Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Sixteen years ago when we installed our first espresso machine, prospective baristas used to ask us how to pronounce the words �mocha� or �latte.� At the time, if you had asked me what I thought of coffee chains and especially the one from Seattle, I probably would have anwered that I thought they were promoting the specialty coffee industry in general and therefore helped in the developoment of a caf� society. The situation is very different today however, and this big chain is spreading, opening thousands of stores every year, or perhaps every month, or so it seems. Corporate coffee is everywhere, in shopping centers, in restaurants, in gas stations, on airplanes, in your favorite grocery store, in the coffee section, in the beverage section, in the ice cream section , in the liquor section-everywhere. Furthermore, for a chain which promotes �fair trade,� their business practices at home are far from being fair. When they spot a successful, locally owned coffee shop, they open one, two, or even three stores in the immediate vicinity (sometimes on the same parking lot) to ascertain that they will prevail. They accomplish this with the complicity of landlords who forget the years that small businesses faithfully paid their rent, for the promise of corporate greed. The samples are multiple and I am sure you too, lost a friend in the java war; exit Coffee World, The Grind, Coffee Cavern… welcome Starbucks. From San Diego to Augusta, you can now order your same Venti, listen to the same music, on a look-a-like (cloned) environment, and faced with the same sanitized fake greeting; you almost reach coffee ecstasy. I heard the reasoning that even if their drinks are not the best, well, at least they are always consistent. �It is easier to order from them because we already know the menu…�

I think the opposite. Life is about that unique latte taste from this small shop in Berkeley, the ambiance of this poetry caf� in Vallejo, the smile on the owners face when he welcomes you in San Jose. Let�s celebrate the differences and not encourage monotony. And you, the customers, have that choice to make. It is an important one, as your local coffee shops are an endangered species.

Coffee of the Month: Organic Guatemala Single Estate la Nueva Armenia

This month we just received our shipment of my favorite coffee, the wonderful green beans from the Finca Nueva Armenia. This farm is located in thet district of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, famous for its coffee grown in virgin mountains, with great biodiversity, fauna, water springs, waterfalls, caves, and natural pools. The elevation is between 3800and 6000 feet, which is ideal to produce hard beans. We roast this wonderfully aromatic and distinct coffee from a light roast to a full city roast. In both roasts, the coffee presents sweet notes reminiscent of ripe melon and cane sugar ina fragrant sweet cup. It represents a perfect balance between body and acidity. A must for a morning coffee, and perfect for pairing with food. Available from your local coffee shops.

Fabrice Moschetti is the owner of Moschetti Inc. and the supplier for Listen & Be Heard Poetry Caf�. Each month he will discuss coffee and coffee related items. Please send your comments or questions to Fabrice@moschetti.com