The Toledo Coffee Community And The 419 Throwdown
The Toledo Coffee Community And The 419 Throwdown

Latte art throwdowns are a peculiar thing. They’re extremely dynamic. They can serve many purposes and can be approached in many different ways. Have you ever attended a latte art throwdown? Have you participated in one? I remember participating in my first latte art throwdown at a shop in Dayton, Ohio. My mom came with me. It’s okay to laugh. For those of you who don’t know my mom, you might be wondering what I was thinking bringing my mom with me to a latte art throwdown. But for those of you who do know my mom, you know. She’s the real hype-man. Collecting strangers at the event throughout the evening, she created a real cheer section for me anytime I went up to compete…

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Rachel Diazevents, coffee community, ohio, toledo coffeeshopsComment
17 Best Coffees of 2017
17 Best Coffees of 2017

FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE different coffees (yes, 433!) across 85 different roasters, is a ton to try in a year ...and that's exactly what we did! After spending the last week reviewing, debating, and reminiscing,  we’re excited to announce the top 17 coffees of 2017. They’re in no particular order, but are rather the top couple picks across several members of our team for a more well-rounded list…

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ReviewsBen Vollmar2017, review, best of, Best Coffees Comments
16 Best Coffees of 2016
16 Best Coffees of 2016

This is arguably the best time to be a coffee enthusiast in the United States; specialty roasters and shops are regularly popping up, new information and discoveries are being released daily, and we've seen a drastic increase in coffee-related inventions (...just search “coffee” on Kickstarter). All of us are on the search for the best cup and a huge part of that starts with the bean. At Flatlands, we aim to find that bean by constantly searching and tasting countless coffees. This last year, we tried at least one new coffee every other day and we'll be sure to keep better track of just how much next year…

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ReviewsBen VollmarReview, 2016, Best of, multi-roaster, Best CoffeesComment
The Mustache Effect: Groomed for Success
The Mustache Effect: Groomed for Success

When you think of the term 'hipster,' some things that come to mind may be flannel shirts, tattoos, edgy haircuts, coffee, artsy critically-acclaimed music, and yes, mustaches. They are the icon of hipster,  a signifier of embracing hipster culture, an emblem for all a part of that lifestyle. Where are you most likely to find them? Quite possibly within today's hipster-associated coffee culture. But we must ask, what kind of psychological effect does a mustache have when in context of the coffee industry? Should baristas have a mustache and would it effect how much a customer may tip?…

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ResearchBen VollmarMustache, Lem Butler, Tips, Barista Comments