Alcohol and Drugs History Society

Tim Hortons invades New York City

A former Dunkin' Donuts franchise owner has quarreled with the Dunkin' Donuts organization which no longer wants his business.  As a result, he is turning his 13 New York City properties into Tim Hortons outlets.  The Canadian coffee, donut, and lunch shops are unfamiliar in New York City, and competition is fierce there, so observers are doubtful about success.   For more, see here.

British coffee and deli chain put into "administration"

Coffee Republic, a British coffee and deli chain, is struggling during the recession.  It has been put in "administration."  For more, see here.

Coffee from Distant Lands for McDonalds

Mcdonalds chose an obscure coffee roaster based in Texas called Distant Lands to make the fast-food chain a rival of Starbucks.  For more, see here.

Le sandwich versus French cafe (with wine and espresso)

The new French habit of eating a sandwich at lunch (sometimes at one's desk) is another blow at the French cafe and a slow-paced lunch there, complete with wine and espresso.  Compared with a half million cafes fifty years ago, France now has only 38,600.  For more, see here.

Greening the coffee capsule business

The New York Times reports the plans of Nespresso, maker of capsule-based espresso machines and drinks, to transform its business to become ecologically friendly or "green."  For more, see here.

Battle of the instant coffee sticks (and instant coffee gets better)

The Chicago Tribune arranged for a blind taste test: brewed coffee vs Starbucks VIA Ready Brew sticks vs Nescafe Taster Choice instant coffee sticks.  Although the brewed coffee finished first, the instant coffee sticks did surprising well, probably the most important result in the taste test.  Starbucks finished a close second to the brewed coffee, and a minority preferred Nescafe over Starbucks as less bitter.  For more, see here.

Coffee advertising (article)

Robert W.Thurston, "Ad Infinitum: A Gallery of Coffee Advertising," Roast: The Magazine Dedicated to the Success of Coffee Roasters, May/June 2009.

Starbucks closures frustrating "Winter" visitor

The recent closures of many Starbucks outlets, often at short notice, has frustrated a 37-year-old software programmer who since 1997 has made his hobby visiting every company-owned Starbucks.  Thus far, he has drunk coffee at more than 9000 stores in 17 countries.  Recently he spent $1400 to fly from Wisconsin to British Columbia to consume a grande at a Prince George shop which was about to close (and he spends about a quarter of his income as an independent software programmer on his hobby).  His name? He goes by "Winter," although he was born Rafael Antonio Lorenzo, Jr.  For more, see  the Wall Street Journal article here.  By the way, Starbucks isn't his favorite coffee, although he likes its predictability.

In the battle of the beans, Starbucks should be worried

Leslie McCave is surprised that McDonald's lattes and cappurrincos aren't bad (not good, but not bad, even if you can't distinguish between the two drinks).  McCave says: "While the likes of Peet's and Kéan, in a league of their own, don't have any reason to start quaking in their boots, Starbucks does."  The blended drinks at McCafés are slightly cheaper than at Starbucks and taste about the same.  For more, see here.

Chocolate at Principe (article)

Xan Rice, "Life, Liberty and Fine Chocolate: An Italian Entrepreneur Pursues Simple Perfection on a Tropical Isle," Utne Reader, May-June 2009, pp. 53-56.  Reprinted from New Statesman, January 15, 2009.  Discusses Claudio Corallo who has a cocoa plantation on Principe, the twin isle of Sao Tome.  Previously Corallo had grown coffee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) and now grows coffee on Sao Tome.  He now is thinking of making rum too.