Made in China coffee anyone?

BEIJING - STARBUCKS has launched its first coffee to be made with beans grown in China, the company said.

The South of the Clouds Blend is made with coffee grown by farmers in the southwestern province of Yunnan and will be sold in Starbucks stores here until February 19, said a statement posted on the company's website on Wednesday.

'We are proud to offer our customers the opportunity to experience a truly world-class coffee from China,' Martin Coles, president of Starbucks Coffee International, said in the statement.

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Coffee May Jump 26% as Output Slows, Brazil Association Says

By Carlos Caminada

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Coffee may jump as much as 26 percent this year as Brazil, the biggest producer and exporter, harvests less of the bean and boosts consumption, said Nathan Herszkowicz, head of the country’s roasters association.

Prices may reach $1.45 per pound in New York near year-end after Brazilian producers finish selling a smaller crop, up from $1.1475 per pound yesterday, Herszkowicz, president of the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association, said in a Jan. 13 interview in Sao Paulo. The commodity will likely trade between $1.25 and $1.35 per pound in coming months, he said.

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Rioters attack Starbucks in anti-Israel demo

Starbucks bore the brunt of the vandalism as masked protesters ripped out fittings and equipment after clashes with riot police after an angry mob targeted shops and cafés in Kensington High Street, London, UK according to an article in the Evening Standard. Stop the War Coalition, which organized the demonstration, said the violent mob represented only a minority of the protesters. More...

Eight O’Clock Coffee wins Tribune’s blind taste test

STAFF REPORTS
newsroom@newsandtribune.com

So once again, our staffers set out to find the best of the best. We set aside our hankering for bizarre food taste tests (such as the recent frozen turkey dinner sampling in honor of Thanksgiving) and decided on something the average Joe embarks on daily — a cup of joe.

For most of us, coffee is part of the daily grind. That steaming cup of morning pick-me-up is one of life’s simple pleasures. Where would we be without out it? Probably stuck in a stupor somewhere between our alarm clocks sounding and the drive to work.

In search of the best store-bought ground coffee, 14 staffers sampled different brands from unmarked coffee pots. Only one person knew the true identity of each coffee, which were otherwise identified by numerals 1 to 5.

In defiance of wine and coffee tasting trends, we opted out of techniques involving cupping, stirring, sipping and spitting. The only rule was each coffee must be tasted black. The judges applied four standards: aroma, flavor, lack of bitterness and overall experience.

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Robert's Note: If you have been a coffee nut for very long, you know that everyone does not want to take all the necessary step toward great coffee. (especially your relatives!) Once you realize this, your responsibility to make coffee nuts of all you encounter will diminish.

When anyone asks me about my favorite coffee, I first respond with the url to this website. Then I ask, "do you have a grinder?" If the answer is "no," I gently suggest that grinding fresh roasted beans just before brewing is the best procedure. If I sense a reluctance to even consider this extra work, I tell them to get Eight O'Clock coffee. It saves time.

US cartoon provokes Colombia ire

Colombian coffee growers are planning to sue a US cartoonist for millions of dollars over a cartoon they say damages the reputation of Colombian coffee.

The cartoon is by Mike Peters, whose work is published in the US and abroad.

In it, one character refers to crime in Colombia and then to Juan Valdez, the fictional coffee grower used for years to advertise Colombian coffee.

Coffee growers say the cartoon links their industry with violence. Mr Peters has said he intended no offence.

The cartoon strip which appeared on 2 January is part of the Mother Goose and Grimm series that Mr Peters draws.

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DJ Mexico,C. Amer Cash Coffee: Little Trade As Buyers Eye Stocks

Last update: 8:35 p.m. EST Jan. 9, 2009
MEXICO CITY, Jan 09, 2009 (Dow Jones Commodities News via Comtex) -- Physical trading was slow this week in the cash coffee markets of Mexico and Central America as cash differentials soared on a supply squeeze for high quality beans, traders and exporters said Friday.
Traders said as concerns grew over the supply of top quality mild washed arabica beans from Colombia, the world's largest producer of mild beans, Central American coffee producers were raising their premiums. This led buying demand to switch to certified stocks instead.

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As stores close, Starbucks buys a jet

By Melissa Allison
Seattle Times business reporter

Starbucks bought a $45 million corporate jet last month at about the same time it told employees that it is reconsidering how much it will match in their 401(k) plans this year.

The new jet, a Gulfstream 550, spent its first two weeks under Starbucks ownership in Hawaii, according to flight records at FlightAware.com.

Starbucks ordered the jet three years ago, according to spokeswoman Deb Trevino. She said the Seattle coffee company determined canceling delivery would be too expensive. She declined to say who took the jet to Hawaii over the holidays, but said it was a combined personal and business trip. She pointed out that Starbucks policy requires employees to reimburse the company for personal use of the jet. That policy was instituted in fiscal 2007, when Chairman Howard Schultz reimbursed the company $400,919 for flights.

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