Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'It's Like a Top-Shelf Whiskey': Bay Area Buzzing Over $15 Coffee
NBC Bay Area ^ | Feb 10, 2016 | Terry McSweeney

Posted on 02/11/2016 11:32:48 AM PST by nickcarraway

It took eight years to produce the first crop of Finca Sophia, grown in the mountains of Panama.

A San Francisco Bay Area coffee shop is charging $15 for a cup of joe — and apparently people can't get enough of it.

The not-your-average cup is called Finca Sophia and can be found at Equator Coffee, which has locations in San Francisco and Mill Valley.

The beans are from the Gesha variety, grown way up in the mountains of Panama. It took eight years to produce the first crop, which was not much and prompted a spike in price.

Equator Coffee educator Akaash Saini said various fertilizers are used to grow the coffee beans.

"Doing different things when it comes to farming and harvesting techniques," Saini said. "Whatever we can do to get the best cup of coffee."

Saini said when it comes to Finca Sophia, you get what you pay for.

"It's almost like a top-shelf whiskey, or a $40 bottle of wine compared to an $8 bottle of wine," Saini said.

The Equator Coffee location in San Francisco's Market Street has already sold out of Finca Sophia.

"Amazing, very amazing," San Francisco-resident Myron Tate said of experiencing the premium dark brew.

Steve Jordan drove to Mill Valley from San Francisco just to get his cup of Finca Sophia.

"It's amazing, I really like it," Jordan said. "It's more like a tea mix than a true coffee."

Not everyone, however, shared their opinions.

"I don't really like it," said Mill Valley resident Heidi Connelly, adding that the coffee was bitter.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food; Local News
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last
To: nickcarraway

Sorry, but this stuff is nowhere near the same plane of existence as top shelf whisky.


21 posted on 02/11/2016 11:49:39 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

My wife brought back seven bags of varying Gisha coffee from a recent trip to Panama. They are quite good and have natural flavors you don’t taste from standard coffee. A pound goes for $16-$40.

It is not the normal coffee bean, so that adds to the taste difference.

I still prefer light-roasted Guatemalan coffee from the Huehuetenago area best, though.


22 posted on 02/11/2016 11:50:20 AM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I am a coffee fiend. It is the last remaining vice and I drink at least 6 cups a day. The consistently best coffee I have found is the Colombian Supremo at Costco. 3 pounds for a tad more than a cup of this swill.


23 posted on 02/11/2016 11:50:54 AM PST by atomic_dog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
'It's Like a Top-Shelf Whiskey': Bay Area Buzzing Over $15 Coffee

There's a certain Bay Area type that loves to overpay for things rendered rare by artificial shortages. This coffee, Pliny the Younger IPA. I'm hoping it all finally pays off when it's time to sell my house and find somewhere cheaper to live.
24 posted on 02/11/2016 11:53:31 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PIF

“Coors=water”

you misspelled ‘horse piss’ there. :-)


25 posted on 02/11/2016 11:56:41 AM PST by rhoda_penmark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

” ‘It’s Like a Top-Shelf Whiskey’: Bay Area Buzzing Over $15 Coffee”

For $15/cup it had better have some ‘Top-Shelf Whiskey’ IN IT.


26 posted on 02/11/2016 11:56:58 AM PST by PLMerite (The Revolution...will not be kind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rdl6989

I’d give it a try. It’s not a mortgage payment. But I used to roast my own beans!!


27 posted on 02/11/2016 12:01:40 PM PST by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Ah, but did you roast your own beans?


28 posted on 02/11/2016 12:03:03 PM PST by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Bet they would pay twice as much for elephant poop coffee.


29 posted on 02/11/2016 12:05:42 PM PST by I want the USA back (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. Orwell.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Equator Coffee educator Akaash Saini said various fertilizers are used to grow the coffee beans.


There’s something they aren’t tell us here...


30 posted on 02/11/2016 12:06:45 PM PST by Idaho_Cowboy (Ride for the Brand. Joshua 24:15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

ping me when it’s available in a k-cup ;)


31 posted on 02/11/2016 12:07:33 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K
Yeah, right. "Producers" are caging civets, and feeding them whatever the stage of ripeness cherries, instead of civets being able to choose the ripest cherries off plants.

Heck, I looked it up on Amazon, and they're shilling robusta beans as Kopi Luwak. No thanks.

32 posted on 02/11/2016 12:07:56 PM PST by Calvin Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: PLMerite
For $15/cup it had better have some ‘Top-Shelf Whiskey’ IN IT.

Best post of the day.

33 posted on 02/11/2016 12:08:10 PM PST by rdl6989
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Next time I’m in the Bay Area, I’ve got to check this out. This must be good coffee indeed if they are charging $15 a cup for it.


34 posted on 02/11/2016 12:08:16 PM PST by SamAdams76 (Delegates So Far: Trump (17); Cruz (11); Rubio (10)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mamzelle

We did not — for the coffee.

However, we did roast our own fresh cocoa beans from the pods, which, strangely, customs said was fine, as long as they came from Panama.

My wife has roasted coffee in her prior days, though.


35 posted on 02/11/2016 12:10:34 PM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticide, abortion, and euthanasia.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

I’m partial to Kona coffee, but at present, I’m going through a bag of Ka’u coffee, which is also from Hawaii.


36 posted on 02/11/2016 12:12:26 PM PST by Fiji Hill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TruthWillWin

I gave up coffee when I was pregnant, but after I gave birth, I drank so much coffee my children had latte for the next six months.


37 posted on 02/11/2016 12:17:35 PM PST by sportutegrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: rhoda_penmark

Opps sorry my spellchecker gets confused :)


38 posted on 02/11/2016 12:17:49 PM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

Went through a stage Everything Coffee—ordered beans from all over, and I think my favorites worked out to be Nicaraguan and Guatemalan and Jamaican. Kona was too mild and expensive—went through two home roasters. Coffee is messy and greasy and smoky to roast!


39 posted on 02/11/2016 12:18:27 PM PST by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Cyman
Nature's way of telling you you have too much money.
40 posted on 02/11/2016 12:23:52 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson