Ethiopian Coffees Headline Coffee House Brew Bars

We’ve perked up the Crimson Cup brew bar lineup with three Ethiopian coffees you’ll want to try!

Ethiopian Natural Sidamo Ardi, Ethiopian Sidama Guji and Ethiopian Yirg Z (Yirgacheffe) are available for a limited time at the Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington. Hand-roasted beans are also available on our website.

Ethiopian Natural Sidamo Ardi grows at elevations of 1,800 to 1,900 meters near the town of Kilenso Moconissa in the Sidamo province of southern Ethiopia. Heirloom-varietal beans are picked and sorted by hand and then dried on a raised bed in the sun before the dried coffee cherries and hulls are removed to reveal the coffee beans.

“Natural processing and light roasting yield a coffee with lemony acidity,” said Coffee Buyer Dave Eldridge. “Notes of wild strawberry, plum and dark cherry are very pronounced in the cup, which is exceptionally smooth with a juicy, sweet lingering finish.”

Guji is a sub-city of Sidama in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) of southern Ethiopia. Heirloom coffee trees grow nearby at an elevation of 2,000 meters. Ethiopian Sidama Guji is a washed coffee, usually harvested before the unwashed coffees typically produced in this region.

“After light roasting, the coffee displays tangerine acidity, with a juice-like mouth feel and tasting notes of lemon candy, pomegranate and cane sugar,” said Coffee Buyer Brandon Bir.

Ethiopian Yirg Z is an exceptionally complex Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region of Southern Ethiopia. Grown at elevations of 1,900 to 2,000 meters, the heirloom beans are a collaboration of many small farmers. The washed coffee displays a tangy chai-like front, with black tea and lime juice notes.

“It’s soft and delicate in the middle with a light but lingering finish,” Dave said. “Zero defect sorting, which takes three times longer than sorting methods used with other coffees from the region, enhances the clarity of the cup and intensifies the aroma of black tea, the peach sweetness, and grapefruit acidity.”

Ethiopia is the legendary home of the first coffee trees, and these three coffees are a fine tribute to the country’s coffee trade. Lightly roasted to bring out their distinct origin flavors, they are best when savored using single-cup brewing methods such as the Hario v60 or Chemex.

Columbus coffee lovers can enjoy hand-poured cups of these Ethiopian coffees at the Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington. Hand-roasted beans are also available at the two shops and on our website.