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The Gall! New Study Links Coffee And Decreased Gallstone Risk

By gallstones, Journal of Internal Medicine, Newsweek, Science, Wire

Gallstones sound hawrible. They’re stones… in your gallbladder. But the good news today is that roughly six cups of coffee a day may help decrease your risk.

As reported by Newsweek, a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine took a look at over 114,000 participants in Denmark, where they “collected information such as lifestyle choices, carried out physical examinations, and collected blood from which their DNA was extracted.” After assigning an allele score that “looked at whether a genetic variant linked to metabolizing coffee was associated with drinking more coffee,” the researchers assessed the association between coffee consumption and instances of gallstones. They found that drinking one cup per day was linked to a three percent decrease in the instances of gallstones and that drinking six cups or more was associated with a much more significant 23 perfect decrease in the risk.

In both observational and genetic analyses, high coffee intake was associated with low risk of symptomatic GSD [symptomatic gallstone disease] in the general population. These results suggest that high coffee intake is likely to causally protect against symptomatic GSD.

The study was purely observational, so no causal link between coffee consumption and decreased gallstone risk has been established, but the study’s authors suggest a number of explanations, including the possibility that the body uses bile—which can build up with gallstones—to excrete all the caffeine consumed with coffee.

But whatever the reason, keep drinking that coffee because it’ll keep the gallstones away. The gall!

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

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Source: Coffee News

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti!

By Amsterdam, Cafes, Choux, Clavelin, De Marsen, De School, Featured, Friedhats, FUKU, Goede Vissers, la marzocco linea pb, moccamaster, netherlands, Noordermarkt, Oud-West, Pauline Jacob, Roast Masters, Scandinavian Embassy, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, UK & Europe, White Label Coffee, Winestories, Zuiver Wijnen

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

If Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is too much of a mouthful, consider calling this new Amsterdam venue what the three owners sometimes do: De Schuur. That’s shorthand for Schuurman, which is one of the founders’ surnames—though it also means “the shed” in Dutch. Its usage is telling—natives of the Netherlands tend to err on the side of humble.

Located on a bright corner in the neighborhood of Oud-West, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti serves coffee, wine, and, as its website summarizes, “creative plates to share.” It is hardly a shed. Standards-wise and aspirations-wise, it is more like a cathedral. Not that the buttresses fly, not that the glass is stained, but the values are lofty, the service is elevated, and the flavors are sublime. If the coffee—all of which comes from specialty roaster and brother business White Label Coffee—is the altar around which the enterprise was built, then the wines, all-natural, are its flickering votive candles. In this case, patrons sip their succor.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

As to how Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti emerged, it was, to paraphrase the Bible and Bob Marley, a stone that Barry Schuurman rejected that became the cornerstone. Schuurman had worked at White Label for over three years, handling cafe operations, wholesale deliveries, and training. He was the first full-time employee and proved so endearing to his bosses, Elmer Oomkens and Francesco Grassotti, that when they considered expanding, they offered him a raise or a stake in the company.

Meanwhile, it had always been “a bit of a dream to have my own place,” Schuurman says. “But at White Label, the job was just amazing—it was really nice, always—so the dream kind of went, let’s just say, on a little back road again.” Yet when “we kinda just started talking about how things were going really well and we just wanted to do a bit more,” he explains, it was time to take what “seemed the most logical step.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Grassotti, Oomkens, Schuurman

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti opened in January. In this venture, the three partners are equal. Schuurman plays down his position in their co-authored byline, but the ordering “was quite natural,” says Oomkens, adding: “Barry is like the main man here.” Schuurman, who left White Label altogether, works six days a week at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, managing daily operations and, like Oomkens and Grassotti, taking shifts behind the bar.

White Label is to Dutch specialty coffee what Nirvana is to early 90s Seattle rock: not necessarily the scene’s pioneers, but the group with the most impact, quickly winning over purists and piggybackers alike. When Sprudge interviewed Oomkens and Grassotti in 2015, their Amsterdam micro-roastery was a bit over a year old though very much in bloom. Both were relatively new to specialty coffee, and branding themselves as brandless—a white label—was part memo, part mantra to maintain “a clean, open-minded state,” Grassotti had said. Oomkens chimed in, elaborating: “Francesco came up with that. It’s just the unwritten-piece-of-paper idea, something that’s open, not bothered with prejudgments.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

A half-decade later, White Label’s wholesale, nationwide and international, is a big enough undertaking to have spilled out of the back of their cafe and into a rented ex-classroom at Amsterdam’s nightclub-cum-cultural complex De School. In March, White Label participated in the first-ever Roast Masters; even though Oomkens and Grassotti “don’t really believe in the competition,” as the former says, and disapprove of its requisite espresso blending, they did not hold back their three eager staff roasters from competing—and they won.

Despite or perhaps because of all the successes so far, setting up a shop this time around, with Schuurman, they had a clear vision. “It was obvious that we just [didn’t] want another coffee place,” states Oomkens. They definitely wanted natural wines and warmed to the incorporation of a kitchen.

This past spring, the wine list at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti had no fewer than a couple dozen entries. Categorized as sparkling, white, orange, and red wines, along with a few under beer and cider, all are sold by the bottle and half come by the glass as well. Oomkens credits Figo van Onno, owner and sommelier of Amsterdam restaurant Choux for originally turning him and his colleagues onto natural wines. Nowadays Van Onno, under the name Zuiver Wijnen, is one of three importers that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti’s own in-house wine coordinator, Eefje Slabbekoorn, relies on; Clavelin and Winestories are the others.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

For drinkers seeking more lift than lull, however, there’s no shortage of coffee. Espresso shots are pulled on a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB. All the filter coffee—of which there is an extensive menu, columnized as “nutty and chocolaty” or “bright and fruity”—is prepared with a Moccamaster. The classic Dutch brewer’s Jubileum ‘68 models complement the surroundings’ light-touch mid-century modern design, but Oomkens notes that the choice to use the machines there and at White Label was foremost flavor-driven.

Breakfast, bar snacks, and lunch are available daily; dinner is currently served all nights but Monday. The menu changes according to seasonal availability.

“We’re trying to approach it the same way we approach the wines and the coffee,” says Schuurman. “Being food, the ability or the chances to source it locally are a lot bigger than with coffee.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Meats come from De Marsen, a nature reserve north of Amsterdam, and fish from the Goede Vissers stall at the city’s Saturday Noordermarkt. French chef Pauline Jacob currently leads the kitchen with precision and panache. On a recent visit, her team demonstrated how alluring and affordable vegetarian meals can be. Just 25.50 Euros covered three delicious dishes: a medley of mushrooms and potatoes garnished with seaweed and wild garlic butter; a warm bean salad with radishes and vermouth-vinaigretted baby gem lettuce; and for dessert, a buckwheat pudding in a lemon-verbena syrup, all topped with a dollop of dill hangop, candied buckwheat, and rhubarb.

It should be noted that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is not the only good food and wine spot to have arisen from or in adjacency to specialty coffee. Scandinavian Embassy was an early host of coffee dinner parties, and spawned cafe/wine bar/restaurant 4850. Fellow Amsterdam micro-roasters Friedhats’ new flagship, FUKU, is among several specialty cafes licensed to sell alcohol and choosing to go au naturel. The Dutch capital is waking up to natural wine.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Still, an attribute that sets Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti apart is its accessibility. The staff has a uniquely personable mix of humility and knowledge-sharing generosity. This trait was also observable by Schuurman on first making acquaintance with his employers, back when he was a customer hanging out after work and on weekends at his local coffee bar, White Label.

“That’s what always appealed to me so much about White Label, that it’s not snobby. A lot of times in specialty coffee now as well for me, it tends to become really snobby, like you have to be someone to be able to enjoy this,” he says.

Schuurman maintains the same outlook today, from the other side of the counter.

“What really drives me is the service towards people,” he emphasizes. “No matter what background you have, no matter how much you know about coffee or how little you know about coffee—the same goes for wine—in my eyes, everyone should be able to come here and enjoy it and get something that they like.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands
Call it Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, call it De Schuur (there is, in fact, a small wooden shed in the backyard used for storage). Whatever you call it, know that coffee, wine, and food are united here in a way that is bold and surprising yet totally welcoming. For Amsterdam, this is a holy revelation in the coffee-wine-food revolution.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is located at Overtoom 558, Amsterdam. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Karina Hof is a Sprudge staff writer based in Amsterdam. Read more Karina Hof on Sprudge

The post Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti! appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

DRIP Zine Returns With A Big Release This Freaky Friday

By amethyst coffee, Awakening Boutique, Claudi Campero, coffee people zine, colorado, denver, DRIP Zine, events, Kat Melheim, Modern Nomad, The, Wire

The Drip is turning into a flood. After a sold out first issue, DRIP Zine, “a smutty, sexy, elicit, explicit art publication put together by the coffee community,” is ready to release its sophomore effort. And they are celebrating with a party in Denver this “Freaky Friday,” September 13th.

Working in a service industry, coffee professionals are over-sexualized by customers on a daily basis, where small, tip-based interactions are misconstrued into something much larger and more romantic in nature. DRIP is the sex-positive coffee zine that works to let coffee professionals reclaim their sexuality and define it in their own terms. Created by founder and editor of the Coffee People Zine Kat Melheim and Amethyst Coffee‘s Claudia Campero, the second issue of DRIP will feature “photography, illustration, poetry, short stories, and more created by baristas, roasters, cafe managers, shop owners, and other folx who caffeinate you daily.”

To launch Issue 02, DRIP is hosting a release party at Awakening Boutique—“Denver’s premier sex-positive boutique and community resource”—inside the Modern Nomad on Friday, September 13th. Happening from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, the release party is billed as a night of “drinks, music, prizes, sexuality, [and] self expression.” Tickets for the event are $20—available via Eventbrite—and include a copy of Issue 02 as well as a raffle ticket for some of the sexy prizes DRIP has to offer. Part of the proceeds from zine and raffle ticket sales will be donated to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

For those unable to attend, DRIP Issue 02 can be purchased via the Coffee People Zine website for $15 and are currently available for pre-order. For more information, check out the Coffee People Zine’s official website or the DRIP Zine release party Eventbrite page.

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 DRIP Zine

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Source: Coffee News

Build-Outs Of Summer: LeverCraft In Austin, TX

By austin, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, Decent Espresso Machine, eric mann, levercraft coffee, North America, Open House Austin, Staff Picks, Texas, USA

levercraft coffee austin texas

It doesn’t matter how hot it gets in Austin, Texas, the coffee scene is always hotter. And it’s been no different this summer; we’ve had multiple entries into the Build-Outs of Summer from the Texas capital this year and we’re not done yet. Today’s entry comes from LeverCraft, a converted 1955 Spartan Imperial Mansion travel trailer that looks like anything but. Bringing vintage Italian espresso machines into a modern setting, LeverCraft is the latest destination to join the ever-expanding far east Austin coffee shop list. So let’s pay them a visit, shall we, and check out the coolest converted permanent travel trailer coffee shop you’ll ever see.

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

As told to Sprudge by Eric Mann.

levercraft coffee austin texas

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

I started this company two years ago restoring vintage espresso machines that I was buying from Italy and converting for resale here in The States. I wanted to control the whole process of espresso, so we also started roasting our own coffee commercially (I have been roasting for myself for four years), and we now wholesale high quality coffees that we source from all over the world. Our company’s focus is on education, quality, and community. We want to spread our passion for coffee to everyone and share the knowledge we have learned over the years.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

This is the fun part of the business for me. We get to be as creative as we would like in the space, which was built from a 1955 Spartan Imperial Mansion travel trailer. It is 43 feet long and was built to feel like a brick and mortar coffee shop when you step inside, not a trailer. I tore the entire shop down to the frame and rebuilt it into what you see today. It was an intense project, but it was very rewarding. I love working with my hands and really enjoyed the process. I also know exactly where everything is so if there is ever an issue, I know how to fix it.

I love serving others so having a shop was a must for me. It allows me to meet incredible people from the community and share something that is very personal for me. We made the counter tops very low to stimulate interaction between the people behind the bar and our customers, and the rest of the space is very welcoming. We also added a mini bar in the back that will allow us to have date nights where people can come and share coffee and dessert with a barista. It will allow us to do a bit of education about coffee in a more intimate setting.

Inside the trailer, we have vintage espresso equipment to look at as well as many different methods to brew coffee. We want people to come in and expect to experience something they have never experienced before. I think it really shows with our two signature drinks, the Freddo, and Espresso Lemonade.

levercraft coffee austin texas

levercraft coffee austin texas

What’s your approach to coffee?

Coffee is incredibly complex, and it is our goal to simplify it to the point that everyone can enjoy it. Our espresso drinks will be consistent, and our specialty drinks will be unique. With that being said, we are bringing in some incredibly rare and delicious coffees to the table that people are really going to enjoy. It is our goal to show the world just how unique coffee is and that the possibilities within coffee brewing and tasting are limitless.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

We are using vintage lever machines to brew coffee during the week, and have many other unique methods to make coffee as well.

On bar, we are using a new machine called the Decent Espresso Machine. It is one of a kind and allows you to adjust every single variable that might affect espresso one way or another.

For one of our specialties, we have a vintage milkshake mixer that really opens up the possibilities with milk-based drinks.

We also created a new way to make very strong coffee, similar to ibrik coffee, but with lab equipment.

levercraft coffee austin texas

How is your project considering sustainability?

We just launched our packaging for our whole bean coffee. They are glass medicine bottles that are reusable, washable, and will protect the coffee from harmful UV rays.

We are also doing our part by using paper straws and trying to minimize the amount of to-go paper and plastic cups. We offer discounts for those who bring in their own mugs and cups, but we are working on a stronger solution at the moment.

levercraft coffee austin texas

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

We opened in July of 2019!

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

I have had a lot of help from Open House Austin, which is a female owned realty team that has graciously allowed us to use their space. Many of my friends came and helped piece the project together as I built the trailer, too many to mention here.

Thank you!

Thank you for considering us!

levercraft coffee austin texas

LeverCraft is located at 3307 Oak Springs Dr, Austin. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

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: LeverCraft In Austin, TX appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Coffee: It’s Not Just For Mouths Anymore Thanks To Ochis Coffee Sunglasses

By coffee grounds, FORBES, Maksym Havrylenko, Ochis Coffee, sunglasses, Wire

 

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I’m tired of mashing coffee grounds onto my face only to have them fall right off. These grounds need to have some sort of hook-like system so you can affix them behind your ears. And maybe sections where your eyes go that come in varying degrees of opacity so you can see where you are going. I’d call them Coffee For Your Mug.

Well, turns out one Ukrainian company has already beat me to the punch. They’re called Ochis Coffee, and they use spent ground to make “coffee glasses” (coffee isn’t usually served in glassware, but whatever), and much to the chagrin of my very well thought out business plan, they’re actually pretty stylish.

As reported by Forbes, most glasses frames are still made of petroleum-based plastic, which as you may have guessed from the words “petroleum” and “plastic”, production of which aren’t all that great for the earth. Like so many companies across innumerable industries have done, Ochis looked to used coffee grounds as a sustainable alternative. By mixing the grounds with flax and a vegetable oil-based biopolymer, Ochis are able to create a durable material that, when you’re done with them, will “biodegrade 100 times faster than standard plastic glasses.”

The result is a frame that “has a pleasant to the touch matte texture” and “softly [smells] like freshly roasted coffee,” per their successful 2018 Kickstarter. Ochis are water-resistant with an expected lifespan over five years, and when you are done with them, you can leave them in water and/or soil and they will become fertilizer.

The driving force behind Ochis, founder and CEO Maksym Havrylenko, “grew up in a family of opticians” and has 15 years experience in the eyewear industry. His goal was to “create something new and natural,” Havrylenko tells Forbes. “We started our search for a perfect material that can be recycled. Coffee was that perfect one because it is a very popular drink. People consume 2.5 million cups of coffee per day all over the world.”

Currently, Ochis Coffee has a “small series production” but Havrylenko expects production to expand significantly in the coming years: to 10,000 pairs by 2020 and 100,000 in 2021. The original line is currently available for $89 (with free international shipping) via Ochis’s website, and their new Lite Edition—with a brand new color option that looks like a reimagined tortoise shell—is available for pre-order for $139 through September 16th.

For more information or to order a pair of your own, visit Ochis Coffee official website. And be on the lookout for my Coffee For Your Mug Kickstarter once I figure out how to get coffee on your face without directly infringing on Ochis intellectual property.

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 Ochis Coffee

The post Coffee: It’s Not Just For Mouths Anymore Thanks To Ochis Coffee Sunglasses appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Everybody’s Coffee In Chicago Shares The Love

By Argyle Night Market, Cafes, chicago, Cornerstone Community Outreach, Everybody’s Coffee, Illinois, new gotham coffee community, North America, Rich Troche, Staff Picks, USA, Wilson Abbey, Women and Children First

 

everybody's coffee chicago illinois

Everybody deserves great coffee. There’s no arguing that. Everybody’s Coffee, snuggled near Uptown Chicago’s bustling Sheridan Road, and breezy Lake Michigan herself, makes it their mission to ensure everyone feels welcome in their space while getting the great coffee they deserve. “Filter Coffee, Not People” regalia unashamedly adorns the walls and counters. A bowl of buttons reading “Everyone is Welcome” sits near the register. You may have seen the Everybody’s bicycle-driven coffee cart out and about town or at the Argyle Night Market held in the summer. And what may be the most special part of the cafe is a wooden plaque hanging near the door. Its purpose is simple: to share the love of coffee with those who are not able to obtain it for themselves.

The “Share the Coffee Love” board has been running just as long as the cafe has, a lively five years. Having an accessible way to encourage others to give back to the Uptown community was a priority for the cafe from the start. Patrons will simply order a drink to have written on the tiny tag and hang it on a nail to be claimed. The tags are cute and humorous: one reads “8oz Coffee for a Mom” and another, “Free Coffee for Someone Who Uses Reusable Bags!” This past holiday, a regular purchased $100 worth of drinks for the community. Rich Troche, one of the company’s founders, even offered a hand in writing out the many tags of espressos, cortados, coffees, what have you. The giving doesn’t stop at the customers, either—baristas are also given the option to donate their shift drinks to share the love.  Anything goes when sharing coffee love.

everybody's coffee chicago illinois

everybody's coffee chicago illinois

Troche is one of the shop’s four founders, each of whom shares a common vision to cement connection with the Uptown community and encourage everyone, from the baristas to the regulars, to give back to and take care of those around them. When the company began roasting offsite this past year, they did not hesitate to share the proceeds with their neighbor, Cornerstone Community Outreach (CCO), a non-profit organization that assists in finding housing and living necessities for individuals and families in need. In 2018 alone, CCO was able to accommodate over 300 homeless persons within their facilities and permanently house 27 families and 28 individuals. CCO also provides food for the hungry, specialized care for the elderly, and living necessities to low-income and/or unsheltered families.

“Because of CCO’s decades of dedication and the vast numbers of people whose lives have been changed by the services offered there, Everybody’s has partnered with them in their ventures,” says Troche. “Last year, we began to donate all proceeds from our hand (manual) brewed coffee, and this year we added on a donation for every pound of coffee we roast. This way proceeds from the cafe and roaster go straight back to Uptown. The more coffee we roast, the more we are able to support our neighbors in need.”

everybody's coffee chicago illinois

Everybody’s is also the street-level face of the Wilson Abbey, an auditorium that works to host events with schools, churches, and businesses in Uptown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Down the hall are two event spaces, a large concert hall, and a black box. Among the organizations that use the Abbey are the Uptown Baptist Church, neighbor to the Abbey, and Women and Children First, a feminist bookstore. Coffee events are no stranger here, either, of course. In conjunction with the New Gotham Coffee Community, Everybody’s held The Great Lakes Coffee Showcase a few years in a row. In 2017, the Midwest Regional AeroPress Championship was also held here. Weaving Everybody’s into the constant flow of cultural events helps keep them connected to the heart of the Chicago community, even all the way Uptown.

everybody's coffee chicago illinois

At the time of writing, Everybody’s was showcasing a collection of self-portraits by the Uplift Community High School. There’s no shortage of books signings, live music, and local artist events. Local writers’ groups, parenting clubs, and board game meetups consider this cafe the ideal spot. There is a seat here for everyone and a cup of coffee hanging on the wall for someone who needs some warmth in the chilly Midwest. Everybody’s Coffee walks the walk of a safe space where humans can connect in one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods.

Everybody’s Coffee is located at 935 W Wilson Ave, Chicago. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Casey Chartier-Vignapiano is a freelance journalist and coffee professional in Chicago. This is Casey Chartier-Vignapiano’s first feature for Sprudge.

Photos by Eric Perez for Sprudge

The post Everybody’s Coffee In Chicago Shares The Love appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

We Have Reached The Pumpkin Spicepocalypse And There’s No Turning Back

By apocolypse, Krispy Kreme, peeps, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, pumpkin spice, spam, starbucks, Wire

 

As just about anyone in the middle part of America can probably tell you, tornados are formed when warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets the cool, dry air making its way down from Canada. The result is in an often-violent funnel cloud, capable of whipping cows around all willy nilly or even whirling you into an alternate dream-reality. And there’s an ominous storm a-brewin’ in coffee, too. The warm air, in this instance, is ever-lengthening cold brew season (thanks global warming!), the cool air, the equally-expanding pumpkin spice latte season. The tornado, then, is the pumpkin spice cold brew, and it is here to destroy us all.

We’ve seen the warning signs for years now, but we did nothing. Cold brew, once a seasonal means of quenching your caffeinated thirst during the heat of the summer months is now a year-round staple on every cafe menu. On its own, much like the warm Gulf air, it’s no problem, great even. As a resident of the south, I can regularly be found enjoying the Gulf Air, both literal and metaphorical. But then you add pumpkin spice…

Oh how we guffawed as more and more seemingly incongruous products received an autumn time pumpkin spicing. Sure, a pumpkin spice Krispy Kreme donut sounds nice and would say no to a pumpkin spice cinnamon roll on a crisp October morning? But we start losing the plot when pumpkin spice Peeps come knocking. Now they’ve pumpkin spiced SPAM and nothing matters anymore. That’s right. SPAM. What was once a joke is available for purchase as Wal-Mart. Who’s laughing now? Not me.

You’d think we would have learned our lesson after we all hooted and hollered while the last orange-hued monster ran roughshod over everything we held dear, gaining ungodly amounts of power in the process like a craven political version of Karamari Dumbassy. But no, no lessons were learned, no ameliorative steps taken. Instead, we are left with the logical conclusion of only asking if we could, not if we should. Starbuck’s new Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew was just elected the president of coffee and it has just abolished term limits.

Per their website, the 11th plague consists of “Starbucks® Cold Brew sweetened with vanilla syrup, topped with a pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice topping.” Sprinkle a little fall on your summer, because fuck seasonality.

And if you think this drink is just going to go quietly into the good night that is winter—or spring or summer even—then you are very much mistaken. We’ve created a being too powerful for us to stop and our only hope is that it gets bored and decides to no longer lord over us, which of course it won’t. And the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew won’t be satisfied with simply being a year-round offering on the menus of Starbucks and every knock-off bending the knee to our new PSL overlord. Oh no, it hungers for more. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew won’t stop until it’s the only drink on any menu. And it’s already started. Starbucks currently won’t sell their nitro cold brew in venti sizes. You think that’s because they don’t want to sell you all that coffee or is it because the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew has successfully executed a hostile takeover of the company and is already pushing out beverages most akin to itself?

I mean, what did we think was going to happen? You give two Frankenstein’s Monsters free rein and not expect them to replace each other’s arms with chainsaws. And now they are going to mow us all down, indiscriminately rending scarf from Ugg boot.

So say goodbye to your fresh crop Ethiopian coffees, to your properly-made cappuccinos on a brisk spring morning. Say goodbye to any coffee drink geo-located to a certain time and place. There are no seasons anymore, only one. It’s pumpkin spice cold brew season and it is forever.

And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
Her flashing eyes, green floating hair!
Circle of whip round it thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on cold brew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of pumpkin spice.

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 We Have Reached The Pumpkin Spicepocalypse And There’s No Turning Back appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Coffee Design: Little Amps In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

By Aaron Carlson, Brandt Imhoff, coffee design, Design, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Little Amps Coffee, Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Pennsylvania, Peter Leonard, Staff Picks

 

Harrisburg’s Little Amps Coffee Roasters revamped their packaging this year in a big way. The company ditched its signature black ink on kraft look for something a little brighter. Bold colors, illustration, and a touch of gold give Little Amps coffee bags a lot of life. To find out more, we connect with Partner and Wholesale Manager Peter Leonard.

When did the design debut?

June 2019

What’s different about the package?

So much!! We’ve had the same logo in black ink on brown kraft bags since day 1, with minor upgrades over the years to the packaging and application. We’re now feeling more contemporary, with a biodegradable bag, updated logo, and lots of color!

The previous look.

Who designed it?

The design started in the brains of myself and business partner Aaron Carlson and was brought to life by Lancaster, PA graphic designer and illustrator Brandt Imhoff.

How long did this redesign take to develop?

We’ve been talking about this for a few years but started to seriously work with Brandt about a year and a half ago.

Why are aesthetics important for coffee packaging?

Why do I now willingly drink Miller Lite? It looks so good!! In 2019 most of our purchases are aesthetically driven, for better or worse!! It is our hope that our bags look as good as the contents taste. A big motivator for us was wanting to stand out on the shelves of grocery stores, coffee shops, and even people’s homes. We wanted “eye-catching design.” We also really wanted to convey the energy and attitudes of our company. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We like to have fun!

Where is it available?

You can find these bags in our three stores in Harrisburg, on our website, and with wholesale partners near and far!

Where is the bag manufactured?

The bag is from Tricorbraun, formerly Pacific Bag!

What type of package is it?

The bags are Biotre 1.0

Is the package recyclable/compostable?

The bag is 60% compostable. We reuse bags in-house and are also setting up recycling with Terracycle.

Thanks!

Company: Little Amps Coffee Roasters
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Country: United States
Designer: Little Amps & Brandt Imhoff
Design Debut: June 2019

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

The post Coffee Design: Little Amps In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

The SCA Has Announced Host Locations For The 2020 CoffeeChamps Qualifying Events

By barista championship, brewers cup, coffee in good spirits, CoffeeChamps, cup tasters, events, qualifying event, Roasters Championship, SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION, US Coffee Championships, Wire

 

Coming in hot on this Thursday afternoon, the Specialty Coffee Association has announced the locations for the US Coffee Championships Qualifying Events and National competitions.

For the Qualifying Events, a total of three separate locations will host event ranging in dates from December to February. They are as follows:

December 7-8, Sumner, WA: Barista Championship, Brewers Cup
January 11-12, Nashville, TN: Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, Roasters Championship
February 22-23, Orange County, CA: Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, Roasters Championship

The Orange County event will also host the National rounds for the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup. This move was presumably made to give ample prep time for the national champions of the two events before the World Barista and Brewers Cup competitions in Melbourne in early May.

The remaining competitions—Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and the Roasters Championship—will hold their national competitions as part of the Specialty Coffee Expo taking place on April 24-26 in Portland, Oregon.

Per the statement from the SCA, “General admission tickets for the U.S. CoffeeChamps Qualifying Events in Nashville, TN and Orange County, CA will go on sale November 1, 2019 for $10 advanced sale and $15 at the door via Eventbrite. No entry fee will be required for the event in Summer, WA. Competitor and judge registration will also open November 1, 2019 for Sumner, Nashville, and Orange County Qualifying Events.”

For more information, visit the US Coffee Championships 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 the Specialty Coffee Association

The post The SCA Has Announced Host Locations For The 2020 CoffeeChamps Qualifying Events appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Sleepy Frat Dudes Rejoice! Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee Is A Thing Now

By cold brew coffee, Jäegermeister, Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee, Jameson, PBR, Thrillist, Wire

 

The “add coffee to whatever bottle of booze you can find laying around your college dorm room” trend at big name liquor brands’ R&D facilities is still going very strong. First it was Jameson cold brew, then PBR hard coffee, then an alcohol-free Bailey’s something or other. Now it’s Jäeger. That’s right, the first digestif you took a shot of and immediately regretted has announced their brand new line of cold brew coffee-infused hooch. Because sure, why not.

Unlike PBR’s hard coffee, which doesn’t taste anything like PBR at all, and Bailey’s teetotaling alternative, the new Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee is at least reminiscent of the original product. According to their website it is made with the same “56 botanicals” as Jäeger classic, but “rich Arabica coffee and notes of cacao” thrown in for good measure.

True to traditional Jaëger consumption practices—and by that I mean with all the delicacy and discretion of a frat guy who has already had five Jaëger bombs— Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee is “geared toward shot lovers,” per bro clothing front Thrillist, which yeah, no shit it is.  And clocking it at 66 proof, 2% lower in ABV than the original, quick frat boy logic tells me you can have like, four or five more of these and be totally fine bro, so sack up, brah.

[Editor’s note: frat guy logic is very bad and Sprudge does not condone you use it in making any decisions ever, especially regarding alcohol or English language slang. Please drink and speak responsibly.]

You’re no doubt salivating by now at the chance of drinking a shot meant to be served so cold you can’t actually taste it but with coffee in it this time, but I have some bad news for you. You’re going to have to salivate a little bit longer. Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee won’t hit the shelves until January 2020. I guess for the next four months you’ll have to settle for the myriad other ways to wake up with the worst fucking hangover of your life.

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 Jäegermeister

The post Sleepy Frat Dudes Rejoice! Jäegermeister Cold Brew Coffee Is A Thing Now appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News