Coffee in Mapo-gu
In the pantheon of iconic coffee cities, Seoul is right up there with New York City, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Tokyo, you name it. It’s the sort of sprawling global hub that makes doing a single cafe guide for the entire city a fool’s errand. That’s why this week we are honing in on just one neighborhood, Mapo-gu. In and of itself it has more than enough stellar cafes for an entire city, all condensed into a single district.
Coffee and type 2 diabetes
Coffee’s effect on type 2 diabetes has been well researched, but even still new studies are discovering even more benefits. The latest research finds that regular coffee consumption can help significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, by a decrease of up to 30%.
New coffee farms
The recent rise of coffee prices on the futures market has had a knock-on effect for coffee growing: it is enticing more farms to cultivate coffee. With stockpiles struggling to meet demand, new farms may help replenish the shortages. But it won’t be for another few years.
From the Special Projects Desk
The Special Projects Desk is Sprudge’s vertical for longform storytelling around the coffee industry, and this week, we are looking at the Gorongosa Coffee Project in Mozambique. Journalist Daniel Muraga reports on the great promise of coffee production in Mozambique, where the Gorongosa Coffee Project is changing lives while saving forests.
Prop coffee
Coffee has been used as a prop in television and film pretty much since there’s been television and film. (We all remember the Chemex on Friends, right?) But you can’t just put any old coffee on the screen. For that there is the world of coffee props. Editor at Large Jenn Chen looks into the world of coffee in entertainment and what all goes into that coffee cup you see not spilling.
Nut milk vs. cow’s milk
Alternative milks are anything but alternative in coffee shops these days. In some places they have become the standard. But which is better? Well, one recent study examined both the health and sensory aspects of coffee with these milk juggernauts to determine which one reigned supreme. Their answer? It depends.
Build-Outs of Karol
Our Build-Outs of Coffee feature series this week takes us to the Twin Cities, one of them anyway, to Saint Paul, Minnesota for the all new Karol Coffee Co. It started in a garage, moved to a van, and now has a lovely brick and mortar of their very own. It’s the exact sort of story we love to see on the Build-Outs.
Cavat emptor
I have a weird soft spot for coffee Kickstarters. Not the ones saying they revolutionized the French press (because they didn’t), but the ones really taking big swings. The weirdos. And there may be none weirder than the Cavat. Not the product, which is new and kind of interesting, but the campaign, the video in particular. I’m speaking honestly when I say I have no idea what is going on there or what it has to do with coffee, but I can’t look away.
Starbucks learned about 90s coffee shops
Starbucks is pioneering the coffee shop of the future. How are they doing that, you wonder? Well by adding comfy couches, darker lighting, and a condiment bar. In other words, Starbucks just retconned second wave cafes. Which would be shocking had they not already done that to the macchiato and the cortado.
Roaster’s Village
We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partners each week here in the newsletter. This week’s selection of tasty coffees are…
Madcap Coffee – Colombia Yenni Reinoso
Blueprint Coffee – Ethiopia Kochere
PERC – Colombia Wilton Benitez Tag Team
Equator Coffees – Papua New Guinea Sigri Maragogype
Passenger – Ethiopia Agaro
Klatch Coffee – Wanderlust
La Barba Coffee – Colombia Sebastian Ramirez Washed Pink Bourbon
Heartwood Coffee – Colombia Finca Palma Rosa
Mr. Espresso – Brazil Córrego Da Boa Vista
Verve Coffee Roasters – Morning Brew Blend
Onyx Coffee Lab – Ethiopia Gore Dako
Olympia Coffee – Burundi Gitwe Natural Micro Lot 4
Portland Coffee Roasters – Endless Summer
Partners Coffee – Block Party
Sightglass Coffee – Summer Solstice
Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Colombia El Jordan
Night Swim Coffee – Kenya Kirimahiga AA
Joe Coffee – Lincoln Center
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Equator Coffees - Shift Lead - San Francisco, CA
Perc Coffee - Shop Manager - Atlanta and Savannah, GA
Equator Coffees - Bench General Manager - Burlingame, CA
La Marzocco - Quality Assurance Associate - Fort Wayne, IN
Counter Culture Coffee - Regional Team, Sales & Business Development - Atlanta, CA
Gracenote Coffee - Production Assistant - Upton, MA
Roseline Coffee - Wholesale Sales Leader - Portland, OR
Do you have a news tip? Feedback? A funny joke? Send us an e-mail, use the contact form on Sprudge, leave a message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE, or send us a letter at P.O. Box 3943 Portland, OR 97218.