In what has surely become a favorite annual tradition at Sprudge, it’s time to turn our attention to the beloved subcultural practice of specialty coffee, the Holiday Blend. Every year, starting around Thanksgiving, coffee companies across North America (and even around the world) produce special edition coffees with unique branding and blend ingredients. The goal is to support coffee lovers celebrate the holidays with a cup of something delicious, but for many of the companies featured below, there’s something bigger going on. It’s a chance to show off the work of amazing producers, and many of them incorporate charitable donations and fundraising into their holiday activities.
No matter how you celebrate or who you celebrate with, a great pack of Christmas coffee blend is a welcome addition to the table. We love looking at coffee blends each year, and showcasing our long-time roaster partners is part of the fun, as is discovering recent and thrilling blends from roasters around the world.
Merry Christmas and tasty coffee from the entire Sprudge team!
Monogram Coffee “Fruit Cake”
This year, our friends up north at Monogram Coffee of Calgary, Alberta, have created a special edition Fruitcake blend. Before you start talking against fruitcakes, *this* batch of FC is made with washed Ethiopian and oxygen-free Costa Rican coffees, creating a fruity blend with the addition of “balmy spices, caramel, and gorgeous dried fruit pieces.” It sounds absolutely perfect for pairing with a delicious crumble on a holiday dessert.
Amavida Coffee “Holiday Blend”
This year’s Amavida Holiday Coffee Blend comes from batch # “ELF” (lol) and features coffees from Yirgacheffe (Ethiopia) and Marcala (Honduras), has a medium roast profile and notes of “jam, baked fruit and brown sugar” – that’s what it tastes like Elf roasted coffee, or so we heard.
Blue Bottle Coffee “Winter Blend”
Coffee shopping during the holiday season is a whole ~situation~ at Blue Bottle, from gift sets to uncommon mugs to Moleskine collaborations and much, much more. But at the heart of it all is the lovely Winter Blend, a “balmy, affluent blend… featuring predominantly natural Ethiopian coffee that reminds us of where the coffee bean comes from.”
Camber Coffee “Winter Blend Cambrrrrr”
Camber’s 2022 Holiday Blend combines Guji Suke Quto (Ethiopia) and San Pedro Necta Bella Elizabeth (Guatemala) in a coffee with notes of “maple and cocoa bean.” This annual holiday offering is always a highlight for the Camber team.
Assorted Coffee “Wonderland!”
A blend of Mexican, Colombian and Ethiopian coffees packaged in a pretty package – perfect for a Christmas sleigh ride in the park or some Christmas ice skating fun in the city.
Equator Coffee “Holiday Blend”
This year’s Equator blend, comprised of coffees from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zambia, is roasted to showcase sweet, delicate, bold notes—think “raspberry jam, nutmeg, apples, and shortbread.” Subtle herbal notes are introduced with Zambian coffee, courtesy of Kateshi Estate, and all the coffees in the blend are washed. As is tradition at Equator, the holiday blend is chosen through a amiable competition among the company’s coffee roasting team; this year’s blend was created by roaster Alex Spishakoff. It pairs beautifully with the special edition designed by Ayca Kilicoglu Fellow Carter Move mug (they also made graphics on the bags).
Intelligentsia “Celebration Mix”
A delicious blend of washed Ethiopian, Kenyan and Costa Rican coffees, Intelligentsia’s Celebration Blend brings to mind “caramel and stone fruit” – and we can safely guess that’s the influence of coffees from Tarrazu in Costa Rica, where some of the most beautifully delicious coffees in the world are made (in our opinion , modestly). Elsewhere on summer part of the Intelligentsia website Here you will find all kinds of carefully selected packages, suggested choices and imperative equipment to make delicious coffee at home.
Joe Coffee “Rockefeller”
This year’s edition of the annual Joe Coffee magazine, appreciated by the Rockefeller audience in Fresh York, is a mixture of different colors: one producer, many varieties of coffee. It all starts with the work of mother-daughter duo Miriam Florence Aguirre Wyld de Urruela and Florence Aguirre de Fanjul in Antigua, Guatemala, whose batch of washed coffee consists of Bourbon, Catimor and Sarchimorcoffee varieties. The result is jammy, sweet, and perfect for the holiday season (whichever holiday you celebrate). To make things even sweeter, $1 from every bag sold benefits 9 million reasonscharity pantry in Fresh York.
Olympia “Holiday Blend” Coffee
Things are getting a little natural this holiday season at Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, where natural processed coffee from Finca El Aguila in El Salvador is the shining star in a holiday twist with notes of “berries, wine and chocolate.” When you visit the Olympia Coffee online store, be sure to check out their always fun and wonderful products commodity— this year they have marmot socks — and consider adding a bag star mix, has long been considered one of the most delicious decaffeinated specialty coffees in the world.
Black and white coffee “The Holiday Blend”
Uganda, Colombia and Panama are the names of this year’s Black & White blend with notes of “cinnamon, cherry pie, praline and mulled wine.” They describe it as a “large, balmy, liquid hug,” and isn’t that all any of us need?
Portrait Coffee “Kindred”
Two exceptional coffees from Rwanda and Brazil are on board at Atlanta Portrait Coffee, whose annual “Kindred” blend always features excellent visuals. Look for the “cranberry and lemon” notes like a stunning holiday dessert.
Onyx Coffee Lab “Krampus”
Let us never forget this Christmas time is Krampus timeand at Onyx Coffee Lab, the wicked ancient Krampus takes pride of place in this “gloomy roast Kenyan coffee, deeply developed and redolent of sweet tobacco.” It’s the perfect gift for someone on your naughty list or that cousin in Rochester who dabbles in the gloomy arts.
Fritz Coffee “Sweet Day”
Fritz Coffee of Seoul has prepared an absolutely charming holiday release for the season, presented in a festive gift box adorned with the brand’s beloved seal. This blend consists of four distinct coffees, sourced respectively from India, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ethiopia. Delight the coffee lover in your life with this coffee as a gift – it’s sure to stand out this holiday season.
Partners Coffee “Miracle on North 6th Street”
With one of our favorite blend names and some of the most stunning holiday graphics on the bags, we’re really looking forward to this annual Miracle from the Partners Coffee team. This year’s blend is global, with coffees from Rwanda, Honduras, Mexico, and Brazil, all in a stunning gift-ready bag with some really frosty original packaging art.
Stumptown “Evergreen” Coffee
Stumtpown’s popular Evergreen blend comes from two sources, grown by prominent producers: Moisés Herrera and Marysabel Caballero of Finca El Puente in Honduras and the Duromina cooperative in Ethiopia. It’s a stunning mix, and maybe even better as a part Stumptown’s Holiday Trioallowing you to sample the single-origin components that make up Evergreen.
Sweet Bloom “Winter Bloom” Coffee
This is a 100% Guatemalan coffee for this year’s Winter Bloom, with two different coffees: a washed batch of Augusto Castillo from his Miracerros farm (Huehuetenango) and a honey batch from José Hernández’s farm, Santa Isabel (Antigua). Maple syrup notes emerge from the ground coffee, giving way to “sugar plum and rum raisin” flavors in the cup.
Verve “Holiday Blend” Coffee
Candied pecans, chocolate cherry and pear. Indonesia, Costa Rica and Ethiopia. The sum of these parts is Verve’s Holiday Blend 2022, a medium-roast wonder of washed and natural coffee for a “balanced cup of joy.” I’ll have a second cup, thank you.
