Cuppings: for caffeinated connoisseurs only

by cynthia yoo | May 29, 2008 at 03:48 pm

1747 views | 4 Recommendations | 36 comments

Chi-chi coffee tastings for the most exclusive of palates...hmmm.

I'm definitely not a coffee snob. Friends know that I regularly frequent 7-11 for coffee and that's only because of their flavoured creamers (sending shudders down true coffee afficionados). I also love those 30 cent instant coffee mixes sold in dispensers across Asia...yum!

Yeah, I don't get these people, but everyone needs their kick/jolt.

One Monday night at Joe, a West Village cafe, a group of coffee enthusiasts crowded around Erin Meister, a barista, as if they were graduate students and she were a professor. The eight New Yorkers, who had paid $20 apiece to taste three coffees, each from a different country, listened intently.
They sniffed and slurped. Then came the tricky part: finding the mot juste to describe the flavors. “I thought the Kenya had hints of curry and cedar,” began Ms. Meister, 26, who is also a copy editor and the writer of a coffee blog called Meet the Press Pot (meetthepresspot.blogspot.com

Kurt Cavanaugh, a first-time cupper who had never tasted coffee before 2006, broke the silence. “Sadly, to me, the Guatemalan tasted like an overdone Starbucks,” said Mr. Cavanaugh, 26, the director of marketing at the Riverside Park Fund.

230

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

peterastn

at 14:38 on May 30th, 2008

for an english espresso, better than most...but still too much water.

peterastn has contributed a photo to this story.

andyofne

at 14:49 on May 30th, 2008

Antique coffee mug found at the mouth of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

andyofne has contributed a photo to this story.

sachman75

at 15:08 on May 30th, 2008

Taken in the historic Strand Arcade in Sydney's CBD. The Strand boasts designer boutiques and fine food stores, not to mention a couple fine cafes, including the Strand Cafe which served this cappucino.

sachman75 has contributed a photo to this story.

GlobeWanderer

at 07:48 on May 31st, 2008

GlobeWanderer has contributed a photo to this story.

Monica Rizzolli

at 16:46 on May 30th, 2008

To see the full image visit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrizzolli/2506603618/

Monica Rizzolli has contributed a photo to this story.

rosablu1012

at 17:09 on May 30th, 2008

A cup of coffe with some chocolate cake...not bad at all !

To see full image report to

rosablu1012 has contributed a photo to this story.

Muonzoo

at 18:22 on May 30th, 2008

Saturday morning bliss in a classic cup.

Muonzoo has contributed a photo to this story.

pat2757k

at 20:29 on May 30th, 2008

pat2757k has contributed a photo to this story.

For the full photo and others visit my Flickr page at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11563235@N07/2534597926/

tsumame

at 20:36 on May 30th, 2008

stabucks iced Latte always give me a fresh taste in the morning everyday! with its perspiring looks water running down the coffee cup, fascinating me all the time~I am from Taiwan^^：）

the original photo could be seen at here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/horikitamaki/2492692236/

tsumame has contributed a photo to this story.

pat2757k

at 20:30 on May 30th, 2008

Just my BIG cup of coffee that I always enjoy while working on papers or the computer!

For the full photo and others visit my Flickr page at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11563235@N07/2534597926/

erezraviv

at 20:40 on May 30th, 2008

A plastic cup.... Left outside after a coffee break.

erezraviv has contributed a photo to this story.

willempa

at 00:01 on May 31st, 2008

Taken at my girlfriend's place. A cuppa I drink 6-9 times a day. Capuccino made with love. Glass cup on a glass tabletop at home.

willempa has contributed a photo to this story.

Zaded

at 00:30 on May 31st, 2008

not a coffee connoisseur in the exact sense but a 'coffee lover' nevertheless...this cup had me dying to taste the liquid!:)

Zaded has contributed a photo to this story.

seadiva

at 01:31 on May 31st, 2008

There's nothing like old restaurant and diner ware to improve good coffee.

http://www.nowpublic.com/style/morning-coffee-1

Michel Churkin

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 02:39 on May 31st, 2008

cynthia yoo, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Dik Nagtegaal

at 02:41 on May 31st, 2008

Wile trying differend set ups for a great coffee photo, I came up with the idea to use beans instead of espresso to make this picture.

Dik Nagtegaal has contributed a photo to this story.

NoThankYou

at 06:01 on May 31st, 2008

Schlack127 has contributed a photo to this story.

Vintage Indie

at 06:42 on May 31st, 2008

Vintage Pyrex Double Tough, should have been what I was drinking out of when my "massed" produced pottery cup from Sears (it was a gift) handle broke and spilled hot coffee all over my brand new notebook.

Vintage Indie has contributed a photo to this story.

BarbieGyal

at 06:45 on May 31st, 2008

I'm a coffeebaby .. this is a cute concept!

BarbieGyal has contributed a photo to this story.

Vintage Indie

at 06:45 on May 31st, 2008

I'd love to have a guest on Vintage Indie on how to use a French Press, and we are always looking for Organic Fair Trade independent roasters to feature.

v3ggi32u

at 06:55 on May 31st, 2008

A relaxing cup o'joe at the Sweet Hollow cafe in St.Paul.

v3ggi32u has contributed a photo to this story.

themaxsons

at 08:30 on May 31st, 2008

The first picture is me pouring the Serbian (Turkish) Coffee out of the dzezva (ђеѕзва). By the way, that is pronounced jezva.

The second picture is the sludge in the bottom of the cup after drinking the coffee.

themaxsons has contributed a photo to this story.

azzayindia

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:11 on May 31st, 2008

cynthia yoo, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Kate_and_Jeroen

at 12:02 on May 31st, 2008

beautifully presented latte from cafe bar marzano in norwich, uk

Kate_and_Jeroen has contributed a photo to this story.

BeneathTheRowanTree

at 15:30 on May 31st, 2008

This cup of mystery coffee (use your imagination... make it what you love) is needle felted from 100% wool ~ a sculpture, a pin cushion... just a bit of fun for the caffeine addicted.

BeneathTheRowanTree has contributed a photo to this story.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

at 01:54 on June 1st, 2008

It was a dream actually, but last year Starbucks ran their business in Russia. I love it. A little piece of America inside noisy moscow. I really enjoy their cups, even started collecting them. But the price, huh! somehting like 40% more expensive then in US. but nevermind, money is not metter when we speak about coffee, right?

Emperor Tomato Ketchup has contributed a photo to this story.

Hanah Kealy

at 18:21 on June 1st, 2008

Nothing beats a nice cup of downtown Chicago coffee.....mmmmm

Hanah Kealy has contributed a photo to this story.

Rasha xo

at 21:09 on June 1st, 2008

mmm... love coffee!

Rasha xo has contributed a photo to this story.

Milly-91

at 05:24 on June 2nd, 2008

This is a postcard I received from a german penpal. It shows a "café viennois". Coffe with cream and chocolate.
Some cookies are missing :-)

Milly-91 has contributed a photo to this story.

bluebowen

at 11:46 on June 2nd, 2008

I am a journalism major at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. I took this picture for an assignment in a digital photography class that I just completed.

bluebowen has contributed a photo to this story.