Hey, coffee people! My name's Lauren and I'm the content person at Trade. Content Strategist on LinkedIn. I make these blogs, write the emails you see, and occasionally post silly things on Instagram and TikTok. In case you're curious about my coffee…I make a mean pour over every morning, or if I'm feeling crazy, I break out the Moka Pot for an iced capp or latte.
I wanted to start this end-of-year blog by thanking you for allowing our team to share our love of coffee far and wide in 2023. Trade shipped millions of bags from coast to coast, and sometimes I still can't believe I get to be part of the place you come to for coffee that helps you do your thing every day. I'm so lucky.
I did some math-ing a couple weeks ago (so I wouldn't have to do it right before New Years when math is illegal) and came up with a list of coffees that, for lack of a better word, were our stars of the past year—think best sellers, top rated, and the like.
We also introduced a lot of cool "firsts" in 2023 that I wanted you to see, like this Kona from Hawaii, or our now sold-out trio of coffees from India. As you'll notice, some of these stars come and go, so to make sure you never miss anything in 2024, I encourage you to sign up for a subscription if you haven't already!
Now, onto the fun stuff…coffee stats!
Most Brewed…
Aka the coffee Trade customers put on repeat more than 1989 (Taylor's Version).
- Smoothhhhhh and chocolaty sweet, with a splash of ripe cherry juiciness. It's no wonder this crowd-pleaser is our most-brewed coffee of the year!
Honorable Mentions:
- PT’s Flatlander Signature Blend - A lovely bittersweet aroma, balanced by a nutty, sweet finish
- Common Voice’s Heirloom - Chocolate and almond butter sweetness for days! Like your favorite candy bar
- Greater Goods’ Kickstart - Easy drinkin' with dark chocolate and brown sugar sweetness
- Irving Farm’s 71 House Blend - The signature house blend at Irving Farm's OG location at 71 Irving Place…it's classic, smooth, and great with milk
Most Queued…
Aka the coffee you saw in a Trade email or scrolling through our site and were like "I must have it".
- Super honey-sweet and full-bodied, this dark roast is comfort in a cup
Honorable Mentions:
- Atomic’s Space Cadet - The Space Cadet love is strong in 2023
- Methodical’s Brazil Dulce Signature - Chocolaty, nutty, smooth, and sweet…what more could you ask for?
- Sparrows’ High Five Blend - This one's got a huge body and hints of orange acidity
- Huckleberry’s Bom Senso - A Trade-exclusive roast, meaning you can only get it here!
Most Loved…
Aka the highest-rated coffee. We love when you rate your coffees because it helps us select new ones to bring to our site. These are all really unique Single Origins from Africa and Southeast Asia, which is pretty cool to see. Lots more of these to come in 2024!
Huckleberry’s Ethiopia Chelbesa Kubi - Sold Out!
- If you want the same magic from the birthplace of coffee try Portrait’s Ethiopia Koke Washed.
Honorable Mentions (also all sold out!):
Although you'll always find plenty of awesome coffees to try at Trade year-round, many Single Origins like these are smaller crops, meaning there are less to go around every year. They sell out fast because of their unique flavor profiles.
- Dune’s Ethiopia Aricha Natural
- PERC’s Sumatra Pantan Musara
- Broadsheet’s Kanzu Natural Process
- ReAnimator’s Ethiopia Goro Muda
You can still check out all of our Single Origins here!
First Coffee From…
Hawaii! This is Kona Extra Fancy .
Hawaii has a long, rich history of coffee growing, and coffee from the Kona region is its most prized. This Extra Fancy (an actual agricultural designation and not a marketing gimmick) is an excellent example of Hawaiian coffee. It has the smoothness that Kona is known for combined with complex green apple acidity.
More importantly, this special coffee came to us with a cause, near and dear to our friends at Bean & Bean.
Since 2008, our friends at Bean & Bean have proudly sourced coffee from the Kona region of Hawaii — nurturing both local livelihoods and honoring the island’s unique coffee heritage. As the Maui community continues to cope with the aftermath of the devastating fires, we're teaming up with Bean & Bean to do our part to help.
For every bag of their Kona Extra Fancy purchased, both Bean & Bean and Trade will continue to donate 10% of our proceeds to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund.
Most Coffee-Obsessed City…
Not technically a city, but still. Let's give it up for Brooklyn, NY, the location with the most Trade subscribers! That makes me blush because you all have a lot of coffee shops to choose from and you still picked us. Crying.
Honorable Mentions:
- LA
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Seattle
If this year was a movie, it would've won the Best Picture Oscar, and it's all thanks to you. We can't wait to bring you even more better coffee in 2024.