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Joebella Coffee Celebrates 2nd Anniversary and Helps Create a Buzz in the Beer World

katycasafestiva — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:20:17 +0000

Joseph and Isabel Gerardis of Joebella Coffee Roasters celebrated the second anniversary of their Templeton coffeehouse with a tantalizing array of treats from local food purveyors and neighboring businesses … plus the debut of a very special product featuring a Joebella roast.

Isabel and Joseph Gerardis of Joebella Coffee Roasters

The couple launched Joebella Coffee, a combination of their names that also connotes “beautiful cup of coffee,” shortly after moving to the Central Coast in 2003. From the outset, they have made the commitment to be small batch roasters of fairly traded and naturally grown coffees, and they are also staunch supporters of local sustainability efforts.
At the anniversary party, we were treated to an array of beautiful shrimp from Pier 46 Seafood in Templeton, rustic sandwiches and a cheese plate from 15 Degrees C Wine Shop & Bar in Templeton, baked goods from Colby Jack Café & Bakery in Atascadero, Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates in San Luis Obispo (also committed to fair trade policies), letter “J” adorned tiramisu from Artisan Restaurant in Paso Robles (which showcases locally grown and sustainable foods), and Central Coast Brewing’s Double Dark Espresso Porter made with Joebella coffee.

Tiramisu edged with the letter “J” for Joebella from Artisan Restaurant

As if all that weren’t enough for our taste buds, we also got to sample the premier release of Nectar Ale’s Black Xantus, an American oak bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout infused with Joebella’s single origin (meaning the coffee is from one specific country of origin) Mexican coffee, the first new release from the beer label in many years. Made locally at Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, this creamy, dessert-worthy beer has luscious notes of coffee, caramel, cocoa and black cherry – all signature flavors of the coffee itself. Joseph explained that FW’s Brewmaster Matt Brynildson already had the concept for the stout-plus-coffee brew and even the name, which celebrates a rare Mexican hummingbird (all Nectar ales sport hummingbirds on their labels), when he approached Joebella.
“They definitely wanted to use a local coffee roaster, Matt came in and we tried about six single origin coffees so see how they paired with the stout,” explained Joseph. As luck would have it, the Mexico coffee more than fit the bill, and – although it will have extremely limited distribution — the Black Xantus is already creating quite a buzz in craft beer circles. Also worth noting is that the beer’s PR info is visibly touting Joebella’s business stance with this wording, “… infused with fresh organic/ Fair Trade coffee …”

A glass of Nectar Ale’s newly released Black Xantus made with Joebella’s Fair Trade Mexico coffee

St. Bernardus, please.

admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:08:14 +0000

My trip to Bel Frites peaked curiousity on the entire subject of food and beer and left me wondering where a Beer novice like myself could find advice on pairings for this well-known, yet mystified beverage. And while I find it way too easy to pass up a Coors Light for a night cap, the Belgian beers at Bel Frites made me feel like a regular beer aficionado.

Chimay Blue Trappistes Ale with Cajun Chili Essence seasoning and smokey chipotle aioli sauce

What I didn’t know, is that my interest in wine pairings already pointed me into the right direction. On my very own bookshelf lies the 2006 Wine Book of the Year, What to Drink With What You Eat, the Bible of food pairing suggestions that provides several wine options for all types of meals including everything from sashimi and sole to the McDonald’s Filet of Fish (They suggest a NZ Sauv Blanc.) Is that awesome or what? Previously, my adventures with this book ran so far as to help me plan meals for family dinners, wine parties, and even to answer questions from wine tourists at the tasting room I work at on random weekends. While the book focuses mainly on wine, other beverages such as coffee, tea, spirits, and beer are featured as well.

What to Drink With What You Eat organizes its suggestions first by general rules of thumb, followed by listings of foods and meals, and then by type of drink. Essentially, there are a number of ways to extract the knowledge (and confidence) kick it up a notch. For our purposes, the Frite section simply listed: beer, champagne. Well, what kind of beer? I tried 5 different Belgian beers on my Frite excursion, each holding a different pairing purpose…so I was hoping for a bit more detail than that.

However I did find this on Belgian beer: “They are “big” – very flavorful…high in alcohol…flavors….dried fruit, caramel, fig, raisin, toffee, and chocolate,” states beer sommelier Carlos Solis. No wonder I love Belgian Beer! The flavor descriptors are all too similar to my favorite wines! Napa Cabs, Russian River Pinot, Paso Robles Syrah….I could go on…and on… For a description on Beer’s importance to Belgian cuisine, click here, for A Menu of Belgian Beers.

Even though I highly recommend this book for foodies of all levels, it’s still nice to have an expert plan your meals once in awhile. A few weeks ago, our staff was fortunate enough to plan a special 6 course pairing meal with the owners of Artisan and our soon-to-be certified sustainably grown wines! And after the some-what vague beer pairing recommendations by one of the best food pairing books on the market, I really started to value all my special date with family, friends, and the owners of Bel Frites and Artisan. At least now I know to order a St. Bernardus with my Gremolata-laiden frites and Roasted Red Pepper Aioli….mmm…do you think they’ll deliver???