Infusing Coffee Beans With Unparalleled Flavor - Infusing People With Culture, Community, And Care
What do you think of when you hear the word infusion?
By definition, infusions are typically drinks made by soaking the leaves of a plant or an herb in a particular liquid.
Perhaps you’ve enjoyed a refreshing glass of fruit or herb infused water, where your H2O’s flavor was enhanced by adding such items as fresh strawberries or mint leaves to the liquid.
After some time spent in the water, even when the berries and mint are removed, the remaining infused liquid holds those added flavors for a satisfying, refreshing treat.
Then, still pondering the concept of infusion, another meaning found within the Cambridge dictionary details this process as the act of adding one thing to another to make it stronger or better.
Sure, you could say adding fruit, vegetables, or herbs to water (or other beverages) makes the beverage better. But, what about stronger?
Generally, this definition of infusion refers to the act of adding time, money, or talent to a company or group to make the business stronger or better. Today, however, we’d like to submit to you that both definitions listed here are fitting for coffee.
Yes, you read that correctly!
In our time here today, we’re going to take you on an infusion adventure, looking at our infusion coffees and discovering how both of the above definitions are fitting for these brews.
Then, you’ll get a glimpse of our recent involvement in a nearby event, Uncork Me Indy, which provides a practical look at the infusion that takes place when folks come together over shared interests within a community.
But first, coffee…
Wild Fermented Wine And Moondrops Bourbon Infused Coffee
Here at Lifeboost we’ve got a wide selection of flavored coffees, including classics like Hazelnut and French Vanilla, as well as some intriguingly delicious selections such as Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble, Highlander Grogg, Mocha Caramel Latte, and many more.
But recently, we’ve added some sophisticated brews to this list, each made possible through the art of infusion.
Specifically, both our Wild Fermented Wine Infused Coffee and Moondrops Bourbon Infused Coffee bring unparalleled flavor to your mug through this process.
In each of these selections, we begin with our beloved medium roast coffee.
These beans are grown at high elevations in the mountain rainforests of Nicaragua.
On this pristine, lush mountainside, on a small plantation, our knowledgeable farmers patiently labor, growing specialty Arabica coffee shrubs amongst other plant life native to the region.
The high elevations here welcome tropical rainfall which refreshes the plants before flowing down the side of the mountain to avoid creating too moist of an environment for the coffee shrubs.
The high elevations, combined with the canopy of cooling shade provided by the native flora, allow for the coffee cherries to slowly mature. And, as they do so, the cherries gain a greater depth of flavor all while absorbing more nutrients from the soil, which is equally enriched through decomposing leaves, plants, and animal waste.
This harmonious growth journey then continues as our farmers hand select the ripest, purest, untainted cherries to be washed with mountain spring water, processed, and dried.
From here, the once plump, ripe cherries have now become dried green coffee beans which are meticulously tested for molds, mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, and more, ensuring each bean, each cup of coffee, is pure, clean, and delicious.
And, with our Wild Fermented Wine Infused Coffee, these green coffee beans can now begin their infusion adventure as they’re added to this unique and rare liquid.
While it may seem like an unlikely union, the marriage of wine and coffee produces a smooth yet bold mouthfeel, complete with a lingering finish of grape-forward, unique, and natural wine.
Grown in Israeli vineyards, the wine used here is unique in that it’s produced without the addition of yeasts or bacteria. Instead, whole clusters of grapes throughout the vineyard are fermented without man’s intervention through the growth of naturally occurring microorganisms.
This unique fermentation process then delivers a wine that’s wild, highly aromatic, and naturally rich in grape flavors, providing the perfect backdrop to infuse green coffee beans, soaking them in the wine just long enough to absorb some of its strong, wild flavor notes.
Of course, the art of roasting is the next step in the process between farm and mug. And, for our infusion coffees, these selections require roasting just beyond the first crack…a perfect medium roast.
I suppose you could say our process flips the generic definition of infusion on its head, as instead of the liquid (here, wine) being infused with flavor, here our coffee beans are infused with the flavors of the wine, which you’ll then experience as you brew each cup.
In the end, what you enjoy with each sip is the result of a journey which has taken us from Nicaragua, to Israel, and finally to your daily coffee cup for a taste that’s smooth, a mouthfeel that’s bold and clean, and a finish that lingers with flavors of wild, natural, rich grape wine. A true infusion of both culture, knowledge, and flavor yielding a better, stronger brew.
The same is true of our Moondrops Bourbon Infused Coffee, this better, stronger brew being infused, obviously, with bourbon rather than wine.
Here, the coffee’s journey from farm to infusion has no variation, but the liquid with which these beans are paired begins from grain products grown right here in the Midwest.
Moondrops Single Barrel Bourbon is made from grains grown throughout rural Indiana, and this five year high rye, like Lifeboost coffee, is wrought through time, detail, and craft, producing a premium quality brew.
The bourbon’s initial complex flavors of caramel and vanilla are followed by smoky cocoa notes with a nutty rye-spice finish, these each infusing seamlessly into our premium quality, bold and smooth medium roast coffee.
Even the inception and mission of the Moondrops Distillery echoes the true meaning of infusion, as the owners confess that coming together over shared experiences and conversations is how the idea for the Distillery was born.
Coming together.
Shared experiences.
Adding one thing to another to make it stronger and better.
The coming together of coffee and wine, or bourbon, in our Wild Fermented Wine Infused Coffee and our Moondrops Bourbon Infused Coffee, symbolizes the enriched experiences we can all share when we come together.
Most often, coming together involves, as the Moondrops Distillery owners pointed out, shared experiences, and recently we were able to sponsor an event that values these exact elements of infusion.
Uncork Me: An Infusion Of Shared Experiences
Saturday, June 24th, at Military Park in White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, Uncork Me hosted its inaugural event in the Hoosier state.
Uncork Me first debuted in Maine and since then has come to many regions around the country, now including Indianapolis.
As the name suggests, the event included games, live entertainment, an assortment of local flavors from vendors and food trucks, and of course, the opportunity to sample and savor multiple wines.
We were proud to sponsor the event, and some of our Lifeboost leading ladies were there to showcase our wine infused coffee, along with our other infusions, flavors, classic roasts, and more.
Aside from the drink selections, the spirit of infusion espoused by Brothers Molloy (responsible for Uncork Me events), is what stands out the most.
Do you remember the second definition of infusion that we included in the beginning of our discussion today? (Hint: the act of adding one thing to another to make it stronger or better)
This is truly where coffee…and wine…infuses to create community.
In the case of our infusion coffees, we take a great base, like our specialty coffee beans, and we add these to another superior quality product, like wine or bourbon, allowing these two greats to spend some time together, infusing the two flavors.
When you brew our infusion coffees, you’re no longer sipping an ordinary cup of delicious coffee. Instead, these new flavors are deeper, richer, and they allow you to savor something truly unique, truly bold, and unrivaled in flavor.
And, when you get right down to it, people are no different.
Our communities, families, and even a group of strangers like those who came together at Uncork Me Indy, are better and stronger when they come together.
Events such as this one allow people from all walks of life to share an experience, creating memories, and potentially forming bonds with others in the community.
Brothers Molloy Events emphasizes the bond of brotherhood, and they believe “once you’ve participated in one of [their] events, either as a vendor, volunteer, or attendee, you become part of [their] community.”
Brothers Molloy details the definition of brotherhood as “an association, society, or community of people linked by a common interest or trade.”
And, on June 24th in Indy, folks flooded the White River State Park to smile, sip, laugh, and share the day, bonding with others who equally enjoy great wine and good company.
Such events held in a community aren’t just a means of enjoyment, these gatherings provide the opportunity for the infusion of culture, knowledge, and experience from those individuals in attendance to create potential bonds and friendships for years to come.
Because, when we gather for such events, the infusion that takes place, like coffee beans gently soaking in wild-fermented wine, leaves an imprint on our hearts and minds of the various folks we’ve shared with throughout the day.
We then walk through this world with a greater sense of familiarity, compassion, respect, understanding, and care for others.
When we experience the infusion that takes place at community events such as Uncork Me, we leave slightly (or greatly) changed, again, like specialty coffee infused with fine, wild-fermented wine, or premium distilled bourbon…we walk away stronger, better for having been together.