Quills to Host Regional U.S. CoffeeChamps Preliminary Event

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We are so excited to announce we will be hosting one of the U.S. CoffeeChamps Preliminaries for Brewer's Cup and Barista Cup at our 802 E Main Street campus in NuLu, Sept. 28 - Sept. 30 weekend! 

 
 
 

 

 

What does that mean, exactly?

It means we are one of 8 Preliminary Events in the US that will provide an opportunity for brewers to compete with minimal fees or accessibility to equipment - and the top placers get an automatic spot in the US Qualifying event later in the year! We are excited to make it a huge coffee block party in addition to the competition events, and more information on all of that will come very soon!

What can you do in the meantime? Well, share this with your friends who may be interested in attending/competing! We are also still contacting and placing sponsors for the event - so if you would like to partner with us to make this an incredible time for coffee enthusiasts in the region, please send us an email!

Naturally - Our Two Newest Coffees

The weather is heating up in the Bluegrass State, and we have iced coffee on the mind. Friends are busting out their Chemex and ice cube trays to start prepping iced coffee or grabbing up mason jars for steeping cold brew. It is in these times that we love carrying a naturally processed coffee - their fruit-forward nature, big body, and low acidity is perfect for cold preparation to beat the heat. Fortunately, they also make for an exciting, enjoyable morning brew as well. We are excited to have not only one but TWO new naturally processed coffees - Ethiopia Kayon Mountain and Mexico El Cipresal. Keep reading to learn more about these two, delicious new offerings.

ETHIOPIA, KAYON MOUNTAIN 

 
 

We’re excited to bring you another rare single-farm lot from the Kayon Mountain Coffee Farm in Ethiopia. This estate is owned by multiple families that have grown up in coffee, soaking in its rich history in Ethiopian tradition. They started their own farm in 2012, after years of selling to auction via the more standard routes. They have their own washing stations and dry mills, allowing them to operate independently and export their own coffee. This coffee is grown at 1900-2200 MASL, and is composed of several heirloom varieties. While last year we brought you a washed coffee from Kayon Mountain, this year we went with the naturally processed option, which will be a more fruit-forward expression.

We taste: Pineapple, strawberry shortbread and cocoa.

MEXICO, EL CIPRESAL 

 
 

Mexico is an origin that faces an uphill battle, and one that we especially like to champion for its continued growth and potential in spite of the odds against it. This particular coffee represents the great work of the CESMACH co-op in highlighting and supporting the large number of women producers in their area of Chiapas. Many of these women are running their farms and families single-handedly, and doing phenomenal work with the coffees. This program pays a premium for coffees coming through the women in the program, and highlights the great work they’re doing so that they can continue into the future. This wonderful naturally processed coffee continues Quills’ tradition of featuring these heavy, deeply fruited coffees from Mexico.

We taste: Banana, dark chocolate, blueberry, floral.

Watch this great video from our partners at Cafe Imports about the CESMACH co-op. 

New Menu Items at the Firehouse!

We just announced the opening of our Firehouse Kitchen, and we've gone ahead and added a few more food items to our already delicious mochi waffles and steamed yeast buns. You can now find yogurt and granola, quinoa bowls (with optional egg), and grab and go sandwiches of the week for those on the run. 

Remember that our kitchen hours are until 2pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Come on by and see us!

Quills Firehouse Kitchen is Open!

Have you had a chance to swing by the new cafe in NuLu? Have you had a chance to try the new food menu? YES! FOOD MENU! In addition to an assortment of baked goods from Wiltshire Pantry we are making in house mochi waffles and buttered yeast buns, perfect for a breakfast or lunch bite.

- Pork Belly or Lemongrass Curry (Vegetarian) yeast buns.

-Mint Chocolate (GF, Vegetarian) moffle with mint whipped cream and maple syrup.

-Spicy Peach (GF, Vegetarian) moffle with grilled peaches and cayenne whipped cream.

-Mushroom (GF, Vegan) savory moffle with grilled mushrooms and mushroom gravy.

Kitchen is open Wednesday-Sunday, Open to 2pm. We'd love to see you!

Who's Hanging in the Shops? - MAY

UofL 

Laurie White's animal portraits bring a warmth and joy to the UofL Cafe that cannot help but bring a smile to your face. Laurie received her B.F.A in painting and B.A. in graphic design from Western Kentucky University. After graduation, she returned to her native Louisville, KY, where she currently works as a freelance portrait artist, fine artist, and illustrator. Her pieces explore the figure through both acrylic and digital painting. On display in our cafe are a variety of dog and cat breeds. You can find more of her work at upcoming Flea Off Market venues, her Etsy store (LaurieMKWhite), or her website (www.lauriemwhite.com). She also does custom portraits of the special furry friend in your life. 

Baxter

We are excited to celebrate Alex O'Nan's anniversary with the railroad this month by showing a series of his photographs from his journies. Here is what Alex has to say about "Exhibit A."

This collection of photographs is a documentation of my career as a railroad conductor to date. Over the last 15 years, I have tried to photograph a different side of trains, one that is not just loud or intrusive on your commute, but one that shows the fascinating beauty of these giant things you rarely think about that move everything all the time.

Early on in my railroad career, an engineer on the brink of retirement advised me to always keep a camera with me because things change so quickly. I followed his advice, and found the changes do come quickly, not just to the railroad itself but also to the world around it. One thing that attracted me to the railroad in the first place was the oddity of a giant string of steel powering through quiet, undisturbed landscapes and crowded cities alike, and while the work may seem monotonous to some, I am continually compelled to capture these strong and steady machines against the ever-changing landscapes.

New Albany

Fiber art by the lovely Leaves & Linen are brightening up our New Albany Cafe. Leaves & Linen grew from the love of art in it’s many mediums shared between two women who met one another at the beginning of their college careers - Katey Lacroix, an artist from Georgia turned Louisvillian, and Ashley Donahue, a Louisville native and Quills barista. It all began one winter when Ashley stumbled across a vintage macrame book her grandmother had kept tucked away in her closet for nearly 50 years. She immediately fell in love with the intricate, beautiful patterns the pieces held. Together, Ashley and Katey decided to combine both vintage and modern elements of this forgotten craft by creating their own pieces. Eventually, the two decided to open up their own online shop and today their work can be found in many shops in the Louisville area including Mahonia Studio, Mabel & Moss, True North. They are always trying to learn and grow with their craft, incorporating new things into their pieces in an effort to create truly unique works of art with modern twists.

 

All art will be up through May. For more information on purchasing or displaying artwork, you can email our art coordinator, Joanna Miller, at info@quillscoffee.com. You can also talk to your lovely baristas, who can help you purchase the pieces you see on display.

Quills Coffee Joining La Marzocco Cafe's Residency in November

The news is out! We're so excited to be a part of La Marzocco Cafe's Year 2 residency program. The Seattle cafe opened doors in 2016, each month welcoming a new roaster with their own menu, bar flow, and selection of coffees. There will be an outstanding lineup of roasters in this year, and we will be seeing you all there from November 7th to December 4th! Find out more information at the link below.

 

10 Years and Two New Cafes. Introducing Our Joint Cafe with Steel City Pops.

It was announced this morning that we at Quills will be opening a joint cafe with our friends at Alabama-based Steel City Pops in St. Matthews later this year. This will be Quills' 6th location, and Steel City's 2nd location in the Louisville area. What does that mean? Well for starters, it means popfogato every day.

 
 

2017 marks the 10th Anniversary for us at Quills, and in addition to opening our new roastery/cafe/office/training lab space in NuLu there will be a lot of excitement in the company through the year. We have two competitors who recently placed at the CoffeeChamps regional event in Knoxville, landing them spots to compete for the US Barista Cup and US Brewers Cup Championships during the SCA event in Seattle this April. 

To keep up with all the excitement and new news through the year and every year, sign up for our Quills Cast.