SOMA NEWS
Welcome to our website! If you heart everything Soma you will definitely love www.iheartsoma.com. With this website, we have tried to capture the real essence of Soma's unique atmosphere. We hope to create a new medium to share our love of coffee and life. At Soma we seek to support the community at large as much as possible. Please check back frequently for news updates, community events and fun facts.
May 11, 2012
Juice Bar Upgrade
No longer must we struggle for ten minutes with the manual juicer to make your morning OJ; we’ve got a brand new Zumex Pro orange juicing machine!!! The Zumex works quickly and efficiently to turn only a few fresh oranges into a large glass of sweet, clean, and healthy OJ. And, it looks so cool! Come see it in action and taste the difference, if you haven't yet, you're in for a treat!
May Spotlight
This month we will be spotlighting the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, Inc. Founded in 1983, the Community Kitchen continues to work “to eliminate hunger in Monroe County and surrounding areas through direct service, education and advocacy” and to provide “free nutritious meals, nutrition education, referrals to other agencies, and a clean, comfortable social environment for patrons, staff, and volunteers.” They not only focus on feeding and educating the hungry, but on educating the public as well on the probable causes of hunger and the best ways to respond to hunger needs. Visit their website for more information on the Community Kitchen and to learn how you can help them fight hunger in your community.
This Saturday, May 12 at 6:00pm, the Community Kitchen will again host its largest fundraiser, Palette to Palate at the IU Auditorium. Participants will enjoy local art for silent bid and wonderful auction packages during the live auction. Last year’s event raised over $25,000 for Kitchen programs; be a part of this year's excitement!
Summer Suggestions
As the warmer weather approaches, most tend to shift their preferences to iced or cold drinks. Just as a reminder, we have iced coffee, iced tea (Green Spring Sencha and Black Fancy Apricot), iced lattes, iced Dr.D’s, frozen fruit smoothies, Swamp Things (already made over ice), AND you can get any of our specialty drinks iced (Mocha, Peppermint Patty, Zombie, etc)! Essentially, the summer is a great time to <3 Soma!
April 20, 2012
Community SpotlightS
Since we didn’t have a specific spotlighted organization last month, this month we have TWO!
Our first Spotlight, a repeat sponsorship for us, is Women Exposed. WE2012, which will take place April 27-29 at the Trained Eye Arts Center, is a great example of creativity for a cause.
Women Exposed is a collective grassroots organization of women artists and volunteers and operates under the umbrella of the Middle Way House, which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end violence in the lives of women and children. This annual three-day festival with over 100 participating artists, performers and volunteers is to celebrate and empower their members, provide a venue for women and women-identifying artists to create and share art with the local community, and to support Middle Way House to help empower their members.
We are very excited to see the turn-out this year! Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a woman to enjoy WE2012!
Our second Spotlight for the month is WING IT, a women’s Little 500 team with winning potential! While many Little 500 teams are supported by large housing units or sizable parent organizations, the women’s Wing It Cycling Team relies on the generosity of sponsors and donors; the funds serving to cover the team’s expenses as they train and compete in the Women’s Little 500 bicycle race. The team has placed in the top 10 since 2008, taking 5th and a Sportsmanship Award in 2011. This year let’s give these ladies all the support they need to take 1st!
Little 500
If you live in Bloomington and you have a pulse, you’re likely well aware that this weekend is IUSF’s Little 500!!! The streets are alive with events, parties, and extra visitors for what has been called the “world’s greatest college weekend”.
Little 500 is the biggest intramural event on the IU campus and the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, drawing 30,000 fans to the race every April. The IU Student Foundation is able to put on the race through the support of sponsorships, event ticket sales, and participation fees and additional proceeds are used for working student scholarships at IU. For more info on the event, visit IUSF’s website.
We’re expecting to be pretty busy this weekend, so to accommodate for the extra crowds, we’ll be over staffed and overstocked to keep the line moving and the coffee flowing. And if you’ve never been to the actual Little 500 races, we recommend you check them out for an always-exciting Bloomington-specific event. Don’t forget to root for the women’s WING IT riders!
February 17, 2012
Community Spotlight
Our Spotlight for February is the 18th annual Soup Bowl Benefit for Hoosier Hills Food Bank. Located at the Monroe County Convention Center, this weekend's typically sold-out event offers every ticket holder a beautifully handmade soup bowl and a large variety of soups, breads, and beverages from over 25 local restaurants. Local entertainment this year will feature performances by Ladies First, Monika Herzig, and Hogwire. This event has grown to provide "the largest contribution to the HHFB's annual operating budget...and this year is set to be equally fruitful!" SoupBowl2012
Tiny Bags of Beans
We now have the dark and milk chocolate covered espresso beans in conveniently-sized bags. They're cute, they fit in your pocket, and they're only $1!
V-Day
Thanks to everyone for making our Valentines' Day so lovely... we <3 you too!!!
January 28, 2012
Community Spotlight
This month we couldn't be more proud to sponsor PRIDE! PRIDE is Bloomington's "film festival exploring a wide variety of issues and situations involving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities." If you don't know about the PRIDE Film Festival (January 26-29), and you have any interest in GLBTQ issues, we highly recommend that you check this out. Here's a link for more information and a schedule of events: PRIDEFilmFestival. BE PART OF THIS! IT'S HAPPENING NOW!!!
Have a Tea Party!
You've been asking for it, and finally we've got it: bulk loose-leaf tea! All 32 types of our tea are now available in quarter, half, or one pound bags (or bring in your own container to fill for a small discount). We'll try to keep them all stocked well, but if you know you want a large amount, please give us a little heads up.
New Soma-wear
The last of our supply of black-on-black t-shirts is finally dwindling, so if you still want one of these, act now! On the flip side, we'll be getting a new design soon and we're excited to see how they come out!
Missing the Vending Machine?
Sadly, the chocolate-covered espresso bean vending machine is temporarily debilitated. Assuming we can adjust it as necessary, it will be back soon for your tasty and convenient caffeine fix. You can still get the same tasty milk or dark chocolate beans, though, more of them at a time. You'll see bags of them at the counter, and if you don't (as we have limited counter space), ask your helpful, friendly barista.
Also, now through Valentine's Day, get a <3-adorned bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans, a black ceramic Soma mug, and a free coffee fill-up all for the price of the mug... A sweet deal for your sweetie?!
November 22, 2011
Hours/Closings
We will be closing early, opening late, and closed entirely for a few days during the next month or so. We’d like to be here for you all the time, but we’re only humans, and maybe you can count it as your gift to us. Check out the calendar posted by the fixin's counter for more detailed hours. Hopefully this doesn’t ruin any major plans for getting your coffee fix over the holidays!
Closed on:
12/24/11
12/25/11
12/26/11
1/1/12
Soma Gifting
This year for your holiday gifts, try shopping at local stores instead of the mega-mall nearest you. Check out Bloomington’s Local First Holiday Guide (www.localfirstindiana.org) for ideas on how to support the Shift Your Shopping campaign and participate in Plaid Friday (the local version of Black Friday). Don’t worry, we’ll be open that Friday so that you can get all your friends a Soma T-shirt, mug, or a bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans. Soma mugs, either ceramic or travel style are great gifts for even non-coffee drinkers, but for the coffee lovers in your life, make sure to pick up a Soma Coffee Gift Set! Available now through Christmas, each set comes with a postcard of your choice and four festively-arranged quarter-pound bags of coffee: the 2011 Holiday Blend, an African, a fair-trade organic (FTO) Indonesian, and a FTO New World roast (sold whole-bean for preservation’s sake, but easily ground to your specification). Surely you know someone who’d love a Soma Coffee Gift Set!
Community Spotlight
This month in the community spotlight is Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard (MHC). MHC is a full service food pantry facility established in early 1998 that has since distributed nearly 5 MILLION POUNDS of rescued food to the Bloomington area. Their mission is to provide help for people in need “in ways that build community while enhancing the dignity, respect, and self-care of all involved.” MHC currently serves an average of 1,894 clients each week with the help of over 140 active volunteers. Receiving most of their food from the Hoosier Hills Food Bank for a small shared maintenance fee, they have become the HHFB’s largest agency partner, annually redistributing 31% of all rescued food. MHC also relies heavily on donations from grocers, restaurants, food distributors, and individuals LIKE YOU!
Now through the end of December, we will have a food drive box at our front door to collect non-perishable food items (the healthier the better) for Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. With every donation, you will get a small discount on your drink order. Helping others can be as simple as grabbing a can from your pantry before you head out for your morning coffee. For more details on exactly who you'll be donating to, visit www.mhcfoodpantry.org.
Want to give to MHC a different way? Don’t miss Bloomington’s Fifth Annual Player’s Ball happening 11:00PM-3:00AM this Friday the 25th at the Bishop Bar (123 S Walnut St). Entrance is $5/person and all proceeds benefit Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard. For more information, check out the Facebook event page Bloomington's Fifth Annual PLAYER'S BALL. It’s bound to be a great time for a great cause!
The Latest Newby
You may have noticed another new face behind the counter; our newest barista, Clay, has finished his training with flying colors, and we’re glad to have him with us. Finally, after a good stretch of hiring, we now have a pretty rad crew that will hopefully stick around for a while.
Updated Coffee Menu
As the coffee growing and harvesting seasons change in different regions of the world, so do our available roasts. Some previously offered roasts will no longer be, and some unfamiliar ones may start to show up. A fully edited coffee menu will be updated on this site to help for those who buy beans and for those interested in knowing what might be offered as a daily drip coffee rotation. As always, we love to hear feedback about your favorite or least-favorite roasts!
October 6, 2011
New News!
The New Girl
Help us to welcome Amy to our barista team! Order a unique drink to test her skills, or let her learn your usual. We think she'll fit in just fine!
The New Hours
We close at 11:00 instead of 10:00 every night. One extra hour for your late-night endeavors!
The New Brew
Unfortunately the Papa New Guinea and the Bali have been discontinued. We know, sad, but we'll be bringing in a few new types to keep the balance. The El Salvador San Rita is the new roaster-featured coffee from the Santa Rita farm in northwestern El Salvador. It is an intensely fruity and creamy coffee that's sure to start your morning right. The northwestern part of El Salvador is characterized by the Apaneca Ilamatepec mountains, containing wonderfully loamy, volcanic soils perfect for coffee cultivation. At elevations near 5000 ft., Santa Rita is in the best-established and oldest coffee-growing region in the country. These conditions produce a bright and juicy coffee with a pleasantly tart, resonant finish (Ancora). In addition to our rotation coffees from Ancora, we will now be ordering more tasty roasts from True Coffee Roasters. Some newer roasts from True include the Mexico Altura, grown in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. It is a mellow coffee with deep hazelnut and white pepper tastes and a buttery mouth feel that makes for a memorable cup of coffee. Of course we'll have the Blackbeard's available, but keep your eyes open for some unfamiliar names of drip coffees rotating daily and let us know how you like them!
The New Community Spotlight
As you may have heard, WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting is in the middle of their 2011 Fall Fund Drive. We have proudly committed to a business sponsorship for the station, and plan to spotlight them all month. WFHB (91.3 or 98.1FM) is Indiana's first community radio station and is volunteer-powered and listener-supported since 1993. They have been recognized as a valued community resource and their reputation for excellence exceeds "good radio". We are very happy to to sponsor and spotlight WFHB FireHouse Broadcasting, Bloomington's own community radio!
Tune in for more news soon!
June 29, 2011
Holiday Hours
Soma will be open from 6:30am to 8pm on Monday, July 4th. Both Soma and The Laughing Planet Cafe will, however, be closed all day on Tuesday, July 5th for our annual staff pontoon boat party!
We got a new brewer!
Bossman Bob bought us a new coffee brewer and we're in love with it! You may also notice the new airpots we're sporting, which are slightly larger in size and easier to use. We're still tweaking a few things, so please let us know if you notice any positive or negative changes in the taste of the coffees.
June 22, 2011
Mix up your smoothie order!
Now that it's summer, we thought we'd give you some ideas for smoothies that aren't on the menu:
Jolly Rancher: Melon mix, strawberries, apple juice. Tastes curiously like a watermelon Jolly Rancher without the Jolly Rancher.
Off the Vine: Melon mix, peaches, apple juice. Light and refreshing!
Somatopic: Bananas, raspberries, melon mix. Somatotopic [so″mah-to-top´ik]: related to particular areas of the body; describing the organization of the motor area of the brain, specific regions of the cortex being responsible for the motor control of different areas of the body.
Astroturf: Spirulina, soy milk, honey, ice. Extremely high in protein and looks really cool!
Shake it, Boice!: Soy milk, white or dark chocolate, bananas. It kinda tastes like a milkshake!
Howler Monkey: Soy milk, espresso, dark chocolate, peanut butter, bananas. OMG delish!
June 16, 2011
More new coffees are coming!
We've got Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry Blend set for arrival tomorrow! This limited edition blend features one of the most prized coffees in the world- Jamaica Blue Mountain. Exquisite aromas of citrus, cocoa, spice and herbs make way for refined fruity flavor and a long, decadent finish. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. We'll be selling it in one pound bags only for $18.60/lb.
Also set for arrival tomorrow is an excellent Kenya AA. Kenya AA is from the world's most highly regarded coffee producing country. Kenyans produce the finest of coffee in the traditional way. They lavish heirloom Arabica coffee varieties with great care, sun-drying beans before and after wet milling, and grading each of them by hand. This commitment consistently brings the highest of quality and the best of Kenyan characteristics into a brewed cup. It's a medium-bodied coffee and is fruity with sweet flavors. It has a winy acidity with a nice long finish. Like the JBM above, we'll be selling it in one pound bags only for $18.60/lb.
At the end of next week, we're bringing in beans from Bali. This rare offering comes to you from the heart of paradise. The fertile volcanic highlands of the Kintamani region provide idyllic growing conditions for this specialty Arabica coffee. Smallholding farmers in Kintamani utilize organic farming techniques, shade growing and crop diversification with oranges and tangerines, all lending to the unique taste profile this coffee displays. The fresh blueberry flavor provides just the right amount of tartness to balance out the sweet chocolate, spicy cinnamon and distinct hops found in this delightful cup. Bali will be available brewed as one of our regular rotation coffees, as well as by the pound at our normal price of $14.30/lb.
As always, we love to hear your feedback on our new coffees, so please let your favorite (or least favorite, depending on how you feel about it) barista know what you like or dislike about all the new beans we're bringing in!
June 10, 2011
Attention early birds!
Beginning Monday, June 13, Soma will be opening at 6:30am! We'll be opening at that time M-F year round, but will be closing at 10pm for the summer months. To summarize, our new hours will be the following:
M-F 6:30am-10pm
Sa 7am-10pm
Su 8am-10pm