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Do You Enjoy Starbucks's Holiday Drinks?

partysugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:00:58 -0800

Wolfgang Puck's Newest Venture: Iced Coffee

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:37:08 -0700

Watch out, Frappuccino. There's a new iced coffee in town, and it's been created by world famous chef Wolfgang Puck. Amidst a nasty lawsuit, guest judging on Top Chef, and juggling his nearly 20 restaurants, the celebrity chef is rolling out a new line of ready-to-drink iced coffees.

The bottled beverages, which will compete directly with products like POMx Iced Coffee, will cost $2.39 each or $7.99 for a four pack of Vanilla Fusion, Double Blend Mocha, Creme Caramel, or Café au Lait.

Puck explained how his drinks would be different from those on the market, citing the fact that the coffees are sourced from certified organic farms in Ethiopia, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico and contain certified organic and kosher ingredients.

Whole Foods stores nationwide will stock the coffee by the end of the year. Would you be more inclined to buy iced coffee because it's by Wolfgang Puck?

Cook With Java on National Coffee Day

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:50:40 -0700

Good morning - and happy National Coffee Day! I don't know about you, but I've already had a cup (or three!) of Joe to celebrate what is, in my humble opinion, the world's greatest morning beverage. Still haven't had enough of the stuff? Then consider playing up its bold, nutty properties in tonight's dinner. For a few ideas, keep reading.

View Slideshow ›

Would You Drink Kopi Luwak Coffee?

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:50:33 -0700

In honor of today being National Coffee Day, I thought I'd ask all you coffee lovers out there how far you'd go for a good brew. At more than $100 a pound, kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, likely takes the title of the world's most expensive coffee. But it also holds the title of world's only twice-consumed coffee.

Before you've enjoyed it, it's been consumed by the palm civet, a cat-sized mammal native to Southeast Asia. The civet, or luwak, eats fresh coffee berries, which are collected by coffee specialists after they've been excreted. The beans are then washed in spring water and sold as coffee.

According to civet coffee connoisseurs, the animal's digestive enzymes help to mellow out the acidity, causing it to taste mild and smooth. I think I could give it a try - so long as you didn't tell me what it was first. What about you? Have you ever tried civet coffee?

Yummy Links: From Fried Chicken to Chef Empires

partysugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:50:27 -0700

A roundup of the best fancy-pants fried chicken New York City has to offer. - Serious Eats
How to avoid dirty looks while working on your laptop at a coffeehouse. - Chow
Watch a woman throw her bra at Guy Fieri. - Eat Me Daily
Did the Washington Post spoil Top Chef 6? - Eater SF
Hosting a baby shower? Download these circus-themed decorations. - Hostess With the Mostess
Learn the best way to get a truly medium-rare burger. - The Epi-Log
The top 20 biggest chef empires. - Grub Street

Source: Flickr User delgaudm

Starbucks To-Go Cold Cup Tumbler: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:00:59 -0700

Even before my afternoon stint as a barista, I was an enthusiastic fan of Starbucks. I go there on an almost daily basis, and often bring in my reusable Starbucks "to go" tumbler. When I first bought it, I had the manager at my local store use a Sharpie to scribble shorthand for my regular order on the side (genius!).

This Summer, Starbucks developed an even edgier tumbler for the warm weather: a cold to-go cup, complete with green straw, constructed in clear lucite. It sold out almost immediately, and is now being sold on eBay for as much as $50 a pop. What do you think of it: impractical or brilliant?

Source

VIA Instant Coffee to Arrive in Starbucks Stores Nationwide

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:50:33 -0700

If you're a frequent or occasional instant coffee drinker, look out for a new kind of brew coming to a store near you. On Sept. 29, Starbucks will be rolling out its much-discussed instant coffee, VIA, in stores across the US and Canada.

When VIA Ready Brew was first introduced back in March, the insta-packets were only available in limited markets: Seattle, Chicago, London, and online. “Consumers have quickly adopted our instant coffee as their coffee while on the go,” CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement. “We were overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response from our customers and partners after tasting Starbucks VIA."

Unsurprisingly, Starbucks is not only marketing VIA as coffee on-the-go, but also as a creative element in the kitchen, playing a part in recipes from coffee sodas to cupcakes. Starbucks fans, do tell: Will you try out VIA once it hits your side of town?

Half Pint Creamer: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:00:21 -0700

Coffee with cream gets cheeky with this clear glass Half Pint Creamer ($15). It's molded to look like a cardboard carton of half-and-half but with a more sophisticated effect. Would you give it a pour?

My Afternoon as a Starbucks Barista

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:10:52 -0700

Chaotic as things may appear behind a Starbucks counter, every drink is made custom and to order in a systematic, organized way. I know this because I spent an afternoon as a Starbucks barista. Laurel Village Starbucks store manager Deanna Barbagiovvanni put me to work yesterday behind the espresso machines.

The trickiest part of being a barista is deciphering the code on the side of a Starbucks cup. It was like trying to read an unknown foreign language. "That's a nonfat, two-pump white mocha," Deanna said, reaching for espresso shots, as I stood there, still trying to make sense of the notations. Customers rarely place orders for standard drinks, she explained: "One girl comes in every day and orders a venti Coffee Frappuccino with a grande scoop of ice, double blended, with light whip and just a little chocolate drizzle." Find out what else I learned and check out a video of me as barista when you read more

Christian Siriano to Collaborate With Starbucks

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:30:43 -0700

Starbucks' free pastry promotion may be over - but the coffee chain's slated to announce even more exciting news.

New York magazine reports that Project Runway winner Christian Siriano has plans to unveil a partnership with Starbucks for the upcoming holiday season.

Because further details about the collaboration have not yet been released - and news organizations have been barred from reporting them until Nov. 17 - we're left with nothing to work with but a wild imagination. Are fierce uniforms with avante-garde shoulders on the Starbucks horizon? Stay tuned.

Are you a fan of Christian Siriano's designs? Do you find the partnership to be a unique opportunity, or an odd match?