This drizzly, chilly early spring weather makes smoothie season seem a fuzzy future world away. But any day now, a crack in the clouds big enough to let the sun shine through will warm cafe patios and drive tastes away from hot and steamy, toward cold and fruity. So now is the time to get your smoothie menu together. We distribute everything needed for smoothie making, from VitaMix blenders and parts to protein powder and supplements. We've picked up a new JET Fruit Smoothie Mix flavor: Kiwi Banana. It tastes divine, and looks gorgeous. While the banana stays nicely in the background, the kiwi comes through not only with fresh flavor, but also with beautiful spring green color, dotted with those charming little black seeds. Like all JET smoothie bases, this one is loaded with antioxidants. Here's the complete list of smoothie flavors available through our wholesale division: strawberry, strawberry banana, peach, mango, wildberry, green apple, acai pomegranate blueberry, caribbean colada & mandarin orange passion fruit. Most of these are available to sip by the cupful at Kaldi's Coffeehouses too.

Our roasters cupped some new crop Sumatras yesterday and report that, "We were really impressed with the character of these coffees," says Roastmaster Andrew Timko. Andrew, along with fellow Roasters Tyler Zimmer and Jeff Schafer, selected a Sumatra Mandheling and a Fair Trade Sumatra Gayo Mountain. Tyler made the green buys today. It was a tough call between the Mandheling -- which had lush strawberry and blackberry flavors-- and a Sumatra Lingtong Triple Pick -- which featured dark fruit flavors like fig, along with what Jeff describes as "the sweet herbal earthy component of classic Indonesians." Tyler's favorite was the Gayo Mountain because it was more subtle and "creamy, like butter." Tyler, Jeff and Andrew will start roasting them later this month, when they will be available wholesale and at our retail coffeehouses. But if you just can't wait another day to try them, the guys will be cupping these three choice Sumatras and some Colombians Friday, March 7, around 2 in the afternoon at the warehouse. All are welcome.