Farewell, Emilio Lavazza!
Last week marked the end of an era for the world of coffee for Emilio Lavazza, the boss of the Italian coffee giant of the same name, has passed away. Lavazza has long been known in Italy as perhaps the most reliable name in the coffee business. The family business was founded way back in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza. The males of the family have run the helm since then.
Emilio Lavazza may not have been the founder of the company, but he is undoubtedly the person behind its expansion. He engaged in various activities that propelled the Lavazza name to great heights, both locally and internationally. I suppose that many of us should thank him for introducing their brand to the rest of the world.
For those of you who may not be that familiar with the name, here is a short teaser from their web site:
Spreading the aroma and quality of Italian espresso around the world has always been our main aim.
That is the reason why we strive for excellence and innovation, drawing strength from our experience established over more than a century of activity, since the early 1900’s, when Luigi Lavazza first invented the concept of the blend, the art of mixing coffee of different origins to obtain a harmonious and tasty product.
Today Lavazza is the leader when it comes to quality and is the symbol of Italian espresso and Italian identity worldwide.
Ask any Italian friend about them and you’ll probably get an earful (positive or negative, depending on who you ask). In any case, whether you know the brand or not, it is but right to pay homage to someone who played a huge role in the world of coffee. Farewell, Signore Lavazza.
Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 22nd Annual Exposition & Symposium
From April 15 to April 18 of this year, Anaheim is set to host the 22nd Annual Exposition & Symposium of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Fondly called “The Event,” the symposium will welcome coffee professionals from over 40 countries. The Event will focus on everything specialty coffee including trends, products, technology, and coffee farmers’ livelihoods. There will also be a special focus on sustainable farming.
There are two other special reasons to look forward to The Event. These are the United States Barista Championship (USBC) and the Roasters Guild Coffees of the Year Competition. These two contests are traditionally held during the annual symposium and draw a lot of attention. The first contest, USBC, will feature the best baristas from all over the United States. They will be preparing and serving 12 orders. More than having the distinction of being the best of the best, the winner of the contest will be representing the country in the 2010 World Barista Championship which will be held in London this June. The second contest focuses on various coffee products hailing from all over the world. Judges will be sampling and tasting the coffee based on their fragrance, aroma, taste, flavor, aftertaste, and body. Naturally, the winner will hold a prestigious position in the world of coffee.
There will also be seminars, workshops, trainings, and exhibits at The Event. For those who want to learn to become baristas, this is the place to be in April. For more information, visit the web site of The Event.
Drink Coffee, Win A Nobel Prize
Finally – a formula for winning a Nobel Prize! Well, maybe not quite – my excitement shows just how much I am NOT in the running for one of those prizes, but it does show how passionate I am about my favorite brew, doesn’t it?
Anyhow, the current winners for the Nobel Prize in three categories (namely chemistry, economics, and physics) have let the word out: coffee is instrumental to their success. The say that – alongside intellectual freedom and independent research – coffee has contributed to their achievements in their own fields.
The benefits of coffee have long been known to many. Coffee stimulates you, giving you that often much needed jolt to keep you going. If you ask these distinguished intellectuals, though, it is not the caffeine that they hold in high regard. As a matter of fact, it is the idea of coffee breaks that they praise. They say that these breaks provide time to discuss ideas, to air out them out, and to sort out a cluttered mind. Indeed, it does not matter if it’s coffee or tea that you drink – heck, maybe even fruit juice will do the trick!
What’s this got to do with us coffee lovers then? I guess it’s about time that we realize that our favorite drink is not the end all be all. Those times that we get together with friends for coffee should also be recognized for what they really are: enjoying each other’s company and spending time with people who matter. The coffee is the icing on top of the cake!
Here’s to a Nobel Prize in our futures?
America’s First Cannabis Coffee Shop
Is this America or The Netherlands? I really am talking about the United States, and yes, the first ever cannabis coffee shop has opened in this country. Believe it or not, it has happened. Located in Portland, Oregon, Cannabis Café is the first and only legal marijuana coffee shop in the country. It opened earlier this week.
You might be wondering how this could have happened. Well, the Obama administration has left it up to each state to determine how they will deal with the use of marijuana. Apparently, the state government of Oregon is okay with this.
Those who are iffy about the issue should know that going to the Cannabis Café is not as easy as going to your run-of-the-mill coffee shop. In fact, only people who are enrolled in the state’s Medical Marijuana Program may go to the shop. Furthermore, only Oregon residents are allowed to join this program. Individuals who are suffering from illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and glaucoma are qualified to join the program, and they have to pay a $100 fee PLUS a certificate from a doctor.
The requirements do not stop there. In addition to the above requirement, patients must also join National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) – the Oregon chapter, naturally. The fee is $240 yearly. In order to enter the Cannabis Café, you would have to have two ID cards from the two organizations mentioned above.
So where does the coffee come in? It’s always available at the shop, for those who want it!
Free Coffee At Coffee Bean
Hold on – before you get too excited, this piece of news is only for a small population of our readers. I ran across this bit of information – the good news is that today, November 12, participating Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores in three states will be offering free drinks.
Dubbed The Holiday Open House, some Coffee Bean stores will be serving 12 oz holiday drinks from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Drinks on the roster are Peppermint Latte (or Ice Blended), Pumpkin Latte (or Ice Blended), and Winter Dream Latte. Naturally, only one drink per customer is allowed.
The stores that will be participating are those located in California, Arizona, and Texas. Unfortunately, those stores located in school campuses are not part of the promotion. (I wonder why?;))
I am pretty sure that a lot of people will be grabbing this chance to get a free drink. Never mind that it’s just a 12 oz drink and that you can only have one – that’s several dollars you can save! More so, this is the perfect opportunity for those who may want to simply try the holiday drinks and are not sure if they want to spend that money on something they may not like.
I wish that Coffee Bean would do the same for other stores in other parts of the country – and the world for that matter. Now I am pretty sure that Starbucks will follow suit, one way or another. Wanna bet?
Starbucks Wants Your Loyalty
I bet that you have a Starbucks loyalty card – practically everyone I know has one! If you have not heard by now, the coffee giant is making a few changes to its loyalty program. This December, we are supposed to experience some changes, the most noticeable of all will be the melding of the two programs (Starbucks Cards Rewards and Starbucks Gold Card) into one: My Starbucks Rewards.
At this point, you ought to realize that I am talking about the U.S. market here as I think they have different programs in other parts of the world. Anyhow, what will happen with the new rewards program?
One good thing is that there is no annual fee to become part of the program. This is GOOD – who appreciates annual fees anyway? The program also categorizes customers into different levels. Upon getting the card and registering, you will automatically be placed at the Welcome Level. At this level, you get a free birthday drink. When you’ve visited 5 times, you will be promoted to the Green Level. Perks include free brewed coffee refills (YES!), free syrup, and free soy. Additionally, when you buy a pound of whole beans, you get a free tall drink of your choice. You can also get up to 2 free Wi-Fi hours at this level.
You can also aim for gold – just visit Starbucks 30 times in one year (I bet you can do this in a month!). All the abovementioned benefits are included plus a free drink after each 15th purchase.
Looks good to me, although I have to say that I always get a free cup of brewed coffee at Coffee Bean when I buy half a pound of whole beans – and I am not a cardholder at that!
Protect Your Liver With Coffee
I bet you didn’t know that – I didn’t! I know how too much alcohol can damage one’s liver beyond repair, but I had never associated coffee with the liver. Then again, everything that we ingest goes through the liver so it makes sense.
Anyhow, a new study has found out that perhaps, coffee can help with the retardation of the damage on the liver caused by hepatitis C. This form of hepatitis is viral and can be contracted through infected needles, sexual activity, and mother to child. In a few cases, the virus does not cause much damage. However, in most cases, the infection stays and causes damage to the liver, including chronic inflammation, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), and even cancer of the liver.
So what exactly did this new study find out? According to the researchers, their subjects who drank at least three cups of coffee on a daily basis were more protected against the long term damages wrought by hepatitis C. The figures play around 53 percent. Reuters has more details:
Freedman’s team found that the risk of progression declined as patients’ coffee intake rose. Compared with those who were non-drinkers at the outset, patients who had one to three cups of coffee per day were 30 percent less likely to progress. Those who drank three or more cups each day had a 53 percent lower risk.
Again, as with most other studies, the researchers have a standard disclaimer that they need further studies and analysis to have conclusive results. Still, even if you don’t have hepatitis C, you have another reason to drink more coffee!
Coffee Poisons Harvard Lab Workers
I have heard people say that coffee is a drug but I haven’t heard of anything about it being a poison, have you? Ask the six Harvard lab workers and I am sure they will tell you just how poisonous coffee can be!
Apparently, in August, these lab workers drank some coffee from a machine which was located near their laboratory. Soon after, they had to be taken to the hospital due to symptoms such as dizziness and ringing in the ears. One of them even passed out. While they were released not long after, the incident prompted an investigation.
The results were released just yesterday, and they showed that the coffee in the machine was tainted with a chemical called sodium azide. This chemical is commonly used in laboratories as a preservative. They don’t know whether its presence was intentional or not.
So who cares about this piece of news? I do! And people who drink coffee from their office coffee machines should think twice as well! Whether you are talking about those instant coffee machines or machines that dispense brewed coffee, it always pays to make sure that what you are getting is safe and clean.
Come to think of it, though, the story is actually a bit funny. I am sure the workers don’t think so, but who would have thought that such a chemical would find its way into the coffee? Anyhow, next time you think of grabbing coffee from “just anywhere,” you might want to think twice.
Cool Innovations From Coffee Fest Seattle 2009
The Coffee Fest at Seattle is being held this weekend – from the 25th of September to the 27th – and inventors have been showing off their creations. Here are some of the more interesting ones, which I think have the potential to become mainstream.
Jeff Baccetti’s SmartCup
We all know that adding the word “smart” to your product ensures that it will get the attention it deserves, right? Seriously, the SmartCup might just be a staple in the traveler’s arsenal. In a nutshell, the SmartCup is a portable, disposable French press. More than having access to fresh coffee while you’re on the road, the general consensus is that coffee brewed in a French press tastes so much better anyway. The good news is that Jeff Baccetti is hoping to sell his innovation for home use in the near future.
SMUG Coffee by Chris and Mike Halberg
Their idea was to have your mug pay for your coffee. How? By using SMUG. The brothers dub it the world’s first intelligent mug. That is, it has an RFID chip which contains information. Users can visit a web site to choose their favorite coffee and load up their wallet. More than the convenience, using the reusable SMUG will also help lessen one’s carbon footprint!
Karen Porte’s TuGo
Frequent fliers can now have a place to put their coffee cups while waiting in line at the airport. Just get TuGo, a cup holder that can be placed in between the collapsible handles of any carry on bag. It holds the cup upright to avoid spills. It also folds to fit the pocket of the same bag it can be attached to. Neat, huh?
Coffee Shop Owners Shunning Free WiFi More
Remember my post on some New York coffee shops starting a ban on laptops and taking back their free WiFi facilities? I was aghast, just like many other people who frequent coffee shops. Now, it seems that the trend is going the way of those coffee shop owners.
More and more coffee shops are realizing that they might just be on the losing end with their offer of free WiFi. It is not uncommon to see a coffee shop filled with people, majority of them sipping coffee with the unmistakable glow of their laptops shining on their faces. While some make the trip to the counter more than once, many patrons actually sit there with their laptops plugged into a wall socket, nursing their drink for as long as they can. The result? Low – or almost no – sales.
This is what’s bothering coffee shop owners these days. They say that there are times when, even when there isn’t an empty seat in the shop, they are not making any sale. Coffee shop owners say that inherently, they are providing a value added service, but they also expect their “backs to be scratched.” To cut the long story short, people who use WiFi and plug their laptops in at coffee shops should not just sit there for hours and not buy anything.
One would think that this is common sense. Then again, with the economy being as bad as it is, it is also understandable that some people would want to spend as little as they can while using free WiFi and free electricity.
All I can think of is that if the two parties do not reach a compromise, we just might be seeing the death of free WiFi in our coffee shops. Nooo….
Photo courtesy of AskBoBrankin
