| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Java Jolt, Issue #002 -- Coffee For A Better World February 28, 2020 |
Issue #002Coffee For A Better WorldWelcome to the second issue of the Java Jolt Newsletter! Java Jolt is a publication of Sustainable Java which brings you a carefully curated round-up of the best articles and most interesting news stories we find from around the world of coffee. Our focus is sustainability so we'll point you to lots of resources on that. But we're passionate about the coffee industry as a whole, so anything related is fair game. I hope everyone is having a great week and are ready for the weekend! Lots of cool stuff going on in the world of coffee. So brew yourself a good cup, sit down in a comfy chair, and settle in with Java Jolt Newsletter! On to the news...This week read about a converted ski gondola being used to serve coffee, the many uses of coffee cherries (otherwise known as cascara fruit), and an astrophysicist using his expertise for better brewing. All this, plus, oat milk is everywhere! But is it any good? Yes it is! I am drinking some in an iced coffee as I write this. The Chobani Vanilla Oat Milk is perhaps the best one I have tried.Over at Sustainable Java and it's social media outlets, buzz is building for Mug-A-Palooza, an online festival of drink-ware including all types and sizes. The best of the best are being carefully selected to appear together in one place for you to browse, shop, and discover! There will be relevant news items and videos to check out as well. It's shaping up to be one of 2020's biggest events, so don't miss it! Watch this space, our website, or Sustainable Java on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for more information. If you happen to be in the Golden, Colorado area you just might see a ski gondola being pulled around and smelling of freshly brewed coffee. Fitzroy Coffee Company has a unique take on the coffee food truck:
Colorado's Fitzroy Brews in a Gondola Starbucks and McDonald's are starting to experiment with reusable cups to cut down on waste. Sprudge.com reports that this is all part of a design challenge to come up with better alternatives to disposable paper cups. Several interesting designs are in the running: Starbucks, McDonald's Experimenting With Reusable Cups Fresh Cup Magazine has a great article updating us on what's new in the world of cascara, the fruit that grows around the coffee bean, or pit. If you aren't familiar with it article gives a quick overview of what it is, how it's processed, and the many ways it's being used to drinks, syrups, and even baking. I have tried tea made from cascara and liked it. What I had reminded me of a hibiscus tea. It sounds like we're going to be seeing a lot more cascara in the near future. What's New With Cascara? I came across this article from 2018 on Daily Coffee News, and found it to be just as (if not more) relevant now. The article talks about several ways the coffee industry is trying to prevent so many cups from reaching landfills, eliminating plastic straws, and reusable cups. The article mentions the Huskee Cup, which we've covered over at Sustainable Java, and which (shameless plug) will be a featured guest at the upcoming Mug-A-Palooza festival! Also of note in this article is a product/service called "Notboxes", a reusable alternative to cardboard. I'll provide a link to an blog post from a coffee company who use them.
Barista Magazine has a great article on an astrophysicist who is using his scientific background to better understand coffee brewing. What's even cooler, he's publishing his experiments on his blog: Astrophysicist Connects Science and Brewing One of the biggest trends in the coffee industry right now is oat milk. You're starting to see it everywhere from coffee shops to your local grocery store. It's thicker and creamier than other alternative milks, which lends itself perfectly to steaming for a latte. Forbes has a great article on food trends of 2020, in which they predict 2020 is going to be oat milk biggest year yet. I think they're right: Forbes Food Trends of 2020 ***BONUS*** I was done selecting news stories when I came across this interview with Mark Inman, the new director of growth for green coffee importer Sustainable Harvest. It's a great interview where he talks a little bit about his 25 years in coffee, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role. Here's a brief excerpt: "What I hope to accomplish is that I believe, more than ever, issues like sustainable agriculture, equity with growers and farmers, farming communities, how we deal with the supply side of many products, really shining a light and focusing on how important as a coffee company it is, are paid attention to today." -Mark Inman, Barista Magazine Interview
Coffee of the WeekThis week's pick for Coffee of the Week goes to Three Sisters Blend from Kicking Horse Coffee in Canada. It's a blend of coffees from Indonesia, Central and South America. The individual coffees consist of light, medium, and dark roasts, resulting in an overall blend they call a medium roast. The end result is robust and smooth. It has some of the bite of a dark roast, but is not bitter. I look forward to trying more roasts from Kicking Horse.
Kicking Horse Three Sisters
What's Happening on Sust. Java?As I mentioned earlier buzz is growing Mug-A-Palooza on Sustainable Java. Java Jolt Newsletter is proud to be involved with this celebration of drink ware. Whether you're looking for new travel mugs, building your home collection, or high-tech temperature controlled ones, this fest will have something for you! Keep an eye out for it!Though Valentine's Day has passed, I've decided to keep the gift list up for a few more days. There are many great gifts on there which are suitable for any time of year. So check it out while you still can! Several coffee companies are about to be added to our page of "Companies We Love". There are so many great roasters out there doing good work, it's hard to choose who to cover first. I like to try their product first too, so I sometimes wonder if there is a limit to how many bags of coffee one should order in a week. As long as none of it goes to waste, I haven't reached my limit ;-) For a preview of one of the companies
I'll be featuring, check out Larry's Coffee in Raleigh, NC. They are absolutely crushing it in several areas of their business! Explore their website a bit to get a feel for them. Great example of yet another coffee company doing it right!
Cafe ConversationI'll have a medium roast, black. And maybe a vanilla latte with oat milk.This looks like a nice table. Have a seat, friend! Any Star Trek fans out there? I have been really enjoying the new Star Trek: Picard series on CBS All Access. It's so good to see Patrick Stewart back in the role of Jean-Luc Picard. So far the series is great. Here's hoping for more seasons! I'm just about to finish the initial run of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. I'll soon be ready to watch the brand new season which was just released on Disney Plus last week. If you haven't watched this series or it's follow-up, Star Wars Rebels, you really should. Don't write them off as being just for kids. The story lines in these two series are right up there with the best of Star Wars. What I'm Reading with My Coffee: * Paul's letters to the Romans and Ephesians * Star Wars Vision of the Future Book 2 by Timothy Zahn * The Day the Revolution Began by N.T. Wright * The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina
Ask the EditorA reader wrote in to ask:"What do you think is the best coffee maker for home use? Do you prefer pourover or drip brew coffee?" Well, my favorite coffee maker for the home is currently the Bonavita models. It's what I use on a daily basis and it consistently does a great job. Is it the best? Depends on how much you want to spend. Moccamaster's Technivorm brewers probably offer better performance, but they cost about $150 more than a Bonavita. You also can't go wrong with a Bunn Velocity drip brewer. For more information, check out our guide to the best drip brewers on Sustainable Java! Link below. Pour over or drip brew? It really depends on the type of coffee, and what I'm in the mood for. Each method brings something different out of the coffee. I can't think of a coffee that I prefer to brew one way or the other. If I like a coffee I generally like it however it's brewed. If I'm looking to accent a particular characteristic of the bean, I may choose pour over, french press, or drip. It mainly depends on how much time I have and how many people I'm making coffee for. Thanks for the questions. Keep them coming!
Until Next Time...Thank you for reading! See you next time!If you like what you see here, please take a moment to share this newsletter and our website with your friends and colleagues. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and give us a like or follow. You can also drop us an E-mail or send us your comments, questions, and suggestions. I'll respond to your questions in upcoming Ask the Editor sections. Find all of the relevant info on our Contact page right here: Sustainable Java Contact Us |
| Back to Back Issues Page |