Coffee?

[Turiyan]

any coffee junkies out there? i'm so bad, i roast my own stuff! anyone else?

My mom was a nurse under Hanna Kroeger. She said this about Coffee:

Black Coffee is Neutral.
Black Coffee with Milk or Sugar is Negative.
Black Coffee with Honey turns it Positive and then it opens up the glands. One cup a day only.

[highlypotion]

My mom was a nurse under Hanna Kroeger. She said this about Coffee:

Black Coffee is Neutral.
Black Coffee with Milk or Sugar is Negative.
Black Coffee with Honey turns it Positive and then it opens up the glands. One cup a day only.

Thank you very much for the information.

[GeneChing]

US coffee giant Starbucks ‘deeply shocked’ by report two China shops used expired ingredients
An undercover report on Monday by the state-backed Beijing News showed staff in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi using expired cocoa liquid, matcha liquid and cream
The American coffee chain, which has 5,400 shops in China, closed both outlets pending an investigation

Mia Nulimaimaiti

Published: 7:43pm, 13 Dec, 2021

Expired matcha liquid being used at a Starbucks store in China, according to a video posted by Beijing News. Photo: Weibo
American coffee chain Starbucks said it was “deeply shocked” after videos of expired ingredients being used in two shops in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi went viral on social media.
State-backed newspaper Beijing News on Monday published an article and subsequent videos taken by undercover reporters posing as a member of staff claiming to show expired cocoa liquid, matcha liquid and cream being used in drinks that were served to customers.
In one video, an employee can be seen removing an expiry date on a bottle of chocolate chips and replacing it with a new label, artificially extending the shelf life by one week.
The video also showed cake said to be from the previous day being sold, as well as a bin being cleaned with a towel intended to be used for tables.

We take what was reported by local media very seriously, and have immediately closed the two stores in question to conduct a thorough investigation
Starbucks

“We take what was reported by local media very seriously, and have immediately closed the two stores in question to conduct a thorough investigation,” a Starbucks statement said after the report concerning its Zhenze Road and Changxing Building stores emerged.
“Since entering the Chinese mainland market 22 years ago, we have been committed to implementing strict food safety standards and adopting a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards food safety issues. We welcome the continued supervision of members of the media and the public.”
The video also showed an employee explaining the store would be charged for any expired food that is thrown away, which would impact its profits.
Since entering the Chinese market in 1999, Starbucks has opened 5,400 shops in its fastest-growing overseas market.

I originally trusted these chain brands and thought they would not have safety issues. But this incident disappointed consumers
Starbucks customer, surnamed Hua

Starbucks’ first quarter report showed that while global store sales fell by 5 per cent, its sales volume in China increased by 5 per cent.
A regular customer to the Changxing Building store, who only gave her surname as Hua as she did not want to be fully identified, said she often had stomach aches after drinking coffee from the chain since she began working in a nearby office building last month.
“I originally trusted these chain brands and thought they would not have safety issues. But this incident disappointed consumers,” she said.

Expired matcha liquid, cream, peaches and black tea used at a Starbucks store in China, according to a video posted by Beijing News. Photo: Weibo
According to Tianyan Check, an app which provides company information, a Starbucks coffee shop in the southern city of Shenzhen was fined for similar food safety issues last month.
Another shop in the central province of Hubei was also fined in July 2019, according to the popular app.
In January, President Xi Jinping told Starbucks founder Howard Schultz that he and the American coffee chain can help promote US-China trade cooperation as well as help develop bilateral relations.

deeply shocked? I'm not...

[GeneChing]

Hip American Coffee Chain Blue Bottle to Open in Shanghai
Many caffeinated beverage aficionados in China are already excited about the popular coffee shop’s arrival in Shanghai
By KAYLA HE 12 mins ago

The famous American coffee brand Blue Bottle is officially coming to the Chinese mainland, opening a store in Shanghai on February 25, according to a post from the brand on Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu.

Similar to the coffee chain’s selection of a historical building for its first branch in Kyoto, the brand has chosen a vintage-looking building in Jing’an International Center as its new home in Shanghai.


Blue Bottle in Shanghai. Image via Blue Bottle’s official Xiaohongshu account

“We just want to make a tasty cup of coffee and hope our customers are happy with it,” wrote the company on Xiaohongshu.

The Oakland-based coffee brand was founded by James Freeman in 2002. Currently, it has branches in the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong.

Many caffeinated beverage aficionados in China are already excited about the coffee shop’s launch in Shanghai.

“I am really looking forward to the first store in Shanghai. Hopefully, they can open another store in Beijing soon,” wrote one netizen in response to the announcement.

“I got to try the coffee through a connection of my husband, and it tastes a little like wine, which is great,” another shared.

As of January 2021, Shanghai has the most coffee shops of any city globally, with more than 6,900 coffee shops having established themselves in the metropolis.

Having landed itself in a city where coffee culture thrives, and choices are numerous, the coffee company will need to find ways to stand out from thousands of competitors.

According to the company’s website, Freeman was inspired by Franz George Kol****sky, who played a crucial role in repelling Turkish invaders when they tried to besiege Vienna in the 17th century.

After the failed siege, Kol****sky took coffee bags left by the Turks and opened the first-ever coffee house in Central Europe in Vienna, naming it ‘The Blue Bottle.’

More than 300 years later, Freeman adopted the name Blue Bottle in honor of the historic coffee house.


Service staff at a Blue Bottle location in South Korea. Image via Jinsoo Choi on Unsplash

Priding itself on serving high-quality coffee, Blue Bottle today sources materials from farmers around the globe and is considered part of third-wave coffee, a movement emphasizing the quality of coffee.

How will Blue Bottle fare in ultra-competitive Shanghai? Who knows, but we’re excited to give it a try.

Cover image via RADII

I've had Blue Bottle in SF. It's a decent brew, although I'm told by locals that they've declined.

[GeneChing]

China's Moutai launches boozy chocolates with Dove in diversification drive
By Casey Hall
September 13, 20239:40 PM PDTUpdated 22 days ago


[1/2]An advertisement promoting a Kweichow Moutai liquor latte is seen at a Luckin Coffee store in Beijing, China, September 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

SHANGHAI, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Chinese luxury liquor-maker Kweichow Moutai (600519.SS) is again looking to diversify from its fiery baijiu spirit core business to attract a new generation of consumers via a sweet collaboration with Mars, Inc.-owned Dove.

The companies jointly announced on Thursday they would release limited edition alcohol-infused chocolates, available from Saturday.

Within an hour, a hashtag about the collaboration had leapt to the top of the trending topics list on China's Weibo social media platform.

This announcement comes only 10 days after the launch of a baijiu-infused latte from Moutai and domestic Starbucks rival, Luckin Coffee (LC0Ay.MU), which generated enormous interest online and sold out in cities around China.

"This demonstrates Moutai's desire to broaden their appeal more to younger consumers," said Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. "They fear their current base is too concentrated on older consumers and that makes them worry about the future of the brand."

Moutai, known as the national liquor of China, is a potent, colourless spirit that is usually served at banquets.

The company, based in China's southwestern Guizhou province, began its run of collaborations last year with domestic dairy Mengniu. The resulting series of alcohol-infused ice-creams also caused a stir among Chinese consumers.

In part, the attraction for younger Chinese of these quirky product tie ups lies in the novelty of buying into the Moutai brand for a small fraction of the cost of buying a bottle of its liquor, which has an average market price of 1,499 yuan ($206) for 500 mls.

Though details of the price of the upcoming liquor-infused chocolates Moutai is releasing with Dove haven't been released yet, the Moutai-infused Luckin lattes were made available for as little as 19 yuan with coupons and a small tub of the alcoholic ice-cream was priced at 60 yuan.

Shares in the company were little changed on Thursday, having gained 5% this year.

($1 = 7.2735 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Reporting by Casey Hall

Casey Hall
Thomson Reuters
Casey has reported on China's consumer culture from her base in Shanghai for more than a decade, covering what Chinese consumers are buying, and the broader social and economic trends driving those consumption trends. The Australian-born journalist has lived in China since 2007.

Bai-Jiu-(Moutai)
Coffee

[GeneChing]

Pork flavored coffee is Starbucks’ newest China pitch

By Jessie Yeung and Hassan Tayier, CNN
3 minute read
Published 2:38 AM EST, Tue February 20, 2024
Hong Kong
CNN
—
Who doesn’t like a little braised pork with their coffee?

Starbucks (SBUX) is betting on that unusual combination with a new drink released in China to mark the Lunar New Year. Dubbed the “Abundant Year Savory Latte,” the brand describes it as having an “interesting” flavor.

The drink combines Dongpo Braised Pork Flavor Sauce with espresso and steamed milk, with extra pork sauce and pork breast meat for garnish, according to the Starbucks delivery app.

The drink is priced at 68 yuan ($9.45), according to the app.

Photos of the drink, posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo by the Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery, show a drizzle of dark red sauce atop the latte foam — with a square slice of pork on a skewer resting on the mug rim.

“Eating meat means prosperity in the coming year,” the roastery wrote on Weibo on February 5, days before the Lunar New Year began.

It added that the drink brings “traditional New Year customs into coffee,” and creates “unexpected savory and sweet flavors.” The latte is available at Starbucks Reserve stores across the country.


The drinks cost about $9.45. Courtesy Starbucks

Lunar New Year is one of the biggest annual holidays in Asia. People across China travel back home during this period to celebrate with their families. Government data shows a total of 474 million trips were made within the mainland during this year’s travel season.

And while the foods served at New Year feasts vary by region, braised pork makes a frequent appearance. Named after the ancient poet, painter and statesman Su Dongpo, Dongpo rou is a dish made from braised pork belly, rock sugar, soy sauce, yellow wine and other seasonings.

The result is richly flavored and extremely tender cuts of pork that can easily be pried apart with chopsticks.

China is the biggest branded coffee shop market in the world, according to a report released in December by World Coffee Portal, having overtaken the United States last year.

Starbucks opened 785 outlets in the country in 2023, it said. China has long been one of the most important growth drivers for Starbucks, serving as its second biggest market worldwide and top overseas market.

But it’s got stiff competition, including from Luckin Coffee. The Chinese startup is the country’s biggest coffee chain with over 13,000 outlets, and offers drinks at a much lower price point than its American competitor.

The Starbucks pork latte has quickly gained traction on Chinese social media, with the topic viewed more than 476,000 times on Weibo by the time of publishing. Some users expressed curiosity, but others were skeptical, pointing to the high price point and questioning why they would drink the latte instead of eating real braised pork.

“For 67 yuan, I could eat a plate of braised pork then go to Luckin and drink two lattes,” one Weibo user wrote.

Another user quipped: “I would allow both (pork and coffee) to exist in my stomach at the same time, but not in my mouth at the same time.”

Jiupai News, a site affiliated with the state-run Changjiang Daily, reported that the drink had already sold out at one store in Wuhan, with customers saying the flavor was “unique” with a dense, smooth mouthfeel.

Starbucks also released other new flavors across China with a holiday theme in February, according to the Shanghai Reserve Roastery’s Weibo account, including a jujube macchiato inspired by new year’s rice cakes and an almond tofu macchiato.

2024-Year-of-the-Dragon
Bacon!!!!!!
Coffee

[GeneChing]

Cotti Coffee — Famed Chinese coffee brand lands in SG, has limited-time $3.50 americanos
Isabelle Ang

February 26, 2024

From specialty cafes to coffee chains like classic Ya Kun and beloved Korean chain Compose Coffee, there certainly is no shortage of places to get your daily dose of caffeine. Here’s one more to add to your rotation – famed Chinese coffee brand Cotti Coffee has landed on our shores!


Credit – Cotti Coffee SG

Cotti Coffee opened its 1st Singapore outlet at One Raffles Link in late Dec 2023. It has since opened 2 more outlets, one in Tekka Place and another at Changi City Point.

Hailing from China, Cotti Coffee is something of a powerhouse, with 7,000 outlets worldwide and counting. To celebrate this remarkable milestone, there is an ongoing limited-time promotion at all Singapore outlets. From 26 Feb to 31 May 2024, its Americanos are going for S$3.50 (U.P. $4.90) while all other drinks are priced at S$4.50.


Credit – Cotti Coffee SG

Unsure of what to get? Cotti Coffee boasts a wide selection of Signature Milk Coffees, with crowd favourites such as Vanilla Latte (U.P. S$7.50) and Caramel Macchiato (U.P. S$7.50).

It also has a range of interesting Flavoured Lattes like the bright green-coloured Pandan Coco Latte (U.P. S$7.50) and light blue Pampas Blue Coco Latte (U.P. S$7.50).

If you’re not much of a coffee drinker, perhaps go for their Matcha Latte (U.P. S$7.50) or Iced Shaken Grapefruit Tea (U.P. S$6.90). You can also beat the heat with their series of ice-blended Frappés, which includes a Matcha Jasmine Frappé (U.P. S$7.50) and Chocolate Frappé (U.P. S$7.50).


Credit – Cotti Coffee SG

You might notice that Cotti Coffee bears some resemblance to fellow China-based brand Luckin Coffee. Well, you’re not wrong; The former was founded by 2 ex-Luckin Coffee executives.

The 2 coffee chains are said to be rivalrous, adopting similar sale strategies such as aggressive marketing and expansion, on top of keeping their beverage prices incredibly low with regular discounts.

Who knows, perhaps Cotti will soon match up to Luckin’s already-strong foothold in Singapore. For now, though, do head down to any of their outlets for a quick and affordable coffee fix!

Anyone tried Cotti yet?

[GeneChing]

Coffee Mate and Dr. Pepper Team Up for a ‘Dirty Soda’ Creamer — Yes, Really!
A dirty soda typically consists of a cola mixed with creamer or half and half, flavored syrups and lime juice

By Sabrina Weiss Published on March 4, 2024 05:10PM EST


Coffee Mate and Dr. Pepper team up to make a dirty soda creamer. PHOTO: COFFEE MATE

At-home dirty sodas just became even easier.

Coffee Mate is partnering up with Dr. Pepper to create a coconut lime creamer specifically made for crafting a dirty soda. Though the creamer company normally caters to coffee, as the name suggests, this limited-time creamer is meant to be added to soda (ideally Dr. Pepper) instead.

Starting March, the fruity creamer will be available at grocery stores nationwide while supplies last for a suggested retail price of $3.29.

Dirty soda popped up all across social media back in 2022 but has been popular in Utah since the 2010s. The drink typically consists of soda mixed with creamer or half and half, flavored syrups and lime juice.

Dirty soda became a mocktail-esque mainstay in the state likely because Utah has a large Mormon population who don't typically drink alcohol because of their religion.


Coffee Mate's limited-edition dirty soda creamer. COFFEE MATE

Celebrities helped popularize the dirty soda trend, too. In December 2021, pop star Olivia Rodrigo posted an Instagram photo to her feed holding a cup from Swig, a soda shop that specializes in making dirty sodas. Lindsay Lohan also starred in a Pepsi commercial focused on dirty soda.

Coca-Cola recently announced a Dr. Pepper competitor: Coca-Cola Spiced. The new, fizzy beverage is the first permanent flavor to be introduced by the brand in three years. It hit national retail shelves starting Feb. 19. Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar is also available.

The soda blends the classic taste of Coca-Cola with a “burst of refreshing raspberry flavors and spiced notes,” per a release.

Dirty Soda sounds wrong. And Lindsay Lohan is pushing it? So wrong.