Goodbye Summer 2022 & Drinking Coffee in Long Branch

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 In the high heat of August, I spent a weekend with friends and family at the Jersey shore. On Saturday, after a day of sand and sea, we went to dinner at Lezama’s in Long Branch. The menu is varied, with a solid offering of trattoria cuisine, as well as a kids’ menu. The food was fresh and well-prepared. 

When we ordered, several people at our table asked for coffee. We were told that not only were we getting coffee, but we were getting SPECIAL coffee, specifically Café de Olla Real de Oaxaca, a full-bodied, medium roast, Arabica coffee from the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The coffee lived up to its reputation. Café de Olla Real de Oaxaca is dark, hot, subtle, slightly caffeinated, and very delicious. But why wouldn’t coffee from Oaxaca, known as the gastronomic capital of Mexico, be magical?

With its Pacific coastline and rugged terrain, Oaxaca in the south of Mexico is also one of the top coffee-producing states in Mexico. Its ancient history and Indigenous cultures heavily influence everyday life, with traditions and customs that date back thousands of years. It is also the #1 destination for  creative, diverse, authentic, generationally passed-along, artisanal crafts.

Oaxaca is known as the land of the 7 Molés—each of the 7 states has its own spicy molé sauce. But coffee is also a ‘thing’ in Oaxaca. The climate and terrain, along with tree-canopied valleys, are perfect for growing coffee. Their coffee is a labor of love, infused with Oaxaca’s own unique culinary expertise and Indigenous wisdom.



The coffee was so amazing that I purchased more. Until now, my biggest coffee experience of the year was getting a Keurig---until Café de Olla Real de Oaxaca came into my life. Did you have any profound coffee-related experiences this summer?

Best wishes for an anxiety-free, coffee-filled transition from summer to fall!

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