Some interesting results from the 2015 Zagat Coffee Survey.
Photo by desertbullet
Time magazine recently listed the most decadent coffee confections you don’t want to miss!
- Guinness-flavored latte – Starbucks introduced Dark Barrel Latte that mimics the taste of Guinness without the alcohol. Available only at select Starbucks locations in Florida and Ohio due to its testing phase.
- Elephant poop coffee – Yes, you heard right! Deemed the world’s most expensive brew, Black Ivory Coffee is made from Arabica beans from Thailand that first pass through an elephant’s digestive system and are then harvested from the resulting dung. The process brings out the natural sugar in the bean while removing the bitterness, supposedly resulting in a uniquely delicious cup of joe. Available here only.
- Coffee in edible waffle cups – One California coffeehouse has applied the concept soup in bread bowl to its beverages in a form of coffee. Available at Alfred Coffee & Kitchen in Los Angeles.
- Affogato – Ice cream or gelato then topped with a shot of hot espresso. Simple recipe, try it at home!
- Koffie Van Brunt – This beverage with a touch of aged rum got the TimeOut New York raving as “swirling layer of ivory white cream, burnished brown java and bright orange zest makes this drink as pretty to look at as it is tasty to sip.” Get it at Fort Defiance in Brooklyn, NY.
- Coffee Beer Repeat – Two pints of beer and two shots of espresso all served separate. Come by Houndstooth in Austin to try it out.
- Toasted Marshmallow Latte – Concoction includes espresso, steamed milk and a roasted marshmallow on a stick. Big Shoulders Coffee in Chicago serves it perfectly.
- The Vincent Vega – The drink, available at The Mission in San Francisco, includes Coca-Cola, a shot of espresso, vanilla syrup, served over ice.
Photo by inhabitat
San Francisco’s Mission District opened it’s doors last year to another coffeehouse, Sightless Coffee, located on 20th street designed with reclaimed wood, natural plaster walls, and ceramic tiles, creating a cozy neighborhood ambience that contrasts with the industrial feel of the flagship store.
Photo by Tim Sugden
Here are 9 trends in coffee shop design as found by Bon Appétit Magazine:
- Pale wood – Use it for your tables to shelves and counters.
- It’s in the beans – Don’t just focus on taste, customers are just as interested in the origins of the coffee.
- Pay Pal – Download this app on your table and make the sale go even faster and smoother.
- 70s baby! – Pull out those vintage 70s music and hit play!
- House Drink – Make sure to create your own signature house drink.
- Coffee and more – Add a sparkling water chaser to an espresso.
- Merchandise for sale – Designate a section in the shop for the sale of your merchandise products (roasted-in house beans, branded mugs, tote bags, chocolate, etc).
- Efficient machines – Choose efficient machines that help the coffee making easier.
- Fresh Flowers – Display fresh wildflowers.
Photo by Co.Design
This revolutionary machine promises to deliver the perfect roast in one easy step. Yes, the Bonaverde roasts, grinds and brews your coffee. No more waiting for that morning coffee! The invention is the brainchild of founder, Hans Stier who launched the company in 2012 and with the help of Kickstarter also managed to fund it. It’s mission is to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers closer together. This will allow the opportunity for consumers to learn more about the origins of their coffee and the hardworking farmers as well as it how it is processed. Pre-orders can be made now.
Photo by The Coffee Academics
Since opening in 2012, The Coffee Academics in Hong Kong has made it to one of the top coffee shops in the world. It takes pride in providing top grade beans and carefully brewing your coffee to offer the perfect cup. Unique drinks include lattes which are sweetened with organic raw agave nectar and spiced with ground black pepper or a “global inspired coffee” Okinawa, a cup of coffee that is sweetened with dark brown sugar from the Okinawa Islands.
Photo by Blue Bottle Coffee.
James Freeman’s Blue Bottle Coffee is the latest craze in artisanal coffee. People are loving the coffee from this Oakland-based company which is expanding fast – currently, there are 13 stores in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and now in New York City. Freeman’s company was born as he describes from:
…a slightly disaffected freelance musician and coffee lunatic, weary of the grande eggnog latte and the double skim pumpkin-pie macchiato, decided to open a roaster for people who were clamoring for the actual taste of freshly roasted coffee. Using a miniscule six-pound batch roaster, he made an historic vow: “I will only sell coffee less than 48 hours out of the roaster to my customers, so they may enjoy coffee at its peak of flavor. I will only use the finest, most delicious and responsibly sourced beans.” In honor of Kolshitsky’s heroics, he named his business Blue Bottle Coffee, and began another chapter in the history of superlative coffee. Blue Bottle Coffee has grown to a small network of cafes, wholesale partners, an espresso cart, and some vintage German coffee roasters. We are still united by the simple purpose of getting great coffee to everyone who asks for it. Improbably and delightfully, there are hundreds of us now. We roast coffee on vintage gear, put it in compostable bags, and still get it to our customers within 48 hours. We roast great coffee on two coasts, make great drinks, clean up after ourselves, bake cookies, type up invoices, get change at the bank, and say please and thank you.
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