08.08
Some coffee guy who you’ve most likely never heard of is running for NYC Mayor. Well not actually, but it was a good way to get his coffee company’s press release published in the New York Times. The only thing interesting about this company’s million dollar campaign is watching Lewis Black, who always seems like he’s had one too many cups of coffee, rant about how important coffee is to NYC.
John Vassilaros is a personal friend of Lewis Black and the owner of Vassilaros & Sons Coffee, a large wholesale coffee company that’s been selling coffee direct to diners and dives around New York for 95 years. Now they’ve got themselves an AD agency (NSG/SWAT) who wants to help them sell directly to customers and claim the title of “New York’s own” brand of coffee, which they say doesn’t currently exist—ignoring the success and admiration of New York coffee companies like Joe, Grumpy & Gimme!
The company’s new strategy involves “developing new products” like an Italian roast espresso and a premium-priced (note: not premium quality) line of coffees called 1918. The first offering in this new premium-priced line of coffee includes a “rich roasted Sumatra.” So intense, earthy and bold!
Meanwhile, the company’s social media strategy includes a new Instagram account, who’s first post is a reappropriated image of Sam Penix’s coffee tattoo from Everyman Espresso—another well-known name in NYC coffee. I guess Vassilaros $1 million dollar budget wasn’t large enough to develop original content alongside their new products. But then again, Vassilaros thinks the “new world” of coffee still revolves around Starbucks, so they didn’t spend much on research either.
07.12
This video has little to do with coffee and at the same time everything to do with coffee. It’s an honest glimpse into the life of Josh Brine, a filmmaker who now lives in Portland, Oregon. Though he isn’t from the Pacific Northwest, he packed his car and headed that direction several years ago. In this beautiful place, one known for its love of coffee, Josh found home.
Home and the feeling of comfort that comes with it, is something many of us connect with a great cup of coffee. It creates a moment of clarity, reflection or calm that helps us forget anything else that may be going on in the world. It pairs well with friends, family, laughter and love. Or just a quiet solitary morning. For those of us who enjoy coffee, it is intertwined with our lives in an unextractable way. No matter how you drink it, love coffee and live well.
film by Josh Brine
music by La Liberte
07.10
Tim Wendelboe, the Oslo-based coffee roaster and former World Barista Champion, was recently the guest for Oslo’s very first CreativeMornings event. CreativeMornings is a monthly lecture series that was founded in New York by the well known designer/blogger Tina Roth Eisenberg aka Swiss-Miss.
CreativeMornings includes a small breakfast, networking and a 20 minute TED-style talk that encompasses inspiring people from a broad range of professions. While it began in New York City, the event now takes place in over 50 city chapters around the world. Oslo just happens to be one of the newest chapters, and it’s really awesome that their first talk was about where great coffee comes from.
Tim spends nearly 20 minutes talking about the journey coffee takes from its origin country to his shop in Oslo before ending briefly with tips for better brewing. He continues to emphasize the point that quality coffee depends on many steps before it even gets into the hands of the person brewing it.
There’s a lot to learn in this video so grab a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy.
02.25
The Madrid-based coffee bar, Toma Café partnered up with Visual Shakers, a local film studio to develop this short and hypnotic look at the Chemex brew method. The process is beautifully filmed, edited and will easily inspire you to brew another cup. Enjoy.
01.20
In the latest celebrity specialty coffee sighting, singer/songwriter/actor and kleptomaniac Landon Pigg is seen falling in love over Stumptown Coffee in Brooklyn.
The video for his single “Coffee Shop” was filmed in the Greenpoint café, Brooklyn Label, where the star can freeze time long enough to steal apples, scarves, balloons, and even a bicycle (the worst kind of thief) to woo his equally melodramatic love interest.
If you have an affinity for roller derby or Ellen Page (guilty) you may recognize Pigg from the 2009 film “Whip It” where his role as a guitar playing heart throb first began on the big screen. Directed by Lenny Bass who’s no stranger to videos in coffee shops.
01.15
Stumptown just released the latest installment of their video series, which in the past has captured the beauty and the process of hard work that takes place at origin, now highlights the passion for coffee from within Stumptown’s own walls.
The film shares an honest and poetic behind-the-scenes look at Stumptown and serves as a tribute to the coffee loving team who live for the work that they do. It’s a well polished glimpse of the industry for the professional coffee crowd or just the coffee curious, with the kind of aspirational sheen you’d expect from a Levi’s commercial.
Created by Trevor Fife, the filmmaker who’s famous for the opening credits of True Blood and the BMW Unscripted series, does the specialty coffee industry far more justice than the Travel Channel has. Brew a fresh cup and enjoy.
Trevor has been a long-time collaborator with Stumptown: traveling to source with Duane starting in 2006, shooting films on farms like Guatemala Finca El Injerto, and traveling across Colombia, Ethiopia and Kenya, blending clean, pristine digital images with gritty and textural Super 8 and 16mm film. His work is not only easy on the eyes but captures the living, breathing spirit behind the coffee farms and the surrounding communities.
via Stumptown Coffee
11.26
Another day, another beautiful video from Coffee Circle. This one takes a look at espresso, one simple step at a time. Very zen. I think I’ll have another.
The perfect shot of espresso is one of the greatest gifts you can enjoy in your day. It’s hard to describe unless you taste it. However, in this video you find the most important steps of preparation to follow on your way to achieve a great espresso. Enjoy! - Coffee Circle
09.24
From the peddlers of the internet’s best coffee video comes another gem. This time, Coffee Circle has turned the production value up to 11, while dialing down the content to pure gear lust. No tutorial or deeper meaning beyond the simple message, “good coffee, good gear.” A sales pitch at its core, but pure art on the surface. It’s subtly themed for autumn and the year’s greatest holiday—Halloween. Brew a fresh cup and Enjoy.
Video by Florian Döring for Coffee Circle
07.30
Matt Perger, the 2012 World Brewer’s Champion, has put together a lovely V60 tutorial for ST. ALi in Australia. The two and a half minute tutorial is a fully annotated, “real time” brewing demo filmed to the sounds of Frank Ocean.
While there are a couple moves I’d consider a bit risky for those just learning, it’s worth trying out if you’re not satisfied with your own pourover method. Tap dat.
07.18
Stunts, explosions, & coffee. This may be the greatest coffee brewing video ever. From the same people who brought you syphon brewing in the dark, comes this explosive 80′s throwback to my favorite brew method—the AeroPress. Huge thumbs up.
[via CoffeeCircle]
