Best Coffee in Honolulu – The Curb Kaimuki

Cincinnati may not be the first city that you think of when you think of a destination coffee city. That honor might go to Berlin, Melbourne, or Portland, Oregon, and with good reason. But as one of the fastest-growing cities in the midwestern United States, Cincinnati has increasingly more and more to offer to the specialty coffee lover. The city also has a strong history in beer brewing, and in recent years, new craft breweries like Rhinegeist and Madtree have led the charge to put Cincinnati on the map in the world of craft beer. This has opened up a market for other craft beverages, and the coffee scene here has also grown a great deal in the past decade. Where there once were only a couple of local roasting companies, more and more are popping up each year, and the number of cafes serving acclaimed roasters from around the country is also growing. From excellent roasting companies to highly curated multi-roaster cafes, each of these businesses brings something unique to Cincinnati’s coffee scene.

Deeper Roots

When talking about Cincinnati, it’s hard not to begin with Deeper Roots. In the seven years they’ve been roasting coffee, Deeper Roots has done more to convert the coffee drinkers of Cincinnati than any other single company. Though it began as a wholesale roasting operation and still supplies many cafes and businesses around Cincinnati, Deeper Roots now has two cafes of its own. The first is in the Oakley neighborhood, and the second cafe, their most recent, is located across the street from Cincinnati’s historic Findlay Market (featured here in Sprudge). This location is unique in that customers can sit on the same side of the bar as the baristas and be up close and personal for every step of their coffee’s preparation. In order to help showcase their brewing process, Deeper Roots is using a La Marzocco GB5 customized by the wizards at Pantechnicon Design, a selection of grinders from Mahlkönig and Anfim, and an absolutely beautiful Modbar pour-over setup, also customized by Pantechnicon. Deeper Roots places a strong emphasis on community and education, and this cafe is an excellent venue for ensuring that customers are invited into a conversation and an experience.

Rohs Street Cafe

Rohs Street is the original specialty coffee shop in Cincinnati. Located in the city’s Clifton Heights neighborhood, this cafe serves the University of Cincinnati’s student body every day of the week but Sunday. The large cafe space is shared with the church next door, and it’s been used to host live music, open mic nights, and other events for the local area. Rohs Street puts the local community first, but that doesn’t mean its coffee is an afterthought. They serve Deeper Roots as their house roaster and over the years have featured a number of excellent guests, including Vancouver’s 49th Parallel, Columbus’s Mission Coffee, and Wilmington, Delaware’s Brandywine Coffee Roasters. The bar setup is anchored by a well-loved La Marzocco GB5 and a fleet of Mahlkönig grinders. Rohs Street is cozy and inviting, and hanging over the bar is a “Filter Coffee Not People” poster from Department of Brewology. It’s easy to see why this cafe is a favorite of Clifton locals and the student population alike.

Collective Espresso

When Collective Espresso opened in 2012, it was immediately clear that the shop owners were  up to something special. In their small space on a side street in Over the Rhine, co-owners Dustin Miller and Dave Hart were quietly brewing up some of the best coffees around the country. The menu is anchored by house coffees from Quills Coffee Roasters in Louisville, and they have an extensive guest roaster program that’s featured many nationally renowned companies, including Hex, Kuma, Madcap, Sweet Bloom, and more. The bar setup is simple but effective: a two-group La Marzocco Strada MP, a pair of Mazzer Major espresso grinders, and a Mahlkönig EKK43. Collective also operates a second location that’s even smaller than the first in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood. It’s hidden down an alleyway strung with lights and features a beautiful courtyard. Though Collective’s cafes are small, they have a huge presence in the local coffee scene, and it’s common to find the bar seating full of local baristas on their days off, drinking espresso and catching up. It’s worth trying their pastries too—the owners of Collective own Mainwood Pastry, a baking company that supplies many of the cafes on this list along with their own cafes.

Carabello Coffee

Carabello Coffee started out with little more than a popcorn popper, a few pounds of green beans, and a dream to help support struggling communities in coffee-producing countries. 10 years later, the company has grown to a large cafe and roasting space just across the river from Cincinnati in Newport, KY. Carabello also has a strong network of wholesale accounts spread around both sides of the Ohio River and beyond. A couple of years ago, Carabello opened the Analog bar, a second bar space within its cafe.

Though it only has six bar stools, Analog is well equipped with a Synesso MVP Hydra espresso machine, a pair of Mahlkönig K30 grinders, an EK43, and a bevy of manual brewing equipment. It serves a different coffee menu than the main bar at Carabello, with a focus on monthly selections of signature drinks and single-origin coffees. In the short time it has been open, Analog has already gained a reputation for excellence. That space also hosts bar takeovers from local and out of town roasters as well as coffee training courses both for Carabello’s many wholesale accounts and the general public.

Urbana Cafe

Though Cincinnati is an eclectic city, it’s still surprising to see a baby blue three-wheeled truck serving coffee, but that’s exactly where Urbana Cafe began. After working for years in the corporate world, owner Daniel Noguera decided to strike out on his own and devote his life to serving Italian-style espresso off the back of a Piaggio Ape. He began at Findlay Market, and all his coffee is still roasted at their stall in the market on a Diedrich roaster. Though his trucks still roam the city and serve at various events and markets, Noguera has also opened two cafes under the Urbana name. The first, in Pendleton, is a beautiful two-story space that’s a favorite of freelancers and people looking to meet for coffee outside the hubbub of downtown. The second opened last year in East Walnut Hills, a neighborhood just north of downtown. This cafe is smaller and has a more intimate approach. Noguera chose to eschew Wi-fi in favor of a turntable and a crate of records. He hopes for the space to be a hub for the community, where people come to have engaged conversation rather than simply surf the net.

Landlocked Social House

Landlocked Social House is the most recent addition to the Cincy scene on this list, though they already seem like a pillar of the coffee community. Landlocked was started by two transplants from Dayton, Ohio who set out to create an all-day spot in between Clifton Heights and East Walnut Hills. In the morning, Landlocked serves coffee from Wood Burl Coffee in Dayton, Ohio from a signature yellow La Marzocco Linea Classic. Landlocked also offers incredible breakfast sandwiches alongside pastries from Mainwood, mentioned above. In the evenings, the cafe serves an extensive menu of beers from small craft breweries from Ohio and elsewhere. They pride themselves on serving a menu that you can’t find elsewhere with a particular focus on wilder ferments. Each Monday, they have a food pop-up with a local chef, and they regularly host events both for baristas and the community at large, including a latte art throw down for womyn and non-binary individuals on Galentine’s Day.

Alex Evans is a freelance writer and coffee professional based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Read more Alex Evans for Sprudge.

The post A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Cincinnati appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Finding good coffee in American airports is becoming easier and easier these days. There’s a Cartel Coffee Lab in the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport serving some seriously good coffee, the Stumptown in the Portland International Airport is hands down the most beautiful airport cafe I’ve ever seen, and even though they are serving more of their “crowd pleaser” coffees, the La Colombe offerings at the Philadelphia International Airport are far superior to what you’d expect to find in an airport coffee urn otherwise.

But what about we kind souls who pick up our weary sojourners friends from the airport? What do we get while wait on your now twice-delayed touch down? Sure, a warm hug from a dear friend is nice, but that won’t keep me warm in the middle of the night. We want coffee. So it’s good news for those currently circling the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, there’s an Austin Java that just opened in the cell phone lot.

Austin Java is a bit of an institution. Back before the specialty coffee boom that has turned ATX into a must-visit coffee city, Austin Java was one of the best cups in town (and Metro. RIP). I myself have spent more than my fair share of time at the AuJa—a thing I used to call it and I don’t really remember why—cramming for finals or fueling up for a trip to Barton Springs. And now they are bringing their brand of fast casual coffee to the Austin cellphone lot, which means maybe I’ll start using it instead of aimlessly circling and parking curbside before being told to move and circle again.

Per Austin Food Magazine, this newest Austin Java—the sixth location for the nearly 25-year-old business—will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a “concentration on accessibility;” “guests have a plethora of ways to place on the go orders including a drive thru, online, inside the cafe as well as an outdoor window for grab and go.” Think things like breakfast bowls and because this is Texas, migas bowls and breakfast tacos. Austin Java will also be offering beer, wine, and cocktails for those especially aggrieved flight picker uppers.

I gotta say, coffee and waiting for someone’s flight to land has to be the least exciting iteration of the “Coffee And…” cafe model, but it may also be the most crucial. Just imagine: you’ve just stepped off your flight to Austin, you’re tired, you’re hungry, you just want to be done with the day. Then your friend shows up with a hot cup of coffee and a few breakfast tacos with your name on them. That sets the new standard as the only way I want to be picked up from the airport. And really, it’s the only way I would want to pick someone up too. Just have your passenger Square you for the damage, because they definitely should be paying.

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 PE.com

The post They Are Putting Coffee Shops In Airport Cellphone Parking Lots Now appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Photo by Tony Abbott

Our coverage of the Sprudge Twenty interviews presented by Pacific Barista Series continues this week on Sprudge. Read more about the Sprudge Twenty and see all of our interviews here.

Nominated by Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp

Sara Frinak is well-known to a generation of American coffee professionals as a tireless volunteer and supporter of coffee events, both regional in the American Southeast, and nationally through the Specialty Coffee Association’s USA competitions circuit. In addition, Frinak is an Accounts Manager with Ally Coffee, a green coffee trading company based in Greenville, SC. From the nominating essay by Sprudge Editorial Advisory Board member Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp:

Sara is someone who exemplifies kindness and support in the coffee industry. She never hesitates to help her coffee community, volunteering countless hours with the SCA and local organizations, spending her time and resources to empower young coffee professionals in the southeast and beyond. She is a community cheerleader, relentlessly positive and enthusiastic, treating the victories of others as her own.

What issue in coffee do you care about most?

If I had to pick one issue, it would be resource distribution, which isn’t even a coffee-specific issue, and is both delightfully large and daunting. I’ve noticed in my time there are rarely issues of true lack of information or lack of finances or lack of support, but instead clogs in the system that prevent these things from being shared with equity. So, I suppose I care most about finding and supporting ways for information to be distributed as respectfully and responsibly as possible. I’d like to see investing and sponsorship extended to underrepresented markets. I’d even settle for witnessing folks taking their free time and using it to support coworkers and community members. I suppose this isn’t a very neat or concise issue, but most conflicts I encounter could be avoided with better systems of sharing and of support.

What cause or element in coffee drives you?

I’m not sure if I have a larger cause that motivates me that I could articulate well, so I suppose I’d have to simply say it’s the people of this industry that drive me. It’s so cliche, isn’t it? It’s just I’ve found most of the people I enjoy in this industry are the people working too hard to ask for help or for recognition, and few things light a faster fire under you than that.

What issue in coffee do you think is critically overlooked?

Something overlooked or grossly misrepresented? The autonomy of the supply side of the supply chain. Producers and exporters and “at-origin operations” are businesses, and often businesses maintained by folks with plenty of experience and understanding. The philanthropic side of the industry is beautiful, but often distracts from the personhood of supply-side participants. There is an incredible amount of respect in treating representatives of these businesses as capable and informed, not as helpless, uneducated people. Often times the best way to ‘honor the producer’ is to commit to the prices they name, pay them on time, and roast their coffee well.

What is the quality you like best about coffee?

I love the connectivity of this industry. We can maintain active partnerships with people all the way across the world because of the nature of the supply chains with which we work. There’s so much to be gained from the type of exchange of information across consumer markets and producing markets.

Did you experience a “god shot” or life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?

Is it bad to say no? I certainly had moments in which I was impressed by a coffee, or surprised by what I tasted, but never anything that could be categorized as a “god shot.” My life changing moment came as a volunteer at Expo, when I realized people thought less of me because I worked for an ambiguous specialty coffee shop in Alabama. We roasted the coffee dark and weren’t afraid to mix more than two flavors in a latte; we were from the South, and for some reason that meant we mattered less. The lack of compassion really stunned me. But I’ve always been told, if someone says they’re hungry, the best way to know they eat is to cook them something and feed them. For every dismissive person I met, there was someone being dismissed, so being an attentive presence became very important to me.

I don’t work in coffee because I tried an amazing coffee that changed my life. I work in coffee because enough people were mean to me about things that didn’t seem to matter all that much, and I decided that needed to change, even in a small way.

What is your idea of coffee happiness?

One shift way back when at my first coffee job immediately comes to mind. We had just successfully implemented a “Hawaiian shirt Friday discount” where folks could get $0.25 off their drink if they wore a Hawaiian shirt into the store. I had a regular sitting at the counter, drinking his coffee, and telling us about the time he hitchhiked from South Florida to Alabama. I was dialing in the espresso for the day, and we had found the perfect Pandora station to play for our shift (I don’t even remember the station). It was a perfect combination of being with good people, drinking and thinking about coffee, and having a good time. It’s not a concise idea, but it’s what I think of.

If you could have any job in the coffee industry, what would it be and why?

As predictable as it sounds, I already have the only job I’ve ever wanted in this industry. I’ve always wanted to work with green coffee and supply-side logistics. Coming from a background of small, independent businesses means I am very aware of the things we could never afford. Now I get to help businesses access great coffees, sustainable partnerships, and whatever information they need—no matter the budget, no matter the business size. I don’t know if I’d do anything else in this industry besides what I do now.

Who are your coffee heroes?

Can I list them? I’m going to list them:

– Carllee Curran: because I have never witnessed someone maintain such fierce compassion, empathy, and fairness than her, especially in the face of the nightmare of coffee competitions in the US. She works so hard, and maintains such patience. She represents the type of character I want to have as a member of this industry: forward thinking, practical, fair, and compassionate.

– Sarah Barnett Gill: There are few people I respect more than this woman. She not only put up with me when I was an irritating little shithead, but also empowered me to learn about the industry and develop skill sets. She taught me how to roast coffee and taught me how to manage a cafe. She built a business out of thin air and entrusted me with a piece of it. Sarah is the leader I aspire to be, and our industry could learn so much from how she serves her staff and her customers.

– Ildi Revi: I feel like I only have to say her name and everyone will just sigh and say “oh yes, well of course.” Ildi is perseverance and endurance. No one supports people the way she does. She is one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and she uses that intelligence to empower other people to have a better understanding of their role in our industry. We owe so much to the hard work she’s put in.

If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I know I’m supposed to name someone famous to impress people, but I really would only want to sit down and have a coffee with my friends Harry, Joey, and Trevi. We all used to work together in Alabama and have moved away from each other, but talk on the phone all the time. If I could pick anyone to share that kind of a moment with, it’d definitely be them.

If you didn’t get bit by the coffee bug, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

There was a time in my life where I thought I’d be a professional swimmer, so maybe that. If I ever leave coffee it’d be to work for or run an urban farm, because people have to eat and they should eat good food.

Do you have any coffee mentors?

They’re my coffee heroes (listed above). I might argue with them, but I’d do just about anything they told me to do

What do you wish someone would’ve told you when you were first starting out in coffee?

Success is not one-size-fits-all. Hospitality is more about meeting people where they’re at than it is about serving espressos with sparkling water on the side. You should fight for equity and not equality, even if one is harder to defend than the other.

Name three coffee apparatuses you’d take into space with you.

I would honestly probably just bring an auto-drip machine, a cup, and pre-ground coffee. I’d be in space! I’d probably be too busy eating astronaut ice cream to make a pour-over.

Best song to brew coffee to:

“Africa” by Toto or “Tu Amor Hace Bien” by Marc Anthony. I don’t make the rules, that’s just what I’d choose.

Look into the crystal ball—where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Hopefully outside in the sunshine.

What’d you eat for breakfast this morning?

Noodle soup.

When did you last drink coffee?

This morning.

What was it?

House coffee at Waffle House.

Thank you. 

The Sprudge Twenty is presented by Pacific Barista Series. For a complete list of 2019 Sprudge Twenty honorees please visit sprudge.com/twenty

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

The post Sara Frinak: The Sprudge Twenty Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Wake up and smell the coffee. Then do it 9,999 more times and then maybe you’ll be a master at waking up and smelling coffee. Luckily, if you just want to be more adept at half of that equation—the smelling of the coffee part, not the waking up part—new research suggests that all you have to do it drink a lot of coffee.

According to an article in ZME Science, “regular coffee drinkers can perceive the smell of coffee with surprising alacrity” and do so much faster than non-coffee drinkers.

Before those who cup coffee on a daily basis let out a resounding, unified “no shit Sherlock,” this phenomenon appears to be more than just a simple “practice makes perfect” scenario. In a paper titled “Higher Olfactory Sensitivity To Coffee Odour In Habitual Coffee Users” published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, lead author Dr. Lorenzo Stafford of the Psychology Department at the University of Portsmouth argues that it is due in part to craving/addiction.

To reach this conclusion, Stafford et al performed two experiments. In the first, 62 individuals were divided into three groups: non-caffeine drinkers, light drinkers (70-250mg daily, roughly 1-3.5 cups), and heavy consumers (300mg, 4+ cups). With their eyes covered, the participants were asked to detect as quickly as possible small amounts of coffee added to an odorless substance. They were then asked to do the same task with lavender essential oil as a control. The heavy coffee drinkers were able to distinguish the smell of coffee at lower concentrations than the other two groups and were able to do it more quickly.

For the next test, 32 individuals were grouped by coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers. They were asked to perform a similar experiment as the first but with a non-food odor as the constant. Yet again, the coffee drinkers were more adept as identifying the coffee smell, which was not the case for the non-food odor.

These findings suggest, according to ZME Science, that “sensitivity to particular smells is linked to cravings,” and as Dr. Stafford explains, the more the craving, the more receptive a person is to the smell:

We also found that those higher caffeine users were able to detect the odour of a heavily diluted coffee chemical at much lower concentrations, and this ability increased with their level of craving. So, the more they desired caffeine, the better their sense of smell for coffee.

This research is the first step in what some hope will be a way curb drug use (caffeine is a drug after all). It has already been shown that creating an association between an odor and something unpleasant has led to “greater discrimination to that odor.” Combined with the idea that we can perceive the smell of things better the more we want it, the idea is to use that heightened sense to then attach the odor to something unsavory.

So if you too want to be good at smelling coffee, whatever that means in this context, Science says to just keep doing what you are presumably already doing anyway. Keep drinking lots of coffee. And maybe attend a few cuppings, too. It can’t hurt.

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

Nose mug by Rafael Cacharro Muciño

The post Drinking Coffee Makes You Better At Smelling Coffee appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Coffee has a long, rich history in Vietnam. Sidewalk cafes with tiny tables and plastic stools are ubiquitous throughout the country. Traditional Vietnamese coffee—a phin-brewed combination of bitter Robusta and sweet condensed milk—is as much a symbol of Vietnamese culture as any other.

Despite a deep cultural appreciation for coffee and being the world’s second-largest producer, coffee in Vietnam—which is primarily robusta—isn’t known for being high quality. While big city shops like The Workshop and Bosgaurus have sought to shift the conversation around coffee in Vietnam, specialty coffee is still a relatively new concept in this rapidly changing country.

Now, in the burgeoning city of Da Nang, 43 Factory Coffee Roaster is leading the charge for Central Vietnam in the country’s coffee revolution.

Da Nang has grown rapidly in recent years. It recently reached a population of one million and is now touted as the new must-visit city in Vietnam. After years of being skipped over by visitors in favor of nearby Hội An and Hue, the coastal city is becoming a premier travel destination.

Seeing the rapid development around Da Nang and wanting better coffee for his fellow citizens, LÊ Đắc Thành co-founded 43 Factory to bring a better coffee experience to his hometown. Born and raised in Da Nang, he chose “43” as a nod to the first numbers on the license plates of Da Nang vehicles.

LÊ Đắc Thành is young and full of ambition. He has to be. He understands that he’s fighting an uphill battle when it comes to influencing the perception of coffee among his fellow citizens. Still, it’s an endeavor LÊ Đắc Thành has decided is worth taking on.

LÊ Đắc Thành

“I believe that it is very difficult for Vietnamese people to realize and face the truth that Vietnamese coffee is considered low quality and customers deserve to drink better coffee,” Thành says. “But we are young people who dare to fight. We love Da Nang, we love Vietnam, but we have our own way of doing things.”

He is resolute in his mission. Through 43 Factory, Thành’s goal is to effect change at the production level in Vietnam. By bringing a specialty-focused cafe to Da Nang, he believes that he can change the perception of what coffee can be. In turn, by showing that there’s a demand for better coffee, he hopes that producers will take notice and focus on producing quality coffee in Vietnam.

Historically, Vietnam’s “green bean production is poor quality and less sustainable,” explains LÊ Đắc Thành. “While people around the world can easily approach and consume high-quality Arabica coffee, Vietnamese people have very little opportunity to do so. That motivated us to build 43 Factory,” he adds. “The hope is that when consumer awareness and behaviors increase, there will be an improvement of the supply market.”

With an ambitious vision laid out for 43 Factory, LÊ Đắc Thành built the space to reflect his big dreams. As a result, 43 Factory is one of the most visually stunning cafes you’ll ever visit—each element carefully thought out, each flourish meaningful.

Located just a few blocks from the beach, the cafe is a harmony of industrial, minimalist, and tropical styles. Floor to ceiling windows, steel frames, and green trees provide a balanced design that manages to be equal parts elegant and simple. A profile view of 43 Factory reveals a roof in the shape of a bird’s wing to represent “the dream of reaching out for the coffee industry sky,” says LÊ Đắc Thành.

Outside, a massive koi pond surrounds the cafe. A concrete walkway cuts through the pond where sunken stone booths allow guests to sit amongst dozens of colorful fish. Inside, an open bar takes center stage. In the middle of the bar, a tree stretches up to the second floor. Furthering the design metaphors, LÊ Đắc Thành says that the tree symbolizes being “newly involved in the coffee industry but having aspirations to develop.”

With the baristas behind low counters adorned with various grinders and brewing equipment, customers can grab a seat at the bar and witness each step of the bean-to-cup process.

Transparency, attention to detail, and education are all part of the bigger picture at 43 Factory. Here, it’s understood that it’s not just about the success of the cafe, but the Vietnamese coffee industry as a whole. To this end, LÊ Đắc Thành and his team are happy to do their part.

“We never feared failure,” LÊ Đắc Thành says confidently. “We believe that one day, Vietnamese farmers will have to change their production habits towards quality rather than quantity,” he adds before summarizing the future he sees for his country’s coffee industry.

“Then, the world will officially recognize Vietnam on a specialty coffee map.”

Zach Anderson is a freelance journalist living in Southeast Asia. This is Zach Anderson’s first feature for Sprudge.

Photos courtesy of 43 Factory Coffee Roaster

The post Vietnam: Inside 43 Factory Coffee Roaster’s Stunning Da Nang Cafe appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Starbucks is beset on all sides by those looking to undo them. When they aren’t battling a scrappy young upstart with a projected $500 million IPO and a can-do spirit for the top spot in the world’s largest growing coffee market, they’re artfully dodging questions about what sort of stretching regimen former CEO Howard Schultz employs that allows him to simultaneously put his foot in his mouth and his head up his ass.

But this time, the call is coming from inside the house. Ok maybe not inside the house exactly. More like the next-door neighbor’s house, the one’s you decided to convert your two driveways into a basketball court with. According to Reuters, Starbucks is being sued by French press maker Bodum for “product disparagement.”

It all started with a recall. Per Reuters, on May 1^st, the Big Green Mermaid issued a recall for all 263,200 co-branded Bodum/Starbucks French presses “made from recycled materials” being sold in their US and Canada locations, the shared basketball court to continue the already tenuous metaphor. Starbucks states the recall is due nine instances of the plunger handle breaking, leading to “lacerations and punctures.”

Bodum, on the other hand, sees it a little differently. In the court filings, the French press maker states that “Starbucks had no basis to ‘unilaterally’ conduct the May 1 recall because the Bodum + Starbucks presses were not defective and met required specifications.” The company also alleges that “Starbucks recalled the presses even though laboratory tests found no evidence of product or design defects, because it had become ‘particularly sensitive to recall issues’ after paying large fines in an earlier recall.”

This, Bodum states, is giving the public a general impression that all Bodum French presses are defective, which has led to a media backlash and “significant brand damage.” The lawsuit is seeking Starbucks to pay for all costs associated with the recall as well as damages to the Bodum reputation.

The exact amount being request in Bodum Holding AG et al v Starbucks Corp is not yet available, but we do know the retail value of those quarter-million+ French presses eclipses the $5 million mark. Throw in a few extra Ms for reputation damage and that’s probably a good place to begin guessing.

Read the full article here from Reuters. 

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 French Squeezed: Starbucks Is Being Sued By Bodum appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Kristina Jackson (Photo by Jon Santos)

Nominated by Rose Woodard, Rob Rodriguez, and Kat Melheim 

Kristina Jackson is an exemplary member and leader in the specialty coffee community. Her work is centered first and foremost on the city of Boston, where she is the founder of the Boston Intersectional Coffee Collective, but it reverberates worldwide by offering a radical example of inclusion. Her work provides a roadmap towards confronting marginalization for coffee professionals of all backgrounds and identities, and to ensuring that the next generation of coffee pros see a place for themselves in coffee culture.

Sprudge readers are familiar with Jackson’s work through our coverage of the Boston Intersectional Coffee Collective, and from Jackson’s Fall 2018 appearance on Michelle Johnson’s Black Coffee event panel in New York City. She is also an exceptional working barista at Intelligentsia Coffee’s Post Office Square location, a facet of her professional work captured vividly in this nominating essay (one of several Jackson received) from Rob Rodriguez:

“[Behind the bar], she often creates an experience and space where, despite how many people are in the shop, you feel as if you are her singular focus. This is reflected consistently in her exceptional coffee brewing skills. Each cup and shot regularly consistent and thoroughly enjoyable. While I could speak endlessly on her hospitality and coffee service skills, what sets Kristina apart from the rest is that her vision for an inclusive and equitable coffee community in Boston is strictly unmatched.”

What issue in coffee do you care about most?

I care about creating a supportive and positive experience for the traditionally marginalized people in coffee. I care about the ways of serving their needs so they can have fulfilling careers.

What cause or element in coffee drives you?

Creating the most positive experience possible for both our guests of color and those who want to pursue a job in coffee. We are the ones growing, serving, and buying the product. We deserve respect, living wages, and opportunity for a successful life of our choosing. It should not be dictated by the traditions set by a white male-driven industry.

What issue in coffee do you think is critically overlooked?

The devastating effects of climate change and pollution on the longevity of the industry.

What is the quality you like best about coffee?

This entire industry has some of the most resourceful and talented people I’ve ever met. It’s a “come as you are” industry. Almost everyone comes in because they enjoy drinking it, but you can go in a million directions all for the sake of the drinking experience. The common purpose is wholesome and pure.

Did you experience a “god shot” or life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?

While I was working at my first shop, I attended a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Boston at the State House. Somehow I ended up in a short tv interview. The next day several of my customers said they saw it and said how proud they were to see their local barista on tv speaking her mind. I think that was the first time I felt like a person in my community and not a nameless face at my shop, and I could possibly make a difference in someone’s life.

What is your idea of coffee happiness?

Coming in early in the morning alone with my music in my ears and dialing in. I love the focus, the ritual, the isolation. It’s the most peaceful 45 minutes to hour of my shift.

If you could have any job in the coffee industry, what would it be and why?

I don’t know if this particular job exists… I want someone to pay me to be their coffee life coach. I guess that would be an advocate. But I still want to make coffee as a part of my job. And I want to help connect companies to new talent. But I want that talent to be Black people. But mostly Black women cause we get shit done. Does that job exist?

Who are your coffee heroes?

Lem Butler was the first Black person I remember seeing online and being blown away. I had never even heard of Barista Competition before he won, so it was shocking to see a Black man become the best barista in America. I met him in 2017 in New York at Barista Nation. He didn’t talk much at that event but he did mention the importance of seeing more Black faces in coffee. That was a real turning point for me.

If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I wish I could drink coffee with my dad. He passed away when I was 14. He was very young and very intelligent and loved food. I wish I could’ve known him as an adult and talk about him about everything.

If you didn’t get bit by the coffee bug, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Early on as a teenager I was very interested in studying physics. I went to a high school very strong in math and science so I latched on. But I can’t imagine going thorough life not being involved in something creative but also practical so arts administration is appealing to me.

Do you have any coffee mentors?

Unfortunately no. There are a few people I trust to answer my questions honestly and be open with me. But I think what I’ve been missing in Boston is someone more experienced than me who can help me set realistic goals and grow with me.

What do you wish someone would’ve told you when you were first starting out in coffee?

I wish someone had told me not to work for a company just because they have good coffee.

Name three coffee apparatuses you’d take into space with you.

My Yeti, Kalita Brewer, and my electric kettle.

Best song to brew coffee to:

Can it be a whole album?! I often listen to Black Messiah by D’Angelo at home when I brew coffee.

Look into the crystal ball—where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Hopefully settled down with a family, helping them create their own coffee rituals!

What’d you eat for breakfast this morning?

A bowl of Farina with strawberries and pecans and a little sugar, a side of bacon, coffee, and water.

When did you last drink coffee?

20 minutes ago

What was it?

I had a shot of Intelligentsia Kurimi. Probably my favorite coffee that we serve. Just a straight up tropical fruit bomb.

The Sprudge Twenty is presented by Pacific Barista Series. For a complete list of 2019 Sprudge Twenty honorees please visit sprudge.com/twenty.

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

The post Kristina Jackson: The Sprudge Twenty Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Just when you think we’ve gotten to the bottom of this whole “coffee is good for you” thing, a new team of researchers fearlessly plumb the depths even further to find an as-yet-undiscovered cavern of coffee healthfulness. In a new study of nearly 350,000 participants, researchers from the Australian Centre for Precision Health found the number of cups of coffee you can drink per day before the risks outweigh the benefits. That number is five.

As reported by Inc.com, the new study first appeared in the March 2019 issue of the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition and was made public last week. In it, authors Ang Zhou and Elina Hyppönen were looking to discover if a specific genotype, CYP1A2, has any effect on “the association between habitual coffee consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).” For their work, the pair of researchers pored over data on 347,077 individuals in the UK Biobank—including 8,368 people with CVD—to cross-reference their genetic data against their “habitual coffee intake.”

Though their results found no link between the CYP1A2 genotype and an increased risk of CVD, Ang and Hyppönen’s work did uncover some interesting correlations. Using those who drank one to two cups of coffee daily as the baseline, the results of the survey were “nonlinear.” They found that those who didn’t drink coffee or only drank decaf were linked with an increase in CVD, by 11% and 7%, respectively. But those who drank six or more cups daily boosted the instances of CVD to 22%, double that of the non-coffee drinkers and triple of the decaf drinkers.

“In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day – based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk,” Hyppönen states.

Mark it five, dude. That’s the limit science is putting on the number of cups of coffee you should have a day. For most people, five cups gives a pretty wide berth before running afoul of the scientific limits. For everyone else, though, I’d suggest maybe altering your coffee intake to just one cup daily. The key is finding the right cup.

via Giphy

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 Coffee Is Good For You Until It Isn’t. Science Has Found The Tipping Point appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

After years in the doldrums, the coffee scene in Zürich has in recent years exploded in multiple directions. The range of venues to drink coffee is diverse and punches above its weight for this relatively small city. It makes for a surprising mix of spots, whether you’re after the choicest cup, best atmosphere, or somewhere to make your Instagram feed pop.

The traditional coffee in Zürich is called a café crème. It’s a medium-sized drink, Italian-style espresso with around 50% hot water. It’s served with a basket of gipfli (small croissants) available on the table, alongside a small chocolate and a tumbler of tap water.

But tradition is only half of the story in Zürich. Like elsewhere around the world, there’s been a new wave of shops in recent years. Here the emphasis is on quality ingredients, knowledgeable staff, and well-designed interiors. Think wooden boards for plates, handmade cups, and industrial style. Because of the hot summers, and despite long winters, Zürchers love to sit outside. So most cafes will offer al fresco drinking, often with a sheepskin rug for comfort, and a box of blankets to choose from for warmth.

The selection of shops below takes quality coffee as a starting point, but I’ve chosen some spots as much for their ambience or distinctiveness in the scene. Speaking with many of the owners, they highlighted a small but passionate nascent coffee scene and optimism for what it held for the future.



Photos courtesy of Luca Franzoni.

ACID

Zürich’s Langstrasse is the heart of the city’s nightlife, a melting pot where some of the most exciting restaurants and bars are. Making a bid for the award for most photogenic coffee shop is ACID. With its pink walls, homemade furniture, rotating art, and neon, people looking to capture a perfect coffee moment here are spoiled for choice. Deeply supportive of the local artistic community, co-owner Yann Gurtner wants ACID to be a “constant changing piece of art.” On a warm day you can take in the ever-changing, colorful scene on the street outside and Helvetiaplatz across the road.

Coffee comes from micro-roastery Miró, located just around the corner. They make a special roast of their Melbourne-inspired beans for ACID, from Honduras Santa Rosa Copan Arabica beans. From this you can get an indulgently syrupy mixture of tropical fruits and milk chocolate. These are crafted on a La Marzocco Linea PB, and served on a wooden plate with a homemade jasmine tea palate cleanser.

Photo courtesy of Pascal Grob.

MAME

Quite rightly, this shop is proud of its World Brewers Cup champion barista Emi Fukahori. The trophy on the shelves of the Seefeld branch is proudly displayed. But even more striking are the Goat Story Gina machines used for filter coffees and teas. These are delicately tended to with a wooden paddle by the baristas—the most knowledgeable in the city.

Fukahori founded MAME with her partner, two-time World Barista Championship Finalist Mathieu Theis, after they met (appropriately) at a barista championship in 2015. The pair “dreamed of having a cafe where we can celebrate such coffees.” And so they founded MAME together in 2016, opening a branch on Josefstrasse (near both ACID and Miro). MAME means beans in Japanese, a nod to Fukahori’s heritage.

The Seefeld branch followed in 2018, here you can sit at the communal table or browse the selection of high-end bikes; yes, this shop doubles as a cycle store. The cups are handmade works of art, by French ceramicists Jars, and are available to buy too.

As you’d expect from the barista pedigree behind the shop, taste is all-important. Three roast choices are available to customers, helpfully plotted on a flavor wheel on the wall. This is a great spot to try coffee from local roasters Vertical Coffee, founded by a team of Swiss climbers.

For a real adventure, try a flight of coffee, espresso or filter trio. Oh, and you must try their “crazy blend” if you want to have an interesting morning…

Bros Beans & Beats

The coffee in BBB is as smooth as the music. While the tunes have a distinctly hip-hop flavor, the espressos are a fine balance between fruitiness, acidity, and bitterness. And, dropping in like a guest MC, there’s a rotating line-up of seasonal roasts available too.

With backgrounds in the luxury hotel industry, co-founders Andreas Di Sario and Sezer Oezenir place emphasis on great service. There’s no doubt the waiters here are more attentive than elsewhere in the city, when your presence can feel like an inconvenience. “The coffee scene in Zürich is quite young, as it takes a while til hypes and new trends arrive here in Switzerland,” Di Sario says. These two are bringing some of that hype themselves—their shop logo is a silhouette of their likenesses complete with beards and baseball caps.

There’s a lot of space in this shop, yet it retains a homely feel. The warmth is enhanced by the Acme tableware, and what could be more welcoming than the sight of a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle dominating the bar? The team works with local roaster Henauer to keep things on point.

Photo courtesy of Christian Forrer.

ViCafe

Until recently, takeaway coffee was just not “a thing” in Zürich. Perhaps due to the genteel nature of life, or the Italian influence, people tended to sit for their coffees, and take their time. But alongside a handful of hole-in-the wall hatches around town, ViCafe has emerged as a success story.

The ViCafe journey started on the vineyard-lined riverbank village of Eglisau near the Swiss border with Germany. The company originally revived the vintage “Vivi Kola” cola brand, which is itself another success story. From this venture, a microroaster emerged, and soon grew to take over the old Eglisau railway station. Now expanded to nearby Zürich, there are six takeaway locations around town.

At the prominent Bellevue spot in the heart of the city, the queue is a permanent fixture. There’s no shame in ordering an iced latte from here: take it with you on a stroll down the lake, with a view of the alps towering above, and you’ll feel like a king.

Piazza

Representing Zürich cafe heritage is Piazza. With tables spreading into idyllic Idaplatz, this is one of those places to while away the hours. There’s nothing unique about the coffees here, but they are about as “Zürich” as you can get: a café crème is served with a small dark chocolate on the side.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to watch the locals playing petanque, kids zooming around on their scooters, or just gaze up at the trees—which boast spectacular cherry blossoms in the spring. It’s one of those places where time stands still and all is right with the world. Located in a residential area, it’s hidden from tourists and is something of a neighborhood hangout.

The interior is a mishmash of retro design, with examples of the mid-century furniture found in the city’s myriad vintage shops. The black-and-white bar is something of a signature, as are the multicolored tables and chairs that catch the morning sun. In the adjoining shop you can buy olive oils and balsamic vinegars, migrate onto an ice cream from Gelateria Bi Berna, or something alcoholic from neighbor Le Calvados. This is the kind of cafe where great days begin.

Photo courtesy of Samuel Zeller.

Monocle Cafe

When Monocle magazine decided to make Zürich its permanent base, the company wanted to make a statement. Monocle is the magazine of choice for the jet-setting bachelor, with a Swiss lifestyle of ski weekends, outrageously expensive watches, and modest style. Naturally, the cafe fits perfectly with this demographic.

For the design-conscious visitor to Zürich this is something of a pilgrimage. Their space is everything you’d expect: sophisticated and stylish. It’s a perfect spot to sit and read (or buy from) their array of magazines, and if you’re so inclined, browse their range of clothes and dream that you could afford them.

Monocle’s editor Tyler Brule is often present, as behind a mysterious sliding door are the offices of the magazine, and the spot where they record their podcasts.

Sihl Records

This is another shop where the tunes are as important as the coffee. Sihl Records is a local haunt for Zürich’s thriving tech-house scene, which includes mega clubs Supermarket and Hive, as well as shop’s neighbor Freida’s Büxe (arguably one of the world’s finest nightclubs). Zürich also hosts Europe’s largest techno festival, the annual “Street Parade,” so there’s a constant stream of world-class DJs passing through town. You’d wager most of them drop by here for an espresso. They’ll also be able to shop the store’s discerning selection of house and techno vinyl, previewing it on the store’s pair of Technics turntables. In-store sessions of visiting DJ’s are recorded and streamed on YouTube.

Tucked down an unassuming side-street, this shop demonstrates the wide range of coffee experiences to be found in Zürich.

Photo courtesy of Yoichi Iwamoto.

Miro

Some of the pioneers of the Zürich coffee scene, Miro’s founders dared to roast speciality coffee five years ago, when (almost) no one else was. Customers first found their seasonal roasts through their coffee truck, which toured the city.

Miro sources through a variety of importers, offering around 15 different seasonal coffees annually, with four or five on at any given time.

The team here is serious about coffee, so you’ll find drinks like cortados, cold brew available on tap, and coffee-inspired cocktails. In-house barista Ivan Pepe Marin developed the cocktails himself, and they make a trip to the city’s lively Kreis 4 area worthwhile alone.

The space itself is industrial and minimal; the machinery and drinks speak for themselves. As well as functioning as a cafe, you can watch roasters in action and participate in workshops—this really is a serious coffee lover’s destination.

Co-founder Daniel Sanchez is buoyant about Zürich’s ability to compete among the big boys in the coffee world, “We tend to be humble in Zürich and look up what bigger cities like Berlin, Copenhagen, and London are doing. But I don’t think we have to hide.”

Luc Benyon is a freelance journalist based in Zürich. This is Luc Benyon’s first feature for Sprudge.

Top photo by Giuseppe Bognanni.

The post The Sprudge Coffee Guide To Zürich appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

The Bay Area’s Blue Bottle Coffee has issued a voluntary recall of their Coffee Can after reports that opening the container have led to injury. The company is offering a full refund on any unopened Coffee Cans from the approximately 194,000 in circulation.

A 2019 Design Lab winner for packaging at this year’s Specialty Coffee Expo, the six-ounce Blue Bottle Coffee Can was the company’s attempt at finding a “balance between a compostable or recyclable product and one that extends freshness,” as Forbes described it in their feature on the then-announced receptacle. Per the article, the Coffee Cans were able to increase a “[coffee’s] lifespan up to 4 months – far greater than the two-week lifespan of roasted coffee in a bag.”

Per the voluntary recall issued on May 9th, “the lid may detach rapidly with force when opened, causing the beans to eject from the can,” which “poses an injury hazard.” As of issuing the recall, Blue Bottle had been made known of 13 instances of the rapidly detaching lid, with one that led to injury, a cut to the finger. As a recipient of half a dozen stitches to the finger due to an untimely run-in with a metal lid from a canister of tennis balls, let me just say that those lids are no joke.

The company is now recalling “all varieties of Hayes Valley Espresso, Bella Donovan, Giant Steps, Three Africas, and Night Light Decaf 170g/6oz whole bean Coffee Cans with all best-by dates” and telling consumers to discontinue opening any further cans. Coffee Cans that have already been opened pose “no safety risk to consuming the coffee.”

Unopened cans that were purchased via “Amazon.com, GoodEggs.com, Whole Foods Markets, Target, and other grocery retailers nationwide” are to be returned to their place of purchase for a full refund. As of press time, the Coffee Can has been removed for sale from Blue Bottle’s website.

For more information on the recall, visit Blue Bottle Coffee’s 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 Blue Bottle Coffee

Disclosure: Blue Bottle Coffee is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network

The post Blue Bottle Recalls All Unopened Coffee Cans appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News