Infographic: Joseph Hernandez

Come Monday morning, it’s all many of us can do to not race to the office coffee machine for a mug o’ joe. It seems that in our g0-go-go culture, java is nothing less than the Nectar of the Gods. With just one cup, you’ve got a pep in your step. Alert and ready to tackle the day, you are thankful for your fuel.

Besides waking you from your morning stupor, did you know that coffee provides a range of other benefits? If you limit the amount of cream and sugar, your daily cup–or cups–of coffee can go a long way. Read More

Opening a new business can no doubt be a challenge, but if that business has always been one of your goals in life, no matter what challenge comes your way, you’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done.

After much research followed by even more toil, Aaron Baird and Jeff Green opened Lenox Coffee on 129^th and Lenox Ave last December. Open for nearly 6 months now and working past the normal headaches that come with opening your first business, Lenox Coffee has become a beloved neighborhood spot for coffee in Central Harlem.

The shops quaint and cozy atmosphere proves just what the neighborhood needed since it can always be found full of locals and even passerby tourists sipping on their signature mochas or munching on some mid-afternoon sweet treats. Artwork from Harlem artists can be seen adorning the walls, which only furthers their growing sense of community attachment.

We caught up with owner Aaron Baird to see how business was holding up and for more insight into their Harlem story. Read More

Photo: CIFOR

Katy McLaughlin of The Wall Street Journal recently published a profile of Brazilian coffee, and its sudden rise to respectability.  Though Brazilian coffee has been produced and exported for a long time, it has always suffered from a reputation of lower quality. As a result, Brazilian coffee beans, for the most part, have been reserved for instant mixes. Brazil’s newly-found status as a coffee powerhouse, however, is not due to any particular magic bean or change in soil; instead, it can be attributed to different roasting techniques.

Compared to the traditionally more respected coffee-growing countries, e.g.: Colombia or Ethiopia, Brazil is much closer to sea level, as it is as low as 3,000 feet above sea level in some regions.  Therefore, dark-roasting techniques as practiced at Starbucks and Peet’s are ill-suited for Brazilian coffee beans.  Instead, it has been discovered that Brazilian coffees, in general, are better suited in espresso blends, which are more delicately roasted. Read More

Photo: ELPhotographia

By: Saira Malhotra

Delhi, India: brutally hot in the summer and brutally cold in the winter. A city where meal, snack and dessert options adjust to reflect changes in a climatic backdrop, yet there remained one consistency- chai.  An integral part of the day, chai represents not just the hot beverage steeped with tea leaves and spices, but also a homely setting with company allowing for moments to regroup and share happiness and sorrow.

Today, the fundamental elements of getting recharged and exchanging notes continue to be a required part of the day. However, the beverage and venue have changed. In just under a couple of decades, India has witnessed the rise of coffee houses, a trend off set by coffee lounge company ‘Cafe Coffee Day’. There are now thousands of inviting coffee shops all over the country with their own signature look and feel, offering Western snacks of biscotti and donuts as well as traditional Indian high tea snacks of pakoras and samosas. Read More

Photo: simmessa

By: Dylan Rodgers

Coffee is a delicious and inspiring beverage.  No drink is more beloved or more necessary to Earth’s 21st Century.  The only thing better than a cup of coffee is two cups; that’s just science.  It’s also science that caffeine may cause us all to have ‘a beautiful mind’… i.e. schizophrenia. Read More

Photo: Joe Lencioni

By: Dylan Rodgers

It’s Monday! Many of us need a special something to help us wake up today and get our week going (you know who you are), and what better way to do so than with coffee? Coffee is a, if not the, remarkable-tasting beverage with the capability of pulling people from catatonic states in the morning.  Read More

Today in Seeing Red, we’ll start our feature of Red Rooster employees with none-other than one of our best baristas, Ijenla Ifill. Ijenla is known for making some of, if not, the best cappuccinos in Harlem. Originally from Georgetown, Guyana, she first learned to make her coffee specialties when she arrived in New York City. She now works the morning shift at the Rooster and serves our customers during our Brunch hours. Her knowledge of coffee and teas, along with her warm smile, make her a crowd pleaser for those looking for just the right Brunch drink. Read More

Photo: puuikibeach on flickr

When you think of coffee, you might think of it coming from Colombia or Ethiopia. However, Haiti was once one of the largest exporters of coffee, whose percentage of world coffee exports has now dwindled to less than Read More

Caffeine junkies unite! Whether you drink premium organic Peruvian Coffee or rely on coffee alternatives for your morning boost, most people turn to caffeine for added energy in the mornings (or late in the afternoon) to get them through the day. But drinking coffee may have more of a benefit than just trying to stay awake at work as it contains some health perks as well.  Read More

Photo: macield on flickr

By Elizabetta Tekeste

Recently, I find myself in the mood to re-read one of my favorite novels, The Celestine Prophecy. So it seems fitting this week to highlight the backdrop for this incredible novel and its coffee. Grab your passports-we’re taking a trip to plentiful Peru.  Read More