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Let the Games Begin!

Posted by 3d7lj1n4xxk7t on March 10, 2008 at 11:15am

As Mike mentioned last month, Alterra Coffee will be hosting the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition (GLRBC) this weekend, March 13-16, at the P.H. Dye Building, 320 E. Buffalo Street, in the Third Ward. With some of the best baristas from Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio pitted against each other, it should be a very tasty espresso prep and service showdown.While the first day is a closed event, reserved for the GLRBC Judge's Certification Workshop, the following days are free and open to the java lovin' public, by which I mean you. Complimentary coffee and espresso drinks will be offered so spectators can get their rah-rah on to cheer for their favorite competitors.Rishi Tea is a Bronze Sponsor of the GLRBC and they'll be on hand to supply samples of their divinely steeped leaves, should you need a bit of a break from the ground bean. Smart move, Rishi.Competition Times:Friday March 14th - 10:30am to 4:30pmSaturday March 15th - 10:30am to 4:30pmSunday March 16th - 10:30am to 1pm (followed by awards ceremony)Full details can be found on the 2008 GLRBC web site, where I am pleased to note that the Milwaukee Public Transit System is on the top of their list of city transportation in the Insiders Guide.Thursday is my 39th Birthday, so this weekend may be a little tight, but I'll try to fit the GLRBC into my oh so busy celebratory schedule. And I hope to see you there, too.Post originally published by Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee.

Coffee Pirates!

Posted by Spencer on March 10, 2008 at 6:39am

Yo ho! Avast ye Baristas. We be mercenaries for coffee quality. Our quest: study our map and seek out the best coffees, prepare creative concoctions, and present our elixirs and libations with personality and flair! Savvy?Coffee Pirates be on a recruitment quest to find more Pirates to join our crew....We seek to break with traditionWe want to be our own coffee specialistsWe question the status quoWe want to promote and celebrate qualityWe desire change for the sake of improvementWe be coffee piratesWe encompass first, second, third and all other waves!We know no political or geographical boundriesPirates all live by the code "Quality First!"Yo Ho!Pirate speak is not mandetory....

First Informal Barista Jam and Pics....

Posted by Jason Dominy on March 9, 2008 at 2:00pm

Well, just got home, and wanted to write a quick post on how our first informal barista jam turned out. First, there was a smaller turnout than I hoped for, but about what I expected. I hate it that sometimes you gotta go pick people up and carry them to these kinds of things. I mean, come on, do you really know what you're missing??? Anyway, we had a blast, and even with less people, it was alot of fun with the different people that did show. A couple of different shops were represented, and the Charlotte Counter Culture guys came and threw down some, as well. It was mostly around learning latte art, and it was cool to see people's efforts. It's also cool to see people really passionate about learning more about espresso and coffee, and their desire to be better than average. That's the cool part for me. To see the glimmer in one's eyes when they see what's possible, and to see them really push theirselves to be better. It's priceless. I'd like to thank all who came out, my wife for taking pictures, and George for just dropping by. It's cool to see the picture of coffee community being taken on a night like this, and I'm just glad to be in the picture.We really are working to see our baristas putting out the best drinks possible, and educating the public to expect the best drinks, as opposed to the "average at best" drinks they are getting at Charbucks. So, I cannot WAIT to do it again next month, and am ready to blow it out. This one was a trial run, and I would say it was a success. On nights like this, I am just reminded of how much I love this community. I really do.The pics are here: http://gallery.mac.com/jasonandapril#100121

Oh no, snow

Posted by Trza on March 8, 2008 at 9:00am

Good afternoon, Cleveland winter....I'm snowed into my apartment with my boyfriend, who's tiny car is hidden underneath a snowdrift, thank you plow. We're expecting between 7 and 14 inches in the next couple of days. In a city where it's winter 9 months out of a year, you'd expect to get used to it. Never fails to depress the living hell out of me. The morning was spent playing a rousing game of scrabble (did you know 'sonsie' is a word? It means 'comely'. Which means.....?) in which I won by -90 points...and drinking some funky fresh medium dark roasted sumatran from our beloved french press, ground slightly finer than I would for auto drip. I'm a fan of Indonisian coffees generally, and appreciated this satisfying cup with a buttery mouth feel and an interestingly penetrating aftertaste that you could feel dissipate into a completely clean nothing. It also had a nice cherry or blackberry undertone to it, and was all around good drinking. In general, I like to play around with my grind setting when pressing coffee, because just like with espresso you'll generate a completely new flavor depending on how much surface area of the bean is exposed to the water. But you already know that. In any case, that was some fiiiiine ass brew.The rest of the day will be spent cleaning, as we can't leave unless we want to trudge through the white hellish streets to find another place to go, and trying to figure out what to do with this can of vegan pork I bought at an Asian market....Tonight we'll try and convince our friends to leave their warm apartments and hang out at ours. We're going to cook up some turkish coffee and read the grounds in the cup (similar to reading tea leaves) for shits and giggles. We've got the cardamom and cloves and ibrik, we just need the company. We bought some coconut flavored tobacco for our hookah and expect that it will be a rolling good time with records spinning, our pet rats pissing on our friends (we don't know how to end this problem, but hey, it makes us laugh), hot beverages, wine, smoke, and general geek-dom. Inevitably, the tv (KILL IT) will end up turning on, most likely playing X Files episodes (what of it) or the Peter Serofinowich(sp) show. In any case, it will be fun. I hope winter ends soon. I miss the mega bike rides that took off from the Phoenix hangout in my city (Lakewood, borders Skeeveland to the west), with roughly 50 or so drunk ass kids, whiskey bottles in back packs, coffee buzzes, wine in a can, u-lock knuckles fisted at drivers with attitude, and police officers generally hatin'. The weekly vegan potlucks at the park were equally debaucherous and fun, and hanging out at the beach with nothing better to do but smoke excessive cigarettes and write our names in the crusty ass dirt. The random parties, dance nights, shows, and public art making were pretty fantastic too. Reminiscing like woah dudes, please return my summer.I desperately want to live in some posi, hot weather, bean pushing town, but the truth is that Cleveland is the land of broken, shit talking, angry souls and their antithesis: uplifting, change making, movers, shakers, spiritualists, herbalists, artists, etc....and it's an unusual dichotomy. Would I appreciate the positive as much if everyone around me was striving for it, or do I need a place with shit smeared all over it to see the good and strive to be a part of it?I think general travel would be good for me, to be a transient for a little while and culture shock myself into a new mode of thought and action, come back with either the discovery that this is the place I should be, or with a severe homesickness for someplace else that I barely know intimately enough to call home.This should end on a coffee related note, shouldn't it....Coffee changes the world, it changes the people who come in contact with it every step of the way. Initiating a positive change through something as seemingly ordinary as coffee will impact a lot of people, be it through a barista, a roaster, a broker, a co-op, a farmer. I've always felt like just one person amongst a giant organism of billions, just one cell, and it always strikes me how closely related everyone is, that despite culture and all we're still more alike than we aren't. It always strikes me that the coffee industry is one that unites millions, if not billions, every day.See what winter does to me?? I need a vacation. Send me some sunshine, I'm dying over here......

Fishbein Declares Confidence, Resigns from Board Role at Coffee Kids

Posted by Coffee Kids on March 8, 2008 at 6:00am

Bill Fishbein, founder of Coffee Kids, has resigned from the board of directors. Declaring his confidence in the organization Fishbein has decided to offer his expertise to other non-profits and businesses looking to maximize the impact of their Corporate Social Responsibility dollars and pursue other opportunities to help coffee-farming families. Fishbein continues to be an ardent supporter of Coffee Kids and will continue to advocate for the organization and serve on the board of Coffee Kids UK charity.

Coffee Kids' non-commercial approach to development has helped tens of thousands of coffee-farming families. But millions more are in dire need. "It became obvious to me that Coffee Kids was going to have to be around for a long time," said Fishbein. "To do so, it had to become free from its dependency on me. The organization has been transitioning toward this day for several years, since Carolyn Fairman took over responsibility for day-to-day activities as executive director."

"Coffee Kids is no longer dependent upon me," added Fishbein."The staff is led by an executive director whose heart and sensibilities are deeply rooted in programs. With a well-seasoned president and depth in grassroots program development, organizational development, finance, marketing and fundraising, the board is more capable than any other time in Coffee Kids history. I have no doubt Coffee Kids will follow the mission instead of the money."

Rob Stephen, President of the Coffee Kids board of directors said, "As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Coffee Kids, we applaud Bill's vision as the founder of this extraordinary organization. To truly honor his work over the last two decades and demonstrate respect for his decision to step away, we will hold fast to our mission, remain focused on meaningful programs, and continue to build infrastructure that increases our capacity to do good. The best way to say thank you to Bill and all those who have made our first 20 years possible is to ensure we are built to last well into the future."

Fishbein's vote of confidence comes as Coffee Kids prepares to formally mark its 20th Anniversary with a Dinner Celebration May 3, 2008 at the Minneapolis Convention Center during the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 2008 Conference & Exhibition. For more information call 505-820-1143 or email info@coffeekids.org.

Going Green in Your Coffee House!

Posted by Matt Milletto on March 7, 2008 at 10:46am

As a coffee house owner there are many decisions that one can make to offer sustainable coffees, environmentally friendly products and to create a culture within your business that is socially responsible. I have seen an exponential growth in customer education and social awareness in the past few years and am excited to see coffee houses and coffee roasters/green coffee buyers focusing not only on quality but also developing direct relationships with coffee farmers etc. What I wanted to open up for discussion is a resource for coffee houses who may already be offering some "green" choices, as well as those who can learn from others, the simple practices that can greatly effect our customers buying practices. For many of us the first step is establishing a relationship with a coffee roaster, or roasting our own coffee, so that the coffee we serve and purchase is ethical and sustainable. There are obviously MANY great articles out there talking about this revolution so I wanted to expand upon this and brainstorm ideas that retailers can practice or offer that go past just the coffee we serve. So. What are some of you doing out there to lead by example with your retail operations? I have seen coffee houses switching to 100% biodegradable cups, composting used coffee grounds, donating to charities like Coffee Kids or Baristas for Bikes and a lot more. There are many ways a coffee house can conserve energy as well, with choosing everything from lighting, delivery options, water usage, recycling, etc. I also know there are coffee roasters out there who are experimenting with alternative energy use, and recycling the energy from their roasters to power their facility, etc. Also, many wholesale roasters are using hybrid or bio diesel vehicles. The coffee industry is so large that all of these decisions that we make can have a substantial global effects not only on the environment, but also the world economy. Let hear your ideas and examples! - Matt

Coffee & Cigars @ SCAA

Posted by Spencer on March 7, 2008 at 6:34am

Is Minneapolis a cigar friendly town? Is anyone up for a gathering of coffee and cigar folks? We can call it the puff and slurp social! Looking for a location - please let us know of a suitable location.Thanks.The Coffee & Cigars Group

Fair Trade

Posted by Noelle on March 6, 2008 at 5:53pm

I am writing an essay on the fairtrade movement...I am learning so much! I would love to hear the thoughts of those directly involved in the movement, whether you are part of and NGO, retailer, buyer, or producer!Hope to hear from anyone...

New Jobs Section on Barista Exchange!

Posted by Matt Milletto on March 6, 2008 at 5:00pm

Hi everyone, Thanks for your participation on bX. I am pleased with the growth of the site so far, and have some great PR stuff planned in the near future. I recently added a new "Jobs" posting page on the site. The format and functionality is killer and as someone who has posted jobs on bX before I encourage you to try it out. http://www.baristaexchange.com/jobs There is a nominal fee involved, but I tried to make it as cheap as possible. I didn't do this to make money, but rather to provide a much more valuable service to our members. The proceeds for any job posting in the month or March will go to Edwin Martinez Family, toward the efforts blogged about here. All of the postings are not only stored on barista exchange, but go out into the millions of searchable jobs on the Simply Hired search engine. Also, with it's own section, the Jobs area will get alot more exposure. We have roughly 10K UNIQUE visitors each month, and those numbers are growing ... we've only been live for 3 months. I will keep the existing jobs on the forum up for another week or so, but will be changing that section to be just for baristas to post if they are looking for work, that will always be free. Please email me with any feedback or questions. Thanks! - Matt

One Month in, What now?

Posted by James Spano on March 6, 2008 at 4:43pm

I've been here in Guatemala now for a month. I'm now doing all the roasting orders for Mike with the exception of a few special ones he directs, but still involves me in. I've visited several farms and learned about green coffee selection and what to look for.My next big task is taking my own farm trip. I'm planning on spending a week in Antigua visiting friends and checking out a few farms. There is also a possibility that I'll make a trip up to Hue Hue Tenango, though I'm not sure about that yet. I'm excited/nervous about doing this myself. It will be interesting for me to see how things go. I'm really excited about being able to offer a coffee on my list where I have met the farmer.I'm also making plans for when I return state side. I've picked out my city and am now looking at rent prices and things like that. Fortunately my brother lives there and can look at things and take some pictures for me. The current plan is to start out just roasting as this will be a much lower start up cost and will have the opportunity to spend time getting clients while not being tied down in a cafe setting. So when I get started, you guys feel free to place some orders or come visit me in . . . well I'm not saying yet (call me paranoid). Peace.

Thank you everyone! we raised $3803.00 for Carlos Martin's family!

Posted by Andy Newbom on March 6, 2008 at 3:30pm

Thank you to all the great people who put their money where their heart is and donated money to help support Juana Martin and her family. Together we raised $3,803.00 for the Martin family!!Edwin Martinez of Finca Vista Hermosa is flying to Guatemala Friday the 7th and will be bringing down the money to help out the entire family. Thank you so much to all who donated, chipped in and helped out. I know that several other great roasters like Victrola Coffee, Brown Coffee and others all had donation drives as well and raised a great deal of money.And a huge heartfelt thanks goes out to the amazing Barefoot Baristas who on their own decided to band together and donate all of their tips for the last week to Juana and her family! That is a strong move for a Barista to give up that much percentage of their income. Thank you Barefoot Baristas and crew!Thank you so much everyone who helped out! We will still be raising money for the next few weeks so donate online or in the cafe!donate:http://stores.homestead.com/barefootcoffeeroasters/-strse-90/FVH-donation-for-Carlos%27/Detail.bok

Free Coffee Shop Advertising

Posted by Aaron Daywitt on March 5, 2008 at 6:31pm

Does your coffee shop have free internet access? Did you know there are several online Wi-Fi directories where you can list your Coffee Shop Hotspot for free? It's true and it's quick and easy to do. Visit our website to read the rest of the article, Free Coffee Shop Advertising.

Steam Wand Mojo.

Posted by Anni Caporuscio on March 5, 2008 at 11:47am

So, another little thing about living on a small island way out in the Pacific is that you can't find anyone to fix your espresso machine. Needless to say, I'm doing pretty good at fixing stuff, reading manuals, and I'm way more mechanically inclined than I ever knew. However, our steam want pulled out of it's socket a few weeks ago. What do you do? So we jimmy-rigged a wand from another machine that we have (our current method of competing with other shops is to buy up all the espresso machines on the island so no one else can have one unless they pay a heck of a lot for shipping - we own four) and screwed it onto our machine and now there's this big dangly weird thing hanging off the side. Then, we hated the tip on the new wand, so we unscrewed it from the old wand and put it on the new wand.Now, our machine is old to begin with, so old in fact, that I have been unable to find any manuals for it. It just goes to show you that you don't need all the new-fangled equipment to make kick ass coffee; you just have to take care of it. Growing out of that, we have this weird arm dangling, and it looks like a nightmare. The baristas are pissed, too, because they were losing their milk-steaming mojo, a definite depressant.So we're practicing and practicing, and whining, and pounding pitchers, and waiting for the new wand to be shipped from Italy, and I just want to tell you how cute all my baristas are now. They learned their tricks, trading info and tips, and they're getting the silkiest milk ever right now. And showing each other, and cheering for each other. High-fives over foam. Making me get up and look at their latte art. And the customers are in to it, too, they now know all the tricks for steaming milk because that's all we talk about anymore behind the counter. I think it was that they had to still perform with the adversity of the machine being broken and really put their thinking caps on to re-get their dexterity and really find their mojo. My input on re-training: break something irreparably.

Barista Exchange Meet Up & Dance Party - Ithaca, NY

Posted by Matt Milletto on March 5, 2008 at 7:30am

We are proud to announce the next Barista Exchange Meet Up will take place Friday, April 11th in conjunction with the NERBC. The party is sponsored by the American Barista & Coffee School Here are the details: Friday, April 11th, 2008 8pm - 1am Ithaca, NY The Chanticleer Loft (corner of Cayuga St. and State St.) Barista Exchange members will receive their official Barista Exchange Member buttons, if you don't already have one. Come rock out with baristas and coffee fanatics. For more info you can message Erin McCarthy.

Coffee Farmers who are Landmine Victims!

Posted by Swapna on March 5, 2008 at 4:44am

Major coffee producing regions of the world have also been the sites of bitter conflict, including Columbia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Vietnam, Laos, Uganda, Angola and Ethiopia. Tragically, areas with the heaviest concentrations of landmine use and the best coffee producing regions frequently overlap.One of the best places to grow high quality coffee is in the mountains, the same areas that in times of war are strategically significant as borders between territories, or as strongholds for opposing forces. Landmines are a particularly effective weapon in steep terrain where movement is limited to mountain passes and trails that traverse agricultural areas – the same areas where coffee farmers live and work.For example, take Colombia. Colombian coffee farms covers 800,000 hectares of cultivated land, and the Colombian coffee industry supports 500,000 farmers. Guerilla and paramilitary groups intentionally use landmines to displace citizens by mining villages and farms and then mining houses and roads to prevent their return. While landmines are a persistent problem throughout Colombia, they are particularly concentrated in the mountainous coffee areas. 23% of Colombia’s mine related incidents have occurred in Antioquia, the heart of Colombia’s coffee growing region.The Universal Impact of Landmines in the Coffeelands:good land often goes uncultivatedcoffee trees in mined areas go unpickedmined roads cannot be used to transport good to marketpeople lose their homes and farmspeople live in constant fear of stepping on a landminelandmine survivors and their families spend the rest of their lives dealing with the physical and emotional impact of landmine injuriesagronomists who help farmers improve their crops and means of production are fearful of going into areas that are minedI think this is an important issue that is very pertinent to this website and its members. We should help these people. I know probably everyone on this website already drinks fair trade coffee. One other way to that is to get involved in the Coffeelands Landmine Victims Trust, who provide microgrants, mobility aids, and emergency services to this coffee farming victims. Please visit their website and help today: http://coffeelandstrust.org

resume

Posted by jason robert paglia on March 4, 2008 at 1:35pm

pdf of my current resume

Help needed for school in Tanzania!

Posted by chiara nicolini jiskra on March 4, 2008 at 7:58am

For donations or more information please contact me or: escuelatloma@gmail.com.Tloma Primary school is located in Karatu, Tanzania. A little village situated west of Arusha. The conditions of their school is what you can see in the pic... it is really horrible...A group of friends will be travelling soon to help them built a better school so any thing will be helpfull...Pens, books, ETC ETC is needed.I have the information in spanish but if anyone is interested in helping with the proyect please let me know! Anything will be welcome!!Tloma Primary School is a school located in Karatu (Tanzania), a little village best of Arusha, between Lake Manyara and the “crater” Ngorongoro and more to the north The Serengeti.Few year ago, some of us had the privilege of traveling to this lands, totally innocent of what we were going to see, the emtions and the impact this will give us when we got back home….. Sin embargo nos sorprendió por encima de todo el modo en que los niños, en nuestro trayecto por las calles de Karatu, se dirigían a nosotros para pedirnos un bolígrafo. Nos pareció increíble. En medio de todo aquel horror, un boli…Volvimos con el firme propósito de que aquello de lo que fuimos testigos no quedara reducido a una escena más del paisaje, de manera que decidimos hacer algo entre amigos, llenar de sentido nuestra estancia en aquel lugar haciéndoles llegar el material escolar que les urgía. Concretamente pensamos en remitirlo a la Tloma Primary School, puesto que en el camino tuvimos oportunidad de cruzarnos con sus alumnos, que acudían a clase, mientras se volvían hacia nuestro auto, sonriendo de oreja a oreja y gritándonos ‘pen, pen!’ (‘¡un boli, un boli!). Así nació la idea.Desde entonces ha pasado ya algún tiempo y no deseamos que esto se vaya alargando sin hacer nada, de modo que hemos decidido llevar a cabo de una vez por todas ese primer impulso que sentimos al aterrizar de vuelta en casa, pero ahora multiplicado. Es decir, pensamos que tal vez podíamos, no sólo poner dinero de nuestro bolsillo, sino también llevarlo si cabe un poco más allá y pedir la colaboración de amigos, conocidos y la tuya con el objeto de conseguir enviar más material. La lógica es aplastante: más personas, más euros, más libretas y más bolígrafos. Y el método sencillo: alojar huchas en establecimientos públicos, junto a una explicación de nuestro pequeño proyecto, para intentar recaudar una cifra mayor y enviar a la escuela primaria Tloma, que cuenta con 650 alumnos, un volumen suficiente de material escolar que facilite y dignifique el aprendizaje de sus alumnos.No somos una ONG, ni pretendemos serlo o parecerlo. Sólo somos un grupo de amigos con esta idea que ahora queremos compartir contigo y para la que pedimos tu colaboración. Bajo ningún concepto vamos a enviar el dinero recaudado, sino que nosotros mismos adquiriremos los materiales y los enviaremos a Karatu, puesto que nuestra obsesión es que en efecto acaben llegando a manos de los chicos de la Tloma Primary School.No piden demasiado, sólo un bolígrafo. ¿Qué representa un bolígrafo para nosotros? ¿Qué es un bolígrafo para ti? Seguramente estamos hartos de ver cientos de ellos por todas partes. Para ellos, sin embargo, para los chicos de la escuela Tloma, un bolígrafo es el instrumento primordial para una educación básica, elemental.Creemos sinceramente que no, no piden demasiado. ¿Y tú? ¿Tú qué crees?Nuestro objetivo inicial es alojar huchas en una veintena de establecimientos públicos, junto a un cartel explicativo del proyecto y una lista donde todo el que lo desee deje anotada su dirección de correo electrónico. De este modo haríamos llegar una relación detallando en que gastamos cada céntimo recaudado.

Don't forget!

Posted by Ed Kaufmann on March 4, 2008 at 5:04am

Sunday, March 9th, there will be Spring Bashage to be had at Harefield Road! Harefield Road is a great little spot just east of the corner of Graham and Metropolitan Avenues. Bashage will take form at this event in many coffee professionals, enthusiasts and friends getting together for beer and good times with no espresso machine in sight. Easy arrival at the Graham Avenue stop on the L train. See you there!

Got several cool things coming up. Check 'em out!

Posted by Jason Dominy on March 3, 2008 at 9:00am

This Sunday night at 6PM. Informal barista jam. Sling some espresso, throw some milk, talk some smack.Next Friday, March 14th. Coffee cupping and roundtable. 10AM. Cup some coffees, talk about the state of coffee in the area.Dilworth Coffee Roastery, Charlotte.Contact me if you're interested.704.340.3005.

Coffee and Popcorn: Movies to See

Posted by Coffee Kids on March 3, 2008 at 6:00am

We just received a DVD here in the Coffee Kids offices and thought you should check it out as well.

Black Coffee is a three-hour, three part movie chronicling the history of coffee and the conditions faced by coffee farmers. It gives a great unbiased overview of the coffee industry, but also explains the challenges that coffee farmers are facing.

Black Gold is another good movie to check out. It's gotten a bit more publicity than Black Coffee, but gives a good overview of the plight of coffee farmers.

Let us know if you get a chance to check them out and what you think.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.