Coffee Thoughts: JANUARY 2025

Coffee Thoughts: JANUARY 2025

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I told you we were going to start attempting to get going with videos. Catching up with Nick Schmitt from Roastar each month is a great way to practice newly acquired skills. For the past 12 seasons, I haven’t had to worry much about lighting, 1080 vs 720p definition, editing audio to line up with the video, or figuring out how to create an intro clip.

It’s all-new, but in my coffee industry experience, it takes practice to get better, and the getting better never really ends. The skill building is part of the journey that leads to appreciation. Thanks for your patience and willingness to work through the growing pains with us. A special thanks to Nick for showing up for a cup of coffee!

COFFEE THOUGHTS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

• We’ve got new intro and outro music on the Coffee People podcast for the first time since we launched 12 seasons ago. Let us know what you think…
  Intro music:

  Outro Music:

• The Daily Coffee News article below features some great new (or revamped) roasters to check out. They include our recent guest Chuck Patton of Chuck’s Roast and the team at Nice Coffee who appeared on the Coffee People podcast as Right Quick Coffee (audio at the top!). I get the appeal. New is always fun and exciting, but…
  
  When you’re out there trying the newbies, don’t forget that the key to sustained success for your favorite spots is consistent support. If a cafe is constantly battling for new customers, they might not (likely not) survive. Regular customers are what create that coolness and community the newbies are seeking.

  

• Chameleon Cold Brew is hiring a Traveling Road Brew Tour Brand Ambassador and Content Specialist. That’s a title and a half, but it looks like pretty fun gig even if Chameleon’s majority-owner is Nestle S.A. who have a less than stellar track record in ethical coffee.
  Read the full job description here: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2973227

  An excerpt from the job description:

Are you a social media-savvy coffee enthusiast ready to hit the open road with a cold brew in one hand and a camera in the other? We’re on a mission to spread caffeine happiness across the country with our Road Brew Tour—and we need YOU to be the face of it!

Join us for the adventure of a lifetime as a Brew Crew Member, where you'll zigzag across the country in our tricked-out Sprinter van with your road partner, a fellow coffee-slinging buddy. Together, you’ll make stops at exciting, pre-identified locations, chatting with coffee fans, handing out free brews, and sharing your journey on Instagram and TikTok.

• The AI-device Nick mentioned for developing custom coffee blends is in development, and a fundraising campaign will eventually be launched through IndieGogo. It’s an interesting project. I have a lot of questions. Is the tech specific to certain coffees? Would a user need to subscribe to a coffee subscription? How do I know that what I think is acidic is what the AI thinks is acidic? How does an AI calibrate flavor?

• More AI news in coffee as Nick and I chatted about. A roaster created an entire coffee blend and flavor profile using available AI technologies like ChatGPT. The roasters acknowledged that the AI’s version was the winner in a blind tasting when competing against their own version.

• When I lived in Chicago, I’d sometimes go to this Starbucks in Hyde Park. There weren’t a lot of walkable options in the neighborhood. It was often filled, and getting a table was a challenge. On one such occasion, a gentleman sat down at the small corner spot I had been working at. If I was surprised by his appearance, I was even more surprised when he pulled a full bottle of Jack Daniels and several smaller bottles of various boozes out of his coat. He proceeded to mix a fairly powerful cocktail in an empty Starbucks cup. He started playing music from his phone but without headphones. I said, “Excuse me, but would you mind? I was trying to work on this job application.” To which he responded, “But this is where I drink.” I started getting my coffee a bit further away.
  

  I relay this story because it is what I was thinking about when I saw the announcement that Starbucks will no longer allow people to hang out or use the restroom without being paying customers. I have mixed emotions about this. Access to public bathrooms can be a real lifesaver for many. Common decency for those in a position of need is a consideration, as is the need for a business to provide an appealing atmosphere for its customers. Not to mention the general goal of turning a profit to keep the doors open. If I were willing to walk a little further, how many other potential customers would, too? Read about the announcement on The Guardian.

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