There is perhaps no greater representation of the late-Aughts Millennial je ne sais quoi than that of indie outfit Bon Iver. Just a dude in a cabin with a bunch of musical instruments working through a bad case of pneumonia and an even worse bout of heartache. Almost overnight, Justin Vernon’s falsetto became the soundtrack of specialty coffee shops across the country. Skinny Love for skinny lattes.
And now, Millennial ennui is back in and so too is Bon Iver. 15 years and three albums later, Justin Vernon et al have returned with a new double album to reclaim the crown of coffee shop vibes. And to celebrate, the group has teamed up with fellow Wisconsinites Ruby Coffee Roasters for a special duo of coffees inspired by and meant to pair with each of the new records.
The album, Sable, Fable (stylized as SABLE fABLE because that’s how Justin Vernon rolls), will be released tomorrow, April 11th and is a continuation of a previously-release EP. “While the record begins with the vulnerable unburdening of last fall’s three-song SABLE, EP, the triptych seamlessly gives way to a new nine-song saga in which one person becomes two, darkness turns to salmon-colored beauty, and sadness transforms to unbridled joy,” per a press release announcing the album. “Where SABLE, is a sparse and solitary reckoning with a pain that long-defined the past, fABLE looks towards a vibrant future filled with light, purpose and possibility: a partner, new memories, perhaps a family.”
Thus no single coffee could adequately encapsulate the emotional journal that transpires across the double album. After working with Vernon and the rest of the Bon Iver team, Ruby came up with two unique coffees, one for each album.
The first is the Sable Decaf Flume. Named after a quiet trout stream near their roastery, the chill decaf is a blend of a “creamy, chocolaty water-process Brazil [and] a lightly fruity Colombian coffee.” The second is the Fable Colombia Gaviria Pink Bourbon, grown at Las Palmas in Huila with “juicy notes of strawberry and cherry, a bright hint of lemon-lime, and a smooth milk chocolate finish.”
The limited release coffees are timed to release with that of the album and will be available for purchase via Ruby’s website. Coming in 8oz bags, you can buy the coffees individually or as a set.
In no time, the new record will resound in cafes worldwide, from Minnesota to Calgary, from Hinnom and Salem to Lisbon and Perth. But at least with Ruby, you can enjoy the coffee and the music from the comfort of your own Strafford apartments.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
