Breaking New Ground in Coffee
NYC's Jeong Coffee, Pink Headed Duck Coffee Giveaway
Eric Park
March 02, 2023
How does one describe coffee that comes from a feeling – a feeling that cannot be defined?
It's not often that we get to pose this type of question in the specialty coffee world. Let alone within the broader food and beverage space. But remarkably, one company has afforded us this unique opportunity.
Jeong Coffee is a creative coffee project based in NYC. Founded by Ashley Min, Nicholas Cho, and Samuel Han. A trio of friends who connected virtually during the pandemic and, like many young people, decided to start a company.
The name of the company derives from the Korean concept of 'jeong' (정). Although there is no direct translation of this concept in English, it can be roughly described as warm and intimate feelings that one might have for another person, place, or object.
The founders, who are Korean-American, selected this name based on the close, communal feelings that we typically encounter in our local coffee shops. With a desire to reincarnate such feelings of comfort and familiarity in the coffee itself.
It's a powerful lever to drive human emotion towards an inanimate object. And while writing this, I was reminded of the scene from Ratatouille where Anton Ego (a ruthless food critic) suddenly turns face upon tasting the eponymous dish. Which takes him back to his childhood home where we see the dish being served by his loving mother. In the warm glow of an afternoon sun, no less.
And that's perhaps the best way I can approximate the true meaning behind this profound concept.
Today we're so very lucky to introduce Jeong Coffee to our community and offer their Colombia Single Origin Blend on our marketplace.
This washed blend with a medium roast profile originates from Jericó, a small town in Antioquia, Colombia.
And it may remind you of the warm embrace of your favorite local coffee shop. The familiar faces. And emotional connections therein.
Notes of milk chocolate and sweet cream with a subtle hint of rose will drown out the noise. And place you into a deep and comforting pleasure.
Jeong Coffee roasts biweekly and ships within two business days.
MORE COFFEES
La Favorita by Good Citizen Coffee Co.
Rocky Mountain Blend by Park Pass Coffee
Don Eli - Miramar by Loveless Coffees
Sumatra, Kerinci by Tanbrown Coffee
Cordillera De Fuego by Necessity Coffee
Pink Headed Duck Coffee
Myanmar, a country that's been wracked with political turmoil and economic instability in recent years, is not a place that most people associate with specialty coffee. But that may soon change thanks in part to Pink Headed Duck Coffee, a New-Orleans based coffee importer on a mission to bring Burmese coffee to the U.S.
It's a remarkable story, really. Founded by college friends Stephen Traina-Dorge (a sociologist) and Steven Tumino (a finance professional), Pink Headed Duck was formed in 2021. But the story goes as far back as 2015. When Traina-Dorge began living in Myanmar and discovered that the locals were vastly under-rating the coffees growing in the wild, largely because the commodity was not linked to a proper market.
He explains: "Myanmar is a tea-drinking country, and people here saw coffee as a worthless plant."
A USAID project that started in the same year has since helped to transform coffee production in the country. But when the pandemic of 2020 and a military coup in the following year ravaged the local economy, the two friends decided to start Pink Headed Duck to re-connect Myanmar to the outside world.
Traina-Dorge explains: "How do we keep the world engaging with the cooperatives and smaller groups and civil society orgs despite the conflict? Specialty coffees was one of the areas where it was important to continue the connection."
Traina-Dorge, who is a native of New Orleans, just spent five months in his home town to better understand the supply chain on our own turf. I asked him what his short-term goals are for Pink Headed Duck.
His response: "To get these coffees into established roasters and brands that already have a following of their own. To connect with these individuals, to bring these coffees to their audience. To get people to hear about Myanmar for the first time. To try coffee from Myanmar for the first time. Short term goal is that this interest only grows."
Today, we're excited to be a part of the company's journey by sharing this unique story with everyone in our community.
To top it all off, we're also excited to give away a special gift: A stylish baseball cap 🧢 with the Pink Headed Duck logo emblazoned on the front 😎
To participate in the drawing, where one lucky person will be selected at random, enter your name and email in this Google Form through Sunday, March 5.
The winner will be notified on Monday. And will also get to choose the hat color of their choice ✌️
Until then, please give us a follow on IG!
A special thank you to Chris Alspach for the introduction. And to Josh Craig for hosting us in his studio.
Our Referral Program
🔥 Special Announcement 🔥 Due to the popularity of our recent promotion with BrewSleepDraw, we've decided to partner up again to offer a Hot Coffee Sticker to the first five people who refer 3 of their friends!
If this is the first time you've encountered our Referral Program, please see the following directions on how to make a referral:
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