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God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee
Can a cup of coffee reveal the face of God? Can it become the holy grail of modern-day knights errant who brave hardship and peril in a relentless quest for perfection? Can it change the world? These questions are not rhetorical. When highly prized coffee beans sell at auction for $50, $100, or $150 a pound wholesale (and potentially twice that at retail), anything can happen. In God in a Cup , journalist and late-blooming adventurer Michaele Weissman treks into an exotic and paradoxical realm of specialty coffee where the successful traveler must be part passionate coffee connoisseur, part ambitious entrepreneur, part activist, and part Indiana Jones. Her guides on the journey are the nation's most heralded coffee business hotshots—Counter Culture's Peter Giuliano, Intelligentsia's Geoff Watts, and Stump-town's Duane Sorenson. With their obsessive standards and fiercely competitive baristas, these roasters are creating a new culture of coffee connoisseurship in America—a culture in which $10 lattes are both a purist's pleasure and a way to improve the lives of third-world farmers. If you love a good cup of coffee—or a great adventure story—you'll love this unprecedented look up close at the people and passions behind today's best beans.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 2, 2014
Going into this book, I was by no means a coffee aficionado but I picked this up after becoming briefly acquainted with good coffee during a few weeks in Italy this summer. I went from having coffee only on mornings when I really needed it (aka hangovers at work) to having coffee everyday simply because it was good and it fit in with the leisurely "dolce vita" life I became so accustomed to. I came back from my holiday wanting to learn more - what is the crema and its purpose? Where does coffee come from? Is Starbucks really that bad? I got the answers to all my questions in this book, and far more. This is a highly educational read and at times it could sound a little dry like a typed out documentary without visuals and color, but it certainly makes up and entertains with pure knowledge and passionate dialogue from the movers and shakers in the (specialty) coffee industry. I learnt a bit of everything about coffee in this book by Michaele Weissman and it is certainly a read that I am constantly reminded of in everyday life. Coffee is everywhere, and my life is now a little richer having understood the journey of each bean brewed before me.
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November 17, 2009Theoretically, this book is right up my alley. I love books about food (and drink), especially those that can tie culture and history and science and all sorts of trivia in.
Problem is, Weissman's a pretty crap writer. And the design of this book is off-puttingly (if uninterestingly) ugly. Weissman is one of those bulging suitcase writer: every sentence is crammed with all the tidbits she can (apparently) think of, resulting in a convoluted endless process deciphering them.
And I became tired of the phrase "the coffee guys" quickly.
I tried to persevere because I'm interested in the content, but she wore me out.
Problem is, Weissman's a pretty crap writer. And the design of this book is off-puttingly (if uninterestingly) ugly. Weissman is one of those bulging suitcase writer: every sentence is crammed with all the tidbits she can (apparently) think of, resulting in a convoluted endless process deciphering them.
And I became tired of the phrase "the coffee guys" quickly.
I tried to persevere because I'm interested in the content, but she wore me out.
February 14, 2017
The definitive, contemporaneous chronicle of third wave coffee. Impeccably researched, with vivid accounts of origin as well as retail and the people behind Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, and some of the big speciality importers. Having recently visited Nicaragua, this book brought me back there and helped me better understand the global coffee supply chain. Highly recommend if you love coffee.
September 30, 2008
This is not a bad book. It's just not what I expected. I think I was looking for the spirituality in a good cuppa joe. That's not what this book is.
January 15, 2020
God in a Cup is about Weissmans travels and her shared experiences with the Rockstars of the third wave coffee industry. If you are interested in learning about how third wave coffee developed in the early 2000s and who the founders of counterculture coffee, intelligentsia, and Stumptown led the industry, this book is great at that! Weissman is a complete outsider to the coffee world. I was surprised that while covering the biggest coffee event in the world she hadn't cupped coffee a single time before? Also, it seems that most of her conversations with each founder was about teaching her the very basics of coffee. This book extensively covers different countries and the people in the coffee world, but has an extremely shallow covering terms roasting/brewing/her own personal nuanced insights of the coffee she tasted while traveling.
December 10, 2017
If ever you've been interested in how the specialty coffee industry rose and became what it is today, this book is a really good place to start. It takes a long look at how we moved from second wave coffee (Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, etc) into third wave coffee by focusing on some of the early initiators like the founders of Stumptown and Blue Bottle.
June 26, 2008
The specialty coffee world is on the verge of going mainstream. The demand for higher quality coffee and the wish for sustainable relationships with the farmer and business have led to the creation of the Third Wave of Coffee enthusiasts. In her very informative book, God in a Cup, Weissman introduces the driving forces behind the Third Wave. You will meet Geoff Watts, Peter from Counter Culture and Duanne from Stumptown –a Portland landmark of fine coffee.
God in a Cup is more than about coffee as a business. Weissman has produced an engaging travel/business/Environmental book that even non-coffee people will enjoy. She travels throughout the coffee world visiting the farms and farmers that grow and harvest the beans. She meets the roasters, importers and baristas that transform a mere bean into a work of art. The growth of high end coffee is following a similar pattern to the way wine has changed throughout the centuries.
In the past wines were labeled by color or Region, then by grape type and finally as it is currently by vineyard. The coffee people are trying to bring this idea to the coffee world. The hopes for farm direct microlots to be marketed in similar fashion as wine will greatly benefit farmers that produce the world’s best coffee. Quality will demand a premium and the folks mentioned in the book have dedicated themselves to that idea. The increased pay to the farmers will encourage proper land use and methodology for the betterment of all.
Michaele Weissman has written a fine book that really sums up the current state of the coffee world. Coffee once simply a commodity is becoming a much more due to the work of people like Geoff Watts and the good folks at Counter Culture. This book is your introduction to that world…
God in a Cup is more than about coffee as a business. Weissman has produced an engaging travel/business/Environmental book that even non-coffee people will enjoy. She travels throughout the coffee world visiting the farms and farmers that grow and harvest the beans. She meets the roasters, importers and baristas that transform a mere bean into a work of art. The growth of high end coffee is following a similar pattern to the way wine has changed throughout the centuries.
In the past wines were labeled by color or Region, then by grape type and finally as it is currently by vineyard. The coffee people are trying to bring this idea to the coffee world. The hopes for farm direct microlots to be marketed in similar fashion as wine will greatly benefit farmers that produce the world’s best coffee. Quality will demand a premium and the folks mentioned in the book have dedicated themselves to that idea. The increased pay to the farmers will encourage proper land use and methodology for the betterment of all.
Michaele Weissman has written a fine book that really sums up the current state of the coffee world. Coffee once simply a commodity is becoming a much more due to the work of people like Geoff Watts and the good folks at Counter Culture. This book is your introduction to that world…
June 17, 2009
Found this on the street,and I'm about halfway through. A 'good read' for cafficionadoes but otherwise a little overly inflated and journalistic. Also, poor copy editing bogs it down in a couple of places: at least twice so far, people are introduced twice in the same section; once on the same page and once on the next one.
Otherwise-- well written, informative about growing, harvesting, tasting, standards of tasting and cupping, coffee competitions and their impact on local economies and farmers, politics of coffee, and the biggest names in specialty coffee as it has been evolving over the last twenty years.
Also helpful info if you want to learn about coffee cooperatives and farming cooperatives in general, coffee cupping, the fair trade movement and its shortcomings, and lives of coffee farmers.
Lots of names, people and experiences in several different countries on at least three continents, and just enough facts and figures to keep it in context.
Comparatively, Mark Pendergrast's "Uncommon Grounds" reads like a hundred-year-old encyclopedia.
Otherwise-- well written, informative about growing, harvesting, tasting, standards of tasting and cupping, coffee competitions and their impact on local economies and farmers, politics of coffee, and the biggest names in specialty coffee as it has been evolving over the last twenty years.
Also helpful info if you want to learn about coffee cooperatives and farming cooperatives in general, coffee cupping, the fair trade movement and its shortcomings, and lives of coffee farmers.
Lots of names, people and experiences in several different countries on at least three continents, and just enough facts and figures to keep it in context.
Comparatively, Mark Pendergrast's "Uncommon Grounds" reads like a hundred-year-old encyclopedia.
October 23, 2008
This book is really informative and a pleasant read since it's not written by an insider. The author checks out "Third Wave" coffee roaster as well as international events and coffee farms and plantations.
September 19, 2017
The reporting in this book is excellent. Weissman paints a clear picture of different parts of the coffee growing world, whether it's Ethiopia, Nicaragua, or Panama. I came away understanding how different it could be buying coffee in Africa versus Central America, and how difficult it might be to work with cooperatives or exporters and the challenges unique to each situation.
I think, though, that she falls short in describing the implications of all of it. She begins to suggest some of the moral complexities of the specialty coffee industry--for example, she describes two different ways by which buyers try to navigate Sandanista-era cooperative bureaucracy in order to improve quality and to put more money in the hands of the farmers. But then it seems to me that that only begs more questions. Is specialty coffee creating more equality or less in the world? Is an American-style business model the best way to do right by people? How much should Americans dictate how other countries do business?
Coffee's history is steeped in colonialism, and it felt as though Weissman often only skirted the issue, but never took it head on. Is it coincidence that the highest-priced coffee in the world comes from a farm owned by a white family? But I wished that she had taken these questions head on. Sure, the third wave coffee industry looks counter-cultural with its tattoos and rock and roll music, but at its core it sure looks pretty corporate. It's telling that, since the writing of this book, both Intelligentsia and Stumptown (both profiled in the book) were acquired by JAB Holding Company, the multinational business group that also owns Keurig and Peet's Coffee and Teas. And, to be fair, this all happened long after she wrote this book, but was there no inkling that perhaps the idealism these people beamed was perhaps not the entire picture? If there was, I didn't quite get that sense from the book.
I think, though, that she falls short in describing the implications of all of it. She begins to suggest some of the moral complexities of the specialty coffee industry--for example, she describes two different ways by which buyers try to navigate Sandanista-era cooperative bureaucracy in order to improve quality and to put more money in the hands of the farmers. But then it seems to me that that only begs more questions. Is specialty coffee creating more equality or less in the world? Is an American-style business model the best way to do right by people? How much should Americans dictate how other countries do business?
Coffee's history is steeped in colonialism, and it felt as though Weissman often only skirted the issue, but never took it head on. Is it coincidence that the highest-priced coffee in the world comes from a farm owned by a white family? But I wished that she had taken these questions head on. Sure, the third wave coffee industry looks counter-cultural with its tattoos and rock and roll music, but at its core it sure looks pretty corporate. It's telling that, since the writing of this book, both Intelligentsia and Stumptown (both profiled in the book) were acquired by JAB Holding Company, the multinational business group that also owns Keurig and Peet's Coffee and Teas. And, to be fair, this all happened long after she wrote this book, but was there no inkling that perhaps the idealism these people beamed was perhaps not the entire picture? If there was, I didn't quite get that sense from the book.
July 24, 2020
Although Weissman has a good set of reporter's chops, I can't help but feel like this book needs a different title.
Now don't get me wrong, for those new to the world of coffee beyond the typical grab-and-go from multinational franchises currently slinging 99-cent caffeinated swill, this is a good way to get a glimpse into the complicated world beyond that. I like that there's coverage of a huge range of locales important to coffee culture, from Panama to Nicaragua to elite coffee tastings (or "cuppings" as I will forever insufferably refer to them as) and I like that we get to meet a colourful crew of characters (who do blur together somewhat, I will admit).
I just wish that Weissman had taken more of a Bourdain or Buford approach to the subject, gotten a little more into the dirt, a little more into the nitty-gritty, a little more into the passionate fervor, a little more, y'know, obsessive about the obsessive quest.
The demographic differences between her and her subjects are awkwardly apparent at times and it pulled me out a fair bit. There are certainly moments of great storytelling here, but it never really felt like Weissman herself dove as much into the world as she could have. She did the travelling and interviews and the writing, for sure, but there's still something missing from making this the coffee equivalent of "Heat" by Bill Buford, the kind of personal recording about the subject that makes me want to go "screw everything, I want to go live in this world!"
3 stars for accessibility, but it definitely could have been better.
Now don't get me wrong, for those new to the world of coffee beyond the typical grab-and-go from multinational franchises currently slinging 99-cent caffeinated swill, this is a good way to get a glimpse into the complicated world beyond that. I like that there's coverage of a huge range of locales important to coffee culture, from Panama to Nicaragua to elite coffee tastings (or "cuppings" as I will forever insufferably refer to them as) and I like that we get to meet a colourful crew of characters (who do blur together somewhat, I will admit).
I just wish that Weissman had taken more of a Bourdain or Buford approach to the subject, gotten a little more into the dirt, a little more into the nitty-gritty, a little more into the passionate fervor, a little more, y'know, obsessive about the obsessive quest.
The demographic differences between her and her subjects are awkwardly apparent at times and it pulled me out a fair bit. There are certainly moments of great storytelling here, but it never really felt like Weissman herself dove as much into the world as she could have. She did the travelling and interviews and the writing, for sure, but there's still something missing from making this the coffee equivalent of "Heat" by Bill Buford, the kind of personal recording about the subject that makes me want to go "screw everything, I want to go live in this world!"
3 stars for accessibility, but it definitely could have been better.
October 11, 2017
A terrific book for someone looking to deepen their coffee knowledge with a narrative flow, but pretty much in all other ways this book is lacking. The story follows the author's meandering journey learning about coffee but otherwise lacks a lot of structure and focus. Is it about the coffee? Is it about the entrepreneurs who are changing the face of coffee in America? Is it about coffee sourcing? The answer to all of these questions is yes, but not in a good way. Often this book feels like a toe in the water of different topics all relating to coffee. Clocking in at 250 odd pages, it's hard not to feel like one of the many areas that the author dives into could be expanded for more depth.
The book swings back and forth between personal narrative and facts but does neither sufficiently well. It is written from an outsiders perspective, and more often than not this leads to more descriptions of the baristas tattoos and the flowers of Panama than the coffee itself.
For those exploring their love of coffee this is an easy read to start off with, but be prepared to walk away with a good many questions.
The book swings back and forth between personal narrative and facts but does neither sufficiently well. It is written from an outsiders perspective, and more often than not this leads to more descriptions of the baristas tattoos and the flowers of Panama than the coffee itself.
For those exploring their love of coffee this is an easy read to start off with, but be prepared to walk away with a good many questions.
February 3, 2019
Basically, her writing is crap. Only the parts that felt like a textbook were parts that I’d consider good writing in any sense. For the actual storytelling parts, there was so much unnecessary detail and lots of disconnect. (For example: “At one point when I ask about the per capita income of Panama, he yells at me that he is an agronomist, not an economist. Though I don’t like being yelled at, I can see his point about all the questions, and I have to admit he maneuvers his rental car, a spring Corolla, like a master as we traverse the endless, winding, pothole-riddled dirt road to the Peterson manse.” Like what?)
I really did enjoy learning about coffee through this. Even though I don’t drink it myself, it’s pervasive enough in American culture that it’s good to know more about it. The problem was that trying to learn about it, I got too distracted and frustrated by her writing style to fully appreciate it.
I really did enjoy learning about coffee through this. Even though I don’t drink it myself, it’s pervasive enough in American culture that it’s good to know more about it. The problem was that trying to learn about it, I got too distracted and frustrated by her writing style to fully appreciate it.
December 1, 2018
WARNING: "ranty" review ahead. Stop reading if you are easily annoyed/insulted, or if you drink instant coffee; go find a black sharpie and dip it in hot water instead. I assure you it tastes better.
I am often taken aback by the degree of apathy some people display regarding their coffee choices. For being such a popular drink (and the world's 2nd most traded commodity, after crude oil) its place in the long, daily train of consumer considerations ranks between: paper vs. plastic, Sunoco vs. Shell, Dasani vs. Evian, ballpoint vs. rollerball, Kleenex vs. Puffs, to go out and vote, or not. And this, fellow reader, is very telling...
But before you roll your eyes and accuse me of being a coffee snob, please ask yourself the following: when you go to a bar, do you just ask for any beer? Or when you go to the butcher, will any choice of meat do? How about cheese? Do you care if it's Muenster or Swiss or American that goes in your Sandwich? Maybe you don't care if it's bottled blue cheese on your pasta? If this sounds like you, please stop. If it's not, then why is it OK to behave that way towards coffee? Do you know where it comes from or the process by which it ultimately ended in you cup?
For a culture that places so high a premium on individual expression and freedom, I find that very little of it is exercised when it comes to coffee. The latitudes here seem to straddle the all too familiar choices of Dunkin's or Starbucks or Wawa or worse, the many flavors of creamer that "smooth things out". Maybe Folgers or Maxwell House for the value conscious. But that's about it.
Ok. Fine. These are all completely safe choices, but my point is that as a worldly consumer one can do much better than the pedestrian options listed previously. Popular American coffee culture is, by and large, surprisingly insular despite being deeply entrenched in the DNA of an axis of dissemination of all things "trendy" and innovative.
Now, I am not saying one should start shelling out a fortune for specialty coffee and start studying the different methods and ratios and blends with the zeal of a sommelier (nor am I suggesting you start wearing skinny jeans, tattooing yourself or piercing your various appendages), but it is entirely within the province of the average American to elevate their relationship with coffee, and by extension their view of coffee as a complex commodity, to places beyond the mundane, insipid, pre-packaged, just-get-me-through-the-day status it currently holds. In other words, coffee can be more than just warm caffeine. And all it takes is very little effort.
For my part, I'd like to think that I have been successful in re-wiring my friends and co-workers to start appreciating the subtleties in coffee and for introducing them to brewing practices that can turn a chore into a short moment of contemplative office Zen. It is also quite rewarding when I sneak in a new single origin coffee without warning, and watch them sip once, knit their eyebrows in a bit puzzlement, sip twice, and then ask me, "hey, where is this one from? Tastes Kenyan!" Yes, not all coffee tastes the same.
This book is, in a sense, about the guys that are trying to accomplish the above, but in a massive scale. It is about small, regional roasters, about coffee farmers in places long exploited by multinationals, and about a relatively new approach to sustainability and fairness that seeks to transform the business, starting with the little guy.
At times the author meanders a bit, making the story feel disjointed and unfocused, but overall I came away better informed about Third Wave specialty coffee, its various playgrounds and players, and the magnitude of the effort they've undertaken.
At it's conclusion, I couldn't help but to feel a bit saddened, though. As these smaller shops expand and become more profitable and visibly disruptive to the major players, it is inevitable that big money will lure some of these operations to the pocket of big corporations whose governing responsibility is profitability above all. This is the way of Blue Bottle Coffee, now owned by NESTLE. And believe me, the have started to take notice (just google: "Hip coffee is big business").
Though the future of specialty coffee and its farmers is decidedly uncertain (read the book), today the industry is still strong and surging in popularity. Which is good news as it will hopefully infuse it with a new wave of hard working, caring luminaries like the ones in the pages of Weissman's book, willing to continue to improve the quality and sustainability of that one staple of our daily consumption we could all do more to inform ourselves about.
I am often taken aback by the degree of apathy some people display regarding their coffee choices. For being such a popular drink (and the world's 2nd most traded commodity, after crude oil) its place in the long, daily train of consumer considerations ranks between: paper vs. plastic, Sunoco vs. Shell, Dasani vs. Evian, ballpoint vs. rollerball, Kleenex vs. Puffs, to go out and vote, or not. And this, fellow reader, is very telling...
But before you roll your eyes and accuse me of being a coffee snob, please ask yourself the following: when you go to a bar, do you just ask for any beer? Or when you go to the butcher, will any choice of meat do? How about cheese? Do you care if it's Muenster or Swiss or American that goes in your Sandwich? Maybe you don't care if it's bottled blue cheese on your pasta? If this sounds like you, please stop. If it's not, then why is it OK to behave that way towards coffee? Do you know where it comes from or the process by which it ultimately ended in you cup?
For a culture that places so high a premium on individual expression and freedom, I find that very little of it is exercised when it comes to coffee. The latitudes here seem to straddle the all too familiar choices of Dunkin's or Starbucks or Wawa or worse, the many flavors of creamer that "smooth things out". Maybe Folgers or Maxwell House for the value conscious. But that's about it.
Ok. Fine. These are all completely safe choices, but my point is that as a worldly consumer one can do much better than the pedestrian options listed previously. Popular American coffee culture is, by and large, surprisingly insular despite being deeply entrenched in the DNA of an axis of dissemination of all things "trendy" and innovative.
Now, I am not saying one should start shelling out a fortune for specialty coffee and start studying the different methods and ratios and blends with the zeal of a sommelier (nor am I suggesting you start wearing skinny jeans, tattooing yourself or piercing your various appendages), but it is entirely within the province of the average American to elevate their relationship with coffee, and by extension their view of coffee as a complex commodity, to places beyond the mundane, insipid, pre-packaged, just-get-me-through-the-day status it currently holds. In other words, coffee can be more than just warm caffeine. And all it takes is very little effort.
For my part, I'd like to think that I have been successful in re-wiring my friends and co-workers to start appreciating the subtleties in coffee and for introducing them to brewing practices that can turn a chore into a short moment of contemplative office Zen. It is also quite rewarding when I sneak in a new single origin coffee without warning, and watch them sip once, knit their eyebrows in a bit puzzlement, sip twice, and then ask me, "hey, where is this one from? Tastes Kenyan!" Yes, not all coffee tastes the same.
This book is, in a sense, about the guys that are trying to accomplish the above, but in a massive scale. It is about small, regional roasters, about coffee farmers in places long exploited by multinationals, and about a relatively new approach to sustainability and fairness that seeks to transform the business, starting with the little guy.
At times the author meanders a bit, making the story feel disjointed and unfocused, but overall I came away better informed about Third Wave specialty coffee, its various playgrounds and players, and the magnitude of the effort they've undertaken.
At it's conclusion, I couldn't help but to feel a bit saddened, though. As these smaller shops expand and become more profitable and visibly disruptive to the major players, it is inevitable that big money will lure some of these operations to the pocket of big corporations whose governing responsibility is profitability above all. This is the way of Blue Bottle Coffee, now owned by NESTLE. And believe me, the have started to take notice (just google: "Hip coffee is big business").
Though the future of specialty coffee and its farmers is decidedly uncertain (read the book), today the industry is still strong and surging in popularity. Which is good news as it will hopefully infuse it with a new wave of hard working, caring luminaries like the ones in the pages of Weissman's book, willing to continue to improve the quality and sustainability of that one staple of our daily consumption we could all do more to inform ourselves about.
May 10, 2017
Fantastic book about the challenges of sourcing coffee and bringing the beans from the hands of the farmer to the cup of the final consumer. Great insights, interviews and knowledge shared, highly recommending for any reader interested in learning more about coffee. It's the first book to start with!
March 2, 2020
It's a good overview of the history of the specialty coffee scene but it makes a few statements that are misleading and the writer wierdly puts a lot of focus on peoples physical appearance. The scene has really changed since the book was written so the fact that a lot of the information is outdated was expected. Overall, interesting read.
May 8, 2018
It's hard for me to give this one two stars. The subject matter is interesting, but the book is poorly organized and poorly written. Large portions of the text are very boring and not worth reading. I had trouble getting through this and regret picking it up to begin with.
August 7, 2018
An enjoyable read. I wasn't sure it'd enjoy a book about specially coffee but this was a nice easy read and educational.
August 24, 2019
Interesting perspective on the world of specialty coffee. Must read if you're into coffee or if you're simply curious about the coffee industry!
July 17, 2020
Got me into the world of coffee.
January 25, 2021
Very interesting book
Lot of information of the best lands for growing coffee and the buyers that buys the best coffee in the world
Lot of information of the best lands for growing coffee and the buyers that buys the best coffee in the world
January 19, 2023
Entertaining look into the birth of third wave coffee.
March 7, 2017
I was hoping the book would be more about actual coffee. It's focused on the top people in the specialty coffee business and how coffee has been affected by changes in the economic and world political climates. I did learn some interesting things about coffee that I didn't know and there was some information about the growers and how coffee is grown in different parts of the world, but I've never really been interested in reading about businessmen and their methods and personalities and ego, which is really what a large part of the book was about.
May 25, 2013
I found "God in a Cup" interesting in a few levels. First, this is an interesting business book, showing the lengths travelled to provide high quality specialty coffee to the consumers, mostly in the US. You could read this book for what seems to be a different way to set up a literal "farm team", in this case teaching farmers of coffee to create better quality. This is quite a story on international sourcing. The book also read a bit like other recent non-fiction books (I kept comparing it to "Born to Run") in that the personalities are described and detailed, and there is action where the coffee guys and gals work together for bits of time. In this case there's no big race tying things together like "Born to Run", but it had that feel to me. This was also an interesting book to read after having read "Onward" by Howard Schultz of Starbucks. An interesting part of that book is the description of how Starbucks acquired the maker of Clover coffee brewers and stopped selling them to coffeeshops. Clovers, unique brewers of quality coffee, are mentioned repeatedly in this book as being one of the advances that provided the impetus for specialty coffee houses, making Starbucks' restriction on their sales seem downright devious. The bad thing about this book is that I really want to try to taste the differences in blends from our local specialty coffee supplier, Intelligentsia, and to try some of those very exclusive coffees that were mentioned. This could get expensive...
April 19, 2015
To preface I own a coffee shop and roast coffee for a living.
This book has a lot of great background info on some of the biggest names in coffee or at least biggest in 2007. I got a lot of insight on what it takes to create relationships with growers and start directly trading with them by giving them up to 30% more for their coffees.
The books main focus was on a few leading men in coffee with some references to history and methods of coffee production and trade thrown in there. After Reading the The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee I was expecting this book to be similar. (I DON'T READ BOOK COVERS OR BACKS OF BOOKS... I don't want to ruin the book :/ I go of title cover and references from friends or credible sources) I thought the book would have more adventure and delve into a coffee world unknown.
The book was still really enjoyable and I love all things coffee so it was still a refresher on some things and it did keep my interest. Now I just need to find a more recent similar book to see how these companies are fairing... or I could use the internet? BAH that sounds awful! I will let other people do my research ;)
P.S. I can definitely see why the person who told me about this coffee did so. His shop uses Counter Culture (one of the most talked about companies in the book).
This book has a lot of great background info on some of the biggest names in coffee or at least biggest in 2007. I got a lot of insight on what it takes to create relationships with growers and start directly trading with them by giving them up to 30% more for their coffees.
The books main focus was on a few leading men in coffee with some references to history and methods of coffee production and trade thrown in there. After Reading the The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee I was expecting this book to be similar. (I DON'T READ BOOK COVERS OR BACKS OF BOOKS... I don't want to ruin the book :/ I go of title cover and references from friends or credible sources) I thought the book would have more adventure and delve into a coffee world unknown.
The book was still really enjoyable and I love all things coffee so it was still a refresher on some things and it did keep my interest. Now I just need to find a more recent similar book to see how these companies are fairing... or I could use the internet? BAH that sounds awful! I will let other people do my research ;)
P.S. I can definitely see why the person who told me about this coffee did so. His shop uses Counter Culture (one of the most talked about companies in the book).
December 22, 2008
I'm a known coffee obsessive, so this book was a natural read for me. I already knew about some of the companies and names in the book, but this gave me an even deeper look at the who, what, where, and why of coffee.
The author tags along with members of the "Third wave" of specialty coffee as they travel to the origin farms where coffee is grown around the world, details the cultural and economic frameworks in which the beans are grown and deals are made.
The second half of the book sees her return the the US to tour many of the top domestic coffee roasters and sellers, offering character sketches of the strong personalities involved in sales and competitions.
The book wraps up with a quick set of appendices on how best to acquire and prepare coffee at home, along with some facts and figures about worldwide coffee production.
Overall, I thought this was a great read about the world of coffee, with only a little bit of drama injected about the lives of the hipsters and obsessives who've been driving it over the last decade or so.
The author tags along with members of the "Third wave" of specialty coffee as they travel to the origin farms where coffee is grown around the world, details the cultural and economic frameworks in which the beans are grown and deals are made.
The second half of the book sees her return the the US to tour many of the top domestic coffee roasters and sellers, offering character sketches of the strong personalities involved in sales and competitions.
The book wraps up with a quick set of appendices on how best to acquire and prepare coffee at home, along with some facts and figures about worldwide coffee production.
Overall, I thought this was a great read about the world of coffee, with only a little bit of drama injected about the lives of the hipsters and obsessives who've been driving it over the last decade or so.
January 9, 2018
An Ode to (Third Wave) Coffee.
Are you the one who spent hours playing with the variables to dial in your brews? And when your coffee finally hit that sweet spot, you feel that is the greatest joy you could ever expect in the world.
Have you ever taste Geisha? Did you immediately get blown out by the explosive floral aroma, the fruitful taste, the delicate but lingering aftertaste it offered?
Or you are simply a coffee lover who knows to enjoy an espresso in 2 sips, who knows to brew your own coffee back home.
Then this book is for you. In this book, journalist Weissman described her adventure in coffee growing countries following the trio of third wave coffee: Counter Culture, Intelligensia and Stumptown (sold to Peet's in 2015). The journey might seems tedious for an outsider, but for a third wave snob like me, this book made my heart sang as I went through it.
Are you the one who spent hours playing with the variables to dial in your brews? And when your coffee finally hit that sweet spot, you feel that is the greatest joy you could ever expect in the world.
Have you ever taste Geisha? Did you immediately get blown out by the explosive floral aroma, the fruitful taste, the delicate but lingering aftertaste it offered?
Or you are simply a coffee lover who knows to enjoy an espresso in 2 sips, who knows to brew your own coffee back home.
Then this book is for you. In this book, journalist Weissman described her adventure in coffee growing countries following the trio of third wave coffee: Counter Culture, Intelligensia and Stumptown (sold to Peet's in 2015). The journey might seems tedious for an outsider, but for a third wave snob like me, this book made my heart sang as I went through it.
January 11, 2017
I was surprised to like this book so much. Instead of being just a nice sideshow from my usual reading, it’s one of my favorites this year. The author is a journalist who enters the world of specialty coffee, meeting with its purveyors, its businessmen, and its farmers. She covers the economic and social justice aspects of coffee production just as fluently as she handles the more food-writing parts. Everything’s clear, and more importantly, interesting. One of the more intriguing parts to me was this subculture’s creation of ‘cupping’, which is to say, systematically drinking and evaluating coffee. It is a great example of how terminology influences behavior, as not only expert competitions but also small farming villages construct an environment for the scientific analysis of coffee tasting. Highly recommended.
June 13, 2011
True testimony to the changing American specialty coffee. Weissman's fluent writing vividly illustrates the zesty pursuit of the disciples for the new coffee gospel.
If you ever visited Intelligentsia's Pasadena Cafe, Stumptown's in Portland or any indie coffee shops in New York City, ever wonder what's behind the high spirits of all the baristas, this book will give you the answer.
As a coffee snob, I know how much hard work it takes to perfect the cup. The heavenly treat in the cup has to be attributed to the relentless hard work of those young folks in this coffee new wave. Because from growing, processing, roasting to brewing, every detail matters. The new wave gang deserves this book to attest to their coffee proselytization.
If you ever visited Intelligentsia's Pasadena Cafe, Stumptown's in Portland or any indie coffee shops in New York City, ever wonder what's behind the high spirits of all the baristas, this book will give you the answer.
As a coffee snob, I know how much hard work it takes to perfect the cup. The heavenly treat in the cup has to be attributed to the relentless hard work of those young folks in this coffee new wave. Because from growing, processing, roasting to brewing, every detail matters. The new wave gang deserves this book to attest to their coffee proselytization.
February 28, 2012
This is a terrifically researched, if only moderately well-written, story of the current cutting edge of American coffee importers and roasters. Following employees of Intelligencia, Counter Culture, Stumptown, and other high-profile high-end coffee purveyors, the authors travels to Africa and Central America to tell the story of specialty coffee, how it's grown, and how the relationships among the farmers, importers/exporters, roasters, and retailers works. Although I feel that the focus was a little narrow (is there any specialty coffee in Europe?), the depth of research and the truly compelling stories of these people was well worth the read. After reading this book, I'm going to be hard pressed (French pressed?) not to increase my coffee consumption!
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