You have to admit that coffee companies like Starbuck’s do an awesome job when marketing coffee for Christmas and the Holidays.  I hear the buzz on my daily commute about how awesome Peet’s Holiday Blend is and that Starbuck’s Christmas blend is killer.  How much different are these blends than any other blends that these 2 power house coffee purveyors offer?  Not to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge, but there is nothing remarkable about any roasters Christmas or Holiday blend.  It’s just an honest ploy to get you to buy more coffee.  As an avid coffee drinker, I admit that I am fair game to any and all advertising.

However, there is a distinct difference between my Christmas Blend and  Starbuck’s Christmas Blend-I roast my own coffee.  I started roasting my own coffee long before it became trendy and cool.  I happen to like fresh roasted coffee and it seems to work well for me.

Here is my secret for roasting the most awesome Christmas blend on the planet.  I roast enough single origin coffee to last me to last me 2-3 days.  After 2 days of brewing French press coffee, I roast another batch and add the remaining coffee beans from the previous roast.  I shake up the bag and now have my Christmas Blend.  Pretty scientific!

I wonder if the big name roasters do anything different?  They say that they travel the world  in search of rare beans for the  perfect blend of roasted.  They may have traveled the world, but not in the way that they say.  Starbuck’s is in business to make money.  Nothing wrong with that.  Coffee is not their priority to stock holders.

 Starbuck’s Christmas Blend taken from their website:
“The coffee’s magic comes from amazing, rare Sumatran beans that have been aged three to five years.
In that time, they develop such wonderful spicy, cedary and syrupy flavors that our roasters can barely wait for the day each year when they can create this blend. ”

Every time that I have tried Starbuck’s coffee, about all I can taste is ash.  I am still trying to figure out where these wonderful syrupy flavors are?  The description sound so alluring until you try the coffee.  Try standing in a line at Starbuck’s and listen to patrons rave about the coffee.  Follow them over to the sugar and cream table.  Most dump what seems like a pound of sugar and a half cup of cream to kill the bad taste.

How To Make Your Own Christmas Blend Coffee

If you want to make your own Holiday or Christmas blend coffee that is better than most of the big name roasters, then take your favorite coffees and mix ‘em up.  I am sure that you will find hints of chocolate, cinnamon, hazelnut and just about any taste that you have imagined.

My all time favorite place to purchase green coffee beans is Sweet Maria’s.  They have a blend that they call Monkey Espresso Blend.  They use the same concept as a monkey would do when choosing beans-random!  If you can imagine a monkey randomly choosing roasted coffee beans, then you get the concept of my Christmas blend coffee.