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Disclosure: I worked at Starbucks' HQ (what they called their Store Support Center) in Seattle for 8 years running the company's global comms team, once upon a time.
While I was there, the company's amazing coffee team (which conveniently was located on the same floor my team worked on, and which included their tasting room/test kitchen, a phenomenal experience in and of itself) developed a specific coffee that could be served with savory (US Thanksgiving) foods -- something that would pair well with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, etc. in addition to holiday sweets like pumpkin pies.
The coffee experts worked with Seattle restauranteur Tom Douglas (purveyor of some of that city's most iconic eateries: Palace Kitchen, Serious Pie, Lola, Dahlia Bakery among them) to develop and roast the blend -- a mix of coffees from Guatemala's Antigua region and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which combine spice, cocoa and herb notes.
It's a very rare flower of a coffee -- available for only a few weeks in November, then quickly replaced by all the holiday/red cup/Christmas things the store carries until the end of December. Some folks wait all year for those, but not me.
Throughout the near-decade I worked there, Thanksgiving Blend was (and remains) the single best coffee they sell. You can read more about it here. 🦃 🍁
(I hope this doesn't sound like I'm flacking here tyler but you can declare a party foul if I am, ha).
You may not dig the BUX but believe me, this coffee is special.
Nov 12, 2024
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There's just something about their brazen pursuit of saccharine decadence and the ephemeral nature of each concoction. I wrote about last year's Caramel Chocolate Cold Brew, and even though I only had it once, it's sad to know it's gone forever - Carpe DDiem, folks.
Mar 1, 2024
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Getting into coffee can be a commitment. The time I used to spend looking into cool roasters for every bean re-up quickly piled up, and I was ready to cave into a coffee subscription to handle the load for me. At first, I tried the Blue Bottle sub since I knew their cold brew was A+, and that was actually pretty great. I stuck with that for a few months, before hearing about Trade Coffee. Trade intros you with one of those BuzzFeedy quizzes to pinpoint what notes and roasts you’re into, and then sets you up with your subscription, giving you several options for each shipment. After each order, I toss the coffee a 👍or 👎 which might influence the coffees I’m recommended(???) Idk really, I haven’t looked into it much, but I love the variety and find it to be a great way to get delicious coffee from small companies without dumping hours into research.
May 4, 2021
big fan of coffee that tastes and smells??? like blueberry! This particular one has had the most blueberry flavor by far.
Jan 23, 2024
Top Recs from @coreydubrowa
The man responsible for dozens of Teenage Symphonies to God
"Sad songs about happy things" (the first time, as a kid, I can recall the sweet/sour combo of melodies that could make you cry attached to songs about endless, bottomless love)
I've long since lost track of how many weddings and funerals I've attended that have featured this song; suffice it to say, "a lot."
God only knows what we'd been without him 🙏🏻
4d ago
May 22, 2025
Hey tyler hopefully this doesn’t violate some PI.FYI golden rule
But after nearly two years of writing, editing and arguing, my book about the EP is coming out in May and can be preordered here:
https://hozacrecords.com/product/aifl/
The book is about the origins, history and cultural impact of the EP since these little objects first started coming out in the 50s.
Over 50 of my music biz friends then helped me shape the list and review the top 200 ever released, according to us (ha).
For those of you who are into this kind of geekery/snobbery, I can’t wait to hear what you think. A labor of love, as all books are! ❤️
Mar 27, 2024