All across the United States, coffee lovers are looking at their phones and laughing, but also thinking about real issues that affect the specialty coffee world. All of this comes courtesy of new Instagram coffee meme account CM Puck, an account which takes a deep and unflinching look into the challenges faced at all levels of the supply chain…
WICHITA, KS— Barista Sara Katz was devastated this morning after finally tasting coffee cherries for the first time and discovering that they are, in fact, only moderately delicious when compared to actual coffee. At the time of the fateful tasting, Katz had been working in coffee for four years and wanted to taste actual dried coffee cherries, also…
SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Local customer Brian Dean received some serious shade today after making a joke about the fact that he didn’t intend to tip—a fateful decision which would permanently alter the course of his week. When Dean went to get his morning coffee from his usual shop, he was feeling especially gregarious. While being rung up, he…
CINCINNATI, OH— This morning, ambitious barista Sarah Metcalf proudly showed coworkers the expensive new specialty tamper she had custom-purchased online, just before dropping it on the floor and ruining the base. Metcalf, who has worked as a barista for three years and describes herself as “very passionate,” purchased the new tamper (a tool that compacts espresso grounds before…
PORTLAND, OR— This weekend in Portland, two local companies joined forces to create a new coffee stout. This union presented an occasion for excitement in the local coffee and beer communities and was feted at a launch party this Saturday. Knockbox reporters hit the scene to see what the buzz was all about. Event attendees had a lot…
SAN DIEGO, CA— This weekend at one San Diego cafe, drama exploded as the barista who “never sweeps” raised a complaint about no one else ever sweeping. According to witnesses, the staff meeting was progressing as planned, the necessary announcements having been dispatched, until individual members of the group were invited to bring up issues. Maura Jackson, who…
SEATTLE, WA—When graphic designer and coffee lover Karen Jones went into a specialty cafe this morning, she was in for a surprise. After ordering a macchiato, Jones was told by on-shift barista James Melman that macchiatos are “actually” super small. Trying to convey the gravity of the situation, Melman used his fingers to demonstrate the size of the beverage…
SAN JOSE, CA—This morning after a cafe experience that left him displeased, local coffee shop customer Charles Duverne wrote a negative review and reportedly felt “a little better. Our reporters talked to Duverne about his experience. “It was bullshit. I just wanted them to give me hazelnut syrup, but instead the barista decided to be a rude…
PHILADELPHIA, PA—At a latte art throwdown this past weekend, local barista Blake Johnson stopped to make sure the espresso was dialed in, then proceeded to overpour his drink and get eliminated. “I just wanted to make sure the spro was on point,” said Johnson, who has been working in coffee for four months at a local multi-roaster. “I…
OAKLAND, CA—When a customer took to Yelp this morning to decry a local roaster’s coffees as “grassy and underdeveloped,” the roaster decided to head to his company’s Facebook page and educate his customer base about terroir. “We had a customer post on Yelp that our coffees were grassy and underdeveloped and I just wanted to take the time…