Written by Lori Thiessen

Ah, good ol’ Tim Horton’s. Timmy’s. T-Ho. No matter what name you call it, it’s a Canadian institution.

I was taking in a couple of Christmas concerts by two amazing homegrown choirs, Vancouver Cantata Singers and Musica Intima in downtown Vancouver on Saturday. (PS. The BC Govt has cut 81% of its funding to the arts. Support your local arts!)

I had some time to spend between the concerts and there was a Tim Horton’s nearby, as luck and capitalist empire building would have it.

Since it is the Christmas season and it’s traditional to be a little short on cash at this time of year, I decided that going to Timmy’s was the best option.

I wandered up to the counter, order a small black coffee and a low-fat cranberry muffin. The clerk asked me if I wanted milk or cream or sugar.  Apparently, you have to ask for cream or milk at the time of ordering.  Neither condiment is available anywhere else in the shop.

The coffee was fine. Not great but fine. The muffin was dry, but then that’s to be expected of a low-fat muffin.

The shop itself was fairly consumer industrial: plastic everything in colours that don’t quite suit my taste. But it was warm and dry plus there was food and drink at low prices.

I think that’s the critical point about Tim’s: coffee at low prices. Where else can you get a cup of coffee for less than $2 these days?

Q: Do you prefer Tim Horton’s or Starbucks? Why?

Until Next Time,

May Your Coffee Always Be Freshly Brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

My Dear Readers, the frost is on the meadow and we have all but hidden away in our respective burrows for the duration of this wintry weather. To help while away the hours, invite some close friends in for conversation and sample the following warming beverages.

The Polar Bear

Though there are many variations on this cocktail, most of them cold, I recommend the following concoction to warm the cockles of your heart. Pour into a heat-proof cup or mug:

• 2 oz of Peppermint Schnapps
• 3 oz of good quality hot chocolate
• 3 oz of medium strength, good quality hot coffee

You may want to top the mixture with a dollop of whipping cream and a candy cane to give it a festive twist!

Christmas Coffee

Here’s a post festive dinner coffee that could double as dessert!

• 6 cups strong, good quality coffee
• 4 tbsps sugar
• 1 organic, unsprayed orange studded with 3 whole cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 1/2 tbsps of Van der Hum, tangerine flavoured liqueur
• 1/2 cup of brandy
• 1 cup of cream
• freshly ground cinnamon

Put the first 6 ingredients into a heavy bottomed cooking pot. Set the heating element to low — just warm the ingredients, DO NOT BOIL.

In a metal soup ladle with an insulated handle, warm the brandy near the coffee. BE VERY CAREFUL. Hold the soup ladle full of warmed brandy over the cooking pot of coffee. Light a match and set the brandy aflame. Carefully pour the flaming brandy over the coffee.

Pour the coffee mixture into heavy mugs (your fine china teacups cannot handle this!). Place a spoon over a mug and slowly pour a little of the cream so that it floats on the top of the drink. Sprinkle with freshly ground cinnamon. Repeat with each mug. Serve.

Special Christmas Morning Coffee

This coffee is a great way to start your Christmas Day!

• 10 cups strong, good quality coffee
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup water

Whipped cream, optional. Frangelico, Amaretto or Bailey’s Irish Cream, optional. Freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg for topping. Milk and sugar for serving.

Brew your coffee in the regular way. Take the next 4 ingredients and put them into a small, heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil. Remove pot from heat. Pour mixture into the coffee. Stir well. Add Frangelico, Amaretto or Bailey’s, if desired. Pour into mugs. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Top with ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

I hope these recipes will delight you and your friends and keep you warm.

Please remember to limit your alcohol intake during the Christmas holidays and be responsible. Call a cab if you’ve had too much.

Until Next Time,

May your coffee always be freshly brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

A friend and I met for coffee the other week at a coffee shop neither one of us had been to before.

On Twelfth Street in New Westminster (a suburb of Vancouver), is the Village Coffee Lounge.

It is quite a small place but with a real homey atmosphere. There is an old upright piano resting comfortably in the back. Brass instruments adorn the walls. Live music concerts take place here from time to time. Phone to find out when the next event will be happening:  (604) 522-8567‎.

There is a table inlaid with a checkerboard for those who want to play checkers or chess. Most of the other furniture is a mish-mash of styles, ages and rickety-ness. Very charming.

My friend tried the hot chocolate and I tried the maple spice latte. Though my friend didn’t comment on her hot chocolate, I must say that the maple spice latte was wonderful.

It is a regular cappucino but made with maple syrup, nutmeg and other spices and topped with a dusting of brown sugar.

I also had a zucchini muffin which was moist and flavourful.  I’ve never seen a zucchini muffin anywhere else so it must be freshly made by either the owner or a local baker.

We spent about an hour there and I was heartened to notice that people kept popping in and out; a city workman, a senior gentleman, a young mother, a courier, among others chose this small, unassuming place to get their mid-morning pick-me-up.

You can find the Village Coffee Lounge at:

705 12th Street, New Westminster, BC V3M 4J7

Written by Lori Thiessen

Have you ever looked at the used coffee grounds from you coffee maker as you throw them out and lament the waste? I mean, coffee costs quite a bit of money and to just throw out the grounds hurts frugal folks like me. And think about all the used grounds from all the used coffee shops everywhere. Ouch.

Let the hurting stop.

There are two new uses for used coffee grounds, printer ink and biofuel.

CNet’s gadget blog, CRAVE reports that RITI print box uses old coffee grounds or tea leaves and a little water to create ink. The drawback is you likely won’t have a lovely black print experience plus you have to swish the ink cartridge along and pull the paper through the printer at the same time; not very efficient.

However, this might be the start of something amazing!

According to Renewable Energy World.com, coffee has come under the microscope as a possible biofuel. More stable than other biofuel sources like used grease from restaurants and with an equal amount of oil from pre-processed biofuel sources like soybeans, used coffee grounds might be the substance the biofuel industry has been looking for.

Using used coffee grounds as a biofuel has other added benefits like your car exhaust could smell like a fresh cup of coffee plus coffee is quite high in antioxidants so using coffee as a biofuel could be an added health benefit instead of being gassed by carbon monoxide.

Coffee may play an even bigger part of our lives in the future aside from the quick pick-me-up liquid we’ve counted on for years!

Q: In what ways do you recycle your coffee grounds?

Until Next Time,

May your coffee always be freshly brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

The coffee bean we value so highly and pay so much for generally comes from some of the most economically depressed and sometimes politically unstable regions of the world.

Now that consumer compassion is a considerable force in the marketplace, most of the major coffee companies are building in not only environmental sustainability projects into their bottom line but community development projects in these poverty stricken countries, too.

Look at what three of these major coffee companies are doing to support positive, local social change.

Tim Hortons takes a keen interest in their coffee suppliers with a view to improving the coffee farmers and their families lives. By teaching and nurturing the small coffee growers to become better business people, it strengthens the local community and also creates a better product.  Tim Hortons now has improvement projects established in Guatemala, Brazil and Colombia.

Seattle’s Best Coffee also supports Fair Trade certified coffee and claims to invest in social and education projects that help to nurture the communities from which they buy their coffee.

By 2015, Starbucks has declared on its website that 100% of its coffee will be “responsibly grown and ethically traded”.  Through its Shared Planet Program, Starbucks invests in improving the health of coffee growing communities where it buys coffee. Starbucks also participates in foundations that loan money to local farmers at a better rate than they would normally get. These loans help farmers to weather the bad times and make their start-up experience easier and more profitable.

Coffee growing and buying is far more than just the land it grows on.  Without the small scale coffee farmer and his community, we coffee consumers wouldn’t have as much of that black gold to sip.

Q: Do you buy your coffee based on the company’s involvement in ethical sourcing?

Until Next Time,

May your coffee always be freshly brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

There is the old saying that when life hands you lemons you make lemonade. Well, the caffe culture twist on this is: when life grinds your beans,  make coffee! And boy, let me tell you, in the last few months life has ground my beans to super fino espresso powder. But enough about me.

I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who has dropped by this space over the last few months. Your interest in the cafe lifestyle is much appreciated.

This blog will still cover everything to do with the artier side of the coffee shop lifestyle, very fun and frothy but with an underlying intellectual kick. Everything from how to make a great cup of coffee to investigating coffee houses around the world and through the ages will be discussed here.  There will also be reviews of coffee houses included in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

Caffe Culture is the sister blog to “Coffee Shop Office” which talks about how the coffee shop has become the alternative or even preferred office of people from all walks of life and business.

So look for new posts, new fun facts and a new insight into the cafe lifestyle!

Until next time,

May your coffee always be freshly brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

When I think of Japan, I have a tourist’s romantic view. Visions of kimono-clad ladies, cherry trees in full-bloom, the beautiful and elaborate tea ceremony cloud the reality of modern Japanese life. Apparently, coffee drinking has become quite fashionable there. In fact, Japan is the 3rd largest importer of coffee, just behind the USA and Germany.

The Dutch brought coffee to Japan in the late 1800’s. The Japanese found it appropriate to drink coffee, considering it is a Western drink, when discussing Western topics. But these days, the Japanese prize coffee for itself and for the caffeine boost.

Coffee is available in many ways in Japan; through vending machines, and coffee shops called kissaten. The Japanese brew their coffee strong and they don’t generally offer milk for those who are faint of heart.

Starbucks began their conquest of Japan in 1996 and they set a new standard in coffee quality. More and more Japanese coffee drinkers are demanding higher quality in their coffee and they are willing to pay for it. A cup of coffee at a kissaten can cost as much as $8.00US.

But there are more coffee chains alive and well in Japan other than Starbucks. Doutor Coffee is one of the biggest coffee shop chains and it is Japanese owned. It serves coffee priced well below Starbucks and there is a shop at nearly every train station.  As for other chains there are Beck’s, Tully’s and Caffe Veloce all which are there to serve and encourage the Japanese taste for coffee.

But coffee is more than just a taste, it is a performance in some upscale cafe’s. Here is a video of the now popular syphon method which was derived from the old vacuum style of brewing coffee. Enjoy!

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Until Next Time,

May Your Coffee Always Be Freshly Brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

The January 2009 edition of the Readers’ Digest has a short piece on the benefits of coffee. It seems that coffee may help to prevent a whole host of diseases including Type 2 diabetes, gallstones and the development of some cancers.

According to some studies, black coffee seems to have more antioxidants than a serving of fruit juice.Underline black coffee. If you put whole milk, whipped cream or sugar in your cuppa joe, you knock out any benefits the coffee may have.

If you are feeling stressed, perhaps you should think about taking a deep breath from your coffee jar. Some sleep-deprived rats were shown to be much calmer after taking just a whiff of roasted coffee beans, according to one study.

Of course, if you drink too much coffee then you are heading into a whole world of trouble. Labelled a ’soft’ drug, coffee needs to be taken in moderation if it’s going to do you any good. More is definitely not better when it comes to coffee.

Most experts recommend not exceeding 2 cups of coffee a day. Anymore than that and you run the risk of becoming de-hydrated or raising your blood pressure.

Coffee apparently contains a substance called cafestol which can raise your cholesterol. Avoid drinking coffee made in a French press. Rather, drink coffee made with a paper filter or try instant coffee.

But do be sure to limit your coffee intake to 2 cups per day and drink ‘em plain!

Until Next Time,

May Your Coffee Always Be Freshly Brewed!

Written by Lori Thiessen

On Saturday, April 4th over 600 people lined up at the Second Cup coffee shop at Queen and John in Toronto to participate in “Pay It Backward Day”, according to an article in the April 6th edition of MetroNews

This event is the brain child of Darius Basher who is also the founder of Daily Challenge .  “Pay It Backward Day” is a chance for coffee-lovin’ Torontonians to support the SickKids Hospital Foundation by lining up for coffee but buying the person behind you his cuppa joe, even if you don’t know them!

The website and foundation, Daily Challenge, encourages people to do some good every day.  You can click on and get some ideas about what good things you can do or suggest something good you’ve done.It’s about bringing kindness into your community, one small act at a time.

Now, isn’t that worth buying someone a cuppa coffee?

Until Next Time,

May Your Coffee Always Be Freshly Brewed!

written by Lori Thiessen

In Cuba’s rich history, the coffee bean as a crop plays a part. Like most Latin American countries, Cuba does grow coffee but not in quantities of say, Brazil which harvested over 27,000,000 (60 lb) bags in 1999. Most of Cuba’s coffee is grown for the domestic market and for some limited export markets.

Coffee as a crop has a grim history as most of us are aware thanks to the initiatives like Fair Trade Coffee.  These initiatives take into account the economic well-being of the small coffee producer, and the environmental impact that the coffee crop has on the surrounding ecosystem.

Cuba’s mountains are wonderful for growing Arabica beans known for their rich flavour and low caffeine.  But mountains aren’t exactly easy to farm yet 2,000 coffee plantations were established by 1827.

The current ‘failure’ of the Cuban coffee industry is due to a lack of experienced, adequately compensated coffee farmers to properly cultivate the crop since many of them fled Cuba at the time of the Revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s, heavy competition from other stronger Latin American countries, and the US Embargo.

But Cuban coffee retains its enthusiasts among ex-pat Cubans, especially Cuban-Americans. The ex-pat Cuban communities try to retain their cultural identity by making ‘Cuban’ coffee with beans produced in other Latin American countries.

But it just isn’t the same as real Cuban coffee made from beans grown in the Sierra Maestra mountains. In an ever-growing niche-developing coffee market, the Cuban coffee industry may be able to flourish again by capturing the imaginations of aficionados of rare and specialty coffees.

Q: Do you buy Fair Trade Coffee? If so, why?

Until Next Time,

May Your Coffee Always Be Freshly Brewed!