BUSINESS BUZZ – “Bikini Baristas” on campaign to conquer the Pacific Northwest. Baristas, clad only in bikinis, are helping coffeeshops rake in the dough. While the idea seems harmless enough, we can only speculate as to what will happen when these places start witnessing their first male applicants. Never was I aware that the coffee drinking demographic is so lecherous.

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The Best Links:

1. YouTube - Bikini-Clad Baristas!
2. FOXNews.com - Verne Troyer Sues TMZ Over Sex Tape - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment

FOOD BUZZ – Designers and crafters are producing creative alternatives to cardboard Java Jackets. The designs range from a wooden cuff that doubles as a bracelet to knitted and patchwork sleeves with pockets. I wonder how long until Louis Vuitton and Gucci get in on the action.

The Best Links:

1. CupKozy II - Heather Grey / Pink
2. Coffee Cuff Does Double-Duty As Jewelry
3. Buy the Coffee Cuff
4. Coffee Sleeves For Sale on Etsy
5. Coffee Sleeve with Pocket
6. Knitted Coffee Sleeves
7. Reusable Coffee Sleeves to Save the Earth

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FOOD BUZZ – A South African company has started selling what is being called “the world’s first tea espresso.” A special, patented grind of the tea leaves gives the tea “a rich espresso intensity.” We actually saw a package of this at Whole Foods and it peaked our curiosity. So if you’re trying to wean yourself off caffeine, this stuff might be worth a try, but don’t expect that distinct coffee taste.

The Best Links:

1. Video: Watch Me Make Rooibos Espresso
2. All the Class Without All the Caffeine
3. Discuss: A Machine That Makes Tea Lattes?
4. All the Anti-Oxidants of Tea with the Crema Taste of Espresso
5. Redespresso Could Be a Hit at Your Coffee Bar
6. I Made the Tea in My Stovetop Espresso Maker - Slightly Nutty and Relaxing
7. “To be clear, it does NOT taste like coffee”
8. Straddles that Line Between Tea and Coffee
9. Red Espresso is a New Alternative to Coffee
10. Yerba Mate Espresso and Beer

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FOOD BUZZ – But only for three hours. All American locations were shut down temporarily so that employees could, in the words of one mocking headline, “learn how to make coffee.” Hopefully, anti-Starbucks crusader Reverend Billy enjoyed his brief respite from battling the tyranny of burnt-tasting java and pleasing adult-contemporary sounds. But he’ll have to regroup to fight the chain’s sinister “phase two of operation.”

The Best Links:

1. A Nation Briefly Without Starbucks
2. Starbucks Closes to Learn How to Make Coffee
3. Starbucks To Begin Sinister “Phase Two” Of Operation
4. Starbucks Closed? Dunkin’ Donuts to the Rescue!
5. Coffee Confessions (Reverend Billy, If You’re Listening, Can I Get a Hallelujah?)
6. Media Alert: Starbucks Closes Between 5:30 and 9:00 P.M. On Tuesday to Perfect the Art of Espresso
7. Why This Man Hates Starbucks: Coffee Talk With Reverend Billy
8. Starbucks Baristas Question Substance of National Shutdown for “Training”

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FOOD BUZZ – Baristas are practicing their latte art as they create designs using the foamed milk of any espresso drink. Here’s just another reason why it’s so much nicer to go to your local coffee/espresso shop rather than Starbucks.

The Best Links:

1. Washington Post Has a Video on Latte Art
2. Latte Artists Compete at the Millrock Free Pour Latte Art Championship in DC
3. Man Invents DIY Latte Art Printing Machine
4. Examples of Great Latte Art - A Teddy Bear! A Snowman!
5. Free-Pour Latte Art Is Actually a Competitive Sport
6. More Cool Latte Art Pics
7. YouTube - Watch the Chasing hearts Alfredo Design
8. YouTube - Watch the Zebra Alfredo Design
9. YouTube - The Hibiskus Alfredo Design (This One’s Pretty Cool)
10. YouTube - Heart Alfredo Design
11. YouTube - Snail’s shell Alfredo Design
12. A Barista Just Hit on Me with a Heart in My Latte!

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FOOD BUZZ – A portable manual espresso machine that works like a bicycle pump and creates a perfect cup of espresso anywhere, as long as there’s hot water. If you’re an espresso snob, and you like to go camping, this is the gadget for you! We want one for our disaster survival kit.

The Best Links:

1. Handpresso - The Official Website
2. Close-up Photos of This Intriguing French Kitchen Contraption
3. YouTube - How to Use the Handpresso
4. “One of the Coolest Portable Single Serve Espresso and Coffee Makers We’ve Ever Seen”
5. Authentic Espresso Anywhere There’s Hot Water
6. YouTube - Funny French Handpresso Ad
7. A Must for Any Camper who Can’t Let Go of the City Life
8. Just Pump It Up, and Get the Perfect Cup of Espresso, Complete with Crema
9. There’s Also This Aeropress Coffee Maker for $25

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