NEW STARBUCKS K-CUP

NEW STARBUCKS K-CUP HIT SHELVES IN US STORES

Starbucks coffee K-Cup Portion Packs for the Keurig Single-Cup Brewing system hit store shelves this week at major food, drug, mass, club, specialty, and department store retailers throughout the U.S.
Starbucks Corp. is the exclusive licensed super-premium coffee brand for the Keurig Brewer, which is produced and sold by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.


The premium single-cup segment is the fastest growing segment in the U.S. coffee category, according to Symphony IRI syndicated data.


Starbucks research and development and green coffee quality teams worked closely with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to ensure Starbucks coffee K-Cup Portion Packs delivered the consistent high quality coffee experience customers have come to expect from Starbucks.

Starbucks coffee K-Cup Portion Packs will be available in Breakfast Blend, Pike Place Roast, House Blend, Sumatra, and French Roast. In addition, two selections of Tazo tea will be available in K-Cup Portion Packs: Tazo Awake and Tazo Zen. Starbucks coffee K-Cup Portion Packs will be available in 10-count and 16-count, and 54-count packs. Tazo tea K-Cup Portion Packs will be available in 10-count and 16-count. Starbucks K-Cup Packs will be available through starbucksstore.com and greenmountaincoffee.com on Dec. 26, 2011, and at major food, drug, mass, club, specialty, and department store retailers throughout Canada beginning March 2012.

COFFEE LATTE ART

Latte art is an method of preparing coffee created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk.[1] This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista and quality of the espresso machine. The pour itself, then, becomes the last challenge for the latte artist.





WATCH HOW BARISTAS CREATE ART WITH COFFEE LATTE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDZs__m5iAI

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Hindus around the world are celebrating Diwali (doo-VALL-ee) this week. Also known as "the festival of lights," the holiday is one of the most celebrated of the Hindu calendar. Hindus light lamps to signify the victory of good over evil. Gifts and sweets are given and prayers are offered to the Hindu goddess of wealth.


The celebration has slightly different names and origin stories, depending on the region of India or Southeast Asia where a person lives or hails from. Diwali usually occurs between mid-October and mid-November and usually lasts five days.
 

Starbucks coffee is going BLONDE

Starbucks coffee is going BLONDE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kumfm9KBEz0 watch the video

The company will introducing a “blonde roast” to its lineup in January, a mild type of coffee that could help the company win over potential customers who complain that Starbucks coffee tastes burned.

Reuters reports the move could help Starbucks keep an edge over competitors like McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, both of which offer mild coffees in addition to “fancy” espresso drinks.
Starbucks research shows 40 percent of U.S. coffee consumers prefer a lighter roast.

And let’s not forget about gentlemen. I’ve heard they prefer blondes, too.

OKTOBERFEST???

OKTOBERFEST = BEER :)



Oktoberfest was first held in 1810 in Munich, Germany, as a way to celebrate the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Munich residents were invited to attend the celebration and German immigrants later carried the tradition with them to their new homes in other countries. Thanks to those immigrants and their descendents, the festival is now celebrated all over the world — from Canada and the United States, to Mexico and Hong Kong.


The German Oktoberfest is a 16 to 18 day beer festival, usually beginning in late September and running through early October. This year it is from Sept. 17 to Oct. 3. Next year, it will run from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7. It is steeped in tradition, with last year marking the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest. It attracts millions of people from Germany and all over the world. In fact, it is referred to as the largest Volksfest (or People’s Fair) in the world. Best of all, the festival is free to visitors. And those millions of people are all there to do two things — eat and drink. Today’s Oktoberfest is all about the beer and the food.

Munich’s Oktoberfest boasts 14 different large and 20 small beer tents. According to Wikipedia, more than 7 million liters of beer are consumed. Each tent boasts different attractions, traditions, and beer. For example, the Schottenhamel tent is widely considered the most important because that is where the festivities begin.

No beer is to be served at Oktoberfest until the first Saturday of the festival when the mayor of Munich taps the first keg at noon. Once that occurs, all of the other tents can begin serving their beer to their visitors. Other tents are known for their wine selections, rock music performances, and celebrity sightings. Tents also specialize in food, offering everything from specialty cheeses and baked goods, to barbecue and dumplings.

For those who can’t make the trek to Munich for the original Oktoberfest, the good times, music, food, and drinking can also be found at hundreds of Oktoberfest celebrations in the United States. North America’s largest Oktoberfest is in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is called Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. More than 500,000 people attend each year. Local Oktoberfest celebrations can also be found in American cities large and small including Chicago, Denver, Boston, Las Vegas, and New York.

                                 

So whether you are of German heritage or not, you can find a place to celebrate Oktoberfest.

NATIONAL COFFEE DAY

Today is National Coffee Day! Are you one of the millions who will celebrate?



Some local and national businesses will offer free or discounted cups of coffee in honor of the occasion. Participating Krispy Kreme locations, for example, are offering a free 12oz cup of House Blend coffee all day long. You can also pick up a free medium coffee from 7-11am at any 7-Eleven in the U.S.A. or Canada. Don't forget to pay attention to social media as some businesses plan to share coupons and specials with their loyal followers.



So, where did coffee come from and how did it become so popular? According to legend, a sixth-century Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi discovered his goats frolicking from one coffee shrub to another. He recognized that the coffee berries they were eating had a stimulating effect, and he began to experiment with the seeds. A century later, brewed coffee emerged in Arabia and the popularity of coffee grew at an exponential rate.


Today, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil. Don't forget to take a coffee break (or two) to celebrate this historical and important beverage!

National Tree Planting Day in Namibia

Where is Namibia?



Today, the people of Namibia are planting trees to save the world.





SAVE THE WORLD!!!