Ranch Morning Coffee: At the House, in the Truck and at Camp
Good coffee for every part of a ranch day: a strong pot at the house, a Stanley and pour-over bags in the truck, and an enamel percolator at camp.
By the Ranch House Finds editors
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On a ranch the coffee goes on before the lights do. It rides along in the truck, gets boiled over a fire at branding time and gets poured one more time at the kitchen table when the day's done. Here's how we'd keep it good in all three places.
At the house
For the everyday pot, a medium roast that's easy to drink black. Spirit Origin's Catuai comes from a single farm in Marcala, Honduras, grown at about 1,600 meters; the roaster lists citrus, honey and sweet fruit.
When you need it strong, their Espresso Blend is a medium-dark roast of two beans from the same farm, made for espresso, a moka pot or a stout drip.
And it should go in a big, heavy mug. These speckled stoneware mugs hold 17.5 ounces, which is about right for the first cup of the day.
In the truck
Fill a Stanley before you leave and it'll still be hot when you stop at the far gate. The classic 1.1-quart bottle has a handle and a cup built into the lid.
For days when there's no time to brew, keep single-serve pour-over bags in the glovebox. Hang one on a cup, add hot water from the Stanley and you've got real coffee in the cab, the calving barn or the deer stand. This sample set mixes four of Spirit Origin's coffees.
At camp
An enamel percolator is the old way and still a good one: water in the bottom, grounds in the basket, set it on the coals or the camp stove. Order your coffee ground, or grind it coarse, so it doesn't end up in the cup.
For the coffee drinker on your list
A tasting trio is an easy gift: the Espresso Blend, a Parainema and a Bourbon, whole bean or ground, so they can find a favorite.
For a weekend morning, the Montecillos Bourbon is grown at about 5,250 feet and naturally processed, with cacao, tropical fruit and hazelnut in the roaster's notes.
And for the one who really cares about coffee, the Paraideli Parainema is a Cup of Excellence winner: bright and floral, with hibiscus, lime and tangerine in the roaster's notes.
