TWELVE HOURS: The Nicaragua Coffee for the Shift That Is Never Twelve Hours
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By Maryal Concepcion, MD, FAAFP · 5 minute read
The shift is called twelve hours. Nobody who works it has ever left after twelve hours. TWELVE HOURS is a medium roast Nicaragua from Jinotega with hazelnut, molasses, and graham cracker in the cup, named for the nurses who hand off at seven and leave at eight. This post starts with the name, then covers what is in the bag and how to brew it.
Why it is called TWELVE HOURS
Proof that the long shift is sometimes worth it.
Twelve hours is a nursing number. Three shifts and you have a week, on paper. In practice the report runs long, the last admission arrives at 6:45, and the charting is finished in the parking lot. Every unit has someone who holds the whole place together on that schedule and has never once been the reason a shift ran short.
Physicians have their own version of the number that never means what it says. Dr. Victoria Leventis-Shew, DO, of Victory Family Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina, described hers on My DPC Story, episode 257, from the years before she opened her own practice:
"I felt like it was a constant tug of war."
What changed was not that she works less. It is that the hours are hers. She keeps her patient messaging app on around the clock by choice, and tells every new patient exactly what that means and what it does not:
"This is the only app on my phone that I keep on twenty four seven."
That is the difference I advocate for. In Direct Primary Care the physician sets the hours, and the patient knows what they are, because there is no scheduling department between them. The shift is still long. It just belongs to the person working it. Listen to episode 257 of My DPC Story.
What is in the bag
Single origin from Jinotega, Nicaragua, fully washed and sun dried, grown between 1,000 and 1,400 meters, from Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Catimor, and Maragogype trees. Medium roast.
The cup. Hazelnut, molasses, and graham cracker, medium body, medium acidity. A coffee with no sharp edges, which is exactly what you want at hour nine.
The bag. 12 ounces ground or whole bean. Roasted in frequent small batches based on customer demand, so it is not produced far in advance or held in storage.
The price. $22.99. Ships free at $50.
Allergen note. Hazelnut is a tasting note, not an ingredient. This is unflavored coffee. The only ingredient is coffee.
How to brew it
Drip. Standard grind, 1 to 16. This is a break room coffee in the best sense: it holds up on a warmer better than most.
Pour over. A little finer. The graham cracker sweetness comes forward.
French press. Coarse, four minutes. Heavier, more molasses.
Who this coffee is for
The nurse who works three twelves. Four, this week.
The unit that runs on one pot. This is a coffee for a pot. Order a few bags and let the break room work through them.
The person who says thank you with a bag. It is in THREE TWELVES, THE SET for exactly that reason.
Frequently asked questions
Is TWELVE HOURS a single origin coffee?
Yes. It is from Jinotega, Nicaragua, fully washed and sun dried, grown between 1,000 and 1,400 meters. The roaster lists Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Catimor, and Maragogype.
Does it contain hazelnut?
No. Hazelnut is a tasting note describing the flavor of the bean, the way a wine might be described as having cherry. There are no nuts and no flavorings. The only ingredient is coffee.
What does it taste like?
Hazelnut, molasses, and graham cracker with medium body and medium acidity. Balanced and easy, the kind of cup nobody complains about.
What sizes does it come in?
12 ounces, in standard grind or whole bean. Both are the same coffee and the same price.
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care is a membership model where patients pay their physician directly, usually a flat monthly fee, for primary care. There is no insurance in the middle of the visit and no scheduling department setting the physician's hours. Physicians tell their own stories on the My DPC Story podcast.
How do I find a Direct Primary Care doctor near me?
Search The DPC Directory, a free listing of Direct Primary Care practices by location.
More resources from My DPC Story
The My DPC Story Podcast. Three hundred episodes of physicians describing how they opened, grew, and run Direct Primary Care practices, in their own words.
The DPC Directory. Find a Direct Primary Care physician near you.
My DPC Story, episode 257 with Dr. Victoria Leventis-Shew. The tug of war is at 6:23 and the twenty four seven app at 55:33.
Shop this coffee
TWELVE HOURS, 12 oz · $22.99
Part of THREE TWELVES, THE SET, three bags for the nurse working three twelves.
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