Tea: Hot Drink of Geek Elite

Tea-drinkers will get strongest Starbucks drinks in the world

(NEWSER) - Get ready to get your buzz on, Britain. Starbucks is planning to double espresso shots in all its lattes and cappuccinos served in the UK. The move has been brewing since customer requests for extra shots started skyrocketing two years ago, say company officials. The new shots boosting caffeine and flavor in the Starbucks drinks will be free of charge, and the deal won't be offered anywhere else in the world. More»

It almost had a different Ahab-themed name

(NEWSER) - “Starbucks is the coffee icon people either love or love to hate,” writes Dave Roos, but how much do you actually know about the coffee giant? He rounds up 10 educational facts on Mental Floss :

• It was almost named Pequods: Yes, that’s “an extremely vague literary reference” to Captain Ahab’s boat in Moby-Dick. The founders ended up naming it after his first mate instead—Starbuck.
• The logo explanation: The confusing image of a woman (what does it mean?) started out as another nautical reference—a picture of a siren—but was too risqué. After much editing, we got the green image you know and love.
• The kidney transplant: One barista at a Washington Starbucks donated her kidney to a regular customer in 2007.

This sure ain't Starbucks, so don't go in blind

(NEWSER) - Americans love their coffee, and if you’re among those who are way beyond Folgers and are starting to tire of chains like Starbucks and Peet’s, perhaps you’re ready for the so-called “third wave.” Cafés of this genre offer high-quality coffees—drip and espresso—often roasted on the premises, and can tell you pretty specifically about each kind of bean they’ve ground—just then, and for just one cup—to make it. More»

Bad methodology gave Seattle giant the survey win: Nate Silver

(NEWSER) - Zagat’s annual fast-food survey served up its usual batch of surprises, but one stood out for Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com fame. Somehow, some way, Starbucks beat Peet’s Coffee for best coffee chain. A travesty of that magnitude can only mean mistaken methodology, Silver contends; Starbucks is fine, but as any San Franciscan can tell you, it’s no Peet’s. More»

Next-gen roasters brew plans to tap premium market

(NEWSER) - Plans for tapping the premium coffee market are percolating in the Bay Area, the San Francisco Chronicle reports in an in-depth look at the new generation of roasters. Emphasizing freshness and preparation, next-gen roasters are building Northwest-inspired businesses that offer patrons ground-to-order $8 cups, or $9-$11 pots prepared by a $20,000 halogen-powered siphon from Japan. More»