Jeff Angell, president of Pura Vida Coffee, seen at the Fremont store. He says the company also sells much of its coffee to hundreds of cafes on college and university campuses and they're "very discriminating consumers." TOM REESE / THE SEATTLE TIMES By Melissa Allison The Seattle Times February 07, 2008 Forget earmarks and political donations. Pura Vida Coffee, of Seattle, won the right to sell coffee at the U.S. House of Representatives through an old-fashioned taste test. Last November, about 40 House staffers chose Pura Vida over Fair Trade-certified coffees from Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Bluebird Artisanal Coffee Roasters. "When we decided to switch to Fair Trade coffee, there was some nervousness about whether that coffee is as good as regular coffee, which is one reason we had the taste-off," said Dan Beard, the House's chief administrative officer. Pura Vida began supplying the House with coffee in ...