You may have noticed that the flavor of cold brewed coffee is significantly different than hot brew. This is why... a majority of the compounds in the roasted coffee can only be extracted with hot water. When cold water is used only a few of the compounds are available through the cold brew process. This is why cold brew tends to be less acidic, and a bit more sweet than hot brewed coffee.
At the roastery we make cold brew on the regular and have really mastered the art. The following are step-by-step instructions to make DIY cold brew concentrate. Just so the readers know, there are many other brewing systems on the market like Coffee Sock or Toddy Brewer. What is explained in this blog post is an a way to make cold brew with things you will find around the house.
Grinding your coffee to the appropriate size is an important step of the cold brew process. The size of the grind dictates potency and taste of the cold brew. Too fine and the brew will be silty and be highly extracted. Too have a balanced taste and have less silt you want to grind your coffee at a coarsely. Some coffee grinders can be adjusted to get the appropriate size grind. Below is a photo of what your grind should look like.
Tip: if you don't have a burr coffee grinder, you can grind your coffee at the grocery store or add a note to your hunterbay.com order for a cold brew grind.
Using a digital scale, weigh out 100 grams or about a 1/3 of a 12oz bag of ground coffee and pour it into your mason jar. Fill the rest of the jar with 750 mL of cool water slowly while stirring. Close up the jar and store in a place where the brew will not have significant changes in temperature. Be careful not to overfill your jar. As the coffee blooms the grounds will expand and your cold brew may overflow.
Let set for 12-16 hours. The longer you let it sit the more the coffee grounds will extract into the water. The brew does not need to be placed in the refrigerator. Room temp is just right for a moderate amount of extraction to take place.
To filter out the grounds from your cold brew, you will pour the contents of the full mason jar through the cheese cloth funnel, into another mason jar or chemex pour over (pictured below). Put the lid on the jar and let the cold brew sit in the refrigerator. You will notice sediment in your cold brew but after letting it sit, the sediment will fall to the bottom.
Now, what you have in your mason jar is fairly concentrated cold brew. 8 ounces can be used to make an iced americano. Just add some water and ice! Or just take it straight and hold on tight!
There you have it. Delicious and refreshing cold brew that will surely put some pep into your step on these hot summer days!
]]>Everyday in the U.S. alone, e-commerce packages travel about the same distance as going to the moon and back ...133,000 times. And it’s not just getting your order to your doorstep, our entire supply chain carries a carbon footprint. Scouring the globe for the perfect coffee beans, transforming them into the Hunter Bay coffee you know and love, means literal tons of carbon emissions.
We’re on a Mission: As Hunter Bay continues to grow, we have an increasing responsibility to commit additional resources toward our values in order to maximize the positive impact of our products. At Hunter Bay, we have long held the conviction that we can be both a great business and a great corporate citizen. In fact, we believe we cannot be one without the other.
What Hunter Bay is Doing: Starting today, when you purchase coffee on our online store, you can opt-in to participate in our carbon offset program. If you do decide to opt-in, we will match your donation. This is optional, if you aren't in the position to help out, no worries. If you want to see eco-carts awesome projects check out this link. (https://ecocart.io/impact/)
What does it mean to offset emissions? It means that for any carbon emissions released into our atmosphere as a result of manufacturing and shipping items at Hunter Bay, we invest in projects that reduce carbon emissions by the same amount. It’s almost like we’re giving the planet an IOU, then immediately paying it back.
]]>"We believe in giving back and making a difference. We believe real change starts with everyone's intention each and every day. To encourage everyone that we need to treat others with respect, we have the words "be kind" on the inside of every show."
Life's an adventure, take us with you! Pakems are the lightweight packable boot designed to take with you while you PLAY HARD. The perfect solution to slip on so you can sit back and RELAX HAPPY. (Pakems)
Chris Anthony is a Colorado native, University of Colorado graduate and longtime Vail & Denver resident. Chris has competed at an international level in both the sports of cycling and both alpine racing and big mountain skiing. Chris has filmed 27 years as athlete and on-screen personality with the Warren Miller film team. His feats are displayed in the annual Warren Miller feature film, numerous television programs and documentaries. He has free-lanced for several publications, co-authored a guidebook, commissioned to write a screenplay, and hosted and co-produced several television and film projects.
(https://www.chrisanthony.com)
The Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project is supervised by the Colorado Non-Profit Development Center and has reached over 70,000 students in the past 20 years. Going into the Youth Project’s fifth year as a 501c non-profit organization, a portion of the proceeds from the dark roast blend will support the mission. Visit ChrisAnthony.com to learn more and invest in community.
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We don't take for granted our opportunities to visit coffee farms in far away places. These experiences allow us to to learn more about where our coffee is coming from in a way you really only can by actually going to it's origin of place.
We learn more about the growing climate by feeling the air on our own skin. Is it dry? Is it humid? We learn about the surrounding environment around the coffee plants by seeing with our own eyes what is planted around the farms. Are there banana trees? Or any fruit trees? In turn, we find out more about different flavors/notes that the bean will have once it’s roasted. Origin trips allow coffee roasters to be not only more knowledgable but particular when they are choosing their next bag of beans.
So when our friends in Costa Rica call and tell us the crops are ripe and swells are glassy we make quick work of buying some tickets and jetting down to one of our favorite origins. It’s a tough job cupping coffees from one of the worlds first carbon-neutral co-ops, and riding perfect waves...but some one has to do it.
Rob Young, Owner & Operator of HBCR, Costa Rica, 2018.
HBCR owner & operator cupping coffee at DOTA, Costa Rica, 2018.
In Spring of 2018, owner and operator of HBCR, Rob Young travelled to Santa Maria de Dota in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica in hopes of setting up a direct trade relationship with a buddy of his who owns a coffee farm there. A few days of cupping and learning about coffee from this region, Rob returned to our Lolo, MT roastery stoked on the caramel, brown sugar, and nutty notes produced by these Costa Rican beans once roasted. Coopedota is the first coffee co-op in the world to receive a carbon-neutral certification. It's emphasis on environmental protection while promoting the region's social economy drew us in to work with Costa Rica Coopedota , as well as excited to share with our consumers. Learn more about Carbon-Neutral coffee...
Tarrazu region, Costa Rica, 2018.
Now you can try it for yourself with Costa Rica Tarrazu. This year, Hunter Bay released a direct trade, carbon-neutral, Costa Rican coffee. Costa Rica Tarrazu is a washed and honey processed Single Origin offering and our latest addition to our Single Origin Limited Offering Series.
This mild and inviting light roast can turn almost any dark-roaster into a believer. While low in acidity by light roast standards, this Costa packs a punch of caramelized sweet flavors and explorative complexity. It is smooth, pleasing, and unapologetically addictive, perfect for bottomless cups in the morning or a delicious mid-day treat. Coffee this good is never hard to share and it will almost certainly turn a breakfast with friends into a brunch.
Costa Rica Coopedota farm, 2018.
We are thankful for our origin trips. Most of all, we are grateful for the people who put there hard-work into giving us the coffee beans. The farmers and workers who tirelessly give their efforts so that we can have the best cup of coffee in our hands. We raise our mugs to you.
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We kicked off the month of August at the second annual Traveler's Rest Music Festival at Big Sky Brewing Company serving up cold brew, pour overs of our single origin coffees, and our coffees made in cooperation with Big Sky Brewing Company.
The festival is produced and curated by music group, "The Decembrists", whose fronted by Montana native, Colin Meloy. The five-piece released their debut album in 2002 and quickly earned a worldwide following with their unique mix of modern indie rock, traditional folk, and vivid storytelling. The music festival brings people from all over the country for a weekend of a diverse group of musicians.
HBCR baristas, Jordan Couey and Maya Overman served drinks both nights of the festival. Their favorite part of the event? Sharing their love for coffee with festival goers while getting to enjoy the various bands that performed.
Kaitlyn Bosshardt, Grace Krakow, & Taylor Linrude, baristas from HBCR Missoula. (Pictured above)
HBCR crew from left, Chance Petek, Levi Chagnon, Ben Cherrington, & Dawn Weaver. (Pictured above)
Thank you Knitting Factory and The Decemberists for having us again this year. We had a rockin' time serving drinks and listening to great music!
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This week we're spotlighting our Guatemala Huehuetenango roast. This is our fourth coffee in our SOLO series (Single Origin Limited Offering). This exceptional light-medium coffee comes from the Huehuetenango Province of southwestern Guatemala. It's a staff favorite, with bold flavors of an every-single-morning consistency paired with distinct notes of nuts and dark chocolate.
Coffee has become Guatemala’s #1 export contributing to the country’s growing economic status. Guatemala is the #9 largest coffee growing country in the world! In 2015 alone, they produced 451,424,252 lbs. and exported 399, 944,160 lbs (espressocoffeeguide.com). That’s over 89% being exported! Coffee out of Guatemala accounts for 2.3% of coffee grown worldwide.
Our coffee from Guatemala comes from the Huehuetenango Province of Southwestern Guatemala. Located at the foot of the Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango is the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. Making it one of the best regions in Guatemala for coffee production because it is the highest and driest under cultivation. This region is especially unique because of it’s extreme remoteness and protection from frost. Because of it’s location, the Huehuetenango region requires that nearly all producers process their own coffee.
This coffee is grown in the highland regions of northern Guatemala, producing perhaps the most distinguished Guatemalan coffee as it is often considered the best in the country overall. Grown on mountainsides on “fincas” or farms a 1,200 to 1,700 meters above sea level. Due to the high quality nature of the coffees, many have undergone organic and fair trade certification.
]]>Our second roastery and coffee bar in Old Town Arvada, Colorado recently teamed up with the Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project to create a dark roast blend, and invest in community.
Each bag of coffee beans sold supports experiential education for youth. Yeti’s Grind, a coffee shop located in Eagle, Colorado, was the first to commit to carry the Youth Project Blend and support a much needed and underfunded snow education program in their community, “The Glide Project.”
About The Glide Project
The Glide Project brings appropriate snow science and avalanche education programs to the youth in Eagle County.
“At Yeti’s Grind, we love to collaborate with other small, local businesses and with other members of our Vail community. We are also happy to help support the fundraising efforts while creating more awareness about the Chris Anthony Glide Project through selling a special label dark roast blend created by Hunter Bay at Yeti’s Grind,” said Tara Picklo, founder and partner of Yeti’s Grind.
Watch a short segment aired September 22, 2017 on local TV news here.
About the Coffee:
The Youth Project’s dark roast blend has a smooth and mild aftertaste. The coffee is rich, thick, and naturally sweet with hints of brown sugar, caramel, and spice. This delicious dark roast will be available at Hunter Bay’s coffee bar in Old Town Arvada in addition to Yeti’s Grind in Eagle, Colorado. Hunter Bay is looking to expand the Youth Project Blend’s availability to other retailers in the near future.
“At Hunter Bay, we are all about the outdoors, skiing, kids, giving back to the community and all out enjoying life! Meeting Chris has been an awesome coincidence and I feel like such a lucky person, but it also feels like it was meant to be in some way,” said AJ Payne, Manager and Roaster at Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters.
About Chris Anthony:
"Chris Anthony is a Colorado native, University of Colorado graduate and longtime Vail & Denver resident. Chris has competed at an international level in both the sports of cycling and both alpine racing and big mountain skiing. Chris has filmed 27 years as athlete and on-screen personality with the Warren Miller film team. His feats are displayed in the annual Warren Miller feature film, numerous television programs and documentaries. He has free-lanced for several publications, co-authored a guidebook, commissioned to write a screenplay, and hosted and co-produced several television and film projects." (From Anthony's website)
The Chris Antony Youth Initiative Project is supervised by the Colorado Non-Profit Development Center and has reached over 70,000 students in the past 20 years. Going into the Youth Project’s fifth year as a 501c non-profit organization, a portion of the proceeds from the dark roast blend will support the mission. Visit ChrisAnthony.com to learn more.
“Colorado has always led the way in quality of life, fitness adventure and outdoors. The Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project has taken the unique outdoor assets we have across the state and created a program the will further enhance youth education.”
- John Hickenlooper, Governor of The State of Colorado.
Hunter Bay Coffee—making moves with coffee excellence and community resilience.
Purchase your bag of our Youth Initiative Dark Roast Blend today. Click here.
"We are Hunter Bay" is a special series of staff profiles, to celebrate the passionate, creative people that help crank out exceptional coffee for over two decades.
Name: Kaitlyn Bosshardt
Age: 24
Current position: Senior Barista, Coffee Bar Coordinator, Missoula
Favorite Hunter Bay Coffee: "Expedition Blend!"
What music do you like playing at the Coffee Bar? "I like to plug in my music and jam to My Morning Jacket, Grateful Dead, The Talking Heads, and some Neil Young here and there."
Strange or Amazing Interaction you've had with a Customer over the Years: “I've had so many awesome as well as some interesting interactions with our customers. I've definitely made good friends here over the years. That's what I love about being a barista it's never boring. People like sharing their life stories and I love to listen."
Your coffee conversion moment: "Coffee is a huge thing in my family. Growing up my mom would brew a pot of coffee every morning and night. Coffee is comforting to me and reminds me of wonderful family times."
Daily coffee consumption: "2 cups a day."
Why coffee matters: “Coffee is great. It's so versatile. And the various ways you can brew is so cool. Overall, coffee is essential part of my morning. It's a tradition, passion, and joy for me."
Related Links:
We stopped into one of our friends in Tanzania who manages a high-end Arabica coffee farm, Africa Plantation Kilimanjaro, to cup coffees and discuss the future of specialty coffee in Tanzania. Coffee here is world-class and so are the people who grow the stuff. The operation was extremely impressive and ethically sound: from owner to coffee-picker, we saw smiles the whole way through, along with a deep commitment to growing some of the world’s finest coffee.
]]>This year our Hunter Bay has made a point to focus on coffee origin, seeking transparency between grower, roaster and retailer, and, most importantly:
Relationships.
To us, relationships connect us to people and place and ourselves as a growing business, one that sees ourselves as far more than transactional. Relationships: to relate to one another, to listen to other ways of being and learn about the lived experienced from different cultures. By design, whenever you work with coffee—or simply enjoy quality brew—you're positioning yourself to listen to other life perspectives with the intent to learn, to relate better.
Last month, Hunter Bay traveled 9,000 miles to Tanzania, Africa, for a little business and a lot of pleasure. This country teems with life, with large game and landscapes and beautiful people and communities. Some words that come to mind when describing this country:
unpretentious, unfiltered, confident, complex, colorful, warm, alive.
We stopped into one of our friends in Tanzania who manages a high-end Arabica coffee farm, Africa Plantation Kilimanjaro, to cup coffees and discuss the future of specialty coffee in Tanzania. Coffee here is world-class and so are the people who grow the stuff. This operation was extremely impressive and ethically sound: from owner to coffee-picker, we saw smiles the whole way through, along with a deep commitment to growing some of the world’s finest coffee.
But we’ll stop blabbering and let the following images speak for themselves. Enjoy.
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A month ago, we invested a very small, super high quality batch offering from Costa Rica, Coto Brus. It was the third in our newest Spring 2017 SOLO (Single Origin Limited Offering) Series, and one of our most ambitious yet.
Here's how the process went, in photos, from growing to purchasing, cupping to roasting, packaging to enjoying. Simply put? We're in love with this stuff. So much.
(Photo credit: Royal Imports)
This weekend we set our sails west for the Emerald City—Seattle, Washington—for the biggest convention in coffee, the 2017 Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Expo.
Each year, thousands of growers, producers, exporters, importers, roasters, and retailers converge to discuss the industry, its trends and obstacles and the future of offering exceptional, ethical and ecologically friendly coffee. Consider it the World Fair of Specialty Coffee.
It’s bonkers. And amazing.
Because Missoula, Montanan is but a seven-hour drive, we struck forth, westward, and spent four days downtown at the SCA Convention with a full schedule of meetings and lectures, cuppings and gatherings.
Don’t be fooled; coffee people aren’t necessarily morning people. These people like to party.
In the end, we drove away Sunday with a car-full of questions and ideas. Thoughts revolved around setting up origin trips, about increasing our transparency and ethical growing partnerships/commitments, and about furthering our pledge to be a community leader in Missoula while also tending to global stewardship roles. A major takeaway was this:
Coffee is tectonic.
It moves around the world like tides, currents, weather patterns. It’s an absolutely huge force of nature, and, with so many stakeholders and families and ecosystems involved, we are responsible for acting with the utmost integrity in what we do and how we do it. We received a huge dose of this reality and wish to thread every aspect of the work and products we provide with such awareness.
We hope you taste this intention in every single cup of coffee we offer.
On Tuesday, two boxes arrived to our roastery with grasshoppers on them.
They made us really, really excited.
Why? Because what was inside these boxes wasn't some insectarium but instead sat some of the world's finest Costa Rican washed single-origin coffee on the market, part of Royal Import's Crown Jewel offerings.
]]>On Tuesday, two boxes arrived to our roastery with grasshoppers on them.
They made us really, really excited.
Why? Because what was inside these boxes wasn't some insectarium but instead sat some of the world's finest Costa Rican washed single-origin coffee on the market, part of Royal Import's Crown Jewel offerings.
Basically, Crown Jewel Coffees are akin to first-class passengers. These coffees are special beans. Exceptionally graded, fully washed, and ready for you.
Unlike most of our coffee shipments, these elite offerings arrive in small, 22-pound boxes. Special, right?
Even cooler is this: This month, Royal is committing to donating a percentage of their Crown Jewel profits to protecting civil liberties in the United States, something Hunter Bay both encourages and supports.
So we are. We're stoked, and so will you be, once you get your paws on a bag of this single-origin Costa Rican.
Below you'll find photos of our Crown Jewel process so far: boxes in, sorting and roasting at various levels of perfection, cupping way more coffee than our adrenal glands can handle but doing it for the greater good (read: you). Stay tuned, as this coffee will be only available for a very limited time -- online and in Missoula stores only.
The aroma. The flavor. Is that a note of blueberry muffin I taste? Strawberries and Cream? Cocoa? On Monday, our Hunter Bay team roasted and cupped some of the world’s finest coffees from Ethiopia, and a few others. The goal? To find the optimal roast level for some new single origin micro-lots we’ll be featuring Spring 2017. Same coffee, seven different roast levels, seven staff members, all with trained palates. The winner?
Stay tuned. Because when these coffee hits the shelves, you’ll want them in your life. Some photos from our cupping.
1. What makes Tanzania's coffee culture distinct?
Where I was, in the Kilimanjaro region, they have a good local demand for coffee. That always makes for an interesting coffee culture at origin – especially in Africa. I feel like that is something you don’t really find in Uganda, Rwanda, or Burundi as much. Maybe in Kenya. The market there in Moshi and Arusha is evolving even into specialty consumption. A good local market for coffee makes it much easier for the growers to understand coffee consumption and quality.
2. Why did you choose to go there? What drives your commitment to exceptional coffee?
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity! I feel fortunate to surround myself with people that work in the growing of coffee. I have been on the roasting side of the chain for my entire career, so working with a farm has made me a more rounded person. Being there also changed my perspective on life a bit, too. The level of need in Africa is so great, and yet I was staying in a wealthy place comparatively.
3. Any moments of awe or surprise as you learned about the coffee business there?
The last five months have been a total revelation. The industry is totally moving toward new supply chain models – like the 30 kilo green coffee boxes, origin roasters, and direct trade sourcing. New markets are emerging at origin, and now farmers are interested in roasting the coffee they grow more than ever.
4 . Walk us through an average morning living in Tanzania.
Ha! Okay, every morning I had breakfast, got ready, and walked out my front door to see Mt. Kilimanjaro! That thing is huge; photos really can’t do it justice. I want to try and climb that sucker someday if I get the chance. To get so work I drove an old Toyota for 15 miles of gravel road from the farm to the office. At the office, I was giving tours of the farms, cupping the quality of the coffees, developing new plans for the changing markets, or helping with presentations and events. It was pretty cool to be there.
5. Are you going back?
I want to go back for sure. Last I knew, I was going back in the end of January, but sometimes plans change. We really want to set up some new projects there and I’m really looking forward to doing some real roasting at origin. Plus, the amount of agro-knowledge you can get while there is limitless.
6. What's the future of African coffee? How does Tanzanian compare with, say, Ethiopian?
Tanzania’s production and quality are good and getting better. Every place is different and comes with unique challenges. We are seeing more single origin Tanzania offerings at cafes – but it would be nice if there were more. I am hoping that as we see more of a shift toward single origin consumption, we will see people seeking out more of a variety. So instead of always seeing a Ethiopian, Costa Rica, and Sumatra offered, we will see more of countries like Tanzania, Congo, Sulawesi…
7. Any crazy/funny/challenging cultural events?
I was totally unprepared for Africa in a good way. It was a surprise to get to go there and work, and more of a surprise to feel so welcomed while I was there. African Plantations Kilimanjaro has some awesome people working for them and it was a privilege to be there. Craziest things? I saw a semi-truck carrying our coffee almost tip over! We had overloaded a semi-truck with 12 tons of coffee en route to the mill from the farm. At the mill the driver goes to turn the truck around, and while doing so, drives through a big dip in the gravel road. The big semi-truck had one wheel almost 3 feet off the ground and was about to tip over right in front of us. Everyone at the mill was yelling and all of us were praying that truck didn’t tip over. It slammed back down and was stuck. We left for the mill that day at 10am and we were there until 8pm! I got a sweet lesson of the milling equipment and facility while we were waiting that day though so that made it worth it.
"We are Hunter Bay" is a special series of staff profiles, to celebrate our 25th year anniversary and share the passionate, creative people that have helped crank out exceptional coffee for over two decades. This is our fifth installment (#01 - Scotley Pedersen; #2 - Halsey Kordonowy; #3 - Kailtyn Mortensen; #4 - Andrew Goodrich).
Age: 41
Current position: Owner
Favorite Hunter Bay Coffee: "Montanaro Espresso. It's rich, medium roast hits that sweet spot of flavor and punchy strength."
What music you can't stop listening to: "Peter Tosh, JJ Cale, Waylon Jennings."
First thing you do after work: “Give my family a hug, make a cocktail, cook dinner."
Your coffee conversion moment: "I was turned onto coffee at a young age but it was that crappy powdered stuff that my aunt would give me. I didn't grow to love real coffee until I visited a plantation in Tanzania. Since then I've been to farms in Central America and Hawaii. Visiting these lands and seeing the people who grow and process the beans is an eye-opening experience. Very grounding. Coffee culture took off and I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity. I'm a very, very grateful person."
Daily coffee consumption: " A lot. Dr. Oz would tell me I'm exceeding the recommended intake to be healthy."
Why coffee matters: “Wow, this gets to the core of why I'm here. Coffee does so many things for us. It wakes us up. It brings us together. It brings us closer to each other. And we need that now in this world, more than ever. Conversation is created around coffee. At its most elemental -- it makes people happy."
Related Links:
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May 31, 2016 -- This weekend, Hunter Bay took to the streets. We dished out free iced coffee and samples of our new Nitro coffee on tap at Missoula's Farmer's Market. We also posted up at Good Food Store to give out samples of Bernice's Blend.
Here were some of the things we heard about the Nitro:
"Wow, that is interesting. And different. And amazing!"Overall, the stoke was high; people were totally into it. It's different, this Nitro. I personally gravitate to Nitro taps, mainly due to the smooth experience. The creamy head.
It wasn't easy getting the recipe and keg properly calibrated. The roasters took several tries and used different coffees to find the right roast at the right pressure. Some came out too strong; others, a bit weak. One time, a batch tasting like it had been aged in bourbon barrels. Intense. Eventually, we found the middle way strength and we're all super happy about it. We think you'll be, too.
Interested in learning more about Nitro Coffee?