Simple Measure

It was a busy weekend. Revelers descended on the city, eager to gaze at the green river and gleefully down pint after pint of questionably colored beer.

While downtown churned with parade watchers, my neighborhood was blissfully quiet. Nope, not a shamrock or green plastic leprechaun hat in sight.

Phew. The peace was something to be thankful for, since Jereme and I had to buckle down and crank out some copy for a local non-profit.

We’ve got a deadline and a website to fill — the kind of project that calls for some serious fuel. Time to break out the French press and my own little bag of black gold: Vermont Coffee Company’s Dark blend.

I got this little import as reward for a cat-sitting stint awhile back. Returning from a trip home to Vermont, my friend presented me with a stash of my favorite beans, so thoughtfully tucked away in his carry-on bag.

I’ll admit, I sniffed out the surprise the minute I walked into the room. That rich aroma is a dead giveaway — so strong that one bag will make your apartment smell like a coffeehouse for days.

This is by far my favorite brew of those I encountered in Vermont — and believe me, I tried ‘em all. When Megan and I journeyed back to Maine, we’d always make an early morning stop by the Co-op to grab a couple steamy cups and a bag of the beans to take with us.

No surprise, Vermont Coffee Co. was a hit at home. Our stepfather is also a BIG coffee fanatic. In fact, it’s hard to imagine him without a mug in hand, or at least one resting precariously on the floor of his pickup truck as he bounces down the dirt road to our house. Once he tried a cup of this blend, we didn’t make another trip home to Maine without a bag or two in tow.

Back in Chicago, and sipping a mug of Vermont Coffee Co. for the first time in a year and a half, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend.

I always drink my coffee black — well, almost always. There are those occasional run ins with brutal gas station or diner joe needing the forgiveness of a little cream and sugar. But I’d never disrespect a blend this good with the white stuff. Roastmaster Paul Ralston isn’t kidding around when he says this coffee is meant for people “who like to brew it STRONG.”

Dark and powerfully robust, this coffee is almost magically smooth, drinkable to the end with no hint of bitterness.

And with a friend like this in my corner over the busy weekend, it was no trouble getting the brain fired up and the copy flowing.