Just 13 days after hurricane Eta reached Central America, Iota hit Nicaragua and with Cat 4 hurricane. As it worked its way inland massive rains created flash flooding and landslide through out the region. The village of Chel is one of several towns The Coffee …
September 29 What are we celebrating? If you look at the National Day calendar, you will see many obscure items that are celebrated. For instance as I write this, today is national vocabulary day… A pretty boring celebration compared to say National Donut Day! If …
Discover how Food is Free ABQ is helping our community
Thomas Isole’ from Trifecta Coffee Company got a chance to sit down with Erin Garrison, Co-Founder of FIFABQ.org and see how they are coping as things have shifted in our world. New Mexico has undergone a shelter-in condition due to COVID-19. Everyone has seen dramatic changes in their lives, we at Trifecta Coffee Company are grateful to be open and be able to serve many who still need to get out occasionally and those who work in the essential areas that serve our city, so we were really glad to hear that Erin and her team has been super busy finding new ways to get portable gardens delivered to many people throughout the city. Please watch the video of our interview with Erin and hear the passion in what FIFABQ.org is doing right here in our backyard. They definitely need resources and help so please reach out and contact them they are looking at solving big problems and need you to join in the overall awareness of the issues about getting fresh and healthy food to everyone. Some of you reading this may even need assistance so please reach out to us for help.
Garden boxes and self watering pots
Our accessible garden
This project with FIFABQ.org is still happening even though we need to keep social contact to a minimum. But after listening to Erin and seeing every day how people will be effected by COVID-19. Trifecta Coffee Company is more committed than ever to get involved in ensuring that fresh healthy food is not a privilege but a simple human right. Please join us as we figure out how together we can make a difference.
phase 1 of accessible garden
Due to Covid-19 We were not able to help out but the folks from FIFABQ.org got the raised beds built and planted. Hopefully we will get to help out later this summer to help with landscaping and pathways.
Grateful for everyone’s help… Thomas Isole’ and Lee Sanders…
talking with Lee about his approach to the bakery side of Trifecta, he has a simple answer: start with less, do that right, and then build. If you walk into Trifecta today you’ll see a bakery counter filled to the brim with scones, cookies, cakes, …
Fall is in full swing and our new Fall Cocktail Menu is here to carry you through the season. Our barista, Jon, has worked hard experimenting and developing these drinks over the last couple months and we’re excited to share them with you! Orange Spice …
For National Coffee day check out some live interviews as Bill Fishbein interviews roasters around the country who are committed to many projects that are in support of the coffee farmer and their families. #connectovercoffee
In terms of the quality and care put into our craft, we treat every day like it’s National Coffee Day at Trifecta. Therefore, we’re focusing our attention this weekend on our partnership with The Coffee Trust, a Santa Fe based non-profit organization working with coffee …
In February 2018, Trifecta co-owner Thomas Isole visited Guatemala with The Coffee Trust. This gave him the opportunity to see the work of The Coffee Trust in action and gain greater awareness of the challenges facing coffee farmers. Thomas began working with The Coffee Trust …
As we gear up for National Coffee Day at Trifecta, we want to make sure we celebrate more than pristine latte art and perfect pour overs. This is a chance to celebrate coffee as a whole, from the farms across the world to the baristas crafting each drink to the cup of coffee in your hand.
Thomas Isole, co-owner and roaster
Last week we kicked things off by sharing our stories of when we fell in love with coffee. This week, we’re looking at the backbone of everything we do here at Trifecta?roasting. In the coming weeks we’ll look at how the farmers across the world make what we do possible as well as our work with The Coffee Trust to create sustainable change in coffee growing communities.
Typically, the first thing people notice when they walk into Trifecta is the warmth and aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans permeating the shop. Rightly so, it’s the heart of what we do. Which is why it’s somewhat surprising that Thomas Isole, co-owner of Trifecta, didn’t set out to roast coffee.
Originally I wanted to own and operate a coffee shop, Thomas said.
In February of 2007, Thomas’ cousin Neil took him on a two day tour of the Seattle coffee scene. Their first stop was the Caffe Umbria roastery.
They were the same folks who founded Torrefazione Italia,” Thomas said. “After seeing their amazing roastery and tasting their espresso I knew on the spot that I would need to roast my own coffee. I needed to get involved in selecting the green coffee and how I would roast it. I even profiled my espresso from memory to be similar to Caffe Umbria. In a way Umbria has been my silent mentor for years, unbeknownst to them.
A few months after visiting Caffe Umbria, Thomas started roasting coffee in his garage. Eventually he moved to Fat Boy Cafe in Cedar Crest, where he roasted from 2008 to 2012. He then roasted in Tijeras until forming Trifecta in 2015. Those years spent perfecting the craft of roasting, first in a garage and then in the east mountains, are what shine through in each pound of coffee, each shot of espresso, and each cup of freshly brewed coffee.
In the last year, I have worked hard to bring good coffees to the shop, but more importantly I’ve strived to ensure that the price the farmer receives is above well above the fair trade floor price.”
Thomas Isole
Just as roasting grew out of Thomas’ desire to own a coffee shop, his partnership with The Coffee Trust and advocacy for coffee farmers was a natural extension of the work he did in order to roast beans.
When you have to move 135-152 pound bags of coffee you have to imagine what is happening back at the farm, Thomas said. When a fresh crop comes in you can literally smell the green off the unroasted beans. Everything has a story, the jute bags they use and the various logos and symbols on the bags all become part of the connection.
All of it it makes you ask more questions. I talk to my primary coffee broker weekly about coffees available and continually the farmer is the center point of these conversations. Once I started to work with The Coffee Trust, it only heightened my interest and concerns specific to the farmer. The coffee in a way has become a secondary conversation.?
For Thomas, it’s not simply about getting the best coffee. It’s about getting the best coffee in the right way.
In the last year, I have worked hard to bring good coffees to the shop, but more importantly I’ve strived to ensure that the price the farmer receives is well above the fair trade floor price, Thomas said. This year the C Future for coffee is way too low, as we search for quality coffee we also have forged strong transparent partnerships with coffee brokers who care about the farmers as well.
Every time I get a new origin or different co-operative or farm in is always exciting. Our staff is always right there ready to profile and describe the new coffees and our customers are always enjoying the journey. We see a lot of smiles at Trifecta, and it is infectious.”
Every cup of coffee tells a story — a story about the farmers across the world who make their living cultivating coffee, about the baristas who ensure each cup is artfully crafted before handing it across the counter, and about the people who connect over …