Cazengo Coffee to Provide U.S. with Angolan Coffee for the First Time Since 1975

Cazengo Coffee announced the return of coffee from Angola, Africa, marking the first US import of Angolan coffee in over 40 years. "American coffee lovers can now order Angola's exotic, bold flavor at www.CazengoCoffee.com" said Courtney Brown, Jr., Co-Owner of Cazengo Coffee.

The return of Angolan coffee to the U.S. is more than just a sales pitch. It's a lesson in Angolan history—which is as rich as its coffee. Angola's battle for independence from Portugal followed by civil war that lasted for decades, devastated Angola and abruptly ended its ranking as the fourth largest coffee producer in the world.

Cazengo Coffee was founded by the Miguel family, who had been Angolan coffee farmers for several generations prior to the wars. When war finally ended, Miguel began making his dream come true - restoring his parents and grandparents community back to a time when the smell of coffee permeated all corners of their village. Cazengo Coffee is born in the mountains of Banga and the valleys of Bolongongo and Kikulungo. The unique combination of rich soil, altitude and climate allow for Cazengo farmers to organically grow the finest beans on earth.

On May 5th, the Angolan Embassy in Washington D.C. served Cazengo Coffee for the Around the World Embassy Tour - the crown jewel of Passport DC month. "Pre-launch tastings have already been wildly successful," said Brown. "The one-of-a-kind, bold 'Taste of Angola' has been savored in the Main Dining Room at the World Bank and at the National Geographic Museum during a special screening of 'Into the Okavango" Nat Geo's acclaimed documentary recently premiered at Tribeca film festival.

Cazengo Coffee is proud to announce its partnership with The HALO Trust, the world’s leading humanitarian landmine clearance organization that is supported by Prince Harry and famously hosted Diana, Princess of Wales in Angola. Cazengo Coffee helps fund HALO's efforts toward a landmine free world by 2025. Their removal restores priceless fertile land to Angolan farmers who are struggling to rebuild their lives and ensures children can walk to school and play safely.

American coffee lovers can support the cause by ordering today at www.CazengoCoffee.com. Their motto: “Taste Angola. Clear Minefields. Better the World.,'"

To celebrate the return of Angolan Coffee to America, all online orders are being offered at a discounted price and flat rate shipping for a limited time. For details, visit www.cazengocoffee.com

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June is National Iced Tea Month: FUN FACTS

Iced tea is a form of cold tea, usually served in a glass with ice. It may or may not be sweetened. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. It can be mixed with flavored syrup, with common flavors including lemon, peach, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, strawberry and cherry. While most iced teas get their flavor from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), tisanes are also sometimes served cold and referred to as iced tea.

Enjoy these fun facts about iced tea:

Cookbooks dating from the early 19th century indicate Americans have been drinking iced tea since that time. However, the beverage became generally popular after Richard Blechynden of the India Tea Commission offered free sample to attendees of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
New York City tea importer Thomas Sullivan became annoyed at the high cost of the tin boxes he used to send tea samples to customers. So in 1904 he switched to small cloth bags. One of the recipients brewed a pot of tea by simply pouring hot water over the bag — and the rest is history.
June is National Iced Tea Month.
June 10th is National Iced Tea Day.
Tea is a hydrating alternative to sugary beverages like soda and might help boost weight loss efforts, along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.
Recent studies on green tea shows that “routine tea consumption of an average of about two cups a day is associated with a lower percentage of body fat and weight control” than non-tea drinkers.
In 2003 Georgia state representative John Noel tried to pass a house bill making it mandatory for all restaurants to serve sweet tea.
The teaspoon was developed to easily add sugar to tall glasses full of iced tea.
Approximately 80 percent of the tea served in the United States today is iced tea.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, Americans consume well over 55 billion servings of tea (over 2.50 billion gallons) a year.
The famous long island iced tea drink doesn’t contain any tea.

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7-ELEVEN Tests First Ever Self-Chilling Canned Beverage

7‑Eleven, Inc. is rolling two ground-breaking launches into one with the introduction of its proprietary Fizzics Sparkling Cold Brew Coffee in the first self-chilling cans available to the public in the U.S. During the test launch, the groundbreaking Fizzics Sparkling Cold Brew Coffee drinks are available exclusively at select participating 7‑Eleven stores.

Created by The Joseph Company International Inc., the innovative Chill-Can® technology filled with the Fizzics coffee drink is being tested at 15 Los Angeles-area 7‑Eleven® stores.

On the leading edge of coffee trends, the Fizzics Sparkling Cold Brew Coffee drinks are available in three flavors – Regular, French Vanilla and Caramel. Made with 100 percent Arabica beans and all natural flavors, each 8.4-ounce can of the fizzy brew contains only 50 calories, 10 grams of sugar and less than 80 mg. of caffeine.

The Chill-Can containers are purchased at ambient temperature and chilled when ready to consume. When activated, the patented technology utilizes reclaimed CO2 and the process automatically chills the can and the sparkling coffee beverage inside. The self-chilling can has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NASA and the U.S. Army.

“Because the self-chilling can technology is so groundbreaking, we wanted to introduce it with a super innovative beverage,” said Tim Cogil, 7‑Eleven director of private brands. “Sparkling coffee sodas met all the criteria. Previously available in some coffee shops, a handful of exclusive canned carbonated brews began showing up last summer. Fizzics will be the first that can be chilled on demand, bringing a new level of convenience to customers who want to enjoy a chilled drink whenever and wherever they are.”

Chilling the can is simple:

Place the can on a flat surface, turn the can upside down and twist the base to activate until a constant hissing noise can be heard.
Do not handle or touch the can after activation until the hissing stops. The warmth of being handheld can inhibit the cooling process.
Do not turn can right side up until hissing stops—about 75 – 90 seconds.
Once the hissing stops, return the can to an upright position, open, and enjoy!

For more than 60 years, companies have been trying to crack the code on creating a viable, easy-to-use self-chilling can that could be made available to the general public. After more than 25 years in development, the Joseph Company patented the technology behind the world’s first and only chill on-demand can.

The patented Chill-Can® and the MicroCool® technology created by The Joseph Company International utilizes a built-in heat exchange unit in concert with reclaimed CO2 to create its chilling technology. The EPA award winning process uses CO2 that is recaptured from the atmosphere and is reused. The Chill-Can® is 100 percent recyclable and does not introduce any new CO2 to the atmosphere. www.7-eleven.com

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There's a New BOS in Town

BOS Iced Tea, South Africa’s #1 premium iced tea brand, is striking a chord with the U.S. market in showing that healthy can be fun.

BOS’ range of refreshing and lively ready-to-drink organic iced teas are crafted exclusively with rooibos. Rich in antioxidants, electrolytes and essentials minerals, this nutrient dense South African superfood is emerging as the next big trend in the iced tea category. Rooibos is deliciously healthy, naturally caffeine free and the perfect carrier for natural fruit flavors.

BOS Iced Tea makes no compromises and checks all the health boxes by being USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and vegan friendly – while delivering on great taste and refreshment. BOS is available in classic iced tea flavors: Lemon, Peach and Berry, plus offers on-trend innovations like Green Rooibos & Yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit) and Lime & Ginger. With its bold, colorful packaging and creative approach, BOS is set to shake up the iced tea market.

“The name BOS has a double meaning in South Africa. It’s derived from the word rooibos (red bush) – the key ingredient in our product. It’s also slang that means ‘crazy – in a fun way,’” said Marie van Niekerk, chief marketing officer of BOS Brands. “We use our name as a license to be adventurous in our actions, to take risks, encourage self-expression and above all to have fun! BOS is not only an iced tea; it’s also an experience and a unique way of looking at life.”

With its proven track record of success in both South Africa and Western Europe, BOS has captured the hearts of consumers of all ages. From kids to college students, athletes to young families, BOS has become the perfect companion for those who desire to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“We see a continuing universal shift in consciousness towards healthier lifestyle choices, especially when it comes to the food and beverage space. Now more than ever, shoppers want clean labels, simple good-for-you ingredients and sustainability, but they also want to have fun and celebrate life,” said Dave Evans, chief executive officer of BOS Brands. “At BOS, we believe healthy should be fun, so we take our ingredients seriously, not ourselves.”

BOS’ premium quality organic rooibos is farmed on Klipopmekaar – a private nature reserve in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa. Rooibos only grows in this unique area of the world, and each rooibos plant is harvested by hand, grown naturally without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides, and is dried outdoors by the African sun and wind. Staying true to the brand’s roots and desire to give back, BOS plants and maintains one tree for every 2,000 cans sold.

“To date over 20,000 trees have been planted in underprivileged areas of South Africa,” said Evans. “We’re well on our way to reaching our goal of planting 50,000 trees by 2020!”

Launching just ahead of summer, BOS is seeing early success gaining space in premium natural food retailers, including all Sprouts locations nationwide, as well as Erewhon Markets in Los Angeles and Jimbo’s…Naturally in San Diego. BOS has also secured a key distribution network aligning with San Diego’s premier beverage distributor, John Lenore; Los Angeles Distributing Company, and UNFI & KeHe for the natural channels.

Rich in rooibos and full of life, BOS Iced Tea is sold in individual 12-ounce slim cans at a suggested retail price of $1.99 each. Flavor details include:

Lemon – a classic favorite with organic rooibos combined with lemon’s zing and zestiness.
Peach – rooibos mixed up with the sun-sational taste of fresh peaches.
Berry –boisterous berries harness the benefits of rooibos.
Green Rooibos & Yuzu – Green Rooibos gets paired up with Yuzu, a Japanese citrus super-fruit with three times more vitamin C than lemon.
Lime & Ginger – The freshness of lime with the fiery taste of ginge.

BOS Iced Teas are available at select retailers throughout Southern California with nationwide distribution to follow. For more information on BOS Iced Tea, its organic rooibos iced tea line, recipes and more, please visit www.bosbrands.com/en.

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Office Coffee Service: If You Brew It, They Will Stay

American businesses seeking to improve productivity should consider investing more in employer provided, higher-quality coffee options, according to Office Coffee Service in the U.S.: Market Trends and Opportunities, 3rd Edition, a new report by market research firm Packaged Facts. While the average employee does not expect an employer to provide coffee that significantly outshines their usual coffee beverage purchased or made outside the office, they do expect their employer to deliver coffee and coffee drinks that can reasonably compete with it.

"Office coffee is a thriving industry that's expected to continue to see sales growth through 2021," says David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts. "Among the market's key growth factors is the increasing realization that companies need to provide higher-quality coffee and related benefits as part of broader employee retention and loyalty strategies that ultimately help enhance employee productivity. Not only will great coffee keep employees onsite at work, but it could also provide extra incentive to get to the office in the first place."

For office coffee service providers, it comes down to business economics based on employer cost-benefit analysis that weighs employee time spent away to get coffee against lost productivity. The key is to show employers that investing in office coffee services will help their bottom lines. As Packaged Facts discusses in the report, when coffee successfully is integrated as a productivity tool it often translates to growing a company's bottom line.

Packaged Facts research reveals that 68% of at-work coffee drinkers usually drink coffee made or dispensed onsite at their workplace. This underscores the fundamental utility to having at-work coffee options—employees do use them. Meanwhile, 51% usually drink coffee from outside of work (not home) and 46% bring it from home. Ultimately, the issue again is whether at-work coffee options can be improved and/or offered as a perk, making them more appealing to employees.

While employed coffee drinkers are more likely to be satisfied than dissatisfied with their workplace coffee options, they are not generally enthusiastic about them. Packaged Facts survey data found that given the importance they place on various coffee-related attributes, employed coffee drinkers' satisfaction with those attributes falls short when applied to their workplace. For example:

Coffee drinkers responded they are heavily inclined to give both coffee quality and coffee flavor high importance. However, when asked if they are satisfied with these attributes at their workplace, the response was lukewarm.
Positive responses were likewise underwhelming in regards to employee satisfaction about the type of coffee roast (dark, light, etc.) and coffee selection/variety that employers made available to them.

Office coffee service providers can use this information to their advantage. Providing high-quality coffee that delivers on flavor via just two varieties that communicate clear distinctions that matter to the target audience could make most employees happy while keeping product assortment manageable. For example, offering a light roast and a dark roast leverages a longstanding and still important distinction that cuts across the spectrum of coffee drinkers. Integrating brand choice into this straightforward approach maintains control over product assortment while leveraging a brand's qualities to better meet a target audience's needs and expectations.

Source: Packaged Facts' Office Coffee Service in the U.S.: Market Trends and Opportunities, 3rd Edition analyzes industry and consumer trends shaping the U.S. office coffee service market. Scope of analysis is centered on office coffee service provision and employee office coffee usage and attitudes

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What is your Tea IQ? Can You Pass the Test?

The folks over at WebMD have posted an online quiz, The Truth About Tea. Take the quiz (click here) and see how you do. As part of the quiz, you’ll find questions and answers to the following questions.

Is drinking tea good for your health?

What health benefits can be derived from drinking tea?

What is the best way to consumer tea to get the most antioxidant benefits?

How long should you steep tea to get the best health benefits?

Is green tea good for kids?

Take the quiz, learn something new…

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