Brewed Fresh Daily

Did you know Chris Thompson's parents, Al and Caroline, "retired" to a coffee plantation? Yes, THAT Chris Thompson, the editor of Cleveland Tech info hub CrainTech. Clicking on the title of this post takes you to their homepage, where it says:

Located four miles from La Antigua, Guatemala is a small aldea named San Lorenzo El Cubo. We are told El Cubo means "The eye of the water", and that's why the town was established here. Finca Los Nietos was started in this small village in 1991. Our visitors agree with us that Finca Los Nietos is a paradise. Growing at an elevation of more than 5000 feet, a few thousand Arabica coffee trees flourish in the volcanic soil, facing south on the brow of a valley which overlooks the volcano "Agua" Finca Los Nietos Coffee is shade grown and bird friendly.

Now, I've never been there, but a coffee plantation is my idea of paradise. The closest I've gotten is trying some of their coffee. The roasted stuff is pretty darn good, but us aficionados want it fresh roasted. When Chris was on vacation their last time, he twisted his Dad's arm, and was able to bring back some green beans for me to roast. I roasted them just a little bit darker the Al does. Then brewed up one of the smoothest cups of coffee I've ever had. Coffee from Central and South America isn't bold like African or funky like Indonesian, its crisp and refreshing. Why do you think Brazil is still the largest coffee producer in the world? They grow coffee that everyone enjoys. BUT if you want a really excellent cup, order some from CT the next time you see him at one of these tech networking events.