STiR coffee and tea magazine

22 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 3, 2017 (June/July) Coffee borer beetle invades Hawaii SCA, College Teams for Study The Specialty Coffee Association is partnering with the University of California, Davis, on a two-year initiative to re-evaluate the coffee industry's basic understanding of coffee brewing. The project, conducted through SCA's research center and the UC Davis Coffee Center, will reconsider the long-standing the industry's measurement tools, scientific assump- tions and consumer research in an effort to update science that has been in place since the 1950s. The research project will be co-led by Dr. William Ristenpart, a chemical engineer and founder of the Design of Coffee curriculum, and Dr. Jean-Xavier Guinard, a professor and sensory scientist who helped design the new Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel. The pair have collaborated on creating a compre- hensive research program with chemis- try, sensory, and consumer research elements, aimed at updating, revising, and improving the fundamentals of coffee brewing science. Labor Peace Possible If the current labor contract is extended this summer by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, west coast cargo owners likely can expect five years of service without disruptions. That's the word from James McKenna, president of the Pacific Maritime Association. The warehouse union announced on April 28 that its caucus voted to forward the maritime association's formal contract proposal to the union member- ship for approval. The current west coast contract would expire in July 2019. If approved, a new contract would run until July 2022. "This sends a positive message for stability on the west coast," McKenna said, according to the Journal of Commerce. Starbucks' Unicorn lawsuit There's nothing magical in a lawsuit filed by a New York City coffee shop against Starbucks Corp. Starbucks unveiled its Unicorn Frappuccino drink earlier this year but The End Brooklyn and its owner, Montauk Juice Factory, didn't like the move and filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit May 3 against the coffee giant, Reuters reported citing court documents. According to the suit, The End Brooklyn already had created the Unicorn Latte, a bright pink and blue drink, and began sales in December four months before Starbucks unveiled the Unicorn Frappuccino. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in New York. Reuters reported that Montauk Juice Factory filed a trademark application for the Unicorn Latte on Jan. 20 after the popularity of its drink soared, account- ing for about a quarter of the store's sales since its launch. The lawsuit detailed the similarity in names and appearance that create confusion for the consumer and argued Starbucks should be "held accountable for infringing, diluting, and otherwise diminishing" the plaintiffs' intellectual property value. The suit asks Starbucks to pay the plaintiffs all profits made from the Unicorn drink and for any losses that they incurred. Keep Track of 33 Roasts 33 Books Co., creator of the 33 Cups of Coffee coffee-tasting journal, recently released its new log for home and small professional roasters, 33 Roasts. "This new roasting log fills the gap between farmer and barista and provides an understanding of how roasting beans affects the flavors expressed in brewed coffee", said Dave Selden, owner of 33 Books Co., and creator of the roast log. "I think roasters and drinkers alike will benefit by learning more about roasting's role in the coffee process." The new roasting logs measure at 5 inches wide and 7 inches high and provide space for roasters to record 33 different roast profiles for later reference. There are spaces on each page to note key moments in each roasting process, from time and temperature of first crack to finish, and minute-by-min- ute changes along the way. The roast logs are available now for $7 each at 33Books.com, and roasters can request volume pricing by e-mailing orders@33books.com. Starbucks unicorn frappuccino Maui Braces for Quarantine A quarantine triggered by an infestation of the coffee berry borer (CBB) expands to include the Hawaiian island of Maui, the Hawaii Board of Agriculture announced in March. The quarantine takes effect May 1. The quarantine, already in effect on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu, restricts the inter-island movement of coffee plants, green beans, used coffee bags and equipment. It also mandates "treatment and other quarantine protocols," the board said in a statement. The coffee berry borer, first detected in Kona is 2010, was found in Ka`u in 2011 as well as on Oahu in December 2014. The beetle bores into the coffee cherry to lay its eggs. The larvae feed on the coffee bean, reducing the yield and quality of the bean. CBB is native to central Africa and is also found in many coffee-growing regions of the world, including Central and South America, according to state officials. It is still unknown how CBB made its way to Hawaii. Learn more: www.bit.ly/2nAjY7z.

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