Signature Coffees at Frothy Monkey got a facelift and welcomed new members!
Introducing two new members of the Frothy Monkey Roasting Company’s Signature Coffee line – Howler and Midshift. We can’t wait to get these two coffees in your hands or in your cup! Patience and lots of #FrothyLove was poured into the creation of these new coffees. We’re proud to offer a new espresso roast and half caff option to our customers in our Nashville, Franklin, and Chattanooga cafes, Coffee Perks members, and to our wholesale and online customers.
As a part of this new launch, we’ve revamped our Signature Coffee Bag Designs and renamed some Frothy classics. French is now Brute, and Unwind is now Eventide! Read on to find out more about these exciting updates.
New Signature Coffees
Howler – An Elevated Espresso Roast
First, we have to address how hard working our 12South blend has beenover the years. It has been our workhorse coffee for drip, espresso and cold brew for many years. Once we started using Cold Brew blend for our kegged and canned Frothy Monkey Cold Brew Coffee, it wasn’t long before we set our sights on developing a coffee specifically for espresso.
We started with a natural Brazil and a washed Peruvian coffee. Because coffee availability changes seasonally, the blend will change over time but retain the same tasting notes. Our goal was to create a chocolatey and smooth taste profile with subtle fruit notes. We roasted it specifically for a more balanced, approachable shot that decreases the sharp acidic and bitter notes we tasted while brewing other coffees as espresso. What we created is a smooth experience that pairs perfectly with milk.
The Development of Howler Espresso Roast
The roasting development for Howler took about a month, and was made in small test batches. It challenged our roaster’s and came with a lot of trial and error while we dialed in the correct ratios. These tests included experiments in blending the coffee beans pre-roast or post-roast, ratio variance, and roast time. The process was drawn out further because each batch needed rest for 5-7 days before our roasters could taste the product.
Now that ratios are dialed in and larger batches can be roasted, we have already started serving Howler in our espresso drinks at Frothy Monkey cafes in Nashville, Franklin, and Chattanooga. If you’re a regular and you recognize the taste of your favorite 12South coffee, you may have noticed! The main difference is that Howler is less acidic, but still so delicious. Because Howler is roasted “lower and slower” it reduces that acidic punch and blends well with your favorite milk option or provides a smoother experience on its own.
So, why “Howler” you say? Naming this espresso blend was so fun. We tried some word play with Nashville being the Music City, but things like “harmony” and “melody” didn’t fit. We played with location titles and street names and ultimately leaned into our name. So how can we use a monkey name in a cool and modern way?
When someone threw out “Howler Monkey”, we loved it. Ironically, Howler monkeys are native to Central & South America where a lot of our coffees are imported from and it was a great way to convey the energy espresso gives you with an expressive “howl”. Our production team members have even started “howling” every time we roast a batch.
Midshift – A Half Caff Coffee Blend
We’re ecstatic to bring a new half caff option to the line of Frothy Monkey Signature Coffees. Without sacrificing flavor and quality, we developed Midshift to offer a more low-key experience for those who want a little afternoon kick, or coffee to sip on through the whole day.
Our friends in the specialty coffee industry inspired and supported us through the development of our half caff roast. Our partnership with Swiss Water Decaf had already produced great results in our Eventide decaf roast and gave us the confidence to pursue a half caff option.
We used our chemical-free, decaf Swiss Water Process coffee and blended it with a washed Ethiopian coffee. The bright and juicy flavor components of the Ethiopian, balanced out the darker cocoa notes from the Swiss Water Decaf.
We combine both coffees in a 50/50 blend, after roasting and cooling them separately. This is why you may notice some color differences amongst the beans when you open a bag of Midshift.
We wanted the name to evoke a feeling of shifting gears, not fully slowing down, but not ramping up either. That afternoon coffee that will get you through the day without keeping you up at night. Eventide is perfect for the caffeine sensitive, but still want to enjoy a tasty cup with a little more kick than a full decaf. We also found it to taste amazing with fruit forward desserts, like strawberry pie!
New Names for Signature Coffees
French Roast is now, Brute!
French Roast has been a staple in the Frothy Monkey Signature line for some time now, and we couldn’t be more proud of how delicious it is. It’s perfect in its approachability and its lovely dark and lucious qualities. By renaming this roast, we wanted to ensure pre-conceptions about French roasted coffee weren’t a concern for consumers and make the bold, full-bodied profile take center stage. We aren’t changing the formula, just the name.
Brute’s new bold, black look really represents the coffee’s flavor profile. Brute also is a little cheeky in its French reference to the gorilla, ‘la brute’, and ironically named after the “Brute” buckets we use to transfer or store coffee throughout the roasting process.
Unwind Decaf Coffee is now, Eventide!
Don’t worry, if you were a big fan of Unwind, this is the same product! With a different name. Nashville’s favorite decaf coffee just got a little facelift.
While taking the time to reassess the Signature Coffee line design and name, we could see a pattern emerging among the coffees. If you think about the coffee line in the context of our all day-cafes, you can see a pattern emerge for a full-day of coffee. Start your day with the Howler or 12South and get a sip in the mid-day with Brunch or Brute. Midshift is perfect for a mid-afternoon kick, and now Eventide will be your non-caffeinated evening (or anytime) sip when you want that delicious coffee flavor.
Seeing the new line together, the half caff and decaf needed a bit more differentiation, so the name Eventide was proposed. It’s a bit of a nod to nautical language for “evening”, but really a good example of when you’re in the groove, no caffeine needed, and just need a little something to enjoy during “smooth sailing”. Unwinding looks different to everyone and coffee might not fit in to that picture, so this new name should give consumers a bit more context to this friendly roast.
We have been waiting for this day to arrive and we are proud to reveal our updated line of signature coffees from Frothy Monkey Roasting Co! We would love to hear your thoughts and welcome your feedback. Take a look at the full line up in our online store!
Want to learn more about the new design? Keep your eyes peeled for a post coming soon on the minds behind the new look for Frothy Monkey Roasting Company Signature Coffees.
