In college my parents had asked me why I never studied in the library but rather was always in the local coffee house. My answer was simple: I keep asking them but I just can’t get the librarian to refill my coffee!

==> Share your coffee story

Well, first a disclaimer. I am not a coffee drinker.  Not out of choice, however.  I am allergic to the chemical base of coffee beans.  I would give a whole lot if I could enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee.  Growing up I awakened each morning with the aroma of  percolating coffee wafting throughout the house. I can only imagine how delicious different brews and concoctions would taste. 

Even though I cannot enjoy coffee, I brew a 1-3 pots of coffee a day.  Why?  I own Little Clam Bay Bed & Breakfast. To the majority of my guests, a day does not start without a good cup of coffee and I am happy to oblige (albeit, envious of their pleasure).  But, since I had never made coffee before I opened my business I had to ask my son-in-law (who is a manager for Starbucks) how to make a pot of coffee.  Fortunately, my guests have benefitted from his tutorial.  For me, however, each morning when I brew the coffee all I can do is breathe in the sweet aroma and imagine.

==> Share your coffee story

I’ve recently nicknamed my kitchen “Chicago, the windy city.”  I have never been to Chicago, but the naming helps make light of the fact that the kitchen is a mess right now.  The dishwasher drain hose broke, and water seeped under the flooring which had to be torn out.  So my refrigerator is in the dining room, and there are these windy machines in the kitchen drying the place out. 

Thank goodness I was at least still able to work around the chaos and make myself my usual big mug of coffee!

==> Share your coffee story

I have never been a coffee drinker, although I have been surrounded by them my entire life.  I never even learned to like the flavor of coffee, not even in flavored drinks, ice cream, or candy. 

And then, along came that first mocha that I actually enjoyed!  My father accidentally ordered a mocha for me when we were waiting at a little coffee stand in Belfair, WA.  My oh my, it was the first time ever that my nose didn’t scrunch, and my tongue didn’t shrivel.  I actually liked that coffee… and the mocha it was in. 

I can’t honestly say that I’m a coffee afficionado yet, but I think I’m finally able to appreciate good coffee when I taste it.  Can’t wait to try the Seattle Reign in my next mocha, and establish a new coffee groove!

==> Share your coffee story

The heart pumps blood through our veins to all parts of our bodies. Mostly, this goes by without notice. And then there are the times where we can feel the blood go by molecule by molecule. A pulsing in the temples that manages to remind us that we are alive while making us wish that we weren’t.

Judging from the number of molecules coursing through my head I decide that my resting pulse rate is far too high.

Somehow, I struggle out of bed and stagger to the bathroom, avoiding various obstacles that could stub various appendages along the way. A hot shower opens my eyes halfway to the waking world. If anyone at work asks, yes I am growing a beard. The water continues to beat down on my shoulders, hot jets of heaven easing some of the tension from my body. The old habit of setting my clothes out before I go to bed comes in handy. Finally, I’m in the kitchen. Normally, I start the coffee pot before I go in the shower so I guess I’ll have to wait.

Damn.
Wrong.
I’m out of coffee.
I knew that when I went to bed. How could I have let this happen? Coffee is the elixir of life and I have none. The clock reads 6:14AM. There is time.

The truck starts quicker than I did and I’m off to pursue the cup of black medicine my body craves. There’s already a line at Perky’s Coffee. Patiently I stand in line, time to spare after all.

“Double tall…”
“Non-fat single…”
“Coffee of the day please…”
The lingo of the addicted coffeeholics. Except for the happy little blonde morning person ordering a decaf. We’re all groggy, patience overstated by our collective sleepiness. Two bucks is a bargain for our morning fix. Finally, next in line.

Two bucks?
Damn.
Wrong.
My wallet is sitting on the TV next to my work keys. A mental picture as clear as the scene in front of me focuses in my brain. The strain causes more blood to pulse through my temples. The exact positioning of both items is clearly embedded within my brain. Star Trek transporter technology would come in handy right now. Actually, any science fiction technology would come in handy right about now. At 6:14AM I could have just said, “Triple mocha, grande, hot.” Low and behold there it would have been in my handy computer operated house. Even a cup of “Tea, Earl Grey, hot,” would enable me to fulfill a small Captain Picard wannabe fantasy.

Traffic has picked up already as I push my old car to its in city limits. Of course, there are my keys and my wallet, right where I left them. Right where I wouldn’t possibly forget them. Luck being what it is, I no longer have time to stop and get a jolt. Three drive through espresso carts are on my route to work, but they all have long lines. Hence, I keep going.

“You drink too much coffee,” the doctor said to me last month.
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“You listed your blood type as ‘House Blend’ on your insurance form,” she replied.
“Oh,” I said.
It’s 6:55AM before I finally get to my office. No time for stopping downstairs at the nine little shops that have espresso machines.

“Good morning,” the new receptionist says to all of us staggering off the elevator. My otherwise dull senses pick up a distinct aroma in the office, fresh brewed coffee. The world is more fair than I had thought. I glance around at my fellow office drones, that glazed look in all of our eyes. It’s only Tuesday and already we’re in need of a big, bad jolt. I take a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of coffee, wanting to get down on my knees and thank God Almighty for such a wondrous drug. I mean, such a wondrous drink.

The nine businesses downstairs brewing the stuff, a little stand here, a big shop there, are testaments to the unnecessary importation of Colombia’s other cash crop. The entrepreneurial spirit of this country is alive and well and milking money out of us office drone burnouts. As we sit at our desks and plug away in our cubicles, staring blankly at requests from supervisors it is obvious to anyone that too many of us are in a perpetual state of burnout and easily open to influence.

It is therefore no surprise that there are nine espresso machines commercially operated in the building. Yet another example of how demand can create supply in our great and mighty capitalist free market society. Of course, our susceptibility also explains the popularity of mindless fluff like “Baywatch” and “Melrose Place”.

Sorry, digression.
Part of me wants to open a coffee shop of my own. The money I could make off of such a venture is staggering. I could live the American Dream. For now though, I’ll have to settle for being asleep long enough to dream on any given night.

Another part of me wants to put a survey on the 9AM meeting agenda to see haw many people want to forget the stupid meeting and go on a field trip downstairs to the coffee shop. As it is there will be a number of people with their cups full of that wondrous beverage.

“Have a latte,” a friend that shall remain unnamed said to me one day, “they are soooooo good.”
Then I had another and one day I woke up to find myself standing in line ordering a “double-grande-something-or-other” and ready to shell out three bucks for it. It was a Wednesday evening.

My brother wants me to quit. “Dude,” he said, “you drink too much coffee man.”
That would be a great superhero name for a parody.
One day I forgot and the headache nearly killed all of those around me. It simply cannot be done so I find that I don’t even like to talk about quitting. It’s a different type of addiction. The beans themselves smell so good. Dip a bean in chocolate and mmm-mmm. Going out for a cup of coffee has become a reasonable date for my generation. A delicacy to be shared.

There are tea drinkers who do not understand this infatuation coffee drinkers have. Did the colonials in Boston dump coffee? I think not. They truly were wise. It was only later that they dumped England itself. Their priorities were in order.

At 9AM in our meeting I’m going to stand up and scream and lead a revolt against our little middle level management guy if he does not heed the call to coffee.

“Yo man,” a voice says behind me.
“Good morning Pete,” I say.
“I’m heading downstairs to grab a jolt, want me to bring you up one?”
“Yeah…” I say stupefied.
“Pay me later,” he says.
“Bless you,” I say, turning to go to my desk to wait for my wonderful friend to return.

 ==> Share your coffee story

When my son was small he knew that Mommy could not get up unless the coffee was dripping.  We would prepare the coffee maker the night before and he would push the button to start the dripping in the morning!  He is now grown but, I always know when he has been by the house when we have been out because, it always smells like coffee!  If there is any left in the pot he always finishes what he finds.  If not he makes fresh.

==> Share your coffee story

I never cared for coffee.  But one day, in the morning, I wanted to have something to pick me up when I was a little tired.  I looked in the kitchen, and found some coffee, and made it up.  And it was amazing!

I couldn’t believe I was missing out on something so good for so long.  I started experimenting with what I would put in my coffee like creamers and hot chocolate and I finally found the perfect creation, a scoop of hot cocoa and a splash of french vanilla creamer.

==> Share your coffee story

But Steven Clark, renowned Seattle coffee expert, had a chance to taste the beans we use in our coffee blends.  He remarked that our Columbian beans are the best he’s tasted in over 10 years!  And he also commented on our Sumatran beans.  He said they are the best he’s tasted in over 25 years!  Clearly Consumer Reports did not get their hands on North Star Fine Coffees.   

For the Columbian coffee enthusiasts, a number of our blends do contain Columbian coffee…

North Star Black Label (blend of Colombian, Sumatran, Costa Rican)
America’s Cup (blend of Colombian, Costa Rican, Sumatran)
Seattle Reign (blend of Costa Rican, Colombian)
Simply Decadent (blend of Colombian, Guatemalan) *Also, available in decaf
Decaf Royale (100% pure Columbian Supremo)

Go ahead and try any of these coffees black.  We’ve heard it suggested that you’ll find them so rich and filled with flavor that you won’t want to ruin them with cream or sugar.  There’s nothing in the flavor you’d want to cover up.

I’m excited to point out that our blends are all premium #1 coffees getting rave reviews.  Take a look at what others are saying about these coffees on our coffee testimonials page.  Then try some for yourself.  You’ll discover what the taste testers at Consumer Reports didn’t know!

My wife and I have recently been exposed to a new coffee experience…North Star Fine Coffees. We’ve sampled the “Kick“, “Seattle Reign” and “Simply Decadent” roasts…all have exceeded our expectations for quality and flavor. We’ve quickly gotten spoiled…and thankful for that!

The following is a “blind taste test” I unexpectedly was subjected to. It just validates the old saying, “The proof of the pudding (or in this case, the coffee) is in the tasting!”

In a somewhat hurried effort to get some breakfast in us one morning, Nancy set to brewing up a pot of coffee while I jumped in the shower. She had some multi-tasking to do as well, so breakfast was even moreso abbreviated. When I got out of the shower I grabbed a raisin muffin and a cup of coffee. Immediately sensing something was “way different”, I asked her which coffee she’d used. She said, “I used Starbuck’s.” Turns out she had some already ground and wanted to save time. Fact is, I immediately noticed the difference. 

We’re not coffee “experts” by trade…we’re just “regular joes” who like treating our bodies well. We make it a point to use fresh ingredients, purified water and clean equipment. That being said, we believe what comes out of our coffeemaker is “honest” and “as good as it’s going to get”. I drink mine black, Nancy dresses her’s with cream and sugar…so that covers the broad ends of the preference spectrum.

Nancy and I are representatives to the Oregon Coast tourism industry, the Wine and Hospitality industry and the Resort and Spa industry. We have no reserves whatsoever in sharing these fine coffees with “the best of the best” in any of those industries.

Thank you for bringing a superior product to the market. We truly believe North Star Fine Coffees is “America’s Next Great Coffee Experience”.

Mike & Nancy Hurst

RENTON, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC today announced a partnership with North Star Fine Coffees, the makers of Sounders FC Kick Coffee™ and the Blitz Blend.™

Kick Coffee™ blends the finest Costa Rican and Guatemalan coffees and is filled with high notes of berry-like flavors combined with chocolaty, nutty overtones.  Of note, Kick Coffee™ was made especially for soccer fans.

“Our Kick Coffee™ and Blitz Blend™ offer a whole new coffee experience to Seahawks and Sounders FC fans. Coffee lovers will appreciate our passion to deliver an unforgettable experience; and they will notice the difference in our quality, roasting, and the lingering richness of flavor that is in each cup,” said North Star Fine Coffees Founder and President, Bryan-David Scott.

Beginning April 7, fans have a special opportunity to try Kick Coffee™ at a substantial discount by ordering from www.kickcoffee.com and entering the Coupon Code “SOUNDERS” (case sensitive). In the spirit of Sounders FC “Give Us Your Full 90,” 90 cents per pound sold will be donated to local charities and matched by an additional 90 cents from North Star Fine Coffees.

“North Star Fine Coffees shares our commitment and passion for community,” said Sounders FC Sr. Vice President Gary Wright.  “Local charities will benefit from every pound of coffee sold.”

As a featured partner on the Sounders FC website, fans will be able to register to win free coffee, game tickets, and post-game field access with an opportunity to meet selected players. For more information visit www.kickcoffee.com.