tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84866742024-03-13T22:16:43.208-04:00Jay's Strange Blogonocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.comBlogger1461125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-30242655163619406132013-10-16T09:09:00.000-04:002013-10-16T09:09:22.631-04:00Rust is Real
From time to time, we invite guest writers to pen their thoughts and findings about the coffee industry. This week, we're happy to have Samantha Joyce from Seattle Coffee Gear writing about one of the most serious threats our industry is facing: coffee rust, aka roya in Spanish.
Rust is Real
It is time to put coffee rust into perspective. It will effect the coffee you drink
next year onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-13163034866511564012013-08-20T20:10:00.000-04:002013-08-20T20:10:11.012-04:00The HTF Conundrum
This post probably will not come off well-constructed nor will it have any conclusions - mainly because it's something that I'm still thinking about and trying to figure out myself, but it's been on my mind for the past few years.
In the coffee business, we give a lot of lip service about how we do "direct trade" or want to do "direct trade" or how we are "helping the farmer" and all sorts of "onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-4187687979690392972012-12-28T01:38:00.001-05:002012-12-28T01:38:31.502-05:00It Must Be MeLately I've been looking at furnished apartments to live in part time. Looking for something nice and not terribly expensive. In my mind's eye I fancy myself the open-minded kind of roomie, able to live in modest abodes.
Then I start looking.
And I hate to admit it, but I'm kind of a snob.
I travel the world and regularly stay in cheap hotels. Motel 8, Rodeway Inn, Red Roof - all nice but onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-91312822858139369302012-08-02T15:16:00.000-04:002012-08-02T15:16:32.047-04:00Beating Homogeneity Out Of Iced Coffee
Cold Brew Towers at work in The Lab at Spro.
Just yesterday I was mentioned in a blog post about Iced Coffee and Cold Brews. For those of you not following the coffee biz it's been a heated topic for the past few months with various people arguing about which iced coffee brew method is "best" - as though there has to be one magical brew formula that bests all others.
Quite frankly, I onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-73078375103658673122012-08-01T22:08:00.001-04:002012-08-01T22:10:14.207-04:00Running Out Of Soap
Oh gosh, I think I'm in trouble.
It's been several months since I last posted. I've been a bit busy in life sorting things out and forging in new directions. Over the time I've been away, I've traveled a little and even managed to win the first-ever 2012 United States AeroPress Championship (I'll post more on that later), but for the most part, I've been home focusing on onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-7036277445285225412012-03-07T08:48:00.000-05:002012-03-07T08:48:04.918-05:00On Being The BossEvery once in a while, a friend or someone I know will ask me about the challenges of running your own company and how I deal with things. To most people, the idea of running your own company, being your own boss and answering to "no one" is a lovely fantasy free of the stresses of working as an employee.
They ask me: "What's the most difficult thing about being the boss?" Truth is, it's all onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-35011872069887346762012-03-01T03:29:00.000-05:002012-03-02T20:08:21.061-05:00Bacan
The bread basket at Bacan.
From the street Bacan Restaurante is simply gorgeous looking. Ana pointed out to me the other night as we drove by on the way to my favorite B&B. At the corner of Mexicali and Avenida Oaxaca, the place is stunning with it's garden water fountain, Parisian bistro chairs, Euro gas heaters and sharply dressed waiters. It's impressive.
Ana and her mom had been wanting toonocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-86542681496245822602012-02-29T23:28:00.000-05:002012-03-02T20:10:53.003-05:00Quiet Contemplation at The RTH
Enjoying the evening at The Red Tree House.
In a city of twenty million people, you'd think madness would ensue at all hours. And for the most part, it is madness here. 10pm traffic jams, restaurants filled with patrons at 11pm, and taco joints advertising closing time of 2am o mas.
Yet in the midst of this Spanish-speaking megalopolis I find myself enjoying quiet contemplation in an oasis in onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-3547408339346349272012-01-23T09:35:00.000-05:002012-01-23T09:35:55.001-05:00Coffee Germania
Making coffee at Kaffeemaccherei.
Like many places around the world, ask the local coffee people about their "scene" and you get similar reactions: "it kinda sucks", "it's lacking", "we need help", etc., etc. It seems in Germany it isn't much different. Ask the Germans where to get coffee and they'll tell you that there's only one or two places serving decent coffee - little do they realize onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-50808632013670351842012-01-22T05:41:00.004-05:002012-01-22T05:41:01.447-05:00The Waiting Game
2842 - perhaps not the fastest way to the Super Bowl.
Somewhere along the line, I seem to have gone off and into the End Zone.
Years ago, I couldn't stand football, or "football" as we called it (don't ask). Then, around 2004, I secured season tickets and started going to the games. Back then, the Ravens just didn't fare too well and by 2006, I was so inundated with work I ended up only onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-16290021510979597292012-01-21T18:43:00.000-05:002012-01-21T18:43:06.942-05:00Herr Swengler's Kraut
Aventius Doppelbock, Binkert's Bavarian Bratwurst and Herr Swengler's Kraut.
One thing I know for sure after a week touring across Germany is that I don't know anything at all about German food. Sure, the sausage are ubiquitous and the Nurnberger sausage is the precursor to the American breakfast sausage link, but other than SigSauer and sauerkraut, I know nothing except that I enjoyed the foodonocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-70915012850985681842012-01-20T15:30:00.083-05:002012-01-20T20:14:26.541-05:00Bona Vita Electric Kettle
Starting off with cold water.
During last year's coffee industry trade show, I ran across a small booth with one guy. He was hawking a new drip coffee brewer that was supposed to deliver water at 200F - the ideal temperature for coffee brewing. We talked and I was very interested in bringing these brewers to our customers but they wouldn't be ready for a few months due to UL listing, onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-49442937772588744582012-01-18T10:09:00.000-05:002012-01-18T10:09:39.144-05:00Letter to a FriendJust recently, one of my friends in New York City was dumped by his girlfriend (who is also a friend of mine), in that painful, bewildering time following a breakup, when men feel the gamut of emotions from elation, betrayal, anger, rage, intense love, regret and much more, he asked me for help. I've been there before (many, many times, it seems) and wanted to offer him the kind of tough love I onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-54402366441449833922011-12-06T23:33:00.000-05:002011-12-24T00:29:15.148-05:00Autobahning
Just a leisurely cruise on the Autobahn.
It occurred to me a couple of days ago on the four hour drive from Bamberg to Berlin just what this trip was all about.
The night before, I made my way down to the Christmas Market in Bamberg and found an unlikely ally in the form of the roasted chestnut guy. Ended up hanging with him for most of the evening, talking story and learning the finer points onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Germany51.165691 10.45152600000005847.271573000000004 5.8637490000000581 55.059809 15.039303000000057tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-7550054131571090232011-11-30T17:23:00.000-05:002011-12-04T04:37:45.704-05:00In The Rainforest
Welcome to The Rainforest Lodge.
At the beginning of the day, I said to everyone: "No hiking or trekking." I just wasn't in the mood. I'm not up to the challenge.
But the girls wanted to go into the rainforest. Me? I'm not too keen on being in a place where animals and insects can crawl all over you. I enjoyed camping in the woods when I was younger, had my Land Rover and carried a gun.
In onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21426109999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41296109999999997 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-82124838200663004772011-11-30T17:16:00.000-05:002011-12-04T04:36:48.959-05:00Source Of The Nile
Oh yeah, just moving a tank. In three pieces. No problem.
I've spent a week now on Kampala's slow-moving, traffic-jammed streets and the feeling of rocketing along Jinja Road at 100kph is slightly unnerving - especially when the pavement is pocketed with potholes, wavy surfaces, debris, people and the little Toyota Corona is packed with five of us and we're careening past hawkers, buses, onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Jinja, Uganda0.38435 32.543189999999981-5.1002955 25.072486999999981 5.8689955000000005 40.013892999999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-76090815181475595322011-11-29T16:03:00.000-05:002011-12-03T04:59:53.739-05:005th Uganda Barista Championship
Barista Jonathan Ddumba presents to Head Judge Clare and sensory judges Miriam, Richard, Evelyn and Emma.
A few weeks ago, I received a call from David Roche of the Coffee Quality Institute. He was calling to ask me if I would be willing to go to Kampala again to be the head judge and trainer for their barista championship. He said they had been asking for me personally. An honor.
Not too onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-86994795355672820312011-11-28T02:13:00.000-05:002011-11-28T02:13:19.209-05:00Exploding Kampala
Outside the world looks grey, but it's still there.
5:52am
The sound of a large explosion rousts my consciousness into awareness. As the rumbling from the explosion continues, I lie there in silence waiting for the building to collapse and crush me. For five long seconds, I'm scared.
Outside, I can hear a cacophony of car alarms and the muted howl of wind. Nothing has happened. I haven't onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21344159999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41378059999999994 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-78461133618696255012011-11-27T04:04:00.000-05:002011-11-27T16:35:15.973-05:00Two Guys Out On The Town
The nightlight is kicking at Cayenne.
It's nearly two a.m., the music is thumping, bodies writhe before us, a plate of grilled meat is half eaten, a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label is nearly finished, and for reasons I don't quite understand, I've been smoking a shisha the whole night when a crazy (but very friendly) central Asian dude comes up to our table to offer greetings and shots of onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21344159999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41378059999999994 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-48185128218111025722011-11-24T22:46:00.001-05:002011-11-27T15:56:13.597-05:00Turkey On The Far Side Of The World
A little late to the party.
I've spent a number of holidays away from home but none of them has revealed itself as poignant as Thanksgiving. In America, Thanksgiving is ubiquitous. In many respects, it's the most important holiday of the year as families make great effort to spend that day together. This is the second time I've been away from family and friends for Thanksgiving.
It wasn't onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21344159999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41378059999999994 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-42498581779936296012011-11-22T18:35:00.001-05:002011-11-23T16:14:04.851-05:00Robusta, Naturally!
Welcome to Great Lakes Coffee - the honorary Consulate of Greece.
After eating a bit too much barbecue and partying together in Houston this past April, Andy invited me to visit his coffee factory the next time I was in Kampala (you know, because I always just happen to swing out to Africa).
And since I was in Kampala, I gave him a ring and off we were running in a Euro-spec Nissan Patrol onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21344159999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41378059999999994 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-19180749195107188072011-11-22T16:19:00.000-05:002011-11-23T15:35:17.419-05:00UBC Barista Training - Day Two
Evaluating a cappuccino.
Day Two of barista training for the Uganda Barista Championship consists of mock trials. Originally, I had planned to show videos of World Barista Champion Alejandro Mendez but the dual punch combination of the incessantly excessive and irritating "sports commentary" while reviewing the footage in my hotel room the night before and the poor 3G reception in wireless onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0Kampala, Uganda0.3136111 32.5811111000000440.21344159999999998 32.491281100000045 0.41378059999999994 32.670941100000043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-42942987387208054632011-11-21T15:35:00.000-05:002011-11-21T15:59:31.678-05:00UBC Training - Day One
The prize of Eastern Africa.
With 20+C weather outside, Kampala is a lovely place filled with a cacophony of sounds, briliant sights and quite a bit of traffic. Making our way along the crowded streets is a demonstration of the mass humanity filling Africa's cities. Vehicles of all sizes, pedestrians and even the women balancing just about anything and everything on their heads.
Today is theonocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-68931364844144711632011-11-20T09:57:00.037-05:002011-11-20T14:31:20.036-05:00Serena-ty Uganda
Poolside at the Kampala Serena Hotel in Uganda.
After leaving my house at noon on Thursday, I finally arrived at my room in Kampala, Uganda at 3am on Sunday morning: a total travel time of 55 hours (including a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany). Finally got into bed around 5am and slept until 1:15pm to find myself in what is easily the highlight of my entire years worth of travels.
My hosts hereonocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8486674.post-40722170486830478922011-11-16T15:01:00.001-05:002011-11-16T15:11:02.714-05:00Foolishness
Feeling the call to duty.
It's been sitting on my desk for three days now. I don't even know why I bought it knowing that I was leaving for Africa tomorrow. I could just have easily waited until I return in December, but noooo.
I've convinced myself that I can play just one (or two) levels and then I'll be done and can put the game away until I return...onocoffeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11781160488678845826noreply@blogger.com0