This June we launched ‘Lucky 13’, a birthday blend that’s full and sweet like the years. Below, a few love-you-long-time Single O crew share a bit about the blend, lucky times and other bits and bobs. Cheers to all our team, customers and origin partners, who’ve been part of the wild 13 year journey to date!
DESCRIBE THE LUCKY 13 DRINKING EXPERIENCE
Ed: It reminds me of ‘Mostro’ (a blend created by roaster Mark around 2008, that we ran for a few years); the luscious velvety texture and the tight fruit structure in the black, and its wonderful creamy chocolate smoothness in milk.
Lirie: Smooth, warming – wintery, rich, comforting, nostalgic.
Dion: In milk, rich chocolate. Uncomplicating anything you think is overcomplicated.
Gus: Mindbogglingly sweet in milk. Like nutella coffee, brown sugar. I made one the other morning and insisted that all staff members sip it.
LUCKIEST MOMENT YOU RECALL AT SINGLE O?
Lirie: When the water mains burst and Reservoir Street had no water except (by some miracle) Sideshow, so we rocked out of there. Crazy day.
Yvette: There was a dog in my first interview with Dion, he took a liking to me and Dion said, “Well if the dog likes you, looks like you’re in!” Lucky, right?
Yama: When we found UG22 in Japan and started roasting there in ’14.
Dion: 2005 – Being chosen as the coffee supplier for the new Hilton Sydney, which was hard core food and bev focussed. It transformed us from start up to up and running.
Emma: Somehow getting Wendy to join us, which involved her moving from the US to Australia and turning down a handful of other job offers.
Wendy: When the Colombia Manantiales Geisha arrived JUST in time for competition.
Ed: The first time I went looking for Single O (c. 2004) I didn’t know my way around the city and got quite lost. I feel very lucky that the next time I was in Surry Hills I stumbled across the café in the midst of a wild rumpus, sack racing down Hands Lane. I quickly became a regular and after finishing my degree, lucky me, I got hired to work for Single O. I survived my first day in Surry on a hectic Friday on dishes. Every day after that has been lucky for me, I get to share exceptional coffees with beautiful people. The opportunity to represent Single O in Guatemala was a highlight, too.
Tim: Costa Rica, all dancing to that band at MICE, Christmas party at the Cohens, working with the team, meeting and working with Moey, learning to raise my potential, lucky to drink so many amazing coffees (Huye Mountain Rwanda still my favourite), but I would have to say the luckiest moment was getting the call from Dion to tell me I got the Job … sounds lame but The Luckiest Moment would be ‘The Call Up’.
Moey: I have many moments where I feel super lucky to be working with our customers & our team, it’s a pretty special community.
TRISKAIDEKOPHOBIC*? YES/NO?
Lirie: Do I understand it? No….
Yvette: No, bring it on!
Yama: No. Number 13 was a normal number to me, but from this year 13 is a lucky number because it’s now Gen’s (my son’s) birthday.
Dion: WTF is that?
Wendy: Haha no, I have a Lucky 13 tattoo!
Hugh: Only on Fridays.
Ed: No such fear. All through my team sporting years I wore #13 for good luck.
*Fear of the number 13.
TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT IGAMBA CO-OP IN TANZANIA?
Wendy: One of the coffees featured in Lucky 13 is from a coop in Tanzania that started up in 2012 with the goal of producing exceptional quality coffee. I was introduced to the group by an East African coffee partner we have a great history with, so I knew that Igamba and Single O had the ability to do some good work together. It’s much easier to invest in quality when you know you have a buyer! We’ve featured this coffee as a single before, but I really wanted to showcase the complex strength of this coffee in an espresso blend. It has lots of acidity but more raisin than citrus, while still showing a deep and bittersweet chocolate. It’s really a wonderful coffee to play around with. I’m heading back to Tanzania in a few weeks with plenty of Lucky 13 to share with everyone at Igamba!
MOGIANA BRAZIL FEATURES IN LUCKY 13. IS BRAZIL A DIRTY WORD?
Yvette: I blame De Mello Palheta.
Yama: No. Just clean & plain word. Haven’t roasted in a loooong time.
Wendy: Brazil is the sexiest word in the English language.
Ed: Absolutely not! Brazil is a world leader in processing techniques. It is vast with countless styles of terroir. It has dozens of varieties being processed in myriad ways. Sure, there are “dirty” Brazils out there, probably more than other origins simply because they produce more natural processed coffees than any other country. But visit a Brazil Cup Of Excellence tasting and you cannot dismiss this origin. It will turn heads. In our selection for the Lucky 13 blend is a clean cup full of chocolate, nuts and cream. No dirt.
FAVE EMMA & DION MOMENT?
Lirie: When they say the bar tab is over then still shout everyone rounds of drinks … That time I broke into their bedroom to find my room key in Brisbane and they just laughed at me (instead of yelling) … When they talk about where it all began.
Yvette: Trying to work through a business crisis over the phone with Dion as he drives a fully packed motorhome lost on the Gold Coast all the while with Emma navigating. OMG!
Wendy: Watching them with their daughters!
Hugh: Oh, so many! Shout out to Em for not getting mad when I accidentally kicked her in the head at MICE a few years ago … whoops.
MOST MEMORABLE ORIGIN OVER THE YEARS?
Yvette: Mahonda Burundi COE #3
Yama: Kariru AA Kenya 2014
Phil: Karatu Kenya
Emma: Mahonda Burundi 2012 harvest – a knockout cherry cola tasting coffee that went on to win CoE the following year, and was the start of a 4 year & ongoing partnership with this co-op.
Ed: Gosh … from early days, there was Bagersh Natural Forest Limu. An exceptional Mao Horse Harrar, bursting with blueberries. Sumatra Jumeroba. Nyakizu CWS Rwanda. Panama El Carmen. Guatemala El Socorro. Say when … there are many more.
Moey: A geisha that was on the cupping table earlier this year that had a massive berry blast, made me swoon, weak at the knees, haha.
Wendy: Same as my luckiest moment – Colombia Manantiales Geisha
FAVOURITE BREW OF LUCKY 13 YOU’VE HAD SO FAR?
Ed: On one of the coldest winter mornings so far, Freya brought me a black + a flat white while I was warming up the roaster for the day’s batches. It was the perfect coffee for that morning, and I couldn’t wait to start roasting a new batch!
Wendy: my favorite drop so far has been the two made for me by John, it was a very busy morning in the café, so when my espresso came up I grabbed it and headed up the stairs to the lab, but it was so good I had to go right back down the stairs and get back in line for another!
Emma: 3/4 flattie at Ruby’s on the weekend.
Angus: That’s an awkward question, because it’s just one that I made myself.
DESCRIBE THE SINGLE O TEAM IN 3 WORDS.
Lirie: Passionate, genuinely-unique, laughing.
Yvette: Entertaining, hard working & dedicated.
Yama: FUN, ONLIEST, ADVENTURE.
Dion: Free–spirited, passionate and real.
Wendy: BAT SHIT CRAZY.
Ed: Meticulous. Manic. Mates.
Tim: Lights out, naked.
Lucky 13 is pouring in Surry Hills & York St CBD, and is available online.
