FUEL THe ADDICTION
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FUEL THE ADDICTION/ OCTOBER 2012/ISSUE_10
THE WORLD OF COFFEE
DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENJOY
COFFEE HOUSE CULTURE
ART & MUSIC
4
COFFEE REVIEW: BENUTI’S SUMATRA
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COFFEE ART; NEW ORLEANS STYLE
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BREWING METHODS: STOVE TOP COFFEE
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ODD COFFEE HISTORY: THE LEGEND OF THE GOAT
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COFFEE IS THE NEW WINE: HERE’S HOW YOU TASTE IT
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PUTTING THE ‘COFFEE’ BACK INTO COFFEE CAKE
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BEN BROOKS: THE PORTRAIT OF AN AVID COFFEE DRINKER
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A COFFEE ADDICTS GUIDE TO THE WORLD
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HOW TO: PREPARE THE PERFECT CUP
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GREAT COFFEE, GOOD VIBES, PASS IT ON
Coffee Is The New Wine. Here’s How You Taste It. ARTICLE BY ALLISON AUBREY PHOTOS BYMAGGIE STARBARD, BENJAMIN MORRIS, BEN DE LA CRUZ
If your morning coffee habit involves a quick stop and a paper cup, you’re probably not taking the time to focus on your java’s subtle flavors. Well, NPR’s Allison Aubrey reports on a growing movement to slow down, savor that coffee and learn where it comes from. The “know your farmer” concept may soon apply to the folks growing your coffee, too. Increasingly, specialty roasters are working directly with coffee growers around the world to produce coffees as varied in taste as wines. And how are roasters teaching their clientele to appreciate the subtle characteristics of brews? By bringing an age-old tasting ritual once limited to coffee insiders to the coffee-sipping masses. When we wanted to get in on the coffee “cupping” trend, we headed to Artifact Coffee, a funky new cafe in Baltimore. It was started by Spike Gjerde of Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen, who is doing with coffee what he’s doing with food in his restaurants: sourcing it from small-scale farmers who are committed to sustainability and quality.
CAFFEINE_10 – 18
“THIS ARTISANAL APPROACH IS
CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE THI NK ABOUT COFFEE – FROM THIS ANONYMOUS COMM ODITY TO SOMETHING THAT’S PERSONAL, DIRECT, AND SPECIA L.”
If you listen to my interview (NEXT PAGE), you’ll hear that Artifact is serving CounterCulture Coffee. This trend-setting, North-Carolina-based roaster has forged relationships with coffee growers all over the world. For instance, it’s working with Jorge and Javier Recinos, fourth-generation farmers who run one of the first organic coffee farms in Guatemala. Peter Giuliano of CounterCulture says creating that oneon-one relationship with growers has led to better coffee. The Recinos brothers had been selling their beans in bulk, but Giuliano worked with them to differentiate the best beans. “We came in and said, ‘No, no, no, we want to separate the coffee and pay more for the better stuff,’ “ he says. He says his customers are clamoring for the premium stuff wherever it’s served. Like Intelligentsia, another specialty roaster with a similar approach, CounterCulture sells its coffees both online and wholesale to coffee shops. From Atlanta — where chefs Hugh Acheson and Ryan Smith of Empire State South are introducing customers to CounterCulture’s specialty coffee — to Des Moines, where the Mars Café serves up Intelligentsia’s brews, the new wave of coffee is spreading. Which brings us back to cuppings, where baristas try to help newbies discern the subtle flavors and characteristics of various coffees. “Baristas are like the sommeliers of their industry,” explains Artifact Coffee’s Gjerde. And he says he thinks more coffee drinkers will start to “appreciate coffee for its individual characteristics, as we do wine.” This artisanal approach is changing the way people think about coffee — “from this anonymous commodity to something that’s personal, direct and special,” says CounterCulture’s Giuliano. In a new venture with the Specialty Coffee Association, Giuliano says he’s planning a symposium that he describes as his industry’s equivalent of the Aspen Ideas Festival. So, if you’d like to be a connoisseur of coffee, start studying the roasting bags. Increasingly, there’s as much information as you’d find on a wine label. The most recent bag I bought, freshly roasted Stumptown coffee, came with a little tasting card. Online, I can see the exact coordinates of the location of the farm it came from, as well as the elevation (as I explain in my radio story, altitude influences taste), and the varietal of coffee. Happy sipping.
CAFFEINE_10 – 19
JUST GOING TO GO THE COFFEE, AND WE’RE TO E OS CL ELY AT IM INT “WE WANT TO GET P. R NOSE RIGHT IN THE CU REALLY WANT TO GET OU UP TO EACH ONE, AND WE ALLIE CARAN: My name is Allie Caran, and I’m the lead barista here at Artifact Coffee. AUBREY: It’s Caran’s job to educate newbies about factors like elevation. Today, we’re trying three kinds. We want to get intimately close to the coffee, and we’re just going to go up to each one, and we really want to get our nose right in the cup. After inhaling deeply and then slurping the coffee, she tasted the Sumatran coffee she’s brewed. It’s really complex. It’s really like it’s layered, and it’s more of this kind of like almost potpourri. How does it compare to the Guatemalan, she asks? ALLISON AUBREY: Almost 20 years ago, coffee lover Peter Giuliano was working at a coffeehouse called the Pannikin in the California beach town of Encinitas. PETER GIULIANO: It was a classic coffeehouse, you know, wooden floors. It wasn’t like a Starbucks-to-go kind of thing. It was a place where people sat and drank coffee and talked about things. It was in this environment with the food renaissance just beginning to percolate, he asked himself a question. He was sipping what he remembers to be a spectacular coffee with a strong citrus flavor. It was labeled as Ethiopian. It tasted like sort of lemon oil, and I was shocked by it. He wanted to know more. Why did this coffee stand out so much from everyday coffee? Did it have to do with how or where it was grown? So at that moment, I realized I had to figure that out, that I was curious about that. And what he discovered is that coffee is like wine. It varies in taste depending on where it’s grown, what kind of soil, the elevation, the weather. Now, to try to taste this for myself, I went to a funky new cafe in Baltimore called Artifact.
CAFFEINE_10 – 20
We’re starting to see that this one is definitely earthy and chocolaty. (Unintelligible) mushroom myself. Mushroom. Yeah. There’s a fungal quality to it. To me, the coffee tastes really good, though I can’t say I’m discerning subtle fungal notes. Learning to taste these characteristics is a work in progress, partly because of the way we’ve thought about coffee for so long.
AUBREY: And after one sip, he’s got a reaction. It’s definitely different. I get a lot of caramelly notes. I guess, it’s a little floral. Biddle says he’s into it. He loves trying all these new coffees. And with more small roasters building direct relationships with coffee farmers, Peter Giuliano says people are beginning to see coffee quite differently. GIULIANO: Coffee was this colonialist crop. AUBREY: Peter Giuliano again. Because we had to import it from so far away, it became logical to sort of just lump everything together. And, you know, the most specific that you can get is, you know, coffee from Colombia, and that’s how most American consumers, even sophisticated American consumers thought about coffee in the ‘90s.
So it goes from this anonymous commodity kind of thing to something that’s personal and direct and, you know, special. AUBREY: And Allie Caran, of Artifact Coffee, says it also makes people more aware of things like fair trade and environmental stewardship.
Giuliano was eager to change this. So after his eureka moment, he joined up with a few others who had started a small coffee roasting business called CounterCulture Coffee in North Carolina. They started visiting coffee farmers around the world and building direct relationships. For instance, they reached out to Jorge and Javier Recinos, two brothers in the western region of Guatemala, who run a fourth-generation family farm. We were the first buyers that they had ever met. They had been selling their coffee for, you know, since they were kids to the United States but never had anyone showed up at their farm and said, hey, we’re the ones that buy your coffee. And creating this one-on-one relationship led to a very different coffee product. You see, the Guatemalan brothers had been selling their coffee in bulk for one price with no way of separating out the higher quality beans. We came in and said, no, no, no, we want to separate the coffee and pay more for the better stuff.
CARAN: Now, there’s really this push where people want to know what they’re buying. People want to know what they’re supporting, what they’re putting in their bodies. And it’s really exciting because this is such a young industry. But an industry that’s growing one cup at a time. Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
And one of the things that makes for a more valuable bean is altitude. The coffee that they harvest first at the bottom of the farm doesn’t taste as good as the coffee that they harvest last at the top of the farm, and this is because altitude makes it a difference in - a dramatic difference in flavor.
NATALIE COLE: (Singing in background of interview) Coffee time. My dreamy friend, it’s coffee time. Let’s listen to some jazz and rhyme and have a cup of coffee. Let me show...
Similar to wine, Giuliano explains it’s the warm days and cool nights typical of higher altitudes that changes sugar content and develops flavors. And if you’ve spent enough time with coffee, you really can taste these differences. Back at Artifact’s coffee shop in Baltimore, we’re about to try the premium coffee from the Guatemalan brothers’ farm. Taster Greg Biddle(ph) has just tried the low altitude brew which he describes as grassy, and he’s about to try the high altitude variety. GREG BIDDLE: So we’ll see if I can detect a difference in that cup.
CAFFEINE_10 – 21
A Coffee Addict’s Guide to the World. would you mix your joe with cheese? butter? whiskey? most of the world loves coffee, but you might be surprised by how they take it. bring your morning cup on a world tour with 23 popular regional spins on the caffeinated classic.
ARTICLE BY NICHOLAS DERENZO PHOTOS BY TASTEMAKERS
Choosing a cup of coffee is about more than just milk or sugar. From the Ethiopian countryside of where coffee was first discovered to the baroque cafes of imperial Europe to the high-tech streets as Tokyo, coffee has adapted to almost every culture—even infiltrating tea-loving strongholds such on India and Hong Kong. Here's your global guide to regional coffee styles: some that have caught across the globe, some that represent a unique link to the area—and some that are just plain weird.
ITALY – ESPRESSO The perfect cup should have a caramel-colored crema layer on top that is thick enough to support a spoonful of sugar for a few seconds before breaking. Espresso should be downed in one gulp while standing at the bar; if you sit at a table, that privilege will cost you up to four times more than standing. Experts claim you can find. Rome’s best espresso near the Pantheon, where water is sourced from springs by the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct built in 19 B.C. The most popular with locals is at Caffe Sant’Eustachio, where Romans have been stepping up to the stainless-steel bar since 1938 for their morning brew—always presweetened here. Piazza Sant’Eustachio 82, santeustachioilcaffe.it, espresso $1.50.
Austria – MELANGE The most popular drink in Viennese cafes, Austria's take on cappuccino combines espresso and steamed milk, topped with milk foam or sometimes whipped cream. Cafes usually serve a glass of water with coffee, meant to be drunk between sips to hydrate and cleanse the palate. With its elegant rococo interiors and elaborate sugar displays in the front window, it's no wonder that the Demel cafe once served as the official confectionary of the Hapsburg imperial court. Don't skip a slice of Vienna's signature dessert, Sacher torte (chocolate cake, apricot jam, and dark chocolate icing). Kohlmarkt 14, demel.at, melange $5.40.
CAFFEINE_10 – 26
Mexico – Café de Olla Traditionally drunk at all-night Mexican wakes, the spiced drink is brewed in an earthenware pot with cinnamon sticks. Don't add extra sugar—the drink comes presweetened with piloncillo (unrefined dark brown sugar). Mexico City's El Bajío is widely considered one of the top spots for home-style Mexican cooking in the world. The original location is a bit off the tourist path in the northern district of Azcapotzalco, but their Polanco branch sits squarely in the city's upscale boutique-and-gallery district. Alejandro Dumas 7, carnitaselbajio.com.mx, café de olla $1.50.
-LONG COFFEE CEREMONY, DON’T STOP “IF INVITED INTO SOMEONE’S HOME FOR THE ELABORATE HOURS BEREKA), WHICH IS CONSIDERED A BLESSING.” DRINKING UNTIL YOU’VE HAD CUP NUMBER THREE (CALLED
Saudi Arabia – KAHWA A hallmark of Bedouin hospitality, the cardamom-infused drink is almost always offered with sweet dried dates, which counter the bitterness of the coffee. A younger person is always expected to pour coffee for his elders. Note that women are typically not welcome in Riyadh's traditional coffee and shisha (water pipe) shops. To get your caffeine fix as a Western tourist, you'll want to stick to the capital's more upscale hotels. At the Caravan Stop in the Hotel Al Khozama, you can sip coffee with traditional desserts like rosewater custard and almond puff pastry. Olaya Rd., al-khozama.com, desserts from $9.
Ethiopia – BUNA In the birthplace of coffee, the drink may be served with salt or butter instead of milk and sugar (and a side of popped sorghum kernels) in the countryside, but sugar has become increasingly popular since the 1930s Italian occupation. If invited into someone's home for the elaborate hours-long coffee ceremony, don't stop drinking until you've had cup number three (called bereka), which is considered a blessing. . Addis Ababa's Habesha Restaurant brings Ethiopia's rural traditions to the heart of the capital city: The coffee ceremony is performed throughout the day in a thatched hut in its outdoor dining area. Bole Rd. (next to the Sabit Building), 011-251/11-551-8358.
CAFFEINE_10 – 27
Turkey – Türk Kahvesi A remnant of Ottoman coffeehouse culture, this thick brew is made in a copper cezve (a long-handled pot) and often served after meals with chewy Turkish delight candy. Don’t drink the thick layer of sludge on the bottom of the cup. You won’t want to end up chewing on leftover grounds; besides, they can be used for a special form of fortune-telling called tasseography. Founded in 1923 in Istanbul’s Kadıköy market, Fazıl Bey’in Türk Kahvesi offers its small cups of Turkish coffee in flavors like cardamom, vanilla, or mastic—an aromatic resin used in Mediterranean desserts. Serasker Cad.Tarihi Kadıköy Çarçısı 1a, fazilbey.com, Türk kahvesi $2.50.
“YOU WON’T WANT TO END UP CHEWING
ON LEFTOVER GROUNDS; BESIDES, THEY
A SPECIAL FORM OF FORTUNE-TELLING CALL
CAN BE USED FOR
ED TASSEOGRAPHY.” “
India – Kaapi Brewed with chicory, this South Indian variety comes with a layer of foam formed during the cooling-down process: The server pours the coffee back and forth between two stainless-steel tumblers in long, sweeping arcs to aerate it. You might see this coffee referred to on menus as “meter coffee” or “coffee by the yard,” a reference to the desired height from which the coffee should be poured between tumblers. Opened in the 1950s by a coffee workers’ cooperative, the Indian Coffee House is a popular national chain, well-known for its extremely cheap eats. Perhaps the most famous of the branches is Kolkata’s College Street location, which has attracted its fair share of students, intellectuals, and even revolutionaries, such as the founders of the Indian Communist Party. 15 Bankin Chatterjee St., indiancoffeehouse.com, kaapi 16¢.
Hong Kong – Yuanyang An East-meets-West mix of coffee and tea (and milk), this unlikely pair is named for the Mandarin duck—a species in which the male and female look totally different but mate for life. A proper cup should be made with Hong Kong–style milk tea, a strong blend of black tea filtered through a fabric bag that looks remarkably similar to pantyhose (in fact, it’s sometimes nicknamed “silk stocking tea”). The most popular places to find Hong Kong comfort food and milk tea are the 24-hour, retro-style diners called cha chaan tengs. Among the best is Tsui Wah, a spot known for its giant neon sign and its all-hours crowds. 15–19 Wellington St., tsuiwahrestaurant.com, yuanyang from $1.90. CAFFEINE_10 – 28
Cuba – Café Cubano This Italian-style espresso shot gets its unique taste from adding raw demerara sugar, resulting in a sweet brown foam on top called espumita. The best way to achieve the perfect espumita is by mixing the first few drops of coffee with the sugar—creating a sugary sludge—before adding the rest of the coffee. The coffee daiquiri on the menu may not be the most traditional, but everything else at Café el Escorial, which is housed in a colonial mansion overlooking Havana’s Plaza Vieja, screams Old Cuba. Mercaderes No. 317, 011-53/868-3545, café cubano from 75¢.
Greece – Frappé The ubiquitous foam-topped iced drink is made with Nescafé instant coffee, cold water, sugar, and evaporated (or regular) milk—and always served with a straw. Any self-respecting Greek knows a frappé should always be shaken, not stirred. A great place to sip the cool stuff is Thessaloniki, Greece’s seaside Second City and the drink’s hometown—it was reportedly invented here in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair by a representative of the Nestle company. For the best views, stop by the stylish Kitchen Bar, which sits on the harbor overlooking the city’s famous White Tower. B Port Depot, kitchenbar.com.gr, frappé $2.70.
S BE SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED.” “ANY SELF-RESPECTING GREEK KNOWS A FRAPPÉ SHOULD ALWAY
Vietnam – Ca Phe Sua Da Made tableside by pouring hot water through a stainless-steel filter (phin) balanced over your glass, the coffee drips slowly onto a layer of sweetened condensed milk. If the beans are too finely ground, the coffee will drip through the filter too quickly, making for a weak brew. Hotel Continental’s La Dolce Vita Cafe, with its whirring ceiling fans and wicker terrace chairs, will immediately call to mind colonial Saigon. 132–134 Dong Khoi St., continentalhotel.com.vn, ca phe sua da $3.
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8
7 10
9 9
10
10 11
10
11
STYLE FLORAL/FRUIT/SOFT CHOCOLATE
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STRONG 1
RWANDA
BRIGHT, DELICATE
2
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
RICH, CARMAEL
3
JAVA, BALI
EARTHY, SPICY
4
SULAWESI, SUMATRA
BOLD, BRISK, GAMEY
5
YEMEN
SEE WHERE YOUR ROAST COMES (ALSO YOUR GUIDE TO THE CO
FROM AND WHAT FLAVOURS CO
FFEE HOUSES LISTED IN THIS ART
ME WITH IT!
ICLE).
9
4
4 3
2
3
5
6
6 1
MEDIUM 6
ETHIOPIA, KENYA
7
JAMAICA
8
MEXICO
9
NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA, INDIA
MILDER 10 11
GUATEMALA, VENEZUELA, PERU, PANAMA BRAZIL, COLOMBIA
INFORMATION FROM THEDESIGNSURGERY CAFFEINE_10 – 31
Indonesia – Kopi Luwak This infamous brew starts its trip to the cup by passing through the digestive tract of the civet, where enzymes are said to make the beans smoother, richer, and less bitter. The catlike mammal eats the ripest coffee berries and then excretes the undigested inner beans, which farmers harvest from their droppings. (This may not be any comfort, but the beans are then thoroughly washed!) The world’s most expensive coffee (it’s often sold for hundreds of dollars per pound) has spawned a slew of counterfeiters. Be wary if you see the coffee being sold at a deep discount—chances are no civets were used in the making of this bean. Located in Jakarta’s Chinatown, the city’s oldest coffee shop, Warung Tinggi, opened in 1878 and traces its history back to Indonesia’s days as a Dutch colony. Bonus: Jakarta sits on the island of Java! Jl. Batu Jajar No. 35B, warungtinggi.com, kopi luwak $150 per pound.
“THIS INFAMOUS BREW STARTS OF THE CIVET, WHERE ENZYMES
ITS TRIP TO THE CUP BY PASSIN G THROUGH THE DIGESTIVE TRA CT ARE SAID TO MAKE THE BEANS SMOOTHER, RICHER, AND LESS BITTER.”
Argentina – Cortado Taking its name from the Spanish word for “cut,” this drink is a simple espresso “cut” with a small splash of milk. The connection to Italian espresso is no coincidence—Buenos Aires is the Latin American city with perhaps the closest ties to Europe and its old-world cafe culture. If you like your coffee (much) milkier, order a lágrima (“tear” or “teardrop” in Spanish), which reverses the ratio: a lot of hot milk with a splash of coffee. Founded in 1858 by a French immigrant, Buenos Aires’s Cafe Tortoni is the country’s oldest cafe, offering nightly tango shows in its simple basement venue. Avenida de Mayo 825, cafetortoni.com.ar, cortado $2.50.
Malaysia – Pak Kopi/Kopi Putih/Bai Ka-fe Introduced to the Perak region by 19th-century Chinese tin miners, this lighter brew—also called Ipoh white coffee after the town where it was developed—is made by roasting coffee beans in palm-oil margarine. Traditional Malaysian black coffee (kopi o) is roasted with both margarine and sugar, resulting in a darker roast. Unlike in most other countries, in Malaysia the term “white coffee” does not mean that milk is included—it simply refers to the lighter color of the roast. Nevertheless, like the rest of Southeast Asia, Malaysians will most often serve white coffee with condensed milk. With its stark tiled interiors and Coca-Cola sign over the door, Sin Yoon Loong in Old Town Ipoh is decidedly no-frills, but this is the original white coffee cafe. Try the specialty for breakfast with toast and homemade coconut jam. 15A Jalan Bandar Timah, 011-60/05-24145601, white coffee 45¢. CAFFEINE_10 – 32
Australia/New Zealand – Flat White Though the Aussies and the Kiwis still feud over who invented the drink, they agree on one basic fact: It’s not a latte! A flat white is coffee mixed with steamed milk, served in a ceramic cup with a handle; a latte also includes froth on top and should be served in a tall glass. A flat white shouldn’t be made with just any milk—the recipe calls for micro-foam, the non-frothy steamed milk at the bottom of the vessel. (Macro-foam, or dry foam, comes from the top of the steaming pitcher, includes more bubbles, and is used in cappuccinos.) First they tackled wine. Now they’re onto coffee. Both Australia and New Zealand have turned into countries of caffeine connoisseurs (snobs even!) and have followed by opening a slew of sleek, urban cafes. Campos Coffee, a tiny timber espresso bar in Sydney’s Newtown neighborhood, is known for its crowds, the speed of its baristas (up to 200 coffees served per hour), and its quirky house blends: The Obama includes beans from both Kenya and the Americas (193 Missenden Rd., camposcoffee.com, flat white $3.55). In Auckland, Espresso Workshop ups the coffee-snob quotient with an on-site roastery, barista lessons, and coffee-appreciation classes (19 Falcon St., espressoworkshop.co.nz, flat white $4.15).
Spain – Café Bombón This sweet combination of equal parts espresso and condensed milk originated in Valencia and has since become popular throughout the country. The drink is most often served in a small glass (similar to a shot glass) to show off the distinct layers of the black coffee and the off-white condensed milk. In order to keep the layers separate, the espresso must be poured into the glass very slowly, often over the back of a spoon. If you’re in search of a café bombón, chances are you have a serious sweet tooth. Don’t miss one of Madrid’s famous churrerias, where you can dip sugary sticks of fried dough into insanely thick and rich hot chocolate. Locals prefer Chocolat, an unassuming churro spot tucked into a neighborhood side street a 10-minute walk from the Museo del Prado. Santa Maria 30, 011-34/914-294-565, café bombón $2.30.
“THE SWEETNESS OF YOUR CUP
OF COFFEE IS OFTEN DICTATED BY THE OCCASION, WITH SWEET COFFEE SERVED SYMBOLICALLY AT HAPPY OCCAS IONS LIKE WEDDINGS AND BITTER , BLACK COFFEE SERVED AT FUN ERALS.”
Morocco – Café des Épices A delicious by-product of Morocco’s spice markets, this brew can incorporate a number of flavors depending on the whims of the cafe owner, including ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, sesame, cumin, and cloves. The sweetness of your cup of coffee is often dictated by the occasion, with sweet coffee served symbolically at happy occasions like weddings and bitter, black coffee served at funerals. Aside from the spiced coffee—hence the name Café des Épices—this cafe in the Marrakech medina offers mint tea, fresh-squeezed orange juice, flatbread sandwiches, and rooftop seating from which to gaze out over the buzzing market. 75 Lakdima Rahba, cafedesepices.net, café des epices, $1.80. CAFFEINE_10 – 33
France – Café au Lait This quintessential morning drink made with hot (but not steamed) milk is often served in a wide-mouthed bowl to accommodate the dunking of baguettes or croissants. A similar drink you may see on menus is café crème; many say the drinks are nearly identical, but crème is more often ordered in the afternoon. If you’d like only a little milk in your coffee, do as the locals do and ask for café noisette (hazelnut coffee)—it has nothing to do with hazelnut flavoring, but instead takes its name from the toasty, nutty color imparted by the dash of milk. Situated in the 6th arrondisement on Paris’s Left Bank, the Café de Flore looks much the same as it did when Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir argued about existentialism here during World War II, with its famous red-leather booths, mahogany paneling, and mirrored walls. 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, cafedeflore.fr, café crème $7.
Finland –Kaffeost Especially popular among the local Sami population in the eastern region of Kainuu, this dish/drink is made by submerging chunks of leipäjuusto (a cow- or reindeer-milk cheese curd with a caramelized crust that makes it look like bread) into a cup of black coffee, fishing them out, and then drinking what’s left. If you’re looking to make the treat yourself, the distinctive cheese is sold under a number of different names: leipäjuusto (bread cheese), juustoleipa (cheese bread), and narskujuusto (which refers to the squeaky sound the curds make on your teeth). This rural treat is more often made at home rather than purchased at a cafe, especially in cosmopolitan Helsinki. You can pick up leipäjuusto at most markets and dunk it yourself. Or head to Zetor, a Finnish-countryside-themed restaurant that is decorated with tractors and milk jugs and serves classic dishes like reindeer and leipäjuusto with cloudberry jam. Mannerheimintie 3–5, ravintolazetor.fi, cheese $10.75. “IT WAS REPORTEDLY INVENTED
BY CHEF JOSEPH SHERIDAN IN
ARRIVING PASSENGERS AT WHAT
1942 TO WARM UP
IS NOW SHANNON AIRPORT.” ,..
Ireland – Irish Coffee Served in a stemmed whiskey goblet with a heaping dollop of whipped cream, this warming drink—more classic cocktail than morning pick-me-up—is made with hot coffee, sugar, and Irish whiskey and was reportedly invented by Chef Joseph Sheridan in 1942 to warm up arriving passengers at what is now Shannon Airport. Don’t stir the cream into your coffee! The hot coffee is meant to be drunk through the cold whipped cream. Though the Irish coffee may be a relatively recent addition to the centuries-old pub scene, the drink has become all but ubiquitous across the Emerald Isle. In Dublin, sipping an Irish coffee is all about the atmosphere, and it doesn’t come much more authentic than the Brazen Head. Established in 1198, the pub claims to be the country’s oldest—although the present building dates back to the still-impressive 17th century. Plus it’s only a 10-minute walk to the Irish whiskey motherlode: the Jameson Distillery. 20 Lower Bridge St., brazenhead.com, Irish coffee $8. CAFFEINE_10 – 34
Brazil – Cafezinho The diminutive name of this drink (meaning “a little coffee” in Portuguese) belies a big fact about Brazil’s coffee economy—the country produces almost a third of all the world’s coffee beans. The national coffee is filtered through a cloth strainer and often served in tiny plastic or china cups, and comes very sweet and very strong. A cafezinho often comes free at the end of a meal in a restaurant. Skip the European-style grand cafes and head to one of Rio de Janeiro’s botequins (neighborhood bars) like Café Gaúcho. At this popular sidewalk spot, guests must follow a few steps to fit in like a local: Pass coins to the cashier, get a small receipt, bring it to the man behind the circular counter, and receive your distinctly bitter cup of coffee. Rua São José 86, 011-55/25-339-285, cafezinho 50¢.
’T “THOUGH CANNED COFFEE IS PERFECTLY PORTABLE, THAT DOESN
MEAN YOU SHOULD BRING IT EVERYWHERE.”
Netherlands – Bakkie Troost Literally translating to “cup of comfort,” the Dutch bakkie troost usually comes black and served alongside a single spice cookie (you may also commonly see the drink simply referred to as kaffe). If you want a latte, you’ll have to order koffie verkeerd, or “coffee wrong.” Know your terminology! A bruine kroeg (brown cafe) is a tobacco-stained, pub-like bar, known for its untranslatable sense of gezelligheid (similar to coziness); a koffieshop (or simply “coffee shop”) is the infamous Amsterdam shop that sells marijuana products; a koffiehuis will sell coffee and light meals; and a cafe is similar to a restaurant with a bar. You can find a good cup of coffee in any of them, but you should know what you’re getting yourself into before going inside. Amsterdam is a city of coffeehouses, from less than savory to gleaming and grand. Often, the most rewarding spots are those steeped in centuries of history. Situated in one of Amsterdam’s oldest wooden houses, Cafe In ‘t Aepjen (literally “In the Monkeys”) gets its odd name from the tavern’s storied history as a sailor’s haunt. Reportedly, men returning from Asia in the 16th century sometimes paid out their tabs with monkeys they had picked up in their travels. Zeedijk 1, cafeintaepjen.nl, kaffe $3.17.
Japan – Kan Kohi Introduced by the Ueshima Coffee Co. in 1969, canned coffee (which became kan kohi through Japan’s system of adapting foreign phrases) is found in most grocery stores and vending machines, from which it is dispensed hot in the winter and cold in the summer. Though canned coffee is perfectly portable, that doesn’t mean you should bring it everywhere. Eating or drinking on Japanese subways, for instance, is generally considered rude. Searching for the best place to find canned coffee in Japan is akin to searching for the best place to buy Coca-Cola in the United States—it’s everywhere. The country operates an estimated 6 million vending machines (that’s about one for every 23 people).
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S PUB / NYC M PST / JOE’ 6P T/ ES M 9P AT OCTOBER 9TH
E LOUNGE / LA 7PM PST / TH T/ ES PM 10 AT OCTOBER 24TH
GREAT COFFEE, GOOD VIBES, PASS IT ON. PHOTOS BY GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ARTICLE BY LA SNARK
and the incredible impact “The farmers I met in Sumatra deepened my passion for fair trade and spokesperson for Green it can have on their quality of life,” says Michael Franti, musician think about the difference they Mountain Coffee. “I’m hoping to inspire people everywhere to can make just by choosing to purchase fair trade products.” October is Fair Trade Month and for more than a decade, Green Mountain Coffee® has been a leader in the fair trade movement, providing a better cup of coffee to consumers and a better quality of life for coffee farmers. Still, only one in three consumers are aware of what fair trade is all about – that a simple purchasing decision can help improve the lives of people around the world. Green Mountain Coffee and acclaimed musicians Grace Potter and Michael Franti are celebrating Fair Trade Month in a big way with “Great Coffee, Good Vibes, Pass It On” – an awareness campaign that will celebrate the good vibes of fair trade through free concerts and an opportunity to win a trip to Costa Rica, one of many locations where Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified™ coffee is grown. As part of the campaign, Green Mountain Coffee took Grace Potter to Colombia and Michael Franti to Sumatra to experience firsthand why fair trade means better coffee for you and a better life for farmers. To celebrate Fair Trade Month, both Potter and Franti will give exclusive performances streamed live on the Green Mountain Coffee® Facebook page. Fans are invited to RSVP for the events at Facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee and experience the good vibes firsthand:
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Grace Potter will perform liv
e from famed music venu
feature unique acoustic ve
rsions of songs from her
e Joe’s Pub in New York
Michael Franti will rev up
new album, The Lion Th
City. Potter’s set will
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Los Angeles from the fir
st-ever Great Coffee, Go
od Vibes Lounge, brough t to Coffee. Fans will be able to visit 7111 Melrose Aven free cup of Green Mount ue on Oc tober 24 and enjoy ain Coffee Fair Trade Ce rtified™ coffee. a you by Green Mountain
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FUEL THe ADDICTION
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