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Friday - March 29, 2024

Articles Written By Java

 

Coffee Notes

August 12th, 2015

It appears that I have been slowly and unwittingly elevating my boyfriend’s coffee standards. After three years of dating and being exposed to the specialty beans I invest in, he’s finally becoming more concerned and vocal about the quality of his home brews and drink purchases. Recently, he even started documenting each new coffee that he tries, in a snazzy little notebook he bought at our local coffeeshop. 33 Cups of Coffee is the pocket-sized journal that my boyfriend keeps, for jotting down his tasting notes. It contains a flavor wheel, a five-star rating system, and spaces to write down... Read More

Coffee & Cats: An Istanbul Photo Diary

July 15th, 2015

A look through my iPhone photos from my recent visit to Istanbul provides a narrow glimpse into my trip. A few touristy snapshots of ancient monuments and various places of worship reveal the city’s historical and geographical peculiarities—as the gateway between Europe and the Middle East—but say little about my personal time spent there. On my phone’s camera you won’t find any visual keepsakes from the paternal family reunion that was the purpose of the trip. My Dad and other relatives wanted me in front of the cameras and in the center of all the shots so I obliged them. They had come... Read More

Coffee Jobs: It Pays to be Wired

June 17th, 2015

While it can be tough relying on tips for a living, working as a barista also has the potential of being a tolerable, decently paying, and possibly even enjoyable part-time or transitional job. With specialty coffee companies on the rise and major chains still making solid profits, the occupational opportunities and benefits of barista-ing have actually never looked so appealing for those searching for employment. Of course now that I’m not working in a coffee shop, I kind of miss working in one, even though I didn’t adore the scene when I was in it. Maybe “the beans are always fresher... Read More

Cold Coffee Trends: Tonics & Nitro

May 20th, 2015

While not a new concept, carbonated iced cold coffee drinks do seem to be in vogue right now. From espresso tonics to nitro cold brews, expect more cafes to offer bubbles with your coffee. Adding carbonation to drinks is both refreshing on the palate and pleasant for the stomach, since it helps cut the acidity of coffee. A shot of espresso poured over tonic water is an effervescent variation on iced Americanos, which I’m eager to see added to more menus nationwide. I have no doubt that stout-like nitrogen infused iced coffees served on tap will be popular here in Colorado, the beer lovers state. While... Read More

How I had Fun at a Horror Film Festival

May 6th, 2015

I don’t totally dislike the horror film genre. I just prefer not to be incredibly disturbed and grossed out while watching a movie because, honestly, I’m good at traumatizing myself in real life. Although I’m not afraid of the dark and I prefer to live alone, I’m also kind of a jumpy and paranoid person. I get startled when my light-footed boyfriend comes up behind me just to ask a question and if a friend who drives home late at night forgets to text me upon her safe arrival then I’ll assume the worst—that she died in a car crash. Since I’m slightly morbid, I do like some genres... Read More

Coffee for Your Garden & Your Skin

April 22nd, 2015

When I was a barista in Brooklyn, I remember a customer asking for the café’s unwanted coffee grounds for his home composting. We had tons of it—leftover from the espresso grinder and from making drip coffee—filling up our trashcans so we were happy to pass some on to him. Recycling coffee grounds into your compost or fertilizer is a fantastic way to cut down on coffee waste. It’s also a great way to add valuable nutrients to your garden, since coffee is full of nitrogen and antioxidants. Another fun use for coffee, which I also learned while working at that shop in Brooklyn, is for skincare.... Read More

Cold Brew Season

April 8th, 2015

Despite the ridiculous snowfall last week, it is officially iced coffee season here in Colorado. While I prefer hot coffee, I do occasionally thirst for a refreshing iced coffee on hot and sunny days. Because I usually drink iced coffee the way I drink regular coffee—with no milk or sugar—I find most conventional iced coffee to be bitter. Sometimes I add coconut water to my iced coffee to make it tastier—which I totally thought was a brilliant and unique idea until I discovered that it was not. But there are a few iced coffees I find light and nuanced in flavor, without adding anything to... Read More

LA Coffee Nostalgia

March 25th, 2015

I celebrated the start of Spring with family and friends in Los Angeles, where I grew up. The sunny overcrowded metropolis that I often can’t stand but do ultimately love has an amazing coffee scene. Whenever I’m back in the sprawling suburban city, I’m eager to check out new coffee shops and revisit old favorites. From homegrown standards like Lamill and Groundwork to recent imports like San Francisco’s Blue Bottle and Santa Cruz’s Verve, LA continues to impress locals and visitors alike with its abundance of specialty coffee. My thoughts on Los Angeles are layered and I like recalling... Read More

Women & Coffee

March 11th, 2015

Women in various countries, from different backgrounds, are working to sustain the global coffee industry. Unfortunately but not surprisingly, female coffee farmers and retailers face the same gender inequality and wage gap that exists in every workforce. From farm to shop, the commodity of the bean too often trumps the livelihood of the employees, especially the female ones. Poor or working class women of color, who live in coffee producing countries, are the most vulnerable to being undervalued in the business. But even in the predominately white and middle class world of Western retail coffee,... Read More

Aussie Flat White lands in American Starbucks

February 11th, 2015

Last month, Starbucks began serving flat whites. The espresso based drink originated in Australia and is widely popular there and in New Zealand. Over the past few years flat whites have garnered a decent-size following here in the States, thanks to Australians ordering them at obliging third wave coffee shops. Starbucks adding flat whites to their menu may be an attempt to court a more sophisticated clientele. But flat whites are tricky drinks generally ordered by picky customers. It seems like Starbucks is trying to serve a cup it really can’t handle pouring. So what is a flat white? Well that’s... Read More