Christmas can’t come any closer, can it?
As you think about the festive ideas you’ll be bringing into family’s homes or the marketing campaigns you’ll be doing to boost your cafe’s brand on social media, you might want to consider making it extra celebratory for your own cafe by having a special Christmas blend.
There is something about the holidays that makes everything feel limited or special in nature.
It is easily one of the best times of the year. But it has always proved to be a challenge to capture coffee lovers’ or casual drinkers’ attention since they are bombarded with several holiday promotions.
In our previous article, we mentioned how releasing a Christmas blend caters to the festive mood of people who are keen to celebrate. These blends create a sense of rush and exclusivity - as if now is the only chance they can get a hold of your drink. And if done right, they will come back next year wanting for more.
What could be better than a holiday blend? Nothing. Should your cafe have its own one? We think so.
Here we take a look at what makes a good Christmas blend so merry and festive that will make your brew extra special this season. You might be inspired by some of the blends, too.
Blends can create a new product
With special blends, you can create a unique product that might just open your cafe’s appeal to an entirely new market on top of your current loyal customers. For consumers who roast their own, they will appreciate the creative process that goes with trying a new blend. You might discover a blend that can bring something to your year-long menu that you haven’t tried before - it’s your own eureka moment. By creating different and seasonal blends, you are introducing customers to new combinations or variations on what they would usually go for.
Blends allow you to explore different flavor notes in a holiday coffee
Holiday coffee will always vary for each roaster. In the summer, you get to create blends that have lighter roasts which are known to have fruity and floral flavors. Meanwhile at the end of the year, cold, winter blends are known to have deeper and richer flavors in the likeness of chocolate with warm spices to them like cinnamon. There will be medium to dark roast in this category.
Take a look at Larry’s Rockin’ Holiday Blend which includes notes of chocolate-covered cherry cordials along with some chestnuts roasting in them. This blend comes in sweet and rather complex - a good combination that can be paired with a windy Sunday morning after a family dinner with dessert.
In the beans department, you might also be inspired by Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen Santa’s White Christmas Ground Coffee or Grumpy Mule Coffee Beans. These are the kinds of coffee that soothes your souls - and your customers’ too - after a long, dreary year. These blends are known to have smoky tasting notes that come with a rich, creamy and smooth aroma that gives coffee lovers a sense of relaxation, calmness and freedom amidst a busy and hectic world.
Naturally, you might also be compelled to take cues from the different Christmas Blends introduced by Starbucks. What began with a single original blend in 1984 has now evolved into different varieties with twists on a classic recipe. November has since become synonymous with the Starbucks holiday brand as their different blends become perfect partners to festive meals and gift-giving ideas. Their coffee developers make it a point to consider brewing methods such as iced and cold brew along with sweet and savory pairings. One more thing that they’re doing right is the presentation of their craft through the packaging. Every year, you would notice that their artwork tells a story about each coffee blend. Some of their Christmas packages come with rewards cards, too!
Like we mentioned in a previous blog, partnering these products with a reward card offers a sense of loyalty for your current customers and invites curiosity from budding coffee lovers and casual drinkers.
Why give holiday blends as a gift
Imagine your customers wracking up their brains thinking of a perfect gift for a co-worker or a family member they picked for Secret Santa. A holiday blend is easily among the best gift options and you would want your cafe to be among their choices. Whether the receiver is an avid coffee lover or is looking to entertain guests, a seasonal coffee is a crowd-pleaser. In a way, coffee also makes for a safer choice than food gifts that may contain dairy, nuts or gluten that can trigger allergies. You wouldn’t want to be crucified for your good intentions, would you?
One cannot begin to think of the many conversations that start with, “where did you get this coffee?” Blends that are not usually available year-round are certified conversation starters.
Holiday blends are an excellent way to introduce or amplify your cafe brand to people. They are a vibrant, modern expression of the holiday as they come in different savory spice notes and sweetness. These blends can be crafted to be generally warm, pleasing, inviting and universal in taste so you can cater to a wider range of palettes. You may also want to pair it with a creative packaging that can go with the rest of your cafe’s merchandise such as mugs, creamers, gift cards for a complete gift.
The truth is that creating a coffee blend entails a careful procedure. There lies a scientific approach in working with different flavour profiles which will lead you to understand how to combine and create a desired end-taste.
If you’d like to learn more about this part of creating a special Christmas blend or you simply want to hone your sensory skills and understand the makings of a good coffee profile, talk to us here.
References: Peiper, H. (2020). Starbucks. Stories.starbucks.com. Retrieved from https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/the-story-behind-starbucks-christmas-blend-coffees/. What is a Holiday Coffee Blend?. Larrys Coffee. (2020). Retrieved 9 September 2021, from https://larryscoffee.com/our-blog/what-is-a-holiday-coffee-blend