Coffee

Sleep may be the cousin of death, but it’s more like that cool cousin that would buy you beer when you were underage, not like that other very uncool cousin that would tell on your for drinking beer when you were underage. Sleep is cool is all I’m saying. I’d hang out with sleep if I was, you know, awake to, but we just seem to keep missing each other. And in good and somewhat surprising news for coffee drinkers, a new study finds that having caffeine before bed does not affect sleep quality.

As reported by the Independent, researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Harvard Medical School monitored 785 people for a sum total of 5,164 days and nights to see how consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine affected sleep. Published in Sleep, the researchers led by FAU’s Dr. Christine Spadola compared individuals’ consumption of these substances and compared them to data from sleep diaries and wrist sensors participants wore that records sleep duration, efficiency, and how quickly they would re-awaken.

They found that caffeine ingested within four hours of bedtime had no observable association with the sleep factors measured by the wrist sensors. Nicotine, on the other hand, had the greatest association with sleep disruption—particularly amongst participants with insomnia—leading to an average of 42.47 minutes in reduced sleep duration. Though not as drastic as nicotine, researchers also found alcohol consumption before bed to be associated with a decreased sleep efficiency.

Though ostensibly counterintuitive, the Independent notes that these findings are in line with previous studies on the subject. One sleep expert, Dr. Neil Stanley, told the Independent that “the idea that drinking coffee before bed will keep you awake at night is a myth.” Dr. Stanley does note, however, that individual results may vary based upon each individual’s sensitivity to caffeine. But for those with a lower sensitivity, caffeine before bed shouldn’t be an issue.

If you have been drinking two strong black cups of coffee every evening for the past 40 years and you have just developed a sleeping problem, then it is almost certainly not the coffee.

So as far as late-night vices go, drinking coffee remains the best for you. Unless you consider sleep a vice, in which case, second best. That’s still pretty good.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Junce11/AdobeStock

The post Late Night Coffee Has No Effect On Sleep Quality, New Study Finds appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

We last featured the unique coffee package design of Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective in 2015. The coffee roasting company’s transparent bottom was revolutionary in 2011, as was the company’s transparent FOB pricing listed on the bag itself. Coffee Collective debuted a brand refresh this year, retaining those important elements with a fresh new look on their packaging and a shiny new website. We connected with founder Klaus Thomsen to find out more.

Hey Klaus! What information is found on the front of the new bag?

We had one big goal with the new bags, and that was to increase the size and visibility of the farmer name and simplify the information. We have tasting notes (which we think are quite important for people to choose their coffee from, but should also be easy to understand and relate to).

It then says who the coffee is “produced in companionship with” as we think there’s often too much credit going to the roastery. We wanted to make sure people understand it’s a joint (even collective) effort.

Dyrkningssted means Origin, so it can specify the region, country and if there’s more info, like a cooperative. And then finally Quality Bonus, which is the price we’ve paid FOB in percentage over the C-Market price. For years we’ve written this information directly on the bags as well as published a full Transparency Table. We think having it directly on the bag is both a statement and a gently push for customers to ask questions about coffee prices in general.

We also have spots allocated for information such as variety and processing, but will only use it where we feel it’s necessary (like a specific and interesting variety or natural processing). Together with elevation and a bunch of other information you can find all the details you need plus farm visit reports on our website for each coffee.

Who designed the website? What are some of the new additions to it?

We had a team called Magic People Vodoo People design and a programmer named Anders from Remotely to program it. The whole thing was build from scratch with usability and shop experience in focus. We’re especially proud of our new subscription wizard where we can now offer a lot more options.

Who designed the package, the typeface, and the triangles?

The whole brand refresh was done by Hatch and Bloom who did our original branding over a decade ago. We interviewed several companies but ended with them, because they just seemed to get us. They knew our history and values better than any.

What are some coffees you are looking forward to releasing soon?

We’ve just released two new Kenyans and a washed Ethiopian and have two more Ethiopians coming out real soon, plus a Coffee Collective stable: Finca Vista Hermosa from Edwin Martinez in Guatemala.

Is the coffee available to purchase worldwide?

Yes. We offer subscriptions with free shipping to almost everywhere in the world and are currently sending to 46 countries. Danish VAT of 25% is deducted when shipping outside EU, so it’s a pretty good deal.

Thank you!

Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge.

The post Coffee Design: Coffee Collective In Copenhagen, Denmark appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

I’m back on my Italy bullshit. It’s been about two weeks since I last checked in on the lovely coffee happenings in The Boot; I’ve spent that time reading your many, many Instagram comments and personal DMs, reflecting upon my actions and how very sorry I am for them. (Keep them coming, though. I get no greater joy than having folks reach out to explain to me why I’m wrong about a joke they didn’t get or didn’t find funny. Please note that my writing style is and will continue to be “coffee over everything” but don’t let that stop you from sounding off.)

Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh right, Italy. Vi amo tutti, but some of y’all need to chill, specifically the folks at illy, who have recently announced the “Ultimate Italian Coffee Package,” a luxury coffee training and vacation package to the Italian city of Trieste. And it’ll only cost you $100,000.

As reported by the Robb Report, the “ultimate coffee-lovers retreat” was created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of illy’s University of Coffee, who as of June has been offering “master barista-led private classes” at its San Francisco campus. For a cool $100K, you and up to five other friends can begin your five-star coffee journey in San Francisco, where you’ll be treated to “a quick cuppa and coffee seminar” before boarding your own private jet to Trieste, the birthplace of illy and “Italy’s coffee capital.” There, you’ll “tour the illy headquarters, dabble in mixology and latte art while mingling with coffee experts and members of the Illy family.”

Thankfully, your $100,000 buys you more than a latte art class and a handshake with a higher-up at a coffee company. Included in the package is a stay at the five-star Falisia Resort as well dining experiences at the two Michelin-starred Harry’s Piccolo and Al Baggato. There will be sight seeing and there’s some mention of gelato and biscotti, because Italy.

What I want to know is who? Who is this vacation for? I’d like to see the Venn diagram of folks who both 1) have an expendable 1.6 yearly median household incomes, and 2) are really, really into coffee but also not really thaaaaat into coffee. Like, if you’re some Silicon Valley tech bro that’s super into coffee, you’re probably not that into illy (and you probably make some pretty normative claims to that end to whomever is within earshot). If Blue Bottle was offering this, then maybe. I’m just not sure who is going to take illy up on this offer. But there’s gotta be some Boomer somewhere with no sense of the cost of things who will do this though, right?

Whoever you are, if you are out there reading this right now, please subvert all your supreme asshole urges and do the right thing: don’t spend $100,000 on this travel package. If you have that sort of cash laying around and really love coffee, there are so many actually good uses for that much coin. Hell, spend $50K on an Italian vacation and then donate the rest. It’s a win-win. Except for illy, I guess, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

The post Spending $100,000 On A Coffee Training & Vacation Package Is Illy-Advised appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Is there any place the brother Ferrari won’t put a coffee shop? Two years ago—and part of the Build-Outs of Summer no less—Austin and Tony opened Ferrari Barbershop and Coffee Co, a coffee shop that cohabited with, you guessed it, a barber shop. And now they are back at it with their newest Cincinnati outpost Fausto, a restaurant and coffee shop concept inside the Contemporary Art Center.

For their new location, the Ferrari brothers are importing some of the California ethos shared with one of their other cafes, Provender in San Francisco. Not only will Fausto focus on seasonally-inspired California cuisine but it include some other West Coast sensibilities, most notably a focus on natural wine and a composting program. But they are still keeping it very Cincinnati by working with longtime roasting partners Deeper Roots Coffee. These two worlds blend together in perfect harmony for an all-day cafe, for Fausto in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista Series, notNeutral, KeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Austin Ferrari.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

Fausto is a restaurant that focuses on seasonal California cuisine inside of the world renowned Contemporary Art Center designed by Zaha Hadid in downtown Cincinnati. Fausto is an all day gathering place brought to you by the Ferrari Brothers. A restaurant with a coffee shop, lunch, mid-day food, and dinner (three courses for $39). We also have a very extensive wine program with wines from all over the world, most of which are bio-dynamic or naturally made. Fausto is a place where everyone is welcome through any hour of the day. Focusing on the same beliefs as art, we are ever so changing.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Fausto is a contemporary designed restaurant to fit the space of the CAC. Fausto is named after our father who comes from Calabria, Italy. It was named after him because for my brother and I, our father is kind of an artist in his own light. He has worked in restaurants his entire life and we wanted to give back to the art of the restaurant work he has always done. Fausto comes equipped with everything you may need through your daily life.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Our approach you could say is definitely third wave. We like coffee that is clean, pure, and focused. My brother Tony and I have our own coffee blend (Ferrari Bros Blend) that is roasted by Deeper Roots Coffee Co. The blend is 50% washed Guatemalan and 50% natural Ethiopian. The biggest thing for us when it comes to coffee is making sure first and foremost we are using a clean and beautiful product and translating that to our baristas and to the guests. All baristas go through super extensive training, all of whom love what they do first and foremost. I think overall, we love to serve the best we can and what we know tastes great to us and others.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We are equipped with a custom painted La Marzocco Strada (painted by La Marzocco in Italy) and shipped to us. A Mahlkönig PEAK espresso grinder. A FETCO drip tower and a Mahlkönig EK43S. Coffee is a love for us and so is the equipment.

How is your project considering sustainability?

Our restaurant Fausto not only uses amazing, sustainable coffee from a trusted source and location but the restaurant as a whole focuses on using sustainable ingredients (everything is from within the midwest on the food menu). The wine is at least all almost sustainable. Plus, we are one of the only restaurants in Cincinnati, Ohio to be composting. Composting is basic rule in California but here in Cincinnati, nobody does it, but in our restaurant it is mandatory.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

June 24th we open for morning service and lunch. A few weeks after we will open up the mid-day menu and dinner.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

I think we would like to thank the entire staff at the Contemporary Arts Center. Our good friend and architect Daniel Ewald in San Francisco. Joe Girandola and Richard Wolhoy who are two amazing artists here in Cincinnati. Plus, our family for insight.

Thank you!

Thank you all for the love and support in what my brother and I do. We hope to have you in soon. Whether for a coffee or for a meal and wine. Cheers!

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

Photos by Brianna Long

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Fausto In Cincinnati, OH appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

The current crisis of the commodity coffee price on the futures market is perhaps the most immediate issue facing coffee as we know it (climate change may be a larger concern, but if the price isn’t rectified, there may be no farmers—and thus no coffee trees—to be deleted by climate change). We’ve made our feelings known about the current problem in no uncertain terms, and leading voices in the industry are doing their part to dive into the crisis in hopes of bringing it to the forefront of the collective coffee conscious.

Two such individuals are Ever Meister and Chad Trewick. Through the lens of price transparency, Meister—managing editor and education director at Cafe Imports and author of New York City: A Caffeinated History—teams up with Trewick—founder of Reciprocafé, LLC and one of the project leads for the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide—for a four-part podcast series titled “A Little Podcast About Coffee Price Transparency.”

Totally just over a two-hour runtime, the four-part series was released all at once last week as part of The Discomfort Zone Podcast, Meister’s “interview-based show about a whole range of topics, beliefs, issues, anxieties, and quirks that make us uncomfortable, in the hopes that we can see each other and make real connections through open dialog.” Each episode tackles a different subject related to transparency and the price crisis. Episode One discusses the “functions of the coffee market and the C-market price, the foundations for the price crisis, and introduces the rest of a conversation about price transparency in specialty coffee and its implications in the greater movement toward long-term coffee sustainability.” Episode Two dives into ways to get farmers more money for their work, with Episode Three digging deeper into transparency and its potential impact on pricing. The series then caps off with Episode Four, about the consumer and their role.

All four episodes of A Little Podcast About Coffee Price Transparency are out now on SoundCloud. Give it a listen and continue the biggest conversation in coffee today.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via A Little Podcast About Coffee Price Transparency

The post A Little Podcast About Coffee Price Transparency: A Mini-Series By Ever Meister & Chad Trewick appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Over the weekend, Istanbul hosted the most recent addition of the Red Bull Flugtag. a competition where teams of amateur builders create human-powered flying machines to see who can fall with style the farthest. Flugtags take place all over the world and are basically just parties where folks get all jacked up on Red Bulls (and probably other imbibements) and watch “pilots” human cannonball themselves into the nearby body of water. It’s as awesome as it sounds.

But there was one team that was just a little more juiced than all the others, and that was The Coffee Lovers, the team fielded by La Marzocco Turkey. Red Bull may give you wings, but coffee gives you creativity and distance, and that’s what allowed The Coffee Lovers to take home the gold.

The Flugtag is scored using three criteria: creativity of the flying machine, performance of the flying machine and team, and the total distance traveled, with the latter being the more critical. But you can’t count out creativity. Working with students from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the La Marzocco team created with KB90 Straight-In Portafilter plane, presumably for its aerodynamic and ergonomic prowess over say, a Linea-shaped box plane (though that workhorse machine would probably try-hard its way onto the podium somehow. Don’t count it out is all I’m saying). Nailing the performance aspect was pilot Cetin Gurer and human-powerers Aysin Aydogdu, Baris Somer, and Umut Ozturk, who came bedecked in lion costumes, a nod to the LM logo.

According to their team profile, The Coffee Lovers goal was to “fall as beautiful as possible,” which they did, beating out 34 other teams and landing gracefully on the top of the podium via the blue waters of the Caddebostan Beach.

So congratulations to The Coffee Lovers and to La Marzocco to proving once and for all which caffeinated beverage reigns supreme!

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Photos via La Marzocco

Disclosure: La Marzocco is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network

The post La Marzocco Turkey Wins The Red Bull Flugtag In Instanbul appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Coffee Masters is coming to Los Angeles! After four years in New York City, the multi-faceted coffee competition is hopping coasts to the Golden State. Taking place November 8th through 10th, Coffee Masters will be making its West Coast debut at the Los Angeles Coffee Festival, and applications to compete are now open!

For those yet to experience it, Coffee Masters is a rip-roaring, multi-disciplinary competition where coffee professionals go head-to-head in a tournament style battle for barista supremacy and $5,000 cash money. Individuals will have their mettle tested across seven competitions: cupping, brewing, latte art, signature drinks, espresso blend creation, origin identification, and “the order round,” where they will have to proficiently make up to 10 different espresso-based drinks from an order docket.

Thanks to the immediacy of the scoring for many of the rounds—either you made more drinks/identified more origins/made better latter art or you didn’t—Coffee Masters is one of the more fun for on-lookers, which lends itself to a pretty raucous atmosphere. It’s a good time to be had by all.

And you can be part of that good time. Allegra Events, the company that puts on Coffee Masters, is accepting applications to compete through September 8th. Applications must include the completed questionnaire (found here), a one to two minute video where you introduce yourself and create your own “LA Lifestyle”-inspired signature beverage, and one head shot; this is LA after all. Competitors with the best application will then move on to compete at Coffee Masters.

For more information about the application process, the rules, or the event itself, visit the Coffee Masters official website.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Coffee Masters

The post Applications Are Now Open For Coffee Masters Los Angeles appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Shipping containers used to just be… shipping containers. Big metal bins used to transport things—probably boring stuff like packing peanuts or pet rocks—by both land and sea. But in the past few years, shipping old shipping containers have found a second life as affordable building materials and are often repurposed into new, hip business parks where smalltime local makers can have a storefront all their own. And no self-respecting, hip maker space is complete without a coffee shop.

For Bellflower, California’s SteelCraft, that coffee shop is Solid Coffee Roasters. Alongside other establishments in the urban eatery like an ice cream shop, wine bar, bagel shop, and brewery, Solid is keeping things caffeinated with this, their third location. With an abundance of picnic table seating, Solid Coffee inside SteelCraft is the perfect place to fuel up and hang out while soaking in some of that beautiful Southern California sun. So grab a bagel, a beer, and a brewed coffee, because we’re checking out the brand new Solid Coffee Roasters inside SteelCraft in Bellflower, California.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista Series, notNeutral, KeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Mark Tigchelaar.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

SOLID Coffee Roasters was originally founded in 2014 out of the desire to provide a platform for any enterprise to raise funds by creating and selling their own coffee brand. Daniel Kam, Solid’s Founder, started brewourcoffee.com to do just that. It grew very quickly as organizations realized their supporters desired a good cup of coffee, not something that has been sitting on the store shelves for months.

After a few years, the team took an opportunity to move the roaster and open a cafe on the corner of South and Norwalk, in Artesia, CA. The cafe was immediately met with huge support and has been a staple in the neighborhood. It has become a hub for students, entrepreneurs, and families alike. You’ll often find people collaborating on projects, studying, reading, or just enjoying each other.

Now Solid Coffee Roasters is awaiting the grand opening of their third location and growing rapidly.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The new location is at the newest Steelcraft development in Bellflower, CA. It’s a 20-foot refurbished shipping container and all but one piece of our equipment is used.

What’s your approach to coffee?

Simple, approachable, and remarkable. It’s very important for us to provide an excellent cup of coffee with focus on consistency all while giving the customer a remarkable experience.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

Not really, we are serving Kombucha from two local companies out of a custom wrapped kegerator but other than than, just your usual workhorses!

How is your project considering sustainability?

All the shipping containers are refurbished and we used as much used equipment as possible.

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We just opened last week!

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Howard CDM was the developer. Also a big thanks to the City of Bellflower and Jim Dellalonga.

Thank you!

Thank you!

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Solid Coffee Roasters In Bellflower, CA appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News