Zach Dyer is a writer living in Saint Louis. He did his thesis research on coffee farmers in Southern Mexico. Since then, he has visited coffee plantations in Costa Rica and Mexico as well as roasters and cafés across the U.S. He blogs about coffee for Gut Check every Wednesday.It came in a small black trash bag. My friend, nervous that she had violated U.S. Customs law, had tried to disguise the parcel as best she could with the humble wrapping, but the smell gave it away immediately. The tell
Zach Dyer is a writer living in Saint Louis. He did his thesis research on coffee farmers in Southern Mexico. Since then, he has visited coffee plantations in Costa Rica and Mexico as well as roasters and cafés across the U.S. He blogs about coffee for Gut Check every Wednesday.One Saturday morning a couple of years ago, when I was living in Washington, D.C., for the summer, I stepped into Murky Coffee in Eastern Market looking for a new coffee to try. As I perused the tightly packed stout brow
Zach Dyer is a writer living in Saint Louis. He did his thesis research on coffee farmers in Southern Mexico. Since then, he has visited coffee plantations in Costa Rica and Mexico as well as roasters and cafés across the U.S. He blogs about coffee for Gut Check every Wednesday.Is coffee recession-proof?Reading the bad news about Starbucks, you'd sure think it wasn't. But while some Starbucks locations have been forced to close their doors due to dropping sales and tightening purse strings, it
The challenge of working in the restaurant and bar industry as a recovering alcoholic. Good article. (New York Times)Zimbabwe faces severe hunger issues despite increased crop yields. (AFP)Superstar Chicago chef Grant Achatz sells his memoirs. (New York Times)
Zach Dyer is a writer living in Saint Louis. He did his thesis research on coffee farmers in Southern Mexico. Since then, he has visited coffee plantations in Costa Rica and Mexico as well as roasters and cafés across the U.S. He blogs about coffee for Gut Check every Wednesday.While Gut Check is on vacation this week, check out some of Zach's best work:Brave New Cup (March 18, 2009):Throw out your pinko-commie stereotypes that ethical commodities have
to be anti-free trade. Jake is a self-p
A fungus is devastating tomato crops in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. (New York Times)Turkey -- Turkey!!! -- has banned smoking in restaurants and other public places. (AP)A lengthy excerpt from the new memoir by New York Times food critic Frank Bruni. (New York Times)
Like Champagne and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe coffee takes its name from the region where it's grown. Sweet, fruity and well-balanced Yirgacheffe has become a household name among coffee aficionados. Now, due to changes in how Ethiopia regulates its coffee market, Yirgacheffe has grown much bigger.Ethiopia trademarked the Yirgacheffe name in 2006 in an attempt to capitalize on the region's reputation. Then, in December 2008, the Ethiopian government mandated that all cof
