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Recipe: Crio Brü Mexican Mocha

Posted by Terri Voltz on May 5, 2012 at 4:29am

Here is a delicious chocolaty recipe for an iced Mexican mocha. This is a variation of a popular recipe served at my coffee shop. The original recipe was a hot drink which combined espresso, chocolate sauce, milk and spices. Some customers liked this drink so much, it became their regular, and they continued ordering it through the summer as an iced drink.

I have created a similar recipe that substitutes the espresso and chocolate sauce with Crio Brü brewing cocoa.

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Crio Brü Coca River brewing cocoa
1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
Splash of cream or half-n-half

Directions

Place all ingredients into a 32 ounce French Press.
Fill with boiling water
Stir
Wait 20 minutes, stir again
Press and refrigerate the Crio Brü mixture

Place 8 ounces of the chilled Crio Brü mixture in a shaker
Add a splash of cream
Shake
Pour into ice-filled glass
Top drink with a touch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper
Serve and enjoy! Ole!

Optional: Prepare glass with a combination of crushed chocolate covered Crio Beans and Sugar in the Raw; use ice cubes made with brewed cocoa.

Recipe: Crio Brü Mexican Mocha

Posted by Terri Voltz on May 5, 2012 at 4:14am

I have created a similar recipe that substitutes the espresso and chocolate sauce with Crio Brü brewing cocoa.

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Crio Brü Coca River brewing cocoa
1/4 cup Sugar in the Raw
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
Splash of cream or half-n-half

Directions

Place all ingredients into a 32 ounce French Press.
Fill with boiling water
Stir
Wait 20 minutes, stir again
Press and refrigerate the Crio Brü mixture

Place 8 ounces of the chilled Crio Brü mixture in a shaker
Add a splash of cream
Shake
Pour into ice-filled glass
Top drink with a touch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper
Serve and enjoy! Ole!

Optional: Prepare glass with a combination of crushed chocolate covered Crio Beans and Sugar in the Raw; use ice cubes made with brewed cocoa.

What makes Guatemalan Coffee so Special?

Posted by Josue Morales on November 30, 2010 at 8:44am

http://cafedeguatemala.blogspot.com/

Road to Coffee Plantations. Quiché.

Guatemala is known all over the world for its wonderful scenery, its diverse culture, but above all, for its excellent coffee!

By. Josue Morales

But what exactly is it that makes Guatemala's Coffee so special? To understand Guatemalan Coffee, one must understand Guatemala first. The name "Guatemala" comes from the ancient mayan meaning "land of many trees." Which only helps describe even better the nature of coffee growing in this country where 98% of coffee is shade grown. Using shade is an agricultural practice that provides priceless nurture to coffee plants, it provides the perfect natural setting for coffee to be grown under unique land and climate factors. The main

natural occurring influences in coffee are:

HIGH ALTITUDES: The finest coffee in Guatemala is cultuvated between 4,300 and 6,500 feet above sea level. Which are extremely high altitudes at which coffee production may only be achieved by shade forests and our next factor.

Burning flame at Coffea Roasters Guatemala.

MORE THAN 300 MICROCLIMATES: In a relatively small geographical area, 108,889 square kilometers, this can only be explained by the many geogrphic influences present in Guatemala such as a large number of Volcanoes, vast Crater Lakes, High Plateaus and Ranges, along with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. All combine to create significant flavor differences among the different coffee regions in this country.

CONSISTENT RAINFALL PATTERNS: Annual rainfall in Guatemala ranges between 32 and 200, and constitutes our third natural factor in coffee excellence. Rain in Guatemala is not only plentiful, but in many ways predictable. With a heavy rainy that provides perfect development conditions for the coffee plant, with an added value of atleast one heavy rain in summer that allows for the coffee flower to blossom.

Clouds over Guatemala City.

The Guatemalan Experience (Part 1)

Posted by Josue Morales on November 9, 2010 at 10:21am

http://cafedeguatemala.blogspot.com/

Lake Atitlán, Sololá. Guatemala.

Welcome to paradise, I thought, as I contemplated in awe the remarkable phenomenon

a sunset constitutes while in Lake Atitlán. As I stood amongst coffee trees in

the middle of the plantation I felt the urge to remain a permanent part in that
figure of vanishing history, but the thunder in the distance was a constant
reminder that galloping down the muddy road was the best way of staying alive.
As I ran towards the shore the burst of the smell of fresh flowers was
intoxicating, invading the atmosphere as the winds from Xocomil blew in my face
shouting a call of imminent rain. I splashed my boots on the rocky shore and
tied a rope to my boat as the engine wouldn't start. Way back will have to be
uphill on the slope of the San Pedro, and it had gotten dark. My hike was a
difficult one, as I covered my face with my arms while searching amongst the
darkness.

Tired and hungry my arms reached around me and finally pulled a couple of

cherries from a coffee tree. As the fruity felling entered my tongue I felt assured and a
little less frightened. A splash of sweet and slimy elixir invaded my mouth as
my teeth carved into the cherry and my tongue played around with a couple of
beans wrapped in humid parchment. I was about to place the second cherry in my
mouth when, at some distance a shrine engulfed by trees shone in campfire wood.
I made my way slowly around the rocks and was heartbroken when arriving at the
spot understood it had been recently deserted. Moments later once again I saw a
light amongst the bourbons, and this time ran as well as I could towards it in
the night. Entering a small clearing surrounded by coffee trees I saw the dim
fire. The small circle washed in red tones reflected by coffee cherries was
cool, and as much I longed for heat, there was none coming out of that fire. At
the base of the coffee trees I could see the shapes of dimly lit yellow
rabbits. Alarm shocks ran through my body building up on the knowledge of
ancient legends from this country. I had given a couple of steps back when my
back pushed against a branch. Although that was no branch and this was no
ordinary night. As I turned around, a deer stood with its head between the
branches of the catuai in front of me. It stared with human eyes as the fire
that made an effort to burn in that isolated spot in the plantation, erupted
towards the sky in thousands of splintered fragments of light. The heatless
concentration had been formed by fireflies that now spread through the whole
forest. As the deer and I ran in opposite directions the small glowing bugs
where all around me, on my eyes, on my hands and body making me glow with them.
I was shaking them off and running downhill, if only I could reach the shore
I'd be safe! When at last half my body was inside the lake, I no longer could
see the fireflies. They were now inside the lake, dancing beneath the subtle
waves but completely transformed. No longer bugs but the mimic of the stars
reflected on the water.

To be continued...

Cesar Noe Castro Cacao visits El Salvador and trains Salvadoran Baristas for New Coffee Shop Opening in September 09

Posted by Jonathan Rodriguez on August 1, 2009 at 8:00pm

¡Noe Castro Cacao visits El Salvador, Central America!Noe Castro Cacao, International Barista professional, with more than 8 years experience, came to El Salvador and trained Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V.'s personnel.La Libertad, El Salvador, Central America, Friday 31st of July 2009 – Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. is preparing to open the doors of its new Coffee Shop in El Salvador, Central America. “ We’ve put a lot of effort into this project and have decided to open in September 09. We’ve been training almost 8 to 10 hours daily for 4 months now. Our main objective is to serve our clients the best cup of coffee they’ve ever tasted, without having to rely on only one Barista serving it,” confirmed Mr. Jonathan Rodríguez, President of Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V.Noe Castro Cacao, prestigious Barista, with more than eight years experience, known worldwide for his numerous jobs and almost 5 years experience in national and international competitions, was invited over by Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. to El Salvador, Central America. During the week of July 27th 09, for four exhausting and consecutive days, Noe trained the Baristas for opening day. “We had the honor of meeting Noe on a business trip in his natal country, and for the first time we are pleased to have him visit El Salvador,” says Mr. Rodríguez.“Barista Coach” nicknamed by Zegsa’s personnel won the 2006 Barista Championship of Guatemala and had the amazing experience of representing his country for the World Barista Championship held that same year in Tokyo, Japan. He had to compete with almost 45 Baristas from different nations! In 2007, during national competition, he won the title for “Best Espresso”.During the intense Barista training of four days, Noe shared all of his experiences, motivations and knowledge, of more than 8 years fully into and passionate about this industry. “Noe is an authentic professional, we wanted to discover our potential and it was him who woke it up out of each and every one of us, we are glad he could join us and are thankful for everything he’s done.”What motivated Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. to invite Noe to El Salvador was the need to reach their main objective. “ With Noe’s help, we reached our goal!” said Mr. Rodríguez.The name of the new coffee Shop is a surprice to be revealed later and over the Internet in Facebook or Barista Exchange. However, Mr. Rodriguez did tell us, it would be located on the secondfloor of Centro Comercial Plaza Merliot, (Plaza Merliot Mall) at La Libertad, El Salvador.Mr. Rodriguez did not forget to mention, “It has taken us more than 8 months of trainings, searching for the right information, being patient and preparing the right way to reach the level we are at right now, we're making sure to be different. We will always support El Salvador’s Coffee and its going to be our only ingredient, for any coffee beverage our Baristas prepare our clients.”To be one of the first to find out the latest Coffee News, publications and be able to meet the Salvadoran Baristas who will work in Zegsa’s New Coffee Shop, or if you want to know more about what happened during training with Noe Castro, look for them in Facebook or Barista Exchange as Barista-Pro and add them as friends.Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V., formally invites everyone to await our news of the upcoming events for opening day; 100% made in El Salvador.

Ingredients

Directions

Ingredients

Directions

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.