Coffee fans unite! Starbucks has blended beans from East Africa to make this 'promotional' bag for the ongoing (RED) Campaign to support The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa.
This stuff is REALLY good. I like the idea behind the (RED) Campaign, but this IS a foodie website, and I promise I wouldn't hype the stuff if it sucked. If you're looking for another great charity, my friend Nyla started Mama Hope, which founded a health clinic in Kenya.
Back to the coffee... The (RED) blend is quite nutty; almonds, chestnuts, cashews. It also has a mild acidity that balances well with the earthiness. They describe it as having floral and citrus notes, which I don't get, but it is a great blend nevertheless.
Starbucks will donate $1 for every bag you buy. I think everyone should buy one bag.
Go. Now. Here. Buy a bag, don't be a chump:
What is the (RED) Campaign? Well, if you've been living in a bubble, it is the partnership between American Express, Apple, Converse, Dell, Emporio Armani, Gap, Hallmark, Starbucks, and Microsoft to help aid The Global Fund. This is where you can find your red ipods, your red credit card, red laptop, red sunglasses, red T-shirts, and your red copy of Windows Vista.
What is The Global Fund? It is one of the largest public/private partnership organizations to disperse international health financing.
"Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the main source of finance for programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US$ 15.6 billion for more than 572 programs in 140 countries. It provides a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally, two-thirds for tuberculosis and three quarters for malaria.
Global Fund financing is enabling countries to strengthen health systems by, for example, making improvements to infrastructure and providing training to those who deliver services. The Global Fund remains committed to working in partnership to scale up the fight against the diseases and to realize its vision – a world free of the burden of AIDS, TB and malaria."
I like my beans ground on a number 2. They always ask, "What's that for?" I deduct that number 2 is a vestigial grind, left over from some more flamboyant era because no one uses it anymore. Anyways, when you're using a paper cone, a number 2 grind works perfect for me.
I also like my coffee best when it's served in a wacky mug...