Concordia Seminary has a new coffee brew of its own percolating thanks to neighboring Kaldi’s Coffee.

Concordia Blend, a seasonal rotating blend of beans, is now available for sale at Kaldi’s, 700 DeMun Ave. It was created by Kaldi’s in recognition of the special relationship the Seminary and coffee shop have shared for years.

Concordia Blend coffee will be sold exclusively at Kaldi’s on DeMun. A 12-ounce bag of whole beans costs $12.49. The coffee also will be available on the Seminary’s campus.

“I’m thrilled how Kaldi’s values our mutual relationship as neighbors,” said Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer. “Obviously we’ll use the Concordia Blend on campus, but wouldn’t it be a great way for congregations to think of the mission beyond their immediate neighborhood by serving the Concordia Blend during coffee time at church?”

Kaldi’s describes the Concordia Blend as “sweet throughout, with a balanced acidity, a clean, smooth body and a chocolate finish with a hint of caramel.”

Concordia Blend is made from El Salvador Cuatro M, Colombia Nariño and Guatemala Santiago de Atitlan coffee beans. Louis Nahlik, Kaldi’s designer and brand manager, said since coffee itself is a seasonal product, the beans will change periodically throughout the year, but the taste profile will remain consistent.

Nahlik said he helped create the “medium-bodied, approachable” blend with Mike McKinlay, DeMun store manager, and Tyler Zimmer, head roaster of green coffee.

Since Kaldi’s and the Seminary have been neighbors for years, McKinlay was interested in creating a coffee for the students of Concordia Seminary.

“I wanted to help bridge the gap between Concordia and DeMun since we’ve been neighbors for as long as Kaldi’s has been around,” Nahlik said. “We wanted to give the students a coffee that would be special to them.”

The close relationship between the Seminary and Kaldi’s began with the Seminary’s campus gardens and Kaldi’s spent coffee grounds.

Gayle Zollmann, the Seminary’s coordinator of grounds, and students who work with her on campus, reached out to Kaldi’s and volunteered to pick up the shop’s spent coffee grounds each day for the Seminary’s compost. Kaldi’s staff then toured the campus to see what edibles were growing, which led to Kaldi’s using Seminary-grown kale and basil as ingredients in a few of its menu items. Hi-res photo here.

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.