Episode 1: Audience, Preference, and Responsibility in Specialty Coffee
In this episode, Aaron Pascucci and Wade Reed discuss Proud Mary's $150 cup of Black Jaguar Geisha, the 2023 Sprudge Ultimate Coffee Bracket Challenge, and the civil war in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Black Jaguar Geisha: $150 Cup of Coffee
Proud Mary Coffee, a roaster and cafe originally out of Melbourne that now operates locations in Portland, OR and Austin, TX, announced a plan to sell Black Jaguar, 2022 Best of Panama champion, for a staggering $150/cup. Proud Mary obtained 1 lb of the coffee for $2000 and only committed to selling 22 cups in the US, spread between its Portland and Austin locations. Black Jaguar is a Geisha, naturally-processed with the addition of 20 days in a “dark room,” and was sold at auction following the 2022 Best of Panama competition.
https://perfectdailygrind.com/2023/03/should-coffee-shops-charge-us150-for-a-cup-of-coffee/
2023 Sprudge Ultimate Coffee Bracket Challenge
Throughout March, Sprudge.com held its annual Ultimate Coffee Bracket Challenge. Readers were invited to vote on matchups between 64 different coffee beverages, divided into 4 categories (cocktail, espresso, pastry, and manual) with the winner crowned March 31st. For the third year in a row, Hario v60 takes home the title of best coffee beverage, defeating espresso by a razor thin margin of 54-40.
https://sprudge.com/v60-wins-the-2023-sprudge-ultimate-coffee-bracket-challenge-204556.html
Civil War in Tigray, Ethiopia
In November of 2020, the Ethiopian government, under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sent troops into the northern Tigray region, claiming regional militias had attacked a military depot seeking to arm themselves. The leading political party in the region, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) quickly formed the Tigray Defense Force (TDF) and civil war ensued. Allies of the central government in Eritrea (the nearest border to Tigray) also sent military forces into the region. These forces are believed to have committed the worst atrocities of the war. The central government has denied services and aide to the region, and one UN report lists several war crimes. Last month, a US State Department report claimed both sides committed similar war crimes. Fighting continued until peace agreements were signed in Pretoria, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya in November 2022. The US State Department has since announced $331 million in new aide to Ethiopia as the central government finally released budgeted funds to the Tigray region and re-established the regional government alongside needed services. The African Union is currently monitoring and regulating implementation of the peace agreements, including disarmament and return of refugees.
Overview: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54964378
U.N. Report on War Crimes: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/19/un-warring-sides-committing-atrocities-in-ethiopias-tigray
Economic Impact/Coffee Sector: https://www.cafeimports.com/north-america/blog/2023/02/14/about-4-years-ago-we-noticed-an-international-mystery/
Peace Deal: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/2/ethiopias-warring-sides-agree-cessation-of-hostilities-au
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