“Before Stumptown, Gorilla, Grumpy, and even Dallis, there was a coffee roaster who set up shop in Manhattan, and 160 years later, still proclaims the good news about specialty coffee. Gillie’s Coffee,who moved to Brooklyn from Greenwich Village in 1991, survived through the tumultuous economic times in the coffee world, the “coffee crash” of 1881, when unsuccessful attempts were made to corner the market on coffee. They’re still surviving even as the third wave of young bucks spread the coffee gospel.”

via Coffee Chronicles: Coffee’s History In America, A Short Primer | Serious Eats : New York.

GQ Magazine listed their favorite coffee companies in America, complete with a slideshow.  It’s nice to see so many friends acknowledged at once, and to such a large audience.  Congrats to you all!  Chris, this isn’t the first time your arm has been published.  Bonus points to you if you can remember the first.

(via GQ Magazine)

Dear Readers,

Over the past six weeks, we have enjoyed unofficially blogging on cafehound.com and have seen the development of the blog and its traffic from visitors “accidentally” coming to our blog. It has been a pleasure to offer diverse information accessible on our blog. Today, we take another important step and officially introduce to you cafehound.com.

What you will find on our blog is random but hopefully informative. As the blog’s name suggests, we are Cafe Hound. We search for the best coffee the world can offer. In Cafe Hounding section, you can read our reviews of cafes from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Coming soon, we will add reviews of coffee houses outside the US. We are also proud to present to you the exclusive interviews of “Who Is Who” in specialty coffee industry. We are honored to have Chuck Patton (founder and owner of Bird Rock Cafe Roasters in La Jolla, California) as our inaugural feature in this interview section. To be added to the list of fame are Eileen Hassi (founder and owner of Ritual Coffee in San Francisco), Michael McGuire (owner and roaster of K-Bay Caffe in Homer, Alaska), Timothy Castle (founder and CEO of Castle & Company, Santa Monica, California), and Karen Cebreros (founder and CEO of Elan Organic, San Diego, California).

Cafe Hound is not only the place you can get reviews and knowledge about your neighborhood cafes. We carefully select and present to you interesting news and upcoming events in coffee industry. Moreover, with our expertise in economics, finance, international relations, and public policy, we devote a section of the blog to analytical and educational issues related to every stage of specialty coffee production– from crop to cup, or from beans to brew. Currently, we proudly review an interesting article by Christopher Bacon of the University of California, Santa Cruz, on how organic, Fair-Trade, eco-friendly coffee could potentially help poor farmers in developing economies get out of poverty. Our main objective is to present to you the cutting-edge academic research on coffee-related issues in a non-academic language. Stay tuned for more of these geeky but exciting posts.

You may want to ask yourself why we, as an academic economist and a policy expert, fell in love with coffee and decided to devote our time to this blog. We have explained it all in the About the Hounds section. For those who have known us before, this section will give you eye-opening stories of the “dark” (but creamy and aromatic) side of our lives. We hope it entertains you and answers your curiosity.

You may also want to know what we expect from this blog. Well, first and foremost, we view this blog as our way to get us exposed to more people in the coffee industry. This is not only those working in the industry itself, but also those who are frequent customers of coffee houses and share our passion in great coffee. Please come join us in our journey to search for the best coffee. Please suggest to us where we should go “cafe hounding.” If you have favorite neighborhood coffee houses, feel free to share with us.

Finally, we realize there are several blogs and discussion boards out there covering coffee and cafes. Many of them are fantastic and comprehensive. By no means do we view our blog as their competitor. Instead, we think that our blog will offer something different, and provide you with both casual and more formal, semi-academic knowledge. The Cafe Hounding section does not rate the cafes (like yelp or other restaurant rating websites) but rather presents you with objective reviews of coffee houses that we carefully select. Most of them are mentioned by local coffee geeks as the “best in town” cafes or employ baristas who have made it to the final round of national or international competitions. The Interviews section gives you behind-the-scene stories about people in your neighborhood cafes and others in the industry that you may not have known before. Finally, the coffee.edu section takes advantage of our strengths and expertise in our main professions as an academic economist and a policy expert. It is very educational in a strict academic sense, i.e. very nerdy, but hopefully is exciting for those readers who are interested in more than just the taste and aroma of coffee.

And with this introduction, we officially proudly present to you… cafehound.com.

–The Hounds

Consumers cutting back on takeaway coffees, research shows
According to a recent research from Lyons Coffee, half the people of Belfast take to having a coffee break when they feel the need to gather their thoughts.
However, it was also shown that Belfast citizens are more careful with their cash, with 83% having cut back on buying high street coffee during the recession.
“The present credit crunch has made people cut back on extras such as takeaway coffees,” said psychologist Donna Dawson.
“And it has also made the office a much more competitive place – with money tight and people afraid to lose their jobs, workers want to be seen to be prudent and company-loyal by cutting their lunch hour and breaks to a minimum.”

Cadbury rejects bid from Kraft Foods
US giant Kraft has made a £10.2billion takeover offer for English confectionery group Cadbury, it was revealed yesterday.
Cadbury rejected the offer, but Cadbury’s suitor said it was “committed to working toward a recommended transaction” and hopes to continue talks with the maker of Dairy Milk chocolate.
A merger of the two companies would create a “global powerhouse” in food and confectionery, with annual sales of around $50billion (£30.5billion), according to Kraft.
If Kraft was successful, it would keep open Cadbury’s Somerdale factory near Bristol, which is currently scheduled to close in early 2010, and reverse plans to cut the work done at Bournville, Cadbury’s historic base in Birmingham. Cadbury’s currently aims to move production to Poland.
Michael Osanloo, Kraft executive vice-president for strategy, said a takeover would lead to jobs being created in Britain.
In the Uk, Kraft employs around 1,500 staff across its headquarters in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, a coffee manufacturing plant in Banbury, Oxfordshire and further regional office in Kew, west London.
Shares in Cadbury soared by almost 40pc after the surprise statement from Kraft . The American company said that it had approached the board of Cadbury’s with an offer to pay 745p a share, split between 300p in cash and 0.2589 of Kraft’s shares for each of Cadbury’s.
Cadbury confirmed it had received and rejected Kraft’s takeover proposal, which it said “fundamentally undervalues the group and its prospects”.
Analysts speculated that Kraft may be forced to up its 745p-a-share offer to at least 800p – equivalent to £11 billion – to secure a Cadbury deal.
However, it could face competition from other global food rivals such as Hershey, Nestle and Mars, according to experts.
Nestle AG, the world’s biggest food group, declined comment on whether it may make a counterbid for Britain’s Cadbury Plc but reiterated it planned no big acquisitions in 2009 and 2010.

Information for your check
Flavored Coffee, Gourmet Coffee,, Coffee Blends, organic coffee, coffee bean

RUSSIA – Tea and coffee imports reduced due to the crisis
According to general director of the Russian Association of coffee and tea producers “Roschaykofe” Ramaz Chanturia, due to the financial crisis, Russia has reduced the purchases of tea and coffee at the world’s major auctions approximately by 20%.
Currently most of the Russians producers can not afford to keep large stocks of coffee and tea because of the failing demand on the domestic market. Therefore the producers are planning to export the products as needed, as lower prices at auctions makes unprofitable purchases for future use.
“Such export regime will last at least three or four months”, says Chanturia.
According to him the industry is hoping to receive financial support from the state. Currently “Roschaykofe is negotiating with the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia about possible ways to support the industry in a time of crisis. Thus, in the case of adverse developments the producers are ready to ask the Russian government about the credits up to 6 billion Russian rubles ($US 19 million) for the whole industry.

US 1/ – Hawaii’s coffee earnings down 8%
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office, Hawaii’s revenue from coffee fell 8% to US$29.2 million this growing season.
The decrease was the result of a 20% drop in the average farm price.

INDIA – Coffee exporters urge restoration of 7.5% duty incentive
India coffee traders oppose the new policy of capping the duty incentive on outbound shipment of the bean at 7% from 7.5% earlier.
Before the announcement of the Foreign Trade Policy for 2009-14 last week, coffee exporters were getting a 3.5% duty credit scrip under the Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojna, apart from a 4% incentive under the Duty Entitlement Passbook Scheme.
However, with the new policy capping the overall duty incentive for coffee shipment at 7%, the cause of exporters has been dealt a blow, according to Coffee Exporters’ Association President Ramesh Rajah.
“We urge the Centre to provide us 7.5% duty, as was the case earlier. Exports may be down by 30% this year on a slow down in demand overseas. But if the 7.5% duty incentive is not granted, the export may slump further,” Rajah said.

ECOCOFFEE – Green Methods Grow Better Coffee in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, coffee growers know that what is good for the environment is also good for business. What’s the Story?
Berhanu Beyene has been a coffee grower for 10 years in Werka, Yirgacheffe, a region renowned for its high quality coffee. He and his wife Aster have 12 children, and they rely on selling coffee in the international market to support their family.
A little over a year ago, 238 coffee growers in Werka came together to form a cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. The union is known to produce good beans which can be sold as specialty coffee, for a higher price.
Ethiopia’s finest coffee is grown in the shade, which keeps the coffee cherries moist until they are ready to be picked. Without native trees, which are often cut down, the coffee bushes would produce bitter beans that sell at a lower price.
Beyene calls the giant sycamore trees above his coffee fields the guardians of his family’s livelihood.
Aid agency Oxfam International is sponsoring the Werka project, which helps coffee growers in this region of Ethiopia use sustainable methods. With the eco-friendly coffee processing Oxfam is teaching, the cooperatives will reduce waste and cut water usage by 98.5 percent.
“So, the way I see it, the Werka project represents the best combination of solutions,” says Beyene, “earn more for our hard work, while at the same time preserving the environment that we depend on for our livelihoods.” [See the full story from Oxfam International below.]
2001 Coffee Crisis in Ethiopia
Beyene was just getting started in the coffee business when the global coffee crisis hit Ethiopia in 2001. The price of coffee dropped to a 30-year low – between 1997 and 2001, the value of coffee exports sank by almost 60 percent. This was devastating for the country’s coffee farmers, since coffee is Ethiopia’s major export.
In November 2002, the Fairtrade Foundation reported on the situation: “Ethiopian farmers have been telling us of the worsening situation for months now,” said executive director Harriet Lamb. “They have been taking their children out of school, pulling up coffee bushes.” During the crisis, the Fairtrade Foundation urged consumers to buy Fairtrade coffee, where farmers receive a higher price for their beans. Oxfam also led a campaign to raise awareness of the plight of Ethiopian coffee growers.
Beyene says his family has come a long way since the coffee crisis, which threatened their livelihoods and caused a shock to the country’s economy. “Our living conditions have improved significantly,” says his wife Aster. “I am secure knowing that my family is well fed, healthy, and that my children go to school.”
But things may go downhill again. Around the world, coffee farmers are struggling to make ends meet as prices stay low and the effects of climate change intensify.
Climate Change Brews Trouble for Coffee Growers
Coffee is the world’s most valuable tropical export, and is produced by 20 million or so small farming families. But the future outlook for coffee growers is bleak. Coffee needs a certain climate to grow well, and as temperatures rise, unpredictable dry spells and periods of heavy rain are expected to negatively impact coffee production, reports SciDev.net.
In fact, climate change already seems to be affecting coffee production in some countries. For example, 50 years ago India’s coffee production consisted mostly of the arabica bean. Now farmers are growing more robusta coffee, which withstands hotter conditions but is considered a lower quality bean.
While certification systems like Fairtrade bring social and environmental issues to the international stage and have helped to ensure sustainable production methods in countries like Ethiopia, farmers need help adapting to climate change, notes Peter Baker, a commodities specialist at the development organization CABI.
“The coffee industry has been a world leader in advancing the cause of sustainability. Now it should take stock, pat itself on the back, and quickly move on to a concerted response to humanity’s greatest challenge: tackling climate change,” writes Baker.
Background: Poverty and Conflict in Ethiopia With climate change increasing the risk of droughts, floods, and poor coffee harvests, the livelihoods of coffee growers like Berhanu Beyene and his family are in danger. The looming instability of coffee prices and the effects of climate change will only add to the multiple crises converging in Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia is a country beset by each of the most serious issues currently challenging the world at large,” writes Mahlet Yifru in OneWorld.net’s Ethiopia Country Guide.
“Rising food prices threaten to unhinge progress in the government’s food security program, climate change seems likely to increase the visitation of drought which is the primary cause of widespread poverty in Ethiopia, whilst the army finds itself in the front line against the regional threat of militant Islam. Greatly in need of international friends, the government of Meles Zenawi continues to unsettle global donors with heavy-handed suppression of opposition voices.”
Source: ethiopianreview

Information for your use
Flavored Coffee, organic coffee, Coffee Blends, organic coffee,, organic coffee,,

RUSSIA – Tea and coffee imports reduced due to the crisis
According to general director of the Russian Association of coffee and tea producers “Roschaykofe” Ramaz Chanturia, due to the financial crisis, Russia has reduced the purchases of tea and coffee at the world’s major auctions approximately by 20%.
Currently most of the Russians producers can not afford to keep large stocks of coffee and tea because of the failing demand on the domestic market. Therefore the producers are planning to export the products as needed, as lower prices at auctions makes unprofitable purchases for future use.
“Such export regime will last at least three or four months”, says Chanturia.
According to him the industry is hoping to receive financial support from the state. Currently “Roschaykofe is negotiating with the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia about possible ways to support the industry in a time of crisis. Thus, in the case of adverse developments the producers are ready to ask the Russian government about the credits up to 6 billion Russian rubles ($US 19 million) for the whole industry.

US 1/ – Hawaii’s coffee earnings down 8%
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office, Hawaii’s revenue from coffee fell 8% to US$29.2 million this growing season.
The decrease was the result of a 20% drop in the average farm price.

INDIA – Coffee exporters urge restoration of 7.5% duty incentive
India coffee traders oppose the new policy of capping the duty incentive on outbound shipment of the bean at 7% from 7.5% earlier.
Before the announcement of the Foreign Trade Policy for 2009-14 last week, coffee exporters were getting a 3.5% duty credit scrip under the Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojna, apart from a 4% incentive under the Duty Entitlement Passbook Scheme.
However, with the new policy capping the overall duty incentive for coffee shipment at 7%, the cause of exporters has been dealt a blow, according to Coffee Exporters’ Association President Ramesh Rajah.
“We urge the Centre to provide us 7.5% duty, as was the case earlier. Exports may be down by 30% this year on a slow down in demand overseas. But if the 7.5% duty incentive is not granted, the export may slump further,” Rajah said.

ECOCOFFEE – Green Methods Grow Better Coffee in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, coffee growers know that what is good for the environment is also good for business. What’s the Story?
Berhanu Beyene has been a coffee grower for 10 years in Werka, Yirgacheffe, a region renowned for its high quality coffee. He and his wife Aster have 12 children, and they rely on selling coffee in the international market to support their family.
A little over a year ago, 238 coffee growers in Werka came together to form a cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. The union is known to produce good beans which can be sold as specialty coffee, for a higher price.
Ethiopia’s finest coffee is grown in the shade, which keeps the coffee cherries moist until they are ready to be picked. Without native trees, which are often cut down, the coffee bushes would produce bitter beans that sell at a lower price.
Beyene calls the giant sycamore trees above his coffee fields the guardians of his family’s livelihood.
Aid agency Oxfam International is sponsoring the Werka project, which helps coffee growers in this region of Ethiopia use sustainable methods. With the eco-friendly coffee processing Oxfam is teaching, the cooperatives will reduce waste and cut water usage by 98.5 percent.
“So, the way I see it, the Werka project represents the best combination of solutions,” says Beyene, “earn more for our hard work, while at the same time preserving the environment that we depend on for our livelihoods.” [See the full story from Oxfam International below.]
2001 Coffee Crisis in Ethiopia
Beyene was just getting started in the coffee business when the global coffee crisis hit Ethiopia in 2001. The price of coffee dropped to a 30-year low – between 1997 and 2001, the value of coffee exports sank by almost 60 percent. This was devastating for the country’s coffee farmers, since coffee is Ethiopia’s major export.
In November 2002, the Fairtrade Foundation reported on the situation: “Ethiopian farmers have been telling us of the worsening situation for months now,” said executive director Harriet Lamb. “They have been taking their children out of school, pulling up coffee bushes.” During the crisis, the Fairtrade Foundation urged consumers to buy Fairtrade coffee, where farmers receive a higher price for their beans. Oxfam also led a campaign to raise awareness of the plight of Ethiopian coffee growers.
Beyene says his family has come a long way since the coffee crisis, which threatened their livelihoods and caused a shock to the country’s economy. “Our living conditions have improved significantly,” says his wife Aster. “I am secure knowing that my family is well fed, healthy, and that my children go to school.”
But things may go downhill again. Around the world, coffee farmers are struggling to make ends meet as prices stay low and the effects of climate change intensify.
Climate Change Brews Trouble for Coffee Growers
Coffee is the world’s most valuable tropical export, and is produced by 20 million or so small farming families. But the future outlook for coffee growers is bleak. Coffee needs a certain climate to grow well, and as temperatures rise, unpredictable dry spells and periods of heavy rain are expected to negatively impact coffee production, reports SciDev.net.
In fact, climate change already seems to be affecting coffee production in some countries. For example, 50 years ago India’s coffee production consisted mostly of the arabica bean. Now farmers are growing more robusta coffee, which withstands hotter conditions but is considered a lower quality bean.
While certification systems like Fairtrade bring social and environmental issues to the international stage and have helped to ensure sustainable production methods in countries like Ethiopia, farmers need help adapting to climate change, notes Peter Baker, a commodities specialist at the development organization CABI.
“The coffee industry has been a world leader in advancing the cause of sustainability. Now it should take stock, pat itself on the back, and quickly move on to a concerted response to humanity’s greatest challenge: tackling climate change,” writes Baker.
Background: Poverty and Conflict in Ethiopia With climate change increasing the risk of droughts, floods, and poor coffee harvests, the livelihoods of coffee growers like Berhanu Beyene and his family are in danger. The looming instability of coffee prices and the effects of climate change will only add to the multiple crises converging in Ethiopia.
“Ethiopia is a country beset by each of the most serious issues currently challenging the world at large,” writes Mahlet Yifru in OneWorld.net’s Ethiopia Country Guide.
“Rising food prices threaten to unhinge progress in the government’s food security program, climate change seems likely to increase the visitation of drought which is the primary cause of widespread poverty in Ethiopia, whilst the army finds itself in the front line against the regional threat of militant Islam. Greatly in need of international friends, the government of Meles Zenawi continues to unsettle global donors with heavy-handed suppression of opposition voices.”
Source: ethiopianreview

Information for your use
Flavored Coffee, Gourmet Coffee,, Coffee Blends, organic coffee,, organic coffee,,

For nearly every participant in the specialty coffee supply chain cash flow management appears to be a major concern and/or problem.

The SCAA’s quality grading ambitions, often supported by US government programs[1], are contributing to formalizing the quality grading system.  However, there is one element of the industry they do not address that is the second pivotal challenge of the specialty coffee industry – managing cash flows.

Commodity coffee, generally referred to as ‘Grade C’ Arabica coffee, is traded on the futures market of the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT).  It plays a significant role in the specialty coffee market for two reasons.  First, specialty coffee pricing occurs by placing a premium differential on the top of the Grade C market price.  Second, like most commodities, coffee pricing endures wild price swings that dramatically impact the value of a broker’s inventory.  The graph below follow the past two-year’s pricing for Grade C contracts.  Between February and March of 2008, commodity coffee dropped in value by 40 cents a pound, a 25 percent drop.  Over the 8 month period of February 2008 through November of that year, commodity coffee price dropped 75 cents a pound, a 42 percent decrease in value.

Compensatory Methods of Broker/Buyer/Importer

The position of the importer is very high risk as their business model requires constantly exploring the global coffee supply for high quality coffee while simultaneously locating and attracting roasters to buy their purchases.  In doing so, they seek to buy and sell as much of their inventory as possible in advance (e.g. in the future).  An inherent risk in buying and selling in the future is ensuring that delivery occurs in accordance with contract terms including quantity, quality and time.

Small and medium-sized brokers buy coffee from exporters through use of forward contracts, where the spot price, interest rate, delivery date, debarkation location and quality specifications are included in the signing. [2] This contract, in accordance with the arbitration abilities of the Green Coffee Association is a legally binding document that holds both the buyer and seller accountable.  The financial question that a buyer must ask his/herself is what the convenience yield of having coffee available for spot sales is compared to carrying a greater proportion of future quantities.[3] There is great variation within the terms of each forward contract and the duration and quality of the relationship that a broker has with its given suppliers.  Reputation and relationships are one of the most valuable signs of durability for a company in the specialty coffee industry.

Although helpful, brokers are limited in the security provided from forward and futures hedging for the following reasons:

• Few small and medium sized specialty roasters, the primary buyers of green coffee beans from brokers, rely on forward contracts and instead prefer to buy at spot pricing
• Farmers on occasion disregard the contractual obligations stated in their forward agreements if prices have increased between signing and delivery.  Spot sales at point of origin to domestic buyers occasionally happen, a phenomenon known as side-selling.  Although the farmer risks damage to their reputation (a major concern), litigation on behalf of brokers seldom occurs.  Brokers mentioned several times that the ‘best insurance’ against side-selling comes from developing strong relationships through regular communication (read: Sustainable Harvest & Elan Organic).

These two circumstances require buyers to carry “buffer stocks”.  If a broker is unable to deliver product as promised to roasters on a regular basis then they will lose clientele.  Coffee roasters often remarked that reliability of supply and variety are as important as price when selecting a broker.  Due to the disproportionately high cost of stock-outs, many importers carry a very high level of inventories in numerous warehouses around the country/world.

Even when a reputable and knowledgeable broker is able to effectively match supply with their roasters demand, disorganized information flow management has hefty consequences.  The unreliable and time consuming system of tracking orders, quality, inventory, and sales adversely impacts their ability to maximize profit and labor utilization.

Based on a survey report prepared for The World Bank and Specialty Coffee Association of America in 2001 detailing the most important attributes to specialty coffee industry businesses (importers, distributors, wholesalers, roasters, retailers).[4]

[2] Additional information can be found from the Green Coffee Association Contract Terms and Conditions booklet available upon request. Also see Appendix 5:  “Green Coffee Association Contract Overview”

[3] See Appendix 6: “Pricing Differentials” for more information on alternative pricing methods.

[4] Giovannucci, Daniele “Sustainable Coffee Survey of the North American Specialty Coffee Industry,” July 2001http://www.cec.org/files/PDF/ECONOMY/CoffeeSurvey_EN.pdf

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority is investigating the legality of “energy shot” drinks with twice the caffeine of an average cup of coffee.
The food watchdog confirmed yesterday it had received a complaint about the shots and was conducting an “urgent” investigation.

“We’re looking at all the applicable acts to see if it’s compliant or not,” a New Zealand Food Safety Authority spokesman said. The authority would not say which brands were being investigated.

New Zealand company Demon Drinks began selling Demon Energy Shots in May. Marketed as dietary supplements, the 60 millilitre shots contain 200mg of caffeine, compared with an average cup of coffee which nutritionists say has about 100mg of caffeine.

Energy drinks are normally classified as “formulated caffeinated beverages” and may only contain a maximum of 320mg of caffeine a litre.
Dietary supplements are not subject to the restriction.
Demon Drinks director Andy Smith said cafes sold double espressos, which had similar or higher caffeine levels than the shots.

“There is a major retail coffee chain that has 240mg of caffeine in their serving of coffee,” he said.
Smith said the shots were not marketed as a beverage “these are not taken to quench thirst or refresh as per what a beverage does.
“The Demon Energy shots are designed to stimulate the body and, as such, fall into a different food category, hence why they are classified here as a dietary supplement.”

Christchurch Public Health nutritionist Bronwen King disagreed with the drinks being classified as dietary supplements.
“I think the issue here is so many foods and drinks are getting into the food supply because they are classified as dietary supplements. I think we have to really take stock of what a dietary supplement is and not allow it to be used as a loophole.”

There is no age restriction on the sale of energy shots, but Demon’s packaging does warn they are not recommended for children.
Christchurch mother of four Karen Smith was concerned about the placement of the shots.

“They’re put next to the lollies for young ones to grab. I think a child wouldn’t even know what it does to you,” she said.
“It’s an adult product to me, and it should be stored at the back of the shop and not up front near the lollies.”

King agreed: “This is the equivalent of double a strong cup of coffee. This is something the general public have to think about. Are they happy for their children to be getting the equivalent caffeine kick of two cups of strong coffee in a row?
” And, as it’s a child, it’s going to have more of an effect.”
However, Smith said store owners choose the placement of products.
“In terms of placement in store, they are positioned where the store owner chooses. We are not able to control this. It’s important to point out that virtually every cafe has coffee on the menu with higher levels of caffeine than the Demon Energy shots.”

I really like coffee, and especially enjoy:
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When it is hot outside and I want something cool and refreshing, iced coffee is the solution. It feels rejuvenating, almost crisp, ever so sweet. And it is exactly the opposite of how I usually like my coffee.
For many of us, a morning without coffee is a bit like sleep. But it is more than just fuel, “the lifeblood of tired men,” in the words of Raymond Chandler. It can be as personal as clothes: Some like their coffee weak, others so strong that it wakes up even the neighbors. I find adding milk to coffee a bit like adding Coke to red wine, while others add one sugar, two sugars, cream or milk.
But when it comes to iced coffee, we all seem to agree: It is almost inevitably milky and sugary. Why? It all boils down to heat, or the lack of it.
Coffee can be such a rich experience, containing close to 1,000 aroma compounds. Depending on the bean, the roast, the grind and the brewing method, coffee can be nutty, chocolaty, fruity, earthy, musky and more — even a combination of these to varying degrees. Such qualities can best be appreciated when the coffee is freshly brewed. The aromas and flavors are ephemeral and lose their complexity after some time, much as champagne will lose its fizz and taste like sour wine. Left in an urn for an hour or two, even the best “Cup of Excellence” coffee will become nothing more than a brown, caffeine-rich brew that might keep you from falling asleep.
Our appreciation of coffee also depends much on temperature. For the richest and most complex experience, coffee should be drunk hot but not too hot; an ideal drinking temperature is between 130 and 150 degrees. If the coffee is hotter, it does not taste like much; it just burns your tongue.
The reason most people prefer their iced coffee milky is because the alternative can be so uncompromisingly bitter and astringent. Who hasn’t absentmindedly taken a sip of coffee only to find that it had been left on the desk since the day before?
Time and temperature transformed it into something disagreeable and alien.
Hot coffee, of course, will melt ice and become diluted beyond recognition. But even if you leave your coffee in the fridge, then serve it with ice, the result won’t taste that different from the stuff left out on the desk. Some of the important but ephemeral aroma compounds will have disappeared, while the low temperature will make it hard to detect others.
The proteins in the milk take some of the edge off. According to food scientist
Harold McGee, milk will “bind to the tannic phenolic compounds,” which in layman’s terms means that much of the bitterness and astringency is tied up in conversation with the milk and will not attack your tongue when you drink it. The fat in the milk or cream will further mellow the impact and give a rich mouth feel.
That makes for a more pleasant experience while masking and suppressing the coffee flavor. The pros are obvious. So are the cons.
Sugar will not bind aromas the same way, but it alters the overall taste experience so that the bitterness and astringency will not stand out.
Last summer, the now-defunct Murky Coffee in Arlington was the scene of a heated (so to speak) dispute about iced coffee. In a much-publicized episode, blogger Jeff Simmermon’s order of a triple espresso over ice was denied by the barista, who cited the shop’s policy. The barista later got the backing of the owner, Nicholas Cho, who said he would never allow Murky’s espresso to be diluted that way.
Simmermon’s rage was undiluted, though. In his blog he wrote that the only way he would ever return to Murky was “carrying matches and a can of kerosene.”
That led to a lively Internet squabble, an article in The Post and an unscientific online poll that garnered more than 2,000 votes in which more than 1 1/2 times as many voters found the barista’s refusal to serve espresso on ice “outrageous” than “justified.” (Forty-six percent voted “Who cares?”)
But the entire thing became a discussion about service; there was hardly any mention of taste. (Later, Murky Coffee closed for reasons not directly related to kerosene or iced coffee.)
What Murky should have tried to explain was that serving espresso with ice will alter the drink so much that it no longer should be called an espresso. But there is a name for such a drink, shaken with ice and often served with just a hint of sugar.
Shakerato is a classical Italian iced coffee that is strong, like an espresso, and although it lacks some of the complexity of a freshly brewed espresso, it should be something that even fundamentalist baristas could serve (if for no other reason than to prevent the possibility of arson).
And there are more milk-free options. The Shakerato can be further expanded by the addition of soda water, resulting in a sparkling coffee, almost like a champagne for coffeeholics. There’s also a fresh-tasting (but a little more adulterated) version with ginger ale.
Another way — perhaps the best — to have cold coffee and drink it, too, is by never allowing the coffee grounds to touch hot water. Cold-brewing is a process that extracts less of the acidic, bitter and astringent flavors than a normal brewing process with boiling-hot water, so it is much more appropriate if you want to serve the coffee cold. You can keep it in a pitcher in the fridge and just mix it with some ice and perhaps a little sugar. Or mix it with frothy, cold milk (made in a cocktail shaker) to make a sort of cold cappuccino that is anything but murky.

I really like coffee, and especially enjoy:
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ETHIOPIA – New grading system may bring higher prices for coffee growers
Early assessments indicate a very good potential for a bumper harvest of coffee, said Eleni Gabre-Madhin, chief executive officer of the Addis Ababa-based (to read this full story you have to subscribe)

VIETNAM – Coffee exports to reach 19.2 million bags in 2009
Earnings from coffee, are forecast at US$1.6 billion in calendar year 2009, down from US$2.02 billion last year, said Vicofa in a report released on Monday.
On the other hand, volumes are seen 15% up on year at 1.15 million tons, or 19.2 million bags.
Coffee exports the first eight months of 2009 reached 800,000 tons earning US$1.2 billion, reported the trade ministry and central bank officials last Thursday. The average coffee price in the last four months of this year could fall to US$1,143 a ton, free on board, from US$1,500 a ton in the first eight months.
According to the report, coffee prices are presently at a three-year low for a number of reasons, creating many difficulties for exporters.
Coffee is Vietnam’s second-largest export earner after rice.

World coffee exports down in July
World coffee exports amounted to 7.75 million bags in July 2009, compared with 8.21 million bags in July 2008. However, exports in the first 10 months of coffee year 2008/09 (Oct/08 to Jul/09) have increased by 2.6% to 82.31 million bags compared to 80.24 million bags in the same period in the last coffee year.
In the twelve months ending July 2009, exports of Arabica totalled 62.88 million bags compared to 61.88 million bags last year; whereas Robusta exports amounted to 35.08 million bags compared to 33.41 million bags.
(Source: Ico)

GERMANY – Kruger claims World Record for largest coffee party
Thousands of coffee drinkers of all ages descended yesterday upon Cologne’s Jugendpark to become record-breakers at KrugerKranzchen – a Guinness World Records achievement for the world’s largest coffee party.
The record-breaking event kicked off at 12:00 at the Jugendpark in Cologne where 8,162 attendees were greeted with a piece of cake and coffee by hostess Gisela – a.k.a. famous comedian Hape Kerkeling – for a day of star-studded entertainment on the Kruger stage.
Andre Puchta, Head of Kruger Communications said: “It seemed everybody had a wonderful time at the KrugerKranzchen and we can hardly find the words to express how happy we are to be the new record holders for largest coffee party. A big thank you to Guinness World Records for all the support – to the City of Cologne, its citizens, our partners and everybody attending this great event.”
Admission to the event was free and visitors were able to enjoy their coffee and cake while Gisela chatted on stage with Katja Mitchell from the TV show “Zimmer Frei!” and Friede Patt of “Kaffeeklatsch.” Music entertainment included “The Baseballs” and the great voices of the “Sven West Band.”
Cheerleaders from local football club “1. FC Koln” also showed off their skills along famous hypnotist PHARO.
Guinness World Records Adjudicator, Kristian Teufel, who was present to officially verify the achievement, said: “We congratulate the participants on their outstanding achievement and welcome Kruger in to the family of Guinness World Records.”
The previous Guinness World Record of 4,585 participants at a coffee party in a single venue was achieved in London in 2008.
SOURCE Guinness World Records

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COLOMBIA’S NATIONAL FEDERATION – Luis Genaro Munoz appointed as new general manager
Colombian coffee producers on Thursday elected Luis Genaro Munoz as the new general manager of Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers, or Federacafe.
A total of 11 of Colombia’s 15 coffee producing departments, or provinces, backed the vote in favour of Munoz. This represented 61.3% of Colombian coffee production, Federacafe said in a statement. But Munoz failed to win support from the provinces of Antioquia, Caldas, Cundinamarca, and Quindio, which account for 38% of the national production.
Munoz has, for a number of years, occupied the post as administrative manager for Fedecafe in Bogota and took over as interim manager earlier this month from Gabriel Silva, who resigned after being appointed the country’s new defence minister.
Munoz, a federation veteran who says he will follow Silva’s policy line, was competing against Luis Guillermo Echeverri, a Colombian representative to the InterAmerican Development Bank, and Juan Guillermo Angel, a central government advisor for San Andres island in the Caribbean.
Colombian’s new coffee chief on Thursday said the national federation had no plans for now to purchase shares in U.S. chain Starbucks Corp.
“For now, the subject of buying shares is a closed subject,” National Federation of Coffee Growers director Luis Genaro Munoz told reporters after he was elected into the post by the group’s regional committees on Thursday.
The change in the Fedecafe leadership comes at a critical time in Colombian coffee, where the industry is struggling to recover from three consecutive crop failures and multiple delays to exports.

JAPAN – Ilko launches Illy Issimo
Ilko Coffee International – the joint venture ready-to-drink coffee business set up in April 2008 by The Coca-Cola Company (Tccc) and illycaffe SpA – has launched Illy Issimo ready-to-drink coffee in two of its flavours in the Japanese market, in a resealable aluminium bottle/can designed to appeal to Japanese consumers.
The offering in Japan apparently omits the Caffe Espresso version available in Europe and the Us. At launch, the promotional gift packaging set included two ‘Italian-styled’ saucers.
Already proving highly successful in a number of European markets, Illy Issimo was launched in selected Us markets last May.
Japan is the world’s largest ready-to-drink coffee market, accounting for roughly 75% of global consumption. Tccc also markets in Japan its own ready-to-drink coffee brand Georgia Coffee brand, which has been in Japan for more than 30 years.

UGANDA – Climate change could decimate coffee production
Uganda is under the threat of annual droughts, exposing a large part of the population to food insecurity and famine.
According to Phillip Gwage, the head of the climate change unit. there is a shift from three drought incidences that used to hit the country three times in a decade. In East Africa, droughts have become annual because of the negative impacts of climate change

COFFEE – Comparing prices of common goods around the world
Small purchases can add up quickly on vacation. Maybe you’re used to $2 for a cup of coffee at your neighborhood cafe, but expect to pay about $4.85 if you’re in Moscow. In Sydney, Australia, coffee sells for $1.80 a cup on average. If you enjoy taking public transportation on your travels, look toward Prague, Czech Republic, where a subway or bus ride costs about 69 cents.
Comparing prices worldwide
Small purchases can add up quickly on vacation. Maybe you’re used to $2 for a cup of coffee at your neighborhood cafe, but expect to pay about $4.85 if you’re in Moscow. In Sydney, Australia, coffee sells for $1.80 a cup on average.

I really like coffee, and especially enjoy:
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Green coffee beans have supplied a new player in the antioxidant arena. An extract of green coffee beans has been found to have a stronger antioxidant effect than established antioxidants like green tea and grape seed extract.

The active constituent in coffee that is responsible for its many health benefits is a compound called chlorogenic acid. It neutralizes free radicals, and addresses the problem of hydroxyl radicals, both of which can lead to cellular degeneration if left unchecked. Chlorogenic acid also helps regulate metabolism. Compared to green tea and grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract is twice as effective in absorbing oxygen free radicals.

One of the advantages of using the green coffee bean extract is that the negative effects of coffee are avoided. The chlorogenic acid is thought to boost metabolism by changing the way glucose is taken up by the body. And it does contain caffeic acids, which give a boost to energy levels like regular coffee does. But unlike boiled coffee, green coffee bean extract contains no cafestol, which is a diterpene. Along with its diterpene relative kahweol, cafestol increases concentrations of the ‘bad’ cholesterol, LDL, to levels that over a lifetime might increase the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 20% These diterpenes also had an effect on the levels of liver enzymes measured. When these are elevated it is an indicator of stress on the liver. However the study that measured this found this was a transient effect, and also that the levels of liver enzymes were much lower than those with liver disease.

As a side note on the health effect of the diterpenes found in regular coffee, it was found that by simply drinking filter coffee, none of these effects on cholesterol levels or the liver took place. The coffee filter removed the offending diterpenes. And levels of these diterpenes in instant coffee are low.

Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, especially for migraine medications; a reduction in the risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher proportion of lipids (fats) compared to carbohydrates, which could help with muscle fatigue for athletes and bodybuilders.

Interestingly, on the subject of caffeine and liver disease, further studies have indicated it may in fact support liver health for some people. Those who were at high risk of developing liver disease due to drinking too much alcohol were found less likely to suffer liver damage if they drank more than two cups of coffee or tea a day. This was a population based study, not a clinical trial, and so is not conclusive on the subject. But it does offer some promising information. Those drinking in excess of two cups or more a day were half as likely to develop liver disease compared to those drinking less than one cup a day. Researchers do not know what caused this protective effect.

One of the criticisms of coffee in regards to health is that it leaches calcium from the bones. But this effect has been found to be overemphasized, at least in children. And adults who consume a diet with sufficient levels of calcium will be protected from the small amount of calcium that is lost due to coffee consumption.

So the old axiom that caffeine can stunt a child’s growth is a myth. It was based on the fact that in older studies, caffeine was associated with low bone mass because those studies were done on elderly people who both drank a lot of coffee and had diets that were low in calcium. Recent studies in the US followed 80 teenagers over 6 years, and found no difference in the bone density of those with a high level of caffeine in their diet, compared to those teenagers who had little caffeine. Other studies determined that the amount of calcium lost from bones is small and can be balanced by having sufficient calcium in your diet.

References: 1. Australian Healthy Food Magazine, January.
2. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=643516&m=1FSND06&idP=2&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arch/11_30_96/food.htm

VIETNAM – Exports up in August, Gso reports
Vietnam’s coffee exports in August are expected to rise 22.2% from the same month last year to an estimated 60,000 tons, said the General Statistics Office (Gso).
Coffee exports in the first 11 months of the October 2008 to September 2009 crop year are pegged at 1.094 million tons, or 18.24 million 60-kg bags, a rise of 17.9% from a year earlier, the Gso also reported.
The office revised down the export volume in July to 53,000 tonnes from 70,000 tonnes previously estimated.

Turkish coffee is a social experience
Turkish coffee is not the kind of thing one should drink alone. At its heart, it is a relaxed, social experience.
The ibriq, which is also called a briki, or cezve. Not that we don’t all socialize over coffee in any of its forms, but the preparation of Turkish coffee is of an ancient tradition and therefore becomes a bit like an exhibition.

Though the Western way of drinking coffee separates the grains, the traditional
Arabic way of drinking coffee does not. They heat the powdered coffee and water together, and allow the coffee sediment to settle to the bottom of the cup before they drink.
Most home electric grinders are incapable of creating the specialized powdered grind that is necessary for this beverage, but you can complete the job by further pulverizing the grains with a mortar and pestle.
Your friendly neighborhood coffee house can grind your beans for Turkish coffee, if you don’t wish to apply that much elbow grease!

The ibriq, also called a briki, or cezve (pronounced “Jez-vah”) is an elegant instrument, traditionally made of copper or brass with a long, wooden handle. It is wide at the base and narrows to a small, curved neck that pours on one side. I purchased an inexpensive stainless steel version at a local cookware store.
The coffee powder (and sugar, to taste) is added to cold water and heated over medium-low heat to nearly boiling. The foam that forms on top of the coffee as itnears the boiling point is the most savoured element of the drink.
The foam is then spooned off the top and shared evenly between each small cup before the coffee is poured. The brew is served with a glass of water to cleanse the palate and sometimes a treat, like Turkish Delight or baklava.
There are hundreds of Turkish coffee recipes floating around in cyberspace. Most contain sugar, some contain spices. Generally, one tablespoon of coffee powder and one teaspoon of sugar is added to every three ounces of water (which is considered one serving). I like to add about a ¼ teaspoon of cardamom and finish the cups off with a bit of orange zest.
The resulting brew is very strong, but not bitter, especially if you use medium roast coffee. The liquid is hot, thick, sweet and fragrant, and I suspect, improves with practice. Your friends will delight in these social and fun experiences, even the not-so-perfect ones!

I really like coffee, and especially enjoy:
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The coffee generation – More and more teens swarm coffee shops in ‘need’ of caffeine

Amador High School juniors Allie Platt and Ashley Gerillo work on their history homework at the Starbucks in Martell. The two said the coffee shop provides an inviting study atmosphere.

Sutter Creek Coffee barista Amanda Hardy prepares an order for a customer.
Hardy has noticed an increase in younger coffee drinkers since working off and on at the shop for the past seven years.

Amanda Hardy knows what time of day it is without looking at a clock.
When the day is reaching the early stages of the afternoon and teenagers from local schools start coming through the doors of Sutter Creek Coffee, the quaint former house-turned-social hub, she knows it’s coffee time.
Sutter Creek Coffee is one of the various coffee shops in the county that is seeing increased business from an age group that doesn’t appear to need the caffeine boost, but is demanding it more and more – teenagers and young adults.

According to statistics from the National Coffee Association of U.S.A., the number of adults ages 18 to 24 drinking coffee has steadily increased from 16 percent in 2003 to 37 percent of total coffee consumption. Anecdotally, local baristas and teens say that drinking coffee and spending time in the inviting lounge-like setting of some coffee shops is a standard and somewhat trendy activity.

For one set of teens, the Starbucks in Martell is the quintessential homework spot, not too loud and not too quiet. Amador High School juniors Allie Platt and
Ashley Gerillo, who say they like coffee but wouldn’t label themselves “coffee nuts,” were working on their history homework during a break from school and said the setting is more conducive to group work than the local libraries.
“The library is really quiet. This is a more comfortable atmosphere,” Gerillo said.
In another coffee shop not too far away, 24-year-old Hardy is taking a break from her shift. About seven years ago, before earning her marketing and business administration degree from California State University, Sacramento, Hardy worked at the coffee house and recalls serving mostly adults. Now, things have changed and sometimes she can barely hide her shock when she takes an order for a double shot mocha from a 15-year-old.
“It should be illegal,” she said jokingly.

She’s noticed that blended drinks are more popular for the after school and younger crowd, but she still shakes her head at the amount of caffeine school kids are consuming.
“I just feel bad for the teachers,” Hardy said.

Hardy could only speculate as to why teens “need” a caffeine fix. Shows such as “Friends,” where many scenes were filmed in a cozy coffee shop, could attribute to coffee popularity, but it could also result from kids emulating their parents, she suggested. Kids might also be drawn to the fact that drinking coffee is associated with something older adults are allowed to do, along with drinking alcohol and smoking, but coffee for now is one vice they, too, can adopt. “They can’t go out and get beer but drinking coffee is actually legal for them,” Hardy said.

Hardy admits to once being a young coffee drinker. “I used to need a double mocha by noon or my day would be off,” she said. That need has diminished slightly, but not completely as she juggles two jobs. Why more and more younger adults and teens are consuming mocha lattes and double shots of espresso is not something too many researchers have studied in-depth.

According to Claudia Bridges, an assistant professor at the CSUS College of
Business, marketing area, it doesn’t seem like coffee shops market to that age group. Her explanation, while only an opinion, she stressed, is the social appeal.
“It’s interesting when I see students walking around with these $4 cups of coffee.
It just amazes me. I don’t know how they can afford it,” Bridges said.

She believes coffee shops attract a younger set of drinkers by advertising different flavors such as gingerbread and mango, but don’t go out of their way to pull in that specific age group. Coffee shops may be a hangout place, she said, “yet I’m not sure these companies are trying to attract that market” as opposed to more in and out customers.

But, she added, it’s important to note how that strategy is changing with Starbucks doing television advertising for the first time this year.
She believes the coffee world strategy lies more in providing multiple outlets than overt advertising. “It’s more buzz and word of mouth,” Bridges said. “It’s a coolness factor.”
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COLOMBIA – Coffee shipments back to normal, Minister says
After delays in recent months due to a shortage of beans, coffee shipments from Colombia are normal, Colombia’s Agriculture Minister Andres Fernandez said on Thursday in Sao Paulo.
Private coffee stocks total around 700,000 60-kg bags, down from a historical average of between 3 million and 3.5 million bags but sufficient to meet delivery obligations over the interharvest period.
“Colombia had delays (in shipments) to the international market, but now they are back on time. They are normalized,” Fernandez said, adding there were no defaults.
Flowering of the new coffee crop was “very good” and output could reach 11.5 million 60-kg bags, up from 10.5 million bags the previous season, when the crop was hurt by excessive rain.
The second half of 2008 was the wettest in Colombia in 15 years.

UGANDA – Exports down for sixth month.
As already reported, Uganda’s coffee exports have for the sixth month posted a drop in both value and volume. According to the monthly report from the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (Ucda), the African country recorded total exports of 265,927 bags worth $23.39 million.

BRAZIL – Update on exports
Until August 20, August shipments were at 878,624 bags of arabica coffee and 61,272 bags of conillon coffee, totalling 939,896 hags of green coffee, and 110,211 bags of soluble coffee. Until August 20, requests to issue certificates of origin for August shipments totalled 1,794,364 bags against 1,478,364 bags on that same day in July.

Coffee gains ground in China
Tea has been China’s national drink since before the seventh century, but legends of its discovery and use for medicinal and religious purposes go back some 2000 years before Christ. It’s no wonder then that the modern coffee business is a Western symbol in China.
The economic reforms put in place by the Chinese government in recent years have opened them to foreign investment. As this communist country vies for economic power in the new global economy, international coffee brands are breaking into large coastal cities like Shanghai, and local entrepreneurs are copying the Western coffee house model with success.China is also developing a modest coffee industry.
Who’s drinking coffee in China? Well, they’re young, fashionable, and affluent urban dwellers, returnees (mainland Chinese students returning from studies in Western countries), and foreign ex-pats. In 2004, Westerners and businessmen from
Hong Kong and Taiwan represented 30 percent of customers at coffee house chains.
“India’s world-class media, free flow of information and democratic institutions offer a stark comparison with the authoritarianism and censorship imposed by China.
Remember the British coffee house of the seventeenth and eighteenth century?
It was a place for the free expression of ideas. A place to do business, to discuss politics and to affect change in society. It was for that very reason that Britain’s

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Major exporters establish industry club.
The club gathers 20 firms, which account for 80% of the country’s coffee export, including Vinacafe, Intimex and Simexco Daklak, according to an announcement by the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association.
The club will also help share experiences in processing to improve coffee quality for export, according to the official.
“We’re the second largest exporter in the world, but the low value-added products mean there’s a lot to be done to improve the quality and market,” said Tu.

Ghana hopes to revamp the coffee industry
The Head of Chancery at the Ghana High Commission, Mrs. Sena
Siaw-Boateng, on behalf of President Mills, presented the instrument to the Mrs. Siaw-Boateng indicated that the government of Ghana was happy to be part of the Ico, and said the country was committed to ensuring that international coffee trade is done in an atmosphere that would guarantee good benefits for Ghana and other exporting member countries of the organisation.
She added that plans were afoot to provide an enabling environment for farmers to help revamp the industry.

CENTRAL AMERICA – Climate change is a growing threat to coffee production, scientists say.
Climate change is expected to dramatically affect coffee bean production in Central America in the coming decades, according to a four-year study on the issue. Scientists say some farmers are already seeing the effects of rising temperatures.

Zimbabwe signs the International Coffee Agreement
The ED of the International Coffee Organization (Ico), as the chief administrative officer of the Depositary for the International Coffee Agreement (ICA) 2007, informs that Zimbabwe signed the Agreement on 20 August 2009.

Gca stocks up on month
According to the latest data from the GCAA American green coffee stocks totalled 5,602,710 bags on July 31, 2009, 115,869 bags higher in comparison to the 5,486,841 bags in stock on June 30, 2009 and just 0.6% down from 5.639 million bags held at the end July 2008.
New York was the main port with 1,763,128 bags, followed by New Orleans, with 1,217,492 bags and Houston, with 950,305 bags.

ROMANIA – Tea & Coffee Festival opened in Bucharest
The first edition of the Tea & Coffee Festival is taking place in Bucharest during August 22 – 29, 2009.
The event is featuring a series of street events, performances in tea houses and coffee houses in the capital as well as an exhibition of tea, coffee and accessories.
The Festival is destined to promote tea and coffee consumption, as well as to evocate the serving traditions and rituals.

Blends Blended Coffees, flavored coffees, dark roast coffee

Everything You Know About Coffee Is Wrong
While Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks disguise the taste of Long Island’s morning buzz, a little group of coffee enthusiasts grows on our shores

The wait people of Hampton Coffee Company in Water Mill squeezes pastthrough burlap sacks and Rubbermaid containers filled with coffee beans that take up the majority of the kitchen, as Dwight Amade, the Hampton Coffee Company’s master roaster, talks about growing up in Grenada, watching his grandfather roast beans in an old metal oil drum.
His words are barely audible above the jet-engine roar of the roaster-an 8-foot-tall machine that transforms raw green coffee into the brown beans with which most coffee drinkers are familiar.
He suddenly interrupts his childhood reminiscences to walk across the room.
The din of the roaster has not prevented Amade from hearing the slight, popcorn-like crack of the coffee, an indication that the coffee is almost done.
Amade is the man behind the curtain at Hampton Coffee Company. He takes flavorless, odorless green beans and transforms them into the raw ingredient in your morning fuel. Of course, few consumers consider what goes into their coffee, or even where it comes from.

Greg Heinz, roast master at Love Lane Coffee, holding coffee beans that have been shipped in a burlap sack.
It isn’t a revelation that Long Islanders aren’t interested in their coffee as anything other than a beverage. After all, when friends go out for coffee on Long Island, they generally aren’t really going for the coffee. For instance, the Tim Burton-esque aesthetic of West Hempstead’s insanely popular Witches’ Brew does much more to draw customers than any coffee it serves. While this isn’t a slight to that LI institution, it is emblematic of what Long Islanders think about their coffee.
Although LI’s inhabitants are not exactly coffee-savvy, we have seven artisanal roasters-i.e., a small-scale craftsman who roasts his or her own coffee beans, unlike the mass-produced beans that you buy at most supermarkets. That’s a far cry from the dozens in Portland, Ore., a coffee hub in America, but it’s a step up from the one roasting factory Starbucks has for the entire East Coast in York, Pa. With a woman who roasts out of her house, a man who sleeps on farms in Colombia, an eccentric Sicilian who “knows” when coffee is done, a guy with a roastery on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation, an “amazingly good-looking” roaster who grew up on a cocoa plantation in Grenada, a former Starbucks barista who sought something better than corporate coffee, and a woman who left law school for the coffee industry, there is not one stereotypical roaster on LI. The presence of this motley bunch means that Long Islanders can easily step out of the house every week, take a stroll around the corner, and buy a pound of coffee grown in Latin America or Indonesia, all the while sitting in for a mini-lesson on the beverage they are about to prepare and consume.

Get Back (To Real Coffee)
The bar at Love Lane Kitchen
“I’m not here to impress anybody,” says Aldo Maiorana in his unplaceable European accent, the result of being born in Sicily, They draw in conversational partners as he waxes poetic about the three “coffee encounters” in his life.
They only want money,” Maiorana explains about other coffees on the market-such as Dunkin’ Donuts and 7-Eleven. Maiorana roasts coffee, bakes biscotti and prepares ready-to-bake frozen scones, and may very well be the antithesis of Starbucks.
Contrasting his tastes with what is offered by coffee chains, he employs the following analogy: “I don’t want chicken or fish. I want beef.”
and he wants it front and center. “A good cup of coffee should give you pleasure,” he says.
Maiorana expresses puzzlement at some of the customers who wander into his shop in Greenport. Upon receiving orders for mistos and macchiatos, his Sicilian roots can lead to unexpected results for the customer. What Starbucks has taught its customers is not always the truth. A misto is not a product in and of itself. Meaning “mixed” in Italian, a misto requires that the customer specifies what is being mixed.

Heinz (l.) and Jennilee Morris, part owner of Love Lane Kitchen.
Perhaps most egregious of all is the caramel macchiato. This drink, a top seller at Starbucks, starts with a base of vanilla syrup, followed by a large amount of steamed milk, then some espresso, and is finally topped with a generous crosshatching of caramel sauce. In essence, the drink has the same ingredients as a vanilla latte, but with the addition of caramel. In Italian, macchiato means stained, if prepared by a properlyA trained barista, would result in a shot of espresso topped with a dollop of milk foam, just enough to stain it. A real macchiato is simple and elegant. At its core is coffee- not steamed milk, and definitely not syrup.
Moreover, Starbucks (and its ilk) even its essential product. Yes, it is possible to order a plain cup of coffee at Starbucks. However, as a chain of stores, has to be the same as the one you get at Starbucks in the Hamptonsor any other store. Just like any chain, Starbucks cannot exist without uniformity, and yet at the root of its product is a coffee bean that differs from season to season, just like any other AG. product. Coffee develops a unique flavor depending on its growing altitude, climate, the soil in which it is grown, the economy of the country in which it was harvested, and even the weather at the time of harvest. Would a wine enthusiast expect a Napa Valley Chardonnay to taste the same year to year? With all of these factors contributing to the taste of the brew, it doesn’t take a pump of hazelnut syrup to give coffee an interesting taste. It does, however, make up for the lack of complexity in Starbucks’ brew. The less complicated the taste, the easier it is to create uniformity, and an easy way to tone down complexity in coffee is to roast it dark. Obscured to the popular eye by the syrups and the dark roasts, coffee is an incredibly complex industry.

An Obsessive Bunch Heinz holding raw coffee beans.
“You hear a knock on the door at five in the morning, it scares the hell out of you,” says Georgio Testani in his booming, Brooklyn accent. As the owner and roaster of Huntington-based Georgio’s Coffee, Testani has had past difficulties with “coffee geeks,” as he calls them, like a rock star with his paparazzi. It is because of these geeks that the exact location of his roasting facility must remain a secret, otherwise he will yet again have fans banging on his door, interrupting an at-times frantic process.
Freshly roasted beans pouring out of the roasting drum and into the cooling tray at Hampton Coffee Company. bottom: Dwight Amade, Roast Master at Hampton Coffee Company, with one of their two Diedrich coffee roasters.
Several minutes pass, and in a flash, Testani pulls a lever and the beans begin pouring out into an attached basin. What was once a raw, vegetal material is now the fragrant, caramel-colored bean with which we’re all familiar. The same crackling as before is heard again, except louder now that the beans are leaving the machine. This is the second crack, and is a good indicator that all of the moisture has left them.

Dwight Amade, Roast Master at Hampton Coffee Company, with one of their two Diedrich coffee roasters.
“It’s like having an old Ferrari instead of a new Ferrari,” he says, explaining the fact that his roaster, built by the German company Probat, is 37 years old. Most of his Long Island competitors use more recently built roasters manufactured by Diedrich, an Idaho-based company and one of the few American producers of roasting equipment. “It’s about the heat retention in the older Probats,” he explains. Coffee aficionados and connoisseurs argue over the importance of the machine in coffee roasting. While Georgio can spend hours talking about his roasting machine, Maiorana simply shrugs it off. “The machine does not make a good coffee,” he says, dismissing all the technological hype. Whether it’s about the man or the machine, one thing’s for sure-the love for coffee needs to be there.

Happiness Is A Warm Cup Of Coffee
Siphon pots lined up as part of Georgio Testani’s new siphon bar, allegedly the only one in New York.
For many of LI’s small-scale coffee businesses, their vocation is an art, and thus they take risks just as any artist must. Sometimes the risk pays off, resulting in amazing coffee, but sometimes it means a batch comes out a little over-roasted and winds up in the trash. So, while Maiorana has fanatical customers across the Island, the only independent coffee shop in Greenport-D’Latte on Main Street, just blocks from Maiorana’s roastery-does not serve his product, instead shipping in beans from Connecticut so it can offer a consistent brew. Cheryl Bedini, the roaster at Java Nation in Sag Harbor, places an emphasis on the business end of coffee roasting and, in turn, feels a strong obligation to provide her customers with a consistent product. Even while Bedini does not take risks with her beans and employs roasting methods similar to the major coffee companies, her product is superior to what corporate brands and chains offer. After all, her coffee is still the product of one woman working with small batch, not a factory in York, Pa.

Testani’s 37-year-old German-manufactured Probat coffee roaster, located at his secret roasting facility.
Christian Crespo, who runs Mo’Joe, an oasis of Manhattan aesthetic around the corner from the Mineola train station that brews and serves Georgio’s Coffee, stresses the importance of the barista in presenting the work of a roaster. “Baristas are goodwill ambassadors,” he says, suggesting that baristas will be the ones to engage customers and lure them into the world of coffee. The time and effort that a roaster puts into his work doesn’t mean anything if the barista doesn’t prepare it well.
“I can’t even drink coffee at Starbucks. It’s painful,” says Sarah Biging, 17, a barista at Mo’Joe who described herself as a coffee geek. “I don’t have an espresso machine or French press [a small pot favored by some enthusiasts] but I can tell if I’m at a restaurant and the espresso is bad.” While she indicated that she doesn’t have any special equipment at home, she seemed to think it unnecessary. “All you need is hot water and grounds,” she says. In this case, preparation know-how is just as important as the bean. Like the bean’s journey from cherry to morning brew, learning about coffee is a process.

You Say You Want A (Coffee) Revolution
As Greg Heinz briefly recounts his journey from his job as a barista at Starbucks, loading up his burnt coffee with sweeteners, to eventually becoming a part of the national Roasters’ Guild, whose retreat he will be attending in August, Love Lane partner Jennilee Morris comes from the kitchen with a small white plastic container of sample coffee beans, labeled “French Vanilla Powerbean.” The beans emanate a scent that is nauseating and knocks you off your feet, the French vanilla an overpowering parody of itself, an all-out assault on the olfactory senses.

Testani proudly displaying the Costa Rican Cup of Excellence, shipped in a vacuum-sealed package.
It only takes one or two drops of this concentrated essence while the beans are roasting in order to coat them all in the flavor that will later be recognized as French vanilla, hazelnut, or pumpkin spice. Why anyone would want to taste chocolate pecan flavoring rather than experience the subtly sweet fruitiness of Ethiopian Horse Harrar-with its delicate notes of blueberries-is beyond their comprehension.
Morris and Heinz are not alone in their values. Amade, the roaster at Hampton Coffee Company, covers his eyes when he applies the flavoring, pressured into appeasing the company’s relatively large customer demand for artificially flavored coffee beans. He cannot bear even to watch in horror as the natural qualities of the coffee beans are forever covered up. In fact, not one of the LI coffee roasters interviewed condones such a practice.

“Everyone is just used to all this sweet crap,” Morris says. “We blame that on Charbucks.”
They have a strong philosophy of educating the consumer and re-structuring the mindset of their customer base, bringing a refreshingly new perspective to the mass consumption of coffee.
If coffee is a way of thinking, then its practice is cupping. “If you didn’t cup it you’re missing the most important parts,” says Testani. Cupping is the coffee equivalent of wine tasting. It is an almost ritualistic process where its participants experience the coffee as a green bean, a roasted bean, and in its brewed form, while articulating what they are tasting and smelling. For a roaster, cupping gives valuable insight into the quality of the bean that is not at all evident by the appearance of the green beans. At the same time, cupping is a snapshot of a roaster’s work as an artist. A painter can have their work framed and hung, but no roaster’s work retains its beauty for more than a couple of weeks. Cupping allows a roaster to share his or her work with others, as coffee is a unique and fleeting experience.
A display of the coffee Testani offers for sale-the dispensers are for aesthetics only, as he only sells bagged coffee to preserve freshness. Lifting up his sleeve to exhibit the tattoo carrying the name he goes by, he maintains that his last name is a secret. His secretive nature, however, does not cross over into the realm of coffee. Lucky takes his coffee seriously, proudly explaining the specifics of Massapequa Perk’s coffee preparation, from control over water temperature to the grind to the custom blend he created with his roasters that he says is catered to the Village of Massapequa Park. All this to show that what he creates is good while the majority of coffee on LI is bad. “Long Islanders have become used to drinking brown water.” However, he insists, “I think people want to be educated.”
“I wouldn’t consider myself a snob. When you find out about this stuff, you tend to seek it out,” says Damien Napoli, a regular at Massapequa Perk and an employee of a local vinyl record store across the street. Maiorana would agree that “you have to show people what they want.”

There are a few coffeehouses that take the beans they brew as seriously as their aesthetic. However, one would be hard pressed to find a true “coffee geek” there. The palate of Long Island is not yet refined enough to foster such a community. While it’s easy to doubt that a population raised on Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts will be able to turn themselves around some time in the near future, Crespo remains optimistic. “They said the same thing about hip-hop, so why not?”

“We’re like the Jimi Hendrix of the coffee industry,” Testani says. “We just push it.” Source. longislandpress

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This is part of a freshness experiment of 5 coffees that were stored in ziploc bags and vacuum sealed that I started last August. Some of these samples were frozen. The objective was to see how green coffee loses freshness over a year’s time and if packaging preserves flavor.

All coffees were cupped blind on 8/23/09, roasted to a light-medium roast about 1 year from being sealed.

Coffees

Guatemala Huehuetenango

• Ziploc bag, sealed 8/12/08 , 11.6% moisture
  • thin body, faded acidity, straw-like finish
  • score: 70
• Vacuum sealed, sealed 8/12/08, 11.4% moisture
  • overfermented berry, full body, some sweetness, medium acidity
  • score: 80.5
• Vacuum sealed, sealed 8/12/08, 46 defects hand-sorted out, 11.4% moisture
  • cedar aroma, flat acidity, parching finish
  • score: 76

Guatemala San Jose Ocana

• Ziploc bag, sealed 9/11/08, 6 defects hand-sorted out, 11.5% moisture
  • some fruit sweetness, cocoa aroma, round body astringent finish
  • score: 77
• Vacuum sealed, sealed 9/11/08, 7 defects hand-sorted out, 11.8% moisture
  • some sweetness, medium body, dry/ thin finish
  • score: 78
• Vacuum sealed frozen, sealed 9/11/08,12 defects hand-sorted out,  11.7% moisture
  • sweet, round body, moderate acidity, slight woody
  • score: 82

Guatemala Fraijanes – Finca Agua Tibia

• Vacuum sealed frozen, sealed 9/11/08,12 defects hand-sorted out,  11.7% moisture
  • medium body, soft, papery finish
  • score: 79.5

Summary

Overall, coffees vacuum sealed and frozen retained a better flavor profile. The coffee lost some distinct aroma, acidity and sweetness qualities. They lost about 4-5 points from being stored for 1 year. The method slows down aging, but does not preserve or retain freshness.

Green coffee tasted best under 6-9 months from harvest. Storing coffee only prolongs inevitable aging, but does not add value. In short, nothing is gained by storing coffee for one year.

Moisture content in all samples were around 11%. Presumed coffee stored in freezer would have a higher percent moisture.

Vacuum selaed coffees retained a round fullness in the body and mouthfeel, eventhough lost acidity.

Coffees stored in ziploc bags lost the most flavor and 10-15 points over the year. The impact on aroma, acidity and sweetness were affected the most. The body was slightly diminshed. The aftertaste of the coffee became astringent, papery and rough.

Coffees that has defects removed produced a more uniform and consistent cup.

MEXICO – Drought not to affect coffee harvest.
Mexico’s coffee exports for the 2008/09 coffee year will likely reach 2.7-2.8 million 60-kg bags Trampe said, compared with exports of 2.56 million bags in the 2007/08 season.
Mexico’s coffee exports for the 2008/09 coffee year will likely reach 2.7-2.8 million 60-kg bags Trampe said, compared with exports of 2.56 million bags in the 2007/08 season.
Mexico’s coffee exports for the 2008/09 coffee year will likely reach 2.7-2.8 million 60-kg bags Trampe said, compared with exports of 2.56 million bags in the 2007/08 season.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Lourdes Roxas wins Costa’s Coffee’s Mena Regional Final.
Lourdes will go on to represent the Mena Region at the Champion of Champions Global Final Barista of the Year 2009 competition to be held 21st October at the Costa Roastery in Lambeth, London where Barista’s from the Mena region have historically done well with Gihan Weerasinghe coming in first place in 2007 and Carlos Martinez placing a respectable third last year.

Lourdes will go on to represent the Mena Region at the Champion of Champions Global Final Barista of the Year 2009 competition to be held 21st October at the Costa Roastery in Lambeth, London where Barista’s from the Mena region have historically done well with Gihan Weerasinghe coming in first place in 2007 and Carlos Martinez placing a respectable third last year.

Lourdes will go on to represent the Mena Region at the Champion of Champions Global Final Barista of the Year 2009 competition to be held 21st October at the Costa Roastery in Lambeth, London where Barista’s from the Mena region have historically done well with Gihan Weerasinghe coming in first place in 2007 and Carlos Martinez placing a respectable third last year.

Lourdes will go on to represent the Mena Region at the Champion of Champions Global Final Barista of the Year 2009 competition to be held 21st October at the Costa Roastery in Lambeth, London where Barista’s from the Mena region have historically done well with Gihan Weerasinghe coming in first place in 2007 and Carlos Martinez placing a respectable third last year.

green bean, organic coffee,, green bean, Flavored Coffee, flavored coffees,

While you may have heard the phrase “green coffee” thrown around at your local cafe, many people are still unaware of what it actually is. No, it isn’t oddly colored java or moldy beans! Essentially, green coffee is coffee that is unroasted. When you purchase brown, glossy beans at the store, these beans have already been roasted and are ready for grinding – however with green coffee, you do all the roasting yourself.

Why choose green coffee? In truth, the choice between green and pre-roasted really depends on personal preference of freshness. Coffee beans begin to lose their freshness immediately after roasting, which causes both the flavor and aroma to slowly diminish until you finally grind the beans and make your morning cup o’ joe. While companies certainly strive to ensure the beans have minimal exposure to the air before packaging, there’s never a guarantee that you won’t come home with coffee beans that are just a little bit stale.

Buying green allows coffee connoisseurs to store their green coffee beans until they’re ready to have a cup of coffee – whereupon they will roast the beans, grind them, and make their coffee with the freshest coffee beans you can get! Home roasters aren’t very difficult to find either, and are relatively simple to figure out after only a few uses. The longer the roasting time, the stronger the flavor will be – simple as that!

And yet, it can still be perplexing as to why anyone would go through this hassle just for a fresh cup of coffee now and again. In actuality, green costs less to purchase than beans that are already roasted! This is because labor costs are significantly reduced, since no one is roasting the beans for you. Green beans also last longer than beans that have already been roasted – they’ll last up to several years when stored in a canvas bag between 10 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Essentially, the choice of using green coffee beans comes down to quality vs. convenience. While store-bought beans are certainly less hassle and tend to taste fine, there’s always the risk of getting beans that have been sitting around in the dispenser for quite some time. With green coffee, you’ll have to invest in a home roaster and take some practice runs through before you feel comfortable with it and figure out your preferred coffee strength. It’s quite the dilemma – green coffee lasts longer and costs less, but you’ll have to do some extra work ‘ though you’ll also have a fresher cup of coffee in the end!

¡Noe Castro Cacao visits El Salvador, Central America!

Noe Castro Cacao, International Barista professional, with more than 8 years experience, came to El Salvador and trained Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V.’s personnel.

La Libertad, El Salvador, Central America, Friday July 31st 2009 – Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. is preparing to open the doors of its new Coffee Shop in El Salvador, Central America. “ We’ve put a lot of effort into this project and have decided to open in September 09. We’ve been training almost 8 to 10 hours daily for 4 months now. Our main objective is to serve our clients the best cup of coffee they’ve ever tasted, without having to rely on only one Barista serving it,” confirmed Mr. Jonathan Rodríguez, President of Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V.

Noe Castro Cacao, prestigious Barista with more than eight years experience, known worldwide for his numerous jobs and almost 5 years experience in national and international competitions, was invited over by Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. to El Salvador, Central America. During the week of July 27th 09, for three exhausting and consecutive days, Noe trained the Baristas for opening day. “We had the honor of meeting Noe on a business trip in his natal country, and for the first time we are pleased to have him visit El Salvador,” says Mr. Rodríguez.

“Barista Coach” nicknamed by Zegsa’s personnel won the 2006 Barista Championship of Guatemala and had the amazing experience of representing his country for the World Barista Championship held that same year in Tokyo, Japan. He had to compete with almost 45 Baristas from different nations! In 2007, during national competition, he won the “Best Espresso”.

During the intense Barista training of four days, Noe shared all of his experiences, motivations and knowledge, of more than 8 years fully into and passionate about this industry. “Noe is an authentic professional, we wanted to discover our potential and it was him who woke it up out of each and every one of us, we are glad he could join us and are thankful for everything he’s done.”

What motivated Zegsa Inversiones S.A. de C.V. to invite Noe to El Salvador was the need to reach their main objective. “ With Noe’s help, we reached our goal!” said Mr. Rodríguez.

The name of the new coffee Shop is a surprice to be revealed later and over the Internet in Facebook or Barista Exchange. However, Mr. Rodriguez did tell us, it would be located on the secondfloor of Centro Comercial Plaza Merliot, (Plaza Merliot Mall) at La Libertad, El Salvador.

Mr. Rodriguez did not forget to mention, “It has taken us more than 8 months of trainings, searching for the right information, being patient and preparing the right way to reach the level we are at right now, we’re making sure to be different. We will always support El Salvador’s Coffee and its going to be our only ingredient, for any coffee beverage our Baristas prepare our clients.”

To be one of the first to find out the latest Coffee News, publications and be able to meet the Salvadoran Baristas who will work in Zegsa’s New Coffee Shop, or if you want to know more about what happened during training with Noe Castro, look for them in Facebook or Barista Exchange as Barista-Pro and add them as friends.