Zenith is Our Medium Roast for an Over-the-Top Summer
Call the fire department, Peet’s sizzlin limited release coffee for the summer season is back. And it’s fire, which is a good thing, since Zenith Summer Blend makes such a killer cold brew.
SO HOT IT’S COOL
As the weather warms up, we lighten up our clothes and the food we eat—why not our coffee too? And these long days are when we need our coffee most. Fortunately for summer-lovers, peak flavor can be found in our delicious and versatile summer blend, Zenith, with its bright notes of candied citrus, chocolate, and jackfruit. This medium roast was crafted to rise to the heights any occasion the summer may offer––hot mugs on a chilly morning while camping by a lake, cooling off with cold brews and friends on a hot afternoon, or a homemade flash brew in your own kitchen while sunshine streams in the window.
Zenith Summer Blend is smooth, juicy and balanced, a medium roast crafted to be amazing hot or cold brewed. Or brewed hot then poured over ice. Flex.
SUMMER VIBES, ANY WAY YOU BREW IT
As Bay Area natives—and coffee blending experts—Peet’s gets that a summer blend needs to be as relaxed and flexible as the season. We know how to layer for cool mornings, blazing middays, and foggy evenings, and we know how to blend a coffee that’s perfect for any weather summer might throw at us, and for any brew style.
Smooth and grounding Papua New Guinea and bright, citrusy Kenya arrive upon first sip, particularly when brewed hot. As it cools, a balance of chocolatey Guatemala and juicy Rwanda reveal themselves in the vibrant body and lingering aftertaste. Brewed cold, these same players pop with uplifting intensity, and sweetly mellow when milk is added. No matter how you brew it, this blend of beans creates a mélange of sweet and uplifting flavors befitting of the sunniest season of the year.
Zenith was born to shine all ways, always.
It’s summertime…and the sipping is easy.
NOTES FROM THE CUPPING ROOM
Every summer I look forward to Zenith Summer Blend. It was one of the first blends I helped to craft and so naturally holds a very fond place in my heart. Developing Zenith was a combination of instinctual fast-and-loose decisions, and meticulous brewing and sensory work. We were given the challenge of creating a blend ideal for summer and all the adventures that come with it.
Which coffees work best in a seasonal blend? The ones that are tasting great right at that moment in the Cupping Room. We chose our favorite lots from the table that day: bright, chocolatey Guatemala, rich and spicy Papua New Guinea, and mouthwateringly sweet Rwanda with unforgettable notes of cherry cola. I set to work toying with the formula, making version after version in pursuit of the perfect cold brew. In the end the best tasting cup was equal parts of each coffee: a perfect world blend.
When hot, Zenith has sweet lemon and floral aromatics, brought to you courtesy of East Africa (we added Kenya this year for even more zing!). In the cup it is juicy and chocolatey, evoking Arnold Palmers, sun ripened apricots, and caramel-filled chocolate truffles. Cold brewing—or adding cold water to coarsely ground coffee and allowing it to brew overnight—changes the chemistry of your brew and unlocks a different array of flavor compounds. After a 24-hour countertop brew time, I cut my concentrate with two parts water and serve it over ice. Delightful as ever, it delivered tons of chocolate, a crisp yuzu-like citrus acidity, cola sweetness, and a silken mouthfeel. One descriptor stood out for everyone I shared it with: refreshing.
I consider Zenith the ultimate Bay Area summer coffee for its versatility that accommodates weather that can't make up its mind. Brew it hot for foggy June Gloom days when you need something warm but still crave summer flavors, and try it cold brewed, flash chilled, or iced to stay cool during heat wave scorchers. No matter your brewing method, Zenith shines as a juicy, sweet, and balanced blend for easy summer sipping. Enjoy!
— Alysse Wishart, Peet’s Coffee Quality Specialist
