Bittersweet Café Introduces Its Own Micro-Batched Bittersweet Origins Coffee

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - November 17, 2009) - Bittersweet Café, the Bay Area's bean-to-bar Bittersweet Origins chocolate maker and chocolate cafés, announced today the introduction of its own Bittersweet Origins micro-batched coffees. The coffees -- espresso, drip blend, single bean and decaf -- are locally roasted by Bittersweet's own coffee expert in micro-batches and use beans from Kenya, Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Sumatra.

The Bittersweet Origins coffees join the company's own Bittersweet Origins micro-batched, hand-crafted chocolate bars. The coffees and the chocolate bars are for sale at the three Bittersweet Cafés in Danville, Oakland and San Francisco as well as online.

"Our coffees follow the same hands-on approach we use for our Bittersweet Origins chocolate bars," explains Penny Finnie, co-owner of Bittersweet Café. "This is another amazing varietal product and we are taking the same interest in the farms and cooperatives where the coffee beans are grown as we do with our cacao sourcing."

The Bittersweet Origins coffee is light roast. Light roast coffee, though it tastes less strong than some darker roasts, actually contains a stronger caffeine "dose."

The micro-batched Bittersweet Origins coffees include:

--  "Long Day's Journey" Espresso -- named in honor of Danville's own
    Eugene O'Neil's play.   The Espresso is a blend of Kenyan and Brazilian
    beans now which will change depending on the season.
--  "Faultline" drip coffee -- this will always be a blend; today it is a
    mixture of Sumatra, Ethiopia and Guatemala.
--  Single bean drip -- this coffee will change seasonally. Right now it
    is Guatemala Finca Florencia.
--  Swiss water process Decaf coffee is also available from Bittersweet
    Origins.
    

"Bittersweet has developed its bean-to-bar chocolates. Moving into roasting our own coffee beans is a logical next step," explained Finnie. "We are very motivated to take control of our products so we can provide our customers with an outstanding taste experience."

Seneca Klassen, Bittersweet Café's chocolate maker, makes the "bean-to-bar" chocolate in 50-pound micro-batches, making each bar unique. He uses cacao beans from the Dominican Republic, Bali and Madagascar for the Bittersweet Origins chocolates and roasts and prepares the beans in Bittersweet's Berkeley production facility. The coffee beans now join the cacao beans, roasting in the Berkeley facility, under the supervision of a Bay Area coffee roasting expert.

About Bittersweet Origins and Café

Bittersweet Origins is a manufacturing and retailing company which creates craft chocolate and coffee in handmade, micro-batches to engage the senses and the mind. Bittersweet Café retail stores' ambience and furnishings reflect the one-of-a-kind nature of its chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and coffees. The warm and welcoming spaces furnished with unique tables, benches, carts and artwork from local craftspeople and artists create a gathering place for the community to savor locally made chocolate delicacies, coffee and tea. The Bittersweet Cafés are located in San Francisco on Fillmore Street, College Avenue in Oakland and the Rose Garden Shopping Center in Danville. For more information, visit www.bittersweetcafe.com or call 510-705-1860.

Contact Information: Contact: Erica Zeidenberg Hot Tomato Marketing 925-631-0553