Free Starbucks Refreshers, Friday 12-3 p.m.

Starbucks is kicking off its new line of "Refreshers" by giving away one free tall Refresher per customer at participating stores. (i.e. only the "real" Starbucks stores, not the kiosks inside grocery stores and other such locations.) 

I stopped by my nearest Starbucks and picked up a Wild Berry Hibiscus Refresher (pictured above). I was originally going to go with the lime flavor, but the lure of hibiscus was too great to pass up. I love hibiscus in beverages (you usually find it in teas, both hot and iced) but it is somewhat rare to find it. Any chance I get, I am going to take it!

In addition to the ice and the drink, there were a few berries and a scattering of actual hibiscus flowers. I'm not sure if this actually affected the taste one way or another, but it did make for a nice presentation, and helped keep it from seeming like just a fancy soda. 

But despite Starbucks' attempts to distance this product from anything as commonplace, as plebian as soda, that is pretty much what it is. They are making a big splash about Refreshers containing "green coffee extract," and I have to really hand it to the marketing team which came up with that one. "Green coffee extract" just means caffeine, since that's where we get  caffeine: they wash it out of green coffee beans to create decaf coffee, the caffeine is captured and separated out for use in things like soda.
 
Each Refresher has about 45-55 mg caffeine, which is comparable to a caffeinated soda (one can of Diet Coke has 47mg caffeine). Each one has about 100 calories, which makes it a little bit lighter than a Coke Classic (which has 140 calories). 
 
As for the taste, I found it very, well, refreshing. It was light and sweet, but not too cloying. The berry flavor dominated, with just a hint of the floral notes of hibiscus. Served with plenty of ice, it was a nice summer beverage. I'm not sure I would ever actually buy one, since I am a pretty big fan of coffee. (Why would I go to Starbucks and not buy coffee? The very idea is perplexing.)
 
I gather that Starbucks is trying to extend its brand by reaching out to non-coffee-drinkers. In that case, I think the Refresher is a reasonably tasty addition to their lineup. If you want something that is not coffee but has a mild caffeine kick, then you will definitely want to give this one a try.
 

Starbucks buys its own bakery

San Francisco-based La Boulange will be rolled into the giant's offerings

Even though we think of Starbucks as a coffee company, about a third of its sales are food. Starbucks has had some high-profile failures in the food realm, though (including Panini and breakfast sandwiches), so you can't blame the company for being cautious. It's understandable that Starbucks will want to standardize its offerings around the country, but a little bit sad, too. 
Currently, Starbucks stores try to source their products locally. Or at least somewhat locally. It can be hard, especially for stores in smaller towns and exurbs, to find a company nearby that can satisfy the production demands of a string of Starbucks stores, day in and day out. 
 
However there have been a lot of successes and this produces a lot of regional variation in the offerings which is welcome and novel. It also helps sustain smaller businesses, spreading the wealth around. And finally, it provides fresher baked goods to stores within range. For example, a lot of stores in the Seattle area carry baked goods from the Alki Bakery, which is both delicious and a local family-owned business. Not to mention the Top Pot doughnuts you can find at many Seattle-area Starbuckses. And I'm sure people all over the country have their own local favorites to be found in the Starbucks pastry case, as well.

It also means increased management costs, a lot of juggling, and (from what I have heard) some very complicated spreadsheets. And it's great if you are at a Starbucks close to a major metropolitan area, but stores out on the fringes can end up getting the short end of the stick, pastry-wise.
 
And so Starbucks has announced plans to buy a San Francisco-based bakery called La Boulange. This bakery will begin providing pastry to Starbucks stores all across the nation, presumably exactly the same stuff in each and every store. I am saddened at the loss of pastry diversity, but cautiously optimistic that it may bring some better stuff into the stores I often frequent. 
 
At the same time, Starbucks is going to take the La Boulange chain national. This means even more options for people who are looking for a place to nosh a pastry while sucking up the (presumably) free wifi. La Boulange products may even end up in supermarkets some day, just as Starbucks coffee, Via packets, and K-Cups have. 
 
The deal will be closing with La Boulange this fall, and La Boulange items will start being rolled out to Starbucks stores in early 2013. 

Starbucks News Round-Up

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.

 
Seriously though, this is good news for both Starbucks and consumers. The last time I was at a Disney theme park, the only coffee options were the "French" café at Epcot, where you could buy a tepid cup of brown coffee-flavored fluid for about nine bucks. (Now you'll be able to buy a tall Americano for about nine bucks, instead!)
 
The first store will be located on Buena Vista Street, which is a faux 1920s Los Angeles. The store's architecture "plays off the Spanish/Mexican architecture of the period, and baristas will wear 1920s-inspired attire."
 
Sounds fab!
 
Item 2: Frappuccino Happy Hour
If you avoid Frappuccino blended drinks because of the cost (which can run you $5-8 per drink), then now is your chance! Between May 4 and 13 from 3-5PM at participating stores, Frappuccinos are half off. 
 
This is also a good time to try the new Frappuccino offerings for this season. Mocha Cookie Crumble looks like your basic mocha Frappuccino, but with chocolate whipped cream (excuse me - "chocolaty" whipped cream) and a sprinkle of cookie crumbs on top. Chocolate Cookie Crumble Creme is pretty much the same thing, but without the espresso (being made on the crème base instead of the standard Frappuccino base). 
 
In addition, the two coconut Frappuccinos are returning from last summer: Mocha Coconut Frappuccino and Coconut Creme Frappuccino. This pair follows the same pattern, being a caffeinated and a non-caffeinated crème version of the same basic drink.
 
Personally, I don't half wonder if Starbucks isn't approaching the point of having too many choices, when it comes to Frappuccinos. There is a huge body of study which proves that the more options you give people, the less likely it is that they will choose anything at all. I know a lot of people find the Frappuccino choices too confusing, and just get an iced coffee instead.
 

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

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. 

You may have wondered why the cold stuff tends to cost more. Maybe you figured it was just due to the extra labor of pouring the hot stuff over ice, or maybe you suspected that coffee shops were swindling those with low heat tolerances out of a few cents. Maybe most shop owners are just coffee purists who think that those who dare to water their cup down with a scoop of ice ought to be punished. The truth is that iced coffee--the good kind--is actually not the easiest thing in the world to brew.

Most shops that serve iced coffee simply pour their regular joe into an ice-filled cup. If they're nice about it, they'll brew a double-strength batch so that you're not drinking watery swill when it's summery out. But higher-end coffee houses will go the extra mile and actually cold-brew their iced coffee. These are the folks that rightfully charge a bunch extra for the frigid drink. It's a whole new ball game, one that requires a lot more time--and a lot more coffee--than simply brewing a hot pot of java.

In order to cold-brew coffee, you've got to let the grounds mix with the water for 12 to 24 hours. After they've mingled for a day or so, you cut the resulting concentrate with equal parts water or to taste. Unlike fresh brewed hot coffee, iced concentrate will stay good up to a week after brewing, allowing a batch to withstand a sudden drop in temperature and demand. It's easier to dole out since it just needs to be poured, not steamed or blended. So as we go forth into warmer weather, keep an eye out for the cold-brewed good stuff--the kind that comes from a pitcher, not a pot--around your usual caffeine haunts. 

New iPhone App Tracks Your Caffeine Levels

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. 

The Caffeine Zone app was developed for iOS by two doctors at Penn State University. Possibly unsatisfied with gauging their caffeine levels intuitively, Frank E. Ritter and Kuo-Chuan Yeh decided to hit their habit with some science. After delving through some peer-reviewed studies on the drug, they determined that the optimal caffeine level for mental alertness and feeling generally awesome falls between 200 and 400 milligrams. While everyone metabolizes the stuff a little bit differently, the way it acts upon the body and brain is pretty well understood. Drink a cup of coffee and you'll hit prime caffeinated status within about an hour. Your body will then work to get rid of it at a rate of one half-life every five hours.

With the app, you'll be able to visualize your own caffeine levels with handy, science-y charts and graphs. Simply tell your phone when you consume a caffeinated beverage and what kind, then track your buzz's progress throughout the day. It'll tell you how much you need to drink to stay in the optimal alertness zone and it'll also warn you when you're about to drink so much that it'll interfere with your sleep schedule. So if you find your habit has been keeping you up after hours, check your intake against the Caffeine Zone app to make sure you're not overstimulating yourself too late in the day.

The scientists behind the app recommend that caffeine users start their days with one large dose, like a big hot latte, then taper off their drinking rates as the day goes on. If you're a strict coffee drinker, you might want to consider brewing weaker and weaker cups as the hours tick away. Tea-friendly users could go from coffee (or yerba mate) to black to green, a pattern I actually picked up on intuitively before I'd even heard of the Caffeine Zone. It makes for a nice slow burn all day, plus you get all the health benefits of all three drinks. Those who are strict energy drink users should probably just consume less of their poison of choice anyway. 

Do You Like Fun Flavors in Your Latte?

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.

When I started to get bored of the plain old latte, I played around with a few flavors. One of my favorite flavors to add to lattes is coconut. I branched out from a recommendation and tried using toasted marshmallow. Yummy, absolutely delicious.

This may sound odd but another flavor that is delicious in lattes is crème de menthe. While it sounds like it would be better in a mocha, I actually prefer it in the latte! It adds a fresh flavor without being too overpowering. If you want to add a chocolate flavor to your latte, consider flavors such as German chocolate cake or even cookie dough.

I personally am not a fan of fruit flavors in lattes. However, I’ve known people that like them. Some options for fruit flavors are raspberry, blueberry and even watermelon. The thought of watermelon flavored syrup in my latte makes me feel sick. But, somewhere, someone might like it!

If you drink sugar-free syrups, there won’t be as much variety. I personally do not and will not drink the sugar free variety and thus don’t have much experience with them.

So next time you are at your local coffee shop or stand, consider trying something different. Add a new flavor and enjoy something new!

Turning Coffee Grounds into Clean Energy

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?

A new kind of technology might just make that possible. Green Mountain Roaster, one of the biggest suppliers of the bean, has adopted a process originally developed by NASA to power lunar bases. It's apparently possible to break down plant matter into something called "syngas": a type of fuel molecularly similar to natural gas which can also be burned to reap electricity and heat. The fuel is even efficient enough to power vehicles.

All you need to do to create syngas is heat your materials to just under 600 degrees fahrenheit in a vacuum. That will give you a dry powder that's chock full of energy. Both the residual grounds and the paper filters from brewing coffee could theoretically be transformed into syngas. The only problem is that creating the stuff carries some major risks. The powder could explode spontaneously while lying around in storage, which is bad news for a lot of reasons. Until we develop a way to safely contain and transport the stuff, it's not likely that it'll catch on as the next great source of energy. 

But if we did find a way to make these natural gases safer, we could extract clean-burning energy from all sorts of waste, not just the kind you get from mass coffee brewing. All the paper and plant matter that would otherwise go to the dumpster could be used to power our vehicles and homes. Of course, we probably wouldn't need much more bio-waste than the stuff Starbucks throws out on a daily basis. Coffeeshops of the world could first power our citizens and then power their workplaces. America could actually run on Dunkin like they claim. Let's hope they add a little truth to that advertising and keep developing biomass technologies.

Lattes…and Beer

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.

Well, maybe it is. As a wine and espresso lover, I love this whole idea. It’s like one stop shopping!

The Starbucks near my house has revamped into serving wine and beer. They added a contemporary looking bar area down the middle, and just updated the design in general.. The wine and beer prices aren’t cheap. One glass of wine will run you about $7. They start serving wine and beer that is local to the area after 2pm.  The artesian menu is not too expensive. It has a distinctly Mediterranean feel to it with lots of olives and cheese.

The Starbucks near me advertises live bands and events on weekend nights. They are reaching out to try to make it feel like more of a bar and lounge setting. It may be challenging to be both – the powerhouse coffee company and this new venture. So far, they seem to be pulling it off. The locations in Seattle, as well as Portland, are test stores to see how things go.

So far, I will give it a thumbs up simply for putting together so many things that I adore.

Starbucks Supports Gay Marriage

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."

Microsoft recently sent the same message. In a post on the official company blog, they pointed out that allowing gay marriage in Washington would put Microsoft on better footing when attracting top talent. In other words, it's not just a human rights issue - it's a business issue, as well. 
 
Of course, a lot of independent coffee houses endorse the legalization of gay marriage. (I should know - I worked for one for several years.) For whatever reason, coffee houses - particularly in Seattle - are a stronghold of liberal politics. But the point here is, even if your favorite local indie coffee house were to send a letter to Washington legislators backing the gay marriage proposal, it just wouldn't have the same impact.
 
For good or ill, Starbucks is the 500 pound gorilla. (That is, after all, why so many people hate it.) Every company has politics, whether it's Nestle trying to convince women in developing nations to feed their children baby formula instead of breast milk, or BP insisting that spilled oil will just be absorbed by the ocean. There are a lot of reasons to hate a company, and only a few reasons to like one. And if you ask me, Starbucks' open support of the gay marriage legislation is a big reason to like them.
 
With this kind of muscle, plus the support of Governor Christine Gregoire, it seems almost inevitable that gay marriage will be legalized in Washington. But if you support equal marriage rights, I would urge you not to get complacent. Same-sex marriage legislation has been shot down in other supposedly liberal states at the last minute - look at the horrible Prop 8 debacle in California! 
 
You can send Governor Gregoire a note regarding her support for gay marriage from the official website here. And remember, your voice counts, so use it!

Caffeine Boost or Morning Ritual?

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.  

I enjoy the taste of espresso. I’m not a huge drip coffee fan myself but will drink it in the afternoon occasionally. When making my morning espresso, I enjoy the ritual of grinding the beans and creating my drink. It’s basically a way of feeling that my morning is starting.

I make my own coffee drinks most mornings but sometimes I make a trip over to my local coffee joint and yes, sometimes Starbucks! I try to hit the local joint because it means that I go for a walk and that is a great start to my morning. I even enjoy that ritual, walking, getting my morning “fix” and getting started on work for the day.

I wonder if I’m alone in this. I wonder how many people just love the caffeine boost that they get, love the taste and/or enjoy the whole ritual of it. Most people probably love one or both of those things. I even use the same cup every day! I’m not going to kick this addiction and anyone that wants me to can pry the coffee cup out of my cold dead hands. I’m going to savor the taste, benefit from the caffeine boost and enjoy my daily ritual for many years to come.

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