Counter Culture Coffee

New Balance and J. Crew Release Coffee-inspired Shoe

March 26, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

My New Balance shoes are covered in coffee stains. Actually all of my shoes are covered in coffee stains. Alas, Cafiza can only do so much. But that doesn’t stop me from drooling over these limited edition New Balance 997s. The shoe is a collaboration between New Balance, J. Crew, and Counter Culture Coffee. According to J. Crew, the shoe is,

Crafted in premium suede at New Balance’s Skowhegan, Maine, factory—in a colorway inspired by the classic espresso drink—this collaboration on the iconic 997 silhouette is available in extremely limited numbers.

A limited quantity come with a custom blend of coffee roaster by Counter Culture for the project. They also poured what appears to an absolutely perfect cortado for this video. The shoe sells for $210, and is available online.

Jubala Coffee Opens Cutting Edge Second Location

July 5, 2016 By Michael Leave a Comment

Five years ago Jubala Coffee introduced Raleigh’s northern suburbs to specialty coffee. Thanks to a thoughtful array of hand-brewed single origin coffees, lattes flavored with house-made syrups, and southern-style biscuits, Jubala earned a loyal clientele that otherwise would be unfamiliar with third-wave coffee. The shop even draws a steady flow of urbanites willing to make the trek to the ‘burbs for a proper shot of espresso. With such a dedicated following perhaps it was inevitable that Jubala would expand to a second location. But rather than setting up shop in another upscale shopping center, Jubala took an opportunity to help revitalize Hillsborough St., the long-neglected thoroughfare that runs along NC State’s campus. Instead of duplicating their proven formula, owner Andrew Cash has chosen to blaze new trails once again….

Empire State of Grind: Erika Vonie Leads Expansion at Brooklyn’s Variety Coffee Roasters

August 24, 2015 By Michael 2 Comments

One of the most rewarding aspects of competing in barista competitions is not the moment in the limelight or even the free swag, it’s the friendships one makes with other committed coffee professionals. We were excited to learn one of our barista comp friends just took an exciting new position with Brooklyn’s Variety Coffee Roasters. We caught up with Erika Vonie to chat about working with a new roaster, competing in barista competitions, and the best place to drink coffee in NYC. All photos by Ashley Revell.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started in the coffee industry?

My involvement in specialty coffee began when I moved to Philadelphia in 2009 and started …

Fine Dining meets Great Coffee at Joule

January 19, 2015 By Michael 1 Comment

Defying Expectations

Joule is hard to pin down. Is the Raleigh hotspot a restaurant with a great coffee program or a coffee shop with a great food program? The table service and dinner menu points to the former, while the front counter- arrayed with a custom La Marzocco Strada and a Kalita Wave brew bar -suggests otherwise. Perhaps the question misses the point. Either way, the stunning café from James Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen is brewing some of the best coffee in Downtown Raleigh….

Cafe Review: High Brow Brew in Franklin, TN

July 8, 2014 By Kathleen Hartsfield Spicer Leave a Comment

Just a few years ago, the Westhaven community in Franklin, Tennessee was a pasture outside of town. That land is now home to High Brow Brew, a new café serving Counter Culture Coffee….

We Went to the 2014 Big Eastern Barista Competition and Took a Bunch of Pictures

January 20, 2014 By Darren 1 Comment

On January 17-19, the best baristas on the entire East Coast descended on Durham, NC for the 2014 Big Eastern Barista Competition. Official online media sponsors Sprudge had the coverage locked down, but that didn’t stop us from snapping a bunch of pictures between downing shots of espresso brewed by …

Cafe Review: Black Tap Coffee in Charleston, SC

August 12, 2013 By Guest 3 Comments

Historic Building, Cutting Edge Coffee

In the heart of historic Charleston, Black Tap Coffee is carving out a place for craft coffee in the South’s culinary capital. Opened in February 2012…

How To Make Japanese Iced Coffee

June 5, 2013 By Michael 9 Comments

How to Make Japanese Iced Coffee

All across North America thermometers are rising, windows are being rolled down, and old jeans are being turned into cut-offs. Summer is upon us. One of our favorite ways to beat Kentucky’s brutal heat is sippin’ on a glass of iced coffee. Cold brew coffee has been oh-so-trendy in recent years, and iced lattes are a delicious indulgence, but our go-to brew method is …

Cafe Review: Everyman Espresso in SoHo

March 18, 2013 By Michael 1 Comment

The Big Apple. Gotham. The City that Never Sleeps. Whatever you call it, New York has emerged as a premier coffee destination. In previous years New Yorkers were notorious for drinking their coffee cheap and fast. But today New York is no longer a johnny-come-lately in the craft coffee scene. Just a cursory glance at the New York Times coffee map reveals one doesn’t have to walk more than a few blocks to get a decent cup in lower Manhattan or Brooklyn. For someone plotting an NYC cafe crawl, the choices can be overwhelming.

Thankfully, everyone I polled was unanimous: go to Everyman Espresso in SoHo first.

The Tattoo Heard Round the World

For the past seven years Everyman has been churning out specialty coffee in the lobby of the Classic Stage Company. The postage stamp sized bar has redefined most baristas’ concept of personal space, but the quality of the drinks and the service has drawn more than just theater lovers to this East Village cafe.

Perhaps Everyman’s biggest mark on the NY coffee scene has been owner Sam Penix’s iconic knuckle tattoo, which the New York Times featured in this ground-breaking article. Now, fittingly, the tat adorns the front door of the new Everyman Espresso in SoHo.

Perfect Bar Flow

When Sam Penix and right-hand man Sam Lewontin opened up Everyman SoHo in 2012, they wanted to design a bar with …

Cafe Review: Jubala Village Cafe in Raleigh, NC

December 31, 2012 By Michael 2 Comments

Certain kinds of neighborhoods tend to attract craft coffee shops. They’re usually gritty, partially gentrified neighborhoods: the kind your parents would lock their car doors in. Show me a thriving craft coffee shop and even money says there’s an independent bike shop, record store, or art gallery a stone’s throw away. Unless that coffee shop is Jubala Village Coffee in Raleigh, NC.

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