El Miguel & La Cafferia, two distinct espresso brands from Varese.
El Miguel & La Cafferia, two distinct espresso brands from Varese.
Italy, and more specifically the tradition of espresso, is full of small but beautiful stories of people who turned their passion and passion into successful businesses. One of these stories is the story of El Miguel!
It all begins in Varese, Northern Italy, in the early 70s, when Ferruccio Rizzi and his wife decide to open a small espresso bar, trying to transform all their passion for Italian espresso into action. They source the best green coffee from around the world, roast it themselves, experiment with different blends and soon, their fame goes beyond the narrow confines of their town. People from all over Northern Italy come to enjoy espresso but also to get coffee for their home, "the way they used to make it", as they say.
Since then, what has changed is the turnover, which has grown a lot (El Miguel is an espresso brand with a presence not only in Italy but also in many other countries of the world) and the modern facilities. What has remained unchanged is the aroma and taste of their blends, and of course the love of espresso, the driving force behind it all.
Roasting & Blending, the "secrets" of El Miguel
El Miguel is based on two elements that define the physiognomy and personality of real Italian espresso, roasting and blending. As they say, roasting is "an art form", as each roaster must develop the techniques, playing with temperatures, times and their combination, in order for each variety of coffee to bring out its aromas in the best possible way. Accordingly, blending is also a demanding process, since the search for the balance of aromas and flavors is never easy and requires, in addition to good raw materials, great experience.
Roasting and mixing, the two processes that will distinguish a good from an excellent blend, are the two secrets that hide the success and timelessness of El Miguel. It is no coincidence that the company's blenders and roasters are workers who have been in its workforce for years and that despite modernization at all levels, these two processes persist traditionally.
La Cafferia: the other side of El Miguel
In the mid-90s, the leading minds of El Miguel created another blend, which houses espresso blends of a different philosophy – and thus La Cafferia was born, under whose "umbrella" premium blends, filter coffee, but also monovarietal options. The know-how and experience of El Miguel was the necessary fuel for Cafferia, which is taking its own course, now having espresso bars under its brand all over Northern Italy. Anyone in Como or Legnano can enjoy authentic Italian espresso in its most delicate form, but if the lakes of Italy fall far away, then blends such as Dolce Vita, Portofino or Milano are enough to bring its spirit to your cup .
The "Founder's Blend", the most representative blend of El Miguel
Each company has a blend that represents it and acts as the ambassador of its spirit. At El Miguel, that blend is, without a doubt, the popular Reserva do Fundador.
This is an "anniversary" blend, which was reconstituted based on the notes of the brand's founder, Ferruccio Rizzi, to celebrate the company's 40 years of presence in the field of espresso. By marrying fine Arabica from Colombia, Brazil and Guatemala with a small percentage of Indian Robusta, El Miguel's blenders have created a unique, premium blend, very close to what the founder of the company envisioned when he started this wonderful adventure called El Miguel. Its award of the "Gold Medal of Taste" at the 2014 International Coffee Tasting is a recognition of the distinctive character of this blend, which is available in both beans and ground, so that it can be enjoyed by all, with equal ease.
If you want to taste the real Italian espresso, a blend of El Miguel or La Cafferia is definitely a very good idea.
