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Dreams and Distractions

So, it now looks like Costa Rica. And Nicaragua. Possibly sooner than I thought, as well. Christmas in the Carribean? I am supposed to be constructing Cunning Plans to make this a definite possibility ("A plan so cunning you could tie a tail on it and call it a weasel") and I am...in a way. I would LOVE to go back to Nicaragua, but it doesn't feel real yet. I don't think I am the same person as I was the last time I disappeared to Latin America on a whim.



Instead I am dreaming and… Continue

Added by Bel Townsend on February 29, 2008 at 6:09am — No Comments

From the Mouths of Baristas Flows Truth--Or Does It?

The folks at Gawker media blog, the most prolific purveyor of snark on the web, were treated to a special email from a Starbucks employee, laying out exactly what happened during the company's three hour "retraining session".



Apparently, it was not so much educational as boooooring.



There's also a link to a previous post about the positively gushing analysis of "Starbucks Robots"--Gawker's words, not mine--on the Starbucks Gossip blog.…



Continue

Added by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on February 28, 2008 at 9:14am — 2 Comments

Really need some help finding a plantation!

Hi all,

I am doing my PhD research about the global coffee industry, and for part of my project, I need to visit a plantation. I am doing some comparison work - comparing a small-scale, organic, very high quality and ethically sound plantation with (I hope) a big commercial plantation that supplies coffee to the UK and likes of Caffe Nero or Starbucks. Ideally, I would like this to be in Central America, for purely practical reasons.



Perhaps unsurprisingly, I've not had too much… Continue

Added by Bel Townsend on February 27, 2008 at 4:37pm — No Comments

Tamp this, son

Wow, this site makes the geek in me super stoked...I'm all geek, so thats a lot of good vibes. I'm really excited to meet everyone here, albeit virtually (for now)... So, my name is Theresa, otherwise known as The Rza, a name that makes me sound waaaay more hip than I am in all reality. I work for a local, rock and roll, amazing micro-roastery in Cleveland. There's a lot of steam and brown fluid in this town, but at The Phoenix you know it's not toxic runoff. I'm a barista, assistant manager… Continue

Added by Trza on February 27, 2008 at 3:27pm — No Comments

James Hoffmann East Coast Tour - March 2-15



Counter Culture Coffee cordially invites the barista exchange community to join reigning United Kingdom and World Barista Champion James Hoffmann for his 2008 U.S. East Coast Tour, March 2-15!



The 8-stop tour will include coffee presentations, skill demonstrations, barista workshops, and more at Counter Culture regional training centers and other locations listed below. Hope to see many of you at… Continue

Added by Mark Overbay on February 27, 2008 at 10:30am — No Comments

Starbucks Closes for Retraining--Customers Say, "Meh."

NPR's Morning Edition reported today that average Starbucks customers doubt that yesterday's massive barista retraining session will make a difference in the megacorp's coffee drink quality. And, they added, they couldn't care less. (Okay, those weren't their exact words but it was implied.)



Customers interviewed in Bellevue, Washington said they didn't expect much to come from the barista retraining that closed all 7,100 of the US company-operated stores for a span of three… Continue

Added by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on February 27, 2008 at 9:38am — No Comments

The Journey of a small coffee shop.

Ok. If a grand barista were to come into our tiny shop they might walk away with their head shaking. We are not just a coffee shop but we also have the basics in groceries, including toothpaste, eggs, milk, bread and cheese. We also have a couple of video games, a 5 ft Wizard gumball machine, 139 authentic autographs on the walls, Our espresso maker is a Saeko Vienna plus which is a super automatic espresso maker for the home rather than commercial ( it does make good espresso however). We… Continue

Added by Richard Watters on February 26, 2008 at 3:26pm — 3 Comments

i have the flu|grad school news

i have a wicked fever right now. bleccccch. i want swirl sherbet. my cousins used to call it "squirrel sherbet" because they were little and funny.

also, i got into grad school! i am going to be going to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a Masters' in Library Science. yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Added by Amanda Lanyon-LeSage on February 26, 2008 at 1:35pm — No Comments

Tragedy at Finca Vista Hermosa

Tragedy at our farm Partner Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala.



Carlos of FVHfvh logo



On February 15th, 2008 a tragedy struck our farm partners at Finca Vista Hermosa in Guatemala. For the last decade or more Carlos has managed the day to day operations of Finca Vista Hermosa. He has labored tirelessly to bring exceptional quality, exquisite farming methods, demanding harvesting and processing procedures and intense cross training for all farm workers. The results have been… Continue

Added by Andy Newbom on February 26, 2008 at 7:08am — No Comments

blogging...

I don't know if I mentioned it yet but I too started a blog. You can find it at anothercoffee.wordpress.com. It's mostly about coffee but other seemingly unrelated subjects as well. You can look there for more up to date updates for this up coming trip!!!!

Added by Sasha King on February 25, 2008 at 11:26pm — No Comments

Jam Next Week!!!!!

Troy Reynard of Cosmic Cup Coffee and I (of New Harvest Coffee Roasters) are coordinating the Mid Atlantic Northeast Barista Jam NEXT WEEK! For all you who have registrations out there and plan on attending please contact either Troy or myself to secure your spot. We are trying to finalize the numbers and want to guarantee everyone who wants to be there is. If you are interested in more information please contact us.

This event is getting better and better by the day....

-Wednesday… Continue

Added by Gerra Harrigan on February 25, 2008 at 7:22pm — No Comments

Swimming in Coffee (syndicated)

Originally taken from www.coffeeaspirations.blogspot.com



Aaron Blanco asked me to do some testing for a brand new espresso blend. This blend is based on an interesting philosophy of espresso blending that Aaron has been thinking about lately. Creating a blend of two coffees to create an experience that equals more than the sum of its parts. This is the first attempt at a realistic execution of this concept, and only the second "production" (as in, regularly created) blend in… Continue

Added by Jason Haeger on February 25, 2008 at 3:28pm — No Comments

Daddy's 'spresso!


Daddy makes really good machiattos (the silly name one) for me with his 'spresso....but Mr. Pete apparently make it a bit better :)

Yay! Mr. Pete is #1!

Added by Coffee Noodle on February 25, 2008 at 2:04pm — 2 Comments

So Beautiful, So Dangerous

The newest additions to the Francis Francis X-series home espresso machines, the X7 and X8, are set to debut this spring and java hipsters 'round the globe are trying their level best not to scream like little girls at a Beatles concert as they wait for their first look.



Designed by Milan architect Luca Trazzi, the series' first machine, the X1, was released in 1995, sending shock waves through the coffee enthusiast community. Sleek, sharp and oh so pretty, it was a huge hit among… Continue

Added by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on February 25, 2008 at 6:45am — No Comments

I have too many blogs

So this is most likely my last blog post here.

The rest can be seen at:

tx-coffee.com

or

www.coffeeaspirations.blogspot.com

I'd love to keep another, but I fear I'll just end up neglecting one of the three if I try to keep tabs on too many things.

Who knows, maybe I'll blog here on occasion.

Added by Jason Haeger on February 25, 2008 at 1:44am — 4 Comments

Barista Exchange

Finally my nerdom of coffee is met and challenged by other uber coffee nerds. I raise my imaginary drink in hand to the hopes of in depth coffee conversations spurred by this site.

Added by CJ on February 24, 2008 at 7:16pm — No Comments

Career Opportunity in Berkeley & Walnut Creek, California at Pacific Bay Coffee Co. & Micro-Roastery

Pacific Bay Coffee Company is seeking a motivated coffee person to join our staff of enthusiastic coffee professionals. Opportunities are in wholesale sales, wholesale account management, training and barista-cashiers.



We are obsessive about our work and are constantly pushing the limits of our coffee experience. For us, the search for the coffee perfection is a daily journey. You are the right person for our company if you love coffee, work… Continue

Added by Pacific Bay Coffee Co. & Micro-Roastery on February 23, 2008 at 7:02pm — No Comments

Pimp My Arm!!!!!! Tattoo Contest

So, many of you may have noticed the photo of my tamper tat on my forearm. My whole concept is to have a portafilter on my other arm. I really liked the "Baristas for Bikes" logo for the upcoming WRBC but the portafilter is in the wrong direction and I'd want the bicycle tire on the larger part of my forearm. So, if you have some design talent, submit the winning entry and receive one pound of Bicycle Blend Espresso, a Cosmic Cup/Viva Barista T-Shirt and $40 donated to Bikes to Rwanda in your… Continue

Added by Troy Reynard on February 23, 2008 at 1:45pm — 5 Comments

A little thingy on CBS News

Aired on CBS News, Sunday February 17,… Continue

Added by Nick Cho on February 22, 2008 at 9:30pm — 4 Comments

Dr. Illy Celebration at American Barista & Coffee School Tonight!

Just a reminder to everyone in the Portland area that tonight is the Celbration of Dr. Illy's life at the American Barista & Coffee School. The party will start at 6pm with wine and Italian appetizers. Also, espresso will be flowing for sure! 7pm we will be watching the full Dr. Illy Milan interviews. Feel free to invite anyone who is interested in learning more from a true luminary and mentor to us all. See you tonight!



6pm - 9pm

ABC… Continue

Added by Matt Milletto on February 22, 2008 at 10:23am — 2 Comments

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