Call It Canadiano, Not Americano, B.C. Coffee Company Urges Cafés

A B.C. coffee company is adding its jolt to the groundswell of Canadian pride brought on by trade tensions with the U.S. by calling on cafés across the country to abandon “Americano” and call it a “Canadiano” instead.

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That’s how the drink has been labelled on the menu at Kicking Horse’s café in Invermere since it was established in 2008 alongside their commercial roastery.

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“Now, more than ever we need to stick together and wear our Canadian pride on our (coffee) sleeves,” Chief Marketing Officer Lori Hatcher-Hillier stated in a press release.

For the uninitiated, the traditional Americano is essentially an espresso shot further diluted by very hot water and it’s the go-to coffee beverage for many because of its high-caffeine potential and typically rich and smooth flavour.

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As they’ve done in Invermere, Kicking Horse is inviting coffee-slinging shops to download a window display logo — “a playful symbol of their participation in the movement” — and change the name on their menu boards.

“PROUDLY SERVING CANADIANOS: Sorry Americano. It’s Canadiano now,” the logo reads above a red-on-black maple leaf flag.

Kicking Horse Coffee says its Canadiano logos are a “playful symbol” for other cafés to show they’re also changing Americano to Canadiano on their menus. Photo by Kicking Horse Coffee

According to Kicking Horse, Toronto’s Café Belem and Le Petit Pain are already joining their “quiet rebellion.”

“It’s a simple switch, but it puts a little extra Canadian pride in every cup,” stated Ryan Silverstein, owner of Le Petit Pain. “We know our customers will love it, and honestly, it just feels right given everything that’s going on.”

Americano crossed out and replaced by Canadiano on a café menu chalk menu board — Le Petit-Pain in Toronto has already switched its menu to read Canadiano. Photo by Kicking Horse Coffee

It follows other initiatives from Canadian businesses to stoke the rekindled fire of national pride, like Montreal’s Fairmount Bagels’ red-and-white “Canada Strong” bagel and Loblaws saying it would try to source Mexican alternatives to U.S. products.

Cafés are asked to share their participation by tagging Kicking Horse Coffee and using the hashtag #ItsCanadianoNow.

On its own social media channels, Kicking Horse has a “Born Red” campaign that states it is “Canadian as F$#%.”

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“The Canadian Rockies aren’t just where Kicking Horse Coffee was born — their spirit is brewed into every cup,” Hatcher-Hillier was quoted.

Elana Rosenfeld and her then-husband Leo Johnson founded the company 29 years ago when they began roasting coffee beans in the garage of her Invermere home. It has since grown to become one of Canada’s leading coffee roasters — considered among the best in sourcing organic and fair trade beans — with its products available at cafés and grocery stores throughout North America.

And while the beans are still roasted in the heart of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, controlling interest of the company hasn’t been in Canadian hands since 2012 when Rosenfeld entered into an investment partnership with New Jersey-based Swander Pace Capital.

In 2017, a deal was struck that saw Italian-based global coffee giant Lavazza obtain 80 per cent of the ownership for $215 million, with Rosenfeld kept on as CEO and maintaining 20 per cent interest. She remained there until 2023 when, per coffeeportal.com, she stepped down and yielded duties to former Lavazza global revenue growth director and current-CEO Cédric Malaga.

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