Seattle-based non-profit radio station KEXP has long championed the power of live music. Caffe Vita has spent the last 25 years keeping Seattle’s coffee and music lovers caffeinated. Now KEXP & Vita are collaborating on the very first KEXP coffee blend, with $2 from each bag donated to Keep Music Live with all donations matched by Caffe Vita.
Beginning as a student and volunteer-run 10-watt radio station in 1972, KEXP has grown over the years into an innovative, influential cultural force in the Pacific Northwest community and beyond. Caffe Vita has also been an influential force in Seattle music for a generation, serving as a home base and caffeinating artists around Seattle and at music festivals throughout the Northwest.
The KEXP/Caffe Vita coffee collaboration is aimed at helping to keep independent stages alive, with $2 from every bag of the new coffee blend donated to Keep Music Live, a COVID-19 relief fundraising campaign established by music lovers to support small, independently-owned venues across Washington State. Keep Music Live is raising money to assist venues at greatest risk of permanent closure.
The coffee label was designed by local artist Karl Maxx, inspired by iconic Seattle band posters from groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. The photo on the label was taken by local artist and DJ Rudy Willingham, who features cutouts around Seattle backdrops and landmarks in his artwork.
The post-roast blend of farm-direct Guatemalan and Brazilian coffees was born of a collaboration between Caffe Vita’s Head Roaster, Wade McIntire, and US Barista Champion Sam Spillman. This coffee is fruity and full-bodied with flavors of black cherry, candied orange, and maple syrup, and is roasted in Seattle.
Purchase your own KEXP blend here.
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