I had this small idea for a brief little post this AM to share with you my touristy side about how I got my first coffee at the worlds first Starbucks on my way to work but right after I took my first sip my idea changed.
Right before I left my previous job in Auburn I was turned onto the idea of ordering “good” (organic, fair trade, shade grown, [insert cause here] ) coffee from a place called Grounds for Change. Angela and I gave it a run and found it to be just fine and morally better than some other alternatives, so we stuck with it.
The original conversation that led to the first order included relatively disparaging remarks about the quality and taste of Starbucks coffee. It is over-roasted, burnt and (paraphrasing) generally tastes crappy. I agreed conversationally but inside gave the thought a modest and relatively uninterested ‘psh, coffee is coffee’.
It has been about a year now, after my move downtown, and I have been taste testing various coffee houses, trying to develop a sense for which location I prefer, which has the best ‘flavor’ etc. Granted I tend to sweeten my coffee to the point where I am comparing the flavor of sugars as much as the flavor of coffee but there is still adequate comparisons (as long as I put a lot of sugar in all of them). hehe
During that time I have mostly consumed Starbucks Sumatra blend, which they supply at the office, and it is generally adequate. Also recently I watched a documentary on PBS called Black Gold and that turned me onto a particular coffee that they happen to sell at Grounds For Change, it is Ethiopia “Yirgacheffe”.
I tried it for the first time last night and I am not disappointed. It is very good and morally rewarding as well. Somehow, buying this coffee makes me feel like I am helping out the underdog in Ethiopia rather than the Big Dog in [insert suburb here]. I know that almost all underdogs want to become Big Dogs and we tend to have a soft spot for underdogs in The United States of Big Dog…but that is a different thread.
All this to come to the point that as I performed my duty this morning, finally stopping at the first Starbucks to use my giftcard, and swallowing my first sip of…ACK!! over-roasted, burnt, and a basically crappy tasting cup of coffee. The Ethiopians and opinionated Existentialists have ruined me, and now (if I end up really taking to coffee) I won’t be able to walk into any city in the world, walk three blocks, and enjoy the resulting caffeinated beverage. It just doesn’t taste good anymore.
blief 
I dunno about coffee, but their Dagoba Hot Chocolate sounds to die for. Of course it also reminds me of a little green alien.
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Dude…I used my online-alias-for-all-other-sites to post that last comment…my bad.
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What!?! My first response is gone? Gah…
What I said was that the Dagoba Hot Chocolate sounds like it is to die for…and reminds me of a little green alien =)
Blief Edit:
It is okay Desiree, I just have to approve all “new” comments (due to SPAM) and your Fierala name wasn’t recognized. It has been approved now and so you can post as either of your alter-selves. – Lief
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There appears to be a strong relationship between flavor and organic products. I don’t know the mechanism, but the sensation is too often observed to ignore.
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I have thought Starbucks was burnt for years and could never find anyone who agreed with me. The popularity of their product scares me as to the mass taste and I suppose is a perfect argument for marketing, or people not taking time to really focus on anything long enough to truly know what it is they are tasting. I have a feeling it is more often gulped while talking on the cell, running across the street, or sitting at a stop light. Too bad. Too bad they have never had real, Italian coffee carried through town by a waiter in a little hat tilted to the side. Of course, who would notice the taste there either while admiring said Italian waiter…
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Wired and Unplugged brews organic, shade grown coffee and I think there coffee is the best. Of course the environment where you are enjoying your beverage can make a difference (I could drink crappy coffee from an Italian roadside cafe and probably enjoy it). WU uses Browns Coffee which is locally roasted http://www.brownscoffee.com/. I agree with James in that things organic do seem to taste a lot better – especially milk for some reason.
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Hi Lief, I’m a friend of your Dad’s. My 2 sips are… When I was living in St. Louis and was more meaningfully employed [more $ than now], I got into regularly buying coffee from a non-chain place (forgot the name). What I so much enjoyed was their “Kenya AA” coffee. I’d buy beans. It wasn’t as expensive as their most expensive brand (from Hawaii, forgot that name) but the Kenya AA was right up there in price, in second place. They had about 15 or so coffee selections. I don’t know if that name (Kenya AA) is standard. Maybe it was just the name given by that coffee place. I am being very narrow in this reply, addressing only flavor. I don’t know if their Kenya AA is organic, nor if it is shade-grown, nor if it is politically and economically kind to the growers. –Jerry B
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Jerry,
Thanks for the info on the coffee.
I looked them up and found this page with some info.
http://www.coffeeam.com/kenyaaa.html
I will keep that name in mind when purchasing coffee in the future.
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Well, being an old (much older than you or your commentators, by far!) coffee drinker, I just have to poke in here and add my nickel’s worth. As you may know, your Grandma Z has the same taste (that’s with “dis” in front) for Starbucks as you. She refuses to drink it even if I offer to buy!
We prefer Gevalia (imported every ten weeks from Iowa, allegedly roasted in Sweden — don’t let Heidi know I said this!) when brewing our own. But when out and about, we like Tully’s or Seattle’s Best OK.
I respect you-all’s committment for doing what is good for the underdogs of this world. They deserve all the help we can give them.
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