"They always leave when it gets hot in the cafe."

—Man counter-protesting protestors

About:

Since the turn of the millennium, the percentage of U.S.-based specialty coffee drinking folk, like those who have a cup everyday, has quadrupled. Travel to any major or minor city in the country, and you'll see an offering of coffees that transcends the uniform Starbucks experience that's on every block.

But the image that reflects after you place a mirror in front of any craft coffee company or cafe is a bit more clear, albeit unsettling. Stare at it long enough and you'll come across matters like gentrification, the rise of the millennial-inspired yuppie wave and the old act of global economics, power dynamics and capitalism all at play.

This podcast episode explores the intricacies of coffee and attempts to answer two simple questions about one very complex drink. What makes specialty coffee special and who is it really for?

Show Notes:

[00:35] More on Tonya Kuhl
[00:45] "Castor Wheel Pivot" by Blue Dot Sessions
[01:35] "One Little Triumph" by Blue Dot Sessions
[02:15] Light reading on other unconventional courses:

[02:45] ECM 01 Syllabus

Additional reading here (San Francisco Chronicle)

[03:20] "Pain" by HileMele
[04:00] Light reading on percentage of global coffee that is considered specialty (The Coffee Guide)
[04:10] Light reading on the growth of specialty coffee over the past several years (SCA)
[05:15] Shout out to the original Cosmic Calendar
[05:25] "Drum Solo" by Turku Nomads of the Silk Road
[05:30] The first reference of the term coffee can be found here in the Canon of Medicine (The World of Caffeine)
[05:40] More on the tale of coffee being passed down to the Prophet Muhammad (The Literary Digest)
[05:45] More on Kaldi and his dancing goats
[06:00] On the history of coffee:

Light reading on coffee and Islam
Light reading on coffee and trade
On the mixing of cultures and coffee after the Crusades
On coffee and the Enlightenment era
On coffee and the American Revolution
On coffee and the Great War

[06:25] Recommended reading on coffee history: Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast
[06:30] Light reading on coffee's etymology
[06:45] "Perky" by Al Hirt

That tune was used in Maxwell's advertising campaign back in the day

[07:00] Light reading on the concept of coffee waves

Listen to a lecture that breaks down each wave
More light reading on the concept of coffee waves

[07:30] A short snippet from Mississippi John Hurt's "Coffee Blues"
[07:45] A montage of sexist coffee commercials from the '60s
[07:55] "Pxl Eventaut" by Blue Dot Sessions
[09:50] More on William Ristenpart
[11:20] "Pxl Cray" by Blue Dot Sessions
[11:25] The new coffee flavor wheel (SCA)
[12:00] More on Molly Spencer
[13:40] More on Hanna Neuschwander (@hneuschwander)

Her book, Left Coast Roast

[14:30] An overview of coffee prices over the last 45 years

Related reading on coffee's volatility (Daily Coffee News)
Related reading on the markets around coffee (Perfect Daily Grind)

[15:40] More on the differences between Arabica and Robusta beans (Coffee Chemistry)

Related reading on specialty robusta beans (Barista Magazine)

[16:10] More on the different coffee processing methods (Sweet Maria's)
[16:25] "