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Starbucks News Round-Up

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Stores in Disney; Frappuccino Happy Hour

Item 1: Starbucks Opens At Disney

The first big Starbucks news item is that the chain will be opening up six new stores in Disney theme parks. The first will open at Disney California Adventure in June, followed by stores at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

I have to admit, I have been taking guilty pleasure in watching the Starbucks-haters try and get outraged at this news. It isn't easy to decry the increasing commercialization of Disney theme parks with a straight face, but that won't stop some people from trying.

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

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Why the chilled cups cost more--and how to spot the good kind

As someone who hails from Boston, the land of ridiculous accents, colloquial aggression and forever-available iced coffee, I'm not used to the massive switch from hot to cold drinks that most city coffee shops experience when the temperatures spike back up into the summer ranges. We Massachusetts types simply take our coffee iced, every day, all of the time, in huge styrofoam buckets and laden with heavy cream and undissolved sugar. If you're not crunching into your coffee as it burbles up through your orange and purple striped straw, you're not drinking coffee like a Bostonian. But most of the country isn't crazy like we are. Most coffee shops have to predict precisely when their customers will start demanding plastic cups in lieu of paper, frappuccinos instead of cappuccinos.

New iPhone App Tracks Your Caffeine Levels

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Caffeine Zone lets you measure how much buzz you've got going on throughout the day

Most of us guzzle down coffee, tea, or those unsettling little vitamin shots to get our brain engines revving in the morning. Maybe we even continue to partake in caffeine-related activity throughout the day to keep our energy and attention levels where we feel they should be. But have you ever wished that you could more efficiently manage your intake of your legal stimulant of choice? Like, time your doses just right so that you maintain an optimum level of alertness? Well, now you can. There is, in fact, an app for that.

Do You Like Fun Flavors in Your Latte?

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I’ll admit that I tend to like my espresso drinks a bit plain. In addition to lattes, the most common drink that I order is a triple grande Americano with a splash of half and half in it. When I order lattes, I typically just get a standard latte without any additional flavors. But, when I do get flavors, I don’t really like the typical vanilla or almond, I try to be a bit adventurous.

Turning Coffee Grounds into Clean Energy

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New technologies could repurpose plant waste

If we're to believe the Dunkin' Donuts marketing slogan, all of America is already powered by coffee. If only that were as true as it felt. While many of us may get most of our morning boost from the good old grounds, America itself still runs on nasty, earth-destroying sludge. Those trucks that transport your beans to your local grocery store burn up gas on a daily basis, and chances are the electricity that powers your coffee maker isn't even sourced from an environmentally friendly place. Most of our power is not so green. But what if we could get actual--not just metaphorical--energy from the same coffee we drink each morning?

Lattes…and Beer

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Starbucks has responded to the competition of entities such as McDonalds and has decided to try something new. A handful of stores Starbucks stores in the greater Seattle area have started serving regional beer and wine, along with a gourmet artesian menu. Some of the criticism is that the caffeine brings people up and the beer and wine bring them down.

Read more about Lattes…and Beer

Starbucks Supports Gay Marriage

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Makes me want to go buy more coffee right now!

I know that Starbucks-bashing is a vigorous sport in many circles, and I get that. Personally, my own feelings on the company are more moderate. But I think even the Starbucks-bashers may take pause from learning that Starbucks has officially endorsed gay marriage.

Starbucks has long been a gay-friendly company, from the earliest days. The company began offering its benefits to same-sex domestic partnerships 20 years ago, when it was virtually the only company to do so. And now Starbucks has unexpectedly joined ranks with Microsoft in an official corporate letter to all Starbucks partners, explaining that the company is backing "Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples."

Caffeine Boost or Morning Ritual?

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I look forward to my morning espresso drink. My two mainstays are lattes and Americanos. My choice for the day just depends on whether I want to taste the beans or need something with a touch of sweetness. I’m hopelessly addicted to caffeine, it’s true. I look forward to my morning drink and it helps me brave the morning. Some of it is that I need the caffeine to keep a headache from forming. I wonder how much of my love of my morning espresso is simply the ritual of it.

Starbucks' New "Blonde Roast"

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To be perfectly blunt, these people don't hate your coffee, Starbucks. They hate YOU.

Oh Starbucks, why must you bow to peer pressure? Why must you try to be all things to all people? First you started serving what are basically milkshakes, in order to capture the "non coffee-drinking fatass" crowd. (P.S. I myself am a fatass, so I'm allowed to use that word.) And now you are trying to cater to people who think your coffee is "too strong."

You know what we call people who think your coffee is "too strong"? Chumps. Punters. Whiners. Babies. There are a lot of terms you could use. But I assure you that one thing we would never call them is "coffee lovers."

Instant Espresso – Use Only in an Emergency!

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I remember a time last year when my espresso maker broke. I was no longer able to make my beloved Americanos and lattes. I really wasn’t in a place to replace it right away and I wasn’t even sure what to buy next. I live near some great coffee places and so I just bought my espresso daily. But, it got spendy and sometimes I just wanted to make my drink at home. I then stumbled across instant espresso.

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