The Roadside Attraction Coffee Series
Join us on our virtual road trip to cool and quirky Canadian roadside attractions!
The names and logos of these Limited Edition coffees are inspired by giant sculptures found across the country. We visit a new destination every 6 - 8 weeks. Keep checking back here - or follow us in your inbox - to the next Roadside Attraction!
April 2024: Quesnel
Tanzanian Peaberry blend
This coffee is GOLD!
Featuring a Tanzanian peaberry* coffee, QUESNEL is a medium-light roasted blend with flavours of cocoa and blackberry jam.
* Peaberry is a specially shaped coffee bean. About 5% of coffee beans are peaberries. They are generally more expensive both because they must be hand sorted and because many people believe they are more delicious than a standard bean.
Quesnel’s Giant Gold Pan
This coffee is named for the town of Quesnel, BC, home of the WORLD’S LARGEST GOLD PAN.
During the Gold Rush in the 1800s, Quesnel B.C. was on the Cariboo Wagon Road and was the main town in the Cariboo. The giant gold pan is 5 1/2 meters in diameter and weighs 1400 kg.
This giant gold pan has moved around, and may be on the move again. After 33 years at the intersection of Highways 97 and 26, the gold pan was moved to the Rocky Mountaineers Train Station where it got a bit of a facelift. You are correct if you think that the nugget is not real gold. Can you imagine how valuable that would be? And how heavy?!
I haven’t been to Quesnel for a very long time so haven’t had the chance to see the gold pan in its new location. But I do have fond memories of visiting Quesnel - it’s a lovely town in the spectacular Cariboo region.
When I was a kid, my dad was interested in gold panning and BC history. He travelled with gold pans in the trunk of the car and there were quite a few times when we’d be driving through the Cariboo or Shuswap and my dad would pull over by a stream and we’d all get out and pan for gold. Or play in the river while he panned for gold. He found a few flakes, nothing big enough to call a nugget, but it was pretty cool.
Here is a photo of the giant gold pan in its original location
And here is the Gold Pan in its new location with a fence to screen off the rail yard behind
Seasonal Coffee Selections
Each coffee in the Roadside Attraction Coffee Series is a limited edition blend (our seasonal selection) made of premium coffees roasted in Toronto and delivered to your coffeemaker.
We’ll fill you in on the specific coffee sources and roast level as they are released. The beans that go into the Roadside Attraction Series may be a single-origin (from one country or even part of a small lot from one farm) or a blend of special beans from a couple places. We don’t plan the specific coffees far ahead as we are always on the lookout for extra special coffees and grab one as soon as we find it, so we can bring it to you!
What makes a coffee extra special?
Good question! For the Roadside Attraction seasonal coffees, we are looking for:
Delicious (of course!)
A chance to try coffees from a different country or region, especially one that we haven’t visited for a long time or ever (Congo, El Salvador, or India!)
Different styles of coffee - honey processed, natural processed or other interesting ways that the coffee has been grown or processed that give it a different taste
One thing is for sure, each one is a limited edition. It's only around for a few weeks so try it out while you can!
Drink up & dream of YOUR next road trip!
Here are our 2024 travels so far
Cool Canadiana - the roadside attractions our coffees have featured so far this year…
March 2024: Gladstone
perfectly balanced Bolivian + Ethiopian blend
our coffee tribute to Gladstone Manitoba’s Happy Rock statue
perfectly balanced Bolivian + Ethiopian blend
This medium roast Ethiopian + Bolivian blend gets us doing a happy dance.
Sweet vanilla, rich walnut, smooth milk chocolate - this blend of organic beans is perfectly balanced so that every cup will put a smile on your face, just like the Happy Rock it is named for.
The Happy Rock
Before it was on a coffee label, the Happy Rock was on a Canada Post stamp!
We heard about the giant Happy Rock statue from our friend, Alexi, co-owner of our fave local Toronto cocktail bar, Henrietta Lane.
The Happy Rock is not too far from where Alexi grew up and is the roadside attraction for the town of Gladstone, Manitoba. GladSTONE. Happy ROCK. Get it?! Ha! So sweet!
You’ll find the Happy Rock statue on the Yellowstone Highway, about 20 minutes from the bustling metropolis of Neepawa and 2 hours west of Winnipeg.
Made out of fibreglass, the Happy Rock is 11m tall and weighs a tonne! Actually, it weighs 1300 kg / 3000 lbs. Imagine how heavy it would be if it were carved out of rock. It was featured on a Canada Post stamp in 2010 - very cool!
January 2024 - Beardmore Ontario’s giant snowman
January 2024: Beardmore’ Giant Snowman
Beardmore the coffee: Sumatran Darker Roast Blend
Named for the GIANT snowman in Beardmore, Ontario, this blend features a coffee from Sumatra, Indonesia.
BEARDMORE is roasted dark to bring out the earthy, spicy, jammy flavours typical of Sumatran coffees.
I think this coffee tastes a bit like Christmas fruitcake - hints of molasses, raisins, cloves and figs. It’ll be sure to warm your spirits on a cold winter day.
Beardmore: the Snowman
This coffee is named for the 10.5m tall snowman next to Highway 11 in Beardmore, Ontario.
That’s about 200 km NE of Thunder Bay and 100 km from where my hubby grew up. I have visited this cool character several times on drives between Toronto and Thunder Bay. Yup, that’s me in the drawing!
He’s not the tallest snowman statue around - he’s about 3m / 10 ft shorter than the snowman in North St. Paul’s Minnesota. We think Beardmore’s is MUCH cuter, though!
TVO has a great article on Beardmore and its snowman from its 2021 Roadside Attraction Showdown.
FUN FACT - the snowman gets new accessories to match the season! A curling broom in winter, fishing rod in summer. Cool!
Beardmore has had a snowman since 1960. The previous one “had a hollow belly that was used as a tourist centre, before becoming a concession stand that sold chips and ice cream”. I wonder if it was open all year or just in the summer?
Send Us Your Fave Roadside Attractions!
We have shortlisted a number but are open to your suggestions. Send them in and tell us WHY it would be a good pick for the Roadside Attractions Coffee Series! Your suggestion has a much better chance of being selected if you share photos of you with it &/or personal stories of why you love it.
Here are some photos of Canadian Roadside Attractions shared with us by Sparkplug coffee lovers. Will one of these be featured in our Roadside Attraction Coffee Series? Stay tuned to find out!
Don’t miss out on our next seasonal coffee and other coffee news: