This Week in Coffee; Tuesday 22nd of August '23
Equipment
- No equipment news...
Retail
Industry
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Coffee prices dip and stabilise as Brazil's coffee harvest accelerates
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Great article from Perfect Daily Grind on celebrity partnerships in coffee
Miscellaneous
A love letter to instant coffee
The truest form of love is that of a parent for their infant child. Unconditional, unquestioned and without reservation. Ignoring every flaw and asking for no justification.
Without doubt, instant coffee loves and supports us in just the very same way.
Any relationship with espresso is utterly conditional. If I want to taste the rich warmth of espresso then I must invest, day-after-day, in building and maintaining that connection, or I've got to put my hand in my pocket any time I want drink from that cup. Reminds you of anything?
Not instant coffee. The darling dissolved is there for us no matter what - with warmth in one hand and caffeine in the other. Unsurprisingly, this unconditional love and support is far from perfect and will be bitter and hard to swallow but that's not the point.
Much like our parents (and assorted supernatural saviours) human beings will always turn to unquestioned support at their lowest ebb and crystal brown is no different. We know, intuitively, not to call on a fair-weather friend in a time of trouble.
Cappuccino wasn't there for me when I missed the last bus and had nowhere to sleep that night, 500 miles from home. Lattes left me hanging in a hospital corridor waiting to see if my dad was okay. There was no ristretto beside the road when my car gave up in horizontal Scottish rain.
So, next time you see the powdered brown being served or sold, hold your judgement and picture the train stations, bus terminals and maternity wards of the world. Think of the prison receptions, doctors' waiting rooms and courts up and down the land where that unconditional warm caffeine is being clung too in a time of need.
Obviously fuck Nescafé though.