We only survive the festive season by imbibing large quantities of caffeine.
Thankfully, most of Edinbugh’s independent roasteries have created festive blends, so you won’t ever have to look out the Nescafe or your bog-standard work day brew.
These are also the perfect gifts for coffee lovers, with most of the businesses creating seasonal limited-edition packaging that looks pretty under the tree, or as a secret Santa..
Buy as close to the big day as possible, so the beans or ground coffee is still fresh.
MR EION
This roastery and shop’s festive blend is Indian Gems of Araku, £9.75 for 250g, which is complete with a little picture of Eion himself wearing a Santa hat. Pick it up from 9 Dean Park Street, Stockbridge, or their other retailer at 44 East Trinity Road. They’re both open until 2pm on Christmas Eve, or see www.mreion.com.
Tasting notes: Ripe cherries, figs, caramel and rum.
CAIRNGORM COFFEE
Head here for the excellently packaged Naughty and Nice coffee, £10 for 250g. Naughty is “funky” and “fruit forward”, with beans sourced from a farm in Colombia called Tierra Colorada. Nice has a “rich body” and “fruity finish”. Pick them up at Cairngorm’s cafes at 1 Melville Place or 41a Frederick Street, or online at www.cairngorm.coffee.
Tasting notes: Nice is warm apple strudel and raspberry, and Naughty is spiced orange cake and cranberry. We say get both.
MACHINA
We love the green and gold (or claret and gold) labels on Machina’s Feliz Navidad coffee, £12 for 250g, which is grown by smallholder farmers in Mexico. You can also buy it as a set along with a lovely tactile mug, £30, from Crail Pottery. This roastery’s Tollcross cafe is closing on December 28, but they’ll be serving from their hatch from then on at new address 32-38 Marchmont Road until it’s ready to open officially early next year. Also at www.machina-coffee.com.
Tasting notes: Hazelnuts, caramel, mango and nutmeg.
ARTISAN ROAST
Hot toddy fans might enjoy The Whisky Thief Cask Finished Coffee, £12 for 250g, available in Artisan Roast’s cafes and shops, including Bruntsfield, Stockbridge and Leith, or at www.artisanroast.co.uk from December 17. This is the perfect present for the whisky and/or or coffee lover who has everything.
Tasting notes: They’re calling this popular roast “the bon vivant of our coffees”, and it’s made by resting Colombian coffee beans in Speyside or sherry casks, so that they’re infused with some of their “raisin, fruit and caramel liqueur” notes. It’s still a tee-total drink though.
MODERN STANDARD
We’re suckers for festive packaging, and this independent roastery, with a cafe at 49 Barclay Place, has gone for it with their new Christmas Coffee. You can have it in the bag, £9, or also in the recyclable bright red box, £10, and the coffee is available as whole bean, or ground for espresso, pour over or cafetiere. Available in their cafe, or at www.modernstandardcoffee.co.uk
Tasting notes: It was created by Modern Standard founder, Lynsey Harley, and has notes of plum, gooseberry and cinnamon. They’ve used Gitwe washing station beans from Rwanda.
