First I drink the coffee, then I do the things

Karen Estep reviews delicious and soul-warming coffee from the direct trade company, Guadalupe Roastery.

"First I drink the coffee, then I do the things."

This quote is probably one of my all time favorites. It’s right up there with “I need a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus!” When my husband and I first started looking at churches to join, one of his requirements was that they allowed him to drink coffee and not feel guilty about it. … And so, we became Catholic where I have heard the unwritten eighth sacrament is coffee. I’m joking of course; however, coffee and donuts after Mass is a good draw.

When my package of Guadalupe Roastery coffee arrived I squealed with joy. I was going to buy this product on my own but my husband and I are slightly snobbish when it comes to coffee and I did not want to pay for bad coffee. I am so glad I chose to have this delivered to me to tell everyone about this company, their coffee, and give future buyers a coupon code to order some delicious coffee as well.

null

Guadalupe Roastery is a company with a great heart. Brad Fassbender, the founder of the company, went on a mission to Nicaragua and saw the harsh reality that coffee farmers face and wanted to do something to change their lives. Brad says, “Long term, we would like to repair our broken value system in the world that is entirely focused on money and not so much focused on God and people.”

Guadalupe Roastery is a direct trade company that works directly with the coffee farmers. They also provide educational opportunities for the farmers and their families. They have a film about a school they were able to build, and as I teach English to students from all over the world, this touches my heart and warms my soul. This company is not only changing lives with their great coffee, which I will get into next, they are also changing lives for people that grow the coffee that so many of us love!

Now, in all transparency, my first bag of coffee I received was free for me to review. The company sent a bag of their Nicaragua Variety, whole bean. The description of the flavor is orange, chocolate, and fruity and the aroma is dark chocolate and mango. I was sold from the get-go and just ready to try it! Also, my husband and I like our coffee with cream, but for a first review we drank it black. My husband’s response was, “It’s not bitter, not bad black, I like it and would order it again. It also doesn’t hurt my stomach and my acid reflux issues.” This is huge for him because as much as he loves coffee (and trust me my husband is a man who could drink coffee all day, every day) he can have bad acid reflux from drinking it too much.

My response was, “The coffee is very smooth and rich. I can taste the orange notes and this would be a great coffee for Black Magic Cake.” I will add that this coffee is extremely pretty when you pour it into your mug. Also in full transparency, we loved this coffee so much after having it with cream we ordered a sampler pack and trust me, all the flavors we have tried so far are amazing. I wake up most mornings, grab my mug, fill it up and go, “Oh man, this coffee is so good.” My husband and I are officially sold on making this our coffee company of choice.

This coffee is so good that I had to ask my husband to make sure to save some to make a cake with for my mom’s birthday. We make Hershey’s Black Magic Cake for any celebration in my family. My nephew saw my mom baking this cake one day many years ago and clapped his hands in excitement and said, “Oh, Goody, Goody, CAKE!” So, from that day on, we call this cake, Goody-Goody Cake. After fighting my husband off the coffee to make sure I had enough for the cake, I made this cake and it turned out perfectly. The dark chocolate notes in the coffee really brought out the chocolate in the cake. The cake made with this coffee was an all-around hit!

If you are like me and realizing how much our money can make an impact for small direct trade companies please think about purchasing some coffee from Guadalupe Roastery. After reaching out via Instagram they have given me a coupon code to help make your first purchase. To receive 20% off your purchase, use the code “MOMCOFFEE.” Also, please follow them on Instagram. They share delicious looking coffee recipes and more about their wonderful story as well.

null

I am so glad that I took a chance to review this coffee for Catholic Mom. I love supporting small companies that make ethical choices to make this world a better place. This company is basically living out the quote I posted earlier. Brad drank the coffee and now he does the things, with the help of all the Guadalupe Roastery family.