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Noteworthy Nibbles — Nov. 18-24, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:00:55 -0800

This week, the country's running wild with wine tasting events. Even if there isn't one listed below that you can attend, chances are that this week there's a wine celebration going on near you, as the third Thursday of each November marks the yearly release of Beaujolais nouveau. Stock up on cases to pair with your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, because as soon as the bottles sell out, they're gone for good.

Chicago, IL: Passport to France — Nov. 20
Houston, TX: Beaujolais Wine & Food Festival — Nov. 20
New York, NY: Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 Celebration — Nov. 20
Dallas, TX: Beaujolais Wine Festival — Nov. 21
Grand Rapids, MI: Grand Rapids Wine & Food Festival — Nov. 21-23
Stamford, CT: Connecticut Wine & Food Festival — Nov. 21-23
Plant City, FL: Plant City Pig Jam — Nov. 22

To see the rest,

Do You Drink Decaf Coffee?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:30:45 -0800

With the $2 billion business of decaffeinated coffee at a plateau, coffee companies are focusing their efforts on new "low-caf" blends. While decaf coffee has long been considered less flavorful, these breakthrough blends are genetically manipulated to be naturally lower in caffeine but complex in taste.As an everyday coffee drinker, I hadn't realized that the decaf business was so lucrative, and was surprised to learn of the staggering numbers. Clearly, there's a demand for caffeine-free coffee. Are you a committed decaf drinker? I'd love to hear your reasons in the comments below. Source

Do You Drink Decaf Coffee?

Yes. It's my drink of choice.

Sometimes, depending on the time of day.

Only if it's my sole coffee option.

Decaf? That doesn't exist in my vocabulary.

No — I don't drink coffee of any kind.

Meet the World's Largest Irish Coffee

partysugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:09:10 -0800

Earlier today, at 1 p.m. PST to be exact, history was made at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. Irish coffee making champion Frank Silletti, in conjecture with the staff of the Buena Vista, made the world's largest Irish coffee. I was there to witness them break the Guinness World Record.

To check out my firsthand account and a bunch of pictures from the event,

How Do You Get Your Morning Caffeine Fix?

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0800

I have a serious coffee habit. After not drinking if for years (read two pregnancies in two years), I came back to the habit easily. The seriousness of my habit is not related to quantity, but rather constancy. I begin every day with a homemade latte. I wax and wane on having a second cup, but new research indicates that regular coffee drinkers, who drink two or more cups a day, have a lower all-cause mortality rate than non-coffee drinkers. This is probably due to the abundance of disease-fighting antioxidants in this rich brew. This news makes it so easy to rationalize a second cup.Unfortunately, the brewing process can change how your java affects your health. Coffee that is not filtered, for example, can can raise blood fats, which means paper filters are better for your health than using a French press. Bearing all this in mind, I am curious . . .Source

How Do You Get Your Morning Caffeine Fix?

I drink filtered coffee — one to two cups.

I drink one cup of coffee and don't care how it is made.

I drink multiple cups of joe daily, brewed in a variety of ways.

I drink black tea.

I drink green tea.

I drink soda for my fix.

I don't drink caffeine.

Other — Please share!

Noteworthy Nibbles — Nov. 4-10, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:33 -0800

This week Noteworthy Nibbles includes an international chocolate show complete with chocolate-inspired runway designs. In sunny Florida, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival should be quite the spectacle. Folks who live in Virginia have the great fortune of two oyster events this weekend. Personally, I'm looking forward to San Francisco Wine Week!

Know of anything we've left out? Drop us a line in the comments below!

Orlando, FL: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival — Nov. 4-9
Philadelphia, PA: Celebrity Chef Tour — Nov. 6
St. Helena, CA: CIA Worlds of Flavor International Conference — Nov. 6-8
Palm Desert, CA: The Art of Food & Wine — Nov. 6-9
Ann Arbor, MI: Save a Heart Celebration of Wine and Food — Nov. 7

To see the rest,

Does Interior Design Take Priority at Your Coffee Shop?

casasugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:01:55 -0800

According to the Herald Tribune, in addition to its new/old logo, Starbucks is undergoing a design overhaul of its interiors. The java monopolist has brought back designer/architect Arthur Rubinfeld to his old post to change things up. Rubinfeld has presented a new design, which may include, "energy-efficient lighting, new furniture using reclaimed materials, and modular merchandising racks, [as well as] new paintings that evoke the company's coffee heritage." I'm sure Starbucks knows what it's doing, so I don't doubt the changes will be beneficial. I'm curious, though, whether a coffee shop's design influences whether or not you'll order a latte. Does design influence your preferences out of the home? Source

Does Interior Design Take Priority at Your Coffee Shop?

Yes, interior design is important to me wherever I go.

If I'm on the go, I couldn't care less. But, if I want to drink my coffee and stay a while, design matters.

No, so long as the food, drinks, and service meet my standards, design doesn't have an influence.

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

Dunkin' Donuts Claims to Beat Starbucks in Coffee Taste Test

YumSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:30:32 -0700

As colossal coffee chain Starbucks struggles to keep up with past profit margins, its competitors continue to move in for the kill. Earlier this month, breakfast chain Dunkin' Donuts introduced its version of a recession deal. Now, in its latest ad campaign, the chain is claiming it beat Starbucks in a blind taste test.In the campaign, Dunkin' Donuts, which is currently in the middle of a national expansion effort, airs a new TV spot and launched a website, Dunkin' Beat Starbucks, that will highlight the results of the taste test.

The blind taste test, conducted by A&G Research, polled 476 adults in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. According to a press release from the chain, 54.2 percent of participants surveyed preferred Dunkin' Donuts coffee to the 39.3 percent who preferred Starbucks coffee. Another 6.3 percent had no preference between the two.

I'm slightly surprised by the results: I recently had Dunkin' Donuts coffee, and found that I still prefer the coffee from Starbucks. What about you? Are you impressed by the study's results, or are you skeptical of the findings?

Source

Starbucks' Holiday Strategy: Deep Discounts, Loyalty Programs

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:15:00 -0700

Amid slipping sales, Starbucks Coffee has unveiled several plans to boost holiday consumer spending.

This year, the coffee titan will sell five $20 gift cards for the discounted price of $80 — the first time ever that Starbucks has offered a gift card for less than face value. These gift cards, available only at discount retailer Costco, have been flying off shelves. In the promotion's first month, the company has sold nearly 1 million gift cards.

Starbucks is also rolling out its new gold-card loyalty program. The gold card, which can be purchased for $25, allows cardholders 10 percent off most items except gift cards and digital downloads. The company anticipates that millions of gold cards will be sold to customers who are existing cardholders of the regular Starbucks card, as it will save them more money.

Holiday gifts will also be at a lower price point this year. Many stores will also have $10 or less gift tables, and some items, such as CDs and coffee samplers, will retail at a price that is roughly 13 percent lower than similar items last year.

Do you think these promotions will increase sales, or is Starbucks trying too many different things at once? Will you be signing up for the gold card, or racing to Costco for the discounted gift cards?

Source

What's Your Coffee Syrup of Choice?

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:15:31 -0700

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Woman's Coffee Goes Batty

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0700

In Cedar Rapids, IA, one woman got her Halloween trick several weeks early when she found a bat in her coffee.

The woman reported a bat in her house but wasn't too concerned about it. She then turned on her automatic coffeemaker before bedtime and enjoyed her coffee the next morning. When she cleaned out her coffee machine that night, she discovered the dead bat in the coffee filter. The bat was sent to a laboratory to be tested, where researchers determined its brain was too cooked by the hot water for them to determine whether it was rabid. The woman is currently undergoing treatment for possible rabies.

I've heard some food scenarios that are even more disgusting, but this one tops the list of strange occurrences! Does this remind you of any bizarre food experiences that you've had?

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