For paid subscribers: I’ve written before about Starbucks’ myriad climate issues, but now conservative activist shareholders are trying to weaponise those failings in service of a climate denialist goal.
How can supposedly ethical coffee brands pitch themselves as environmentally conscious while partnering with airlines?
Is it just me, or is this year truly flying by? It's March already, soon it'll be summer and then Christmas and then who even knows.
Best not to think about it, really. Have a cup of coffee instead, and maybe catch up on the news.
Coffee shops are fragile things. One wrong move, one tripped breaker, one corroded valve, and the whole thing grinds to a halt. The espresso machine is faulty? No lattes. Bad wiring? Hot water heater stops. Robotic barista arm not programmed correctly? Unhappy— wait, what?
As anyone who's ever tried to set up a new printer knows, technology is not always your friend. Cafe X—the infamous robot coffee shop in San Francisco—learned that the hard way when their newest baristabot had trouble brewing coffee correctly during its debut morning rush.
You know what they say: never send a frightening, soulless robotic arm to do an underpaid, tattooed twenty-something's job.
Read more here.
Always one step behind the Dutch, America's legal marijuana industry is finally beginning to catch up with the launch of the Coffee Joint, a Denver-based coffee shop on whose premises it's apparently legal to consume cannabis.
There are some caveats, however. You can't actually smoke weed there (you can vape, or eat a cookie, but smoking indoors is still not allowed); you also can't purchase marijuana on the premises—you have to go next door to the dispensary for that (which is handily run by the owner of the Coffee Joint).
Oh, and it hasn't definitely been approved—they're still waiting on inspection and a public hearing. But hey, it's a start.
Read more here.
This place looks amazing. Designed by the renowned artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, the cafe at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, is a work of art in itself. Sugimoto was commissioned to design the entire cafe, down to the materials used for the bar and even the menu fonts.
He also encourages interaction and participation from visitors—"It's patina," he said when asked if he worried about people touching or climbing on the sculptures. He even chose brass for the bar counter, envisaging that it would change over time.
It's a stunning space, run by Dolcezza, a gelato and coffee company based in Georgetown and using Stumptown coffee.
As Liz Lemon from 30 Rock would say, I want to go to there.
Read more here.
If you've ever wondered why you couldn't order a coffee that tasted like a blended up Girl Scout Cookie, then you're in luck. Dunkin' Donuts, forever looking for ways to strip coffee of its soul, has come out with a range of flavours meant to mimic the taste of Thin Mints, Samoas and Tag-a-longs.
Why? Who knows.
Read more here.
OK, it's getting confusing now. Does coffee cause cancer or cure it? Can it help with your workout, or hinder it? Does it matter? Can't we just enjoy ourselves without worrying about whether the hot liquid we're pouring into our bodies is going to destroy us or not?
One thing's for sure, giving up coffee for a week makes you go weird.
Meet Cafe Steez, The New Subscription Pairing Coffee & Hip-Hop by Jordan Michelman
10 Minutes With Liz Rose of New Order Coffee by Ashley Rodriguez
Things I’ll Never Do Again (Or, My Failures in Coffee Sustainability) by Jan von Enden
The Coffee Sensorium By Fabiana Carvalho: A Revolution Of Flavor Perception by Juliana Ganan
Until next week, drink good coffee. Preferably brewed by a human.
A newsletter about coffee—its culture, politics, and how it connects to the wider world.
