Coffee from the DR/My hunt is over in Ottawa

toby · Mar 15, 2004

I have finally hunted down where I can buy DR coffee in the Ottawa area. After two months of searching I have found it at Mugena Enterprises on Richmond Road (Carling Ave/Westboro area) and am very happy to report that this small caribbean store will stock it from now on. I understand from the grocer that it is hard to get and hard to keep in stock as he has many customers who rely on his ability to keep this product and other specialty items from the caribbean in hand. We fell head over heels for the coffee in the DR and now can stop harrassing our friends and family to bring us back this wonderful treat!
Toby

carsey700 · Mar 16, 2004

toby said:
I have finally hunted down where I can buy DR coffee in the Ottawa area. After two months of searching I have found it at Mugena Enterprises on Richmond Road (Carling Ave/Westboro area) and am very happy to report that this small caribbean store will stock it from now on. I understand from the grocer that it is hard to get and hard to keep in stock as he has many customers who rely on his ability to keep this product and other specialty items from the caribbean in hand. We fell head over heels for the coffee in the DR and now can stop harrassing our friends and family to bring us back this wonderful treat!
Toby

Hey toby ,
glad to see you post aol deletes e-mail after 30 days , I have 4lbs for You in bean form and another 4 or 5 should be arriveing in a week or so if you still need , let Me know .carsey700 @aol.com or PM Leave your phone # again .
Lee

carcol · Mar 16, 2004

DR coffee

hey Toby,
you can purchase domincan coffee on shopdr.com........they deliver it to you............don't know if that is the same brand you were looking for........
good luck............

OttawaTom · Mar 16, 2004

carcol said:
hey Toby,
you can purchase domincan coffee on shopdr.com........they deliver it to you............don't know if that is the same brand you were looking for........
good luck............

Toby, you haven't located any Presidente in town have you? We asked the LCBO if they would stock it, since they stock the Mexican and Cuban beers. No go. They said to check the SAC in Gatineau.

I thought since there's probably as many Ontarians going to the DR as Cuba they might co-operate. Nope.

Tom

toby · Mar 19, 2004

...working on it I will let you know!

Tom_in_Ottawa said:
Toby, you haven't located any Presidente in town have you? We asked the LCBO if they would stock it, since they stock the Mexican and Cuban beers. No go. They said to check the SAC in Gatineau.

I thought since there's probably as many Ontarians going to the DR as Cuba they might co-operate. Nope.

Tom

Hi Tom, I am currently looking into why Canada does so little importing from the Dominican Republic in general. It is interesting research as Canada is the third largest tourism customer/consumer in the DR..and we do so very little importing of goods from the country. I will let you know if I find some "Presidente" but my best guess is on the Quebec side(try Gatineau) and maybe our DR1 friends from Montreal may give us some leads as well. If thier is distribution of products from the DR a good starting point is in Quebec due in large part to the french canadian settlements of the Caberate region and its influence at home here in Eastern Ontario/ Western Quebec.
Will post again on any more finds and info as soon as i complete more dectective work!.
Toby

Gabriela · Mar 19, 2004

Disguised as Colombian?

My Dominican family told me that much Colombian coffee is actually Dominican. Does anyone know if this is true?

toby · Mar 19, 2004

Gabriela said:
My Dominican family told me that much Colombian coffee is actually Dominican. Does anyone know if this is true?

...very interesting that you brought this up as I too have noticed that when searching for coffee from the DR that some products will post in very very small print that the columbian coffee is actually a mixture of coffees from the DR/Aruba/and or other Carrabean countries. We have tryed these "blend" coffees and have found that they are lack the taste and smoothness of real quality columbian coffee and are generally a much less expensive brand and generally inferiour bean quality. Most probably the companies have to "blend" coffees if there is a bad crop season or find it is cheaper to add another coffee from another country to bring the price down. One of the other discoveries we have found is that "flavoured" coffees(e.i: French vanilla) say they use columbian coffee beans but are really a "blend of coffee beans" then treated to add the flavoured effect. As this type of coffee is not "my cup of tea" I avoid purchasing as I prefer a real coffee with real coffee flavour. To each their own and buyer beware...but I have found that the DR has a uniquelt tasting and easy mellowed flavoured coffee, with a mild level of caffeine that is very satisfying to drink. (this from a certified coffee snob! or so my family says!) Toby

Gabriela · Mar 20, 2004

Thanks--good info

toby said:
...very interesting that you brought this up as I too have noticed that when searching for coffee from the DR that some products will post in very very small print that the columbian coffee is actually a mixture of coffees from the DR/Aruba/and or other Carrabean countries. We have tryed these "blend" coffees and have found that they are lack the taste and smoothness of real quality columbian coffee and are generally a much less expensive brand and generally inferiour bean quality. Most probably the companies have to "blend" coffees if there is a bad crop season or find it is cheaper to add another coffee from another country to bring the price down. One of the other discoveries we have found is that "flavoured" coffees(e.i: French vanilla) say they use columbian coffee beans but are really a "blend of coffee beans" then treated to add the flavoured effect. As this type of coffee is not "my cup of tea" I avoid purchasing as I prefer a real coffee with real coffee flavour. To each their own and buyer beware...but I have found that the DR has a uniquelt tasting and easy mellowed flavoured coffee, with a mild level of caffeine that is very satisfying to drink. (this from a certified coffee snob! or so my family says!) Toby

That's why "Colombian" coffee is often so disappointing. Thanks for the tip. BTW my dad (who was spoiled by Dominican coffee) told me that the best way to brew it was using an old sock, and if the coffee needed a cup to hold it together, it was too weak.

OttawaTom · Mar 20, 2004

Presidente

Toby:

I called the SAQ 1-800 number yesterday. They don't have Presidente in the system. If I want to pursue it, I need to contact the company (Presidente) and find out how much they'll sell it for. I then need to provide that information, along with their address to a Montreal phone number (for SAQ).

Bottom line is that it'll be a special order, and must be at least $150 CDN or more.

Tom

toby · Mar 20, 2004

Tom_in_Ottawa said:
Toby:

I called the SAQ 1-800 number yesterday. They don't have Presidente in the system. If I want to pursue it, I need to contact the company (Presidente) and find out how much they'll sell it for. I then need to provide that information, along with their address to a Montreal phone number (for SAQ).

Bottom line is that it'll be a special order, and must be at least $150 CDN or more.

Tom

Great research Tom. I am wondering if this system applies to the ordering process for the LCBO. If so there may be a small market that would like to make an order. Sounds like the $150 dollar order is just the right size for a DR party! Wondering if the DR1 people can help with the name and address of the Presidente beer company?
Toby

quaqualita · Mar 20, 2004

toby said:
Wondering if the DR1 people can help with the name and address of the Presidente beer company?
Toby

found that on superpagesdr.com:
Cerveceria Presidente
Aut 30 de Mayo Km 6 1/2
Santo Domingo
(809) 535-5555

quaqualita

WebDev · Mar 20, 2004

Presidente beer web site

toby said:
name and address of the Presidente beer company?
Toby

Contact in Miami is inside the web site
http://www.cnd.com.do
Good luck to you.
WebDev

carsey700 · Mar 21, 2004

Tom_in_Ottawa said:
Toby:

I called the SAQ 1-800 number yesterday. They don't have Presidente in the system. If I want to pursue it, I need to contact the company (Presidente) and find out how much they'll sell it for. I then need to provide that information, along with their address to a Montreal phone number (for SAQ).

Bottom line is that it'll be a special order, and must be at least $150 CDN or more.

Tom

Put Me down for a 24 a week from may to september, If the price is reasonable. A decent clone can be made from a beer kit made by brewhouse
and either bottled or kegged , I prefer kegged as I already have the system
and it stores better,tastes better, and is no hassle , same as a wine kit .
Cost is about 45 cents a pint .

toby · Mar 21, 2004

Good to see that there are others interested in products from the DR!. There really is nothing like a cold Presidente to remind you of the tropical paridice we have all visited. Looks like Tom from Ottawa (great job by the way!) has his information. I'll buy a couple of cases of beer as well to help with the order. Keep posting guys and keep us informed. I am still researching and will let you know more info in the near future.
Toby

carsey700 · Mar 22, 2004

toby said:
Good to see that there are others interested in products from the DR!. There really is nothing like a cold Presidente to remind you of the tropical paridice we have all visited. Looks like Tom from Ottawa (great job by the way!) has his information. I'll buy a couple of cases of beer as well to help with the order. Keep posting guys and keep us informed. I am still researching and will let you know more info in the near future.
Toby

If you can find Presidente in the Ottawa area , which I am sure You can, after all You found coffee, the coffee I brought back for you is free !
Just curious the coffee at, is it Moleno's in Ottawa? What is the price per lb?
My friends should be back from DR this Friday at 3 A.M., I will advise you by phone or e-mail how much They brought, I asked for lots, maybe will only receive a little, as They enjoy the coffee and Rum as well.

toby · Mar 22, 2004

carsey700 said:
If you can find Presidente in the Ottawa area , which I am sure You can, after all You found coffee, the coffee I brought back for you is free !
Just curious the coffee at, is it Moleno's in Ottawa? What is the price per lb?
My friends should be back from DR this Friday at 3 A.M., I will advise you by phone or e-mail how much They brought, I asked for lots, maybe will only receive a little, as They enjoy the coffee and Rum as well.

Dear Carsey700, I look forward to meeting you and of course look very forward to brewing up some DR coffee. You and your friends are very kind to consider my request and what ever is brought back will be very welcomed indeed.
The coffee I found here in Ottawa is Santa Domingo "expresso" coffee ground packaged in tins and was priced at $5.99 a tin (standard 10z size).
Don't let the term "expresso" fool you as this coffee is very very mellow by expresso standards and when brewed drinks like regular coffee. So far after hunting every Carribean shop from Nepean to Orleans Mugena Enterprises (911A Richmond Road 722-8228) is the only shop that carries any DR coffee.
Santo Domingo coffee is the standard product used in the DR (very lucky people I must say!) and I am sure the DR1 people can list a variety of more exotic coffees from the DR but none exist in our area for sale. Mugena Enterprises is a fun store that caters to african, caribbean, latin products and also does take out ice cream and beauty products. I am also on the hunt for Caribbean honey and vanilla and of course coconut products as I am a bit of a spice snobb and am at the very end of the DR honey I bought just before Christmas.
Hope you are well and look forward to hearing from you soon.Toby
P.S. Our DR1 friends can help me by providing a list of other coffee brand names/product info from the DR . This will help with the search process. Organic coffee producers and thier products would be great as well. The local Bridgehead Coffee company(organic) does not sell any DR coffee what so ever. A crying shame!

OttawaTom · Mar 24, 2004

Update on Presidente in Canada

I received a response to the email I sent to to the Cervezeria Nacional Dominicana on obtaining Presidente in Ottawa. I don't have it in front of me, but the jist of it was they don't have trademark rights here yet.

I did send a request for information on importing it to the LCBO. I'm waiting for their response.

Tom

toby · Mar 26, 2004

Tom_in_Ottawa said:
I received a response to the email I sent to to the Cervezeria Nacional Dominicana on obtaining Presidente in Ottawa. I don't have it in front of me, but the jist of it was they don't have trademark rights here yet.

I did send a request for information on importing it to the LCBO. I'm waiting for their response.

Tom

Great research Tom, I think you may find the same response from the LCBO. May be an opportunity for business. I wish I had the experience and money as there may be a market for coffee, brugal and beer from the DR here in Canada.(look how well Hieniken/Smirnoff has done in the Canadian Market) Looking forward to updates. Toby

OttawaTom · Mar 26, 2004

LCBO esponse re: Presidente

I received a letter (via snail-mail) in response to my email to the LCBO.

Due to the fact that "the order cannot be consolidated", the shipping charge would be approximately $800.00.

That's awful expensive beer. I could almost spend a week at a 3-star AI and carry the beer back myself for that... :ermm:

Tom

toby · Mar 27, 2004

Tom_in_Ottawa said:
Due to the fact that "the order cannot be consolidated", the shipping charge would be approximately $800.00.

...exactly the same responce I got as well. We will have to just enjoy our local beers until we go for another holiday to the DR. Sad that we can't get the products here. But maybe if we promote the DR here our friends and families would take pity and bring us back some Presidente for us!
Cheers
Toby

Coffee from the DR/My hunt is over in Ottawa

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