Every year at Monogram we celebrate Lunar New Year with café decorations and handing out red pockets with surprise prizes. It's always a really fun week for us and our community! Our Lunar New Year celebration was originally spearheaded by co-founder Jeremy, and this year we wanted to share what Lunar New Year means to him and his family. Read on to hear from Jeremy, and see the details for this year's celebration at the end!
One of the things I love most about Monogram is the wonderful ability coffee has to bring people together. Being able to celebrate Lunar New Year, a special time culturally for myself and my family is a great example of this. I’d love to share why.
Celebrating Lunar New Year is all about ushering in a new year based on the Lunar calendar, which holds a lot of meaning in many East Asian cultures! While I am not totally familiar with the accurate history, what Lunar New Year has become for my family is a time of continuing traditions, getting together with friends and family, and starting the year with hope and aspiration.
My Chinese heritage is an important part of my family’s identity, but what I love about sharing about my culture is the ability to learn about others at the same time.
The giving and receiving of lucky red envelopes or pockets has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. These red pockets usually contain a denomination of money, but the amount isn’t important. The giving of these signifies the wishing of good luck and is usually given by the more established members of society (aka ‘older folks’, or those married or with families) to children or younger adults. I think back to my parents impressing on us that receiving these envelopes without humbly trying to decline (as a form of deep appreciation for the gift) was looked down upon, so I remember running away from aunties and uncles and their gifts. Ultimately, it was to show respect for the gift and to signify that we were grateful for them. Now, I am the one needing to give these out - how the tables have turned! Red envelopes can also be given during any special occasion. I was so excited to be able to involve my Monogram community in the giving and receiving of red envelopes and I wish you all nothing but good luck in the year ahead!
Lunar New Year also means we EAT! Not like we need any more excuses to get together and share a meal though, right? For our family, we get together at our favourite Chinese restaurant and spend a good 3 hours going through a multi-coursed meal and spending quality time together. There is symbolism in the food as well. Delicate fish for good health, chewy noodles for long life (don’t cut them!), and steamed stuffed buns to signify more good luck, amongst many others!
What I love about sharing this with my coffee community is it continues to help us learn new things and build a greater relationship with each other. It’s very meaningful for me to be able to have all of you share a part of this with me and my family. I love the general sentiment around this year - the idea of overflowing positivity and wishing nothing but the best for everyone. That’s my wish for you all this year. Happy Lunar New Year!
- Jeremy
Join us in celebrating! From Feb. 3 - 11, we'll be giving out red pockets for purchases over $75 online and $60 in store! Each red pocket contains a surprise prize that can be redeemed on your next purchase*. Prizes include free mugs, coffee, gift cards, and more!
*see website for full terms + conditions. Prize cards expire on March 31, 2024.It’s new. It’s rewarding. It’s exciting. It’s a Monogram Coffee subscription.
We’ve launch our all new Monogram Coffee subscription and are SO proud to share it with our subscribers and our community. When we set out to create a new subscription, we didn’t do it alone. Before deciding what should be included in the subscription, we set out to hear from our current subscribers about how we could make our coffee subscription better for them.
We sent out a survey to find out what our subscribers wanted and everyone came back with some fantastic ideas. These ideas turned into the base for our new subscription and we’re so excited about what we can now offer you.
When you sign up for a Monogram Coffee subscription, you’re signing up for the only Canadian coffee subscription that rewards you for every sip!
Choose a warmth subscription if you like coffees that have a familiar, classic flavour profile. These coffees are very approachable and low in acidity. They feature familiar flavours of chocolate, caramel and nuts like almond or walnut. These are your easy-drinking coffees, perfect for your daily morning brew (and maybe afternoon, too).
Our wonder subscription includes more exciting and adventurous coffees. These coffees tend to be higher in acidity with fruity flavours. These coffees can include those processed with more adventurous methods such as anaerobic fermentation.
This subscription is perfect for those who want a mix of both - the fruity and the familiar. Each subscription, our roaster’s will choose their favourite coffees that we currently have in our rotation. You may discover a new favourite that you wouldn’t have tried!
On top of the points system, there are a host of other benefits that come with your subscription. If you'll be away, or just have a big stockpile of coffee already, you can gift your subscription to a friend for a month.
Every month, you'll be sent our Telegram newsletter which features all kinds of fun info. Get coffee picks right from our Director of Coffee and Education, Jill Hoff, recipes, brewing tips and more! This is also how we'll inform you of the early access that you get to new products, so make sure you're signed up! If you haven't signed up for our Telegram newsletter, make sure to edit your email marketing preferences in your subscription account so that you never miss out.
At random points throughout the year, we'll throw in some free goodies for you. They'll be small, but will include cute pieces of merch like a Monogram sticker or pin perfect for putting on your water bottle or the lapel of a jean jacket.
Your subscription will always be shipped to you free of charge. No more fretting about extra costs, just pure coffee bliss delivered straight to your doorstep!
Welcome! We'll be updating this page with updates on Ben's time competing at the World Barista Championship in Athens, Greece, June 21st-24th. Freshest updates will always be at the top.
Thanks for following along! #goBengo2023
We are beyond proud of Ben. Although he didn’t make it through to the finals, we’re so proud of the impactful and deeply meaningful set that he and Jill put together. It’s truly an honour to have someone as humble, caring and generous as Ben represent both Monogram and Canada on the world stage. We hope if you had the privilege of seeing Ben’s set, that you were impacted by it. If you teared up a little like we did, we don’t blame you.
Ben’s set this year took the judges through a retrospective of the last 10+ years of his career in the coffee industry and the impactful contributions that he’s made during that time. Using coffees from Lamastus Family Estates, Ben consistently brought out the best in each of his coffees using techniques that he has honed over the last 10+ years. From his use of syringes and a water bath in his espresso course to his freeze distilled milk technique, Ben’s contributions have touched many in the coffee industry and have shifted it so that it will never be the same.
A big thank you to Jill (our 2021 Canadian Champion!) for her endless support over the course of the entire competition (and many many weeks and long days leading up to it). She’s been there in Athens to support Ben and cheer him on every step of the way. These two are an amazing team, and we’re so proud of them!
BEN MADE IT TO SEMI-FINALS! The World Coffee Championships have been posting live scores in some of the categories of the Barista Competitions, so we were pretty sure that Ben would be advancing to the semi-finals, but we're still super proud that it's confirmed and that Ben is advancing!
Semi-finals begin tomorrow in Athens, and Ben competes at 3:40am MST! So, set that alarm if you'd like to watch his set and cheer Ben on from afar! The live stream links will be available here once the semi-finals start! Just click watch!
Today is the day that Ben finally competes in the preliminary round of the 2023 World Barista Championship. If you'd like to watch Ben's set, you can stream it via this link!
Ben sits down with Jill, his coach, biggest fan and biggest critic, to comment on his 2022 World Barista Championship Set. Looking back, Ben and Jill explain a lot of the decisions that they made with Ben's 2022 WBC set and share a lot of hot tips for anyone who's new to competing or looking to refine their set! It's a fun and informative watch for competitors and coffee enthusiasts alike!
If you’ve been following Ben’s barista career, you know that camo often makes an appearance in his everyday life, as well as his competition attire. So, to support Ben for his last World Barista Championship appearance, we made a t-shirt that’s a subtle homage to his favourite print. Featuring bold block letters on the back and a small piece of camo on the front this shirt is probably our favourite yet! Show your support for Ben by grabbing your own T-shirt here.
You asked, Ben answered! We managed to snag Ben and Jill during their World Barista Championship preparation for a quick Ask Me Anything. Jill asks Ben some competition-related questions, and some other hot topics that you had on your minds! We hope you enjoy this fun little interview and get to know Ben a little better! You can watch the YouTube video here.
We finally have timing for Ben's first round of the competition! Ben will be competing on June 21st at 7:28am MST (that's 4:28pm in Athens, Greece). We'll share the live link to watch when it's available!
Ben has been practicing here at our roastery with his coach, Jill, close at hand. Ben has about a week of practice left in Calgary before he and Jill leave for Athens to continue preparing there!
During a competition, each barista is required to complete three courses. Each course consists of four beverages over the course of fifteen minutes. Baristas have to prepare four espressos for the first course, four of their milk beverage for the second course and four of their signature beverage for the third course. The courses don't have to be presented in this order, but all courses must be served.
World Coffee Events Certified Judges from around the world evaluate each performance on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation. The ever-popular signature beverage allows baristas to stretch their imagination and the judges’ palates to incorporate a wealth of coffee knowledge into an expression of their individual tastes and experiences.
The top 15 highest-scoring competitors from the first round, plus wild-card winner from the Team Competition, advance to a semifinal round. The top 6 competitors in the semifinal round advance to the finals round, from which one winner is named World Barista Champion!
For the World Barista Championship, the competition focuses on promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging a worldwide audience with an annual championship event that serves as the culmination of local and regional events around the globe.
]]>Research & writing done by Chloë Sizer.
When we think about what constitutes a delicious cup of coffee, there are a few variables that vastly change our taste experience. Coffee origin, grind size and different types of equipment all have an impact on the final cup, but nothing is more important than the water we brew with.
The coffee we drink is predominantly water. For filter coffee, water constitutes about 98.5% of the cup and for espresso around 90%, therefore we should not underestimate the importance of water’s role in the extraction process. For simplicity's sake, the quality and usability of water for coffee is determined by three things: general hardness, carbonate hardness and undesirable compounds.
The composition of water is made up of a myriad of elements, the most important for coffee extraction being magnesium, calcium and bicarbonate. Each individual component affects what, and how many, compounds are extracted from coffee which heavily influence the overall flavour and cup quality. General hardness is essentially the amount of magnesium and calcium present in the water, and both can have a dramatic effect on water quality and composition.
When we look at the hardness of water, we are considering the balance of minerals required for optimum taste experience. Generally speaking, softer water will extract coffee differently than harder water, resulting in a delicate brew with prominent, yet potentially unpleasant, acidity. Harder water with lots of bicarbonate will make for a duller coffee with a muted, muddy flavour profile.
Where general hardness overshadows the effects of calcium and magnesium in water, carbonate hardness looks at the relationship the minerals have with bicarbonates.
They are used as ‘buffers’ to soften the acidity in coffee, but it is important to have the right balance. Too much bicarbonate and you run the risk of nullifying the pleasant acidity naturally present in coffee resulting in a chalky, lacklustre brew. Too little can cause your coffee to taste unpleasantly sour or vinegary - depending on the coffee!
The water we choose must also be clean, odourless and free of undesirable compounds which are present in unfiltered water. Where some minerals are necessary for coffee extraction, not all are going to make your coffee taste pleasant. Tap water can be the biggest offender in this category as it often contains elements that can compromise the quality of your brew.
Have you ever drank water from the tap and experienced that metallic taste? This is usually due to minerals that are either naturally present in bedrock or the result of corroding metal pipes. This is not to put all tap water in the same box. Water quality is much dependent on the source yet filtered water is still considered best for quality, taste and even equipment maintenance.
All this to say, there isn’t a specific standardised recipe for coffee water. The SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) provides an optimal scale range of 50-175 ppm (parts per million) general hardness with a respective 40-70 ppm carbonate hardness. Many professional and home baristas are now ‘building water’ from scratch to experiment and push the boundaries of coffee brewing as we know it.
My Experiment
You could argue that preference plays a big part in choosing the water that suits your coffee best and this is what makes water chemistry so exciting. I decided to conduct an experiment of my own to see if I could taste the difference different types of water have on brewed coffee and to see if there was any variation in people's preferences.
To do this, I initiated a blind cupping with three different types of water and measured the total minerality content with a TDS (total dissolved solids) metre. This is a super handy tool if you are ever curious about the water you want to brew as it can give a good indication of its general properties and quality.
The first water I chose was our cafe water which had a reading of 96ppm sitting comfortably in the middle of the recommended SCA range. The second was unfiltered Calgary tap water which had a reading of 187ppm outside of the range and is a typical example of ‘hard’ water. My third and final water of choice was the bottled, filtered water. I chose the brand Aquafina as I wanted to use a water that was on the softer end of the scale, coming in with a reading of 2.5ppm.
For the cupping, I wanted to compare two very different types of coffee to see if the different types of water would affect the taste, quality and preference depending on its variety and processing. The first coffee I chose is one of our exceptional releases, a red honey gesha from Monteverde located in Colombia. This coffee is well respected across the board for its pleasant acidity and balance of delicate flavours. I compared this coffee with a selection from our warmer coffees, the Ramiro Martinez, a washed Guatemalan known for its more traditional, smooth, easy-drinking profile.
The cupping itself was controlled by using the same temperature water (200℉) boiled the same time with each cup containing the exact same coffee weight, grind and water volume. Each coffee brewed for a total time of 4 minutes and was tasted both hot and cold to see if this had any affect on the flavour profile. I used the scale of low to high to determine each brew's acidity, bitterness and sweetness and asked a team of six volunteers (including myself) to evaluate.
Below is a condensed version of my findings:
For both the Monteverde and Ramiro coffees, I preferred the cafe water for overall balance of flavour.
Monteverde
The water from the cafe helped to highlight the exceptional acidity this coffee had to offer. It was bright and juicy and the more balanced of the three. The tap water had nothing to offer this coffee at all which is probably due to its hardness and high bicarbonate nullifying the acids needed to bring the coffee to life. This isn’t to say it tasted overwhelmingly unbalanced, but it was flat and uninspiring compared to the cafe and bottled water which both highlighted the coffee’s unique qualities. It is interesting to note the popularity of Aquafina. Personally, I found this brew to be pleasant, but it was highly acidic verging on the point of sourness which is probably due to the lack of buffer and its overall softness.
Ramiro Martinez
The overall consensus was that the cafe water created a better balanced brew suited to this type of coffee. The roasting profile for the Ramiro differs greatly from that of the Monteverde and as such, a bright acidity is not to be expected. Yet it is interesting to see the Aquafina highlight this quite intensely. The fact that two people chose this as their favourite shows how important a role personal preference can make when choosing a water to brew with.
Overall this cupping helped to highlight how different types of water affect coffee extraction, not just by numbers and readings but also taste and preference. The type of water we use is just as important as the coffee we choose. Think of it as akin to choosing flour to bake a cake: the higher the quality and balance of ingredients, the tastier the outcome. Yet water is not a one size fits all concept. Like choosing coffee beans, personal preference is most certainly at play when it comes to choosing your water profile.
If you want to experiment with water, it isn’t as inaccessible as you might first think. Building water from scratch is precise but still doable, but you would need a lot of different components like distilled water, minerals, and a scale precise enough to measure tiny quantities. Though it is a little bit of an investment, there is more room to trial different recipes to see which suits your coffee best. To make it more accessible, you can also purchase pre-packaged minerals such as Third Wave Water that you simply mix with distilled water. Though there’s less room for experimentation, it is an easy, quick way to have readily available water for brewing.
Remember, good things come with time and practice - the same goes for brewing coffee…with the addition of a lot of tasting!
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Allison's "about me" section of her website was so perfect, we just had to share it;
"I love seeing what's going on behind the scenes, whether it's for a movie, a live concert, or just somebody's normal everyday life. I used to buy DVDs of my favourite movies and TV shows so I could listen to the director's commentary and watch all of the featured b-roll footage. These days, it's my absolute favourite thing to photograph.
Some fun facts about me:
1) I use exclamation points very liberally. 2) Photography is on my mind about 99% of the time. 3) On my 25th birthday I attempted to eat 25 tacos ... I only made it to 16. 4) In my youth I competed in piano competitions and golf tournaments. 5) Nothing makes me feel more satisfied than a hearty, delicious bowl of soup noodles."
What made you decide to pursue photography?
When I was fifteen, my family went on vacation to San Francisco. I happened to snap a photo of my siblings across the street and something about the composition and the houses in the background made photography click for me - it made me go from just haphazardly snapping photos to taking it seriously. My dad bought me a camera for Christmas a couple years later with more manual settings and I taught myself how to be a better photographer through the internet.
Who or what have been your biggest inspirations so far to date through your creative journey?
Brittany Staddon (@brittanyesther) is the best photographer I know and a really kind person. When I was starting to get serious about photography she was kind enough to meet up with me for a coffee and a chat after I cold-contacted her through her website. Her work has inspired me ever since I first came across it.
Do you have any favourite locations you use for a photo shoot?
I'm drawn to spaces with interesting light - it could be a sliver of direct sunlight on a blank wall and I would be obsessed.
What is your favourite kind of photo shoot to do?
My favourite kind of shoot is when I get to just observe someone live a day in their life. It's always such an honour to be allowed to see somebody be vulnerable and to capture them exactly as they are.
Do you have any local favourite artists that you love? Who are they, and why?
Heather Buchanan is awesome - her work is super fun and I love how it's not that serious. I also think that Jae Sterling has been doing some really cool stuff in the city!
What is your all time favourite musical artist?
Wow this is a tough one .... I'm going to have to go with Mitski!
I know that you've done a bunch of work with photographing musicians - what was your favourite gig to work and why?
Back in 2017 my sister and I bought passes for Primavera Sound in Barcelona. Mitski was performing at the festival, so I thought I'd shoot my shot and send her a tweet asking if she needed a photographer. She responded within two minutes.
This is my favourite gig because it feels like such a peak in my career. It just felt so surreal to be face to face with my favourite musician, knowing that she liked my work enough to have me there!
How has COVID affected your art? Have you done anything creative during this time that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
It really allowed me to slow down, since at the beginning there weren't any events or concerts to shoot. I got into walking around my neighbourhood and taking pictures of anything that caught my eye.
If you could pick just ONE food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sushi, hands down! I crave sushi pretty much every single day of my life.
What is your coffee order?
Cappuccino with oat milk!
Do you make coffee at home? IF so, how?
Ben Put got me a pour over kit back in 2016 and it changed my life! I love drinking a black coffee in the morning with some sort of chocolate. The other day I had it with a DQ ice cream sandwich, and let me tell you that is absolute bliss.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up? If so, can you tell us about them?
I think I do my best work when I'm on vacation and I have the freedom to shoot whatever I want however I want, so I'm excited to go to Paris at the end of April.
Where can we find you?
Hopefully now that it's warmer, you'll find me at a skatepark trying to get better at skateboarding!
Summer or Winter?
Summer
Sweet or savoury?
Savoury
Music or podcast?
Music
Hot coffee or cold coffee?
Hot coffee
Chips or popcorn?
Chips
Digital or Analog?
Digital
Beach or mountains?
Mountains
You can find Allison's work at allisonseto.com or @allisonseto on Instagram.
]]>Learn more about The Community Kitchen:
Learn more about Action Dignity and the B.L.A.C.K. Project:
Learn more about Razom Ukraine and ways to help
We would like to thank all of our customers for showing your support and dedication to us and to these causes. We truly couldn't provide the donations we do without your help. <3
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Julia Buker
You can catch Julia slingin' coffee, humming to herself and dancing her way through cafe shifts. Julia has many artistic talents, and one of her huge passions is swing dance!
Julia didn't grow up dancing, and thought she had two left feet until she discovered dance in 2016. What was once something fun to do in her spare time turned into an unquenchable passion for everything swing dance and jazz.
She performs with the Calgary based vernacular jazz chorus girl group 'The Sugar Sweets', is a part of a swing dance troop, teaches lessons through Fly Right Swing, and has been to many workshops and exchanges nationally and internationally honing her dancing skills.
Julia dances Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues, and has a particular love of Balboa. She also loves teaching dance, and has been an instructor in London ON, Calgary AB, and a guest instructor in Kitchener/Waterloo ON.
She has really felt the impacts of the pandemic, and not being able to social dance was a huge struggle. She is grateful for dance starting back up again, and can be seen teaching and social dancing every Friday night at Fly Right Swing. She is currently working on co-choreographing a dance routine for DJD's Black and White Ball coming up in June.
Do you dance? If so, what style? What kind of music makes you want to get up and dance? We'd love to hear about your dance experience! Let us know in the comments below!
]]>At Monogram, you, our community is everything. We are thankful for each and every one of you that have stepped into our stores, ordered online, or have just felt a connection with our team. Because of the appreciation for this relationship, it is important to communicate any changes that would impact you all, like our upcoming price change.
We are sensitive to the fact that any price change has real impacts on all of you and do not take these decisions lightly. This is why, as a local small business and despite costs steadily increasing every single year, we have not changed our prices since 2016.
We want to provide some transparency to these changes.
We have always valued the community that a more inclusive experience helps to build. As costs have skyrocketed over the last 6 years, we feel that it is time for some small changes, in order to keep allowing Monogram to inspire wonder and warmth through coffee.
Our costs have increased everywhere, but mainly in the following three areas: costs of goods (like milk or packaging materials), costs of transportation, and coffee prices. Cost of goods are a bit easier to understand as we've all seen prices increase each year in almost everything at the grocery store. For example, in a cappuccino, costs have risen for the compostable cup, lid, milk, coffee and sugar - everything that makes a cappuccino a cappuccino. These costs also seem to be disproportionately high for us, due to our commitment to sourcing our products from local, high quality small producers like D Dutchmen Dairy, or Butterblock & Co pastries - something that we will never stray from.
Transportation costs have risen disproportionately as well. These are the costs associated with shipping our coffee from their countries of origin to our roastery in Calgary. Because we source more directly from our producing partners, we organize all shipping logistics and are more directly exposed to cost increases in real time. In fact, due to the pandemic and disruption in global supply chains, we have seen an over 200% increase in our shipping costs just the last two years alone. This has a pretty big impact on our overall coffee costs.
Finally, our raw coffee costs. Committing to Stewardship as one of our core values means an unwavering commitment to sustainable sourcing from our direct producer partner relationships, even when costs climb, or harvest production volumes become uncertain due to climate change. Just to give context, the C-Market commodity traded price of coffee has jumped almost 200% in just the last year alone. Although we operate well above the commodity market, and pay producers far above commodity prices, this price increase has rippling impacts in the specialty market. Sticking to our sustainable sourcing model means never sourcing a lower quality raw coffee product for better pricing, and committing to always paying our producers a profitable price, especially as their production costs rise.
At Monogram we have always prioritized using coffee to serve our community over turning a profit. Despite our costs, we have and will always give back to our community. Just this last (pandemic) year alone, we have donated over $60,000 to both local and producing country community organizations and initiatives. We are happiest seeing our community and relationships grow and thrive.
We hope that this gives some transparency into these changes. We are strongly committed to our 5 core values of Community, Serving Others, Quality, Stewardship and Wonder. We will never waiver from sourcing the best quality product and coffee, and use it to serve our community, bring people together and spark someone's imagination. We are so thankful and grateful for each of your support and look forward to serving you all.
]]>Here is a summary of all of the wonderful groups we have supported this past year!
This month, from the recommendation of co-founders Justin Eyford and Ben Put, we have decided to continue donating to hurricane relief funds. Last month we donated to hurricane relief efforts in Honduras and this month, we will be donating to our Guatemala through partner, Onyx Coffee.
Onyx Coffee
Onyx Coffee has been working closely with the community of Agua Dulce (you may remember our coffee from this community, earlier this year). They are working to provide immediate needs of shelter, blankets, food, etc.
You can find more details on their GoFundMe page, along with their donation allocation spreadsheet. If you’re interested in donating, you can check out the GoFundMe page or donate to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala.
As many of you may know, February is Black History Month
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, "In 1978, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) was established" and there was "a petition to the City of Toronto to have February formally proclaimed as Black History Month. In 1979, the first-ever Canadian proclamation was issued by Toronto." However, it wasn't until 1995/6 that the House of Commons nationally declared February as Black History Month in Canada thanks to a big help from Jean Augustine who "was the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons (1993) and the first Black woman to be appointed to Cabinet (2002). "
Despite the misconception that Canada is not racist, The Canadian Human Rights Commission eloquently states "The roots of anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in Canada run deep. They are historically embedded in our society, in our culture, in our laws and in our attitudes. They are built into our institutions and perpetuate the social and economic disparities that exist in everything from education, to healthcare, to housing and employment." Canada always has been a racist country built off the backs of people of colour and it is our responsibility as settlers of this land to unlearn our westernized history and work towards a anti-racist country for everyone.
To continue on our anti-racism journey as a company, a small gesture of allyship can be done with our first-of-the-month drink sales donation. There are an abundance of black-led organizations and individuals that do incredible work in their community and this month, we voted to donate to The Colour Factor!
The Colour Factor is a Calgary based non-profit whose vision is to decolonize wellness for an inclusive and restored society. "The Colour Factor is a non-profit organization aimed at decolonizing wellness and creating brave spaces of healing for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) community, through conversation, collaboration and creativity." - The Colour Factor.com
The founders for The Colour Factor are mainly mental health professionals, who noticed there is a gap in service. "The people we serve and the people that lead us do not looks like us." With this realization, they made it their responsibility to fill this gap, and face discrimination in representation head on.
They work to reimagine and reclaim ancestral practices, and create brave spaces for the BIPoC community though conversation, collaboration and creativity. The lead and facilitate culturally sensitive healing practices by people actually of that ethic group. These spaces and events are made accessible by doing a pay-what-you-can model and by having most of it available online.
We are so happy to be supporting such an important group, and thankful for the things we've learned from them already. We are currently working together to create a Coffee Acknowledgement (inspired by Land Acknowledgements) to launch in March and a Brave Space for coffee professionals in (potentially) April.
March 8 is International Women's Day!
When we talk about women in coffee, we must view it from two perspectives: women in our western context and women in the context of producing countries.
According to a report in 2018 by International Coffee Organization, "Between 20% and 30% of coffee farms are female-operated and up to 70% of labour in coffee production is provided by women" ... "However, [...] women have systematically lower access to resources such as land, credit and information, than men." On top of that, we see that although women are very present in the fieldwork, harvesting and sorting of coffee, we see only a few women in decision making roles such as trading and exporting. Despite the multitude of barriers that women in producing countries face, we are so proud to be able to purchase and roast some excellent coffees from women from around the world!
As for women in coffee in a North American context, we actually don't have lots of quantitative data about women's experience in the coffee industry, we have a p l e t h o r a of documentation in its emergent stage. History is in the making with our very own Jill Hoff being the first ever woman to represent Canada for the next World Barista Championship!
Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA) is a local non-profit organization that provides supports immigrant and refugee women, girls and their families. They run more than 50 programs that help individuals and families with their settlement needs, provides employment training, and support with family matters, and much more.
CIWA provides services that are targeted towards newcomers in Calgary and the programs are mindful of each person's unique experience before arriving in Canada such as education level, work experience and refugee status. What makes CIWA unique is their gender-based approach to settlement services, all their clients have access to childcare and first language support and they have programs specifically for seniors and younger girls.
There are many systemic barriers to prosperity for immigrants, but women immigrants statistically face even more adversity which is why gender-specific approaches are so crucial to the wellness of our immigrant populations.
For example, "23% of all foreign-born females lived in a low-income situation, compared with just 16% of their Canadian-born counterparts. For recent immigrants, this number jumps even higher, to 35%" (Women's Economic Council, 2011)
Since its humble beginnings in 1982, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) has responded to emerging needs of immigrant women, developed innovative programs and has come to be recognised as a provincial and national leader in outcome-based gender-specific settlement services. Our passion is developing customized, holistic, gender-specific interventions in all areas of family and community needs from literacy and language supports, youth and seniors programs, counselling, health, employment and support services such as childcare and interpretation and emergency housing for all women that access our programs.
CIWA offers programs and services that use a holistic approach to support clients in the areas of settlement and integration, literacy and language training, employment support and bridging programs, family violence, parenting, individual counselling, in-home support, civic engagement, health, housing, and community development. All clients have access to childcare and first language support during group sessions and individual appointments.
In 2016, the number of forcibly displaced people was the highest in recorded history, many of them women and children. Canada is one of the most desired destinations of choice for immigrants around the world. In the last several years, Calgary has experienced unprecedented growth in the number of immigrant families coming to our city.
We plan to build human and social capital for successful settlement of immigrant women by responding to current and emerging social, political, economic and cultural trends that impact our clients and their families. Immigration is a two-way street. Its success depends on the effort of newcomers to learn, connect, integrate and model citizenship. For host communities and neighborhoods, creating a welcoming and supportive space for immigrants, result in the benefits and assets of immigration being realised. We will be focusing on supporting appreciation of diversity, acceptability and inclusion of newcomers as a collective effort and responsibility of all of us living in Calgary.
"Immigration Matters"
(Taken from 2019/2020 CIWA annual report)
+ Immigrants make up 70.4% of the labour force in Calgary;
+ CIWA transitioned more than 700 clients to employment in the past year.
+ Over 144K private incorporated businesses in Calgary are owned by immigrants
+ CIWA’s Easy Reading Business Development Tool helps immigrant women become entrepreneurs in 4 industries: beauty and body, childcare, cleaning and food. #socialinnovation
+ Immigrants account for 1 out of every 4 health-care sector workers
more than 500 clients served this past year come from this professional background
+ Over 400K foreign born residents call Calgary home
last year, CIWA served more than 17K clients through individual & group services at the main office as well as at 81 locations across the city of Calgary
+ One-third of all immigrants in Canada volunteer and two-thirds are members of social organizations
+ Of the total number of 971 volunteers at CIWA, 95% are immigrants that bring years of skills and experience from their home countries
To continue celebrating women this month, it was suggested by our beloved Geraldine to donate to Calgary Immigrant Women's Association! She said:
“As an immigrant myself, I was once a new comer. Challenges that newcomers are facing everyday are difficult and exhausting. Different language, finding a place to stay, a job, a new community and a new environment. It is sometimes even more challenging as a woman. We are all aware of discrimination to women in the workplace. This is even more accurate when you are a woman and immigrant. This center helps women newcomers to step up and build a sustainable, and hopefully successful life. This association also supports women refugees and their family to find a place to stay and start a new life after a traumatic experience. As Monogram always supported newcomers and immigrants by hiring them, I think it would be a way to share our core values.”
In a nutshell, what does your organization do?
What programs are you most proud of having created and why?
CIWA recognizes that immigrant and refugee women come to Canada with a wide variety of individual backgrounds and experiences, but the strength and resilience that these women possess in order to be able to start over from nothing in a new country is incredible.
One of the most common struggles that our clients face as immigrant women are having their voices and opinions recognized by Canadian society. For most of these women, English is a second language (or in many cases a third or a fourth language) and possessing an accent or struggling to express themselves clearly often leads to their opinions being overlooked. Any native English speaker who has studied French in a Canadian school can relate to the experience of struggling to express oneself in a second language, and that it is in no way indicative of your ability to think, reason, or achieve.
If there was one thing we wish more people understood about our clients is that their diverse experiences, thought, perceptions and opinions bring richness and strength to Canadian society, and building towards a more inclusive and diverse future will only benefit our communities.
We encourage all Calgarians to empathetically put themselves in our clients' shoes and be open to learning more from and listening to the stories of immigrant and refugee women in their communities. We can always do more to engage in conversations with people that are different from us and continue to grow as a country and as individuals.
1. In a nutshell, what does your organization do?
The Inclusive Literature Initiative is an organization that is doing our part to create diversity and inclusion in one of the places that it matters most, youth academics. We believe that having access to diverse classroom literature is a key step towards introducing children to the vast world around us, starting conversations around the concepts of racism and anti-racism, and providing amazing role models to students not traditionally represented in literature. Therefore, our organization raises money to purchase books written by authors or featuring characters from the BIPOC community that are then donated into K-6 classroom libraries across Calgary. We also try to reflect intersectionality, and feature books around gender identity, disability and mental health.
2. What programs are you most proud of having created and why?
Though I cannot speak to the rest of the team, the day we passed 500 books purchased was a big moment of achievement. We started this charity back in July and our goal was 500 books by the new year, and in the end we surpassed 600. The 500 mark was when I truly felt like ILI was real and that even if we packed it in that day, we would have changed the attitude or expanded the knowledge of at least one child, which was the whole goal when we started. The reviews from the classrooms also always warm my heart.
3. What is something you hope more people will know and understand about the importance of representation in media and literature?
That answer is two-fold. First, I don’t know if it is well known how poor representation is in our current publishing system. At the publishing employee level, surveys have found that 77-89% of respondents are White, 86-91% are straight, and 88-96% do not consider themselves disabled. As for the characters in the books in 2018, 50% of children’s books published had mainly white characters and 27% featured mainly animals, leaving 23% of books to tell the stories of every other background. Secondly, studies have shown that race becomes a factor in our lives as early as 3 months old. Children as young as two use race to reason about people’s behaviors and there is a peak of racial prejudice displayed around 4 or 5. By kindergarten, children show many of the same racial attitudes that adults in their culture hold. However, explicit conversations about race and interracial friendship, studied in children 5 to 7 years old, can dramatically improve their racial attitudes in as little as a single week. As much as we would like to change the socialization around race that occurs within homes, we can start by changing the socialization that occurs at school.
Adding diverse and inclusive literature to elementary classrooms is ILI’s way of helping make that happen.
Mission & Vision statement
Our mission is to bring representation into the literature in elementary classroom libraries across Calgary, to act as both a window into other cultures, and a door to further conversations around culture, identity and race. We hope to be the first step in adding diversity into youth education, with the hopes that it leads to inclusion and equity in the rest of the curriculum. We want literature to be a familiar place and a interesting exploration for every student.
Biodiversal is a small company, founded in 2018, that manages regenerative agriculture projects.
" They provide producers with the infrastructure to produce their own compost, which improves there coffee quality, gives them another revenue stream as they can sell whatever compost they don’t use, and helps maintain the soil health in the region. I think that this program checks a lot of the things that monogram cares about! I actually think that part of the secret of the quality of la Palma y el Tucan is that every tree receives 10lbs of organic compost a year" - Ben Put
From Biodiversal:
How did this organization start? What need did you see in the community that prompted the beginning of this organization?
Our story begins with our coffee farm, La Palma & El Tucán. After 5 years of producing specialty coffees under the conventional model of high-yield monocultures (a model based on chemical applications and highly dependent upon external inputs), in 2017 we decided to transition into an organic polyculture model supported by the production of our own biofertilizers and biological controls. Our need was clear: to protect the crops and supply them with all the necessary nutrients to obtain fruits (coffee cherries) of excellent quality. For this reason we decided to make the shift to an agroecological production model where coffee would grow in association with other crops, improving our soils, and guaranteeing a clean agriculture in harmony with nature. Our permanent challenge had been, precisely, soil health, due to the fact that most of our lots are located on hillsides. With continuous applications of chemical fertilizers, what we were actually encouraging was nutrient leaching and erosion, leading to low fertility levels in the crop. So, to increase the percentage of organic matter in our soils, we planted more than 120 shade trees per hectare (of 24 different species), and designed and produced our own organic fertilizers, along with implementing other agroecological practices year-round. The results of the change have been very satisfactory. In addition to increasing the resilience of La Palma & El Tucan to climate change with the number and variety of new species we incorporated, we have managed to improve soil texture and porosity, cationic exchange capacity and soil moisture retention. This has contributed to improving the crop and has also enriched our soils and the ecosystem in general. Not only have plants become more resilient to drought stress, but nutrients are now easily assimilated by crops. Over time, fertilizations with our own products have become more efficient and have improved productivity per tree by more than 50% in just three years. The best part is that this new model of coffee farming soon became an example for our neighboring coffee growers, with whom we now dream of transforming more and more farms.
Do you have a mission and vision statement?
Our mission is to elevate coffee culture into a more resilient and regenerative production system.
I saw that you have 3 lines of transformation. Can you explain the differences?
New agroecological productive projects (or lines of transformation) are encouraged alongside coffee production at farm level: vermicompost production; smart horticulture; crop association; and pasture-based agriculture projects can be integrated to coffee production in order to increase economic, social and environmental resilience of coffee farms and families.
The transformation journey relies on 4 main activities:
What is something you are most proud of that your organization has done so far?
Biodiversal is just a 3 year old company. During this time we have prioritized the development of the biofertilizers value chain. We have built a certified organic fertilizers production plant and developed three new products under the brand Biogrowth.
2020 was a very important year because we launched the vermicompost production project connecting the first 32 families to this supply chain. They currently are receiving access to investment in digital and physical infrastructure, inputs, technical assistance alongside a contract farming scheme with Biodiversal, to produce high quality humus using organic waste from their coffee farms.
As a background to our first-of-the-month drink sales donations, all 100% of drink sales on May 1(not just the profits) will be donated to your organization. In the past, the donations have ranged from $1200-$2000+. How do you anticipate the money being spent or allocated?
During 2021 Biodiversal will enrich their input to produce Wormix and SolidBlend, two of the products under Biogrowth's portfolio. This way, coffee growing families are developing new capacities that will lead them to start diversifying their source of income while increasing 20% their annual net income.
We would love to allocate the resources provided by Monogram Coffee specifically towards achieving this goal, by supporting these families through educational resources and technical assistance that will help them produce high-quality vermicompost needed in the production of Biogrowth’s products.
What is something you want to achieve in the future?
We envision to have enabled the productive transformation of 50,000 coffee-growing families and their insertion into new agro-ecological value chains by 2030.As a measure of success, we have defined 10 coffee resilience goals per farm/family:
In Turtle Island (a.k.a. Canada), we celebrate National Indigenous History Month in June and on June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day!
Historica Canada states that "Indigenous peoples have lived in what is now Canada since time immemorial" and it wasn't until 2009 that June was declared National Indigenous History Month, following the passing of a unanimous motion at the House of Commons (MCos, 2019. There have been many steps taken towards reconciliation in this country for all the atrocities done towards our Indigenous communities but "popular narratives of Canadian history have most frequently been told from the perspective of European settlers. As a result, Indigenous experiences have often been neglected or excluded from the telling of our country’s history ... It is also necessary to examine the legacy and consequences of colonialism and the repressive policies to which Indigenous peoples have been subjected" (Historica Canada).
Indigenous peoples in Canada have faced extreme hate and discrimination since being colonized and as settlers of this land (settlers meaning that we are not Indigenous), it is our responsibility to understand the true history of Canada and to work towards truth and reconciliation together, as a community. "The actual process of reconciliation would only be possible through meaningful action on the part of non-Indigenous people in Canada" says Yellowhead Institute in their 2019 status update.
Something we can do to work towards truth and reconciliation on a person level is to (re)learn Canada's history from an Indigenous perspective! There's a very good (and free) course being offered on Coursera by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Native Studies that "explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada."
One notable step towards reconciliation is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) which was launched in 2008 and after hearing the stories of 6,750 survivor and witness statements from across the country after over a century of abuse an Indian Residential Schools, they published the 94 Calls to Action in 2015. The chair of TRC said "The 94 calls to action represent the first step toward redressing the legacy of Indian Residential Schools and advancing the process of reconciliation." However, since 2019, Canada has only completed 9 Calls to Action and [Aboriginal Peoples Television Network](https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/canada-has-made-dreadful-progress-in-fulfilling-trcs-calls-to-action/#:~:text=A new analysis reveals “dreadful,at Toronto's Ryerson University Tuesday.) described this as "dreadful progress".
Due to colonization, their rich and deep culture full of many languages and complex social systems have sadly been suppressed. However, there is still a fight to re-learn their own cultures, languages and systems such as Turtle Island Teachings from The Alex Community Food Centre and the offering of Indigenous Programs at Inn from the Cold.. So for this month's first-of-the-month drink sales donation, we have 3 organizations you can vote for that are led by and empowers our Indigenous community.
The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth has been an influential not-for profit organization in Calgary since 2001. USAY strives to provide essential programming and services to Calgary’s Indigenous youth between the ages of twelve and twenty-nine.
Mission: The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) will enrich the lives of all urban Indigenous youth by nurturing self-empowerment and fostering healthy collaboration and communication to ensure healthy future generations. Vision: The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) will be recognized as a fundamental organization in society, empowering urban Indigenous youth to envision and attain a healthy sustainable future while upholding traditional Indigenous values.
You can see their list of programs here.
Notable things they've done:
1. In a nutshell, what does your organization do?
The Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) supports urban Indigenous youth ages 12 to 29 years old living in the City of Calgary. USAY focuses on providing opportunity to Indigenous young people to navigate their own journey’s toward success.
Our organization has a philosophy of art meets technology meets tradition, and this is epitomized in our projects that range from virtual reality games, escape rooms, board games, and all the way to basic needs.
The goal is provide empowerment and leadership roles for Indigenous youth that provide them with the skills they need to be the best version of themselves.
2. What programs are you most proud of having created and why?
USAY is proud of all our programming, but we are particularly proud of our suite of virtual and augmented reality programs, which allows community to engage in traditional Indigenous stories through an engaging technology. Over the past three years, USAY has created three engaging virtual reality games that focuses on Blackfoot language learning, reducing homelessness and providing a spiritual tour of sacred lands.
Our augmented reality projects allow USAY to bring written words in the oral Indigenous language tradition through our New Tribe Magazine, murals and other static projects. To check out USAY’s AR and VR projects, you can go to our website: usay.ca.
3. What is something you hope more people will know and understand about the work you do?
USAY is a super diverse and vibrant organization that works with amazing Indigenous young people that have strong ideas, voices and abilities. USAY does not view Indigenous people as ‘have nots’ or buy into the negative narrative that Indigenous youth do not contribute to the community, but in fact the opposite, that Indigenous youth having amazing skills that build up our community. USAY wants people to know that given opportunities to explore their interests, Indigenous youth have amazing abilities to enhance and expand their communities.
What is Indian Residential School Survivors Society?
Formally founded in March 2002 after the Indian Residential School Survivors Society took part as a working committee as part of the BC First Nations Summit and has grown until today to provide "essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families, and those dealing with Intergenerational traumas."
Some of the services they provide include counselling, health support, cultural support and cultural services request. Their counselling includes grief and loss, crisis, trauma, family and group counselling and much more in various forms such as utilizing art therapy and circles. Their health support services supports former Indigenous Residential School students through legal proceedings such as the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and "those participating in Truth and Reconciliation Commission events and Commemoration activities.
They even have a cultural support team that provide "guidance at ceremonies, and workshops" such as smudging, language, traditional medicines and therapies and healing and sharing circles and so much more.
They state that "One of our Society’s goals is to continually expand our support to partner organizations and maximize access to culturally sensitive, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual care."
For about twenty-five years, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society has been quietly operating and doing the necessary work for the cultural, spiritual and physical well-being of not just former student of residential school, but to the multitude of those adversely impacted intergenerationally. We have been transitioning slowly and growing the services we offer and have several new and existing programs, such as:
Why we are supporting this organization?
This year alone, Canada has found more than 1000 unmarked graves of children at various residential schools across the country. This is a time of intense mourning for the families who have finally have closure for their sons and daughters who never returned home. However, because the graves are unmarked, closure still may not be granted to all families who are still looking for their loved ones. "The commission estimated that about 4,100 children went missing nationwide from the schools. But an Indigenous former judge who led the commission, Murray Sinclair, said in an email this month that he now believed the number was “well beyond 10,000.”
Angela White, executive director of IRSSS said, "acknowledging the history and the reality of residential schools validates what survivors have been sharing for years and is an important part of the healing process."
We hope that through our support as a community on July 1, proclaimed as Canada Day, we are able to support those who need the services provided by Indian Residential School Survivors Society. We see and acknowledge the damage the country and we, as settlers, who have benefitted from the systems that precede us, have contributed to the erasure of Indigenous culture, language, and spirituality.
Our support for Indigenous organizations is not sparked by and does not end at each new uncovered atrocity. We continually stand by all Indigenous and other organizations focused the truth and reconciliation our country so desperately needs.
A message on why we are not celebrating Canada Day:
This year, we continue not to celebrate Canada Day. We cannot be proud of our complicacy to the genocide of the Indigenous people. For stealing their children and placing them in schools to never return home only to have it happen today under the form of foster care. Based on the 2016 Canadian Census, although less than 10% of children aged 0-4 in Canada are Indigenous, they still represent more than half of children in foster care.
We do not celebrate Canada day for the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. For the lands and treaties we encroach to build pipelines to sustain our lives today. For the lands we take away in order to build ring roads to make our lives easier. For not even being able to provide clean drinking water to every Canadian despite multiple promises by government leaders.
This year, we grieve with the Indigenous community whose sisters, brothers, sons and daughters were forcibly removed from their families and who never came home. For those who did come home but were stripped of their childhood alongside their culture and language.
As Sol Mamakwa, Member of Provincial Parliament, eloquently states:
"This year, Canada Day should be nothing more than a reflection. Not a day of picnics and parties. I will not celebrate a birth of a nation that destroyed our children. Instead, I will continue to mourn for our lost children and dig deep to find the strength to help build a path toward a better future. For all of us, this is a good time to reflect on the dark roots of Canada, and commit to doing better now and in the future."
We at Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) strive to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual growth, development, and healing through culturally-based values and guiding principles for Survivors, Families, and Communities.
To assist First Nation Peoples in British Columbia to recognize and be holistically empowered from the primary and generational effect of the Residential Schools by supporting research, education, awareness, partnerships, and advocating for justice and healing. The Society assists Survivors with counselling, court support, information, referrals, workshops, and more.
"These resources are life-changing for our young boys and girls, allowing them to have their first personal computer and the connectivity required to continue with their educational program at their homes."
Calgary Outlink is a community-based, not-for-profit charity dedicated to providing support, education, outreach, and referrals for the LGBTQ2IA+ and allied community in Calgary, Alberta.
“Mission: Calgary Outlink is a hub that promotes support and community connectedness for all gender and sexually diverse people.
Vision: Calgary Outlink envisions a welcoming gender and sexually diverse community that fosters unity and resilience among its members.”
Calgary Outlink exists to connect community with community. They provide peer support, community groups, and education for 2SLGBTQ+ people and their allies. They often serve as a first point of contact for people looking for resources, information, and connection around gender and sexual diversity.
Their peer support groups are the heart of our work at Outlink. These are open, supportive, and often just fun spaces. These groups are continuously adapting and evolving to meet the needs of the communities accessing them and include groups that are specific to particular ages or identities as well as groups that are an open invitation to just see a friendly face.
They also offer workshops and consultation with other organizations and businesses who want to better support gender and sexually diverse people.
For more information on Calgary Outlink, look at their Wesbite, Instagram, and LinkTree accounts.
Calgary Pride was formed in 1987 by Project Pride Calgary (PPC). What started out as small and humble beginnings, grew to be a week-long celebration that included local bars and venues. In 1990, Vancouver hosted the International Gay Games, and the Calgary Pride that year doubled as a fundraiser to help get Calgarians to the games. At this time, it was still seen as a risk to attend the event, and stories arose of people scared that if they attended they would be fired, evicted, or denied services. This concern increased for school teachers, government employees, and social workers. The Calgary Lesbian and Gay Political Action Guild (CLAGPAG) encouraged people to wear Lone Ranger Masks as a symbol of the discrimination faced against the community, as well as a safeguard for people who were concerned about being identified.
Pride week was protested by numerous groups in Calgary, and was denounced by the mayor after pressure from the public. Pride week lived on because of the hard work of the queer community, declaring the week in 1992 and taking out ads in public newspapers without mayoral or civic endorsement.
In 2009, the pride parade and week was changed from June to the September long weekend in order to attract more tourists, which proved successful. They also transitioned from a grass roots collective to an incorporated non-profit society.
You can watch an interview with Emma from Calgary Outlink Here:
" Monogram's generous donation, made possible through the enthusiastic support of this city's coffee aficionados, is so deeply appreciated by the entire Outlink team. Community support is an essential core of our service and funding model and we are overwhelmed with the feeling of care we are feeling right now. These funds will allow us to continue our peer support work, running community groups and offering one-on-one support and resource navigation for queer and trans people and their allies across the city and beyond. This year we have put a primary focus on community engagement and identifying the gaps in our own service delivery. We have received so much invaluable feedback and are excited to continue moving forward with the wisdom and guidance of our community. While the specifics are not quite ready to release just yet, we have some exciting plans to expand our mentorship program, our group offerings, and our one-on-one support services. Stay tuned for these developments in the next year! "
Sept. 28th - Did an Instagram Live interview with Emma Ladouceur who is the operations manager for Calgary Outlink
Sept. 25th - Donated 150 drink coupons and a 30 cup growler of coffee to the Terminator Run: The Terminator Run event is to mainly raise awareness for youth & young adult addiction & mental health + Terminate the stigma + provide supports to individuals and families who are impacted by addiction and mental health. (Which is even more prevalent since COVID-19) The event also helps sponsor individuals who have faced or are facing addiction & mental health issues, through their Triathlon Training Program.
Sept. 30th - National Truth and Reconciliation Day: Donated all drink profits to the Indigenous Residential School Survivors Society in which we raised $2207.48
Each year thousands of families across Canada mourn the death of their babies. In 2017 1,699 infants died within the first year after birth and 3,159 babies were stillborn. Parents get isolated in their grief and the stigma around the death of children prevents society from speaking about the devastating effects on parents and their families.
What programs are you most proud of having created and why?
What is something you hope more people will know and understand about the work you do?
Our community was able to raise $4,144.93 for PILSC this month!
"The cost of your coffee is going towards supporting families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, SIDS and infertility. As a grassroots organization, every dollar goes right back to the loss community in Calgary. With your collective donation, PILSC will be using the funds to further support their Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Helpline. The donation will allow for 410 unique texts and chats to be facilitated on the helpline. Thank you Calgary, for bringing this much needed support to bereaved families."
- Aditi Loveridge (she/her), Founder Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre
As a Queer, Black-led organization, Pink Flamingo’s devotion is to the QTBIPOC community. By facilitating equity-based programming in Canada, Pink Flamingo promotes culture, safety and the expression of self for marginalized people.
Pink Flamingo is a unique organization that does work in the realm of anti-racism training, accountability tracking of industry partnerships, promoting access to platforms and resources through small and large-scale events, and of course, the infamous Black Lives Matter Murals project, which includes six murals across diverse neighbourhoods in Calgary. Showcasing moments of euphoria under oppression helps heal, inspire and gives hope to survivors of discrimination and bigotry, and that's what Pink Flamingo advocates for.
Pink Flamingo is involved with MANY community events, bringing these events to life and building artist networks with arts groups like Femme Wave, Sled Island, Vogue YYC, Snap Canada and Umoja Sessions. They have collaborated with artist Jae Sterling for a Black Lives Matter Mural in 2020, and are now partnered with the Calgary Philharmonic for 4 more murals!
"The funds are going directly to mental health mutual aid for QTBIPOC in need. Pink Flamingo considers mental health to be one of the greatest barriers in our community, especially when engaging with DEI work. We distribute this throughout our organization and partners by offering them access to our mental health resources free of charge. We are also able to pay fees incurred while we develop our new bystander intervention training wedcast programming called Intentional Instincts. We have moved beyond the awareness of bigotry, and our networks are ready for tangible and actionable information in order to stop the cycles of targeted violence immediately. Partnering with bystander trainers and attending their programs have shown us the real value of this work and how lives can be saved by showing the general public how to support victims while intervening in confrontations. We are constantly developing new and unique ways to address oppression and to learn better ways of being. Thank you for your support, it means so much to us that we are not alone in this journey."
Our community was able to raise $3,569.67 this month for Pink Flamingo
The Mustard Seed is a non-profit organization founded in 1984. Their vision is to eliminate homelessness and reduce poverty where we serve, their mission is to build hope and well-being for our most vulnerable citizens, and their values are based on Christ-centredness transparent accountability, treating all with respect, open communication, and holistic innovation that cares for individuals experience homelessness and poverty. They create a safe space and work to meet the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the individuals they meet.
The Mustard Seed has programs and services for basic needs, (emergency shelter, meals, clothing, hygine, etc.) health and wellness, employment, and place an emphasis on finding housing for people in need.
Their Wellness Centre staff work with over 600 agencies across Calgary to provide advocacy, mental health and addiction counselling, chaplaincy, tax clinics and legal advice. Advocates also connect with guests to provide assistance when applying for Alberta Works, AISH, and obtaining referrals for clothing, prescription glasses, and legal assistance.
The Employment Services Team works closely with clients to help them find meaningful, dignified work, and financial stability. Their coaches help individuals with skill development, resume building, job searches, employment retention assistance, access to work and protective equipment, and much more.
Our Community engagement and events coordinator was able to speak with Drew from the Mustard Seed about the organization:
We are so proud to be a part of this amazing community, and continue our dedication to donate to and uplift organizations that support marginalized groups, the BIPOC/Queer community, and the coffee community at large.
We want to say a huge THANK YOU to our customers, for buying drinks on donation day, and being actively involved in supporting us and your community!
Looking for a last minute Christmas gift?! Our Canadian barista champion, Jill, put together a list of some of her favourite things right now! All these products are available in our shops for easy + quick pick up.
WINTER WARMER SIRENE CHOCOLATE BAR - This chocolate really embodies the flavours you expect when you think about Christmas, it's sweet and spicy and so so delicious! I suggest you buy at least one for yourself to enjoy, and then one for everyone you know!
SIBARIST FILTERS / This definitely makes a great stocking stuffer or add on to any coffee enthusiasts Christmas gift (especially for the ones who seem to have all the coffee gear). I personally use these filters all the time when I am experimenting with dialling in different coffees at home and highly recommend them!
MILLIGRAMS INSTANT COFFEE - This is BRAND NEW to our line up this holiday season and would make the most perfect stocking stuffer! There are two different coffees you can try in this pack and both are delicious. Trust me, this gift is perfect for anyone who is on the go a lot!
FELLOW ODE GRINDER - There are many reasons why I love this grinder! Grinding abilities aside (which are not to be ignored), it is beautiful, has a small footprint, has a single dose hopper, and comes with a grinds brush to keep everything clean! Don't underestimate the importance of a great grinder in your home brewing collection, it really does affect the quality and flavour of your brews!
TRICOLATE BREWER - I will be the first to admit that there are A LOT of brewers on the market, and it is really hard to sift through all of them, so let me help! The Tricolate brewer is designed to produce maximum extraction and consistency with ease, it is a great brewer for coffee experts and beginners! There are many ways to brew with it, and there are many recipes available online (including our recipe which you can find in our blog). With the dispersion screen at the top it even eliminates the need for a gooseneck kettle making it a very approachable brewer for anyone just starting to build their home brewing collection!
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Some of the features that that make this brewer so special are:
With all of these features, this brewer is a really easy, approachable and consistent brewer, and you can find lots of recipes for it all over the internet, but, we would love to share our recipe with you!
Equipment list //
Dose: 35 grams
Total Brew weight approx. 330 grams
Method:
It is recommended that you use a server that has markings on the side indicating 250 grams (milliliters or one cup!). IF you don't have a server with markings on the sides, pre-weigh 250 grams of water inside a server and mark the side!
Enjoy!!
If you brew with our recipe, please tag us on social media! We hope you love this recipe! Order a Tricolate brewer for home by CLICKING HERE.
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Meet Ashley!
What are you inspired by?
It’s so hard to pick just one! I’m inspired by seasons, trending ingredients, the Ritual team and different kinds of desserts.
Who in your industry do you admire, and why?
I have a crush on Ashley Jacot De Boinod, she owns Glory Hole Doughnuts in Toronto. Her doughnut business has been such an inspiration for building Ritual. But honestly any woman out here trying to run her own baking business I have HUGE admiration for!
What does community mean to you?
Community to me means the support from the people around you, building meaningful relationships with them and feeling a sense of belonging within that group of people.
What role does coffee play in your life?
Coffee plays a HUGE role in waking me up. Ritual shifts start insanely early and having coffee is what gets me and the Ritual team through the morning.
What is your coffee order?
Condensed oat milk latte!
What is your favourite meal, cuisine or snack?
I love snacks so much! I’m obsessed with candy and truffle popcorn (the black truffle salt from Silk Road will change your life).
What is your favourite ingredient to bake with?
BUTTER! I prefer salted butter. It’s the back bone of most baked goods. The smallest amount can change any baked good OR culinary dish for the better.
What is the inspiration behind this recipe?
This isn’t one of my recipes but instead one that’s near and dear to my heart. My grandma who ran her own catering business used to get me to help her make these cookies and when she passed my mom helped carry on the tradition. It’s still my family’s favourite cookie recipe to this day!
RECIPE // M&M Cookies
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter
1 Egg
1 1/4 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 cups Oats
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup M&M’s
1/2 cup Raisins (don’t skip this ingredient, raisin haters! It’s a must)
Method
1. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla
2. Mix together oats, flour, salt, and baking soda
3. Gradually add to butter mixture
4. Stir in M&M’s and raisins 5. Drop spoonful's on cookie sheet
6. Bake @ 350* for 8-10 min
Welcome! We'll be updating this page with updates on Jill's time competing at the World Barista Championship in Milan, Italy, Oct. 23 - 26th. Freshest updates will always be at the top.
Thanks for following along! #goJillgoWBC2021
25/10/2021
We are so proud. Although Jill didn't make finals, she did end her time competing at the WBC with her best set yet - we're excited to share it with you once it's uploaded! What Jill accomplished is truly something to marvel at. Being the first woman to represent Canada on the world stage AND to make semi-finals in her first year competing at the WBC. Her set was incredibly inspiring, rich with meaning, and so thoughtful, a true representation of who Jill is and what the coffee community means to her. She worked many (many many) days and nights, and sacrificed so much to get to where she is.
Jill, you have inspired so many people. In this WBC competition season, but also throughout your time in coffee. Jill cares so deeply about our community, helping many competitors at different competitions (even when she herself is competing), volunteering many hours, and advocating for baristas and coffee professionals. She provides so many resources for our staff to learn and grow, and implemented many projects to bring our community together during Covid. Jill makes sure our team keeps up quality and excellence, she is dedicated to ensuring we best represent the coffees and hard work of our producers.
We could go on, but we just wanted to say we're so proud of you, Jill. What an accomplishment!!! #goJillgoWBC2021
25/10/2021
Jill just finished her semi-finals performance, and she was amazing. So confident and charming, and her coffee times ran perfectly. We'll share her set when it's available on the WCE YouTube channel! There's a few hours to go before finals are announced.
24/10/21
JILL MADE IT TO SEMI-FINALS! She was called 2nd last (they weren't called in order of scores), and we were all holding our breath. The suspense!
Semi-finals begin tomorrow in Milan, and Jill competes at 9am MDT! A more reasonable hour for Calgarians. You can watch her set HERE once the live stream is available.
23/10/21
Jill did SO well! Her first set is complete, and now she can relax (maybe) until semifinals are announced tomorrow. We'll keep you posted!
But now we can share her coffees with you! We have a limited amount of Jill's comp coffee available for pre-order online. Click HERE for more details!
23/10/21
Jill's set begins in a few minutes! Watch along HERE.
22/10/21
Tomorrow is the big day! Jill's coffees are tasting SO good. She's had some tasting and practising time this week, and today she attended the competitor meeting. Tomorrow morning at 8:30am local time she'll have her 1 hour dialling session at the venue, where she'll taste her coffee and get to practise her official set up! Then, at 2:15pm, she'll get to perform the set she's worked so hard on. You can catch the livestream here -- LIVE STREAM. It will become available once the competitions start (while Calgary sleeps!), but we'll post the link here early tomorrow morning!
18/10/21
Ben and Jill have arrived in Italy! They'll spend the next few days picking up ingredients for her signature drink, milks for her milk coarse, getting over jet lag, and Jill has a practise day at a local shop. Jill competes on Saturday at 2pm local time, which is 6am Calgary time! We'll be sharing the livestream link here when it's available.
14/10/21
Jill has been running practise sets at National Cappuccino in the afternoons, and at our Fifth Ave location at night. Today she'll perform her set 3 different times, for groups of people who have volunteered to watch (and to try her real competition coffee - lucky them!). Jill has a few days left in Calgary of practise, before she leaves for Milan and continues her preparation there!
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jaqs gallos aquines is an anti-racism facilitator and community organizer. Currently a member of the Cultural Instigators in Mohkinstsis, funded by the Calgary Arts Development, jaqs collaborates with 9 activist/artists from Mohkinstsis to explore what an anti-racist future could look like.
Much of their work—including their podcast the Unlearning Channel, edited anthology Home is in the Body, and a sci-fi electro soul/r&b musical set in an anti-racist alternate timeline—centres race, culture, identity, and diaspora in pursuit of justice, liberation and joy.
What made you decide to pursue art?
It saved my life. Music, in particular saved my life. It brought my voice back.
I got into law school in the final year of my undergrad in Montreal. I was already writing my own music and doing theatre. In my final semester I got the role of Columbia in Rocky Horror and the Acid Queen in the Who’s Tommy and did not have an interest in grad school. I moved to LA to do music and film. I wanted to have a band. I fell into documentary films because of the music. I began working with a CNN producer who brought me onto her first feature documentary.
For photography I wanted to see more queer FilipinX femme representation from a North of the 49th parallel perspective. For music, i always wrote songs to women. For film, i was honoured to direct a short written by Suitaakii Black and Bernadette Lumugdang about an Indigenous and FilipinX lesbian couple who wanted to have a baby.
I’m now writing a comedy about diversity consulting.
Who or what have been your biggest inspirations so far to date though your creative journey?
For this book - Terrance Nance, Park Chan-wook - Nayyirah Waheed - the space, colour palates. Composition.
To be honest, my work with the Anti-Racist Organizational Change project through CommunityWise, led by Thulasy Lettner changed my life and how I see relationality between art, culture, community organizing, policy change. It shaped much of how Home is in the Body was put together. I also learned a great deal from my work with Voices: the Two-Spirit LGBTQIA+ Coalition of People of colour. I was interested in hearing from a group that is all over the arts but rarely centred.
What part of your book are you most excited about?
Taking the photos/recording the portrait interviews during the Pinay Power II conference was one of my favourite parts of making this book. It gave me an opportunity to connect with several queer, radical activists, artists, scholars, writers who want to see something different in our filipinx communities -- on how to create accountable inclusive space where we can show up and be our best selves. I carry those conversations with me, including the conversations that were very vulnerable. There’s a deep amount of shame, of internalized homophobia within our community due to religion, due to colonization that made some of those conversations very hard. To imagine what Queering Filipinx Space looked like was a challenge as many of us had never been in it until we were IN it at PPII. I am so thankful to each and every person who shared their vulnerability with me, their experiences, their stories.
Working with ANAK Publishing was a truly wonderful, supportive experience. It couldn’t have been done without Daisydee Bautista, Johsa Manzanilla and Darlyne Bautista.
Do you have any rituals, “must haves”, or favourite places you go to for when you work?
I need to meditate every day. I often need to take walks and touch a tree. That’s when inspiration comes or a block gets cleared /sorted out. I usually turn off my phone and go into an analog or offline space, as much as I can when trying to work things out. I like the feeling of privacy when i’m writing.
Do you have any local favourite artists that you love? Who are they, and why?
Jae sterling - visual artist and musician whose work is brave, pushing beyond most of the work here. It’s personal and vulnerable but also not apologetic.
Kablusiak
Marigold Santos - a FilipinX visual artist who incorporates our mythology into her paintings, sculptures. To see the folklore and mythology of my own people existing in careful, thoughtful contemporary interpretations makes me feel like I exist. It’s fabulous to see, as when we don’t have that representation its impact can be easily underestimated by those who are accustomed to seeing their experience constantly validated. This is something that Elaine Castillo, writer of America is Not in the Heart, writes about in the Foreward to Carlos Bulosan’s “America is in the Heart.”
asmaa al-issa - a mixed media/fabrics artist born in Baghdad, Iraq. It is the meditative, intimate sharing of her process built around the lines on her palms, palm trees, rivers intersecting and how she interrogates that through an anti-imperialist lens. If i ever get to doing a podcast about process she’d be one artist I’d want to interview.
@Rezinbabe - i’m always wearing her earrings and necklaces, if i’m not wearing @lalahanflow from the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver). Again, julay’s work is so thoughtful, sacred. Ceremonial. They’re also a tattoo artist integrating healing into the process of each piece.
What is your all time favourite musical artist?
Erykah Badu. She is an experience. Her music is a mood. A mood changer. She can literally change the temperature with her vibe when i listen to her music. That is a goal. To offer space. Atmosphere.
Her artistry is comprehensive in how she shows up. What she presents. In an interview she said that Baduizm is meant to get you high. To bring you up and that’s exactly what happens when i listen to her. I am teleported.
What is your favourite subject to photograph?
Faces. People. It’s not just the final product that i look for but the experience. I do love people. Getting to know them through their portrait one learns so much.
How has COVID affected your art? Have you done anything creative during this time that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
Self-care. I’ve been able to go deeper into sorting out my shit so i can finally write something outside of my own personal grapplings. I stopped writing music as i was writing about women. Love. sex. And I’ve come to a place where it’s ok to write about these topics, but from a healed space.
I want to be plugged into my joy. My truth and i had to get out of the way to find that.
Aside from the book and chipping away at this musical I’m not going to shame myself for not being productive during this time. I’ve mostly focused on the work bahaghari could offer in disrupting the isolation of this pandemic. Playing with sound, with music, exploring what i can do entirely on my own has been the best option as i don’t currently have a band. I’ve been jamming with a drummer/guitar student friend.
If you could pick just ONE food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Fish tacos. Pretty gay, yes.
What is your coffee order?
Double mocha with oat milk. Or coconut milk/soy.
Do you make coffee at home? IF so, how?
Either a moka espresso. Straight.
Or French press with a dash of turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, a little honey, and soy milk for coffee. My drummer friend, Linda Kee, showed that to me.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up? If so, can you tell us about them?
I’m working on an electro soul/r&b sci-fi musical set in an anti-racist future. The fun part is building that possibility.
Thanks for being honest and giving us thoughtful and such vulnerable answers. And for taking so much time for us! Where can we find you and your work?
IG: @homeisinthebody
Website: aquines.ca
We are obsessed with how delicious Kenyan coffees are when served over ice, they are crisp and refreshing and can absolutely be enjoyed any time of the day, all summer long! Mahiga AA has big notes of pink grapefruit, rhubarb, cranberry and lime zest and we think you'll really love it.
Equipment //
Recipe //
Method //
Please make this all summer long, and make sure to tag us in any posts online! WE love to see it! Order Mahiga AA here or swing by one of our cafés to pick up a bag!
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Let’s talk equipment! We know that brewing at home can mean quite the investment in gear to get you going, but here is our list of what we think you definitely need to brew a pour over at home:
What you need:
This recipe is one that we have based most of our recipes on in the cafe since day one. It is a super approachable recipe for beginners and a really great foundation for experienced brewers to experiment with!
The recipe:
Brew ratio // 1:16
Grind size // medium-coarse
Dose // 21 grams
Water weight // 340 grams
Method:
Before getting started, pre-heat your kettle to 200 degrees F or set to boil on a non variable temperature kettle. Place your paper filter inside of your brewer and give your filter a really good rinse. This is important as it will rinse away any papery taste that you would otherwise get in your brew if you skip this step. Rinsing your paper filter will also snugly secure it to the sides of your brewer which is an added bonus :) After your paper filter is rinsed and your kettle is up to the proper temperature you are ready to start! Note that if you are not using a gooseneck kettle for this, you will have to practice pouring with a controlled pace making sure that your stream is not to heavy.
(divot ^^)
*One of the by-products of roasting coffee is the development of gas inside the roasted coffee bean. This gas gets trapped inside of the bean and will naturally release over time as coffee ages. This also happens when water hits the grounds and you can visibly see bubbles form on the surface of the coffee bed. When we brew, we want to release this gas from the ground coffee to make room for water to promote more even extraction. Ideally, you wouldn't start your brew until the coffee is finished producing these gas bubbles or until about 30 seconds after the water hits the grinds, whichever is longer. This is called the "Bloom"!
We really love this recipe and think that it is a very good and dependable method! We hope that you try it out love it just as much as we do!
If you have any other questions about this recipe or brewing in general, send us a text at 1(877)333-1169 to speak to someone on our team!
Enjoy!
]]>1. Cold Brew Concentrate //
220 grams med/coarse ground coffee x 1000 ml room temp. water
To serve //
Dilute this concentrate with water or pretty much any other liquid that you enjoy drinking with coffee.
Some of our favourite ways to use cold brew concentrate are:
Straight up with cold water and lots of ice!
With bubbly tonic water + lots of fresh lime
With house made nut mylk or oat milk!
2. Frozen coffee cubes //
We talked about freezing left over brewed coffee in an earlier post but it is totally worth the double mention! Whether you freeze left over coffee, brew coffee specifically for making coffee cubes or freezing cold brew concentrate into ice cubes - we promise, you will love how they turn out. We would recommend using them in cold coffee instead of ice cubes, cocktails or even as a caffeine boost inside your morning smoothie!
3. Iced pourover //
Waiting for cold brew takes time and sometimes you just don't have it! But, give yourself 10 minutes and you can still enjoy icy cold delicious coffee in no time. The integral part to brewing an iced pourover is making sure that you weigh your ice, this might seem a bit extra, but we promise it'll be worth it!
20 grams medium/fine ground coffee x 140 grams water x 140 grams ice
This recipe is slightly higher strength to accomodate for adding extra ice at the end!
Tip: if you like to drink iced coffee with milk (mylk) or cream, try increasing your dose slightly to make an even stronger brew! :)
4. Cold Brew Palmer //
This is one of our all time favourite summer drinks, its so citrusy and light and refreshing and easy to make a version of it at home!
You will need:
This recipe will give you a little more than one litre so its perfect for sharing, but honestly, also just as perfect for enjoying all by yourself!
We really hope you try some of these recipes this summer and make sure to tag us on Instagram if you do!
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Equipment list //
Method //
Brew ratio: 1:16.5
Grind size: coarse
Coffee: 30 grams
Water: 500 grams
Water temperature: 200 degrees F
Brew time: 4 minutes
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The campaign has continued to gain momentum each year, and for the second year in a row, the pair have also been joined by famed ice cream shop Made by Marcus, who also creates a custom ice cream made with the coffee, with $2 from every pint sold also going to the selected charity. While the campaign originally began in Calgary, it has now been expanded to include Edmonton, and in December of 2020, the group was thrilled to have ATB pledge their support to match all funds raised.
“When we were approached to participate by Jeremy from Monogram, we knew this was a great opportunity to partner with one of our clients and support their community giveback efforts," says Jesse Yuen, Director, Brand Squad at ATB. "Even with the immense challenges that businesses face in 2020, so many of them stayed true to their core values to give back and support their communities. It was a no-brainer for ATB to rally behind this idea and match the dollars raised for The Mustard Seed.”
Despite the many challenges of the past year, the campaign was the most successful one yet, raising nearly $30,000 to support The Mustard Seed, an organization working to eliminate homelessness and reduce poverty in Western Canada.
The funds raised will go to support The Mustard Seed’s Community Hubs program, which includes wellness advocates that work to ensure individuals receive appropriate mental health support and other wellness resources based on their needs.
“The community came together to support this wonderful cause and the funds raised will make a great impact on our Community Hubs program. Our hubs facilitate a greater sense of community and well-being in areas around the city that need help and have a history of poverty. As the pandemic progresses, it’s vital to keep supporting those who continue to struggle throughout this time, and we are thankful for great initiatives such as this, so we can remain a source of support for those experiencing homelessness and poverty.” says Steve Wile, CEO of The Mustard Seed
Last year in Calgary alone, The Community Hubs program distributed over 620 backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need and provided over 3200 advocacy services to families and individuals. These hubs act as a welcoming community space and offer a variety of services from a free cup of coffee, to employment support, workshops, language programs, summer camps, after-school programming, and much more.
For many across Alberta, the wellness advocates that work out of the various community hubs and shelters provide essential support to access the services that individuals and families need. This could mean help with getting identification, accessing a doctor or treatment centre, accessing counselling services, or even assistance with necessary paperwork.
“I can’t tell you how much of a difference this made in my life. I find myself more open to life and people. Getting help and a place gives me a positive outlook on life. Thanks to the Mustard Seed. “ says a participant of the Community Support/Wellness Advocates Program.
Bringing the community together is part of what makes this annual campaign so impactful.
“At Monogram we are all about positively impacting people’s lives with coffee. Great coffee has the incredible ability to bring people together, whether it’s within the cafe, or helping support the people that need it in our communities. To be able to collaborate with Ellen, Marcus and ATB has allowed us all to make a bigger impact, which is so wonderful.” notes Monogram Coffee Co-Founder Jeremy Ho.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the 5th annual Monogram Coffee x Ellen Doty HolidayGiveback Campaign, which will be set to launch in December of 2021.
]]>This is an important term in the world of brewing, but what exactly is it and why does it matter?
First, the what:
Brew ratio is the relationship between the dry grounds (dose) and your brewing water (output), in other words, what is a good amount of water I should use for the amount of coffee I have and vice versa.
For filter coffee we would recommend using a brew ratio of 1:15 - 1:17, which means that for every one gram of coffee you should use fifteen to seventeen millilitres (or grams) of water. You can calculate this by either multiplying your coffee dose by 15 (16 or 17) to give you the amount of water you should brew with OR by dividing your desired volume of water (250 ml) by 15 (16 or 17...you get the picture). Typically, we would recommend starting with a brew ratio of 1:16 and from there you can adjust to suit your preference!
For espresso we would recommend using a brew ratio of 1: 1.8 - 1:2.6, this might seem like a small range, but it really does allow for lots of experimentation! You would calculate your brew ratio for espresso the exact same way as you would for filter coffee.
ie: 40 gram output / 19 gram dose = 2.1 brew ratio!
When you think about brew ratio you can think about it as your coffee recipe!
Now, why?
This is the MOST IMPORTANT variable that affects extraction. The amount of water used to brew is paramount. If too small, or too large a quantity of water is used to brew, we will end up with coffee that is either under extracted or over extracted, by removing either not enough, or too much flavour from our grinds. This will contribute either overly acidic, or bitter flavours (or both!) in our coffee.
This variable also affects your strength. Increasing or decreasing your dose will simultaneously increase or decrease your strength, and the same goes for your water weight as well. If you find that you're always brewing coffee that is either too weak or too strong, we suggest to experiment with brew ratio until you achieve a strength that you like!
Using a proper brew ratio is the only point at which you can achieve a good extraction percentage at a good strength. Outside of a proper brew ratio, there is not any single variable you can control that will allow these two things to intersect.
Using a proper brew ratio is not only super important for the quality of your brew but it will undoubtedly help with consistency and repeatability of your brews day to day. One of the most commonly expressed problems for home brewing is: consistency! Now, we know that there is an infinite amount of coffee gear and knowing what you need can be overwhelming, but if we can offer one suggestion for a ‘must have’ piece of equipment, it would definitely be a scale. With a scale, you will be able to not only accurately create your recipe but you will be able to replicate it over and over again, eliminating the challenges so commonly encountered when brewing at home!
We will link a few scales that we recommend below!
1. The American Weigh 2kg Scale
3. Timemore Black Mirror Basic Coffee Scale
4. Acaia Pearl
We hope that developing a brew recipe that works for you and your personal taste preference just got a little bit easier with the help of a good brew ratio!
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Before we get to the recipe, we asked Jared some questions so that we could all get to know them a little better!
What are you inspired by?
Method:
To make your drink!
Hot maccha //
Allow us to introduce to you: Jess Sanchez!
Jess currently at First Assembly Church as the Youth Creative Pastor and Director for Tehillah Creative School but also works as a freelance multimedia content creator in her free time. Doing mainly videography work, having shot and directed a few music videos; most recently, “Happy Birthday Jesus” by Colin Carbonera and “Manic Panic” by Rabino. She is also a talented photographer focusing mostly on portrait and street photography, and various kinds of design and graphic design work. Jess is incredibly passionate about creativity, calling out creative gifts others, equipping creatives, and teaching others how to steward their gifts well. Her dream is to see people inspired, on fire, and passionate to dream, create, and bring to life what’s been stirring up on the inside for all to see. You can find her portfolio and work at www.jessicasanchez.co!
Let's hear more from Jess!
Jill: What made you decide to pursue art?
Jess: It’s funny because I never saw myself as an artist or creative, but I grew up in a musical family and was incredibly curious growing up. It’s so weird how we have this tendency to detach or disassociate ourselves from being “artists” because we don’t create art that looks like something Van Gogh or Claude Monet would have painted and created. There’s a weird, almost universal paradigm that discourages us from pursuing different expressions of art or creativity because we don’t think of ourselves at the same level of these famous, classical painters or sculptors but we as human beings are designed to be inherently curious and creative. I found this out later on in my life (mainly because I get so bored with what I’m doing or not doing so quickly) but my curiosity led me to pursue art in the form of different creative expressions; in music and learning as many instruments as possibly I could, in learning how to produce and write songs and music; in visual and digital art in learning how to film, shoot, direct, and pursuing photography and design as other ways of storytelling. I was just curious, and I always am.
Who or what have been your biggest inspirations so far to date though your creative journey?
A YouTuber named ‘Devinsupertramp’ was actually the guy that inspired me to pursue videography. He always had this fast-paced, action edge to his short videos, but still managed to convey a story or narrative in his craft. I remember watching some of his stuff and feeling inspired to do the same – there weren’t many people that were doing what he was doing at the time, and I knew his style was just up my alley. More recently, I’ve been leaning towards the realm of filmmaking and storytelling in that way. Gina Prince-Bythewood and Patty Jenkins have been huge inspirations to me more recently, not just because they’re women who have directed huge Hollywood blockbusters (“The Old Guard” and “Wonder Woman,” respectively), but because you can see the excellence they put into their craft. I always say that the details are in the storytelling, and the way these women are able to achieve that in their films is just so inspiring to me as an artist. Another thing that has inspired me in my creative journey is simply being surrounded by and getting to work with some of my best friends who are creatives and artists have been incredibly inspiring to me in my creative journey. Colin Carbonera, a previous fellow Monogram artist feature aka Rabino aka the most unfairly talented musician, singer, and producer is one of my best friends on the planet and just being around him and getting to work with him and see what he does and see how passionate he is about his craft is so encouraging and inspiring to me. So, I’d say being surrounded by artists and creatives helps me stay inspired and sharp in my craft.
What is your favourite subject to photograph?
People. I’ve always been fascinated by people and storytelling. Everyone has a story, everyone is on a journey, and portrait photography has been a way for me to be able to take these two worlds and bring them together and capture them as authentically as I can.
How has COVID affected your art? Have you done anything creative during this time that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
It’s been difficult picking up any kind of videography projects during COVID. I was let go from a previous job back in April 2020 because of the pandemic, and the only thing I could fall back on for an income (other than CERB) was my freelancing business. The unfortunate reality of that, is that the economy wasn’t the best, restrictions made it difficult to work or collaborate with clients or other creators, and overall was just a difficult time for all creatives and artists. I actually had two or three music videos lined up but those fell through because funding didn’t come through for the artist, and all these things and roadblocks made it difficult to secure any kind of projects. What I managed to pick up during this time was improving what I could; I worked on my video editing skills by editing old footage I’d shot to try and create something new; I’d started focusing on improving my graphic design ability, and I’ve actually gotten better at strategic planning/thinking/dreaming, thinking outside of the box to come up with creative solutions for clients in navigating the hurdles surrounding content creation and through that, I’d managed to partner and work with with a few different organizations from the USA in creating content for them and their websites.
What is your coffee order?
I feel like this really depends on the time of day, the kind of day I’m having, and how tired I am when I wake up that day. Usually, I like to start off with either a drip or americano. By midday if I’m still in need of something with a bit of kick to it I’ll do another drip or iced americano or something, but if I’m feeling more chill and just want something to enjoy, I would do an iced latte.
If you could pick just ONE food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Are we talking like dishes or cuisines or a singular food item? I could probably do potatoes because of how versatile they are and the many different ways you could make and serve them.
Okay, I agree! A very underrated food! Great answer!
Do you have any exciting projects coming up? If so, can you tell us about them?
I do! I have a short film lined up for me to shoot and edit this summer and I will be teaming up with some friends of mine, so that will be exciting! I can’t quite reveal the details of that project or who is involved yet but be on the lookout for it this fall!
Okay Jess, time for the real tea...
Summer or fall?
I love warm weather, but there’s just something about fall fashion and wearing layers and fall colours that has my heart
Sweet or savoury?
I have such a sweet tooth, it’s ridiculous. My dentist hates me.
Music or podcast?
I love both, but music is just so much more stimulating to me – whether that’s first thing in the morning when I wake up, midday in the car, or at the end of the night. I love being invited into the experience of a singer hitting a sick riff or run on a song I’ve never heard before, or when instrumentalists or producers do something so musically interesting that invokes a feeling in me, sending shivers down my spine and literally making my jaw drop.
Hot coffee or cold coffee?
This one is so weird because it literally depends on the day and how I’m feeling. But generally I love iced coffee!
Chips or popcorn?
Definitely a chips person.
Instagram or TikTok?
This is also a weird one because, I love instagram and seeing what my friends are up to, but tiktok is just so funny and so perfectly curated with content I want to see if I need to escape the real world for a few minutes.
Side or middle part?
I definitely appreciate a middle part on others but can’t really pull it off myself unless I’ve got my hair tied back haha.
Beach or mountains?
Listen, I love the mountains. I live by the mountains. It’s literally my backyard. But there’s something about the beach and being by the ocean and the smell of salt water that’s just so nice to be around. Maybe it’s because I’m Filipino and we’re islanders, but I just love the beach so much. I don’t love getting sunburned, but sometimes it’s worth it being by the ocean.
Thanks Jess! Tell everyone where they can find you!
My website and portfolio is at: www.jessicasanchez.co
I also have a vimeo page with my video projects at: https://vimeo.com/jessicasanchez
Social media
Instagram: @jessicajsanch
Twitter: @jessicajsanch
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We are so fortunate to have such an amazing food scene right here in our very city. At any given time you could throw a stone with your eyes closed and have it hit a different and delicious restaurant. And something that is even better is when a great restaurant serves great coffee! We love partnering with amazing restaurants who love good coffee, and the A1 restaurant group is one of the best! You can find our coffee being served A1 Cafe and Cantina and you can pick up a bag of whole bean in their Bodega! We highly recommend making a point to hit up every one of the A1 restaurants and their Bodega (which is full of some really amazing products from local businesses!).
We asked Andrea Robinson, Operations Manager of A1, to share a recipe and a little bit about herself with us:
Andrea Robinson graduated from SAIT’s Hotel and Restaurant Management course in 2003, and went on to work for River Café as a hostess – leaving as the General Manager seven years later. Over the course of her career in hospitality, Robinson has developed a serious passion for wine while working at several other prestigious Calgary shops and restaurants, including Metrovino, Teatro, and Vin Room. In her role as owner and general manager for Two Penny and the Tea House, she continued to share her philosophy that vino and impeccable service enhances all experiences. In her new role as Operation Manager of A1 she continues to challenge her love of service and the art of food and beverage.
What are you inspired by?
My mom would make this dish for our family and it would be a family affair as we would all gather around the kitchen table to make dumplings. I remember lots of laughter and pure excitement as this was one of my favourite dishes growing up as kid, knowing what was about to go down.
What does community mean to you?
Community means actively engaging with others in your community. I love Calgary's inner city neighbourhoods as there are so many locally owned shops, boutique fitness gyms and restaurants where you can easily start a conversation and build meaningful connections. I try and ride my bike everywhere so biking friendly communities are the best and dog watching of course.
What is your coffee order?
Haha so I don't drink a ton of coffee. I love Monogram's matcha latte's with house made nut milk.
Honestly, maccha latte with nut mylk is one of my go-to drinks as well! Great choice :)
Do you have a favourite food to eat while drinking coffee?
When I do drink coffee a simple pastry is ideal and if not food that ultimate moody playlist. Think Four tet, Bonobo, Tourist vibes.
What is your favourite meal, cuisine or snack?
Japanese food!!!! I eat sushi at least once a week.
Is there any type of cuisine or dish that you've always wanted to learn to make?
In the movie Big Night in the final scene they make this incredible looking dish called Timpano. If you have time look up that final scene but make sure you have snacks around as you will be hungry watching it.
What is your inspiration behind this recipe?
This recipe is made with simple ingredients but the labour involved is long so to me it symbolizes love and care. The saying 'many hands make light work' shows in this dish. It's a dish that is fun to make with others.
RECIPE // Vegetarian Gyoza
Ingredients:
Method:
Filling//
Sauce//
I think this is what makes the dish, I sometime make extra its delicious just on rice
Thanks, Andrea! These look delicious, I hope that many people gather with friends and family (safely, of course!) and try this recipe!
Make sure that you take the time to pop into any one of the A1 locations soon, we promise you won't be disappointed!
To catch them on social media check out:
and A1 Burrito (located inside of Ol Beautiful Brewing Co.)!
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Ingredients:
Directions:
This caramel is good enough to be spread or drizzled on pretty much anything (if you know, you know), so here are just a couple ways to use it that we think you definitely don’t want to sleep on.
1. Drizzle on top of your latte!
If you don't have an espresso machine at home, no fear! You can recreate this delicious drink by brewing your drip at a higher strength (we recommend a brew ratio of 1:13 - 1:14) and topping with warm, frothed milk or mylk of your choice and then drizzle on as much of this spiced caramel as you like.
(if coffee isn't your thing, try this with hot chocolate!)
2. Make it iced!
Give your cold brew a glow up with a splash of milk (or mylk) and a generous squeeze of caramel. You. Can't. Go. Wrong.
If you try this recipe at home, post online and don't forget to tag us! We love seeing our recipes inside your homes!
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With the holidays coming up very quick, everyone is looking for local treats that they can gift to their loved ones. There are so many incredibly talented artists and artisans in our city, and, believe me, with a little research you'll be able to find everything on your list right inside our very own city. Our feature artist for this month is multi-talented, working with several different mediums, creating beautiful art for both your home and your body.
Let me introduce to you, Madison Hope. Madison Hope is a long time artist and new to the tattoo industry. After graduating from ACAD in 2014, she spent years forming her artistic practice into what it is today. Part of her practice is devoted to print work, paintings, and other displays of her illustrations, inspired by natural form and using plant life and the human figure as her main subjects. In this practice, she explores various mediums and is constantly experimenting and challenging her artistic vision. From prints, to jewelry design, to three dimensional artwork, she is constantly looking for new ways to bring her artistic vision to life. The other part of her practice is devoted to hand poke tattooing, which was a passion that developed throughout her adult life out of a love for the art form and an interest in the ceremony of tattooing. After several years of planning, Madison opened her first private studio at NVRLND Arts Foundation in December of 2018 with her studio partner and friend Lindsay K. Together they design and work out of the space, allowing them the opportunity to pursue their long term ambitions in the tattoo industry.
We asked Madison some questions, and here is what she had to say:
Jill: What made you decide to pursue art?
Madison: I’ve actually had ambitions to become an artist in one form or another for as long as I can remember. When I graduated ACAD in 2014 I found an art book I coloured in sometime in kindergarten, and at the back it said ‘when Madison grows up, she wants to be and artist’, and I think about how perfect that is all the time. My mom is very artistic and I really looked up to her skill when I was young. Then I was lucky enough to have a lot of teachers over the years that focused on creativity in the classroom which kind of fostered my creativity throughout my schooling, then when I was able to decide my own education, art school was the obvious answer. It’s been a lifelong thing, really.
Who or what have been your biggest inspirations so far to date though your creative journey?
Very honestly my parents have been my biggest inspiration, nothing really keeps you going quite like a lifelong cheering squad. With my work specifically though, I really just find inspiration in other people's passion and talent. I feel an overwhelming sense of urgency to work and create when I’ve been moved by another work of art, or film, or even song.
Do you have any rituals, “must haves”, or favourite places you go to for when you work?
I’m really most happy just sitting at the coffee table in my living room to work. I like to feel comfortable and at home while I’m creating, which means my pup curled up on the couch behind me and a warm cup of coffee in my hand while I work. I’ve tried to set up a home office and it just doesn’t feel the same as my little spot on the floor for some reason.
How did you get started as a handpoke tattoo artist?
When I was at ACAD I had a few friends ask me to draw up some tattoo designs for them, and being interested in tattooing and the culture already, I was curious about tattooing as a profession and decided to look into it. The scene in Calgary at the time didn’t really match my style or ideals, and as much as I wanted to be a part of it I didn’t want to sacrifice my aesthetic so I kind of put that idea on the back burner for a while. Eventually I discovered there were these hand poke artists out there working in real shops and kind of breaking out of the cliche idea of a tattoo shop and what a tattoo artist looked like and opening up the industry to new styles and ideas, and I was so inspired by that kind of ethos that I new it would be the perfect fit for me. I spent a lot of time learning and researching, and a couple years later Lindsay and I opened our studio!
(Madison at NVRLND Arts Foundation )
(No. 3 Basic earring in 14k gold fill earring)
Tell me about your newest business Freeform Jewelry!
Yes! I’m so happy to have this up and running! I’ve been very interested in jewelry making since my early teenage years, and it’s kind of been living in the shadow of my tattooing and other art for a while now waiting to really make its debut. There have been limited releases of jewelry though my No More Sad Days brand before, but I really wanted to create a full collection, and I decided the best way to do that was to start a brand specifically for my jewelry. My basic vision for Freeform was to create high quality jewelry in a variety of collections with options for every price point. I do have some higher priced work, but primarily I wanted to offer smaller jewelry staples with longer lifespans, as well as statement pieces that wouldn’t break the bank.
I can't wait to own a pair of your earrings, Madison, I have my eye on a pair of the No. 6!
Do you have another local favourite artist that you love? Who are they, and why?
Bramble Lee Pryde is one of my favourite local artist and also works out of NVRLND where we have our tattoo studio. She is the creator behind everything at Le Lou Ula and also owns and runs White Rabbit, which is a collective shop of local and sustainable creators. Not only is she an incredibly talented creator herself, she has also shown me that it’s very possible to be a multidisciplinary artist and still create a cohesive brand. Her dedication to keeping her work genuine and doing only what she is passionate about is so inspiring, and it really shows in everything she does. You can really tell that everything she makes has a part of herself in it and it just makes her work that much more special.
How has COVID affected your art? Have you done anything creative during this time that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
I had a really hard time feeling inspired over the lockdown, I think a lot of us did, and I wasn’t really creating a whole lot. Once I was able to get back to work in July I kind of kicked things into high gear. Even though I wasn’t super productive over lockdown, I definitely did a lot of thinking about what direction I wanted to take my career and what I wanted to do next, and that definitely paved the way to creating Freeform.
What is your all time favourite musical artist?
Hard! I really have to be a boring cliche artist and say Bon Iver. I can go back to their music at any time and still feel connected to it.
If you could pick just ONE food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I had to leave this question until the end because it was somehow the hardest one to answer, but I never get tired of a really good Buddha bowl so I think that’s what I’ll go with.
What is your coffee order?
Usually a 1% condensed milk latte!
Do you make coffee at home? IF so, how?
We’ve been lucky enough to test out one of the Breville espresso machines and I don’t think I can ever go back to pour overs.
What’s on your Christmas list this year?
I’m trying to stock up on jewelry making supplies, but honestly the best gift would be to hug every single one of my friends and family again!
Do you have any exciting projects coming up? If so, can you tell us about them?
Given the direction that things are moving right now, I’m trying to work on some new things outside of tattooing incase that isn’t an option in the near future. I’ll have a new
Etsy page for Freeform and a No More Sad Days Etsy update of prints, posters, and other artwork! Also, there will be a new drop of one of a kind jewelry pieces on the Freeform etsy page coming the second week of December!
Where can we find you and your work?
I won’t be participating in and markets this season, but if you’re local, the best place to check out all my work is by shopping through Instagram! I can easily arrange a contactless pickup time Sunday-Tuesday at my studio so you don’t have to pay shipping. Otherwise, I have most of my available work up on both of my etsy pages: FreeformbyMadison and Nomoresaddays.
You can learn more about hand poke tattooing and all of Madison’s creations and ventures by visiting her Instagram pages, @freeform.jewelry and @_nomoresaddays, where you can find links to all of her websites and stay up to date on her latest work.
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Since March, the sales of home brewing equipment has skyrocketed, meaning that a lot of us are now making coffee at home, and we are here for it! There are plenty of ways to make your home set up sustainable, many more than what will list for you here, but here are just a few of my favourites!
MANUAL BREWING:
If you’re the type of person who makes a full pot of coffee but can never get around to drinking the whole thing, you might want to consider switching to a manual brew method. The beauty of manual brewing is that you can tailor your brew to any volume that suits your coffee consuming needs without any waste. I prefer this method of brewing by the cup to using coffee pods in single cup brewers, not only is there less waste from packaging, it is generally more cost effective and you can customize your brew to suit your taste! There are so many different manual brew methods available ranging in both difficulty to master and in price point. I can guarantee that with a little research and help from your barista we can get you started with a home set up that will meet your coffee brewing needs!
STORING LEFTOVER BREWED COFFEE:
Inevitably, there will be times when you will have leftover brewed coffee and instead of throwing it away, try freezing it! Try freezing coffee into ice cube trays and adding them to smoothies, or using them in place of regular ice cubes in iced coffee or even cocktails. This is a really great way to use leftover brewed coffee without wasting it!
FREEZING WHOLEBEAN:
If you don’t go through a bag of beans fast enough and end up tossing them because over time your brew starts to taste stale and lacks the flavour it once had, freeze your beans! There has been lots of conversation and confusion surrounding this topic over the years, and I am here to tell you that freezing your coffee is not only okay, but in many ways the best way to store your coffee! When properly sealed, freezing coffee can not only extend the lifespan, but it actually can improve the flavour quality as well (which we can get into at a future time!).
The key to preserving the freshness of your beans is to store your beans with minimal exposure to oxygen when freezing. You can do this a few different ways:
You can take the beans out of the freezer, make your cup of coffee and return it to the freezer as long as it is sealed properly again (try to make the time out of the freezer as short as possible, and definitely don’t let it thaw out!). I am a big fan of storing coffee this way and I highly recommend it, in fact, our Britannia location has a whole coffee menu that is stored in the freezer!
BUYING SPECIALTY COFFEE:
This is my favourite, and perhaps, most important recommendation for sustainable brewing at home. With a growing demand for sustainable and ethically sourced products across the board, consumers are taking more interest in finding out exactly where the products they spend their money on are coming from, and coffee is no exception! With a little research, you will be able to find that there are many local specialty coffee roasters in your city, close to your city and country that buy coffee responsibly, paying much higher prices than the market price. This is an important thing to consider because the current market price of coffee is far below the cost of production for the majority of coffee farmers. If farmers continue to be paid prices that are lower than their cost of production, then ultimately there will be less and less people growing and producing coffee, leaving the industry in search of a more sustainable way to make a living. The more people who buy and drink specialty coffee, the more sustainable the industry becomes!
There you have it, four easy ways to make your home coffee experience more sustainable. Our baristas would love to help you out if you have any questions about brewing coffee at home, so please hit them up! We also have a brewing hotline that you can text anytime at: (587)317-6466 and we would be more than happy to help you out!
]]>This is the first line that you will read when you land on Sugar Water's website, and it could not be more accurate. Kyo-Jean Simon Chung, of Sugar Water, has taken a non-traditional approach to how and where we would expect to find quality craft cocktails. From private events to pop ups, collaborations with local restaurants and take home cocktail kits, Kyo has creatively made his way into our cocktail loving hearts.
Along with the cocktail recipes, Kyo created a simple syrup as part of a collaboration with us, featuring one of our super tasty coffees. The coffee is an anaerobic natural process coffee called La Minilla from the West Valley in Costa Rica, with flavours like Christmas cake and cinnamon. The syrup, Monogram Spice, will be part of a collaboration in the cafes available in bottles and in a latte called "Sugar & Spice", with proceeds going towards Inn from the Cold for the month of November.
As usual, we asked Kyo to tell us a bit about himself :
What are you inspired by?
As a son of immigrants, I've always had a strong influence from a very different culture from where I was born. Through that lens and experience in this incredibly diverse country, I've always been inspired by other unique cultures, customs, art, food, and beverages and how they came to be and how they evolve, adapt and change in a different time and place.
Who in your industry do you admire, and why?
Unlike many in the food and beverage industry, Sugar Water is blessed to work in a unique niche where we are constantly collaborating with people and businesses both inside and outside of the industry. In that same vein, I've always had an admiration for small business owners, but particularly those individuals who choose to take the risk, embody their passion and take a strong morale stance and commit themselves to creating a positive and impactful community for good.
What does community mean to you?
Community is everything, it is the primary foundation of what we do. Our service, in its simplest explanation, is helping small and large communities of people and businesses create a memorable shared experience. Beyond that, I work hard to create our own expressions and experiences in collaboration with the community I've built over the years. It is the most rewarding aspect of what I do and it is what allows Sugar Water to continue to exist and thrive no matter what the situation or circumstance.
What is the inspiration behind this cocktail?
It's gotta be this incredible coffee first and foremost but for all our cocktail creations we primarily draw on seasonality, diversity and community. In this case, a season that inspires intimacy with oneself and with loved ones, ingredients that are unique, far reaching, and impactful, sourced from our favourite local businesses in our community.
These cocktails are meant to warm and stimulate the senses, while celebrating our core values. We start with another unique and stunning Monogram coffee accentuated by beautiful spices from the Silk Road. The coffee is a Natural Anaerobic process from Costa Rica, "La Minilla", that expresses incredibly vibrant and seasonal notes of Christmas cake, strawberry and cinnamon. It is the best kind of tasting adventure and thus inspired our Rum choice. While any good quality Aged Rum will work with the profile of the syrup we created, the one I chose to use was the Plantation Xaymaca, a 100% Pot Still Jamaican Rum. This rum is extremely flavorful with a funky aroma that is quintessential to the Jamaican style, the notes of black banana and flambéed pineapple works incredibly well with the coffee and the spice profile of the syrup. I picked it up from our good friends at Vine Arts.
What role does coffee play in your life?
Coffee has actually been a weirdly foundational part of my entire life and is a large part of the story of my family. We've been running a cafe in downtown Calgary since 1978 and for as long as I can remember I was fascinated and enamoured by this incredibly aromatic product that came from the most foreign and exotic places. It played a huge part in my love of food and beverage, my curiosity of different cultures, and thus played a role in many of the major decisions I've made in my life, from taking International Commerce at school, traveling, studying and working abroad and ultimately starting my own coffee import and export business.
What is your coffee order?
A Black Americano in a short cup, but almost always when I visit Monogram there is a unique feature pour-over or espresso to try and I'm always a sucker for something different. Give it to me straight.
What is your favourite meal, cuisine or snack?
Unsurprisingly I have a deep love of Korean food, in particular Gamjatang which is a spicy soup primarily made with Pork Bones and Potatoes amongst a litany of other vegetables depending on the chef. If you're my Mom or Grandma, whatever veg is about to go bad will make it into the soup. In that same vein I also consume other Soups like Ramen and Pho 3-4 times a week, spicy all day everyday. I'm a stickler for seasoning and I love cuisines that aren't shy of big bold flavours.
What is your favourite cocktail?
Like my food I like big and bold flavours, I'll tend towards the boozier, bitter, and sour cocktails. If I see an amaro on the ingredient list there is a good chance I'll give that a try but especially if there is a weird ingredient or an unexpected combination. I'm down for a good adventure and I'm always the one to sit at the bar and chat up the bartender and let them make something that excites them. Thought that is reserved for great cocktails bars and/or restaurants with great bartenders.
Some examples of some favourites would be a Negroni and all it's variations, the bitter and boozy is my jam and I generally prefer the darker spirits so make it a Boulevardier by subbing the Gin for a good Bourbon. I've also had some beautiful variations that use Amaro instead of Vermouth and Mezcal instead of Gin. I'm a sucker for that smoky, earthy and floral spirit they call Mezcal.
If I want something a little more bright with citrus juice I will go with the boozy and sour Corpse Reviver #2 and all it's variations. Paper Plane that uses Bourbon, Aperol and Amaro Nonino and my go to variation is the Naked and Famous; Mezcal of course with Aperol and Yellow Chartreuse.
What is your favourite ingredient to use?
No favourites really, I like using something unexpected. I love venturing out to unique ethnic shops and specialty grocers like the Lightcellar and Silk Road to find a unique ingredient to experiment and play with. Cause we're always doing one off events and collaborations I'm always playing with creating something unique for the occasion.
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Open Arms (Los Brazos Abiertos)
Build all ingredients in your Shaking Tool of choice and fill with a generous amount of ice. The more ice, the slower the dilution.
We’re shaking to rapidly chill, dilute and combine so you really want to give it your all. Make sure your shaker is sealed nice and tight and that when you're shaking, the ice is hitting each end of your shaking device through each shake. So work that body and those arms hard by shaking vigorously for 7-10 seconds. As a general rule, if a cocktail includes any citrus juice then it is best shaken in order to incorporate air and ultimately create a brighter and more vibrant mouthfeel.
Shaking is a personal and unique style to many bartenders so have fun with it!
Strain into the Coupe/Martini Glass of choice removing any small to large chunks of ice.
Garnish with lime wheel and if you're feeling adventurous ,for added theatre and effect, take a cinnamon stick and burn the tip and place in the drink. It creates a beautiful aroma and smoky depth that accentuates the flavours of the cocktail.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour, and repeat. Please adjust to your preference in strength, sweetness & sour, to each their own.
Warm Embrace (Caluroso Abrazo)
Build all ingredients in a Mixing Glass with ice or directly in your Rocks Glass with ice and stir well until chilled around 10-15 seconds depending how fast. Taste intermittently till your drink is cold and still punchy as it will continue to dilute and smooth our as you sip it. Again, don't be shy with the amount of ice you use!
The purpose of stirring the drink as opposed to shaking is controlling dilution. You’re still chilling and combining, but in a spirit forward drink like this you’re really looking to get the balance right. We want to chill and dilute the spirit to
make an enjoyable drink, but not so much that it takes away from the richness and flavour. When mixing and pouring, try not to disturb the liquid so much where you see bubbles formed, we're going for a smoother and more velvety mouth experience.
If using a Mixing Glass, strain into Rocks Glass filled with fresh ice cubes.
Garnish with Orange Twist, express the oils over top and around the rim and drop it in. Again, if you're feeling adventurous and for added theatre and effect, take a cinnamon stick and burn the tip and place in the drink..
Enjoy the fruits of your labour, and repeat. Please adjust to your preference in strength and sweetness, to each their own.
Follow Sugar Water on social media @sugarwater.bar to see what they are up to, and don't forget to pop by the cafes this month where we will be featuring our collaboration, Monogram x Sugar Water, for the whole month with proceeds going towards Inn from the Cold.
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If you ask any barista to describe what they love about working in a cafe, I can almost guarantee that “community” will be among the top ranked answers. There is something indescribable about the buzz of a full cafe and as a barista, having the unique opportunity to interact with so many individuals, each one with a different story to tell. Coffee inevitably creates conversation, and as you get to know your regulars, you will find out very quickly that this city is fuelled by the creativity, passion and motivation that resides within its residents and something that should be made abundantly clear is the extent of incredible talent in our very own city. We have the privilege of serving some incredible individuals, and we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to them.
Our first Artist Spotlight focuses on Colin Carbonera, and if you visit the Britannia location at any frequency you’ve likely seen him there. Colin has been a loyal Monogram advocate for years, and we are so happy to introduce him to you!
Colin Carbonera is a producer & singer-songwriter based in Calgary, AB. Raised on a wide palette of musical influences, Colin’s work combines the familiarity of organic textures with fresh and relevant sounds. His love for music is underscored by the desire for connection and the role that music itself plays in our relationships and worldview.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Colin plays with a few local acts, including the pop project Rabino. His song “Manic Panic” (Rabino) is currently nominated for The YYC Music Awards Pop Recording of the Year. When he isn’t mixing records or geeking over audio gear, you can find him enjoying his coffee by the river or accidentally stepping on his kids’ LEGO pieces.
(This kid's LEGO pieces ^^)
Jill: What made you decide to pursue art?
Colin: Growing up my parents placed me in piano lessons and did quite a bit to foster a “creative environment” and passion for art (both visual & auditory), but it wasn’t until after I graduated high school that I viewed a career in the arts as a viable option for myself. I think I started out wanting to create the sounds from my favourite albums and that quickly branched out into the fascination of tinkering with infinite sonic possibilities. I knew I wanted to make records for the rest of my life, and the thought of using music & lyrics to connect with listeners on a global scale was and is something that is at the forefront of my “why”.
Who or what have been your biggest inspirations so far to date though your creative journey?
My community— the people around us and our collective stories, pop culture, spirituality & faith, the unknown.
Do you have any rituals, “must haves”, or favourite places you go to for when you work?
No session is ready to go without a cup of coffee (morning/afternoon) or jasmine/rice tea (evening). An essential would have to be one of those coasters that keeps your drink warm— I’m a notoriously slow sipper! Fave place to meet with clients is Monogram Britannia, duh!
You have a lot of talented friends in the music industry around the city, if you could name just one local fave, who are they and why?
I’ve got a lot of love and respect for local singer-songwriter, Wyatt C. Louis. He’s a gifted lyricist and brings something to the table that is uniquely him. Wyatt writes with depth and vulnerability beyond his years, and is able to marry that to a musical performance that invites people in from the first chord strummed. Aside from that, one of the kindest human beings I know.
Oh, good one! We also love Wyatt and his partner just happens to be our amazing assistant manager at our Altadore location (shout out to Kait)!
What is your all time favourite musical artist?
Ms. Lauryn Hill, or maybe Death Cab for Cutie.
Do you have a favourite song that you’ve written or produced?
I do but it’s not out yet. It’s called “Magnolia Winter”, co-produced with my friend Phenix Warren. We tracked all the instruments between his studio, Alta. Sound, and mine, and recorded the vocals at OCL. Have a few vocal kinks to work out but I think it’ll be released by Spring 2021, hopefully sooner!
How many instruments do you play, and do you have a favourite to play?
Five instruments! I think piano is what I naturally gravitate towards; it’s the instrument I’ve spent the most time with.
What is the first song you ever performed?
Probably “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” at my first ever piano recital. But vocally it would have to be the solo from Rent’s “Seasons of Love” in choir, Grade 9.
Rumour has it that you once played the role of Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast in a musical...
Where are your favourite venues in Calgary to watch live music?
Commonwealth / The Palomino, but my favourite setting to watch live music is at an intimate house or backyard show.
What has been your all time favourite concert that you’ve been to?
Can I list two? My wife and I saw Gregory Alan Isakov at Commonwealth, and for his song “The Universe” they turned off all the lights and turned on these illuminated world globes— made for such a beautiful moment. LANY played at MacEwan Hall later that year and that show was everything we wanted it to be.
If you could sit down for coffee with any musician dead or alive, who would that be and why?
I would love to have coffee with George Daniel of The 1975 and pick his brain about production and audio design. I think The 1975 has paved the way for many current bands/artists sonically and lyrically— they have certainly inspired me as a producer and songwriter.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up? If so, can you tell us about them?
My friend, Phenix Warren, and I are currently co-producing Wyatt C. Louis’ debut record. Each session we’ve had has been such a meaningful and creative experience; please keep your eyes & ears open for Wyatt’s release. I’ve also wrapped up post-production for local artist Denise Valle’s upcoming debut EP. This project has been in the works for two years and we’re excited to see it take off. My band Rabino will be releasing some new music soon as well.
How has COVID affected your music? Have you done anything creative during this time that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
When COVID shut everything down, I was mainly focused on my pop project Rabino, and although we weren’t gigging very much we had to cancel our EP release show and all future performances for the foreseeable future. We did a “live” self-distanced performance video of one of the songs off the EP but not much since then.
A few months in, I decided to launch my production company and spend more time helping others record and release their own music. I had already been approaching my music from a global perspective, so not much changed other than having a little more time to dig into my craft, listen, and create. I’ve done a handful of co-writes since COVID happened and it’s a practice I’m (slowly) becoming more comfortable with.
Totally switching gears here...what is your favourite food?
Ah, the hardest question of all! Three-way tie between pho, sushi, and pad thai.
Honestly, I get it - how can you really choose just ONE favourite?! I support this three way tie, all great choices!
Do you make coffee at home? IF so, how?
French press, but my love language is someone making it for me. Haha!
And, last but certainly not least, what is your coffee order?
Oat Milk Condensed Milk Latte (hot or iced) — an iconic drink!
Next time you see Colin sitting in the booth at Britannia, go over and say hi! And, now we all know his drink order so send one his way if you're feeling generous!
Below is the music video for Rabino's nominated song, Manic Panic, make sure to click, watch and enjoy!
You can listen to Rabino's full album on any music streaming platform.
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Colin has been in the kitchen for many of Calgary's best restaurants, including Model Milk, the Raw Bar at Hotel Arts and Catch, successfully running kitchens for many years before moving to work with Sidewalk in 2012.
We love this bright and fresh salad that Colin has created (trust us, we've made it and it is DELICIOUS), and sincerely hope that you all make it soon in your own kitchens. Try it with a glass of our Hopped cold brew, and I'm pretty sure this lunch combo will be your new favourite.
(Summer egg, vegetable and sourdough chopped salad)
Not only is Colin a fantastic chef, but he is a Monogram regular! We asked him some questions, and here is what he had to say!
What are you inspired by?
I'm always inspired by going to farmers markets to see what produce is in peak season. Seeing all of the shapes, colours and textures that are available to work with right in front of your eyes always gets my creativity going.
Who in your industry do you admire, and why?
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Like the rest of us, the unexpected interruption known as COVID-19, has completely changed the trajectory of the year. COVID-19 has absolutely affected the globe in many ways both known and unknown, and did not show mercy on the coffee industry. Its effects have been deep and widespread, far beyond the temporary modification of service, or closures of cafes. The effect that this pandemic has had on our friends in producing countries has been life changing, and we had the opportunity to chat with Daniela Rodriguez of Agricafe about the effects that COVID-19 has had (and will continue to have) on them.
Allow me to introduce you to Daniela, she was born in Bolivia and is the second generation in her family business, Agricafe. She is in charge of all the quality control, sales and exports of their coffees.
(Left: Daniela Rodriguez)
Daniela graciously agreed to chat with me and here is what she had to say:
How is Bolivia different from other coffee nations?
Bolivian coffee is different from other coffee nations in many aspects.
In terms of environment, Bolivia has a unique terroir and amazing climatic conditions to grow coffee and land/space to grow more coffee. These conditions make Bolivian coffees very unique in terms of flavor, the coffees are very elegant, yet fruity, exotic, & very sweet. The coffee plantations are located in the amazon surrender by wild forest and inhabitant land. We are so lucky for the rich soil and the altitudes that we have that we only have to polish the coffee diamonds that Bolivia soil produce.
Nevertheless, Bolivia faces many obstacles. First of all, coffee is not being produced in big quantities as in other coffee origins such as Brazil. Everything is done by hand – picking, pruning, hand selection of cherry etc. Additionally, pickers and workers on the farms are only Bolivians which sometimes makes it hard to find enough people to help during harvest season.
Also, Bolivia is a coffee origin with no port. This makes exports a bit more challenging, because coffees have to be transported to Chile first, before being able to ship them. The roads in Bolivia are complicated even though the distance between places is not far, due to the bad roads it takes a lot of time to move and transport things. It is super difficult to find products or equipment for the coffee industry like fertilizers, pulpers, dryers, coffee bags we have to import direct from suppliers worldwide. The coffee industry is so small and does not exist a strong coffee federation that support the coffee producers. The most difficult part for us is the political and social instability that Bolivia has.
How has Bolivia reacted and done through COVID-19? What have been the challenges?
Bolivia started pretty late. The first case was detected in March and the reaction has been an immediate lockdown of the country, when there were only 15 people infected. This reaction is directly linked to the medical system in Bolivia, because it is well known, that not enough ICU or even hospital beds would be available to face a very critical medical situation.
Unfortunately, Bolivia is also very fragile economically, which is why many people were not able to go by the rules of the strict lock down, and the virus continued to spread. Until now, Bolivia has reached around 100,000 infected people, a critical situation of collapsing hospitals. Some of the main challenges are:
Educations and beliefs: Many people don’t believe the virus is a real thing and hence, they don’t take the necessary precautions but of course, continue spreading the virus.
Economic situation: In Bolivia, many many people live by the day. This means, that they will only be able to eat and sustain a family if they go out and work. As this is the case for the biggest part of the population, the lockdown has not been followed as it should’ve ideally been to stop the virus from spreading.
Political Issues: As Bolivia is currently being run by an interim president, many people, especially those who still follow the former presidents party, are showing big discomfort. They are demanding an official date for new elections and in order to put pressure on the government, they have already been blocking the streets throughout the country for over a week now. This does not only make it impossible for trucks to transport food from one city to another, but also to bring medical supply and oxygen to hospitals. This is making the situation even more critical. Many people/ babies have died due to the lack of oxygen in the hospitals available. Hospitals are closing because the oxygen that they have will not be enough and they do not have enough medicine. Doctors can not got to the hospitals because the streets are blocked and public transportation is not working. It is crazy.
With the state of the market, can coffee pickers, etc. make a sustainable living? If not, why not...in your opinion?
The coffee market in Bolivia is complicated. Due to a traditional farm management (with no prevention or else) farmers started to abandon their lands, as the rust took over many coffee plants and the production was not enough (in terms of quantity) to make a sustainable living. People started working other Jobs as truck drivers or started planting other crops like coca. This all ended up in a serious drop of coffee production in Bolivia in the last decade. In order to keep coffee production up, Agricafe founded the program Sol De La Mañana, which is a mentoring program for producers in the region. They learn everything from seedling, starting a nursery, pruning and manage their finances. This program has helped many farmers to reach a sustainable level of living. As these farmers usually work on their land as a family, they are also in charge of picking, so yes! These producers specifically are making a sustainable living now, with our program. That is based on quality and volume.
Who makes up coffee farmers & workers in Bolivia? Uniquely Bolivians? Are there people from neighbouring countries?
In Bolivia, farmers and workers are mainly Bolivians. Due to the fact that Bolivia has a quite small population (11 million) for the big land, this makes it a challenge during harvest season to find enough workers to help picking!! The coffee farms are small from 2-4 hec due to small population exist just a few people that produce coffee.
(Choqueuanca family, Sol de la mañana)
With so many specialty coffee companies and roasters closing and reducing their capacities all over the world, how has this impacted you?
The economy is very fragile now and I think we are all being affected.
What I say: We ALL are in the same storm, but everybody is in a different boat (dealing with different things). In Develop countries the government is supporting business, unemployed people and will help to reactivate the economy. But we leave in developing countries where those measures are impossible. The Health system is terrible Bolivia only has 200 Units for 11 Million people. The bonus that the government gave to help families was $70 monthly for 4-5 members. In Bolivia does not exist a bonus for unemployment.
How would you describe the atmosphere where you are? How are people adapting to this new way of life?
Now, I am in Caranavi. Here the reality is very different. Some people do not believe that the virus is truth, so they do not use masks.
We are still under quarantine on the weekends. The only hospital is already collapsed, and doctors are not attending other emergencies. It is super scary because you know that you are alone that going to the hospital is not an option.
What sort of practical measures have you had to implement on the farms for COVID risk prevention?
During harvest time we work with 500 pickers. In Caranavi and Samaipata we built in two weeks a camp for 80 people in the farms. In order to at least have 80 people picking every day. We had to implement all the biosecurity measures in all our facilities, and it has required a lot of investment that was not budget. We had to buy private insurances to all our employees due to the public health that we as a company also pay was collapsed. We had to rent a private car to drive the workers to the mill. And we had donate equipment to the hospital in Caranavi and in Samaipata.
During the pandemic we have all had to adjust to this new normal. Many companies have taken this opportunity to focus on different aspects of their company and have become quite creative in order to survive.
Has there been any new initiatives or ideas that have been born during this time for you? If so, are you able to share that with us?
Yes, it is the first time in all my coffee time that I had the time to stay in just one place and work in many things (mill/ lab) that I did not have the time because usually from July to October is nonstop with clients / visitors. My brother Pedro Pablo and I are doing a lot of new process this harvest we had the time” to play” more with the coffee.
What are you excited about right now? What can we look forward to from you?
Process and varieties.
Last year we did a lot of trials, and this year we are applying the experience to process bigger lots. We are getting very interesting results.
Has the international coffee community helped Bolivia at all? Are they doing enough?
Yes, we have many roasters with whom we are working more than 8 years and they have been supporting us and the Sol de La Mañana program. Thanks to them we have been able to survive in the worst time in the Bolivia coffee industry when the production every year was going down and down.
This year that is a super hard year for Bolivia, Monogram has organized a donation to buy masks for all the producers of Sol De La Mañana.
What is something amazing about Bolivia and Bolivians people should know?
We like to call Bolivia, the heart of South America. Bolivia is an unique and amazing country full of warm hearted people! Bolivian people are happy and friendly people. It is super diverse in terms of people, culture, flora, fauna, climate, food and much more.
Bolivia is a very virgin country, where you get to live nature at its fullest and the landscapes are truly breathtaking, wherever you go. It is huge for the small population that exist, many inhabit land that you can be driving hours and you will not see houses, people just wild land. It is the southwest latitude 18 degrees S country that produce specialty coffee. To go to the farms we start at 5,000 meters (Andes mountains ) down to 1,500 masl.
The biggest salt flats in the world are in Bolivia, and that is just something to start with ☺
How can western coffee companies/roasters/enthusiasts help make your end of the business better?
We believe that western coffee companies, roasters or enthusiasts can help make our end of the business better by learning about the story behind each coffee. When people know the story, the effort and all the work that lies behind one cup of coffee, they will engage more with the origin, the people and their work.
When they know a story, they will enjoy the cup of coffee even more, and they will be willing to spend the money the coffee costs without hesitating. Because they will know it’s worth it.
Also, they might start building a long term relationship with a producer, and that is what makes the difference in the end. Because in a long term relationship, the support will be given in good times, but also in times of struggle which is when it is most needed.
(Luis Choqueuanca, Sol de la Mañana)
Thank you, Daniela, for sharing your story with us, we are huge fans of both the outstanding coffee and the work that Agricafe is doing in Bolivia.
Keep your eyes open for the beautiful coffees that we have the pleasure of serving in our cafes and as whole bean offerings. Ask your barista for their favourites, or even better, try them all!
Keep up to date with what is happening with Agricafe and follow them on instagram, @agricafebolivia or for more information, check out their website .
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