Espresso Cuban style

Much more than a jolt of caffeine, this coffee is a way of life

BY JENNIFER MILLER
STAFF WRITER-Ocala (FL) Star Banner

In places such as Miami, drinking espresso coffee Cuban style is as ritualistic as having a glass of water on a humid day.

Open-air cafeterias can be found on almost any street corner, where hundreds of thousands of mouths open daily to voice a familiar request, "un cafecito, por favor."

Their requests are not met with a 12-ounce mixture of whip cream, milk and the latest exotic-sounding brand of coffee. Rather, they usually get a plastic shot cup, a small, sweet dose of caffeine that'll keep 'em going for hours.

And while in Ocala, what has come to be known as Cuban coffee can mostly be found either by knowing a Cuban or at Chicken Time Cuban restaurant in Belleview, this "social" drink is relatively easy to make at home.

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Starbucks Corp., Galveston beer maker battle over trademark

Associated Press

GALVESTON, Texas - Mediation in the trademark battle between Starbucks Corp. and a Galveston bar owner who sells "Starbock" beer likely will begin soon, an attorney for the bar owner said Thursday.

U.S. Judge Samuel Kent ordered the parties to mediate the case and set it for trial in 2005. Kent wants a report by July 30 on efforts to settle the case.

"That is the next step in the long process of getting through this agonizing ordeal," said John Egbert, the Houston attorney who represents bar owner, Rex Bell.

Bell operates the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, which holds about 60 people. He sells the beer from one of bar's taps.

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Rain delays 2004/05 coffee harvesting in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Agência Estado, Brazil

Belo Horizonte - Harvesting of the 2004/05 coffee crop in southern Minas Gerais (MG), which is responsible for over 50% of the state´s arabica production, remains held up by the rain.

Cooperatives and producers in the region say that the delay adds up to 30 to 40 days compared with other crop years.

According to Joaquim Goulart, the president of the Guaxupé coffee cooperative (Cooxupé), rain has not only delayed harvesting but also impinged on drying, with a knock-on effect on quality.

"Humidity provokes fermentation both in the case of cherries on the ground and in the tree, harming appearance and consequently the price at which the product is sold," said Goulart.

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Why Home Roast?

by Ryan Jacobs

Compliments INeedCoffee.com

Roasting your own coffee may seem difficult, troublesome, or even a ridiculous notion. I contend that it is neither difficult nor troublesome; and the only thing ridiculous is settling for less than the best coffee possible. There are so many reasons to roast your own coffee, but I will summarize what I think are the most compelling reasons.

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