By Whatever Beans Necessary

Coffee is personal.

We know what we like, but it’s nice to be able to try something new, too.

Café Postal is ready to perk things up with a new bag of beans every month.

The St. Boniface coffee shop’s co-manager, Dom Druwe, originally started the subscription service as a sideline, a reflection of his own search for the next best cup. A former biathlon competitor, his interest in coffee grew when he lived in Alberta while training for the sport.

The small café is still keeping things personal. There’s no online sign-up. Instead, it starts with a conversation about the types of coffee flavour profiles you enjoy, pinned down with tasting notes such as bright, fruity, acidic, chocolate, vanilla, nutty, creamy, clean or sweet. Subscribers don’t all receive the same type of coffee beans each month. “That’s the ultimate goal – to nail the specs for someone,” said Druwe.

First, Druwe had to win over Louis Lévesque Côté, the café’s co-owner. “I didn’t used to believe in carrying a lot of product, or different kinds of coffee,” he said, “but people love it. It’s fun for us too. We’re excited about it.”

“I enjoy learning about coffee,” said Druwe, from the scientific aspects to sharing knowledge with others in a supportive coffee community. One of the things that surprises Druwe, who is studying marketing at the University of Winnipeg, is the way coffee farmed in the same area can have vastly different flavour profiles depending on the way it’s roasted.

The coffee for subscriptions is sourced from roasters across Canada. At only $21 a month for 3 months, or $20 a month for 6 and 12-month subscriptions, you receive a bag of beans selected for you based on Druwe’s “nerdy” research.

“It’s also the cheapest way to explore coffee that’s not readily available in Winnipeg.”

All Photos by Claudine Gervais