Last Week With Ben Blake – Week Of February 1st, 2014

Maybe you spent the last week digging out of the latest monster snow storm, or maybe you were just too busy sitting by the fire getting warm. Whatever the case may be, here’s the coffee news you missed over the last seven days—all in one spot. It’s like an unseasonably cold polar vortex, only way more comfortable and easy to read.

Cafe Imports To Open In Berlin: Big news this week from our friends and partners at Cafe Imports. The Minneapolis-based green coffee importing company, have announced via Twitter that they’ll be opening offices in Berlin, Germany in 2014. They are sending Gabriel Dunn, their new official Director of International Sales, to head up the operation. To learn a bit more about their expansion into Europe, we spoke with Cafe Imports’ Marketing Director Noah Namowicz, as well as Mr. Dunn, who will be heading up the CI office in Berlin.

5 Sweet Cafes In Auckland: Sprudge.com co-founder and editor Jordan Michelman recently visited New Zealand as a speaker for the 2013 New Zealand Speciality Coffee Association Symposium. Afterwards, he spent some time touring cafes in Auckland and took heaps of photos and notes along the way. This week, we published his photos and notes. In this feature, Mr. Michelman takes us on a photojournalistic tour of the city’s coffee scene, and details how Auckland is more than just an afterthought.

Social Justice, Localism, And Chutney: A Closer Look At The Good Food Awards: While talking about food and beverages is both fun and good, it’s often easy to lose sight of the fact that we’re pushing for something larger than just enjoyment, and that there are many moving parts in any changing industry. Kristen Orser-Crouse penned a wonderful feature that profiles the major themes at this year’s Good Food Awards Ceremony, and paints a picture of what that might look like within the coffee industry.

The 14 Best Coffee Baby Names For 2014 (And Their Meanings): February is as good a time as any to start making babies, and we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a list of the 14 best coffee-related names for your little one, including some meaningful explanations and possible nicknames. Nine months goes by quick, and it’s never too early to start thinking about (coffee-related) names. You’re welcome.

Disney Princesses As Baristas: This is a list of Disney Princesses as Baristas. Enough said.

Sprudgefork: Korea & Japan: Sprudgefork, a special series here on Sprudge in which we examine the intersection of coffee and music, featured three fantastic music videos this week. Two are from Korea and concern coffee directly, and the third is from a Japanese synth grunge band called, delightfully, Seattle Standard Cafe. Enjoy.

Jetsetting With Wilbur Curtis’ New Coffee Culture Manager: Alex LittleJohn: Back in November 2013, we reported to you about a particularly exciting new job position being created by our friends and partners at Wilbur Curtis Company. This past week, we were proud to announce that Alex LittleJohn was named the new Coffee Culture Manager at Wilbur Curtis Company! Ms. LittleJohn should be familiar to Sprudge readers, as we’ve hosted her popular podcast “Coffee Uncut” under the Sprudge Media label since mid-2013. We sat down to chat with Alex to find out more.

Kopi Luwak Petition Helps Protect Civets: While the latest petition created by the World Society for the Protection of Animals doesn’t address the underlying fallacy behind the much-exploited kopi luwak system –  that it is “a ridiculous, literally disgusting fad that retards the public valuation of specialty coffee” –it is a step in the right direction, calling for increased oversight of how civets are treated and the creation of “a recognised certification scheme. If this is going to continue to be a thing, at least we can stop abusing civets in the process. Learn more and get involved here.

In Paris, A Craft Roaster And Brewery Join Forces: Anna Brones profiles the most recent collaboration between craft-coffee roaster Cafe Lomi and brewery Brasserie de la Goutte d’Or. The two have teamed up for the 3ter beer, which made its debut just before Christmas, and in the time since has sold out of its first run of 2000 bottles. Find out more about the growing coffee and beer scene in Paris in this feature from Ms. Brones.

How a Team of 7 At Starbucks Decides on 400 Million Pounds of Coffee: Co.Design, Fast Company magazine’s online business & design outfit, posted an article this week about their visit to the Starbucks cupping lab. The article focuses on how the cupping approach to evaluation–”keep your mouth shut, and simply move a glass just two inches left or right”–can be applicable to the boardroom.  The article gives an inside look into some of the inner workings of the Starbucks green coffee buying engine.

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee: Tina Fey: If you know us, you know we’re big fans of Jerry Seinfeld’s web series “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.” This week, Tina Fey got the nod as Jerry’s sidekick in this episode as the duo visits Floridita, a Cuban Cafe located in Harlem. We took a look at our favorite moments of the episode.

Video-of-the-Week: “Mom’s Coffee”: This beautiful, complex, and haunting video from director Ridwhan Jamal depicts a traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony, and accentuates the idea that coffee is capable of transcending all cultures and borders.