During the Hikes and Mikes podcast with, creator and host Ivan, we got onto the topic of our single origin offering, Mexican Honey (25:10, link below).
He specifically wanted to know how it was inspired, as it is his favorite coffee that we offer so far.
Since the Mexican Honey isn't just his, but many of our customers' favorite, we thought it best give a little more backstory.
It all started with my father, Louis Sandoval. (Really weird calling him by his first name.)
Originally from Saltillo, one hour out of Monterrey, in Coahuila, Mexico, Louis moved to San Antonio, Texas at the age of two.
He started drinking coffee at twelve years old while watching Looney Tunes, but more than anything he loved the familial aspect that coffee represented in his household and our culture. Like many cultures, coffee provides time for the family to gather around the table and tell stories, both old and new. For him, nothing could beat a big cup with a little cream and sugar, pan dulce (sweet breads) and the stories that filled the room. He would later in life, swap sugar for honey.
Years later he moved to Saint Louis, Missouri, becoming a carpenter and welder through the Carpenters Union Apprenticeship Program.
For those who don't know, this midwestern city gets the extremes of all seasons. His love for coffee wasn't just because it tasted good, but evolved, becoming another tool on his belt.
"A thermos cap of coffee on a bridge was essential with nowhere to get out of the wind. That coffee was the only warmth I had. Other guys would bring sodas, and energy drinks, but for me it was always coffee. On the way to work, lunch time, break time. Always coffee, dude."
After starting Foretold Coffee Co., the image of my father leaving every morning with that thermos never left my mind. I wanted to make something that would resonate with the taste notes he and so many hard working Americans loved. Ironically enough, we found it in the honey processed beans from La Laja, Tlaltetela in Huatusco, a 13 hour drive from his hometown.
The "Honey Process" is a method where only the skin of the coffee fruit is removed, leaving most, if not all, of the fruit to dry on the seed. This allows the coffee to retain more flavor from the fruit itself resulting in a bright, fruity, medium to heavy bodied cup.These characteristics were essential in fulfilling the taste profile we were looking for.
We sent him a bag of our Peruvian Cocoa first, but I knew the Mexican Honey would be the coffee to sit him down.
The greater idea of Foretold is to provide people with a similar experience as I had on the mountain. A moment of clarity, describable only by 'listening to nature.' This is an experience that all those outdoors have come across from time to time. We hear it on the mountain, but you may hear it on the water, the hills or the job site.
Regardless of where you are, it is that same voice reaching out, asking you to slow down, breathe and listen.
"At first I put honey and cream in the cup and tried it, but I wanted to have the full experience. I threw it out and had another sip of just the coffee and... I just sat down. I started looking out the window at the trees and thought to myself..."
"Maybe I should go to Paris or something."
You can listen to the full episode here, where we talk coffee, hikes, and Foretold Coffee Co.'s origin. All Hikes and Mics listeners will receive 10% off their first bag by entering HIKESMICS10 at checkout.
THIS WAS FORETOLD
Not only is the coffee amazing, but the story behind it makes it even better. The Mexican Honey is sweet, yet bold. Full bodied and smooth. The first coffee I’ve enjoyed black. No assistance needed for this blend.