For many years, I have been talking about great places to get coffee. Perhaps the best place, however, is Africa, which is commonly considered the birthplace of coffee.

If you want to get a great taste of some of the oldest and best coffees in the world, the African Coffee Club is a great place to start!

A third-generation family-owned business that was founded by a coffee-making family, the African Coffee Club distributes coffees from all over the continent to coffee lovers all over the world.

From Burundi and Cameroon to Tanzania and Zambia, the Club offers access to all of the best sources from this uniquely-situated coffee climate. And as all of the coffees come from individual farmers, they are natural single-origin and naturally processed, allowing more of each coffee’s flavor and culture to shine through.

For those who are new to coffee or new to African coffee, the Club offers a wide range a gift sets. Once you have chosen some favorites, the Club’s subscription service allows members to receive different coffee’s every two, four, or six weeks, or just to buy or try a new favorite one at a time. The coffees are perfect whether you like drip, French press, or pour over, and cannot only help you find your next favorite coffee but can also make for great gifts for friends, family, and colleagues that will open their eyes and their pallets to great new flavors that are actually some of the greatest old flavors the world has ever known.

In addition to offering great coffee to their members and customers, the African Coffee Club also offers great support to their member farmers, paying above market value to their independent producers throughout Africa and using sustainable farming practices that not only result in great coffee but also demonstrate great ways to run agriculture and business. It has also helped members of the founding family go to school and benefitted their community and culture in many other ways, making each cup even more satisfying!

Want great coffee with a great story? Go to the source with the African Coffee Club.

www.africancoffeeclub.com

As the list of participants in my Vetrepreneurs© column continues to grow, I wanted to focus attention on some proud Veterans who have chosen to serve after their tours by serving great food and drink.

Arch Watkins and Mark McLaughlin are former Navy pilots who ended up stationed in the same squadron in Baltimore. When it was time to put on their “civvies” again, the two soon realized that flying off aircraft carriers was far more engaging than being tied to a desk. They also realized that, as nearly any Veteran can tell you, there is no way to finish a tough day in the trenches than with a quality beverage.

After consulting some other veterans of the armed forces and the beverage world, Arch and Mark created Old Line Spirits!

Made from 100% malted barley Old Line’s American single malt whiskey offers essence of caramel, honey, and vanilla in a Whiskey that mixes well and is also great on its own! While the original edition is aged in charred casks made with white oak. Old Line also offers a straight-from-the-barrel cask strength as well as whiskeys aged in barrels that previously produced Armagnac, Cognac, Oloroso Sherry, and even Caribbean Rum! Speaking of rum Old Line recently released a trio of what they call Case 1 rums (“Case 1” being Naval lingo for ideal flying conditions) and have just devised their own six-times distilled gluten-free Case 1 vodka, all of can make any time of night or day ideal.

In addition to providing a great American whiskey and other drinks, Arch and Mark have also opened a great place to enjoy them, using an old hangar (naturally) just outside of Baltimore as their manufacturing facility and a tasting room that also hosts events of all sizes. Even if you cannot make it to Charm City, however, you can surely still enjoy Old Line, knowing that you are not only raising a great glass of Whiskey but also raising visibility and support for our brave Veterans.

www.oldlinespirits.com

I have discussed kombucha many times before, and yet I know many people who are still reticent to try it as it apparently has too much fizzy bit (often called “funkiness”) for them.

To them, I say, “Fieldstone”!

Fieldstone Kombucha is fermented just like any other brand, but somehow the founder has figured out a way to get all the fresh flavor and GI tract benefits for which kombucha has become famous without all the spiky starter stuff. It’s like the sourdough of kombuchas- All the homemade taste and body benefits without the afterburn.

With fresh flavors like spiced apple and spicy ginger, chai spice, turmeric, and even beet (with seasonal ones popping up all the time), Fieldstone not only delivers great taste and all the nutrition for which kombucha is known but also some of those “superfoods” we have all been hearing about.

Not only does it taste great on its own, but Fieldstone also works well as an ingredient in drinks such as those detailed on the website (www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com).

Best of all, it comes from a woman-run company right here in New England! 

Speaking of that woman, she started her SCOBY-started story as so many other great food-trepreneurs do by starting in her own kitchen and distributing to her friends before growing into what I hope becomes a sector-leading company.

In addition to being made here, Fieldstone kombucha also sources ingredients from local farms and even has a local artist design the label artwork! They also packages their products in recyclable materials so they have less impact on the environment and are good for everyone involved!

If you need more incentive to try Fieldstone, they can deliver (in 100% recyclable packaging!) and, if you enter “kombuchaships” or “localkombucha” you can get 10% off your first order!

www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com