God in a Cup

For me, 'God in a cup' is the best coffee book of the year.

This is a book about specialty coffee. About Esmeralda Special from Panama. About Geoff Watts (Intelligentsia), Peter Giuliano (Counter Culture), Duane Sorenson (Stumptown), Menno Simons (Trabocca) and other passionate coffee lovers. About the perfect bean. About Ethiopia. About Cup of Excellence. About Clover. About coffee in America. About Cupping, Fair Trade, Direct Trading and much more.

An short piece from the Prologue :
'Perfectly textured reddish brown espresso foam intermingles with the stiff froth of steam-blasted milk, and a brown outline of an evergreen appears in the center of the cup. The design-called rosette-lingers as I slowly drink my first real coffee.
Hemingway had it right. The first time, the earth moves.
The milk and coffee are as sweet as sugar and as thick as cream, but the effect is achieved magically, as he used neither of these ingredients. The milk and coffee together are as luxurious as cashmere and bright mouth memories of caramel, chocolate, and hazelnut.
"I've never tasted anything like this," I tell Nick.
"Most coffee is swill," he answers cheerfully. Later , I learn that Barista's call this kind of an experience a Godshot moment, a rare but perfect example of their craft.
...
With that first cup of Murky coffee, a door opened and I slipped down the rabbit hole into coffee land. I got caught up in the story of specialty coffee, and you might say I haven't been home since.'

This book is a must read for all (specialty) coffee lovers.
It's masterfully written by Michaele Weissman (her blog) and published by Wiley.
Click here to order one.

The only note I want to make is my fear that most of these people in the U.S. bring more and more specialty coffee to the market at very high prices. This way they are going to make it a product for the 'elite' and not for the mass and that's a pity. My goal is to bring top class coffee for everybody. Imagine yourself young, or a just starting artist, or mother of a big family and you want to savor a good clean cup of coffee.... Forget about these top players, cause their prices go through the roof. Yes, their quality as well, but I hope they don't they forget where they come from their selves. Haven't they or some of their staff been unemployed and/or counting every penny by the end of the month once?
Let's go together on the search for the perfect bean, but don't forget the men in the street. Ok?