Mag's Coffee Shop Blog

Coffee of Guatemala - Antigua

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Antigua, Guatemala sits in a highland valley, surrounded by three volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Every once in a while, Fuego, one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes, adds a fresh dusting of mineral-rich ash to Antigua’s soil. Volcanic pumice in the soil retains moisture, which helps offset Antigua’s low rainfall. In Antigua, shade is especially dense to protect the coffee plants from the region’s occasional frost.
Antigua has long been recognized for growing the highest quality coffees in the world.

Antigua coffee is internationally renowned for its unique characteristics: fragrance and lingering aroma, slight sweetness, clean and pleasant.
It's climate, high altitude, fertile volcanic soils and traditional farming practices contribute to the making of the world’s finest coffee. This is a coffee that perfectly combines body, flavor and aroma.
Most Guatemalan coffee farmers produce Arabica beans on small plots of land and continue to use the traditional growing techniques of their ancestors.

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Coffee of Guatemala - Huehuetenango

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Guatemala is a country with some of the most majestic and high mountain ranges, a diversity of rich soils, and ideal rainfall patterns.
The combination of such varied microclimates produce genuine differences in a cup of coffee. Guatemalan coffee is arguably the crown jewel of Central America coffees.

There are basically eight coffee-producing regions in Guatelama, based on geographic location, climate and coffee characteristics. Of the three non-volcanic regions, Huehuetenango (way-way-ten-nang-o) is the highest and driest under cultivation. Huehuetenango coffee is grown in the highland regions of northern Guatemala (approaching 6,000 feet above sea level or more), producing perhaps the most distinguished Guatemalan coffee.

It is often considered the best in the country overall. Huehuetenango is a region of abundant rainfall, a predictable dry season, and well drained volcanic soil. The hot winds that blow into the mountains from Mexico's Tehuantepec plain, protect this region from frost.

The extreme remoteness of Huehuetenango virtually requires all producers to process their own coffee. Fortunately, the region has an almost infinite number of rivers and streams, so a mill can be placed almost anywhere. Huehuetenango coffee is processed carefully by hand.
Properly roasted coffee beans from the mountains of Huehuetenango produce a cup profile that is fine, with intense acidity and a full body with pleasant wine notes.

Mag's Coffee Shop, after months of tasting coffee from around the globe, selected the organic, Fair Trade coffee from the mountains of Huehuetenango as our "Splendora" house coffee.

The coffee forests of Guatemala improve the environment, protecting the soil, biodiversity, and water resources. They change people's lives by creating opportunities, providing learning experiences, and building better communities.

Characteristics of an Effective Business Website

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:01:00 +0000

Appearance

Your business website is a reflection of your business, your products and your services. Since we only get one chance to make a first impression, your website must be visually appealing and professional. Appearance characteristics of an effective business website include.

Proper Use of Color
Text that can be easily read
Meaningful Graphics

Content

Visitors come to your business website looking for information on which to make a decision. Content with substance will increase your visitors' confidence in your business and your products. Elements of effective website content include:

Short and organized
Appropriate use of graphics
Speak to your visitors

Usability

Your website visitors must be able to "use" your website. It must be easy to read, navigate, and understand. Some key usability elements of an effective business website include:

Simplicity and organization
Pages that load quickly
Prominent navigation links
Consistent layout

We have over 12 years experience in graphic and web design. At Mag's Coffee Inc., we know how to build a website that not only promotes your products and services, but also reflects the true personality of your business.

Different Types of Espresso Drinks

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Going into a coffee shop can be a traumatic experience, with all the different types of coffee drinks listed on the menu. We don’t have a problem ordering hot or iced regular coffee, but deciding which type of espresso beverage to order can bring out the anxiety.
It is important to understand, espresso beans are the same as any other coffee bean. The difference comes in the roasting process and there are many names given to espresso drinks which oftentimes have only minute differences.

Espresso
Espresso is sold in coffee shops by the “shot”. Espresso is brewed by forcing very hot water, under pressure, through finely ground coffee beans. A perfect shot of espresso will have three distinct parts or sections; the crema, the body, and the heart. It is the crema, the light brown layer on the top that contains the flavor of espresso. If the shot doesn’t have crema, it will taste bitter.
Americano
An Americano is made by simply adding hot water to the brewed espresso shot. This makes the drink taste stronger than regular brewed coffee, but not as strong as the straight espresso.
Red Eye or Black Eye
For those who are brave, a cup of freshly brewed regular coffee can be supercharged by adding one or more shots of espresso.

Latte
The term latte comes from the Italian “caffe latte”, meaning “coffee and milk”. It is not uncommon to visit the local coffee shop and order a latte, knowing that we would get a hot espresso beverage with steamed milk. If we were in Italy and ordered a latte, we would get just a glass of milk. Like any other espresso based drink, a latte can be made with 2%, skim, almond or soy milk, depending on a person’s individual preference. A latte can be flavored with any flavoring available at your local coffee shop. So, if you just order a latte, you will get espresso and milk. If you want a vanilla latte, you had better ask for that.
Breve
A breve is a latte with the only difference being that half and half milk is steamed and mixed with the brewed espresso.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is an Italian term meaning “small cap”. In the United States, a cappuccino is basically a latte with a lot more milk froth on top. Some people order either a “wet cappuccino” or “dry cappuccino, neither of which is correct terminology, but what they mean is they want either more milk than froth or more
froth than milk. In actuality, when you order a “dry cappuccino”, you are really ordering a latte.

Mocha
Contrary to popular belief, Mocha is not an Italian word. Caffe Mocha gets its name from the town of Mocha, Yemen. This Red Sea coastal town was once a dominant exporter of coffee. A mocha is no more that a latte with chocolate flavoring. This espresso beverage can be either hot, as a frappe, or over ice. It is a great tasting beverage with either dark or white chocolate or a combination of both.
Frappe
A frappe, or just "frap", is a cold espresso based beverage made by combining the espresso with 2%, skim, almond or soy milk and flavoring in a blending jar and blending the mixture with ice cubes. A frappe is just a flavored latte that looks something like a smoothie or milkshake. The flavor of your frap will depend on your imagination.

Macchiato
A macchiato, meaning “marked”, is simply a latte in which the brewed espresso is added last, in reverse to the latte, in order to add a stain or mark to the steamed milk froth. This type of coffee beverage was actually invented to help waiters in coffee establishments distinguish between different types of espresso drinks. A macchiato can be flavored with the flavor of choice, with one of the most common flavorings being caramel.
You will not be confused by the menu hanging on your local coffee shop’s wall if you just remember that there are only three types of espresso beverages. It will either be iced, a cold beverage over ice; a latte, a hot beverage with steamed milk and espresso; or a frappe, a cold beverage consisting of espresso and milk blended with ice. The most difficult part in ordering your favorite beverage is deciding on which flavoring to use. Ordering your favorite espresso beverage doesn’t have to be complicated and you can never go wrong with either chocolate or vanilla.

Introducing Business Website Design Service from Mag's Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 21:02:00 +0000

In visiting many websites for coffee shops and other small businesses, we find that many are no more than templates.

There is little room to actually present the true personality of the business.

Mag's Coffee, Inc. is introducing a business website design service to assist small business owners in presenting their products and services on the internet within a reasonable budget.

Our website design service is backed by over 12 years of graphic and web design.

We are offering an eight (8) page professionally designed business website for as little as $495. The pages of your business website can include:

Home or Welcome Page

Menu Page

Services Page

About Page

Contact Page

Testimonials Page

Photo Gallery Page

Sitemap

If you want more than a "cookie cutter" website to promote your business and your products, we can help.

Examples of custom designed business websites from Mag's Coffee can be found at magscoffee.com.

Composting Coffee Grounds

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:16:00 +0000

Coffee grounds are the perfect addition to your compost pile. After brewing, coffee grounds absorb moisture critical to the compost pile, they are an excellent source of nitrogen widely available year-round, and they are usually free. Coffee grounds also help to sustain high temperatures in the compost pile which kills the seeds from weeds or vegetable material added to the pile. Coffee grounds contain

about 2% nitrogen, are basically pH neutral and have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of about 20 to 1, the same range as animal manure. For composting purposes, coffee grounds should be considered “green” material, similar to grass clippings.

Coffee grounds seem to be a worm’s favorite food which actually adds more compost material, as well as, allowing your compost pile to breathe and absorb moisture. A good compost pile should be placed in an area that receives direct sunlight for at least half the day and may consist of one part green material to two parts brown material, like leaves or sawdust. Open wire bins seem to be the best enclosures for composting with coffee grounds, as solid enclosed bins, like plastic, seem to attract fruit flies. It is a good idea to layer the coffee grounds and other materials as you build your compost pile and turn the materials with a gardening fork on a regular weekly basis. In about three or four months the compost should be ready to add to your flower beds or garden. Since the coffee grounds break-down quickly, you may be able to use your compost in a much shorter time.

Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus and other elements that aid in plant growth. Many rose gardeners have found their roses to be more colorful and larger when coffee grounds were added as mulch around the rosebushes. Vegetable gardeners have been surprised at the size of their tomatoes when coffee ground mulched.

Coffee grounds seem to be an excellent way of riding your garden of those pesky slugs and snails that seem to enjoy your favorite hostas and lilies. When their slimy foot crawls across the caffeine, the results are usually fatal. By recycling coffee grounds we are making a significant difference in the amount of organic material that is reused and not sent to the local landfill. Organics decompose and produce methane which is about 25 times as bad as carbon dioxide, according to waste management engineers. So by diverting coffee grounds from the landfill to a compost pile helps cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Even if you don’t drink coffee or only make one pot a day, more than likely, there is a coffee shop owner or manager in your local area who would give you their coffee grounds. Simply take a clean five-gallon bucket with your name and phone number on the bucket and on the lid, and then arrange a convenient time to come back and pick up the filled bucket.

Using coffee grounds to aid in plant growth is actually an excellent alternative to discarding them in the garbage. You can help in the recycling efforts and you just may be surprised by how much better your garden grows.

Year In the Life of Mag's Coffee Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:41:00 +0000

In January 2010,

somewhere in the middle of chasing dolphins and tromping through alligators in the Florida Keys, the idea of opening a “coffee shop” was born.

Future home of Mag's Coffee

Everyone seemed to like the idea, so Maggie and Ashley started working on the color scheme for the shop and arrived at dark brown, golden yellow and turquoise. Ken began thinking of business names and working on the logo design for the business.

Original Mag's Coffee logo

Since Maggie is from Texas, understanding that the logo must contain the “lone star” was a no brainer and the best name for the shop seemed to be “Lonestar Coffee

Shop & Trading Company”. It was a good idea until we visited the local sign company. We soon realized that the name must be shorter, a lot shorter.

After many failed attempts, “Mag’s Coffee” just seemed to be appropriate and affordable.
While searching over the Clarksville area, Maggie fell in love with this “rag-tag” building at the corner of Riverside Dr. and Commerce St. and in February renovations began. Creating a fully functional coffee shop inside such a small building was a task, so we had to maximize every square inch.

We spent a couple of months sampling coffee from all over the world to make sure that we were going to serve the best coffee in town. We eventually chose a coffee from Guatemala as our house coffee. Mag wanted to put her personal touch on this coffee, so she named it “Splendora”. Splendora is a small town in East Texas where her Aunt Linnie lives.

We also realized we must cater to the non-coffee drinkers, so shaved ice, Italian sodas, steamers and smoothies were added to the menu.

At the end of April, with everything going as scheduled, a grand opening date of May 14, 2010 was established.

The flower beds were professionally landscaped and on May 2, 2010, the parking lot was freshly paved, just before the rains began. Flash flood warnings were out for most of the area and the rain continued to come down very hard. To complicate things, the Corp of Engineers made the decision to release water from several dams in Nashville and unfortunately, all of this water came down the Cumberland River to Clarksville.

On May 3, 2010, the Cumberland had reached flood stage and the water quickly rose up the hill at Mag’s Coffee Shop and on May 4, 2010, the newly renovated coffee shop was at the bottom of the river.

Mag's Coffee on May 4, 2010

We still believe we could have withstood the rains, but all that water coming down the river was just too much too fast.

As we stood on the hill on Commerce St., we were overwhelmed by the feeling of helplessness and yes, at times, even hopelessness.

Several days after the river had crested at over 60 feet, the waters began to recede, leaving a dark water line about 30 inches high on our exterior and interior walls. Our newly resurfaced parking lot was a blanket of mud and our newly landscaped flower beds were destroyed. Renovations had to begin once again, butthis time we had no electricity.

We had made the decision to make both our Moms part of our business, so we designed “Millie’s Garden” and “Alma’s Rose”. Ironically, the only flowers which survived the flood waters were the daylilies in “Millie’s Garden” and the rose bush in “Alma’s Rose”. Our Mom’s were with us during these very trying times and they just seemed to tell us just to press on.

Even though the flood damaged our building, many business owners up and down Riverside Dr. were under several feet of water and were at the point where they didn’t know if they would ever re-open.

We wanted to do something to help, so we brought the grill up to the shop and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and delivered them to the working business owners. The sad part here is that someone decided to borrow our grill for an evening cookout and forget to ever return it.

On June 30, 2010, Mag’s Coffee Shop finally got to hold its Grand Opening celebration with a mission of serving excellent coffee and non-coffee beverages and being a good, friendly place to come sit and relax for a while. We also felt that getting access to the internet should not be complicated

and should not be something you have to pay for in addition to paying for a drink or a snack.

Mag’s Coffee was also interested and doing what we could to help our environment, so a full re-cycling program was implemented, from our glass and plastics to our coffee grounds. We are proud to say that we are a Green Business.

Shortly after our grand opening, the “Spunky Monkey” was born. It seemed like every week we were coming up with new drinks like, “Banana Split”, “Riverside Flood” and many more.

It seemed like no time until it was time for the holidays. Mag’s Coffee Shop was all decked out in its holiday attire and new holiday drinks were developed. It was at this point that Mag decided to decorate the shop for each season. So don’t be surprised to see hearts, shamrocks, snowflakes, stars, flamingos or flags litup on the wall.

We have affectionately named Mag’s very small kitchen – “The Hollow Tree”. It is here that Mag creates here famous sausage roll and prepares her delicious muffins, truffle cakes, Banoffee Pie and other amazing homemade goodies.

We would like to thank Amanda, Andrea, Andrew, Ashley, Caleb, Dana, Kali, Kat, Laurie and Renee for their hard work and dedication to making the best drinks in town and providing exceptional service to our customers.

We would like to thank Green Bank, Clarksville Police Department, Clarksville Chamber of Commerce, WTVF-News Channel 5, Sign's Now, Orgain Building Supply, The Leaf Chronicle, Vienna Coffee Company, Rainbow Electric, Five Star Plumbing, Rick's Services, Dallas, Dwayne, Dale and Kevin for their help, concern and services during some very trying times.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Bill Larson of Clarksville Online for not only being a loyal customer, but more importantly, for hanging in there with us from the flood until now.

We also want to express our thanks and our love to our family and friends for their hard work and encouragement.

We have entertained visitors from all over the United States and many foreign countries like, Wales, France, and Germany. We have made many new friendships and attracted many loyal customers during our first year. We want to extend our sincere appreciation for accepting us into the community and making our first year in business a huge success.

Even though our first anniversary is June 30, 2011, we have decided to celebrate on Saturday, July 2, 1011. Our favorite musician and singer, Jimmy Johnson, has worked us into his very busy schedule and will be performing on our patio that evening.

We will also be open late on Sunday, July 3, 2011 so our customers and friends can enjoy their favorite beverages and watch the fireworks display over the river.

Come on down to Mag’s Coffee Shop and just kick back and relax for a while. We want you to feel at home and we promise to make your drink just the way you like it.

"That Little Coffee Shop By The River."

Mag's Coffee Shop Turns One on June 30, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:21:00 +0000

It was only a year ago when Mag's Coffee Shop was undergoing renovations due to the damages caused by the May 2010 flood.

On June 30, 2010, Mag's Coffee served its first customer.

Our anniversary falls on Thursday,

so we have decided to have our celebration on Saturday.

Anytime we think of having live entertainment, we immediately think of Jimmy Johnson. He has performed on our patio 3 or 4 times and it is always a treat to have him here.

Jimmy will be performing once again on our patio at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2011.

We have made many friends during our first year and we hope everyone will come out and celebrate with us.

Mag's Coffee from Guatemala

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:32:00 +0000

Mag's Coffee Shop is pleased to offer a special Guatemalan coffee known as Huehuetenango (way-way-ten-ang-oh).

Huehuetenango is located along the ridges of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, the highest mountain chain of Central America.

People who live here are generally farmers, shepherds or manufacturers of textiles, fireworks, pottery and baskets. The Guatemalan farmers cultivate corn, potatoes, wheat, coffee and sugar cane.

Huehuetenango has a varying climate ranging from deep cold to hot and humid.

Coffees like Guatemalan Huehuetenango go above and beyond typical coffee in quality and flavor because it takes a community to produce the roast. When so much hinges on competing in the global market, communities like Huehuetenango take extraordinary measures to produce a better product.

This coffee is shade grown, certified organic and Fair Trade Certified. The growers of this fine coffee are members of the Asobagri Cooperative, a co-op that provides many benefits to its members in exchange for upholding strict quality standards. The co-op also requires the organic farming members to cultivate shade trees, practice soil conservation, and use composting methods.

This coffee is the highest grade in Guatemala, grown in volcanic soil at high elevations. Truly flavorful with medium body and sweet floral aroma.

Coffee Saves Mountains

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 15:22:00 +0000

"Today, the Appalachians are being ravaged by the most destructive form of coal mining ever devised. Companies are blowing entire mountaintops to smithereens to get at the thin seams of coal below. Already 500 peaks have been leveled, wide swaths of forests have been clearcut, miles of streams

have been destroyed or polluted, and countless communities have been harmed by the hunger for fossil fuel."
http://www.musicsavesmountains.org/

“The fact that coal companies can blast away the tops of 500 of the oldest and most biodiverse mountains on the continent shows an utter disrespect for the communities that have to live

Before Mountain Top Removal Mining

with the destruction of their land, air and water,” said Matt Wasson, with Appalachian Voices.
Read the entire Press Release:http://www.nrdc.org/media/2010/100517.asp
Mag's Coffee Shop has decided to join in the fight to end the destruction of our

After Mountain Top Removal Mining

Appalachian Mountains. We have named one of our retail coffees - "Appalachia". It is a medium roast coffee from Peru. We have brewed Appalachia in the coffee shop and it's very good, with a smooth bold taste. The proceeds from the sale of "Appalachia" will go to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to help preserve and protect our mountains. If you would like to join in the fight, pick up a bag of "Appalachia" the next time you're in Mag's Coffee Shop.

Banoffee Pie On the Menu at Mag's Coffee Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Mag's Coffee Shop has introduced another freshly baked dessert to its menu. In researching coffee shops around the world, we found a dessert served in Wales that is known as "Banoffee Pie". Mag has researched the

recipes for Banoffee Pie and has developed her own version of this delicious dessert.

It is a combination of toffee and fresh bananas heaped into a

flakey pie crust and topped with specially prepared whipping cream. Banoffee Pie was originally born in 1972, at a charming restaurant in Essex, England, known as The Hungry Monk Restaurant (pictured above).

When we first read the recipe, we thought toffee and banana would be a perfect combination for an espresso drink, so we created the Banoffee Pie Latte.

Whether you want to drink your Banoffee Pie or eat it with a fork, we can serve it either way. Both ways, it's delicious!

Perfect Espresso Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:57:00 +0000

The perfect espresso shot must consist of three distinct parts, with three distinct colors - the heart, body and crema.
HEART— The heart of the espresso shot is the deep

rich brown part of the shot at the very bottom. It is this section of the espresso shot that contains the bitterness and provides a balance to the sweetness of the espresso’s aroma.
If the espresso is ground too coarse or tamped too lightly, the heart will blend with the body and the shot will be weak.
BODY— The body of the espresso shot is the caramelly-brown colored middle layer. If the espresso is ground too finely or tamped too hard, the body will be black or dark brown and the espresso will taste burned.
CREMA— The thin and foamy golden-brown top layer is the crema of the espresso shot. This thin foam of oils contains the espresso's finest aromas and flavors. The flavor and consistency of the espresso can be affected by minor problems, like over or under grinding the beans or tamping the ground espresso beans too lightly or using too much pressure.
An extremely fine grind or tamping with too much pressure will cause the water to stay in the filter too long which will result in no or very little crema.
If you see the colors separate as the shot glass fills and if you find a reddish carmelized topping of light foam on top, you've pulled a great espresso shot.
At Mag's Coffee Shop we grind and hand tamp the espresso immediately prior to serving the beverage. Brewing that perfect espresso shot is an art and it does take practice. The very first part of our barista training program is brewing a perfect espresso shot.
When consumed, espresso must have a pleasing aroma, rich body and a balanced bitter-sweet taste.
We frequentlly "time" our espresso shots to make sure the shot is finished within 20-25 seconds. This is a must in adjusting the grind of the espresso beans and the pressure used in the tamping process.
A little extra time makes your favorite espresso beverage so much better.

How Would You Like Your Coffee Roasted - Medium or Dark?

noreply@blogger.com (Mag's Coffee Shop, Clarksville, Tennessee) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:18:00 +0000

During the coffee roasting process the green coffee beans will expand and change in color, taste, smell and density. It is the heat that speeds up the chemical reactions that develop and enhance the flavor of the coffees.

As the roasting process begins the coffee beans absorb heat and the color of the green coffee beans changes to yellow and then to varying shades of brown.

Medium Roast: This coffee is a medium brown in color and will have a stronger flavor. There will also be no oil on the coffee beans. This roast is commonly referred to as the "American Roast".

Dark Roast: These coffee beans range in color from slightly dark to shiny black with an oily surface and a pronounced bitterness. The darker the roast, the less acidity will be found in the coffee beverage.

The shorter the time from roasting to brewing, the better the taste of your coffee. Since the coffee at Mag's Coffee Shop is roasted and packaged within 24 hours of delivery, we offer the freshest coffee possible. In addition, the packaging of our coffee keeps heat, light, and air away from the coffee beans.