For paid subscribers: From the preposterous tech startup that wanted to roast coffee in space to espresso on the International Space Station, there’s a lot of coffee up there.
Many people visit cafes during the workday—but for those who work nights, good coffee remains woefully scarce. Now, one enterprising Australian is trying to change that.
It was another big week in coffee news. Featuring:
The launch of the 2023 Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide, which aims to demystify specialty coffee pricing and allow “sellers and buyers to look beyond commodity reference prices.”
Coffee growers are helping to slow deforestation and soil erosion around the Panama Canal. It’s part of an ongoing effort to address the major drought that has impacted cargo travel through the crucial waterway.
Robert Downey Jr. and some other rich guy have launched a coffee company to “add a jolt of joy to the marketplace,” whatever that means. They then spent their first interview insulting the rest of the industry, even making up a new word—“baristacrats”, rolls off the tongue—to describe people who care about coffee.
I'm a coffee writer and creator of The Pourover. Based in Scotland, I have over a decade of experience in the specialty coffee industry. Ask me about coffeewashing. It's pronounced Fin (he/him)
Fionn Pooler
