A Java Stop Roaster’s-Eye View on Brazil
September 24, 2013
Filed In: Coffee Culture, The Roast
Written by: admin
Java Stop Head Roaster, James Cabrera, just returned from an origin trip to Brazil. Here are some of his reflections on his journey.
Last month, I was fortunate enough to spend some time traveling through Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producing nation. We at Java Stop utilize coffees from Brazil as the base of our Redline espresso as well as bring you single origin offerings from several of the farms I visited, such as the Recreio Estate, Fazenda Rainha, and Sertaozinho, to name a few. My group visited farms (ranging from small to large), labs, and processing facilities in three different regions; Espirito Santo, Pocos de Caldas, and Carmo de Minas. We cupped new crop coffees with our friends at Bourbon Specialty and Carmo Coffees, witnessed the harvest in action in different locations, and learned a lot about natural and pulp natural processing, seeing interesting variations on technique from location to location. Brazil is a tremendous country, filled with wonderful people, culture, food, and natural beauty, and will always be a very memorable first origin trip.
Please enjoy some of the photos from my journey!
A Caffeinated Proposal
August 20,2013
Filed In: Announcements, Coffee Culture, Java Stop Cafe
Written by: admin
Java Stop would like to introduce you to Kristi and Tom, two Café regulars who have a special story we’d like to share.
Kristi and Tom met while studying at Loyola University’s nursing program. For them, studying at Java Stop was a little more comfortable than in the library, plus they both liked coffee. Thus, doing homework at the Café together became a pleasant habit.
That was four years ago. Today, despite Kristi and Tom having moved out of the neighborhood, Java Stop remains a favorite location to them because of its importance as one of the key spaces where their relationship developed.
Tom recently proposed to Kristi at the lakefront (she said “yes!”) and afterward they came to celebrate with a cup of coffee at the Café. Because of the centrality of Java Stop Coffee as a backdrop for the development of their relationship, Kristi and Tom recently contacted us to provide coffee as a wedding favor for their guests (we said “yes!”).
Kristi and Tom are getting married this winter, and, it seems, fittingly, Java Stop Coffee will be present at the ceremony.
Congratulations, Kristi and Tom! We’re so glad we can maybe take a little bit of credit for the happy and successful life you all will have together!
Book Signing with Viki Noe on July 15
June 14, 2013
File In: Announcements, Coffee Culture, Uncategorized
Written By: admin
Viki Noe has been coming to Java Stop since we opened our doors. Her daughter, a former student at Sacred Heart Academy, was the first of our “featured artists” at the Café. Needless to say, Viki is a friendly, familiar face to us – one of our “regulars,” who we look forward to seeing. We’re happy to announce that this Thursday, 5/16, Viki will be having a book signing at the Café. It’s an important series that she’s started writing while sipping tea at the coffeehouse.
In 2006, Viki and her friend Delle were relaxing at Java Stop after dropping their daughters off at Sacred Heart. Delle was in remission from ovarian cancer at the time. Over tea, Viki told Delle that she had an idea for a book, about people grieving the death of a friend. Viki had never written a book before, but Delle was very excited by the idea and encouraged Viki to pursue the writing project. Viki promised her friend that she’d work on the project.
Delle died that November. Viki knew she wanted to keep her promise to write, but, at first, she just couldn’t do it. Then, about 4 years ago, Viki literally woke up one morning with the book all there in her mind. She went to work.
The first book in the series of six, Friend Grief and Anger: When Your Friend Dies and No One Gives a Damn, was released this last March. It is dedicated to Delle. The second book, Friend Grief and AIDS: Thirty Years of Burying Our Friends, grew from an article Viki wrote for Windy City Times about her work in the AIDS community in the late 80s/early 90s and was just recently released.
Viki feels like she’s still keeping her promise to Delle. She is continuing to research and write the remaining four books in the series. She does a lot of her work at Java Stop, despite it being out of the way, now that her daughter has graduated from Sacred Heart. For Viki, Java Stop provides a supportive community, good tea, and “killer cupcakes” from xMaddiebird Bakery, all conducive to her creative process. We’re proud to be a part of that process; for us, that’s what a coffeehouse is all about.
On Thursday, Viki will be at the Cafe signing the first two books in the series. Because of the connection of Viki’s work and Java Stop, she felt that “there was no other place more appropriate” to do the signing. Stop by at 6:30 Thursday, May 16, to meet our friend Viki and pick up one of these very special books.
Viki’s books are also available at Women and Children First Bookstore in Andersonville, on her own website, or Amazon.