Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491377
STiR tea & coffee industry international 61 nitrogen to get a rich, dense, effervescent layered appearance and a smack of coffee foam. It is refreshing. Cold brew toddy without the fizz is still going strong, served over ice in ma- son jars. Cold brew, in growlers, are avail- able for take away. Craft beer brewers and coffee roasters are getting together in many cities where they have discovered cocktails, coffee and espresso meld well. Check out the Anvil Bar in Austin. Bottled coffee is now produced in house. You can buy a Cony container, take home a six pack to go, or fill a growler. Canned and cold coffee is very popu- lar in Japan, last year Ito En introduced Jay Street Coffee in bottles in the states. Starbucks brought us the Frappuccino, which ultimately led to the carton, bottle, and now growlers of exceptionally fine coffee by the cup. Tableside, coffee brewed especially for you is a trend. Cafés are offering single ori- gin hand drip by the cup coffees, espresso "SOS" is still going strong with a designer flair representing the personalities of the owners. And why not? Cascara, made from the sweet dried coffee cherry fruit, served either as a hot bev- erage or cold concentrate on ice, is a beautiful transparent red hue full of antioxidants and vitamin C. And the best part, this is a byproduct of coffee processing which for years simply found its way back into the soil as compost or as food in the worm beds on coffee farms. Farm designated coffees, processed designated coffees, transparency and extended relationships resulting in direct trade are growing. Even the "big guys" are getting down to earth with hands on, syphon, craft coffee. Starbucks just paid the highest price ever for the first place Brazil Natural Cup of Excellence coffee at auction. What prob- ably amounts to a drop in the ocean of coffee for Starbucks, is a huge step for them and for the winning Brazil farmer. America's proximity to Central and South America encourages roasters to band together to visit origin, hook up with their importer, and go climb a coffee mountain. Slow bar, tasting bars, drip brew are all becoming more sophisticated. There has always been great coffee around, but you had to work to find it. The options are greater now. New cafes not only have a sense of pride but purpose in returning to the com- munity of coffee. Consider Little Italy in New York and SF initially serving Old World espresso. The 1950s and 1960s brought beat era poetry readings to underground coffee houses in San Francisco. The 1970s freed home brewing from burnt percolators to drip and French press. A hundred years ago there were roasters in every town. They faded away for 50 years. Now micro roasters abound. The non-profit PDX Roasters (www.pdxroasters.com), as an online service, lists 60 in Portland alone. Street vendors, farmers markets, garages, storerooms, houses, and VW Buses can all serve a V-60 which rocks our world in its simplicity and pureness. Americans are innovators, no holds barred and will try anything. We are raised without barriers and believe in our hearts anything is possible in life and in coffee. That's not to say innovation does not come from elsewhere but as North Americans, we are the melting pot and we never say never. Even auxiliary items of innovation often come from North American ingenuity. In-counter pitcher rinsers, tamper designs, (thank you Reg Barber), blenders, brewers, mixes, syrups. Someone in Guatemala the other day asked me how we do what we do in coffee, I said "we just do it." Then I realized what a cliché that was coming from Portland, home of Nike, and we both laughed. But I guess it is true. St. Frank in San Franciso is light and airy. The rough hewn look at Analog, Seattle Preparing a hand-drip iced coffee at Case Study Coffee in Portland, Ore.