. Dry handling helps bring out the floral overtones. There’s also a tinge of jasmine in some of the flavors.

Ethiopian Harrar coffee is a pure Arabica coffee cultivated on modest farms in the Oromia (previously known as Harrar) of south Ethiopia at heights ranging from 1,400 m to 2,000 m. Harrar is located east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

This coffee is well recognized for its fruity aroma and floral-toned that is pleasantly similar to blackberries.

8. Uganda’ Good African Coffee

Uganda’s Good African coffee is cultivated on the continent and has a sweet, citrus flavor. The cupping notes of a well-brewed cup of Rwenzori with a sweet chocolate flavor and rich texture. Ugandan coffees

are often less tangy than coffees from neighboring Tanzania and Kenya due to their lower complexity and lighter body.

9. Ivory Coast Coffee

Ivory Coast beans are known for their bitterness and strong flavor. In the nineteenth century, French colonizers are credited for bringing coffee to the Ivory Coast. Coffee production peaked in the 1970s, when the Ivory Coast became the world’s third-largest producer following its independence in 1960. The Ivory Coast’s second-largest export product is coffee.

Iced coffee is always our go-to refreshment, especially when it’s hot outside. There is just something special about the combo of toasted, roasty coffee with ice and creamy sweetness – which would never fail to give us excitement the moment we take the first sip. However, drinking the same cup of iced coffee every day could get boring, so why not spice things up a little bit? You can start with this round up of iced coffee makers on Coffeeble.  Then get creative and be your at-home barista with these simple, amazing iced coffee recipes that will leave you always wanting more.

Creamy Iced Coffee

The original iced coffee, but it is not like your typical one. In this variant, the coffee combines with milk, half-and-half, just a little sugar, a bit of vanilla, and of course, chocolate syrup! Yet, if you want it to have more kick to it, you can opt on chocolate liqueur instead.

Ingredients:

1 ½ quarts room temperature brewed coffee

One cup of milk

One cup of cream (half-and-half)

⅓ cup of white sugar

One teaspoon of vanilla essence

Two tablespoons chocolate syrup or liqueur

How to prepare:

1. Mix the brewed coffee, milk, and half-and-half in a pitcher.
2. Add in the sugar, vanilla, and chocolate syrup and stir thoroughly.
3. After everything is compiled well, keep the pitcher in the refrigerator to make it cold and it’s ready to drink.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

If you’re the type that prefers a rich but sweet iced coffee now and then, yet you don’t feel like going the extra mile to make one, then this two-ingredient coffee recipe is for you. Sweetened condensed milk is used in this Vietnamese iced coffee to give it a great taste with little effort.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons of coffee (preferably Trung Nguyen coffee)

Sweetened condensed milk

How to prepare:

1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil first, you can use an electric kettle to boil it faster.
2. For this version of coffee, you will need to use a Vietnamese coffee filter to have retained its original taste. Pour a bit of hot water through the filter and your cup to warm it up.
3. Discard the steel filter and add four teaspoons of coffee to the pot. 
4. Gently twist the filter around until it stops. If your filter appears not to have screws, place the filter on top of the coffee.
5. Pour a small amount of water into the filter to moisten the grind and allow it to expand a little and get rid of any little grinds. If you notice any grinds that past the filter, chuck it out.
6. Fill the filter to the brim and set it aside to drip. The brewing duration is between 3 and 5 minutes, so put the filter appropriately. Because the filter will get hot, adjust it with something to avoid getting burnt. Put the lid back on and wait for it to drip.
7. After it’s done, add about 2-3 teaspoons of condensed milk into the coffee. But if you’re not a fan of sweet coffee, then one teaspoon would be sufficient.
8. Allow the coffee to cool slightly before pouring it into an ice-filled glass.

Iced Salted Honey Latte

Salt and honey may seem like an odd pairing, but that makes it unique. The fusion between salt and honey with the slight bitterness of coffee makes it mesmerizing; you would have regretted not having tried this earlier. This handmade latte does not necessitate the use of an expensive espresso machine.  All you need is just a microwave and a jar with a lid.

Ingredients:

1 cup of milk

1 cup of room temperature espresso or coffee

1/2 teaspoon of sugar (add more or less depending on your preference)

1 teaspoon of honey

1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes

How to prepare:

1. Pour the milk into a lidded jar and shake rapidly a minute or until it is frothy. Then, take off the lid, place it in the microwave to heat for 15 seconds.
2. Get two big glasses and fill them with ice. Distribute the coffee evenly among the glasses and add a pinch of sugar.
3. Hold back the froth with a spoon and add a bit of milk to each glass. Scoop a spoonful of the froth and place them on top of the latte. Drizzle a little of honey (or more) and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes on top of each latte.
4. Stir everything and it’s ready to serve.

Gourmet-style Iced Coffee

Hitting the coffee shop for premium iced coffee all the time can hurt your wallet in the long run, so why not make your gourmet-style iced coffee at home? Simply prepare your coffee the night before with high-quality coffee beans. This way, the coffee will be at room temperature when morning arrives.

Ingredients:

1 cup of room temperature coffee

Two tablespoons half-and-half (or more, depending on your preference)

For the syrup:

½ cup of sugar

One cup of water

½ teaspoon of vanilla essence

How to prepare:

For the syrup:

1. Get a medium saucepan, heat it over medium heat, and combine the sugar and 1 cup water, constantly stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. 
2. Allow it to cool fully before stirring in the vanilla essence. Refrigerate until it’s ready to be served.

For the coffee:

1. Brew a cup of coffee in your favourite coffee machine. 
2. Once it’s done, fill in a glass with ice cubes, syrup and half-and-half. Then, pour the coffee into the glass. Add 1 teaspoon of syrup at a time until the desired flavour is achieved.

Caramel Iced Coffee

Source: unsplash.com – Kari Shea

Unique iced coffee recipes are always great to have, but nothing beats the original caramel iced coffee. Caramel is a traditional taste found in some of the greatest coffee blends available. The bitterness of the coffee combined with the sweetness of caramel would give a zap on your tastebuds the moment you take your first sip.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of brewed coffee

One tablespoon of caramel sauce

1/2 cup of milk

Sugar (optional)

Ice cube and whipped cream

How to prepare:

1. Fill a jug halfway with your freshly brewed coffee and add caramel sauce and sugar.
2. Store in the fridge until it is cold.
3. Fill your favourite glass with ice cubes and pour the chilled coffee.
4. Pour in your milk and finish with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle a bit more caramel sauce.

Coffee has been a drink for many occasions and moods. It’s been typically cast as the speed drink as it gives us a lot of energy and helps us throughout the day. However, it’s not all that it does. It is also known as one of the best relaxants in the world because it can be changed to a different type of drink with a few small things. These are things that you can add yourself at home to make your coffee session a little calmer and more enjoyable.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is known to have a lot of good qualities such as relaxing your muscles. The additional cocoa in dark chocolate bars, has more flavonoids than some other foods. It will lower your cortisol levels which is the main component of stress. Dark chocolate is also great for your anxiety, as it’s known to have a slower release of energy and helps your digestive system to be more stable. To get the benefits from dark chocolate in your coffee, make sure it’s above 70%. Preferably you will have access to 80% cocoa with low sugar.

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Honey 

Rather than using sugar to sweeten your cup of Joe, we recommend you try honey. Honey is naturally good for your stomach and immune system. It can also help to soothe anxiety levels. It’s also common to have honey with a spice such as cinnamon. It tastes amazing and it gives your coffee a natural sweetness, with no way near a rise like sugar will give you. You won’t get such a high spike in sugar and that can only mean your system is not artificially boosted to a more active level.

Full fat

Full-fat milk is very good for you. You shouldn’t drink it all the time, but it’s definitely worth putting into your coffee at moderate levels. The full-fat milk has anti-inflammatory qualities, and lots of vitamin D. It’s something that rarely gets mentioned, but it can also help you if you have any kind of panic disorder. Lower levels of vitamin D have shown to increase stress and anxiety in people with a loose emotional balance. So next time you’re at the store, grab the kind with the most fat in it for your coffee.

A drop or two

CBD has been known to be one of the modern leading supplements in anti-inflammatory treatment. It can also lower your anxiety levels, especially useful after a tough day at work. These Vegan CBD Oils are just the right kind of concentration to be used every day when you feel like it. Just add one or maybe two drops to your coffee and you will feel the effects within a few minutes or so.

Oat milk

Oat milk is taking over from soy and almond milk because it has a great silky taste but with clearly better effects. Oats have complex nutrients and minerals that heal the body and slow your metabolism down a little. This makes for a slower energy burn and more stable system.

Coffee isn’t just tasty it can be very helpful too. These are just some of the things you can put into your cup of hot Joe to relax your mind and body after a busy day.

 

Tonic water, also known as Indian water is a carbonated soft drink containing dissolved quinine, sugar along with some flavors. Quinine comes from the bark of the cinchona tree native to central and South America, some parts of the Caribbean island as well as Western Africa. The quinine present in the drink normally gives the water a slightly bitter taste. Because of the presence of quinine in the drink, it is believed to have several benefits to the body. With tonic having such an acquired taste, a fantastic great alternative is sparkling water. You may be thinking ‘are there benefits of sparkling water?’ the answer is yes, it helps Improve Digestion and your swallowing ability. But if you’re a fan of tonic, the following are 3 benefits to drinking tonic water. [Read more…]