Sprudge.com

Baristas and Sharon

When the mainstream media comes calling, their focus is often on the culture behind the third wave rather than the coffee itself. Tattoos and $5 cups make for headlines. And yet, culture or cultivar, Sprudge loves to see our friends in the industry get mainstream media coverage. Case in point: the recent piece that aired on Nightline featuring some of the finest folks in New York, including transplant roasters Stumptown and Blue Bottle and indie coffee bar Bluebird.

Over black-and-white with digitally colored coffee (ala Los Angeles’ Department of the 4th Dimension), the reporter narrates:

“The new espresso culture: coffee’s third wave. The third wave is turning your everyday cup of joe into an insanely pure, incredibly deep piece of artisanal artwork.”

Blue Bottle owner James Freeman readily admits that the reporter’s dad might be happier with Sanka and uses the word “voluptuous” to describe milk foam. Unfortunately, the classically trained clarinet player restrained himself from playing a descending F major arpeggio over several octaves.

The ABCNews piece fails to explore the actual deliciousness of the coffee – the biggest reason most of these shops featured have such a high price points in the first place. Katie Duris was about to, but Sharon Alfonsy instead focused on the high price of beans coupled with fanaticism, geekiness and tattoos.

We admit that tattoos and wait times are more titillating to your average Nightline viewer than sourcing, roasting, or taste. Truth is, we’re split on how we feel about this piece; it’s got the same kind of “let’s take a look at these geeks” tone you find in almost all MSM industry coverage, but at the same time, it’s great that ABC ran a feature on “third wave coffee”. Pour over! Espresso made by hand! Better than Starbucks! These are all good things.

We’re torn. We love it but we hate it, and we’re not sure how to comment on it. That’s why Sprudge.com has invited four distinguished voices in the community to weigh in on this pressing matter, in our first ever Sprudge.Com Roundtable Roundhouse. Read commentary from La Colombe owner and men’s magazine contributor Todd Carmichael, formerly thought to be deceased Marvin Golden (Chairman of the SCAA Steering Committee), Waterbed Warehouse manager and frequent Sprudge columnist Carl Mundy, and Stay-At-Home Barista Bonnie Greene.

Follow it all over at the Sprudge.com Roundtable Roundhouse