Coffee

Coffee's Role in Your Sex Life

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Apr 14th 2011 @ 5:00PM

Coffee, Philosophy for Everyone: Grounds for Debate Photo: Amazon

If you're reading this over a cup of joe, you're likely a modern, optimistic existentialist -- so says Jill Hernandez, author of one of 18 essays in the newly released book on the storied beverage, Coffee, Philosophy for Everyone: Grounds for Debate. The oft-coveted and controversial drink -- the subject of debate on ethics, environment, economy and even virility -- has been on philosophers' minds since the first seeds were consumed for their energizing effect in Ethiopia centuries ago.

Today, the coffeehouse is an innocent commonplace establishment, but when roasting began in the 15th century, the dark brew was sinful imbibing seen as an alternative to beer, and an addictively good one. "Why this Satan's drink is so delicious," exclaimed Pope Clement VII upon his first sip. By the 17th century, public coffeehouses, or "penny universities" as they were known in Britain, became popular meeting places for activists planning the French Revolution and the Boston Tea Party -- Voltaire, Johann Sebastian Bach and Sartre, among them, says Mark Pendergrast in his essay, "Black Puddle Water or Panacea." Our days' ambitions may seem paltry in comparison but many of us won't tackle morning emails without a shot.

Filed under: Books, Coffee

Coffee Liqueur -- LeNell it All

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by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jul 12th 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: sean dreilinger, Flickr

It's likely that the brand to pop to mind when talking coffee and liquor is Kahlúa, a Mexican coffee-flavored liqueur that's been around since 1936. Kahlúa's so popular that the name often gets used like Coke, Kleenex and Band-Aid to refer to similar products made by other companies. Some home enthusiasts also post recipes online for "homemade Kahlúa" instead of just saying "homemade coffee liqueur."

Besides the typical suggestion of pouring coffee liqueur over ice cream (isn't everything good on ice cream?), several cocktails call for java spirits, including the White Russian (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce of coffee liqueur, 1 ounce of cream shaken and served on the rocks). London's legendary barman Dick Bradsell brought us the espresso martini (aka the Pharmaceutical Stimulant or Vodka Espresso) made with coffee, coffee liqueur, vodka, and simple syrup shaken and served up in a cocktail glass.

Then, of course, you can always throw some coffee liqueur into your favorite dessert recipes such as cakes and brownies. The magical combination of chocolate and coffee is hard to resist.

Filed under: Drinks, Coffee

Aster Coffee Lounge, Ballard, Wash. - Ask a Shopkeeper

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by Chris Dudley, Posted May 26th 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: sean oliver, Flickr

Owner Beth Scribner's atmospheric little shop is quickly and quietly carving out a niche in the Seattle corporate-dominated coffee culture. Barely two years-old, her Aster Coffee Lounge is using a house blend of quality and quirkiness to set itself apart from the other area indie darlings as well as that ubiquitous green monster.

More from Aster Coffee Lounge owner, Beth Scribner, after the jump.

Filed under: Interviews, Coffee

Seattle's Best - The People's Coffee?

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by Naomi Shulman, Posted May 13th 2010 @ 3:00PM

Seattle's Best Coffee turns 40 this year, and is marking the occasion with something of a renaissance -- or midlife crisis. The brand, which has been owned by Starbucks for the past seven years, has long been number two (ironic, given its name) to the ubiquitous green label. Now the company is taking a totally different approach, pitting Seattle's Best against other players, namely the fast-food giants that got into the premium coffee game fairly recently, such as McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts.

In order to effect this change, the newly positioned Seattle's Best has a stripped-down logo intended to "match [their] optimistic outlook and simplified approach" -- although some question whether the extreme simplicity moves into the realm of the generic. Tom Ehlers, a former Starbucks executive who is now vice president of retail for Seattle's Best, told The Wall Street Journal that Seattle's Best will be the Old Navy to Starbuck's Gap. Citing the jump in overall premium coffee sales (from 29 percent to 35 percent in three years, despite the recession), Ehlers points out that mass-market coffee is a sales gambit that has worked: "Regular people have found their way to great coffee."

Filed under: Coffee, Chain Stores / Restaurants

A Macchiato by Any Other Name

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by Erin Meister, Posted Apr 28th 2010 @ 3:00PM

Photo: McPig, Flickr

Coffee can be confusing: How come when you order a macchiato at a shop adorned with that ubiquitous green mermaid, the drink comes out as a tall, steaming cup of foamed, caramel-latticed milk kissed with just a hint of espresso and vanilla -- while at some other boutique cafes it arrives in a doll-house-sized demitasse?

It's all about vocabulary.

Didn't think you'd actually have to learn Italian in order to order a coffee? Well don't worry -- just one word can unravel the macchiato mystery once and for all.

Read on after the jump to find out more about macchiatos.

Filed under: Drink Recipes, Coffee

Meet Your Australian Coffee Mates: Flat, White, Skinny and More

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by Erin Meister, Posted Apr 21st 2010 @ 11:00AM

Getty Images

Plenty of places consider themselves coffee-centric, but few with the passion, conviction and seemingly quirky drinks of Australia. (Of course, they may just seem quirky because we're so busy with our Caramel Macchiatos.) The coffee culture of Australia and neighboring New Zealand, driven by waves of Italian immigrants that have historically settled in the region, are widely considered light-years ahead of the relatively fledgling one in the States, but what makes them so different from us?

Find out how we differ from our friends Down Under after the jump.

Filed under: Coffee

Stoked about Stōk?

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by Erin Meister, Posted Apr 14th 2010 @ 3:00PM

Photo: Amazon.com

Is coffee just a caffeine-delivery system?

It seems like the folks behind Stōk "black coffee shots" think so: Packaged like individual creamers and smothered in warnings blaring "Limit 2/day" and "Not for those under 18, pregnant or caffeine sensitive," these little jolts are designed to get dumped into a cup of convenience-store coffee.

Of course, no one who drinks convenience-store coffee is doing so because it tastes great -- they're looking for something to stave off that highway hypnosis. But do these "shots" go too far?

Filed under: Reviews, Coffee

Buzz with a Side of Fizz: Coffee Soda

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by Erin Meister, Posted Apr 6th 2010 @ 11:00AM

Photo: Laughing Squid, Flickr

If coffee beer sounded like a paradox (a stimulant and a depressant, all in one!), then coffee soda might be overkill. Wouldn't it be a sugar-caffeine rush just waiting to push your heart into overdrive?

But believe it or not, coffee sodas have existed at least since the late 19th century, when Manhattan Special released its Espresso Coffee Soda -- a blend that includes brewed coffee and pure cane sugar. (It's also available as a "diet" drink, made with NutraSweet, and in caffeinated or decaffeinated versions.) The dark-as-night brew is still commonly found in bodega coolers today, sipped by both staunch devotees and those trying to quickly (and probably unsuccessfully) recover from a night of revelry.

Read more about coffee sodas after the jump.

Filed under: Drinks, Coffee

Beer and Coffee: Together at Last?

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by Erin Meister, Posted Mar 30th 2010 @ 1:00PM

Photo: familynight, Flickr

Coffee beer: blasphemy for lovers of both brews, or a delicious paradox? The combination of stimulant (caffeine) and depressant (a frosty mug of suds) might sound like a weird contradiction, but au contraire -- one sip may convince you they were made for each other.

After all, why should whiskey and sambuca have all the fun when it comes to coffee?

Read more about coffee beers after the jump.

Filed under: Drinks, Coffee

Fight Rainy-Day Blues with Chicory Coffee

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by Erin Meister, Posted Mar 23rd 2010 @ 3:00PM

Photo: mharvey.nyc, Flickr

Spring rains got you down? Need a little extra oomph in your coffee, but without all the frou-frou vanilla or hazelnut syrup? Maybe it's time for some dark-as-night, rich chicory coffee -- that should cut right through those low-hanging clouds.

Chicory, a member of the endive family (I know, right?), has long been used as an additive or even a substitute for coffee. When baked or cooked, the chicory's roots take on a dark-chocolaty bitterness not unlike darker-roasted coffee -- very handy during hard times like the Great Depression, when coffee was an out-of-reach luxury for many Americans. Although it isn't caffeinated, chicory's roots (and edible leaves) can be potent enough to snap unsuspecting taste buds to attention, and because the roasted root is more water soluble than ground coffee beans, the resulting brew tends to be quite a bit thicker than your average cup of joe.

How do you make chicory coffee? Read on after the jump to find out.

Filed under: Coffee