I love listening to music, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy hearing something new, so I thought I would take a moment every Sunday to highlight some music to brew to. I’d really like to make this collaborative – everyone has different tastes, and coffee culture isn’t limited to any particular genre, so I’d love to hear what you’re listening to!

Feel free to post in the comments here, post links & youtube videos on our Facebook page, or add #M2B2 to your music related tweets :)

First up, a band I came across randomly but became an instant favorite – Purity Ring, a duo that describe themselves as “future pop,” based in Canada. You can read more about them over at Pitchfork.

Purity Ring – Belispeak

Purity Ring – Ungirthed

Purity Ring – Lofticries

Each winter, Blossa, one of the most popular glögg producers, puts out a special edition flavor. For the end of 2011 that flavor was revealed as “Arabica Coffee.” It turns out the beans they used were sourced from Finca las Delicias, El Salvador, and roasted by Sweden’s largest specialty roaster, Johan & Nystrom. I couldn’t wait to try it and see what the blend would taste like!

I really enjoyed the flavor of the glögg, but the coffee was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible to me, overpowered by the wine and spices. I’m not sure it’s worth paying the premium for the special edition, when other glögg’s taste quite similar. Have you tried it? What did you think?

Perhaps the coffee they chose was too safe; coffees from El Salvador, in my experience, tends to be middle of the road in flavor, nice and balanced, but not often surprising or full of character. I wonder what a more distinctive coffee might have brought to the already strong flavors present in glögg. Maybe we’ll see some other coffee roasters start experimenting with their own ideas, branching off from the more trendy beer collaborations? If you hear of any, do share! Also, if you know where I can get glögged up in New York, pass the word in the comments – I’m sure others would be curious too.

Anyways, to get you into the mood for some glögg, I’m posting some pictures I took this winter and the winter of 2010 in Sweden and Denmark :)

If you didn’t know, when I’m not obsessing over coffee I’m working on a masters in applied cultural analysis at Lund University. Lately I’ve been researching mobile photo sharing as a practice that is changing our relationship to ourselves, our surroundings, our daily lives, and more.

While taking pictures of your dinner might seem trivial and fun, it also reflects the changing nature of modernity, consumer culture, capitalism, and identity. But I need help gathering information, so I’m excited to start recruiting participants for my study! You’ll be asked to write a journal reflecting on everything you do with the app. I promise it’ll be interesting and hopefully fun, too, so please give the project a look.

Read more & Sign up here! bit.ly/imgculture

I hope you’ll participate, and I would greatly appreciate it if you shared the link in your social networks!

Thank you!

Don’t take it personally, barista friends. :) At FRSHGRND.com we try to showcase companies and individuals that are passionate without undue pretense or unwanted judgment. Nevertheless, the stereotype is amusing and it’s always good to make sure you’re not crossing the line into self-caricature when you talk about coffee.

Video by Sprudge.com, filmed at Four Barrel Coffee.

Read more over at Modernist Cuisine’s blog, where they are trying to figure out why coffee with cream cools 20% slower than plain black coffee. Apparently anyone that wasted their money on Coffee Joulies would have been better off just ordering a latte or adding milk to their coffee.

But the star here is obviously the coffee. As has become the trend at busier specialty cafes, you’re given a choice between queueing for espresso based drinks, or jockeying for a stool at a “brew bar.” The slower moving brew bar has an array of siphons and other manual brewers. The watch-and-see theatre of brewing expertise on display also gives you space to ask questions, chat, and learn something from the pros. For the truly curious or geeky, there’s a downstairs space called the “London B.R.A.T” – Barista Resource & Training, where a number of compelling classes are available to hone your coffee brewing skills, guided by Prufrock’s capable staff. Check their website for more details.

The coffee on offer when I visited was a mix of the standard Square Mile roasts, and leftovers from the previous week’s Coffee Common event. I hadn’t really cared for the Square Mile summer espresso blend, but out of all the shops that I tried, the best shots came from Prufrock. Mattias Bjorklund, Sweden’s 2009 Barista Cup winner and Prufrock barista, served me the best rendition of the blend, finding a balanced sweetness and acidity that no other shop did. The focus on quality, coupled with the relaxed and inviting vibe, makes Prufrock at Leather Lane the kind of place that’s equally worthy as a destination for reverent coffee pilgrims and as a familiar spot to get comfortable with a cup of coffee.

Prufrock also has a coffee bar at Present, a menswear store in Shoreditch. With nowhere to sit, save a bench outside, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to visit unless I happened to be in the area, or had a few hundred dollars pounds burning a hole in my pocket. The espresso is good, though.

Map / Directions / Info:

Web: http://www.prufrockcoffee.com/
Phone: + 44 (0) 207 404 3597 + 44 (0) 7853483479

Prufrock Leather Lane Address:
23-25 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TE

Weekdays: 8AM – 6PM
Saturday: 10AM – 4PM
Sunday: Closed

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

Prufrock at Present Address:
140 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JE

Weekdays: 10.30AM – 6PM
Saturday: 11AM – 5PM
Sunday: 11AM – 4PM

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

For the next six months, I’ll be doing ethnographic research on mobile photo sharing (e.g. Instagram). After that I’ll have (let’s hope) earned a masters degree in Applied Cultural Analysis, and I’ll be looking for work in research / strategy at a design, marketing, or similar agency. I’ll also be posting more articles, as I have a backlog of about 10-15 cafes, not to mention everything in New York!

But first, I have a lot of stuff I’d like to get rid of to make my move easier. If anything looks interesting to you, get in touch or make me an offer :) I’m based in Malmö and will give preference to people located nearby, but I can ship things too (buyer pays shipping). I’m moving next week, so act fast!

24″ LCD Monitor - SEK 1750 + Shipping.
I was picky when I got this monitor in Korea; I’m really happy with it and even shipped it from Korea, but unfortunately the voltage is different in the US so it’s easier to sell it.

Specs:
16:10 aspect ratio, native 1920×1200 resolution. Most cheaper LCDs are 16:9 and have 120 fewer pixels vertically. That extra space really comes in handy if you’re a multitasker and have lots of windows open, or use media editing programs that have lots of toolbars.

It has an S-IPS display panel manufactured by LG. IPS displays have much better viewing angles (178°) and much better color reproduction than cheaper TN panels. There’s a reason why Apple uses IPS displays and calls them “Retina” displays: they are good. Uses a DVI connection.

Bicycle – 950 SEK

Includes lights and a heavy flexible lock w/2 keys.

Portable hand-cart – 100 SEK SOLD!
Purchased from Clas Ohlsson, it’s really nice but not something I’d be able to take with me. I used it to move and to carry boxes from the post office. Use this on your next trip to Germany or Denmark to bring back cases of cheap beer :)

Vintage table, 1960s-70s. — (500 SEK) SOLD!
Nice looking vintage table, could be used as a coffee table.

iPod Touch 8gb. (500 SEK)

This is the last model before the 4G, and includes the dock, earphones, and cable. It’s still working well, but I have an iPhone now so I no longer need it. :)

BOOKS.
20 SEK each (2 for 30, 3 for 50, etc.), except Digital Media & Democracy (60 SEK).

Sold: 
Espresso Quest

Water Filter + 2 extra filters. SEK 120 SOLD!
An essential piece of kit for home brewing. Unfiltered tap water masks a lot of the delicate flavors that farmers and roasters work so hard to get out of specialty coffee. New, it cost around SEK 280, so save some money and upgrade your coffee brewing :)

2 storage canisters. SEK 30 each  SOLD!
Heavy stainless steel. Purchased from Tokyu Hands in Tokyo. Each holds 500ml. Keep your coffee or tea fresh :)

Kalita Hand Mill. SEK 60 SOLD!
Adjustable metal burrs. This was my primary hand grinder and I still use it as a backup every now and then.

Uniqlo Down Jacket – Medium. SEK 120 SOLD!
I have two winter jackets already, so this just takes up space.

Hario TCA-3 Siphon, Rapijet burner, and extra fuel. (650 SEK) SOLD!
The siphon is one of the most theatrical coffee brewers, seemingly defying gravity as the water rises and falls. I’m including a high-powered Rapijet burner and extra Butane gas. The piezoelectric ignitor on the burner stopped working and I haven’t had time to figure out if there’s a simple fix, but it still easily lights with a match.

Sama Tea Pot – 60 SEK SOLD!
Nice little tea pot, the internal compartment has a button that lets you control how long the tea steeps, and also makes it easy to rinse the tea or let’s you easily brew multiple extractions. More information here.

———-

If anything looks interesting to you, please get in touch ASAP!

The cafe itself is massive, comprised of a ground floor coffee bar and roastery with an upstairs dining room, kitchen, and second bar. It’s one of the most impressive cafe layouts I’ve seen; but I’ll let the pictures below do the talking.

I was in such a rush during my short trip to London that I never got a chance to try the food, but from everything I hear it’s quite nice, and the coffee program is in good hands. The espresso I tried at the time (prepared on a Slayer that has since been replaced) was alright, not the best on the trip, but solid and enjoyable. Can’t be too picky with a new establishment, and in all honesty this feels like a place that will soon have a stellar reputation. I’ll be back whenever I’m in London again.

Map and Directions:

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

October saw Malmö getting quite a few visits from coffee industry folks from as far off as Japan. These days it seems like the world is a really small place when you can bump into people at multiple points on the globe by chance. File that under #firstworldnovelties. But if you didn’t have the pleasure of dropping in last month, here are some photos to tide you over and give you a taste of what life is like here.

Looking at these pictures I realize I take a lot of shots that showcase the materiality of the city, but not many of the people that live in it — and while I do love architecture and artifacts, maybe I need a longer lens, or less inhibition sticking my camera in people’s faces? I hope you enjoy the pictures regardless!

There are a number of cafes I want to highlight from my trip to London that I didn’t get to spend enough time in for a long write-up. Here are some quick impressions, take them for what they are and use them to plan your own trip!

Taylor St. Baristas

Taylor St. has several locations in London each with their own character. The spot photographed below is near Liverpool St. and has a really efficient in-and-out design to keep customers flowing through. And they surely need it given the traffic they get refueling the business & finance types who work in the neighborhood.

Despite being swamped with customers when I stopped in, Dennis, who you see below pouring a latte, made sure I had a great shot. After trying their Union blend and the guest Square Mile blend, I was surprised by Square Mile’s decaf espresso, which was impressively good; in fact I enjoyed it more than the summer blend. With such a high volume of traffic, the guys and girls of Taylor St. have their work cut out for them. This is not really the location to go leisurely nurse a brew, but if you can get a word in between the throngs ordering their latte take-aways, do say hi – for me it led to some great coffee and conversation!

Behold, the gherkin.

Nude Espresso

I’d heard good things about Nude, a roaster with several cafes, so I walked over to their Brick Lane location from Taylor St. Baristas. Ambling around Shoreditch is a bit like what I’d imagine a hipster theme park would feel like, and I kinda liked it. Unfortunately the espresso I tried at Nude was roasted darker than I prefer and I didn’t really care for it.

The Old Truman Brewery

Space Invaders

Allpress Espresso

Allpress is a New Zealand transplant that looks like they mean business – outfitted with all the right equipment, from an Uber boiler to an impressive roasting setup, all carefully placed in an attractive, industrial looking space. Unfortunately no amount of investment can survive a barista with poor technique and little desire to prepare a good shot. I took one sip and left the demitasse nearly full. Disappointing. Maybe there are other people on staff that care, but luck wasn’t with me on the day I visited.

Monmouth – Borough Market

Monmouth is something of a London coffee institution, roasting since 1978, with two cafes that pop up in guides and top ten lists all the time. The coffee is quite alright, though it probably won’t excite the most extremist coffee geeks looking for the latest, greatest technique or most interesting and carefully developed flavor profiles. But the coffee was enjoyable, and the environment is great. I only made it to the Borough Market location, and it happened to be pouring rain as I walked there, but I’d definitely like to visit again next time I’m in London – when I’ll hopefully have more time to browse through the large food market across the street.

This isn’t the end – stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll visit Prufrock and see more of the city :) Also, don’t miss Part 1 from my London trip, featuring Notes Music & Coffee!