Parrot Masks

In 2003 Seattle's old Parrot Cafe commissioned Seattle artist Michael McMullin to create three paper-mache and acrylic masks of the resident parrots. The masks measure approximately six inches wide by eight and one-half inches tall.

Hyacinth Macaw Parrot Princess Tara

Blue and Gold Macaw Parrot Bubba

Greenwing Macaw Parrot Roxanne

Art, Science, and Mystery of Coffee Roasting

When we started roasting coffee we didn't know first crack from second crack from second fiddle. And trying to find help on the Internet was hopeless. So we created our Coffee Roasting Tip Number 1 video explaining just what first crack was.

However we continued to get questions about second crack, and how to tell when first cracks ends and second crack starts. From experience we can say figuring out second crack was not an easy thing. Coffee roasting is as much art as it is science.

Hopefully our new Coffee Roasting Tip Number 2 video will help with this mystery.

What exactly is First Crack?

And What's the difference between First Crack and Second Crack?

And, just because we're The Caffeinated Parrot, Parrots!

Yes, you read that right. Coffee Parrot Dot Coffee. Handforged 100% Parrot Friendly Coffee. Any questions about coffee, coffee roasting, or parrots? Please contact us there.

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha Blue Tara Brazilian

In Tibetan Buddhism, Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha is an ancient mantra that is related to Tara, the Mother of all Buddhas, and especially to her manifestation as Green Tara. Tara is commonly thought to be a Bodhisatva or Buddha of compassion and action, a protector who comes to our aid to relieve us of physical, emotional and spiritual suffering. Tara has 21 major forms, each of which has a different color and spiritual attribute.

Blue Tara is associated with the transmutation of anger. A protector manifesting ferocious, wrathful, female energy who destroys all obstacles to producing good luck and spiritual awakening. She removes fear of enemies, spreading joy and good fortune. She guides and assists our path to spiritual awakening.

Although the mantra Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha is related to Tara, the Mother of all Buddhas, Blue Tara also has her own special mantra Om Bhim Tare Vrim. Bhim pierces and Vrim cuts through all obstructive and destructive energies. Both syllables also cover and protect, as does the name Tare, which can mean both Saving Mother and Star Mother.

So how is a Hyacinth macaw parrot like a Tibetan goddess? Click here to find out more.

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha
Blue Tara Brazilian

Brazil Fazenda Passeio

Organic Shade Grown Fair Trade

Blue Tara Brazilian is the Caffeinated Parrot's very first single source microroast, a Full Body Full City roast. Brazil Fazenda Passeio is one of the finest Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade Brazilian coffees on the market, in homage to the New World home of the most endangered parrots in the world including the Hyacinth macaw. We are proud to feature our Hyacinth macaw and Spokesparrot Princess Tara on our new label. And yes, Princess Tara really is a princess. Her parents are a Duke and a Duchess.

Fazenda is the Portuguese word for ranch or plantation. Fazenda Passeio is located in the southern part of the Brazilian State with the Middle Earth-sounding name of Minas Gerais, where an abundance of specialty coffees are grown. Headed by Rodolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira, the estate focuses on not only the production of fine coffees, but the preservation of the surrounding environment. Situated at an elevation of about 3,500 feet, 130 hectares are devoted to the production of coffee. The Vieria Ferreira family has been producing coffee in the region for over three generations. Their aim is to improve and increase productivity with respect to the environment and the local workforce, which is a large part of the operation. There is a strong emphasis on social improvement as well. All of the local workers receive social support, such as schooling for their children, workforce training, and environmental education.

The coffee is picked by hand. This is quite rare for Brazil. The coffee is pulped the same day to avoid the possibility of fermentation. It is then dried on the patio for a few days before it is placed in the mechanical drier to finish. The coffee is rested for 45 to 60 days and then sorted to eliminate defects before it is readied for export.

Fazenda Passeio is full bodied with a mix of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and earthy flavors. Blue Tara Brazilian is a Full Body Full City Roast.

Get your Coffee Parrot Coffee Red Tail Brand Blue Tara Brazilian whole bean coffee at The Caffeinated Parrot: CoffeeParrot.Coffee. You read that right. Coffee Parrot Dot Coffee.

Coffee Parrot Coffee Red Tail Brand Zygodactyl Blend

Zygodactyl Blend, the Caffeinated Parrot's very first microroast blend, a full body Full City roast combining the finest Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees, in homage to both the birthplace of coffee and the New World home of the most endangered parrots in the world including the Hyacinth macaw. We are proud to feature our Hyacinth macaw and Spokesparrot Princess Tara on our new label. And yes, Princess Tara really is a princess. Her parents are a Duke and a Duchess.

Brazil Fazenda Passeio

Fazenda is the Portuguese word for ranch or plantation. Fazenda Passeio is located in the southern part of the Brazilian State with the Middle Earth-sounding name of Minas Gerais, where an abundance of specialty coffees are grown. Headed by Rodolfo Henrique Vieira Ferreira, the estate focuses on not only the production of fine coffees, but the preservation of the surrounding environment. Situated at an elevation of about 3,500 feet, 130 hectares are devoted to the production of coffee. The Vieria Ferreira family has been producing coffee in the region for over three generations. Their aim is to improve and increase productivity with respect to the environment and the local workforce, which is a large part of the operation. There is a strong emphasis on social improvement as well. All of the local workers receive social support, such as schooling for their children, workforce training, and environmental education.

The coffee is picked by hand. This is quite rare for Brazil. The coffee is pulped the same day to avoid the possibility of fermentation. It is then dried on the patio for a few days before it is placed in the mechanical drier to finish. The coffee is rested for 45 to 60 days and then sorted to eliminate defects before it is readied for export.

Fazenda Passeio is full bodied with a mix of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and earthy flavors. Blue Tara Brazilian is a Full Body Full City Roast.

Ethiopia Yirgachefe Bunna

Bunna is the Ethiopian word for coffee. The sweet flavors and aromas of Ethiopia Yirgachefe Bunna or coffee are its strongest assets along with a medium to light body. Ethiopian Yirgachefe is very spicy and fragrant, often with a slightly chocolate or nutty quality. Subtleties include notes of citrus or tangerine (which is why Ethiopian Yirgachefe is often preferred for iced coffee). Ethiopian Yirgachefe is known for its bright and shining acidity and clean taste. An array of sensual floral notes gives Ethiopian Yirgachefe a wonderfully bright complexity in its aromatic qualities. Often Ethiopian Yirgachefe will exhibit tones of toasted coconut. Also noted are cedar sensations with a background of caramelly chocolate. Coffee connoisseurs appreciate not only the delicate orange blossom fragrance of Ethiopian Yirgachefe, but also its sweet and elegant finish that is typically very clean like the flavor. ​Ethiopian Yirgachefe is grown at elevations ranging from about 5,800 feet above sea level to 6,600 feet. Few of the world's finest coffees are grown at such high elevations as these Yirgachefes. The town of Yirgachefe is located in central southern Ethiopia in the Gedeo Zone named after the Gedeo people. The Gedeo region extends along the eastern escarpment of the highlands of Ethiopia

Get your Coffee Parrot Coffee Red Tail Brand Zygodactyl Blend whole bean coffee at The Caffeinated Parrot: CoffeeParrot.Coffee. You read that right. Coffee Parrot Dot Coffee.

The Smell of Coffee Makes Women More Likely To Give Out Their Phone Number

We have a feeling that coffee sales are going to go up. Way up! Hey guys. The smell of coffee makes women more likely to give out their phone number. This story, in its entirety, appeared on the website Barking Up The Wrong Tree under the head 5 Things You Need To Know About That Wonder-Beverage, Coffee:

• In terms of what we desire throughout the average day we wish for coffee slightly less than sex and a bit more than alcohol. Regular drinkers don’t really get a boost from coffee, they just get their fix. In fact when you haven’t had your coffee everything with caffeine tastes better. The strategic use of coffee can make you more persuasive. The smell of coffee actually makes people nicer to one another.

• The smell of coffee makes women more likely to give out their phone number. Anything that gets the adrenaline flowing increases sexual arousal so coffee and a roller coaster might be an excellent date idea. When things get stressful coffee is a good idea for women but not for men. Coffee has also been shown to reduce depression in women. Pregnant women definitely should not drink it. (Alcohol — in modest amounts — during pregnancy can actually be a good thing.)

• Coffee and cigarettes make you smarter but lung cancer sucks so better stick to coffee and donuts, another combo which boosts brainpower. The caffeine and glucose one-two punch can work in many forms, actually: Red Bull boosts cognitive performance too. Just looking at Red Bull can be an enhancer.

• Coffee helped produce some of the great works of literature: ask Balzac. Then again, if you want to be creative maybe you don’t need more coffee: you’re more creative when you’re exhausted. Or maybe you want to drink something else: you’re more creative when you’re drunk too. (Adding Red Bull to Vodka doesn’t make you function better but it will make you think you do.) To make sure you’re productive after a nap drink a cup of coffee right before laying down. (Caffeine takes about 20-30 minutes to kick in.) This is your brain on coffee.
• 
  
• Most importantly, what’s the best way to use caffeine? Got you covered: a neuroscientist gives you all the details you need.
• 
  
• To this story we can only add our credo: Drink More Coffee! You can sleep when you're dead.

Handforged 100% Parrot Friendly Coffee

Celebrating the Birthplace of Coffee

We are followers of the Prophet Kaldi, the lowly Ethiopian goat herder living in the ancient African Kingdom of Kaffa in about the Ninth Century who discovered the Tree of Life, the Coffea arabica or coffee tree. Kaldi noticed that his goats became unusually energized after eating a certain local berry. He sampled the berry with the same effect. Excited about this miracle, he rushed to share the berries with his local Muslim holy man, or imam. The holy man was so disgusted with the berries he tossed them in a fire and stormed away. Kaldi however noticed an entrancing aroma coming from the burnt berries in the fire, so he recovered the berries. Still hot, he tossed the berries in some water to cool them off, thus creating the world's first cup of coffee. The foundation myth for the culture and religion of coffee. So when you have your first cup of coffee of the day, be sure to bow to the East and praise the Prophet Kaldi, the discoverer of the Tree of Life!

Ethiopian Yirgachefe Bunna

Organic Fair Trade

Bunna is the Ethiopian word for coffee. The sweet flavors and aromas of Ethiopian Yirgachefe bunna or coffee are its strongest assets along with a medium to light body. Ethiopian Yirgachefe is very spicy and fragrent, often with a slightly chocolate or nutty quality. Subtleties include notes of citrus or tangerine (which is why Ethiopian Yirgachefe is often preferred for iced coffee). Ethiopian Yirgachefe is known for its bright and shining acidity and clean taste. An array of sensual floral notes gives Ethiopian Yirgachefe a wonderfully bright complexity in its aromatic qualities. Often Ethiopian Yirgachefe will exhibit tones of toasted coconut. Also noted are cedar sensations which a background of caramelly chocolate. Coffee connoisseurs appreciate not only the delicate orange blossom fragrance of Ethiopian Yirgachefe but also its sweet and elegant finish that is typically very clean like the flavor.

​Ethiopian Yirgachefe is grown at elevations ranging from about 5,800 feet above sea level to 6,600 feet. Few of the world's finest coffees are grown at such high elevations as these Yirgachefes. The town of Yirgachefe is located in central southern Ethiopia in the Gedeo Zone named after the Gedeo people. The Gedeo region extends along the eastern escarpment of the highlands of Ethiopia.

Order your Ethiopian Yirgachefe handforged from CoffeeParrot.Coffee. You read that right. Coffee Parrot Dot Coffee.

Wear Your Yellow!

Ethiopian Coffee Sports Club FC is part of the Ethiopian Premiere Soccer League.

Like this tee shirt? Click on image

Playing With Fire: Mexican Cannoli

Cannoli are Sicilian pastry desserts. The singular is cannolo, meaning little tube. Cannoli originated in Sicily and are an essential part of Sicilian cuisine. In Italy they are commonly known as cannoli siciliani, Sicilian cannoli. Traditionally, cannoli consist of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta.

If you're a fan of cannoli, like we are, you might like to try this sweet and spicy variety we call Mexican Cannoli. Quick and easy to make. Sweet and spicy as you can stand to make it. We prefer mascarpone rather than ricotta.

Ingredients

Flat Bread or Tortilla Shells

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

Mascarpone, Ricotta, or other sweet cream cheese filling

Spread the flatbread or tortilla with a generous helping of ricotta, mascarpone, or other sweet cream cheese filling.

Unless you like playing with fire, one chipotle pepper per cannoli should be sufficient.

Roll the flatbread (you might need toothpicks to keep them rolled), chill, and eat. Or just eat the damn thing! Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Bon Appetit!

Coffee. Parrot. Coffee. Handcrafted 100% Parrot Friendly Coffee

We are thrilled to introduce our new venture, Coffee Parrot Coffee, a coffee micro-roaster featuring our very own handcrafted 100% Parrot Friendly Red Tail Brand coffee:

Like this shirt? Click on image to get your own

Up until now TheParrotCafe.com has been working with, and is still working with, a custom organic coffee roaster located in Eastern Washington's Spokane Valley to produce our 100% parrot friendly coffees. But we have always had the goal, ever since we entered the coffee biz a century ago, to roast our own coffee. We were thrilled this past summer to finally acquire our very own coffee roaster, a Behmor 1600.

Our goal as a specialty micro-coffee roaster is to produce 100% parrot friendly coffee blends under our Red Tail Brand label. We are striving to produce the finest organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee blends on the market. To this end we introduce our first breakfast blend called Zygodactyl Blend, a medium body Full City roast combining the finest organic, shade grown, fair trade Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees available, in homage to both the birthplace of coffee and the New World home of the most endangered parrots in the world including the Hyacinth macaw.

Ethiopia Nigusse Lemma Limu

Broad dark chocolate flavors, clean, sweet strawberry tones. This coffee is grown in the Deru Mountains in an area of western Ethiopia called Limu. This is a full natural coffee but is especially clean, uniformly roasted and gentle. With an elevation of 1850-2000 meters this is the highest altitude farm in Limu. There are a number of varietals growing on the farm with natural springs running throughout. The farm is owned and operated by the Nigusse Lemma family which has been in the coffee business for 60 years. The farm is covered in old growth shade trees and has an abundance of natural springs. There are multiple varietals growing on the farm, but many have not been classified, typical for Ethiopia. They operate their own dry-huller and use full natural processing methods by drying the cherries on raised beds.

Brazil Fazenda Santa Ines

Very sweet, bright coffee with hints of lemon and clove. Delicate texture and layered, complex taste. Fazenda Santa Ines is located in the municipality of Carmo de Minas in southern Minas Gerais at the foot of the Mantiqueira mountains. When the farm was acquired by the Sertao Group in 1979 it was already planted in coffee. Soon thereafter work began on planting more fields, building new concrete drying patios, and installing a washer, dryer, and processing machine. The Sertao Group is highly committed to environmental conservation, witnessed by the fact that it has preserved a large area of native forest on the property and protects all the mountain springs and creeks as well as the vegetation along their banks. Because of the topography, harvesting at Fazenda Santa Ines has always been done by hand, the cherries being collected on a cloth. This precaution is taken so that the coffee will not be contaminated or lose its quality. Once they are picked, the cherries are taken to Fazenda do Sertao, another partner in the Sertao Group, where they are washed, pulped, and spread out, always with a view to obtaining a high-quality product.

You can purchase our Zygodactyl Blend and other fine coffee, tea, and parrotphernalia by visiting our online coffee shop TheParrotCafe.com. All proceeds benefit Northwest Parrots Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity registered in the State of Washington working to save parrots, one parrot at a time.

Red Tail Brand: Zygodactyl Blend Coffee From TheParrotCafe.com

Up until now TheParrotCafe.com has been working with, and is still working with, a custom organic coffee roaster located in Eastern Washington's Spokane Valley to produce our 100% parrot friendly coffees. But we have always had the goal, ever since we entered the coffee biz a century ago, to roast our own coffee. We were thrilled this past summer to finally acquire our very own coffee roaster, a Behmor 1600. Our goal as a specialty micro-coffee roaster is to produce 100% parrot friendly coffee blends under our Red Tail Brand label. We are striving to produce the finest organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee blends on the market. To this end we introduce our first breakfast blend called Zygodactyl Blend, a medium body Full City roast combining the finest organic, shade grown, fair trade Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees available, in homage to both the birthplace of coffee and the New World home of the most endangered parrots in the world including the Hyacinth macaw.

Ethiopia Nigusse Lemma Limu

Broad dark chocolate flavors, clean, sweet strawberry tones. This coffee is grown in the Deru Mountains in an area of western Ethiopia called Limu. This is a full natural coffee but is especially clean, uniformly roasted and gentle. With an elevation of 1850-2000 meters this is the highest altitude farm in Limu. There are a number of varietals growing on the farm with natural springs running throughout. The farm is owned and operated by the Nigusse Lemma family which has been in the coffee business for 60 years. The farm is covered in old growth shade trees and has an abundance of natural springs. There are multiple varietals growing on the farm, but many have not been classified, typical for Ethiopia. They operate their own dry-huller and use full natural processing methods by drying the cherries on raised beds.

Brazil Fazenda Santa Ines

Very sweet, bright coffee with hints of lemon and clove. Delicate texture and layered, complex taste. Fazenda Santa Ines is located in the municipality of Carmo de Minas in southern Minas Gerais at the foot of the Mantiqueira mountains. When the farm was acquired by the Sertao Group in 1979 it was already planted in coffee. Soon thereafter work began on planting more fields, building new concrete drying patios, and installing a washer, dryer, and processing machine. The Sertao Group is highly committed to environmental conservation, witnessed by the fact that it has preserved a large area of native forest on the property and protects all the mountain springs and creeks as well as the vegetation along their banks. Because of the topography, harvesting at Fazenda Santa Ines has always been done by hand, the cherries being collected on a cloth. This precaution is taken so that the coffee will not be contaminated or lose its quality. Once they are picked, the cherries are taken to Fazenda do Sertao, another partner in the Sertao Group, where they are washed, pulped, and spread out, always with a view to obtaining a high-quality product.

You can purchase our Zygodactyl Blend and other fine coffee, tea, and parrotphernalia by visiting our online coffee shop TheParrotCafe.com. All proceeds benefit Northwest Parrots Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity registered in the State of Washington working to save parrots, one parrot at a time.

Out of Africa

Coming Soon

Featuring Our Congo African Grey Parrot Arua

We are followers of the Prophet Kaldi, the goat herder who lived in the ancient Kingdom of Kaffa, now Ethiopia. Kaldi discovered the Tree of Life, the Coffea arabica or coffee tree. Legend holds that Kaldi noticed that his goats became energized after eating a certain berry. Kaldi sampled the berries with the same effect. In his excitement he sought to have his discovery blessed by a Muslim holy man. Instead, the holy man tossed the beans into a fire in disgust. The subsequent enticing aroma caused Kaldi to create the world's first cup of coffee after recovering the burned beans and dropping them into hot water. To pay homage to Kaldi we've been searching for the perfect Ethiopian coffee. Not finding anything on the market we like we created our own brand! We have a distinct preference for Latin American coffees, but this Ethiopian coffee is the exception.

Coming Soon

RED TAIL BRAND

ETHIOPIAN COFFEE

So when you have your first cup of coffee of the day, bow to the East and praise the Prophet Kaldi, the discoverer of the Tree of Life! And while you're drinking your Ethiopian coffee, be sure to Wear Your Yellow!

Ethiopian Coffee FC Sports Club Jersey 2-Sided Tees by TheParrotCafe

Scratch and Sniff

We love technology. Almost as much as we love coffee. Our computers and smart devices can accomplish wonders. They can tell us where to find the best coffee, even if they can't brew the coffee for us. Just yet. So we're thrilled to offer our new Scratch and Sniff app:

It's simple. Just scratch the images on your screen, and sniff the wonderful coffee aroma, freshly roasted for your enjoyment!

Can't smell it? Be sure to go into your Control Panel and turn off your computer's aroma blocker. Most computer's come set for maximum aroma blockage. You'll need to adjust your levels for the optimal aroma experience.

Still can't smell it? Then apparently your computer comes permanently blocked. Then your only option is to just order the darn coffee from TheParrotCafe.com. We guarantee you won't regret it.

Blue Tara Morning Dew Blend Coffee

We are thrilled to introduce our new line of 100% Parrot Friendly triple certified Organic Shade Grown Fair Trade whole bean coffee, available exclusively from TheParrotCafe.com.

Triple Certified Organic Shade Grown Fair Trade

In our humble opinion Blue Tara Morning Dew Blend may be the finest Organic, Shade Grown, Fair Trade breakfast blend on the market! Comprised of Sumatran and Central American coffees, this blend is complex and robust, roasted to different roast levels prior to blending resulting in a medium/dark roasted coffee that is so full of flavor it will knock your socks off! This coffee is extremely full-bodied. On the palate it has floral notes with hints of nuts and chocolate.


Did we mention this coffee is available exclusively from TheParrotCafe.com? The proceeds from the sale of this and our other fine coffees benefit Northwest Parrots Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity registered in the State of Washington.

Click on shirt for all our great TheParrotCafe.com tees

Parrot Paradise Coffee

We are extremely pleased to announce that TheParrotCafe.com will introduce its own line of 100% Parrot Friendly Parrot Paradise Coffee. In our continuing pursuit of coffees that we not only are willing to offer for sale but actually drink ourselves, we have decided to create our own blends.

Our first offering, soon to be available at TheParrotCafe.com, is Parrot Paradise Blend. This coffee features our Greenwing macaw and Diva parrot Roxanne. A very special blend of Shade Grown coffees from Guatemala in Central America. A unique blend of lighter and darker roast. These Central American coffees create a rich caramel, sweet chocolate flavor, medium body, resulting in a well-balanced and hearty cup. 100% Parrot Friendly: USDA Certified Organic, Shade Grown, Kosher Certified. Look for it soon at TheParrotCafe.com.