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Drink Mon Nov 05 2007
A cup of cheer
My fiancee and I finally replaced our broken coffee pot, and our timing couldn't be better: this week, seasonal, holiday-inspired coffee blends hit the shelves at coffe shops across the city.
We've lived within walking distance of the Caribou Coffee at Ashland and School for six years. Favorite baristas have come and gone, but the Reindeer Blend remains our wintertime ritual. The "serious coffee with a playful name" is a blend of aged Sumatra, Indonesian and Columbian beans, creating a rich brew with hints of caramel and spice. It's in stores this Thursday, and I fully expect to enjoy a steaming cup on Friday morning.
If you can't wait until Thursday for your cup of cheer, Intelligentsia's Celebration Blend arrives in stores Tuesday. The coffee has hints of red currants, caramel, citrus peel, molasses, clove and cinnamon -- warm and fuzzy fuel for Christmas gift shopping.
If you're a Starbucks fan, you can get yours Wednesday, and you have options. Choose the Christmas Blend or the more neutrally named Holiday Blend, which also comes in decaf. Both pair well with gingerbread cookies, according to Starbucks' Web site, so either way you can't go wrong.
David Demaree / November 8, 2007 7:35 AM
Yeah, both Starbucks Christmas Blend and Holiday Blend ought to pair equally well with gingerbread cookies -- because they're the same coffee sold under two different names. Personally, I wonder why they don't just call it Holiday Blend and skip the 'Christmas' branding altogether. Maybe they decided that would make too much sense.