Jean-Michel Blais x Detour: Carnavalito Espresso Blend (300g)

How do we feel about this coffee?
It feels rich, intimate and sweet, like cocoa, roasted hazelnuts, melting butter on the stovetop and hiding under the covers before bed with a flashlight and fantasy novel.

Coffee Story
This coffee was inspired and crafted in collaboration with composer, pianist and coffee purist Jean-Michel Blais to celebrate the release of his album, 'mirador'. Jean-Michel didn't just lend his name to the coffee; he tasted samples, invited the different coffees into his home and daily ritual and routine and ultimately chose an exclusive single-origin lot from the Minas Gerais region of Brazil to commemorate the release of his beautiful new record, 'mirador.'

Carnavalito Espresso, like the song that inspired it, is an Andean reverie, a rich and intimate odyssey that feels like a make-believe lookout that opens onto everywhere. And to make it even more special, each coffee comes with a QR code that allows you to access exclusive content directly from Jean-Michel. So sit back, and let the sounds of mirador and a cup of carnavalito take you on a journey.

About Brazil Minas Gerais
Since 2009, Gabriel de Carvalho Dias’ farm Cachoeira da Grama has been producing this coffee for our menu, and we’re incredibly proud to work with such a fine producer and farm. For 16 years, we’ve been impressed by the quality, consistency, and style of Gabriel's coffee and his farm, and bringing another year of his coffees to the menu reminds us that true quality never gets old.

A Message from JM...
The connection between coffee and this album is so strong, especially because I’ve spent a lot of time in Latin America, including visiting coffee plantations. So this just feels like a very natural world to explore and connect.

I love coffee - in basically every possible form: Espresso machine at home, 3rd wave in a café, filter at brunch, Bialetti while camping, instant at my parents’ ... I genuinely think every situation has its own perfect coffee! I’m a purist, but in that way. I have a lovely espresso machine at home, with my own grinder. Every morning, I make myself an unsweetened, no-milk allongé (my little ritual) except on Sunday mornings when I allow myself the luxury of a cappuccino! haha

I think it would actually be really nice to listen to Mirador while drinking this coffee and imagining. Especially the songs "Carnavalito " and "Quwi". Those two pieces in particular carry much of the colours, landscapes, and energy that inspired the record. Who knows, maybe this coffee will reveal itself somewhere between the music and the tasting!