The Art of the Roast
In Petaluma, there’s a coffee shop that embraces agrarianism, medium-roast coffee from small farms worldwide and community gathering. ACRE Coffee was born in 2011 by Steve Decosse, who already opened more than 10 restaurants from Oregon, to Healdsburg, to what was called “the most important restaurant to open in 1991 in San Francisco” by respected food critic, Michael Bauer. “After full-on restaurants, I decided to hone my focus in on coffee,” says Decosse. With few locally-owned coffee shops in Petaluma, getting a great cup of joe was hard to find. “Coffee is an art form—there was a need for coffee that steered away from the dark roasts.”
“We roast on a vintage probat coffee roaster—one of the only roasters with a high carbon steel roasting drum, as opposed to stainless steel, which most new roasters are made out of. High carbon steel reacts differently with heat and offers interesting roasting opportunities,” he says.
Today, ACRE Coffee has five North Bay locations, 10 more stores in the works, and soon, a wholesale program for fine hotels, restaurants and offices. Their fully staffed bakery turns out pastries and donuts as well as decadent breakfast items like wild Alaskan smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers and pickled onions. For more information, visit www.acrecoffee.com
Just Your Average Joe
The average coffee cup size is nine ounces, and 35 percent of coffee drinkers prefer black coffee—65 percent prefer to add cream or sugar.
Source: www.e-importz.com
Perk Up!
Out-of-home coffee consumption in 2017 reached a high of 46 percent in the United States, according to The National Coffee Association. More than 50 percent of Americans 18 or older drink coffee every day, and 30 million adults drink specialty coffee drinks daily such as mochas, lattes and cappuccinos. The study reports that more women drink coffee to relax, and more men claim it helps them get the job done. But both drink about the same amount daily—consuming an average of 1.6 cups per day. However, the average consumption overall in the U.S. is 3.2 cups per day.
How Much is Too Much?
According to the Mayo Clinic, 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day is safe for most healthy adults. That’s approximately four cups of coffee (or 10 cans of cola or two energy drinks).
If you’re susceptible to the effects of caffeine, small amounts—just one cup of coffee or tea—may prompt unwanted effects, such as restlessness and sleep problems.
Excess caffeine can result in side effects such as migraine headaches, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and muscle tremors.
Here are a few ways to cut back your caffeine intake:
•Go decaf. Many decaf drinks look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts.
•Shorter brew time. When steeping tea, cut the brewing time in half or choose herbal teas that don’t contain caffeine.
•Read the bottle. Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain as much as 130 mg of caffeine in a single dose. Look for caffeine-free pain relievers instead.
