February is Specialty Coffee Month

DATELINE: BOSTON; BROOKLINE; JAMAICA PLAIN; NEWTON CENTRE; SOMERVILLE AND WEST ROXBURY, MA

J.P. Licks, the Kosher-certified scoop shop with seven stores in and around Boston, is known for their high quality, homemade (and sometimes outrageously flavored) ice cream. But, what many dont realize is that they are just as particular about their coffee where it comes from, how its roasted and how it tastes.

With February being Specialty Coffee Month, J.P. Licks passion for coffee and commitment to coffee growers is highlighted through their limited edition offering of Fair Trade Organic (FTO) Nicaragua coffee, which comes from Promotora de Desarollo Cooperativo de las Segovias (PRODECOOP), based in the Segovia region of Northern Nicaragua and boasting of 40 cooperatives.

PRODECOOP was established in 1993 to provide assistance to its members families in the sustainable production and the marketing of their coffee. Their revenues from fair trade sales support many social and quality control programs including: primary and secondary school scholarships and books; a revolving social fund that assists with disaster relief, healthcare and homebuilding; an organic production program that has boosted their certified organic coffee production significantly; improved processing equipment and the creation of a quality control center to maintain their high standards.

When it comes to Fair Trade coffee, J.P. Licks insists upon several factors before partnering with a grower: fair price; environmental sustainability; fair labor conditions; direct trade; community development and organic cultivation.

Where our coffee comes from and how it is obtained is just as important to us as how our coffee tastes. We take pride in being fairfair with our employees, fair with our customers, and fair with the people who grow the coffee we roast, says the enigmatic founder of J.P. Licks, Vince Petryk.

To further ensure high quality and flavor consistency in every cup of coffee, J.P. Licks insists on roasting their beans at their Jamaica Plain store and has been doing so since 1999. FTO Nicaragua is a medium roast coffeenot too dark, not too light, but just right.

Customers who enjoy a great cup of J.P. Licks coffee may also purchase their favorite blend of fresh roasted coffee beans. With coffee bean sales accounting for more than 25 percent of their business, J.P. Licks continues to meet considerable consumer demand for the best brewing beans in Boston.

J.P. Licks can be found at Coolidge Corner, Davis Square, Mission Hill, Newbury Street, Newton Centre, West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. Visit www.jplicks.com to check their store hours.

Best of Boston and Beyond
For more than 25 years, J.P. Licks has been serving homemade ice cream and other specialties in their seven Kosher-certified shops in and around Boston. Locally owned and operated, J.P. Licks has won many awards over the years for their intensely-flavored homemade ice cream and frozen yogurt. Most recently, J.P. Licks was named Best of Boston by Boston Magazine and also made WBZs A-List for the second year in a row. Known for their high quality, scrumptious treats and their knack for treating people right, J.P. Licks was named Greater Boston Chamber of Commerces Small Business of the Year.

In addition to their frozen creations, J.P. Licks has taken it upon themselves to roast their own fair trade and organic coffee beans on-site at their Jamaica Plain store, which ensures the best and the freshest, full-bodied cup of coffee around. Decadent hand-packed ice cream cakes as well as breakfast & ice cream sundae catering are also available.

Visit the website at www.jplicks.com for more information.