Tag: coffee travel

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Get Knocked Out by Denver's Hippest New Coffeeshop, Black Eye

Where: 3408 Navajo St [map], Denver, CO, United States
May 21, 2013 at 3:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

Last September, Denver coffee fiends rejoiced over the opening of Black Eye, a hip new coffeeshop in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Lower Highland.

Housed in an old Coors tavern (which then became a barber shop, which then became a Mexican liquor store), the site's industrial past is now proudly referenced with tables made out of old barn doors, and daily menu specials scrawled onto a salvaged mirror. In short, Black Eye is a DIY masterpiece. But luckily, the appeal of this place goes way beyond Instagram-worthy decor.

Prior to the cafe's opening, co-owner Dustin Audet admitted he was routinely driving 30 minutes out of his way just to find a good cup of coffee. "The neighborhood needed a full-on, good coffee shop, and community space," he told us.

So that's exactly what he, along with two other co-owners built. Here's what we recommend ordering when you go:

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What Everyone's Buying in Istanbul: Türk Kahvesi Cup Set

May 16, 2013 at 1:35 PM | by | Comments (0)

Welcome to "What Everyone's Buying," a new series on souvenirs, wherein we investigate what tourist trinkets are the hottest selling in hotspots around the world.

Yes, Istanbul has Starbucks. Inside those Starbucks, as in every other cafe in the city, you'll be able to order the thick, deep umber of Türk kahvesi, or Turkish coffee. Starbucks won't offer it in anything more than a plan white espresso mug, but elsewhere you'll likely lift exquisitely styled cups decorated in copper or even more precious metals, each with its own lid.

The bazaars of Istanbul offer sets of these mugs, often with a matching sugar bowl or carrying tray. They're beautiful and make excellent hostess gifts, but resist the urge to keep them away in a curio cabinet; they're best appreciated in use!

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What Everyone's Buying in Bali: Kopi Luwak Coffee Packets

Where: Bali, Indonesia
May 13, 2013 at 12:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

Welcome to "What Everyone's Buying," a new series on souvenirs, wherein we investigate what tourist trinkets are the hottest selling in hotspots around the world.

Kopi Luwak. In the movie "The Bucket List," it's the favorite drink of Jack Nicholson's character; he calls it "the rarest beverage in the world." We wouldn't exactly say that, but it is pretty rare and not to mention expensive, with a reputation as being only for connoisseurs.

Of course all this makes it a terribly in-demand souvenir purchase for tourists to Bali, though purchasers may not always realize how it's made: an Indonesian civet (like a possum) eats a certain type of coffee berry. Its digestive system digests the meat of the berry, adds enzymes to the bean inside, and then poops out the bean. These beans are then collected, cleaned and sterilized, roasted and ground into coffee powder.

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Same Time, Next Year: London's Coffee Festival

April 30, 2013 at 10:36 AM | by | Comments (0)

Can't wakeup without a double espresso, a cappuccino or a few scoops of Folgers? (Well, maybe not Folgers.) Whether you take it black, foamy or sugary, the londoncoffeefestival.com has you covered.

The flagship of UK Coffee Week™, this annual four-day gathering has been caffeinating 15,000 coffee aficionados and professionals since 2010. This is a very popular event and, even with tickets (which you should buy beforehand if you expect to get in), you'll find yourself queuing outside the venue waiting for your specific entry time to arrive.

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At London's Newest Coffeeshop, Monocle Cafe

April 9, 2013 at 12:47 PM | by | Comment (1)

In a city already bursting at the seems with thousands of cafes and coffee shops, opening a new one might not seem like the best business decision. Unless you're Monocle. With a cafe already in Tokyo, the always-busy team at Monocle is about to open the doors to the newest member of their growing empire: Monocle Cafe London.

Set to officially open April 15th, we were lucky enough to see the cafe during its "soft open" phase.

The cafe sits on a sleepy road with other small businesses and is a short, six-minute walk to Marylebone High Street where you'll find Daunt Books and other distinctly London shops (and a Starbucks, of course). The cafe is hard to miss with its prominent black and white canopy providing shade over the few outdoor stools and one round communal table.

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72 Hours in Melbourne: From Meatballs to Mexican Food

January 15, 2013 at 12:14 PM | by | Comments (0)


This might be the world's largest group handle

Last week we headed down to Melbourne, Australia's second city, for a quick trip chock-full of revisiting old favorites and picking up new ones. Our trip can be considered a whirlwind tour as we were on the ground for just about 72 hours, keeping our explorations non stop.

Typically at this time of year, the city has one thing on its mind: tennis! You see, the Australian Open started this week and has quickly engulfed the city in a tennis fever that is hard to shake. Let's explore what the city has to offer besides tennis.

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Pack Your Travel Mug as Starbucks Ships Out to Vietnam

Where: Vietnam
January 10, 2013 at 9:34 AM | by | Comment (1)

Last year we saw Starbucks and their coffee empire spread into some new spots like India, Disneyland, and even aboard Alaska Airlines. Obviously things are still moving full speed ahead—thanks to all that caffeine—as 2013 looks for more expansion. The year is just beginning, but it’s already time to celebrate Starbucks entry into another country, as the espresso machines just cleared customs and are on the move once again.

Up next for the Frappuccinos and lattes is Vietnam, as Starbucks is getting ready to open their very first store over in Ho Chi Minh City as soon as next month. Just like over in India, it’s a partnership deal as the coffee giant throws it's weight in with Maxim Group. Maxim already runs a whole chain of coffee shop locations in Hong Kong and Macau, so they kind of know what they’re doing when it comes to getting you going in the morning.

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An Airport Can Always Use More Doughnuts

December 5, 2012 at 11:02 AM | by | Comments (0)

Breaking airport news! When it comes to grabbing a cup of coffee at the airport, your life is never going to be the same, as one of the country’s favorite brands is making more of a push to invade terminals and concourses. Dunkin Donuts is going all-in at the airport, as they look to expand their donut and coffee empire into the country’s airports during 2013.

Love their coffee or hate their coffee, the brand is definitely here to stay, and when you have a 6am flight to who-knows-where there’s nothing quite like it. In order to cash in on the caffeine crunch at the airport, Dunkin Donuts is looking to do their thing with 12 new airport locations during the next year.

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Good Airport Coffee is One Thing, but Excellent Airport Coffee is a Chicago Thing

November 27, 2012 at 11:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

Hm. So airports actually read comment cards.

One year ago, we published a tiny rant on airport coffee and the severe lack of quality coffeeshops within terminals, despite the recent trend toward adding gourmet, organic burger joints and wine bars and Top Chef-backed sit-down eateries. Where were the pour-over coffee bars and anything-other-than-Starbucks, we asked.

Chicago's two airports have answered.

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Frappuccinos and Free WiFi Hit Mumbai with India's First Starbucks

Where: Mumbai, India
October 24, 2012 at 11:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

There are so many things to see and do in India, but now there’s one more tourist destination to add to your itinerary. The first Starbucks has opened up in the country, and now they’re ready to pump out overpriced lattes and coffee milkshakes to the masses—of course we mean that it the nicest possible way.

The caffeine invasion begins in Mumbai, as that’s coffee shop number one. There’s an ambitious expansion plan already in place, as Starbucks along with their local partner look to open a couple more places before the end of the year. Initially the plan was to eventually have more than 3,000 locations around the country, and we’re thinking that it’s doable once the locals get a taste of their very first pumpkin spice latte or peppermint mocha. Since those first projections back in January the company has kind of stepped back a little bit, but the New Delhi location is still set to do its thing early next year.

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Chicago-O'Hare Airport is Getting a Decent Coffee Bar! (and so much more)

October 17, 2012 at 6:24 PM | by | Comments (0)

Look at that. Just look at those photos above. Chicago-O'Hare Airport is moving on up, yo.

Come Fall 2013, travelers heading out of O'Hare's Terminal 5 will find 15 new dining and retail vendors, plus fresh passenger amenities thanks to a massive transformation of the terminal, which was built in 1993 and has 24 airlines operating from it. The airport is using words like "luxurious," "sophisticated," and "lavish" to describe the new design, which isn't hard to see given the before-and-after images up top.

Right away we'll confess that we're most psyched for the arrival of an Intelligentsia coffee bar, especially seeing as how we ranted about bad airport coffee last winter after flying out of O'Hare. Still, there's more to get excited about...


The Intelligentsia rendering for ORD Terminal 5

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Four Seattle Spots for Non-Coffee Drinkers

September 24, 2012 at 3:21 PM | by | Comments (0)


Inside Bauhaus

Heading to the US' Emerald City need not mean packing all flannel and topping up your Starbucks card. Seattle's got plenty other stuff going on and, all this week, Lilit Marcus will be proving this right...starting with the coffee scene.

Forget Starbucks and Seattle's Best (also owned by Starbucks, natch); hanging out in Seattle doesn't have to revolve around the almighty coffee bean. Here's four spots we love for their attention to other beverages:

· Bauhaus Books and Coffee
Yes, this legendary Capitol Hill hipster hangout has “coffee” in its name. But this coffee shop also serves a mean cup of steamed milk, which is best with a shot of flavor like mint, strawberry, or almond. While you’re working on your drink, enjoy the scenery, which includes wall-to-wall books that patrons are free to borrow and the most colorful characters in the neighborhood. Bauhaus is also dog-friendly and keeps healthy treats at the counter.

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