This

Porto’s Coffee Revolution: 5 Cafés Defining the City’s Brew Culture

Porto’s Coffee Revolution: 5 Cafés Defining the City’s Brew Culture

Let’s talk about how Porto’s coffee scene has evolved from a niche curiosity to a global hotspot. Since 2019, the city’s specialty coffee shops have exploded—from six to over 50, a 40% surge. This isn’t just numbers; it’s a reflection of Porto’s cultural shift. Young professionals, Digital Nomads, and returning expats have fueled the growth, blending global influence with local pride. The result? A coffee culture that’s as dynamic as the Douro River. Porto’s transformation is visible in its festivals and pricing. Porto Coffee Week drew 3,606 visitors in 2025—60% more than 2024—proving the city’s coffee obsession. Meanwhile, specialty brews…
Read More
The Physics of Pour Height: How High You Pour Changes Your Brew

The Physics of Pour Height: How High You Pour Changes Your Brew

Real talk: The way you pour your coffee might be holding back its full flavor. A new study reveals that the height from which you pour water isn’t just about wrist comfort—it’s a physics-driven variable that shapes extraction. Researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder found that higher pour heights create “avalanche dynamics” in coffee grounds, triggering more aggressive mixing and unlocking flavor in ways even seasoned baristas might not have considered. This isn’t just academic jargon; it’s a game-changer for anyone serious about brewing. The study’s focus on kinetic energy and granular flow explains why pouring from a…
Read More
Influencers Are Reshaping Specialty Coffee—Here’s How

Influencers Are Reshaping Specialty Coffee—Here’s How

Coffee lovers, wine enthusiasts, tea devotees—your morning ritual is being rewritten by influencers. Up to 93% of marketers now rely on influencers to cut through the noise, and specialty coffee is no exception. With Gen Z consumers trusting influencer recommendations over traditional ads (92% of them, per Nielsen), the industry’s authority is shifting from competition trophies to Instagram feeds. This isn’t just a trend—it’s a seismic shift in how coffee is discovered, discussed, and consumed. The rise of influencer marketing has democratized coffee culture. Once confined to barista competitions and niche publications, expertise now lives on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.…
Read More
Specialty Coffee’s Hospitality Shift: Why Service Matters More Than Ever

Specialty Coffee’s Hospitality Shift: Why Service Matters More Than Ever

The specialty coffee scene is undergoing a quiet revolution. As prices climb, consumers aren’t just paying for beans—they’re paying for experience. Brands like WatchHouse and Proud Mary are redefining success by treating every interaction as a curated moment. This isn’t just about coffee anymore; it’s about crafting an environment where guests feel seen, guided, and valued. The shift is clear: hospitality isn’t a perk—it’s the currency of the trade. At the heart of this movement is the barista, who now serves as both bartender and curator. From pre-warmed cups to meticulously maintained plants, small details add up to create a…
Read More
Coffee Grounds and Plastic Bottles Turned Into Climate-Fighting Carbon

Coffee Grounds and Plastic Bottles Turned Into Climate-Fighting Carbon

This might just change your routine: imagine your morning coffee cup and a discarded water bottle becoming part of a solution to trap carbon emissions. Researchers at the University of Sharjah in the UAE have patented a method that transforms spent coffee grounds and PET plastic into activated carbon—a material capable of capturing CO₂ from industrial smokestacks. The process, called co-pyrolysis, heats a mix of coffee waste, plastic, and potassium hydroxide to around 600°C, creating a porous, charcoal-like substance with millions of tiny cavities. These cavities act like sponges, trapping gas molecules and impurities. The innovation isn’t just about repurposing…
Read More
Costco’s Green Tea Secret: Japan’s Ito En Craftsmanship

Costco’s Green Tea Secret: Japan’s Ito En Craftsmanship

If you’ve ever wondered who crafts Costco’s Kirkland Signature Green Tea, the answer lies in a quiet Japanese powerhouse. This box of 100 tea bags, priced at $13.99, isn’t just a warehouse staple—it’s a product of Ito En, Japan’s largest green tea brand. With operations spanning 45 countries, Ito En’s expertise isn’t just about scale; it’s about tradition. The company’s signature method? Steaming, not baking or pan-frying, which preserves the tea’s delicate vegetal notes. This technique, passed down through generations, gives Costco’s green tea its light, fresh profile—a stark contrast to the smoky undertones of Chinese teas. The blend itself…
Read More
A New Brew: Coffee and Fig Merge in a 50/50 Breakthrough

A New Brew: Coffee and Fig Merge in a 50/50 Breakthrough

This might just change your routine: A 50/50 coffee-fig blend is redefining how we sip. Northshore Specialty Coffee and FigBrew have teamed up to create the first collaborative blend pairing premium Guatemalan beans with roasted fig—a move that’s as bold as it is practical. The result? A drink that tackles coffee’s notorious acidity and jittery side while keeping the ritual intact. The partnership isn’t just about flavor. It’s a direct response to a growing crisis: 55% of coffee drinkers struggle with digestive discomfort, and climate change threatens 50% of coffee-growing land by 2050. Northshore, known for its obsessive attention to…
Read More
Multivintage Wines Are Rewriting the Rules of Terroir

Multivintage Wines Are Rewriting the Rules of Terroir

The wine world is rewriting the rules of terroir. No longer is a bottle’s identity bound to a single harvest. Climate volatility has forced winemakers to blend across vintages—not to obscure origin, but to amplify it. This shift is reshaping how we think about wine, turning tradition into innovation. Blending isn’t new. Champagne has done it for centuries, and Sherry, Madeira, and Marsala rely on fractional aging to build complexity. But now, still wines are embracing the practice. Think Vega Sicilia’s Único Reserva Especial or Cain Cuvée’s 50-50 split. These wines aren’t about consistency; they’re about capturing the essence of…
Read More
Feedback Imbalance in Specialty Coffee: Who’s Listening?

Feedback Imbalance in Specialty Coffee: Who’s Listening?

The coffee world thrives on critique—until it doesn’t. In specialty coffee, feedback is the lifeblood of quality, yet its flow is anything but equal. Producers, often working in remote regions with thin margins, crave input to refine their craft. Roasters, meanwhile, wield taste authority like a badge of honor, sometimes dismissing feedback as a threat to their expertise. This asymmetry isn’t just a cultural quirk—it’s a systemic gap that shapes who gets heard and who gets left in the dark. Producers are the unsung heroes of this equation. They need precise, actionable feedback to improve moisture levels, fermentation techniques, or…
Read More
Is Matcha Sabotaging Your Iron? The Science Behind the Buzz

Is Matcha Sabotaging Your Iron? The Science Behind the Buzz

This is worth savoring: A growing chorus of TikTok users is blaming matcha for iron deficiencies, citing symptoms like fatigue, brittle nails, and easy bruising. But is the green tea powder really the villain? Or are these stories oversimplifying a complex interplay of diet, biology, and individual variation? The answer lies in understanding how matcha interacts with iron—and why moderation matters. Matcha, derived from Camellia sinensis, is packed with polyphenols and phytic acid, compounds celebrated for their antioxidant properties. Yet these same components can bind to iron, reducing its absorption. Studies show that heavy green tea consumption—three or more cups…
Read More