COFFEE NEWS ROUNDUP: WEEK ENDING MARCH 16TH

This weekend I'm off to Chicago to see Hamilton (woo!) but also to drink all the coffee. Chicago is awash with amazing cafes, and as I haven't visited in a few years I'm excited to see what's arrived in my absence.

So as I have to go catch a train any minute, let's dive right in.

This California coffee shop has a policy: No police - via USA Today

A co-op coffee shop in Oakland refused to serve a police officer and asked him to leave, citing "the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves." As with everything else in the world today, the policy—and the Instagram post it inspired—drew attention from both sides.

The Oakland Police Department seems to be taking it better than a lot of the internet, noting in a tweet that this was an opportunity to "have constructive dialogue."

Read more here.

Philz Coffee’s order-ahead app rolls out to all stores - via Techcrunch

Waiting in line is so 1997. The order-ahead app has long been associated with chain coffee stores and fast food joints, because waiting three minutes for your McDonald's is insanity when you can use the app and not even have to stop to pick it up—someone will probably just throw the bag through your car window as you drive by. That's how these apps work, right?

Well, now specialty coffee is getting in on the act. Well, sort of. Philz Coffee is one of the third wave coffee shops to take the venture capital route, expanding from its San Francisco base to L.A., San Diego and even Washington, D.C. And now it wants to make buying a coffee even less social, by taking the ordering element and human interaction out of the experience.

On the other hand, every barista has a story about a customer phoning the cafe at 8.43 on a Monday and asking to place an order, knowing full well that a line is forming out the door in the process. So who knows, maybe ordering ahead via an app will become a thing.

Read more here.

Apothic is Releasing a Cold-Brew-Infused Red Wine Blend - via Daily Coffee News

You know what goes great with alcohol? Caffeine. As countless regretful party-goers have found, a Vodka Red Bull is the perfect way to combine a hangover with a sugar crash and caffeine overload—and now red wine lovers can get in on the fun.

Winemaker Apothic has begun selling wine infused—somehow—with cold brew. This isn't the first time wine and coffee have been combined: last year Daily Coffee News reported on a coffee where the green beans had been soaked in wine before roasting. Because why not.

Read more here.

Starbucks has a new fizzy coffee drink, inspired by a gin and tonic - via Business Insider

Speaking of unholy concoctions. Just... no.

Read more here.

Which Country Has the Cheapest Cup of Coffee in the World? via Entrepreneur

Bulgaria, apparently.

Denmark is the most expensive, if you're interested.

The article doesn't clarify what kind of coffee—drip, espresso, gin-barrel-aged etc—or where the coffee is being purchased. I'm pretty sure you can find a cup of gas station coffee in the US for less than $1.31, but who am I to judge.

Read more here.

Coffee Is Raising Funds For The ACLU On Friday March 16th - via Sprudge

That's today!

Night of 1000 Pours is a fundraising event devised by Sprudge in collaboration with numerous coffee companies around the country to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Some are donating money themselves, some are hosting fundraisers in the form of latte art contests and the like. Companies such as Stumptown, Equator, La Marzocco, Tandem and Houndstooth are all taking part.

Read more here and see the full list of events here.

Is coffee good for you?

Not according to a certain British tabloid it's not. The website—which I will not link to or even name—has an interview with a dietitian who claims that coffee can make you fat, and also give you something called "coffee gut".

Now, far be it for me to argue with a dietitian in a tabloid, but I'm pretty sure black coffee has about 2 calories per cup. Probably it's the iced-mocha-frappe-latte thing you're drinking that's calorie-filled, and I've got news for you—no matter what you tell yourself, you're drinking a milkshake. It might be a breakfast milkshake, and it might have the dying whispers of an espresso trapped somewhere inside, but it's still a milkshake.

And as for "coffee gut", that's apparently what happens when you put too much sugar and milk in your morning coffee. I'm not even going to bother with this one. If you want to read the full article, just google "dietitian coffee gut" and enjoy.