Happy Halloween

Coffee Masters On The Journey Again

On October 17th 2013:

        The second Coffee Master Class Began, 10 People coming together to learn about all aspects of Coffee.

Jackie Mingin
Lauren Justice
Bishoy Kolta
Amarilis Restityo
Eric Felipe
Greg Szczecinski
Jonathan Akarman
Aaron Lawson
Joe Price
Eric Kuessner

Lead by the 3 Coffee Master Mentors:

Mike Penna
Mark Ormsbee
Stacey Carpenito

Together thru projects, road trips, and sharing of knowledge a new journey begins...............................

7 Last 10 Feet Video

A Cup A Day Could Keep The Doctor Away...

"Other recent studies have linked moderate coffee drinking — the equivalent of three or four 5-ounce cups of coffee a day or a single venti-size Starbucks — with more specific advantages: a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer), prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer recurrence..."

Click the link below to check out this health related article on coffee!

(Link Below)

  NY Times - This Is Your Brain on Coffee

(Thanks To Mark Ormsbee for the Article!)

-Jordan

Liquid Gold...

On Tuesday, June 10, 2013, Mark Ormsbee (Licensed Starbucks District Manager/Coffee Master) & Stacey Carpenito (Licensed Starbucks Brand Champion/Coffee Master) toured locations for HMSHost on the New Jersey Turnpike in the NJ Mid-Region.  Alongside Mark & Stacey were Tuan Tran & Henry Klien (Starbucks National Executive Account Representatives) as well as Krista Kondravy & Shari Eaton (Starbucks Regional Directors).

The tour started at Richard Stockton Travel Plaza where the group met up to discuss the days agenda and wake up to a coffee tasting fascillitated by Jordan Alejandro.  The coffee picked for this special occasion was the rare Panama Geisha Auromar, only the third time Starbucks has ever carried this varietal.  Only 790 reserve bags were available on the Starbucks website and they sold out in hours.  The Geisha varietal originated in the small town of Gesha, Ethiopia and was spread across eastern Africa into Kenya.  The varietal made it's way into Latin America succesfully growing in Costa Rica and later in Guatemala.  Only in the last 50 years, the discovery of the Volcan Baru region in Panama was the perfect place for the Geisha varietal to strive and reach the pinnacle of it's flavor potential.  The complexity in the cup opened the eyes of our Starbucks visitors at Richard Stockton that tuesday morning.  Distinct flavors of mango and papaya with a bergamot finish as the coffee cooled down, the aroma was extremely unique and like no other coffee we have tasted through out our coffee journeys.  Starbucks warned us not to pair this coffee and simply "enjoy alone", it also noted that the coffee is extremely complex and changes flavor profiles as it cools down, pay attention to how the coffee develops with every sip.  The group was very appreciative over the coffee tasting that was hosted for them and it was our way of showing a warm welcome to our Starbucks & HMSHost team.

The rest of the tour went exceptionally well, and the team was very pleased to see the locations operating to their fullest potential.

Thanks to Mark & Stacey!

Special Thanks to Tuan, Krista, Shari, & Henry!

-Jordan

The Philosophy Of the Roast...

On May 21st, the Coffee Master Journey team took a trip to York, Pennsylvania to visit the Starbucks Roasting Plant.  After our visit, we now understand the technicality that goes into the transportation of our products and the roasting process.  Getting to see the operation first hand was eye opening to all of us future Coffee Masters, and being able to walk in a room with 10,000,000 pounds of coffee was unbelievable.  A special thanks to Mark Ormsbee (Licensed District Manager/Coffee Master) and Allyson Kern (York Roasting Plant) for coordinating the tour for our team and William Brent for giving us an unforgettable tour of the York Roasting Plant.

The York Roasting Plant was built in 1995 with the addition of the Green Bean Warehouse in 2001.  Producing 50 blends of coffee including Seattle's best, the York Roasting Plant roasts 2 million pounds of coffee a week, while processing 65,000 order picks/day on average.

The magnitude of this room was incredible.  Burlap sacks were stacked far above our heads and went on in rows as far as the eyes could see.  It was such an experience to walk through the isles of the green coffee room, reading the bags labeled from all their origins, and touching the green coffee that fell from the bags.

The operation at the plant was extremely impressive.  Knowing they ship to 2,500 locations really opened our mind to the complexity of their function and how much precision goes into their work everyday.

(Left-Right: Manfred, Mike, Stacey)

(Mark Ormsbee: Starbucks District Manager/Coffee Master)

(Mike Penna: Company Operated Starbucks Store Manager/Coffee Master in NYC)

(Left-Right: Manny, Stacey, Mike)

(Left-Right: Jordan, Maykol, Roberto)

(Stacey Carpenito: Licensed Starbucks Brand Champion/Coffee Master)

(Summer 2 Promo Coffee: Kati Kati Blend)

(Pictures inside York Roasting Plant)

(Left-Right: Manfred, Roberto, Mike, Stacey, Jordan, Jay, Julie, Maykol)

We had an incredible day at the York Roasting Plant and plan to share our stories with our teams when we return.  The experience was unforgettable and we thank the Staff at the York Roasting Plant greatly for allowing us to tour their facility.

Thanks to Stacey, Jay, and Mike for providing transportation for everyone to the plant.

Special thanks to Mark Ormsbee & Allyson Kern for organizing our trip.

Special thanks to William Brent for being our tour guide for the day, your knowledge was very impressive and we greatly appreciate the time you took to teach us about the operations of the plant and to answer all of our questions.  

Thanks to all for creating a day we will never forget!

Our next class will be in July due to scheduling conflicts, we will have a conference call on June 13th at 12pm to discuss our projects from May.  Please email pictures of your posters or attach any videos or power point presentations to all that are involved in our Coffee Master Journey Class.

Activity: Find 3 interesting facts about the other Starbucks Roasting Plants (Kent Wa, Minden NV, Colombia SC, Augusta GA) and post them in a comment! 

-Jordan

Coffee Con 2013...

The 2013 Coffee Con is only 2 days away!

On Saturday, May 4th, the 2013 Consumer Coffee event "Coffee Con 2013" will be held in the Chicago area of Illinois.  Check out the link to their website and the article from Coffeecupnew.org!

Here's a link to the official website!

(Link Below)

Coffee Con Official Website

Here's a link to the article!

(Link Below)

Coffee Con 2013 Article

"Coffee Con is about the consumer and the at home enthusiasts passion for the bean. One of the coolest things about last years conference were the coffee classes. Teaching you how to take their coffee making to the next level while exposing you to some of the industries newest coffee tools and toys."

Maybe next year some of us can check this out, it sounds like an incredible time soaking in all that knowledge!

(Thanks to Maykol Villalobos for the Article)

-Jordan

Créme De La Créme...

Here's a link to a USA Today article on America's 15 Best Independent Coffee Shops!

(Link Below)

America's Best Independent Coffee Shops

Here's The List!

1. Ultimo Coffee, Philadelphia

2. Gimme! Coffee, New York

3. Barista, Portland

4. Courier Coffee Roasters, Portland

5. Cafe Grumpy, New York

6. Lamill Coffee Boutique, Los Angeles

7. Stumptown (Chain Stores)

8. Ritual Coffee Roasters, San Francisco

9. Joe The Art Of Coffee, NY & Phila.

10. Intelligentsia (Chain Stores)

11. Commonplace Coffee Co. House & Roasters, Pittsburgh

12. Milstead & Co., Seattle

13. Everyman Espresso, New York

14. Peregrine Espresso, Washington D.C.

15. Artifact Coffee, Baltimore

Looks like it's an even split between East/West coast with great cafe's, and some of these coffee shops are close to most of our partners.  We should try to go to some of these places and see what the hypes all about!

Enjoy the Article!

(Thanks to Manfred Goracy for the Article)

-Jordan

Treating The World Responsibly...

Our fourth Coffee Master Journey class was held on April 11th at the James Cooper Travel Plaza.  We missed Julie and Mark this time around (Hope you had a great vacation Mark!) but Mike Penna (Company Operated Store Manager/Coffee Master from NYC) still delivered an excellent and much appreciated class for us.  We learned about what sets Starbucks apart from most other companies, and thats the way they handle their business; with a "Green" approach building the backbone of their organization.  From ethical sourcing to certified fair trade coffee, we experienced a whole other side of Starbucks that makes us feel proud to work for such a great company. 

Maykol was the first to present his groups project on Starbucks Shared Planet, Building Relationships with Producers.  He did a slide show presentation and a handout with spaces for us to fill in the information as he presented the project.  The highlight of the project was understanding the commitment Starbucks has for doing business in a way thats good for the people and the planet.  It's incredible how aware Starbucks is of the global impact they have and by sharing this mindset with the world, they create a feeling of pride for not only their partners but their customers as well.  We also learned about the types of farms that Starbucks buys from; Smallholder Farms, Cooperatives, Estates, and Exporters.  For the coffee tasting, Maykol did Sumatra which is a coffee that sells really well in our stores and is actually Howard Shultz's favorite core coffee.  

(Roberto & Manny)

Roberto & Manny presented their project on the components of ethical sourcing.  They incorporated a section of their project with information on Dunkin Donuts and compared it to the ethical sourcing guidelines Starbucks uses.  It was great to learn about how Starbucks pays premium prices for their coffee and they know how much of the price they paid went directly to the farmer who grew the coffee.    They follow good labor standards by paying defined minimum-wage standards while hiring no child or slave labor and providing healthy working conditions.  As well as C.A.F.E. Practices to ensure we are purchasing high-quality coffee produced in socially and environmentally responsible ways.  For their coffee tasting they did House Blend which was balanced with a nutty aroma and a Dunking Donuts coffee that was paired with caramel covered apples.  Delicious!

(Jordan, Maykol, & Mike enjoying the caramel apples!)

(Caramel Apple for Manny & Roberto's coffee tasting)

(Jay & Jordan presenting their project)

Jay and Jordan's project was on the differences between "Organic" & "Certified Organic", Conservation International, & Fairtrade.  They showed videos and a handout to go along with the presentation and the coffee tasting.  A highlight is understanding that most coffee Starbucks buys is grown organically but not "certified organic" and that it could take up to 3 years for a farm to become certified organic.  For the coffee tasting they did Organic Yukon Blend which is described as a hearty coffee that was paired with chocolate covered pretzels and a Starbucks Reserve Tanzania Southern Highlands (Shhhhhh..) which has an incredible black berry aroma with a slight citrusy flavor, paired with lemon tart. 

(Lemon Tart for Jordan & Jay's coffee tasting)

(Left-Right; Mike, Roberto, Manny, & Maykol)

(Stacey presenting her project)

Stacey Carpenito (Licensed Brand Champion/Coffee Master) presented her project on Farmer Support and Investing in Community.  She did a beautiful poster board that included information on Farmer Support Centers and its ties to C.A.F.E. along with social projects Starbucks has done for communities.     For the tasting, she did Komodo Dragon Blend which was perfectly paired with a cheese danish.

(Roberto holding Stacey's project)

(Mike Penna teaching... Classic.)

The next class will be held at Molly Pitcher Travel Plaza on May 9th at 2pm.  Projects will be on Quality & Roasting.  Looking forward to the next class and our trip to the York Roasting Plant!

Thanks to Mike Penna for facilitating the class!

Thanks to everyone for sharing your projects!

Activity: Find 3 facts about Starbucks involvement with the community and post a comment!

-Jordan

From The Tree To The Cup...

We recently had our third Coffee Master Journey class at Molly Pitcher Travel Plaza.  The class was facilitated by Mike Penna (Company Operated Store Manager/Coffee Master from NYC).  The team brought in many exotic and unusual coffees for us to taste along with new projects to be presented.

(Maykol & Julie Presenting their project)

(Maykol & Julie's project)

Julie and Maykol started off the run of presentations with their project on the difference between Arabica and Robusta.  Their poster board was very informative and included information a lot of people in the class never knew before, especially about the Robusta species of coffee trees.  For their paring they picked a Starbucks Reserve Sun-Dried Sumatra Rasuna which is a naturally processed coffee that has a "winey" aroma with a distinct berry profile and was a coffee favored by most for it's aromatic nature and complex flavors.  Paired with cranberry orange scone, the Sumatra was smooth and the citrus notes in the pastry brought out the berry flavors in the coffee.  The other coffee they picked was Nescafe Instant Coffee which had a blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee to give us a taste of the robusta coffee.  Their project came out awesome and they did a great job teaching the team about the difference between the Arabica and Robusta species! 

(Roberto, Manny, & Mike (Holding the iPad)

(Manny & Roberto presenting their project)

Roberto and Manfred's project was on the growth of the coffee tree and cherry.  They split up their project into two separate presentations.  The first was on the growth of the coffee tree in which they made a model of each step through out the tree's life until it becomes fruit bearing.

(Manny & Roberto's model of tree growth)

The models had precise detail and really gave the class a nice up-close visual of what the tree looks like from seedling to an adult tree.  

The second part of their project was a powerpoint presentation on coffee cherry growth.  They explained the life of a bean named Jim, from being an unripe baby to an adult ready to be picked.  The project was hilarious and really taught the whole team about cherry growth from another perspective! 

(Roberto & Manny preparing the coffee tastings)

For Manny and Roberto's tasting, we had a Starbucks Reserve Panama Paso Ancho which was paired with cinnabons and had an incredibly clean finish with a nice cocoa profile.  The pairing brought out the soft spice in the coffee and was a perfect conclusion to their presentation. 

(Jay & Jordan presenting their project)

(Jordan)

Jay & Jordan's project was about the anatomy of the coffee cherry and processing.  They presented a couple videos off the internet on Washed, Semi-Washed, and Natural Processing. (Links below)

(Video on Washed Processing)

(Video on Natural Processing)

*Click on youtube links under title to watch*
Washed Processing (Used For Project)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPxf8scXEkg
Semi-Washed Processing (Used For Project)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQvf8lmCqoU
Natural Processing (Used For Project)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dolwc93JFdg

The coffees they brought in for the tasting were a Starbucks Reserve Peru Aladino and Maui Mokka.  The Peru was paired with an orange to bring out the citrus notes and sweetness of the coffee and the Maui was paired with chocolate covered espresso beans, the Maui had distinct cocoa flavors with a bright acidity; the chocolate covered espresso beans mellowed out the coffees acidity and had a nice crisp finish. 

(Manny & Mark are impressed)

(Mark & Stacey presenting their project)

Lastly, Mark Ormsbee (Licensed District Manager/Coffee Master) & Stacey Carpenito (Licensed Brand Champion/Coffee Master) presented their project on grading and sorting of the green coffee beans.  They made awesome handouts for their presentation that included pictures from Mark's trip to Costa Rica and tons of information on how coffee is graded and sorted before being sent out to roasting plants.  

(Mark & Stacey presenting their project)

(Their coffee pairings!)

For their coffee tasting they did a Starbucks Reserve Ethiopia Sidamo and Starbucks Casi Cielo paired with a cannoli and an apricot/raspberry almond cookie.  The ethiopia had a perfume like aroma with a huge punch of flavor from a deep chocolate to dark cherry and paired excellently with the almond cookies.  The Casi Cielo (Translated from Spanish=Almost Heaven) was robust with an indulgent flavor profile and the rich cannoli was a great pairing for what we consider a "desert" coffee.

(Mike facilitating the class)

The amount of coffee knowledge this class has so far is immense.  We are all teaching each other new information every time we meet, and the conversations keep getting better and better.  The next class we will talk about how Starbucks buys coffee and the practices they use to do business.  

Thanks to Mike Penna for facilitating the class! 

Thanks to every one for sharing their projects!

The next class will be held at James Cooper Travel Plaza on April 11th at 2pm.  We will be presenting projects on Starbucks Coffee Buying, bringing in Starbucks Core Coffees or Competitor Coffees for tastings, and sharing our action plans to sell coffee! 

Activity: Find an interesting fact about each of the subjects and post a comment!

-Arabica/Robusta Trees

-Coffee Tree/Cherry Growth

-Processing

-Grading/Sorting

Can't wait to see the comments!

-Jordan