A&E Coffee & Tea Blog | Learn About Our Coffee Company

May 12, 2016

Cocafelol: Case Study 3

Cocafelol is committed to the advancement of women Meet Delmy. She’s a force of a woman. She is the logistics manager for Cocafelol Cooperativa in Ocotepeque, Honduras near the El Salvador boarder. The co-op is very progressive in hiring women ...

April 18, 2016

Capucas: Case Study 2

You may recognize the name “Capucas” from the Honduran coffee we often carry at A&E Roastery. Cafe Capucas is a coffee cooperative of farmers in the mountainous region of Capucas, Honduras. Our visit to Capucas reminded us of just how much the ...

April 7, 2016

The Health Inspector just showed up!

“The Health Inspector just showed up!” There is a rush of customers in the cafe; a newly trained barista is on bar; the bathroom is out of toilet paper AND the health inspector just walked in. If this has not happened to you and you own ...

April 1, 2016

Coffee Culture on the Mountainside

Our coffee ambassador When Emeran and I visited La Voz Coffee Cooperativa along the shore of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, we had the privilege of being guided up the Nariz mountainside by a coffee farmer named Erwin. Erwin was the type of person who ...

March 29, 2016

Case Study 1: La Voz Cooperativa

We are back from our origin trip and cannot wait to share information about the coffee growers we met in Guatemala and Honduras. This case study focuses on La Voz Cooperativa, a Guatemalan co-op which was almost destroyed by corruption ten years ago, ...

March 11, 2016

TDS Relates to Quality in Coffee

TDS (total dissolved solids) has been a litmus test for coffee brewing for decades. The Coffee Brewing Handbook is still the recommended guide. However, it is seldom used on the ground level in cafe/restaurant settings (pun intended). TDS is a direct ...

Beans can be roasted lightly to make coffee bean flour.

March 4, 2016

Coffee Bean Flour {Treat yourself}

Something green is cooking at A&E Coffee beans? Well, yes. Always. Right now I’m referring to coffee beans that are left a little more green and then used in baking. Dan Perlman, a Brandeis professor, recently discovered a way to use lightly ...

February 26, 2016

Cafe Make-Over

Our Amherst cafe is getting a make-over in the near future. We have morphed our space many times over the years and we are about to update again. This time, we are focusing mainly on the sitting area, which we lovingly call the Sun Porch. Quality ...

February 11, 2016

Raising a Quality Employee

This is my son, Coulter Shaw Langmaid. He is 12 and in 7th grade. Coult is a great kid, and that is a completely unbiased assessment. Just ask any teacher. He has his moments, as we all do, but in general, he has been easy to raise. Let me preface by ...

February 5, 2016

Cold Brew – the science, the art

Cold brew coffee has been gaining traction throughout the coffee industry over the past few years. It’s famous for its smooth, rich, non-acidic flavor. Select cafes across the country are now serving it on a nitrogen tap, as a Guinness beer ...

February 1, 2016

Specials for February at A&E

The key words this month are floral and spice. What is the best way to deal with the winter doldrums? Spice it up! What is the best way to dream of springtime? Bring in the rose and lavender. We are not messing around with these specials. Come by our ...

January 28, 2016

Coffee Acid: Friend or Foe?

I see many customers come into the café requesting a coffee with low acidity. It is clear that coffee acid can upset people’s stomachs, producing symptoms like acid reflux. For years we have recommended our Kona, with its perceptibly smooth lack of ...