No Bad Reviews: A Coffee Podcast
No Bad Reviews: A Coffee Podcast
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Every other week three friends, coworkers, and coffee industry professionals humorously explore topics in history, culture, and business using coffee as inspiration. Then, using their professionally trained palates, they try the coffee and commit to giving no bad reviews.
Hosted by Jenni Trilik, Marcus Contaldo, and Stephanie Motenko.
Sponsored by Modest Coffee
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Aug 1, 2023
Rerun: Murder Coffee
This episode is one of our favorites, and also a fan favorite, so we decided to play it again while we take a little summer break. We hope you enjoy it again!-There may be no bigger genre than true crime at this moment in time so we decided to see if we could find a true crime coffee. And what do you know, we found the Murder Coffee Company. This week we delve into the psychology of true crime and the macabre and then we try a blueberry flavored coffee called Turning Blue.Find out what we think about this veteran owned coffee company that bills itself as the BEST coffee. Also, find out who wins when Steph and Jenni go head to head in an arm wrestling match.Murder Coffee Co.: https://murdercoffeeco.com/Iron Bean Coffee: https://ironbeancoffee.com/Further Reading:https://daily.jstor.org/bloody-history-of-true-crime-genre/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-cant-we-just-turn-our-eyes-away-grotesque-and-macabre-180956424/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886921005183https://www.ssusa.org/content/iron-bean-coffee-truck-delivers-nitro-cold-brew-coffee-to-camp-perry-competitors/Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspodSponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Jul 18, 2023
Coffee Project NY
Steph went to NYC and all she brought back was this delicious coffee and an amazing story about two Malaysian immigrant women who are making waves in the specialty coffee world. This is the story about how in 2015 Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh quit their jobs to follow their dream of owning a coffee shop in a 400 square foot space and ended up as the New York hub for the Specialty Coffee Association. In less than ten years they have grown to multiple locations throughout New York City and opened an SCA training center where they train baristas, roasters, and offer classes for the regular coffee enthusiast.For the tasting, we try their Panama anaerobic, a real treat to say the least. Listen to find out what we think!
Coffee Project NY: https://coffeeprojectnyshop.square.site/product/panama-dynamic-cherry-39-rsv-anaerobic/373
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping!
Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTE
Help us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Jul 13, 2023
Bonus: Uncle Nearest vs. Jack Daniels Love It or Leave It
On our Patreon, we release weekly bonus episodes called Love It or Leave It where we give our unfiltered opinions on various coffee or episode related products. For our most recent Patreon episode, we compared Uncle Nearest whiskey to Jack Daniels whiskey as a companion to our most recent full length episode. We decided to release this episode to everyone. We hope you enjoy! And if you do, you can check out more Love It or Leave It episodes for just $4 per month at
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
Enjoy!
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Jul 4, 2023
Uncle Nearest + Jack Daniels Coffee
In this episode we talk about how Jack Daniel left home as a young boy and was taken in by a pastor with a distillery side hustle run by a master distiller and enslaved man named Nathan "Nearest" Green, also known as Uncle Nearest. Young Jack became the assistant to Uncle Nearest and Uncle Nearest became like a father to Jack. When Jack was an adult, he took the opportunity to buy the distillery and took care of Nearest and his family for generations to come. The story of Uncle Nearest was lost until the 150th anniversary of Jack Daniels Whiskey when the New York Times released an article about the true history of the company. An author named Fawn Weaver read this article and had to know more.Set on writing a book on the amazing story of Jack Daniel and Uncle Nearest, Fawn traveled to Lynchburg, TN and ended up buying the farm that housed the original distillery. It didn't take long before she knew her true calling was in starting a whiskey company to honor Nearest Green and that's how Uncle Nearest Whiskey was born.Listen to hear more about this tale of love and respect in an unexpected time!
Uncle Nearest Whiskey: https://unclenearest.com/
Jack Daniels Coffee: https://www.jackdanielscoffee.com/
Further media:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/26/dining/jack-daniels-whiskey-nearis-green-slave.html
https://gastropod.com/the-secret-history-of-the-slave-behind-jack-daniels-whiskey/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/01/1042481944/uncle-nearest-premium-whiskey-fawn-weaver
* Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTE
* Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Jun 20, 2023
Snoop Dogg + INDOxyz Coffee
DOMINO M*TH*RF*CK*R!Click to hear more!INDOxyz: https://indo.xyz/collections/frontpage/products/sumatra-gayo- Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Jun 6, 2023
Melitta Bentz, Inventor of the Pour-Over Brew Method
In this week's episode Jenni tells us about her favorite person in coffee history, the OG 3rd wave coffee connoisseur and inventor of the pour-over method of brewing coffee, Melitta Bentz and the company she founded and named after herself. In 1908, Melitta was unhappy with percolated coffee, the most common way of brewing coffee in Germany where she lived, so she set out to find a better way. After much trial and error, she finally got an idea to punch holes in the bottom of a can and use her son's blotting paper as a filter. It was genius and worked like a charm! And this the paper filter and drip method of brewing coffee that is so common today was born.The Melitta company was an immediate success. Not only did it survive both world wars, it thrived and went on to be one of the largest producers of kitchen disposable products in Europe. Today the Melitta company is a multibillion dollar enterprise and still a family business, headed by her grandson and great-grandson. Listen to learn more about this fascinating woman, the Melitta company's impact on the coffee industry, and what they're up to today. They are much more than just coffee filters.Today's coffee: https://shoponline.melitta.com/collections/coffee/products/dark-roast-soft-pods-18ct/?cMelitta history: https://www.melitta.com/melitta_journey_through_time_en.html-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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May 23, 2023
Alpha Male Coffee
This is our first episode where we decided not to name the coffee company! Our entire podcast is based on giving no bad reviews to whatever coffee we try. There are companies out there that hold ideologies that we can only give bad reviews to so we purposefully avoid the products of those coffee companies. For today’s episode, Steph’s partner was social media advertised a coffee that is for the Alpha Male. Of course Steph thought this was hilarious (both as a recommendation for her partner and as a premise for a coffee company) so we bought it and Steph got to work researching. By the time recording day came, Steph decided she should tell the story before we identify the company and then we decide what to do after she’s told us all. In the end, we decided not to name the company. This company isn’t as problematic as it could be, and we do have some philosophical conversations, but all things considered we decided to leave it to the listener to do what Teresa would do and tell you to Google it (see tarot episode.) So this episode is full of machismo, internet dog whistles, and even the opportunity for a multi-level marketing scheme. Enjoy!-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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May 9, 2023
Good Foods Awards + Pedestrian Coffee and Goshen Coffee Roasters
The Good Food Awards winners for 2023 were just announced and so we thought it fitting that Marcus should do an episode about the Good Foods Awards, given his own personal experience with the competition. In this episode, Marcus tells us about the Good Food Awards and the process to become a winner. We also highlight the two coffee roasters from Illinois who won. Pedestrian Coffee is a Chicago based coffee roaster and the second coffee company of Tim Taylor, the first being the well known Ipsento Coffee. Tim Taylor has been involved in specialty coffee for many years and is on the board of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence.Goshen Coffee is based in Edwardsville, IL, near St. Louis. Lead roaster Tony is a veteran of the coffee industry, competing in coffee competitions across the United States. He used to be the lead roaster for Kaldi Coffee, another Good Food Award winning coffee company and is an Executive Council member of the Coffee Roasters Guild. We can say without a doubt, these are some of the most interesting and complex coffees we’ve ever tried, ever. Listen to learn more and to find out what we think!Good Food Awards 2023 winners: https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/winners/Pedestrian Coffee: https://www.drinkpedestrian.com/Goshen Coffee Roasters: https://goshencoffee.com/-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Apr 25, 2023
Cheese Flavored Flavor Coffee + History of Cheese
This week’s episode is all about words that should never go together: coffee + cheese flavored. When we first started, cheese flavored coffee was suggested to us by our friend and owner of Ten Drops Coffee. So we had to buy it but Jenni hid it away while Steph and Marcus forgot about it. Then Jenni learned a crazy fact that she had to share with the world and decided to get the cheese flavored coffee out of hiding.In this episode, we learn about the history of cheese, interesting facts about rennet, and a little bit about Iceland. We then try this cheese flavored coffee from ZooScape LLC, the proud distributor of over 7,500 weird ass food products. Cheese Flavored Guatemalan Coffee: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Larissa-Veronica-Cheese-Flavored-Brazilian-Coffee-Cheese-Flavored-Whole-Coffee-Beans-4-oz-1-Pack-Zin-548974/548460566ZooScape LLC: https://www.zooscape.com/index.htm Ten Drops Coffee: https://tendropscoffee.com/-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Apr 11, 2023
McMenamins of Portland, OR
We received a bag of McMenamins Sabertooth coffee from a friend and listener who traveled to Portland, OR and found the company to be so fascinating that we decided to do an entire episode about them.Two brothers, born and raised in Portland, started with a single business and have grown to be a multimillion dollar staple of the Pacific Northwest. Restaurants, bars, music venues, a resort, and even a soaking pool/movie theater/bar all while working to save historic locations from demolition. These guys go with any idea they have and find a way to make it successful!For the coffee, we try their Sabertooth Ethiopian coffee, a hot deal at only $11. This was released for one of their music festivals. Listen to find out what we think!McMenamins: https://www.mcmenamins.com/-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Mar 28, 2023
Turkish Coffee + The Origins of Coffee Culture
In this week's episode, Jenni covers Turkish style coffee and the origins of coffee culture. The first recorded history of coffee dates back to the mid 1500s in Yemen. Sultan Suleiman then spread it throughout the entire Ottoman Empire. Turkish style coffee brewed using a cezve/ibrik became so prominent that it is still the main brew method throughout most of the countries that were a part of the Ottoman Empire. From the first coffee houses in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul to modern day political fights over coffee, this episode has it all!For the tasting, we picked up some Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Turkish coffee and a cezve big enough for three at our local Mediterranean grocery store. Listen to find out how brewing it over an open flame on mic goes and to find out what we think! Jenni even tries her hand at reading coffee grounds as they do in Turkey.Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi: https://mehmetefendi.com/eng/products/turkish-coffeeFurther media:https://boisecoffee.org/podcast/episode-six-turkish-coffee/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/04/27/179270924/dont-call-it-turkish-coffee-unless-of-course-it-is#:~:text=Back%20home%20in%20Bulgaria%2C%20as,the%20Turks%20call%20a%20cezve.https://www.ducksters.com/history/renaissance/ottoman_empire.phphttps://www.thespruceeats.com/tasseography-tea-leaf-reading-symbols-765838-Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTEHelp us buy questionable coffee!https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Mar 14, 2023
La Colombe
Welcome to the episode where we answer the question we've all been wondering, how to pronounce La Colombe! This is a mainstream coffee company best known for their ready to drink canned coffee and second most known for the TV show, Dangerous Grounds.
La Colombe was founded by BFFs JP Iberti and Todd Carmichael. You can tell which is the most outgoing based on which guy has the Wikipedia page (it's Todd).
In this episode we mostly talk about the life and adventures of Todd Carmichael. We've discussed a lot of business owners that were extra in this show, but this guy maybe takes the award for most extra. From running through jungles and trekking to the south pole, there might not be a thing he hasn't done, and he's somehow done it all while building a multi-million dollar coffee company. We were exhausted just learning about all he's done!
Listen to hear the full story and to find out what the founders are up to now. This story is a fun adventure!
La Colombe Triple Latte: https://ww…
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Feb 28, 2023
Hebrew Coffee + Happy Purim!
In honor of the Jewish holiday of Purim, this year celebrated on March 6, Steph had the fun idea of telling us about the history of Purim and how it is celebrated today. This is a fascinating story about Esther and how she helped the Jews of Persia save themselves from a decree of murder issued by Haman, the eventually disgraced Viceroy of the King. Purim celebrates Esther’s bravery with costumes, food, and a lot of drinking while making sure to care for the poor. We had a lot of fun learning about Purim and we hope you do too!
For our coffee, we try Hebrew Coffee, a coffee company that was created to share Jewish culture using coffee as a vehicle. The founders of Hebrew Coffee lightheartedly teach Jewish history, Yiddish vocabulary, tell stories and make jokes on their very fun social media pages. We strongly recommend you check out their Instagram to learn something new and to have a laugh.
The real question is, is their coffee good? You’ll have to listen to find out what we th…
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Feb 14, 2023
Anodyne Coffee + Democratic Republic of the Congo
Steph went on vacation to Milwaukee and brought back a bag of Anodyne Coffee. First she tells us the story of the marathon running founder that has built an incredibly successful business in Milwaukee over the last 25 years.
Then we try a coffee from Anodyne, a single-origin coffee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a region that is hard to get coffee from due to the ongoing political instability of the country. In this episode we learn about the history of the DRC and how it has shaped the current situation today. Steph also tells about coffee growing in the DRC and the challenges that farmers face getting their coffee exported. We’re not going to lie, this episode is a real bummer. But Steph tells a captivating story and it’s important that we bring awareness to the hardships that the coffee farmers face.
Shop Anodyne Coffee: https://anodynecoffee.com/collections/single-origins/products/dr-congo-north-kivu
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Feb 7, 2023
Pocket Latte + The History of Chocolate
We’re back! This week we explore the origin of chocolate, the history of chocolate in Korea, and then we try Pocket Lattes.
We have been so excited to try Pocket Latte, a bar made from cocoa butter and coffee that contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It is such a fun and innovative product but it has literally taken us almost a year to get it on the schedule. Chris Chun/Young and his mother, Young Kwon started Pocket Latte in 2018 and through hard work and determination have grown like crazy since.
Before we get to the story of Pocket Latte, we first discuss the history of chocolate from its roots as a drink revered by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations to its trip to Europe where chocolate mania took off and gave us the tasty treats we enjoy today.
Then we learn about chocolate’s relatively recent history in Korea and how it is enjoyed and celebrated today.
After all this talking, we FINALLY get to try all four Pocket Latte flavors. Listen to find out if these adorably…
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Jan 17, 2023
History of the Last Two Weeks
So wow, what a wild ride the last few weeks have been for us. Modest Coffee went viral and sold $200,000 of coffee in 15 hours, we somehow managed to process over 4,000 shipments, and then Marcus lost his thumb in a tragic workplace accident. Yes, all in two weeks. So in a break from our regular scheduled programming, we decided to fill everyone in on what's been going and tell you the history of the last two(ish) weeks. It's been a time.
Further media:
https://www.modest.coffee/2022/12/how-we-got-grifted/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-modest-coffee-roasting-business-debt-walmart-20230104-6rwf447dwzdrddb76lkdfzugcq-story.html
https://wgntv.com/western-suburbs/community-helps-west-chicago-coffee-shop-after-big-deal-falls-through/
https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/west-chicago-coffee-company-modest-coffee-saves-business
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Lim…
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Jan 3, 2023
History of Decaf + Decaf Three Ways: Rerelease
Edit: we noticed a funky thing happened in transmission and it seems the theme music and our commercial shifted. It's brief but if it annoys you, you can listen to the original release on September 13, 2022. Thanks!
Hi everyone! For this week's episode we decided to give ourselves a holiday break and release a previously aired episode. We had thought we would do an older episode but in light of the recent crazy amazing events that led to us selling almost completely out of 30,000 bags of canceled coffee, we thought we would rebroadcast our History of Decaf episode in honor of the lonely decaf cases we still have on our website.
This episode was so fun and interesting to record! Marcus does a great job with research and storytelling. Who knew we'd have the Nazis to blame for the popularity of decaf? Marcus also explains the science and methodology behind three major types of decaffeination processes. Then for the tasting, Marcus sample roasted three different coffees that were decaffe…
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Dec 20, 2022
History of Eggnog + Jolliest Bunch of A$$holes Coffee
Happy whatever you celebrate or don't celebrate! Happy winter! Happy almost New Year! Our gift to you is this podcast episode.
Marcus tells us the history of eggnog and Steph tells us about Expedition Roasters Coffee Company. For the tasting we get back to our roots and try their eggnog flavored coffee. The packaging is adorable but will the coffee live up to it?
Jolliest Bunch of A$$holes coffee: https://expeditionroasters.com/collections/coffees/products/jolliest-bunch-of-a-holes
Further media:
https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/classic-cocktails-in-history-eggnog
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/egg-nog-its-all-fun-and-games-until-someone-starts-a-holiday-riot-180949281/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/food-drink/a23804/george-washingtons-eggnog/
https://wdwnt.com/2019/04/dreamfinders-ep009-erick-kanter/
https://www.brainstorm-institute.com/
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups wo…
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Dec 6, 2022
History of Tarot + Coffee Tarot Cards with Teresa Fiehn Millies
We are SO excited for this week’s podcast crossover with our most special guest, Teresa Fiehn Millies, our dear friend, fourth Modest Coffee employee, and host of Ninth Arcana: A Tarot Podcast. We have been looking to get Teresa on the podcast for a long time and finally figured out the best way possible, a coffee themed tarot deck. Teresa is the creator and host of Ninth Arcana where she explores the meaning behind each tarot card by focusing each episode on one tarot card.
In this episode we explore the history of tarot from a fun playing card game in the 15th century to the rise of cartomancy in France in the 1700s, to the influence of the Freemasons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wait what? Freemasons? Yep, we go deep down the esoteric rabbit hole in this episode.
Then instead of trying a coffee, we try a coffee tarot deck. We give no bad reviews to a very, um, interesting deck and Teresa does a bit of fortune telling. Does Marcus pull the death card? Is Jenni creep…
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Nov 22, 2022
Thanksgiving Rabbit Hole + Native Coffee Traders
It’s Happy Thanksgiving time everyone! In this week’s episode Steph takes us down the rabbit hole of her mind and answers all the questions about Thanksgiving that she could think of. From were the Jews on the Mayflower, to the corn of the dead, to when did the first Muslim person arrive in the Americas, Steph found an answer to all of it. Whether you only rely on the American education system to teach you about Thanksgiving or you’re woke AF, we guarantee you will learn something new in today’s episode.
For our coffee tasting, we support an American Indian specialty coffee roaster, Native Coffee Traders, which also happens to be woman run. Native Coffee Traders is based on Long Island, NY and they are all about the things we consider meaningful in coffee. Fair trade, organic, purchased from indigenous peoples, and roasted to bring out the best flavor of the coffee. We were excited to try it and excited for you to learn more!
We are thankful to all of you for listening and to…
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Nov 8, 2022
3rd Wave Feminism vs. 3rd Wave Ska vs. 3rd Wave Coffee with Third Wave Water
It’s the 3rd Wave Everything episode! We were challenged by listener Eric to compare 3rd Wave Ska to 3rd Wave Coffee. For good measure, we thought we’d also throw in 3rd Wave Feminism because why not? So get out your surfboards because in this super fun extra long episode there's going to be a lot of waves!
In our first segment, Steph covers the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd waves of feminism and the beginning of the 4th wave. Women have been working hard on behalf of ourselves for a long time and Steph breaks it all down for us, from pre-Civil War through the fights for trans rights today. That’s a lot of changes in feminism.
Next, Jenni gives us the history of ska, starting with the 1st wave in Jamaica, moving on to the 2nd wave in the UK, and ending in California for the 3rd wave of ska. Ska goes up and ska comes back down. We're here to ride its musical waves.
Last, Marcus covers the three waves of coffee. 1st wave is all about getting coffee in the cheapest way possible (see our Choc…
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Oct 31, 2022
Bonus Episode: History of Candy Corn
Happy Halloween! Trick or treat! You came to our house and we're giving you candy corn! In last week's episode we covered the history of Halloween and tried a candy corn flavored coffee. Steph also had the history of candy corn prepared but everything ran a little long so we decided to give everyone a Halloween special episode. So enjoy this history of candy corn!
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTE
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Oct 25, 2022
History of Halloween + Jarbee Candy Corn Coffee
It's spooky season and we're here to learn about the reason for the season! Steph takes us back in time to tell us the origins of Halloween. We discuss cultural traditions from different countries from the Americas to Europe and how the rise in Christianity changed the pagan traditions to be a lot less fun before the Irish immigrants in America brought the party back.
We then try Witches Brew, a candy corn flavored coffee from the Jarbee Coffee Company.
Witches Brew: https://www.jarbeecoffee.com/products/witches-brew-candy-corn-flavored-coffee
Further Media:
https://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm
https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#:~:text=The%20tradition%20originated%20with%20the,of%20the%20traditions%20of%20Samhain.
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1456/history-of-halloween/
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://w…
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Oct 11, 2022
Kawaha 1893 + Colonization of Kenya
In this week’s episode we switch gears and try a specialty coffee, Kahawa 1893. We still have a founder educated at Harvard with a Wall Street resume, but her roots diverge from the typical coffee company story. Margaret Nyamumbo was raised on a coffee farm in Kenya and is determined to bring Kenyan coffee to the world and help women farmers while she’s at it.
A story about Kenya would not be complete without a tale of British colonization, the Mau Mau rebellion, and the often troubled building of an independent country after. Once again, we find ourselves absolutely appalled by the British. Please note, this episode does have a trigger warning for some particularly heinous atrocities that we briefly discuss.
Check out Kahawa 1893 here: https://kahawa1893.com/collections/all-products/products/kenyan-single-origin
Further media:
https://radiolab.org/episodes/mau-mau
https://american-podcasts.com/podcast/why-food/margaret-nyamumbo-kahawa-1893-coffee
https://crosscountrycoffeero…
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Sep 27, 2022
VitaCup Slim Coffee
In this week's episode, we learn how we that nothing more than a k-cup to slim down and maintain our girlish figures. Chock full of questionable Dr. Oz peddled health ingredients and an overabundance of B-vitamins, this really seemed like a one stop shop for our best health.
Then we meet the guy that inspired that one song from Chumbawamba, Brandon Fishman. This guy got knocked down and got up again, over and over, and was always more successful than the last. The man doesn't mind working one hundred hours a week if that's what it takes and doesn't find joy in anything that costs less than one hundred dollars.
We then try the coffee with unexpected results. Listen to find out what we think and if getting slim is as easy as the product tells us it is!
VitaCup Slim: https://www.vitacup.com/products/slim-blend
Further media:
https://mikemalatesta.com/podcast/brandon-fishman-ceo-infusing-intuition-and-ideas-into-new-products-episode-109/
https://dimniko.com/podcast/the-vitacup-expans…
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Sep 13, 2022
History of Decaf
When we came up with the idea of doing an episode about decaf, we thought it would just be a discussion about the different processing methods. Turns out there’s WAY more to decaf than any of us expected. Of the inventors of the three major decaffeination methods there’s a guy that was friends with Hilter, a guy who was killed by the Nazis, and a guy from Switzerland that tried for 50 years before finding success. Rest assured, we do talk science and attributes, too.
For the tasting, Marcus sample roasted three coffees that were decaffeinated using three of the major processing methods: methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and Swiss Water. We then try them to see which we think is best. Listen to find out which coffee is the winner! Decaf has come a long way since the days of the Nazis.
Further reading:
http://coffeeconfidential.org/health/decaffeination/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2009/07/in-defense-of-decaf/20677/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/decaf-cof…
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Aug 30, 2022
PBR Hard Coffee
In this week’s episode, Marcus and Steph try PBR Hard Coffee while Jenni tags along for the story of the Pabst Blue Ribbon company, a history older than the Civil War.
The story of the Pabst company starts with a family of German immigrants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thanks to a devastating event in the next major city over and some little blue silk ribbons, PBR became the largest beer company in the U.S.
Over the years, Pabst was behind more than one questionable product (we’re looking at you, Pabst-ett), but this hard coffee we are questioning the most. Find out what Steph and Marcus think of it in this week’s episode!
Pabst Hard Coffee: https://pabstblueribbon.com/hard-coffee/
Further media:
https://www.pabstmansion.com/history/pabst-family/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/where-did-pabst-win-that-blue-ribbon-138975181/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-did-pabst-do-during-prohibition
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2015/10/13/yesterdays-milwaukee-philip-…
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Aug 16, 2022
Chock Full o'Nuts Coffee
In this week’s episode we learn about the iconic New York coffee brand, Chock Full o’Nuts. This company was the Starbucks of New York City long before the era of Starbucks. With coffee shops scattered across Manhattan, this counter style diner served up exactly what people needed when they needed it for a price they could afford.
Listen to hear about the fascinating life of the eccentric businessman, WIlliam Black, his progressive hiring practices, and how the baseball great, Jackie Robinson, came to be his MVP at Chock Full o’Nuts.
Chock Full o’Nuts: https://www.chockfullonuts.com/product/chock-full-o-nuts-original-ground/
Further media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqHGuv_-DFA
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3bc363a22ad548e18a2d2d34ee7e51b3
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11chock.html#:~:text=Chock%20Full%20o%27Nuts%20began,shop%20chain%20during%20the%20Depression.
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11chock.html#:~:text=Chock%20Full%20o%27N…
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Aug 9, 2022
Energy Drink Coffee
Why choose between your morning energy drink and your morning coffee? In this week's episode we try the combo that is both!
Steph tells us the history and current events of the leading energy drink coffee company and this company has it all. Girls, large trucks, lawsuits, sexual harassment accusations, and so much intensity.
Find out what we think in this week's episode!
Further media:
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/business/fda-receives-death-reports-citing-monster-energy-a-high-caffeine-drink.html
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/monster-energy-lawsuits_n_5a6280c1e4b002283002ca27
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/27/monster-beverage-is-up-nearly-70000percent-in-the-last-20-years.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/energy-drinks-worse-your-heart-caffeine-alone-study-n751686
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bntfUA6TmLs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjCwaK1tJg
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Buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups w…
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Aug 2, 2022
Birthday Cake Coffee
It's a birthday spectacular! Happy Birthday to Marcus and Jenni! Steph decided to give Marcus and Jenni the gift of a podcast episode. In this week's episode, Steph tells the very fascinating history of birthday cake and then we try Birthday Cake Coffee from a fitness/marketing/coffee brand called Coffee Over Cardio. Does this coffee take the cake? Will it make our booties fine? While none of us thought this coffee could replace a birthday cake, at least one of us did think it was pretty good. Listen and find out what we think!
Coffee Over Cardio: https://coffeeovercardio.com/products/birthday-cake-cake-cake-cake-coffee
Further reading:
https://www.foodandwine.com/desserts/cake/brief-history-birthday-cake
https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/09/ancient-greek-tradition-birthday-cake/#:~:text=The%20Ancient%20Greeks%20started%20making,the%20moon%2C%20notes%20Columbia%20Daily
https://www.accesswire.com/611886/Coffee-Over-Cardio-Founder-Abbey-Scott-Stands-at-the-Helm-of-Two-Purpose-Driven…
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Jul 26, 2022
Murder Coffee
There may be no bigger genre than true crime at this moment in time so we decided to see if we could find a true crime coffee. And what do you know, we found the Murder Coffee Company. This week we delve into the psychology of true crime and the macabre and then we try a blueberry flavored coffee called Turning Blue.
Find out what we think about this veteran owned coffee company that bills itself as the BEST coffee. Also, find out who wins when Steph and Jenni go head to head in an arm wrestling match.
Murder Coffee Co.: https://murdercoffeeco.com/
Iron Bean Coffee: https://ironbeancoffee.com/
Further Reading:
https://daily.jstor.org/bloody-history-of-true-crime-genre/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-cant-we-just-turn-our-eyes-away-grotesque-and-macabre-180956424/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886921005183
https://www.ssusa.org/content/iron-bean-coffee-truck-delivers-nitro-cold-brew-coffee-to-camp-perry-competitors/
Buy a mys…
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Jul 19, 2022
Cascara, Coffee Cherry Tisane
It's a Marcus coffee nerd episode! None of us have ever tried cascara but have been very curious about it so we were all really excited to try this herbal tea made from the fruit of the coffee plant. Marcus tells us the history of cascara, how and where it is consumed today, and we figure out ways we think it would be best enjoyed. Find out what we think of it in this episode!
Further media:
https://library.sweetmarias.com/cascara-cherry-coffee-tea-food/
https://daveeggers.net/monkofmokha
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/01/456796760/cascara-tea-a-tasty-infusion-made-from-coffee-waste
You can now buy a mystery box of past products that we have tried on the podcast! For $10 you will receive 10 cups worth of coffee. Includes shipping! Limited supplies, buy here: https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/YUHJNDHDX2CTE
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
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Jul 12, 2022
Breakfast with Elvis - Peanut Butter Banana Coffee
This week we try Breakfast with Elvis, a peanut butter banana flavored coffee that attempts to pay homage to the favorite sandwich of the King himself. Steph takes us on a journey back in time, before Elvis, to the earliest days of rock and roll. We then learn about the meteoric rise of the King and how the world was perfectly poised for his kind of stardom. Unfortunately, Elvis fell as quickly as he rose and it all ended tragically too soon.
For the tasting, we try Breakfast with Elvis coffee from Chris’ Coffee. This coffee was a doozy. Never have we been confronted with a coffee with this level of maximum flavoring agent. Do we live to tell the tale or are we poisoned? Can we find a no bad review in this coffee? You’ll have to listen to find out!
Chris’ Coffee: https://www.chriscoffee.com/products/breakfast-with-elvis-flavored-coffee
Further reading:
https://www.mic.com/articles/136969/who-invented-rock-n-roll-these-are-the-black-pioneers-who-laid-the-genre-s-foundations
h…
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Jul 5, 2022
History of Juneteenth + BeanFruit Coffee
It’s a couple of weeks later than we had hoped to release this episode, but we found the history of Juneteenth to be incredibly fascinating and we were excited to try the coffee from BeanFruit Coffee, so we thought better late than never. In this week’s episode, Jenni covers the history of Juneteenth and the end of slavery in America. We all learned surprising facts that they didn’t teach us in school about slavery, like the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t actually proclaim emancipation for enslaved people in all of the states.
Then we try a signature blend from BeanFruit Coffee out of Mississippi. BeanFruit has won a Good Food Award not once, but twice, in 2015 and 2017! We were very excited to try this coffee and to support a Black owned coffee roaster in honor of Juneteenth. Listen to find out what we think of this blend of coffees from Costa Rica and Guatemala.
BeanFruit Coffee: https://beanfruit.com/products/crimson-stamp-signature-blend-1?variant=508372661
https://spr…
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Jun 29, 2022
Bones Cotton Candy Coffee
We're back to recording! This week we get back to our roots and try cotton candy flavored coffee from the Bones Coffee Company. It's like a carnival for our mouths! Maybe?
In this episode, Steph tells us the history of cotton candy and it's been around a lot longer than any of us could guess. Then she tells us what little information she could find out about the elusive Bones Coffee Company.
Cotton candy is a group favorite. Coffee is a group favorite. Could this coffee maybe surprise us all?
Bones Coffee Company: https://www.bonescoffee.com/products/what-the-fluff-12oz
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Jun 21, 2022
Manhattan Special Coffee Soda
In this week's episode we try Manhattan Special, a coffee soda that is about as old as modern coffee, around since the late 1895 in the same location in Brooklyn, New York. It is a New York classic that we were excited to try!
Steph tells us the tale of the Manhattan Special company and with a company this old, it definitely has some history. Now run by the fourth generation of the same family that took over as teens, we think you'll enjoy this story of intrigue, murder, and success against the odds.
More about Manhattan Special: https://www.manhattanspecial.com/
Further reading:
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/nyregion/07coffee.html
https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/espresso-coffee-soda-manhattan-special
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Jun 14, 2022
Aldi Coffee Water: Love It or Leave It
This week we are in the midst of fulfilling a pretty insane order and did not have any time to properly research or record a regular episode. But we didn't want you to go a week without us so we decided that it would be fun to release an exclusive Patreon bonus episode. You hear us mention Love It or Leave It every week and so we'll let you take a listen, this time on the house.
We decided on this episode because we thought it would be a fun final installment to our Aldi vs. Trader Joe's series. We try the PurAqua Coffee flavored water and give you our unfiltered opinion and tell you if we love it or leave it. Does this can of sparkling water with the essence of 1990s Gloria Jean's do it for us?
Love the episode? For just $4 a month you can help us buy questionable coffee and access exclusive content just like it. Go to https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod to check us out! You can also support us at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod without the commitment.
Sponsored by…
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Jun 7, 2022
Aldi vs. Trader Joe's, Part 2: Trader Joe's
In this week's episode we have Joanna Goss, our resident Trader Joe's expert, bringing us not only an insider's perspective on Trader Joe's but also the history as our storyteller! In addition to her day job as a store artist at Trader Joe's, Joanna is an accomplished artist, published author, and vintage reseller. We loved having Joanna on the pod and are so grateful for her research.
For the coffee, we got Trader Joe's organic, fair trade Breakfast Blend coffee. You'll have to listen to find out who wins the Aldi vs. Trader Joe's coffee showdown!
Joanna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jowayseeker/
Further media:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/13/how-trader-joes-went-from-extra-large-eggs-to-a-grocery-store-empire.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/09/psychology-behind-how-trader-joes-became-a-favorite-grocery-store.html
https://mfct.com/pages/abouthttps://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Mountanos-steeped-in-generations-of-coffee-2845367.php#photo-2225790
Help us buy questionab…
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May 31, 2022
Aldi vs. Trader Joe's, Part 1: Aldi
This week in part one of our two part Aldi vs. Trader Joe's series, Steph tells us the founding story of Aldi and what history she could learn about the reclusive brothers who made it the store it is today. This story would not be complete with all the drama—World War II, a family rift, and even a kidnapping!
We also welcome a special guest, Joanna Goss! Joanna is an accomplished artist, published author, vintage reseller, and store artist at Trader Joe's. She brings the fun and an insider's look at Trader Joe's.
Joanna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jowayseeker/
For this week's tasting, we try a fair trade, single-origin, organic coffee from Honduras. At a single digit price point, will this coffee compare to high end specialty roasters?
Aldi Honduras coffee: https://www.aldi.us/en/products/beverages/coffee/detail/ps/p/simply-nature-fair-trade-organic-whole-bean-coffee/
https://www.montecilloscoffee.com/
Further media:
https://www.mashed.com/171899/the-untold-truth-of…
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May 24, 2022
Cometeer Coffee • Frozen Coffee Pods
We've seen Cometeer advertised quite a bit so, intrigued by the concept, we decided to do an episode about it. A coffee concept born of a lazy college student, Cometeer is a frozen coffee concentrate meant to be constituted with water and claims to be as good as a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Developed between said college student, an OG of specialty coffee, and a bunch of venture capital money, does this product solve a problem, or does it solve a contrived problem in search of a customer base? Listen and find out what we think when we try this variety pack of coffees from Klatch, Joe Coffee, Counter Culture, and Equator.
Cometeer Coffee: https://cometeer.com/
Further media:
https://www.inc.com/anna-meyer/cometeer-frozen-coffee-allbirds-warby-parker.html
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/19/business/gloucester-tech-startup-plots-future-coffee/
https://www.notboring.co/p/a-new-day-on-earth-for-coffee?s=r
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod…
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May 17, 2022
Coava Coffee + the History of the Chemex
When Marcus and Jenni went to Portland a few months ago, Marcus was so excited to learn that a Coava coffee location was just blocks from their Airbnb. At the crack of dawn he walked on over, met some super friendly baristas, and enjoyed a most excellent cup of Chemex brewed coffee. So they brought back a couple of bags to share with Steph and all of our listeners!
Matt Higgins, the founder of Coava coffee, gave up a career in international business for his love of coffee and we are so glad he did. Coava Coffee's philosophy is that buying the best green will make the best brown. Listen to find out how he accomplishes this goal!
Marcus then tells us the whimsical story of the mad scientist inventor of the Chemex, Dr. Peter Schlumbohm . The Chemex wasn't his only invention, and it wasn't his most unique, but it was definitely his best.
Coava Coffee: https://coavacoffee.com/
Further reading:
https://foodgps.com/interview-coava-coffee-roasters-founder-matt-higgins/
https://www.chemex…
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May 10, 2022
Royal Cup Coffee
It's our first interview episode! Steph retells the story of her friend Derrick who has a lovely and romantic tale about his idyllic childhood spent within a stone's throw of the Royal Cup Coffee factory and how he by chance met this coffee again in his adulthood, hundreds of miles away.
Then we try this coffee that everyone has likely had but noone has ever heard of. What do we think of this coffee that comes from a company that roasts thousands of pounds per day? Can a coffee roasting operation this big truly make coffee that Derrick swears is the best?
Royal Cup Coffee: https://www.royalcupcoffee.com/
Further media from our clarifications:
https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/30-million-corned-beef-sandwich/
https://www.space.com/39341-john-young-smuggled-corned-beef-space.html
Help us buy questionable coffee!
https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. V…
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May 3, 2022
Spicy Taco Coffee
Spicy Taco Coffee is the coffee no one asked for but somehow exists. For this episode, Jenni's childhood best friend thought it would be fun to send the podcast this treat of an abomination and test our commitment to no bad reviews. And guess what! We did it. In this episode we not only manage to give no bad reviews, one of us emptied the cup, despite the artificial beef flavoring agent. You'll have to listen to find out how we pull this off.
We also cover the extremely fascinating, and unknown to us, history of Cinco de Mayo. We start with the colonization of the Aztecs, the various wars that ensued after Mexico reclaimed their country in the 19th century, then the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 that led to Cinco de Mayo and its cultural significance from then to modern day. The history of this holiday is quite fascinating and deserves to be more well known.
Spicy Taco Coffee: https://www.coffeeam.com/products/spicy-taco-flavored-coffee
Further media:
https://jsri.msu.edu/upload/…
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Apr 26, 2022
Astronaut Coffee
Blast off with us as Jenni takes us through the history of coffee and space flight from the first Apollo mission to the moon, the space shuttle missions, and the International Space Station. Each new era of space flight brought a new era of coffee consumption along with ingenuity to make the coffee experience as much like Earth as possible. If there's one thing we learned it's that, for astronauts, coffee is as essential as food and water.
For the tasting we try Hula Girl Coffee from the Hawaiian Royal Trading Company and learn a bit about the history of Kona coffee.
We think you'll find this episode is out of this world!
Hula Girl Coffee: https://www.hulagirlthestore.com/coffee
Further media:
https://dailycoffeenews.com/2019/08/21/one-giant-slurp-for-mankind-50-years-of-coffee-in-space/
https://www.thrillist.com/gear/a-brief-history-of-coffee-in-space
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2015/10jul_spacecoffee
https://www.rit.edu/vignellicenter/product-timecap…
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Apr 19, 2022
Green Day Coffee
Yep, that's right, Green Day the band makes a coffee . When we found out, we had to try it for the sake of 1990s nostalgia.
In this episode we learn about the history of Green Day from their days as wee lads singing Beatles tunes at the retirement center to them winning all of the awards. Then we discover what inspired them to start a coffee company, who they partnered with, and if it makes the grade.
Will this coffee take us to paradise?
Oakland Coffee: https://oaklandcoffee.com/collections/coffee/products/father-of-all-dark-roasts
Further media:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/green-day-best-new-band-246152/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/inside-green-days-revolutionary-rebirth-111108/
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/green-day-gives-coffeehouse-culture-a-jolt-with-new-virtual-platform
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rogers-family-co-files-lawsuit-against-keurig-green-mountain-inc-for-alleged-anti-competitive-single-serve-coffee…
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Apr 14, 2022
Bonus Episode 3: Leon Black, Portrait of an (Alleged) A** Hole
First thing we need to say, this episode gets our first trigger warning for mentions of sexual violence. We don't like to tell stories with trigger warnings, but here we are. Maybe don't play this episode with the kids in the car.
This episode is a deeper dive into the allegations that we touched upon in Episode 11: Twinkies Coffee. If you haven't listened to that episode, we recommend you start with that one before listening to this.
We first met Leon Black in our last episode as the CEO of Apollo Global Management with a questionable relationship with Jeffery Epstein. In this episode, we learn more about Leon's life, his position at Apollo Global Management, and the claims against him.
Final notes, we discuss allegations and we present no statements as fact except those that have been verified to be true.
"Of all the articles I read, no one ever accused Leon Black of being nice."
Further media:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-28/leon-black-alleges-a-conspiracy-t…
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Apr 12, 2022
Twinkies Coffee
When friend of Modest Coffee, Big Mike, told us about the Twinkies K-cups that he saw at his local Menards, we knew we had to make an episode. Little did we know, this story held much more than we expected.
Steph covers the history of Hostess, the birth of the Twinkie, and the company's convoluted path to the hands of an (allegedly) disturbing CEO. We also learn a valuable lesson, if it comes in a K-cup, brew it in the K-cup.
"Mr. Twinkie is turning over in his grave right now."
Further media:
https://oprfmuseum.org/people/james-dewar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkie
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/business/leon-black-apollo.html
Help us buy questionable coffee by supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Apr 5, 2022
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
It's a Marcus episode! As a coffee podcast, we thought it important to maybe tell the story of coffee itself so we asked our resident expert to weigh in. When a friend sent us a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain that she picked from the Island in the same week Marcus roasted some JBM for another friend, an episode was serendipitously born.
Marcus tells us the tale of the history of coffee, its many harrowing tales of smuggling and deceit, and we compare Marcus's roast to the roast of Jamaica. Who will win JBM Wars?
"Oh thank god we're finally doing a good coffee episode."
Further media:
https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/living-culture/the-curious-case-of-coffee
https://blog.mcmenamins.com/gabriel-de-clieu-the-man-who-brought-coffee-to-the-new-world/
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/05/28/jamaican-uprising-samuel-sharpe-rebellion-christmas-uprising-great-jamaican-slave-revolt/ideas/essay/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTDy-L0NKIg
Help us buy questionable coffee by supp…
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Mar 31, 2022
Bonus Episode 2: Coke Coffee Extras
There were so many fun stories about Coca Cola that we decided to give you a bonus episode rather than leave these outtakes on the cutting room floor. Steph tells us how one guy made nearly a billion dollars on a $74,000 investment in Coca Cola, how Coca Cola infiltrated the Soviet Union behind the back of Stalin, in what ways Coca Cola definitely has the best marketing, and how Coca Cola caused a public revolt against themselves and came out more profitable than ever. The Coca Cola company might be the ultimate master of business of any business ever.
Further media:
https://www.history.com/news/why-coca-cola-new-coke-flopped
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/the-pause-that-represses-coca-colas-controversies/64456/
Help us buy questionable coffee by supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Mar 29, 2022
Coca-Cola with Coffee
It's the cocaine episode, err, the Coca-Cola with Coffee episode! Steph tells us the fascinating history of the Coca-Cola company and how they came to create Coke with Coffee. Will cocaine infused Coca-Cola cure the founder, John Stith Pemberton, of his morphine addiction? When did Coca-Cola remove coca leaves from Coca-Cola? It's more recently than you'd expect. Find out all this and more in this week's episode!
"I just want to say, it sounds like the 1850s were maybe going to be kinda fun."
Further media:
https://vertavahealth.com/blog/cocaine-in-coca-cola/
https://www.salon.com/2013/05/22/original_coca_cola_had_a_very_small_amount_of_cocaine_partner/
https://litfl.com/cocaine-toxicity-ccc/
https://www.worldcoffeeportal.com/Latest/InsightAnalysis/2019/November/Coca-Cola-s-new-coffee-era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQiwIBgptDA
Help us buy questionable coffee by supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coff…
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Mar 24, 2022
Special Coverage: Ukraine War Through the Lens of Coffee
For many of us, the war in Ukraine dominates the news, our thoughts, and our hearts. When Jenni read an article about how coffee shops are weathering the Ukrainian War on Spruge.com, the trio decided to do a bonus episode about Ukrainian coffee culture and the war.
Marking the first month of the Ukraine War, we discuss the history of Ukraine, how Putin is a real mf'er, we invite Volodymyr Zelensky to be our friend, and we learn about the unfortunate circumstances that led to an explosion of Specialty Coffee culture in Ukraine. We follow the stories of several coffee roasters/ coffee shops as they find a way to cope and survive in the most brutal of situations.
We hope you come away from this episode with a better understanding of the crisis in Ukraine, the people who live there, and how coffee is making a difference.
#standwithukraine "на хуй путін"
To help the people of Ukraine: https://how-you-can-support-ukraine.super.site/
Further media:
https://sprudge.com/coffee-i…
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Mar 22, 2022
Wunderground Adaptogenic Mushroom Coffee
Not-fun magic mushrooms seem to be all the rage right now so when Steph was social media advertised the most adorably packaged instant coffee mixed with adaptogenic mushrooms we knew we had a perfect episode on our hands.
We try two different varieties of coffee from Wunderground Mushroom Coffee company. One claims to boost brain power while the other claims it will give us an immune system of steel. Listen and find out if this mushroom coffee will make us live forever! So far it's working!
https://wundergroundcoffee.com/
Check out the artist that designs Wunderground's art, Kimiaki Yaegashi, here: https://www.instagram.com/kimiakiyaegashi/
Further media:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekelly/2021/06/28/mushrooms-are-the-magical-ingredient-in-this-new-groundbreaking-coffee-from-seattle/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/adaptogenic-mushrooms
http://designmadeinjapan.com/magazine/illustration-icon/kimiaki-yaegashi-interview-with-an-illustrator/
Help us buy questionable cof…
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Mar 17, 2022
Bonus Episode 1: Jameson Cold Brew Love It or Leave It
We've been having so much fun creating Love It or Leave It bonus episodes for our Patreon subscribers that we decided to release one to everyone for St. Patrick's Day. In this episode, we hear a disturbing true story about a Jameson heir and find out if Steph and Marcus love or leave Jameson Cold Brew.
To hear more Love It or Leave It episodes and to support us in producing this show you can find us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nobadreviewspod
https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-US/ourwhiskeys/cold-brew
Further media:
https://cocktailsdistilled.com/2022/03/01/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-jameson/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jameson-whiskey-slave-cannibal/
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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Mar 15, 2022
Irish Whiskey and Cream Coffee- St. Patrick's Day Special!
It's our very first St. Patrick's Day special episode! We decided to give you an extra long episode on account of the holiday. We celebrate Jenni's Irish heritage and learn about the English oppression of the Irish, the Great Famine, the origins of St. Patrick's Day, and the fun story of the birth of Irish Coffee. We take a "nibble" of Irish Whiskey and Cream flavored coffee from Steep & Brew and learn that not all huge coffee companies are evil (as far as we could tell.)
"I agree with the sentiment, f- the British... We can all agree, f- the British."
https://steepandbrewcoffee.com/
Further media:
Jenni's Mom's book recommendation: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/408319.Irish_America
https://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/ruin.htm#:~:text=The%20new%20Poor%20Law%20also,peasant%20families%20and%20small%20farmers.
https://time.com/4261456/st-patrick-day-2016-history-real-saint/
https://www.flyingboatmuseum.com/irish-coffee-center/
https://marketwagon.com/blogs/natur…
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Mar 9, 2022
Girl Scout Cookies Coffee
Girl Scout cookie season is upon us so we thought it fitting to give Girl Scout cookie coffee a whirl. This episode has exorbitantly high salaries for a non-profit, potential child labor, a founder of the Specialty Coffee movement, and an American CEO with ties to Russia. We're not going to say Girl Scout cookie coffee is funding Russia, but we aren't going to say it's not.
Marcus also struggles hard to figure out how to work a K-Cup machine.
"Your Girl Scout cookies, like those girls in front of Walgreens, are probably not funding the war... But the licensed Girl Scout cookie coffee... I can't say."
Further media:
https://georgiahistory.com/education-outreach/online-exhibits/featured-historical-figures/juliette-gordon-low/early-girl-scouting/
https://www.reddit.com/r/madisonwi/comments/eujjit/coffee_pioneer_victor_mondry_leaves_caffeinated/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1189295/4670051-blackstone-oatly-can-you-sell-your-soul-and-still-keep-it
Help us buy questionable coffee by sup…
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Mar 1, 2022
Café Du Monde Coffee
In celebration of Mardi Gras, we take a story trip to New Orleans to try the iconic Café Du Monde chicory blend coffee. We imagine warm sunshine and street performers as we enjoy the origin tale of this New Orleans institution. Steph even busts out her FBI inspired Google skills in her attempts to track down the roaster of this coffee. She can't stop, won't stop and finds she just had to think like the days before Google to find her answers.
Listen to learn how Café Du Monde has survived since the Civil War with no changes to any part of their business model, with the exception of an ice machine, and how we feel about chicory in our coffee.
"It's all coming together now... Café Du Monde was founded by Lestat in 1862."
https://shop.cafedumonde.com/
Further information:
https://www.eater.com/2013/9/25/6366493/eater-elements-cafe-du-mondes-beignets-cafe-au-lait
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/chicory-coffee-mix-new-orleans-made-own-comes-180949950/
https://www.atlaso…
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Feb 22, 2022
Jim Beam Coffee
Join us as Steph takes us back to 1795 in Kentucky where a German immigrant named Jacob Beam somehow figures out how to make bourbon from an ancient German family recipe, despite there being little evidence that bourbon was ever distilled in Germany in the 1700s. He does all the work of planting, harvesting, and distilling himself without any extra hands in the slave state of Kentucky. At least that's the only history the company will admit to.
As you listen with us on this journey through to modern day, we'll learn about how important enslaved peoples were to building the foundation of the American spirit industry, Mitch McConnell makes an appearance as a vampire, and we discover the maybe biggest coffee roaster that no one has heard of.
Episode bonus, Steph and Marcus give their no bad review of Jim Beam bourbon compared with Jim Beam coffee. They might get a little tipsy on air.
"According to the [company] history, Jacob Beam did this. Jacob Beam planted the field, harvested the…
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Feb 15, 2022
Copper Cow Lavender Coffee
In this week's episode we try a little uppers and downers in this Vietnamese coffee mixed with lavender flowers from Copper Cow Coffee. Debbie Wei Mullin, founder of startup Copper Cow Coffee, is on a mission to spread her love of Vietnamese culture with America and change the way we think about coffee.
Listen to find out how we feel about flowers in our coffee and to hear Steph defend venture capitalists while wearing a Bernie Sanders sweatshirt.
"This is how you pull yourself up by your bootstraps in America. You raise $900,000 from friends and family."
Copper Cow Coffee: https://coppercowcoffee.com/products/lavender-latte-pour-over-vietnamese-coffee-with-organic-lavender-with-milk
Further media:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveknox/2021/10/01/how-copper-cow-is-teaching-the-world-about-vietnamese-coffee/?sh=6ed62c89227d
Debbie on Shark Tank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzyHLfXhC1Q
Startup to Storefront podcast: https://radiopublic.com/startup-to-storefront-6B4JaM/s1!3de4a…
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Feb 8, 2022
Donut Wars!
What do Nazis and the bin Laden family have to do with coffee? Find out in this week's episode of Donut Wars! We contrast and compare Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts coffee (and doughnuts!) and learn about their fascinating and, at times, dark histories. Can we find no bad reviews in these staples of Americana?
"So the evil heads of power of the world, of the United States and in the Middle East, coming together for doughnuts and ice cream? This is world peace."
Coffees:
https://www.krispykreme.com/menu/coffee-and-drinks/bold-1937-ground-coffee
https://www.dunkinathome.com/products/ground-coffee/dunkin-dark
Further reading:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/world/europe/nazi-laborers-jab-holding.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-sep-23-me-rosenberg23-story.html
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/krispy-kreme.htm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8635232-time-to-make-the-donuts
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee wit…
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Jan 30, 2022
Maple Bacon Coffee
IT'S OUR FIRST EPISODE! We are so excited to share our coffee review podcast with the world! We are three specialty coffee industry professionals (and friends) on a quest to try any coffee and humorously give no bad reviews.
In this first episode, Jenni considered choosing a Panama Gesha but instead reached for a bag of Maple Bacon from Day to Day Coffee.
Listen to learn the surprising history of Day to Day Coffee, how we brought out the best flavor in maple bacon coffee, and for whom we think this coffee is perfectly suited.
Day to Day Coffee: https://www.daytodaycoffee.com/products/maple-bacon-ground-coffee
Sources:
https://www.papanicholas.com/pages/heritage-1
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-12-09-9004120056-story.html
Sponsored by Modest Coffee! Single-origin coffee without the snobbery. Visit https://www.modest.coffee/nobadreviews to see what they're roasting today.
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