Not your Dad's coffee

Your cup of caffeine carries a tonier pedigree these days. Never before have there been more choices for the picky.

By KIM ODE, Star Tribune

The conversations seem out of place. People talk about floral notes, about hints of blueberry and juniper, about finishes and single origins. They're talking about fermentation and terroir. It's as if a wine tasting went awry and sent the tipsy wandering into the wrong convention.

But no, the conversations are decidedly, soberly -- boy, are they sober -- about coffee.

When the Specialty Coffee Association of America's international convention met in Minneapolis this month, more than 7,000 growers, roasters, exporters, baristas and coffeehouse owners from 40 countries were talking big business. Global consumption of coffee is approaching 120 million bags annually -- bags that weigh 132 pounds, more than 5 billion pounds of beans.

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When coffee is truly a ritual

By Tina Firesheets
Staff Writer

HIGH POINT — In Ethiopia, people socialize daily over coffee.

But not at artsy coffee houses or the neighborhood Starbucks. They gather at someone’s home in the mornings and evenings to talk and drink coffee, roasted and brewed by a friend.

In High Point, Ethiopian refugees Tigist Tesfa Biruk and Degene Eshete continue the coffee tradition on special occasions or when they have guests. They did so recently on their Orthodox Easter holiday.

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McDonald's Specialty Coffee Kick

by Michael Arndt

Thirty years ago, Janice L. Fields was a brand new McDonald's crew member in Dayton, Ohio, taking orders on the evening shift while her husband, an enlistee in the U.S. Air Force, took care of their three-year-old daughter. Today, Fields is chief operating officer of McDonald's USA. Working from the old office of founder Raymond A. Kroc, she is responsible for 13,800 restaurants, 700,000 employees, and $7.9 billion in annual revenue. But once a crew, always a crew. So here she is, in front of a TV camera for ABC's Nightline, back behind the counter and in an apron, grinning and serving coffee.

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Dunkin' Donuts Second Annual Free Iced Coffee Day

Dunkin' Donuts Keeps America Running With Second Annual Free Iced Coffee Day On May 15

Free Iced Coffee Day Celebrates Berry Berry Flavor and $80,000 Donation to the National Police Athletic League Youth Leadership Program

CANTON, Mass., May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 15, busy people who keep America running can keep cool for free. Dunkin' Donuts, the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, will host its second, nationwide Free Iced Coffee Day. This year, Dunkin' Donuts expects to serve nearly four million cups of iced coffee to its customers nationwide.

From 10a.m. to 10p.m. on May 15, customers can walk into any participating Dunkin' Donuts restaurant throughout the country and receive a free small 16 oz. cup of Dunkin' Donuts' original or flavored iced coffee, double-brewed to ensure full flavor with every cup. Customers are also encouraged to try Berry Berry Iced Coffee, which combines the seasonal tastes of blueberry and raspberry with Dunkin' Donuts' award-winning coffee, or many other delicious flavors.

As part of the one-day event, the company is donating $80,000 to the National Police Athletic League's Youth Leadership Program, a nonprofit organization that works with disadvantaged youth across the United States to emphasize the importance of community service and peer leadership.

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