Our troops are back from the Specialty Coffee Association annual convention, where the United States Barista Competition (USBC) took place last week in Minneapolis. Kudos to our two competitors, Mike Marquard and Alex McCracken, for both making it to the semi-finals. That means that they rank among America's 25 best baristas! Mike reports that he enjoyed speaking with the farmers who grew some of the coffee in the espresso blend he brewed at the event. "On Sunday, I met two of the farmers from Cerro Las Ranas, El Salvador - luckily, they spoke great English and I was able to tell them that their coffee played a crucial role in my competition blend and my success over the weekend," Mike says. "They were able to watch my routine and afterward conveyed pride that I talked about their coffee so confidently."Both Alex and Mike picked up on trends in espresso drink preparation during the convention. While the hot new thing in coffee the past couple of years has been different ways of brewing drip coffee, such as using the Clover coffee brewer, this year the focus was on perfecting espresso, Mike observes. "Espresso is making a strong resurgence," he says. "The USBC was a mix of old style blends (Brazil+Indonesia+Ethiopia), direct-trade single origins (El Salvador or Brazil), and heaps of something in-between. What was more evident was that baristas are learning their espressos bean by bean, not just throwing everything in a hopper and hoping for a good profile. USBC champ Kyle Glanville won overall using a single-origin direct-trade El Salvador and did not win on technical scores. This defeats the common belief that single-origin espressos lack complexity and fullness."

Coffee pros are also always analyzing how espresso is brewed, or extracted. Alex says that baristas in pursuit of the perfect shot are experimenting with the effects of water in the process. "One new thing everyone will be messing with will be preinfusion," he says. Preinfusion is a fancy word for wetting the espresso grounds before the hi-pressure water forces its way through. "There is speculation that a few seconds of low pump pressure will let the coffee puck expand or de-gas and therefore the extraction would occur differently. I'm not so sure it would make a difference, but we will see."

"Getting Back to Our Roots" is the catch phrase in our industry this spring. It's a warm and fuzzy notion that evokes the lofty goals of originality, creativity, authenticity and simplicity in preparing and selling coffee. Howard Schultz, Starbucks chieftain, has promised Wall Street he will take the company back to its roots. He's even reissued the original logo, which is definitely a warmer, fuzzier (not to mention rounder, fishier, chestier) version of the stylized mermaid. The Specialty Coffee Association of America is holding its annual conference in Minneapolis right now, featuring the "Roots" theme and another hairy hippy-trippy logo. Many of our guys are there right now, attending cupping and roasting labs, listening to lectures on sustainability, meeting coffee growers. And two -- Mike Marquard and Alex McCracken --are competing in the United States Barista Competition (USBC.) Two other Kaldi's folk, Josh Ferguson and Howard Lerner, are judging the competition. You might be able to see them live. We caught Alex's show. The internet is amazing. Go to conference.scaa.org, and click on the Live Blog link. Then, click on the USBC Live Video On link. You will be watching the national barista competition. The competition runs today and tomorrow, with finals on Sunday.

Iced coffee is a lot like a teenager: inconsistent, misunderstood and usually bitter. Unlike espressos and cappuccinos, the coddled babies of coffeehouses, iced coffee in most shops doesn't get the attention and care it needs to bring out its best attributes. But there are easy, low-tech ways to make very flavorful iced coffee, either at home or in a cafe.

The first method is to extract the coffee with cold water, rather than hot. This is called the Toddy Method, named after Todd Simpson who patented and commercialized the method in 1964. But ancient Peruvians are likely the inventors of the cold brew method. It remains a common technique in many tropical areas. Cold water doesn't bring out the acidity that hot water does. This is one of the reasons the Schlafly beer brewers favor this method when they prepare Kaldi's coffee to add to their divine Coffee Stout. While there are Toddy coffee brewers you can buy, you'll get the same easy results with a glass jar and a sieve. For a small quantity, grind enough beans to make 2/3 cups of coffee grounds (about 2 grams.) Stir or shake in a jar with 3 cups of water. Cover and let steep at room temperature for 12 hours. Strain twice through a sieve lined with a large paper coffee filter or cheesecloth. Now you have a concentrate that lasts, refrigerated and tightly sealed, for a week. Mix with equal parts cold water or milk, and serve over ice. For larger quantities, steep a pound of ground coffee in 9 cups of water.

You will forgo a little of the complexities of coffee flavor with the cold brew method. So, alternatively, you can use the standard drip brewing method, and do some vigilant chilling. Brew a fresh pot of drip coffee, and cool it down as quickly as possible. At Kaldi's Coffeehouses, we do this by brewing into a wide open container, then chilling in the refrigerator once the temperature has dropped enough that the coffee is no longer steaming. (Never attempt to chill coffee that is not freshly brewed. Coffee's flavor degenerates rapidly after brewing. The only thing worse than an old cup of coffee is a cold, old cup of coffee.) You can also chill coffee rapidly by dropping frozen cooling blocks -- the ones used in lunch boxes and coolers -- into the container. Don't cool with ice, of course, as this waters down the brew. Once cold, serve over ice. For an even tastier version of this method, dissolve a little sugar or baking soda in the hot coffee (about 2 teaspoons per liter,) before chilling. This small amount is not enough to taste, but just enough to neutralize the bitter edge.

What makes a great espresso? Italian espresso roasters look for coffees that are naturally sweet and smooth, with neither acidity nor astringency, which causes that mouth-puckering sensation found in many American espressos. Italians often blend robusta beans into their espressos, and also prefer lighter roasts. American roasters, on the other hand, tend to offer darker roasts, blended with all-arabica beans, and seek blends with more acidity and less complexity. Italians typically drink espresso straight, whereas Americans favor lattes and other drinks where espresso must overcome the flavor and body of milk. Universally, a thick crema is a prerequisite for a good espresso, which has to do with both the blend, roast, and extraction technique. At Kaldi's, our roasters blend and taste new espressos often, to make sure Kaldi's is offering customers the best-tasting options out there. Currently, Tyler, Jeff and Andrew are working with a prototype that uses three differently processed South and Central American beans (washed, natural and semi-washed,) along with a Sumatra for complexity. "The idea behind this," explains Andrew, "is to feature different process styles which are complementary. And we liked the leather and brown sugar elements that the Indonesian brings." Three of our baristas are competing in the US Barista competition next month. Mike, David and Alex are all bringing different espressos blended for their particular drinks. Espresso is an obsession here since, ultimately, what makes a great espresso is what our customers enjoy drinking.

As critics have told us, there are quite a few reasons to not like the new Aaron Eckhart movie, Meet Bill, which was filmed in St. Louis, and features two scenes inside Kaldi's Coffeehouse in Chesterfield. Post-Dispatch film reviewer Calvin Wilson calls it, "badly written, poorly edited, incompetently directed, " and -- just in case readers are wondering what he really thinks of the comedy -- "painfully unfunny." We respectfully believe Mr. Wilson should lighten up a bit. After all, what's not to enjoy about the movie's leitmotifs of doughnut dreams, lingerie boutiques, chocolate bars and Kaldi's coffee? The real reason we're disappointed in Meet Bill is because Elizabeth Banks didn't eat the non plus ultra oat bran muffin that was so painstakingly baked for her. Ms. Banks (pictured left) specifically requested this healthy carb for one of the coffeehouse scenes. "I tried three different oat bran muffin recipes before I finally was able to create a movie-quality muffin," explains Lisa Broddon, Kaldi's Coffeehouse chief baker. "You should have seen that muffin. It was gorgeous. It rose beautifully." Alas, nobody saw the muffin. It sat on the table, below Ms. Banks' elbows, as she sipped her coffee. Although it rose high, it wasn't high enough for the camera angle. "What the lens caught was above the muffin," explains Lisa, who was at least able to find consolation in the arms of Aaron Eckhart. He reached across the counter to her as she handed him a mug. The muffin may not have been used, but it's baker was: Lisa was cast as an extra in the coffeehouse scenes. "You can see me giving him his change," she says. Other Kaldi's bakery treats star in the movie too, in the pastry cases behind the actors. Check out the last scene of the trailer for a sneak peek: www.firstlookstudios.com/films/meetbill/. Meet Bill is currently showing at thirteen area cinemas, in its limited release in St. Louis and Minneapolis (the movie maker's hometown and the film's fictional setting.)

When the first marathon runner, the Greek soldier Pheidippides, finished his historic dash from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC, he likely hadn't sipped a cup of coffee beforehand. But if he had, he might have improved his time, or at least felt better along the way. Medical research has shown that caffeine may improve aerobic endurance performance in a couple of ways. First, it stimulates the central nervous system, which makes athletes feel more energetic, both physically and mentally. It also stimulates the release of adrenalin, which enhances cardio function and fuel utilization. When runners' reserves slump, caffeine helps mobilize free fatty acids for energy use. But caffeine can help in the endurance sport of life, too. Who among us wouldn't appreciate a few spare fatty acids transforming into flights of spunk? Maybe if the noble Pheidippides had enjoyed some caffeine-enhanced gels from a sponsored rest stop, his post-race mood would have been higher. Instead, he simply uttered "Niki!" (not, as it turns out, the name of a doting spectator, but, rather, the Greek word "Victory!") Then, he died.

Caffeine content comparisons (in milligrams)

double espresso (2 oz) 128

drip coffee, coffeehouse strength (12 oz) 215

cola (12 oz) 35

Mountain Dew (12 oz) 54

black tea (12 oz) 75

green tea (12 oz) 52

Hershey's chocolate bar (1.55 oz) 9

Haagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream (1/2 cup) 30

Gu Energy gel packet (most flavors) 20

Fit Supa Goo packet 35

Extra Strength Excedrin (2 tablets) 130

sources: Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School; Mayo Clinic; Georgia State University (sic.); University of Guelph, Canada (sic.)

This drizzly, chilly early spring weather makes smoothie season seem a fuzzy future world away. But any day now, a crack in the clouds big enough to let the sun shine through will warm cafe patios and drive tastes away from hot and steamy, toward cold and fruity. So now is the time to get your smoothie menu together. We distribute everything needed for smoothie making, from VitaMix blenders and parts to protein powder and supplements. We've picked up a new JET Fruit Smoothie Mix flavor: Kiwi Banana. It tastes divine, and looks gorgeous. While the banana stays nicely in the background, the kiwi comes through not only with fresh flavor, but also with beautiful spring green color, dotted with those charming little black seeds. Like all JET smoothie bases, this one is loaded with antioxidants. Here's the complete list of smoothie flavors available through our wholesale division: strawberry, strawberry banana, peach, mango, wildberry, green apple, acai pomegranate blueberry, caribbean colada & mandarin orange passion fruit. Most of these are available to sip by the cupful at Kaldi's Coffeehouses too.

Our roasters cupped some new crop Sumatras yesterday and report that, "We were really impressed with the character of these coffees," says Roastmaster Andrew Timko. Andrew, along with fellow Roasters Tyler Zimmer and Jeff Schafer, selected a Sumatra Mandheling and a Fair Trade Sumatra Gayo Mountain. Tyler made the green buys today. It was a tough call between the Mandheling -- which had lush strawberry and blackberry flavors-- and a Sumatra Lingtong Triple Pick -- which featured dark fruit flavors like fig, along with what Jeff describes as "the sweet herbal earthy component of classic Indonesians." Tyler's favorite was the Gayo Mountain because it was more subtle and "creamy, like butter." Tyler, Jeff and Andrew will start roasting them later this month, when they will be available wholesale and at our retail coffeehouses. But if you just can't wait another day to try them, the guys will be cupping these three choice Sumatras and some Colombians Friday, March 7, around 2 in the afternoon at the warehouse. All are welcome.

Many retailers are timid about serving whole leaf tea by the cup, for good reason. It's not as simple as a tea bag. There are three easy methods we recommend which extract whole leaf tea beautifully. The traditional way to brew and serve tea is in an individual tea pot. Be sure to scald the pot first, and instruct customers to stop the steeping after 3 or 4 minutes. A French Press works great also: The plunging stops the steeping quite well. But pots and presses aren't practical for most retailers whose primary customer base buys cups of tea to-go. The best solution is to pack the whole-leaf tea into an individual t-sac -- which is simply an open-ended empty tea bag -- and then place it into the customer's cup. We stock these handy bamboo tea scoops that fit nicely into the sacs also.
We currently wholesale the following Certified Organic Rishi teas: Fair Trade Earl Grey, Fair Trade Golden Yunnan, Fair Trade Masala Chai, Fair Trade Blueberry Rooibos, Jade Cloud, Peach Blossom, Orange Blossom, Plum Oolong, Tangerine Ginger and White Peony.

Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Company now offers wholesale customers an assortment of whole leaf Rishi teas. Whether you operate a cafe, restaurant, market, coffeehouse or hotel, your customers are ready for a whole-leaf tea experience. All the Rishi teas we are currently stocking are Certified Organic and Kosher. Many are Fair Trade as well. We chose Rishi for its hand-crafted, artisanal quality; fragrant boquet; full-body flavor; and beautiful blends. Just take a look at this Organic Orange Blossom Green. Rishi is a garden-direct importer, meaning that they work directly with the tea growers in Japan, India, Africa and China.