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Turmoil in Ethiopia
An Ethiopian Army general who was accused of fomenting a coup in the northern city of Bahir Dar was shot and killed by a bodyguard earlier this week. The General, Asamnew Tsige, is being held responsible for the shooting deaths of the Army Chief of Staff, the highest ranking military official in...
July 4th Royal Coffee Office and Domestic Warehouse Closures
Please be advised that Royal Coffee will be closing Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th in celebration of Independence Day. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office at 510.652.4256 or email us at info@royalcoffee.com. For warehouse inquiries, please check out the...
Upcoming Classes & Events in July
It's summertime. Between trips to the beach and sunny afternoons, be sure to swing by The Crown for some cool classes and hot events. As always, you can find a full list of our calendar on The Crown's Events page. Closed for Independence Day! July 4 - July 6 Not exactly an event, but it could be...
Kenya Red Cherry Project: So Much More than Ripe Fruit
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated with more information on the Red Cherry Project and to reflect current offerings from the producers. The essence of the Red Cherry Project, in each country that Royal Coffee initiates it, is to encourage...
A Guide to Carbonic Maceration and Anaerobic Fermentation in Coffee
Editor's Note: This article first ran in Daily Coffee News on Monday, June 3. It is reprinted here with permission. Fermentation in food and drink production predates recorded history. It has served as an integral factor in the creation of new flavors ever since some first bold soul tried a few...
Meet Haile Andualem, Our Man in Addis Ababa
Since the mid-1980’s, Royal Coffee has had a special relationship with the country of Ethiopia and the incredible coffees it produces. Starting with Mohammed Ogsadey and later, his nephew Rashid Abdullahi, continuing through the establishment of the Cooperative Unions and the installment of the...
Upcoming Classes & Events in June
It's already halfway through May! We've switched our hours at the Crown to Tuesday-Saturday, but there's plenty more of the same when it comes to great coffee and events. Here are a few things we're really excited about for the month of June: Water Composition & Coffee: Theory & Tasting...
Farmer Empowerment & World Coffee Research
What do you imagine the work of World Coffee Research looks like? Equator Coffees and The Crown played co-host to a pair of recent events where Greg Meenahan, WCR’s Partnership Director, presented data on sustainability and the progress made with the organization’s help. WCR is just a few years...
Upcoming Classes & Events in May
It's hard to believe it's been two months since we opened our doors at The Crown's permanent location in Oakland. If you haven't swung through yet for a cappuccino, house-made soda, Public Tasting (Thursdays at 1pm) or one of our many events yet, please do! In fact, here are a few things we're...
Just Do Something: How Roasters Can Make a Meaningful Impact at Origin
This article was originally published on September 18th, 2015. Update by Max Nicholas-Fulmer: In the nearly four years since this article was originally published, the C market enjoyed a modest recovery followed by what is now one of the longest protracted periods of depressed prices in decades....
Coffee Auctions Part 3: Reflections & Path Forward
Editor's Note: This article is part of a series originally published in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. It is reprinted here with permission. You may download the pdf here, graciously provided by T&CTJ. Reflections on the Purpose and the Path Forward for Coffee Auctions In part one of this...
The Colors of Development – How Catracha Coffee is Impacting Santa Elena Through Art
Editor's Note: This article was first published in mymarketable.blogspot.com. The article is being republished here with the permission of Liliana Sánchez, founder of MarketAble Trade & Development. Liliana lives in Honduras and helps connect coffee producers with roasters. She is a personal...
The Coffee Buyers’ Cupping Table at The Crown
The Coffee Buyers' Cupping Table at The Crown As part of our path to making the coffee supply chain more transparent, we are hosting purchasing-focused cuppings at The Crown most Tuesdays at 11 a.m. At these cupping events, you can expect type samples from potential suppliers of green coffee,...
Marooned – History’s Forgotten Coffee Islands
Editor's Note: This article first appeared in Coffee T&I Magazine and the original may be downloaded here. It is reprinted here with permission. Marooned History's Forgotten Coffee Islands By Chris Kornman Islands are frequently associated with isolation, and for good reason. Many develop...
Coffee Auctions Part 2: The Modern Coffee Auction
Editor's Note: This article is part of a series originally published in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. It is reprinted here with permission. Part 1 is available on the Royal blog here, and you can visit Part 2 at the feature on their website, or download the pdf here, courtesy T&CTJ. How...