Greetings friends,
In putting this newsletter together, we’ve been thinking a lot about what actually feels meaningful for us at this time of year. We find that the stretch between Black Friday and Christmas tends to get louder than it needs to be, and there’s this unspoken pressure for small businesses to suddenly act like marketing departments. That isn’t really the world we live in as we’re lucky to have a steady flow of customers in town and online. Trying to adopt a different voice in December never feels quite right.
So instead of pushing anything, we just want to share a few simple offerings for the season in case you’re thinking about giving the gift of coffee this year.
For those looking to help a loved one make a better cup at home, the best place to start after choosing great coffee is absolutely the grinder. Believe it or not, we do a lot of myth-busting in the roastery, specifically when it comes to coffee grinds. It often surprises people to learn that freshly ground coffee doesn’t automatically mean better coffee. In fact, coffee that’s been properly ground — even if it’s a couple of days old — will always taste better than something blitzed on the spot with a blade grinder, so save those blenders for your smoothies! At the risk of going too deep here, achieving a consistent grind is essential for a great-tasting coffee. Burr grinders shine because the beans pass evenly through a matched set of burrs. Blade or spice grinders, on the other hand, produce an uneven mix of large “boulders” and fine powder. The result? Coffee that’s both over- and under-extracted at the same time, which is not ideal! That’s why grinders are our main gift recommendation this season. They make the biggest difference in someone’s daily cup, especially for people just starting to get curious about coffee.
Right now, we carry an electric grinder [1] that we’ve tested thoroughly and think offers the best value for its price, alongside a couple of hand grinders [2] with sturdy, reliable burrs.
We don’t think of them as “products” so much as tools that offer meaningful upgrades to help you get more out of the coffee you’re already drinking, and we’re selling them onsite at the roastery.
We also have two discovery packs [3], available now for pre-order on our website. Unfortunately, we’ve had to keep this local to Revelstoke only this year. These packs will be a great way to experience a range of coffee without full commitment and in a fun way! All coffee will be roasted the week before Christmas, pick-up and local delivery will be available. Better yet, The Heavy Hitters pack will mostly consist of coffees not yet released and include some very special coffees. Finally, if you’re looking for something beyond coffee, we just received a fresh drop of longsleeve Holm tees, and we’ve brought in a few pieces from local makers — Holm-branded ceramics by Mud Culture, Steezy Beanie hand-knit toques, beverages, and other useful things from people in Revelstoke whose work we admire. They’re thoughtful pieces that pair well with coffee or stand out on their own.
2025 has been a busy year for us, and much fuller than we expected. We imported coffee from more than 10 countries, served over 20,000 cups, and roasted roughly 18,000 kilograms of green coffee. We’re ending this year feeling grateful — for the consistency of the bulk refill program, for the new faces discovering us, for long-time regulars in our community, and for the small team behind the bar who care about Holm as much as we do. Keefer, and now Josh, have brought a level of care and steadiness that lets us breathe a little easier, especially heading into the holidays. Mostly, we just want to say thank you. We hope the next few weeks bring you some ease and some good coffee — whatever your setup looks like.
Izzy and Simon
Holm Coffee