Almost everyone I know has had a tough 2026. Whether it’s the personal struggles that are inevitable in life, or the world feeling like it’s on fire with people acting their worst selves, it’s been a lot.
When things are tough I’ve always turned to close friends, and familiar comforts. For most of my life this has meant sharing music and coffee. These are the founding sparks for Highwire from back in the mid 90’s when my co-founder, Rich and I started dreaming of having a small business someday.
We wanted a place where people would feel welcomed. Where it matters that you keep showing up. Where you grow to care about the people in front of you. I learned that all this was possible when I worked as a barista. My life was enriched from many years on the bar. Meeting people, getting to know their drink order. Regularly interacting with folks different from myself and seeing our common humanity. Knowing people in their youth and seeing them become grayer. These things have been gratifying for me.
This year, in particular, it’s felt like I’ve lost that part of the plot. I’ve been more administrative. More isolated. I’ve let too many others speak for me. I’ve drifted from the relationships and activities that recharged me these last 35 years of working in coffee. So I’m changing that. Back to core principles. Music and Coffee shared with those I love.
In the old days, if we wanted to let someone know we cared, we’d make them a mix tape. The songs would be chosen with intention; the sequence, flow, etc would tell one’s story for them.
This year’s Celebration Blend comes with a playlist and it’s as idiosyncratic and personal as those old mix tapes were. It’s called “I just want to celebrate” from the old Rare Earth tune. “I just want to celebrate another year of living”. That sums it up for me these days. Despite the losses and the struggles, we’re still here and we get to decide what to do with that.
The playlist continues with songs suggested by folks on the Highwire team, or songs by artists who had someone associated with their band die this year. I had to omit several worthies as I wanted to get down to the 90 minute mix tape length, though I ultimately settled for 2 hours. This is not intended to be morbid, rather a celebration of the happiness these people brought during their lifetimes and how they helped so many (including me) when times got tough. The mix is not for everyone. It’s not trying to be. It’s very personal and if you don’t dig it, no worries. There’s tons of other music you can turn to that will get you where you want to go.
But if this speaks to you, I hope you’ll put it on in the coming season when the days are short, and know that there are still so many things worth celebrating in this life. Maybe even with a cup of this year’s Celebration Blend.
Speaking of the coffee, here's what Steve Ford, Highwire’s longtime coffee buyer, has to say about this year’s iteration of the blend.
As we head into the holidays, we begin the process of reflecting on all the experiences that have informed this year: the good, the bad, and the unexpectedly delicious. It’s with that sentiment that we start to construct our annual holiday blend, Celebration 2026.
With this blend, you'll find flavors both familiar and exciting.
After 2025’s frustrations of tariffs and unexpectedly high coffee prices, we’re very pleased to have coffees from the Antigua Valley of Guatemala back on the menu. We featured coffee from Finca El Tempixue back at the end of 2024 and are excited to have it return as the base of Celebration 2026. With its characteristic balance of body and acidity, Finca El Tempixque was a shoo-in for this year’s blend.
To boost sweetness and bolster the body, we added coffees from the Los Crestones micro-mill from southern Costa Rica. A truly special relationship in a truly special coffee growing region, this community lot brings honey-like sweetness to the blend.
Finally, we’re incorporating a naturally processed Ethiopian coffee from the Tulise washing station. A private mill in the celebrated Yirgacheffe coffee growing region, Tulise Natural has been a staple on our single origin menu over the past couple of months. At this roast level, the brightness of the coffee is somewhat muted, but the sweetness remains, providing a cooked fruit/berry pie character to the cup.
Each of these components can stand alone as a Single Origin offering, together, they create a symphony of flavor that is both accessible and seasonably appropriate.
Roast spectrum wise, Celebration falls somewhere between The Core and Shadow Play. At this roast level, we achieve a remarkably deep, full-bodied cup filled with layers of dark honey sweetness, rich semi-sweet chocolate, and an elegant hint of mulled wine and stewed fruit that carries through the long finish.
Best regards to you and yours in this home stretch of 2026.
Robert Myers
Co-Founder Highwire Coffee