Well, it's official: we have a curtain at Mercury. The fat Summer lady has sung, and Jack Frost has planted a fork squarely in Fall's backside; the show is over, and Autumn is cooked.

But, I gotta say, it almost seems worth it now that I can walk into Mercury and pass through a veil of fabric which can not help but remind me of the last episode of Twin Peaks, or of the very Birthing Process itself, (the trauma of which I'll probably never fully recover from.)

Anyway, I was just buttering you up like a Prize Sow for the real blog, which starts now:

if you've never been Born Again (have you heard the Good News?), OR, you never saw Twin Peaks, OR, it's cold outside, OR you want to talk to the coolest people in the city of Toronto, OR you want to try the Unstoppable Coffee Craze that continues to rock Leslieville, OR you want to drink some delicious Ontario apple cider steamed to super-perfection, OR you have a Winter's Tan and need to deal with it, OR you like Awesome Music and want it to shoot at your ear holes a little bit, OR you want to show some support for a local pillar of ethical business practice, OR you want to hear the sultry vocal stylings of electro-acoustic phenom Jacqueline Rendell (every other Sunday in the late afternoon), OR you want to internet it up on your laptop, OR if the Human Mouth is your personal favourite orifice for Coffee Drinking, OR if you have the Meaning of Life in your blazer pocket and want to share it, OR if you see No Beauty anywhere in your life and want to understand why we're all in a pretty good situation, OR if you're tired of ignoring people that tell you "Dude, you need to go to Mercury right now because their cappuccinos are indescribably good,"

OR if you want to cross through our brand new fancy curtain,

well, you know what to do, innit?

I just have one question....

What does your shirt say?

Sunday. The lord's day. A day of rest. But not for us! Never! We're here at the crack of dawn, ready to make your day splentacular, or fantabulous, or even magna-doodle. Why just this very morning Ben and I made ourselves a press of Oaxaca and made our own days extradiferous. If you feel like a little something from south of the border down Mexico way then La Perla De Oaxaca is just what the good doctor ordered to spice up your Sunday. Or any day of the week for that matter.

Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, (said in a Fozzie Bear voice) is a blend that will give you the warm "Fozzies" inside. It's got a real chocolate and honey flavour with what Ben calls herb tones, a juicy citrus acidity and a clean finish. Sure to be a big hit round these parts. Come on by and get a cup of the finest coffee Mexico has to offer for the low low price of five dollars (plus tax) per press.

See y'all soon!

-Neil.

That's what Neil looks like when he gets stuck in the rain: Mad, Cold, and about 10 lbs lighter. If this cat were wearing tight red pants.... it'd be Neil for sure.

Muyongwe. Muyongwe? MUYONGWE! That's right, we are going to have Muyongwe, Rwanda's Golden Cup of greatness on press this week. We may not know how to pronounce it, but you can rest assured that we will certainly be able to drink it, and so can you. Pop on in and try out the number one Rwandan coffee that has been described as both elegant and complex, kind of like Alex Tran.

Or, if you are into underdogs as opposed to top dogs, then be sure to experience the sensation that is Kanzu, Rwanda's fourth place Golden Cup. The layers of chocolate wonderfulness run deep in this bombastic bean. With a blackberry (not the electronic device), dried fruit, and caramel body this is bound to be a surefire hit round these parts.

Alex sez:

It's gonna rain!

-Alice "smooches" Berg, Alex "slaps" Tran

MAN it has been busy in here the last few weeks. If you've been jonesing for a blog, that'd be the reason. But we have news since we last spoke: In-coming is this year's Celebration Blend from Intelligentsia!

With a sweet red currant flavour and molasses tones, Celebration has a warm and full mouthfeel, with a touch of cinnamon and spice. Really, it's an ideal coffee any time, but it's only available for the season, so you should come down and try a press! If you like it, we'll soon have it for sale by the half pound. And we still have all your favourite Intelli and Dark City blends, including El Gallo (for a limited time).

French presses, by the way, are becoming quite popular. It's still perhaps the best way to enjoy a coffee, and it'll introduce you to nuances that you never knew your coffee had. We'll be happy to tell you about what you're drinking, give you tasting notes, and teach you to slurp your coffee in a way that would offend your mother. (But seriously, that's how you do it.) We love coffee, and we want you to know exactly why.

And so it is...
On Press- all are 5.oo + tax
El Cuervo Guatemala - This stuff is great! Its got sugar cane, red fruit, and milk chocolate to start, has a bold invigorating acidity and finishes off chocolaty and clean like a kiss from Alex Tran!
New Guinea- This is like the V8 of coffee (if you go for that kinda thing). First it hits you with a smack of lime, and sweet creamy spice, the lively acidity is bright and finishes off with smooth, rich citric fruits. It's a lot like alice at 3am...why? it just is!
Los Delirios Organic Nicaragua- You'll get a whoop of creamy caramel and wild honey, it's acidity is smooth like butter, and finishes you off with all spice, cranberries, and baker's chocolate. Kinda like a blog from Damien... Or maybe just his hair...

Stefan Berg has his linocuts up on our walls ( they're real and they're spectacular). If you have not come into check them out, you don't know what you're missing.
They are all beautifully framed images from his book LET THAT BAD AIR OUT - Buddy Bolden's Last Parade. If you don't get a chance to see them this month (or you love them and want more) you should come to the book Launch! It's on Tuesday December 4th from 6-8pm at David Mirvish Books (596 Markham Street).


On the subject of art and music we have Jacqueline Rendell come in every other Sunday (the 1st and 3rd of every month) to entertain the masses from 2-4pm. She is totally rad. If you haven't heard her... well you just should. She also has an EP called We Are Rich if you like what you hear or want to check her out. She will be here next on November 18- come chill.

over and out from your trusted homefries and the Merc
Alex "ain't got no pan" Tran
and
Alice "Sober?" Berg

Dear Mercury Customers,

This evening around 5pm, Damien and I witnessed a tragic event that I had feared for about a year and a half now. A patron of ours had just left our cafe and was crossing Queen St. at Morse and was struck by a passing car. There had been countless close calls at this particular crosswalk, far more that I'd like to see and I feel that this was inevitable.

My condolences goes out to the family and friends of the man who was struck and with a heavy heart I warn others who are reading this: Don't trust cars to stop at the crosswalks. A couple seconds of waiting or using the intersection at Carlaw would make a world of difference.

Damien sez:

In other news, everything else about today has been beautiful- my latte art is getting better and better, my shots are reaching a new height of consistent greatness, and my service courtesy is at an all time high (I dare you to come into the store and see how nice I am). Generally speaking, I absolutely love working at Mercury. Some high school kids told me they were writing a report about the store for an assignment, and I basically gushed ad nausea about how great every facet of the whole Mercury phenomenon really is. I won't gush too much in this blog entry cause Lord Knows I've already done enough of that, but let me just gush a wee gush:

There's something about this environment that seems to cause people to connect with one another. I've met so many amazing and wonderful people since I started working here, but sometimes I look around to notice that total strangers are striking up conversations spontaneously, as well. Cool people seem to be drawn here like bears to honey, and I'm just fine with it. Why can't all of Toronto be more like Mercury?

In light of the accident we witnessed, such light-hearted musing seems a little bit inappropriate. Perhaps I can contextualize the saccharine sentiment by saying that I feel truly lucky to work where I do, to have the life I have, and to be surrounded by the wonderful people I encounter every day. If you're reading this blog, you're probably one of them! Anyway, let tragedy and harmony both inspire us to treasure whatever it is we've been blessed with and appreciate the moment at hand.

Sunday. Vibe: Chilled Out. Baristas: The Damien and Alex Bean.
We're happy to report that we still have 3 presses of the Esmeralda left. It's only a couple more days from going stale though so if you fancy a press, get on your track bike and scuttle down you coffee hipsters.

On a another (musical) note, the lovely Ms. Jacqueline Rendell muscled out a fantastic live performance amid the flanges of a Sunday afternoon baby caravan. Those young toddlers seemed to appreciate the stylings of this particular ball-o-sunshine, who happened to just release an EP recently. She'll be back for another staggeringly militant set not this up coming Sunday but the one after that. Come out and be charmed.

Closing: 9 pm as usual. Dinner: Jim's Best. Riding: Dirrrrty

love

a

Hallowe'en Poem (a little bit late)

I woke wednesday morning
With a chill and a fright
Knowing what would happen
That very night,
A shiver went through me,
Deep down to my bones,
At the thought of the goblins
And ghouls who would moan
And groan in the darkness
Demanding from me candy--
I had to steel up my nerves,
But what had I handy?
I went down to Mercury
Where they brew liquid courage;
Threw back two shots,
Felt my energy sur-age.
I had a few more
To even it out,
Became braver and stronger
And two times more stout.
Now I could handle
Those ghouls and those ghosts:
Caffeinated, I'd be
Up all night, or almost.


PS. Hacienda la Esmeralda gives you extra-paranormal powers. True! Ask a barista.

It's cold out there HoneyCAt! Come on in and warm up with us.
Neil is giving out Free Hugs Today. Just as and you shall receive.
We have been listening to a lot of Tom Waits today. I feel this trend extending as long as possible. =I'm sure Alex can't only last so long without death metal.
Like a fish out of water, at some point you give in or he dies.

NEW NEWS
On Press!!! $5.00 + tax
Costa Rica Flecha Roja- There is nothing shy about Flecha Roja. This coffee is bursting with red fruit sweetness, citrus acidity, and an underbelly of caramel. Its finish is astoundingly crisp and clean… enough to make your lips smack!

Los Delirios, Organic Nicaragua- Delightfully creamy! Caramel and wild honey provide sweetness while dark chocolate, baking spice and a tinge of fresh cranberries compliment the finish. Well-balanced with a buttery mouthfeel.

Kenya- Kianderi Auction Lot- This is one of those coffees that can leave one speechless with wonder. It all begins with the aroma: intense and enticing. A gorgeous combination of floral and citrus scents provide a preview of what will be found in the cup. As the coffee cools, a classic black currant flavor emerges and resonates all the way through the finish. The sweetness is abundant and omnipresent, greeting one at first sip and trailing off serenely several seconds after swallowing. It all ends with a shadow of sweet currant lingering a few moments before disappearing cleanly and leaving a silly grin of pleasure.

If you missed the Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Jaramillo Especial last week you have one more chance to order it from us before you have to wait a whole year. This coffee has been top shelf for 3 years going on and we're bringing it Leslieville one more time. Just check out it's curriculum vitae:

#1 2004 Rainforest Alliance Cupping
#1 2004 SCAP Cupping #1 2005 SCAA & SCAP Cupping
#1 2006 SCAA & SCAP Cupping
#1 2006 Rainforest Alliance Cupping
#1 2007 SCAA & SCAP Cupping
Imagine That!

We'll be selling presses for a mere $25. What what? How dare you call that a "mere" $25? Well if you want me to break it down to you here it goes:

Last year this coffee was going for $50 a pound - green beans. On top of that you lose about 20 % of the gross weight after you roast it. But THIS year it's going for a record $130 a pound. Each press requires about 25 grams of coffee so $25 a press is about the gross price. WE ARE NOT MAKING A PROFIT! Yeah ok, I guess that's pretty cool of you guys. Damn skippy.

It's in homies! What do we have? Well sitting right now in our high-security safe we have one of the best coffees in the world that won the C.O.E. three years in a row! It's the heavy weight champion of the world and he's just chilling, waiting for his big debut in Toronto tomorrow around 2pm. So if you took out a second mortgage to try this once a year King of Commodity coffee, come and get it. Time WILL be working against you. Coffee like this waits for no man/woman. Get off your butt already!
Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Jaramillo Especial
"Words fail to properly capture this coffee. From the very beginning it mesmerizes your senses with its intense aromatics of jasmine and coffee blossom. The ethereal nature of this coffee will befuddle and captivate you – making each sip an urge for another. As you taste it, notes of lime, honeysuckle and tangerine undulate atop a crisp, citrus acidity. The potent sweetness transforms into a finish of white grape and jasmine flower. La Esmeralda is a truly unforgettable coffee experience. "

Alex:
Music has always been a predominantly noticeable feature here at Mercury (besides our kick-ass coffee of course) and upon walking into our humble corner you'll find yourself at the nexus of the universe where great espresso and cheesy 80's songs intersect to produce the greatest vibes known to Toronto. We started out with strictly rock 'n roll and have now evolved to encompass everything but classical and jazz. Let me tell you, there are endless possibilities.

Enough of that for now.

Coming in from Chicago on Wednesday will be:

Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Jaramillo Especial

"Words fail to properly capture this coffee. From the very beginning it mesmerizes your senses with its intense aromatics of jasmine and coffee blossom. The ethereal nature of this coffee will befuddle and captivate you – making each sip an urge for another. As you taste it, notes of lime, honeysuckle and tangerine undulate atop a crisp, citrus acidity. The potent sweetness transforms into a finish of white grape and jasmine flower. La Esmeralda is a truly unforgettable coffee experience."

There you have it. This was quoted from the Intelligentsia website and I don't think I could've said it better. If you have a moment on Wednesday, stop by... we'll be caffeinated...very caffeinated.

Damien:
In other Mercury-related news, we'll be allowing our customers to get to know a different side of our staff via some oh-so-righteous coffee bean caricatures. In representing each staff member as a personalized coffee bean on our window, resident Art Star Alice Berg has, with the unerring hand of a trained surgeon, cut straight to the heart of each Team Mercury member's soul, producing not only a shockingly accurate physical effigy, but also a disturbingly Real account of the very fibre of our respective beings. Plus, they are rather (to borrow the parlance of the young people these days) 'jokes.' I stand behind them One Billion Percent.

MAN but it got chilly. Mornings are dark and cold these days as we get nearer to winter, and the only way I make it through is with a toque, a sweater or two, and a steady supply of cappuccino. Fortunately, we are now open even earlier during the week-- at 6.30 in the A-M, Monday to Friday. You know, just in case you're one of those poor souls who has had to drag themselves out of bed at an ungodly hour so they can make it in to work at a profoundly blasphemous hour, and have had to cope with profane office coffee because we were still snuggling in bed-- all of us, together, warm and safe-- while you drove by in the pitch black morning drear. Aye, now we join you in companionable misery, five days a week.

Well, I don't. I don't have to open during the week! Bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

--Ben, the jerk.


I'm a bigger jerk!

--Neil, the bigger jerk.


It's true. I hardly seem a jerk at all, compared with Neil.

--Ben, who really isn't a jerk at all, not like that Neil.

Hey Kids. This is a photograph of Damien and I back in the day. Man was he a fox or what?!?

Here is some more great COFFEE NEWS from Mercury...
We will soon be featuring the Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha Jaramillo Especial as a press. This will be taking place on the 18th of October. We will be doing this pressing by order only, so email/ call/ or come in and sign up. The pressing will be $25.00 a pot (I know it's a bit on the steep side, But SOOOO worth it!). Here is what Intelligenstia is saying about the Esmeralda:

Words fail to properly capture this coffee. From the very beginning it mesmerizes your senses with its intense aromatics of jasmine and coffee blossom. The ethereal nature of this coffee will befuddle and captivate you – making each sip an urge for another. As you taste it, notes of lime, honeysuckle and tangerine undulate atop a crisp, citrus acidity. The potent sweetness transforms into a finish of white grape and jasmine flower. La Esmeralda is a truly unforgettable coffee experience.

So if you are into unforgettable experiences then you will have to try this one out. I would say it has to be like spending the night with Damien Dancing.

Some more coffee buzz. Our next feature for pressing will be the Las Temopilas, Nicaragua Cup of Excellence: Fourth Place.

From one of the same producers as our Organic Los Delirios, this 4th place Nicaragua Cup of Excellence winning lot is impeccable. The coffee introduces itself to you with an abundant sweetness that indicates just how careful Sr. Canales was in ensuring the selection of fully ripe coffee cherries during harvest. Notes of fresh raspberries and lime blossom on the back of a crisp acidity as it finishes into a clean milk chocolate denouement.

NEW STORE HOURS!!! We will now be open at 6:30am all weekdays. So from Monday- Friday come in extra early for your cup of joe. If you feel so inclined you could drop in and start your conversation off with "Boy it sure is early!"

I'm sure the staff will love you for it.

That's all the news that's fit to print. So have yourself a wonderful evening, and pop in if you feel like it. We love the pop in.

- Damien "looks great eating a apple" Zielinski and Alice "don't mind if you hack a dart, dude" Berg

Haha! Fooled you. You thought you were having the best coffee in Toronto all this time? As if. We've been saving it for ourselves. But we've repented, we've changed our ways: we're ready to tell you everything we know.

We are now offering featured French Press*-prepared coffees for your tasting pleasure. Right now, you can choose between two Latin American single-origin beans: Tres Santos, a Colombian micro-lot, and Los Immortales, from El Salvador. We'll grind your beans fresh to order, and give you the low-down on how long to steep it for, how to taste it, and what wonderful aromas you'll be experiencing. It brings coffee drinking to the next level. But hurry! We're already running low.

*Get it? Huh? French Press! Huh? Huh? Get it?

Damien sez:

"Well dudes, if these snuggly unicorns don't make you all warm and fuzzy-feeling (you soul-less scoundrel), then don't worry cause I got some fancy news that will make you all happy and stuff:

Mercury is an unstoppable crazy train of incredible savage goodness, and it's getting more off-the-rails every day. Evidence? Glad you asked:

1) Intelligentsia has landed. We're currently brewing the Black Cat and Kid-O around the clock (while we're open, anyway), and both of them are outstanding. I'm drinking a delicious shot of the roasty and refined Black Cat as I write this dribble, and am I enjoying it? You betcha!

2) We got a new refurbished Ditting grinder that absolutely grinds anything we put into it. If that doesn't sound exciting, then you haven't seen this thing. Oh, buddy.

3) Robert Farmer's astonishing artwork is now hanging on our walls, and I pretty much don't care where you live- it's really worth the trip out here just to see it. A surrealist romp through a dizzying postmodern world of symbols, Farmer's technically stunning Last Supper series reconfigures everlasting icons within the context of an era characterized increasingly by transience and interchangeable cliches. The result is a fascinating and wonderfully fun juxtaposition that proliferates new meanings while calling into question the very connections we tend to force between the signifier and the signified.

Well, that's what I get out of it anyway. Come see the pieces already, so we can wax art.

4) Alice Berg still works here, and she gets better every day. So you need to come back every day even if you already think you know how awesome she is.

I love Mercury. It makes me really happy. Thanks for reading what I have to say."

INTELLIGENTSIA is coming to Mercury!!!

This coming Wednesday we will be switching some of our old blends and picking up some new ones from Intelligentsia. If that doesn't sound like a big deal, then let me assure you that it totally, totally is.
Totally.

Intelligentsia is a swell bunch of dudes hailing from Chicago, who in many ways are analogous to Mercury itself. This is to say that they are unstoppably passionate about coffee, and just so happen to be on the cutting edge of ethical business practice as well. They have pioneered a groundbreaking system of coffee importation known as Direct Trade, which involves purchasing coffee directly from the coffee growers themselves. On average, the Direct Trade arrangement puts 25% more income in the pockets of the farmers when compared with Fair Trade. Thankfully, sound morals don't have to conflict with the quality of the product, as your first sip will immediately confirm.

People get ready for:

The Black Cat Espresso Blend
has a combination of coffees from Latin and South America. full body/ notes of chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit/ lingering sweet finish. Black Cat produces a sublime shot of espresso, and is equally dazzling for traditional coffee.

Kid O
has a combination of coffees from Indonesia and the Americas that produces a creamy and slightly nutty espresso with hints of fruit. Equally good for traditional coffee.

Speaking of traditional coffee, we are also please to be bringing the french press into our everyday line up.

Our first feature will be
The Tres Santos, Colombia- Micro-Lot: Melange is a combination of two exemplary coffees, perfectly complementing one another’s characteristics in the cup. With it's smooth maple sweetness, balanced body of crisp red apples, baked pears, and molasses, finishing into a clean, crisp, mildly citric aftertaste, you'll be hooked. It's a fine press indeed.

Damien and I are passing time cleaning and listening to Otis... if this sounds like a good time (I assure you it is) then come on down, pick up a broom, and groove a little with us tonight. Ok so we won't make you clean, but we will happily make you a coffee and dance as we do it.

Off the record, On the QT, and very Hush Hush
Alice " it's not brain science" Berg
and
Damien "it's not rocket surgery" Zielinski

Monsooned Malabar: A Coffee With a Cool History

By Ben

When the British finally came around to enjoying coffee (though not as much as tea, I guess), they looked to their colonies to provide them this vital, vital resource. Temperate India was a logical choice for growing beans, and it became a major supplier.

But the trip back to Europe was a long one by sea, and the beans, stored in the leaky hold of the wooden trading ships, went off, ever-so-slightly. The resulting coffee was mysteriously delicious, however, mellow and dark, smoky, but not too acidic. It was like blue cheese I guess? But not blue, or made out of milk.

Since then, we have made huge advances in having ships that are not made out of wood technology, and so this peculiar kind of coffee has undergone a change as well. Now, beans grown in the Malabar region of Kerala, in India, are allowed to become dampened during Monsoon season before they are dried out and roasted. The process is called, awesomely, "Monsooning." It is the opposite of sun tanning, scientifically speaking. And so, now we can all enjoy Monsooned Malabar, available at your friendly neighbourhood Mercury Espresso Bar for a measly nine bucks per half pound.

The end!

Hey there buddy! I Alice Berg have made it out of the rabbit hole and back to Mercury. As amazing as my time off was, I'm happy to be back in my east end hang out. I'm pulling shots with Damien (my blog buddy) tonight.
Seeing as this is the first blog in a while I would like to take a little time out and say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAMIEN." Our very own Damien turned 25 this weekend (they grow up right in front of your eyes don't they. Well he doesn't look a day over 24. Skin like a baby's....
If you are in the market for beans I tell you "Look No Further!" We have a huge selection bagged up for your take home enjoyment. We have the classics ( Quick Silver, Mad Hatter, Espresso, Decaf s.w.p) as well as a few more feature bean. The Extra butter seems to be going quick. Great if you are into the smooth and dark side of things. There is also the India Monsoon Malabar, and the Yemen Mocha Matari (My very favourite) if you feel like going for something special. The feature latte is the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe- classic.
Damien do you have anything to say?

"Yes I do, Alice. I'd just like to take this opportunity to hate on Nuit Blanche for a quick second. What's the deal? Scotiabank dangles a carrot in front of the Art Rabbit and we're all supposed to piss ourselves with gratitude that our city is 'getting cooler?' Sorry but I'm not convinced. I love art as much as the next guy, and any forum for it is, at the end of the day, a welcome one, but here are some things to consider: 1) ask anyone who's been working on organizing the 'art thing' and they'll freely tell you how compromised the work of the involved artists has been due to the corporate money driving the whole operation. 2) this exemplifies my theory that structurally, it is totally impossible for anything revolutionary or even of lasting impact to come from something so top-down. Almost by definition, top-down culture is synthetic and prescribed. The power of globalizing forces in co-opting independent expression is one of dilution and digestible commodification. In other words, such art can be entertaining and little more. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong this year.

Mercury is a perfect example of the many grassroots movements around the city that are breeding grounds for culture I would deem actually meaningful.

Note: When I turned 25 I immediately became 36% more cynical. Thankfully, my latte art also improved 17%, and my shots are 22% more delicious."

Over and Out
A wall and D bird