Drink up, coffee will help you live longer.

Welcome to Fresh Brews. Each week, I scour the internet, stumbling through dozens of blogs and across hundreds of newspapers to find stories for our round up of all that is informative, entertaining and random in the coffee world. Enjoy!

Coffee buzz: Study finds java drinkers live longer
Some tea drinkers may hate on coffee, but it’s going to be hard for them to dispute this. The National Institutes of Health and the AARP say that coffee drinkers live longer. In fact, it looks like each cup of coffee you drink per day, nudges up your changes of living longer. If you weren’t already drinking coffee, go grab a cup now! Shout out to regular reader Mike Brown for spotting this article.

Taste Test: The Best Store-Bought French Roast Coffee
Huffington Post is usually spot on when it comes to coffee, however, they derailed, crashed and burned, and went way off track here. I don’t want to give it away, but their top picks come in huge plastic tins, are filled with cheap, low grade pre-ground coffee and can only be bought at the grocery store. I’m taking away their coffee reviewing license and not giving it back.

Friday Feature: the Coffee Bike from Project Rwanda
When I’m not drinking (or writing about) coffee or watching the Yankees, I’m probably out on my mountain bike. I know a little too much about bikes, but I never knew that a bike could make a coffee taste better and help coffee farmers earn a higher wage.

Be A Helpful Coffee Snob
This article is for the coffee snobs out there. You know who you are, the one’s who look down their noses at us average Joe’s. I’ll admit that I even find myself falling into that category from time to time. But next time I think about making a snide comment about the guy that just put sugar and cream into the Stumptown pourover that they just paid five bucks for, I’ll think about a more productive suggestion.

Summer Coffee: Tips, Tricks, and Drink Ideas
It’s getting hot in here. Colin over at Boise Coffee has some great suggestions on how to stay caffeinated and cool at the same time this summer. I know that there’s a couple on this list that I’m going to have to try.

At Starbucks and Thanksgiving Coffee, It’s Not Just a Cuppa Joe
Starbucks and Thanksgiving Coffee are two completely different companies. One is a giant corporation and the other is a small roaster that works with only 100% Fair Trade Coffee. This article takes a look at some of the ways both companies are working to improve the environment and the lives of farmers.

And make sure you stop by Coffee Responsibly. There you can find all sorts of direct trade, fair trade, organic and other awesome coffees.

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Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Photo by 27147.

Fresh Brews: Coffee Drinkers Live Longer, Summer Coffee And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Friday Feature: Taking Note of Tasting Notes
Ever wonder how I taste those hints of caramel and spices. I don’t have super taste buds or anything special like that, just a lot of practice. Over at A Table In The Corner Of The Cafe, Drew wrote about how you can improve your tasting abilities.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Want to know how they drink coffee in other parts of the world? Here you can learn about the 2-3 hour ceremony surrounding coffee in Ethiopia. Now that’s my kind of ceremony!

The Cupping Room – with Jim Breuer & Kobayashi [video]
You may recognize Kobayashi from competitive eating contests, but this time he takes on coffee. Somehow, he manages to down 42 cups of coffee in one sitting. Imagine those caffeine jitters! Don’t try this one at home.

Hawaii lawmakers approve coffee labeling changes
Bad news for fans of Kona coffee. It’s about to get a lot harder to find Kona coffee that’s actually Kona.

20 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds and Tea Leaves
If you’re still throwing your used coffee grounds into the garbage can, here’s some alternatives. Also, if you’re into that thing called tea, they have a few ideas for you too.

Four Signs You’re in a Real Espresso Bar
Great article on how to tell if you’re about to get a great shot of espresso or if you should run out the door and find another coffee shop.

How To Brew Coffee Like A Professional Barista
This article is for everyone that wants to be a coffee expert at home. In this guest post that I wrote for a blog called Expert Enough, I cover the basics on how to make a great tasting cup of coffee so that you can skip the daily trips to the coffee shop.

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Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Photo by ~MVI~ (bonn-ed).

Fresh Brews: The Happy Mother’s Day Edition is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Roasting beans inside the Four Barrel 1957 Probat.

Welcome to Fresh Brews. I scour the internet, stumbling through dozens of blogs and across hundreds of newspapers to find stories for our weekly round up of all that is informative, entertaining and random in the coffee world. Enjoy!

Four Barrel Coffee – American Hipster [Video]
Turns out the men and women behind some of the best coffee roasters in the world are human too. Go behind the scenes at Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco with American Hipster as they profile the company’s founder Jeremy Tooker.

Fair Trade USA’s Coffee Policy Comes Under Fire
Whether you’re a huge fan of Fair Trade or a critic, this article is worth reading. It goes in-depth looking at the changes in Fair Trade and who they may really benefit.

Salvadoran Coffee Farmers Welcome Tourists
Corn mazes and pick your own pumpkins are so last year. Now you can visit coffee farms in El Salvador and check out their outdoor restaurants, hotels, plant nurseries, tours and even small zoos. In all seriousness, that sounds pretty cool.

Hawaii: Wake up and smell — and see — the Kona coffee
Some people go to Hawaii for the beaches. Me, I want to go there for the coffee. Check out this brief look at a tour of Kona coffee farm.

The Nation’s Champion Barista Makes it Look Easy
Did you catch the World Barista Championship a couple of weekend’s ago? It’s no world series with the Yankees playing, but I think any coffee lover could appreciate the event. The New York Times talked to the winner of the championship after the event.

Soda may up stroke risk, coffee may slash it
I think I’ve said this before. Research and scientific surveys come a dime a dozen, often contradicting each other so it’s impossible to take most of them too seriously. However, I’ll never complain about another reason that coffee is healthy.

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Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Photo by niallkennedy.

Fresh Brews: American Hipster, Fair Trade Under Fire And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

How Coffee Revolutionized The World [Infographic]
History lesson/entertaining education about our favorite beverage.

How To Store Your Coffee Beans [Video]
This is my must watch video of the week! No seriously watch it! Who knew that a video how to properly store coffee beans could be so entertaining and make me laugh out loud. Watch it now!

Coffee Faucet [Video]
Ever have one of those rough mornings when you could just turn on your faucet and have coffee flow out instead of water? Well, now you can.

9 Tips for Environmentally-Friendly Coffee Practices
Over in his corner, Drew has a list of ways that you can be more green with your coffee.

6 Talented Artists Who Paint with Coffee
Add this to the list of things that can be done with the power of coffee.

Rockin and Roastin Joey Kramer does Coffee
Are you fan of Aeromsith and coffee? Well if you are, this is a win/win for you! Now, the drummer has his own line of coffee.

Mom’s caffeine not linked to infant sleep problems: study
Every week there’s a new scientific survey or research study released about coffee, caffeine, pregnancy, babies and mothers. None of the studies seem to agree with each other, but here’s another one to take into consideration.

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Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Fresh Brews: Entertaining Infographics, Laugh Out Loud Videos And More. is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

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Before we get to far, I wanted to remind everyone about the group coffee tasting coming up in a little over a week. The coffee we’re going to be tasting is Higher Ground’s Papua New Guinea – Dark. It’s an organic/fair trade coffee, that’s described as an exotic cup with a bright hint of apple and a subtle wine taste. A very distinct Indonesian coffee, the Papua New Guinea is full flavored with a smooth finish.

If you’re interested in joining in on the group review, pick up a bag via GoCoffeeGo or directly from Higher Ground. Then on Tuesday, April 24th, we’ll do a group tasting together and share all of our thoughts about it. You don’t have to be a coffee expert to join in, you just have to love coffee.

Video: Culture Differences in Coffee Consumption
Is coffee a caffeine jolt to take you up or is it more of an experience? This video looks at the different ways that coffee is consumed in different cultures.

A changing coffee culture
The changing coffee culture isn’t just limited to big cities anymore. Now you can enjoy the experience in smaller cities like Lafayette, Louisiana as the culture spreads similar to the farm-to-table movement found in the food world.

A Drop of Coffee History: Kaldi and His Goats
Ever wonder about the history of coffee? Here’s a lesson about the legend that surrounds the discovery of our favorite drink.

How local coffee drinkers can help Honduran farmers
A perfect example of how small changes in our coffee consumption can make a huge difference in other parts of the world.

New Hope For Coffee Insurance
Good news for coffee farmers in Jamaica. Coffee farming can be a very risky business, but now it looks like there might be an emergency backup in the works for the farmers when everything goes wrong.

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Don’t forget to visit Coffee Responsibly next time you’re looking for a new Fair Trade, Organic or Sustainable coffee. Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Photo by JcOlivera.com

Fresh Brews: Espresso Brewing In Your Car, Coffee History And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Illustration by Jennifer Cook, learn more about her coffee filled artwork below.

Welcome to Fresh Brews, our weekly round up of all that is informative, entertaining and random in the coffee world. I scour the interview, stumbling through dozens of coffee blogs and across hundreds of newspapers to find out what everyone is talking about!

What my Coffee says to me…
Coffee provides an untold amount of inspiration. For designer and illustrator, Jennifer Cook, her morning cup of java provides more than just inspiration for her daily artwork. What her coffee says to her is the theme for her prints and designs.

Can Coffee Kick-Start an Economy?
Uganda is one of the poorest and most corrupt countries, but Andrew Rugasira believes that coffee has the power to change that.

TAKK: Explorations of Nordic Cafe Culture
There’s a lot of books about coffee, but the duo of Samantha and Corey have a plan for a unique book that will feature the culture, history and people of some of the caffeinated countries in the world.

Air Jordan III (3) Inspired Nespresso Coffee Machine Custom
If there are any sneaker addicts out there, I think you’re going to love this machine. There’s been a lot of unique celebrity collaborations with coffee recently, but this might be the most unique.

Ethiopian Coffee And The ECX
Ethiopia is home to some of my favorite coffees, but because of government barriers and other hoops that coffee roasters have to jump through to get it, a lot is hidden about these delicious beans. Steve from Has Bean shares some of his experiences with the African country.

Saving the Family Coffee Farm: An Unintentional Organic Journey
In 1992, a Costa Rican farmer started to get sick because of the pesticides he used on his coffee plants. He got so sick that he couldn’t work, so he had a choice to hire other people to do his work, or switch to organic methods of growing his crop.

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Stay up with all of the wild and wacky coffees via our Facebook page and Twitter account, where these stories and others are shared.

Fresh Brews: Coffee Changing The World, Coffee Inspired Art And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Naked man buried in coffee beans? Details in the Monkey Mocha Fantastique story below.

Welcome to Fresh Brews, our weekly round up of all that is informative, entertaining and random in the coffee world. I scour the interview, stumbling through dozens of coffee blogs and across hundreds of newspaper to find out what everyone is talking about! Enjoy.

Monkey Mocha Fantastique- TRAILER
It’s a modern twist on a traditional love story. Dave, a down on his luck and mediocre barista, loses his girl to the rival barista Stephan. When his ex-girlfriend Vella brings Stephan to the coffee shop, Dave impetuously challenges Stephan to a head-to-head latte art competition. Dave must rely on Leslie, his bizarre mentor and sage of all things coffee, and a bit of luck to push himself to finally confront Stephan and seize his destiny.

If you’re over in the Louisville, Kentucky area on April 14th, head over to April 14th Sunergos Coffee to see the premier of Monkey Mocha Fantastique and a latte art competition, which includes the films two stars in a head to head battle. More details here.

Tipping Baristas
When you buy coffee, do you tip your barista? Drew over at A Table In The Corner Of The Cafe has some reasons why you should!

La Colombe Opening Decaffeination Plant in Philly
Like decaf? Required by your doctor to drink the caffeine free stuff? There’s some good news in the works for you that will allow you to keep more money in your pocket and hopefully enjoy better tasting decaf.

CoffeeConnect – Location Based Phone App
Would you like an app on your phone or tablet, that allows you to connect with other coffee drinkers for networking, friendship or conversation? Well, there’s an app in the works for that.

Why room-temperature coffee tastes so bad
Science takes the mystery out of everything! This time they’re explaining why room temperature doesn’t taste as good as hot or even ice cold coffee.

Waterfront Roasters – Our Process
In a short series of videos, Waterfront Roasters share some of the testing and analyzing they do of the coffee before it makes its way to our coffee mugs.

#PayItWithCoffee Mondays
Tomorrow and every Monday, Daily Demitasse is promoting good karma with coffee. I’ll let Jennifer explain.

Fresh Brews: Why Room Temp Coffee Tastes Bad, Why You Should Tip Your Barista & More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Tasting Coffee? Go Ahead and Slurp
Join in a coffee cupping or…

An Organic Coffee Plantation With A Secret Ingredient (PHOTOS)
Or take a tour of a coffee farm in Costa Rica.

The quest to grow caffeine-free coffee
Like decaf? Or required by your doctor to stick to decaf? Well, they’re getting closer to growing caffeine free coffee plants as an alternative to the chemical process that makes a decaf coffee.

Hugh Jackman, Leonardo DiCaprio Brewing Coffee Sales for a Cause
It looks like a couple more celebs are getting into the coffee selling game. Would you want coffee that comes via Hugh or Leo?

RoboRoast – Coffee Roasting Robot
Jason found this cool Kickstarter campaign that’s supporting the building of an automatic roaster. I don’t know if it could compare to the art work that many professional roasters do, but I wouldn’t mind having a RoboRoast sitting around in my kitchen.

Pull up a Chair: a Conversation with Daily Shot of Coffee
My first of two shameless self promotion items is an interview that I did with Drew over at A Table In The Corner Of The Cafe. Check it out, I had a lot of fun answering his questions, even if I did get close to writing a book in a couple of places.

Ultimate Coffee Giveaway
Last but not least, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about the giveaway that ends Monday at 11:59 pm EST. You’re time is running out and there’s a whole lot of coffee that you don’t want to miss out on.

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Photo by DBduo Photography

Fresh Brews: Roasting Robot, Celebrity Coffee And Growing Decaf is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

In The Blogosphere

Has Blog: Washed Coffee
Ever hear of Washed Coffee before? Or see the term in the description for a coffee that you’re thinking about buying? Steve took the time to explain in video form what washed coffee really means.

A Table In The Corner Of The Cafe: Keep No Score
Unlike a lot of coffee blogs out there (including this one), Drew doesn’t keep score when he’s reviewing a coffee. What do you think? When it comes to coffee (or even wine) does a critic’s score mean anything to you?

I Need Coffee: Perfect Your French Press
Looking for a few tips to fine tune your French Press brewing? Look no further!

In The News

Health warnings over inhalable caffeine
Who would’ve thought that those inhalable sources of caffeine would be dangerous! Please note the sarcasm. I won’t be sad to see these things disappear.

Would-be robber gets face full of scalding coffee
Only in Florida does a senior citizen slow down her attacker with a cup of hot coffee.

Want more? Make sure you check our Facebook page or Twitter account. There you can find articles like these that I stumble across and share.

Fresh Brews: Not Keeping Score, French Press Tips And more is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Muddy Dog Coffee: 10 Ways to drink better coffee in 2012
If your new years resolution was to drink better coffee, Muddy Dog Coffee wrote the perfect article for you. If your new years resolution wasn’t to drink better coffee, what’s wrong with you? Just joking.

Eat Drink Better 17 Things You Didn’t Know about Coffee
I know way too much about coffee, but this neat-o info graphic showed me a couple of things that I didn’t know.

National Geogrpahic: How Coffee Changed America
Tea gets all of the spot light in American history, but it was our friend coffee that changed America for the better. Don’t believe me, check out this article/infographic.

The Salt: Drink Coffee? Off With Your Head!
Part 2 of our little history lesson. Coffee is widely accepted in our culture now, but in the past drinking coffee could land you in jail or worse.

I Need Coffee: Roast Your Own Coffee
If you’ve been debating roasting your own beans, here’s an article that will guide you through the process. I’ve been thinking about roasting my own coffee for years now, I think in 2012 I’ll finally have to make some time try it.

Baristing: Review of Reviewing
Over at Baristing, Alex examines who asks us coffee reviewers (and reviewers in general) to review and why should we do it in the first place.

Passion For The Pint: How To Use Coffee In Your Next Homebrew
A little bit of a shameless plug for my other blog, but if you’re into homebrewing and you’re reading Daily Shot Of Coffee, here’s an article that you can probably use.

Creative Loafing: Spice up your morning
If you’re coffee is getting a little boring, the fine folks over at Creative Loafing have some ways to spice up your coffee life.

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Stay connected via Facebook and Twitter for all sorts of random coffee geekery.

Photo by Swiv.

Fresh Brews: Things You Don’t Know About Coffee, Roasting Your Own Coffee And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee