Every year around this time (though it seems to be earlier and earlier each year...), we release what is perhaps our most anticipated, most beloved menu offering: the Holiday Blend. It is a big, warm, liquid hug to our family who has supported us for years, and it's also an enthusiastic high five to our new friends we've met along the way. And let's be honest: we could all use a big, warm hug right about now, right? From the political climate both at home and abroad, to the actual climate wreaking havoc all over the world, this year has left many of us feeling uncertain, untethered, and undone. For some of you, the sheer weight of the holiday season might even seem like too heavy a load to shoulder right now, and if that's you... we get it. A cup of coffee, no matter how delightful, cannot change the world around us. However, we do believe that same cup of coffee - combined with the shared experience of sipping it with others and having an authentic conversation - can be a really powerful thing indeed. It is our sincere hope, that the company and conversations which accompany your coffee this holiday season are precisely the kind of warm hug or enthusiastic high five you need in that moment, and that they instill in your spirit that unique, twinkling sort of hope which only the holiday season can inspire. Perhaps the best thing about this year's Holiday Blend is how seamlessly it incorporates both complexity and balance. It's both refined and approachable, intricate and easy-going. It serves as a subtle, excellent introduction to co-fermented coffees like Esteban Zamora's cinnamon co-fermeneted lot. Similarly, big, wild flavors from Lica Torres's naturally processed lot are quieted and balanced by sweeter, more subtle flavors from washed and honey lots. With a citrus character like fresh oranges and plenty of spiced sweetness (think cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning!), this cup is certainly an ode to the flavors we love about the holiday season. Cooked fruit notes coupled with a glimmer of booziness remind us of mulled wine, making the whole experience a delightfully festive one. This coffee can be perfectly enjoyed black or with cream and sugar by connoisseurs and casual coffee drinkers alike. We believe everything about this coffee resounds with the holiday spirit - including its ability to welcome everyone to the table. Each holiday season, we partner with a charity near and dear to our hearts. This year, in our home state of North Carolina, the holidays are going to look very different for thousands of people whose homes and lives were upended by Hurricane Helene earlier this Fall. For every bag sold, $1 will be donated to our friends at BeLoved Asheville, a community-based organization that has been a tireless source of aid, supplies, and relief since the storm hit western North Carolina a few weeks ago. You can learn more about the incredible work they're doing - and how you can play a part in it - here.