I don't know if you've noticed, but decaf is having a moment. It's like an old actor who's been around forever, always dependable but never spectacular, who finally breaks through and wins an Oscar (one day Sandler, one day).
I get it; the decaf you're thinking of has been sitting in your cupboard for over a year and has more chemicals in it than the Hudson River. I used to be one of these decaf poo-pooers. Scoffing, from my high espresso horse, of the mere suggestion of coffee without sweet, sweet caffeine. And I used to be one of these guys that could just crank caffeine all day, even right before bed, and sleep like a Cherub on a doughy cloud. But then one day, something funny happened. And by something funny, I mean I thought I was having some kind of catastrophic cardiac event.
For three or four days, I was experiencing chest pressure and increased heart rates. I was sure my time had come. I went to the doctor. He ran some tests. Took some readings. And then started asking me some questions. One would change the course of my coffee life forever.
"Will, how many coffees do you drink?"
I hadn't really thought of it all that much. I drank coffee; it was my thing. And I could do it all day long. I was pretty much like Michael Phelps on a cheat day, if you replaced the two pizzas, dozen eggs, 20 pancakes, four foot-longs, and the spaghetti dinner - with a gallon of primo espresso. The thing was, I guess I hadn't really considered the added toll that the recently installed espresso machine that sat directly on my desk at work would have, on my daily consumption...
"Oh I don't know, like 8 to 12?"
"Cups of coffee!?" exclaimed my doctor in horror.
"Oh no no, triple espressos, much less liquid than regular coffees, I can assure you".
Needless to say, the doctor seemed to think that drinking upwards of 12 triple espressos a day might have had something to do with the chest pains. And he was right. After cutting down to a couple cups a day, and exploring the wonderful world of specialty decafs, all was right in my cardiac world (except now I gotta drink coffee ALLLLLL day long to test our roasts, the sacrifices I make for good coffee!).
When we opened The Artery, we knew we needed a killer decaf to pair with our exceptional other single producer varieties. And of course our friends and trusted partners at Semilla Coffee came through with the goods, a decaf blend from the Cafe Colis Resistencia farmers. While this Swiss Water Process blend is the first decaf from these amazing and brave farmers, it's a really delicious one, with amazing impressions of chocolate and warm raisins. It's pretty much like fresh, chocolaty trail mix out on a hike, in a cup! It's really delicious. But even more important than its taste, is the mission this decaf supports.
When you buy our Resistencia Decaf, not only are you drinking ridiculously good decaf, you are also helping to support Indigenous Xinca farmers who are defending their lands and lives from Pan American Silver, a Canadian headquartered mining corporation with no regard for their rights (as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – UNDRIP). This corporation is waging a violent and oppressive strategy that goes unchecked by both the Guatemalan government, and our own. Check out our website for more info on the movement and the farmers we work with, or visit our friends at Semilla for even more in depth coverage on this ongoing tragedy.
We can't wait to continue supporting and sourcing this decaf, and helping to play a small part in showcasing the difficulties and atrocities that the Indigenous Xinca farmers and peoples face, and how you can help support them.
- Will