COFFEE NEWS ROUNDUP: WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1ST
Welcome to a new feature from the Pourover. If, like me, you struggle to keep on top of all the goings-on in the world of coffee, then this is the series for you. Every Friday this blog post will round up the news, interesting happenings and the best coffee-related articles you should be reading but might have missed.
This is actually quite a selfish project for me, as I am very bad at keeping on top of what’s new and interesting in the specialty coffee industry, aside from the occasional browse through Sprudge and Daily Coffee News. This way, I hope to read more, learn more and hopefully help others stay up to date and informed as well. So let’s begin.
‘Raisin Process’ Coffee From Brazil Breaks Cup of Excellence Price Record at $126/lb - via Daily Coffee News
Another record-breaking Cup of Excellence coffee, Gabriel Alves Nunes and his Fazenda Bom Jardim sold his Yellow Bourbon “raisin process” coffee for $126.10 per pound. You can read more, including a description of his processing method, here.
Gruppo Cimbali Acquires Controlling Stake in Espresso Innovator Slayer - via Daily Coffee News
Gruppo Cimbali, the Italian espresso equipment giant and owner of the La Cimbali and Faema brands, has acquired “a controlling stake” in Seattle-based espresso machine manufacturer Slayer. Both companies are calling it an investment rather than a takeover, so I guess we'll see. Read more here.
A Coffee Shop Celebrated Gentrification — And Is Now Profusely Penitent - via The Washington Post
Welp, this was hugely predictable. Terrible choice of ad campaign, predictable and warranted backlash, groveling apologies. Read more here.
2017 U.S. Specialty Coffee Consumption Trends - via SCA News
Breaking news: people like good coffee. According to research by the National Coffee Association, more and more people are drinking specialty coffee—41% of adults in the US drank what they described as “specialty” coffee daily in 2017, up from just 9% in 1999 (fear of Y2K may or may not have been responsible for those low numbers). Read more here.
Houston Hosts Town Hall Regarding the SCA Deferred Candidacy Policy - via Barista Magazine Online
Coffee communities across the US are holding town hall meetings to discuss the SCA’s controversial (to say the least) Deferred Candidacy Policy, a response to its choice of Dubai as the next location for the World Coffee Events-hosted international coffee competitions. Houston’s followed on from meetings in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Los Angeles and Dallas, among others. Read more about the Houston event here.
Is Coffee Good Or Bad For You?
It seems we'll never truly know whether coffee is killing us or making us immortal. The only thing we can do is keep checking the latest studies, and keep hoping for good news.
This week, coffee is decidedly good for you. UK researchers reviewed 201 observational studies, and concluded that, at least for now, coffee has positive health benefits. However, you should drink three to four cups a day to see the most benefits, an approach that would quickly leave me a nervous, jittery wreck. Read more here.
In other coffee-related health news, coffee is better for you than weird “brain hacking” $40-per-bottle sci-fi pills. This is according to a study funded by the company itself. According, to CNBC, the nootropic pill company HVMN funded a study to prove that their pills were better than caffeine at improving concentration and cognitive activity—because of course they would want a scientific study to back up their claims. However, the study found that, in most areas, caffeine was more effective.
"As we expected, the caffeine had some positive effects, but the SPRINT formulation they gave us was not really effective," said Arjan Blokland, head of the department of neuropsychology and psychopharmacology at Maastricht University, in an interview with CNBC. Read the full story here.
We'll see whether there's a coffee-related health backlash next week.
Articles Worth Your Time This Week
#CoffeeToo: Speaking Out Against Sexual Harassment In The Coffee Industry by RJ Joseph
This Fungus Threatens To Give Us A World Without Coffee by Fiona McMillan
Quality vs Scale by James Hoffman
Cafée: A Celebration of Women in Coffee in Paris by Ashley Rodriquez
Borneo Coffee: Surfing And Coffee In The Monaco Of South America by Paolo Pedroso
Oh and also my latest, a review of Tandem Coffee Roasters' Ethiopia Sidamo Guji
Until next week, drink good coffee.
