2010 Press
March 10 - New York Times - New York Is Finally Taking Its Coffee Seriously
Columnist Oliver Strand of the New York Times lets everyone know that New York is finally taking coffee as seriously as its restaurants and names Beaner Bar, Clover Cafe, Culture, Five Leaves, Ground Support, Kaffe 1668, Ninth Street Espresso, Ost, Southside, Third Rail, Van Leeuwen, Village Tart among the top coffee bars in New York. Our congratulations to all of them on this great accomplishment. Included in the article is an interactive map of the New York coffee landscape.
March 5 - TimeOut New York - New York's Best Coffee
TimeOut New York went looking for the best coffee shops and espresso bars. What they found was something we knew all along...Ninth Street Espresso brings amazing espresso and pastries to the New York coffee landscape.
March 4 - NBC Los Angeles - Silver Lake Barista Scores Silver
NBC Los Angeles interviews our very own Silver Lake barista, Ryan Willbur about his 2nd place victory at the Western Regional Barista Competition, held February 26 - 28.
February 22 - LA Times Blog - Ana Henton designing new Intelligentsia Coffee
to open in Pasadena this summer
Lisa Boone follows up on the report from February 16 that Intelligentsia is opening a new location in Pasadena this summer. Lisa's dish is that the space is being designed by Anna Henton of MASS Architecture (Silver Lake Wine, Corkbar, Breadbar, Bacaro).
February 18 - T Magazine Blog - Ristretto | A New Twist on Espresso
Oliver Strand gives and in-depth review of the MyPressi Twist, including commentary and answers from James Hoffmann.
February 18 - LA Times - Intelligentsia Coffee to open in Pasadena; summer debut is planned
Betty Hallock interviews a careful-worded Doug Zell about the new Intelligentsia venture in Pasadena, CA.
January 28 - LA Times Blog - Eagle Rock Brewery to partner with Intelligentsia
Father and son team Steven and Jeremy Raub are looking to tap into some local pride by partnering with Intelligentsia Coffee. They want to use the classic pairing of coffee and beer in a whole new way.
January 12 - Juxtapoz - Intelligentsia Coffee’s Good Children Mug by Timothy Breen
Juxtapoz Magazine was created by a group of artists in 1994 to both help define and celebrate urban contemporary art. Juxatopz's website featured Tim Breen's "Good Children" mug as a way to reinvent the morning coffee ritual.
January 12 - American Design Awards - November Design Contest Winner
To facilitate a broad range of disciplines and artists, the American Design Awards has established an ongoing Monthly Design Contest in the hope of reaching out to thousands of graphic and web designers. Intelligentsia submitted our web design for consideration in the November judging. Of 486 submissions, Matt Riddle and Andy Wickstrom's design was one of 26 selected for top honors. We are proud of their work and this achievement.
January 07 - Time Out Chicago - Explore some of your favorite vices - booze, caffeine and sugar.
Web Behrens toured Goose Island, Eli's Cheesecake and Intelligentsia and wrote about his experiences at each. On the subject of the Intelligentsia tour he mentions the coffee (freshly brewed by Varris Holmes) and our Direct Trade program and finishes his description with what he sees as the best part: "taking home a half-pound of the very beans you just saw roasted. It doesn't get any fresher than that!"
2009 Press
December 31 - Curbed LA - Best Architecture, Bold-Faced Names of 2009
Intelligentsia's CEO and Founder Doug Zell partnered with Ana Henton of MASS Architecture and Design to create Intelligentsia's Venice coffeebar. If you have visited the space, you know that Henton pushes design forward in the same way that Intelligentsia advances the possibilities of coffee. Henton and her firm were highlighted in Curbed LA's year-end wrap up of architecture firms, people, and trends that stood out in 2009. In addition to Intelligentsia, MASS was noted for Breadbar in Century City, Cork Bar downtown, Silverlake Wine, and Auburn 7, their first multi-unit residential building.
December 31 - Food GPS - 2009 Best of Food GPS
Joshua Lurie's foodGPS.com is dedicated to "pinpointing the highest quality, best tasting food, regardless of price or ethnicity." Joshua makes regular trips around Southern California, but his travels did take him throughout the country in 2009. His selection for "Coffeehouse of the Year" was Intelligentsia's Venice cafe.
December 31 - Portafilter.net - The Decade's Top Ten in Specialty Coffee
Always an entertaining writer and never shy with his opinions, Nick Cho of Portafilter.net presented his top ten most significant events, organizations, and trends of the '00's. He listed Intelligentsia, Stumptown, and Counter Culture as the three most influential companies of the decade. "There are certainly larger and more famous coffee companies out there, but it's hard to deny the effect that these three specialty roasters have had in the U.S. and throughout the world during the second half of this decade."
December 31 - Tamp Tamp - Top 9 NYC Cafes of 2009
Looking back over the last year in coffee, Anne Nylander listed what she considered to be the nine top cafes in New York. Happily, five of these coffeebars serve Intelligentsia or Ecco (our sister company based in Santa Rosa, California). We congratulate Southside Coffee, Ost Cafe, Third Rail Coffee, Ground Support, and Joe (serving Ecco) on a great 2009. Here's to continued success in 2010.
December 18 - MSN - America’s Best Coffee
Bret Stetka's MSN story highlights the best coffees from across the US. Stetka notes Intelligentsia’s “national presence and near-universal respect among coffee enthusiasts” and Doug Zell, Intelligentsia’s Founder and CEO, speaks to our efforts to focus on coffee from seed to cup. He states that “we work incredibly hard to source exquisite coffees, to roast them perfectly and to serve perfect drinks.”
December 14 - Toronto Life Magazine - Eleven Edible (or Drinkable) Gifts for the Indulgent Epicure
Toronto Life Magazine lists the Celebration Blend and Black Cat Espresso Bar sold by Manic Coffee as picks for the season.
December 07 - LAist - Looking for the Best Hot Chocolate in LA
As the weather turned cold and rainy in Los Angeles, LAist's Julie Wolfson went in search of hot chocolate. She visited our Silver Lake coffeebar and Josh prepared one for her. He also described the recipe in detail: steamed milk added to a ganache made from bittersweet Scharffen Berger chocolate, agave and heavy whipping cream. She described her drink as "rich, satisfying, and not overly sweet... and a great cup of hot chocolate."
December 01 - GQ Japan - Sunset Junction
Sunset Junction was featured in GQ Japan, and while no one on the Intelligentsia staff actually reads Japanese, we are going to assume that the writer enjoyed the visit.
November 11 - Globe & Mail - L.A.'s Silver City
Toronto's Globe and Mail featured an exploration of Silver Lake, "one of Los Angeles' most creative and most coherent areas." Writer Alissa Walker states that the "compact neighbourhood sparkles with personality and bohemian quirkiness." She takes an hour-by-hour stroll along Sunset Boulevard, beginning at 9AM at our coffeebar where she enjoys both our lattes and brewed-to-order coffee.
October 28 - Saveur - A Fine Drip
Saveur's Katie Robbins reviewed the best drip coffee brewers in Specialty Coffee and presented the usual suspects: Technivorm, Chemex, and the Hario dripper, among others. She interviewed Intelligentsia's David Latourell on the Yama Siphon Brewer and said that he "appreciated the subtle weightiness of the coffee it produces." You can find a link to this brewer here.
October 22 - citysearch.com – Chicago’s Best Coffee
As it does every fall, Citysearch.com held its “Best of Citysearch” competition where visitors to the site pick their city favorites in a wide variety of categories. Intelligentsia’s Broadway coffeebar gained top honors and was selected as Chicago’s best coffee. Thanks to everyone who voted for us.
October 22 - citysearch.com – Los Angeles’ Best Coffee
Los Angelenos supported Intelligentsia in large numbers in Citysearch.com’s 2009 “Best of Citysearch.” Intelligentsia’s Silver Lake coffeebar defended its 2008 title was voted “Best Los Angeles Coffee” for a second straight year.
October 19 - GQ - The Most Important Drink of the Day: Where to Find the Best Coffee in America
In the November issue of GQ, Oliver Strand traveled the United States in search of great coffee and landed at Intelligentsia. Here’s what Strand had to say: “Since Doug Zell opened the first Intelligentsia in 1995 – pioneering the practice of DIY roasting and direct trade – he’s pulled off the unlikely trick of turning Chicago into a great coffee city. In 2007, he expanded to Los Angeles, where his cafes are a little less austere and a little more Hollywood; the new Venice outpost features a restored La Marzocco GS2 espresso machine with walnut panels and laser-etched knobs that’s more than 25 years old. The caramely house espresso is spectacular no matter where you drink it.”
October 8 - LA Weekly – Ana Henton of MASS Architecture & Design
Jessica Ritz interviews architect Ana Henton, whose recent projects include Intelligentsia’s Venice coffeebar. Henton said that Intelligentsia “knew exactly how they work, and what works. If [clients] are looking for something innovative in terms of planning, programming, material use, and how the space is going to feel, then that’s when they’re going to come to an architect.” This also defines her vision of “micro-architecture,” where the focus is not on simple decoration but how the things function. Her concept can be felt throughout our coffeebar and it unites the space in spectacular fashion.
October 8 - LA Weekly – Best of LA, Intelligentsia Venice
In LA Week’s 2009 Best of LA edition, Amy Scattergood describes the joy of the “blissful marriage” of espresso and gelato and describes Intelligentsia’s Venice coffeebar as the “best place to feel as if you’re breakfasting in an Italian palazzo.”
September 22 - Serious Eats New York – Coffee Chronicles: Intelligentsia Coffee Meets Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Allison Hemler’s article begins with a great quote: “I’m sure you’ve never thought of an affogato as street food, but I also never thought I’d be drinking Intelligentsia coffee from a truck.” Her story recounts her visit to Van Leeuwen’s ice cream truck at Fifth Avenue on 23rd Street to taste the Black Cat Espresso served from a Mirage Veloce. The drinks (and ice cream) sounded pretty tasty.
August 26 - Gizmodo.com – Giz Explains: How to Actually Make Coffee
Matt Buchanan researches how to really make great coffee. As a New Yorker, he reaches out to Ken Nye of Ninth Street Espresso and Intelligentsia’s very own David Latourell. The article goes in-depth and covers grinders (possibly the most important piece of equipment in your set-up) and multiple brewing methods (Chemex, siphon, and Clover, among others).
August 12 - USA Network – In Plain Sight "Let's Get it Ahn"
"Let's Get it Ahn" is Episode 13 of Season 2 of the USA Network's In Plain Sight. The plot of this particular episode sounds intriguing: "A world-class counterfeiter witness - whose girlfriend's infidelity moved her to confess - is suspect in the murder of another 'friend.'" The detectives' choice of coffee is just another good reason to watch. (The link above will direct you to YouTube and the specific clip that shows Intelligentsia coffee cups. If you want to watch the entire episode, we recommend checking out hulu.com.)
August 1 - LA Magazine – Intelligentsia "Best Coffee Equipment"
LA Magazine's "Best of LA" is out and Intelligentsia has been tapped for "Best Coffee Equipment." The editors highlighted our grinders, brewers, and for espresso, the Andreja Premium, which yields "the complex, crema-crowned shots that make the coffee geeks geeky." And yes, the Andreja is available here.
August 1 - Details Magazine – Roast Whisperers
In an article dedicated to "How to Make Really Good Coffee," Details writer JJ Goode lists Intelligentsia as an industry innovator and singles us out for our work developing Direct Trade. Geoff Watts "helps farmers grow better beans by holding tastings with them… in the process he has burned through two passports."
July 29 - Washington Business Journal – Chatting with Chinatown Coffee
Missy Frederick interviews Nick Cho about Chinatown Cafe, his latest foray into the world of Specialty Coffee. This coffeebar in Washington, DC will be serving Intelligentsia, and if Nick's other endeavors are indicators, we can expect to hear a lot about this spot in the near future.
July 27 - Man Seeking Coffee – Haute Cafe
The Man Seeking Coffee blog visits Intelligentsia customer Culture Cafe and it gives it a stellar review. Culture Cafe purchased the Marzocco that used to reside in our Broadway Coffeebar and whether the barista or the machine, "the shot of Black Cat I was served was very good. It was buttery, bright and bursting with orange acidity." If you are anywhere near 38th Street in New York's Garment District, go check out Culture Cafe.
July 17 - Flavor Wire – The Kool-Aid's in the Coffee
Nora Oppenheim interviews Intelligentsia's David Latourell on the state of the coffee industry and he definitely delivers. Discussing everything from our company, to the New York coffee scene to how to source great single origins, David's passion and knowledge really shine through.
July 13 - Edible Los Angeles - Intelligentsia - Venice
Lisa Marie Mouhibián visited our Venice coffeebar and gives it a rave review. She particularly enjoyed our single origin espressos and cupping bar. The last line of the article might be the best: "If you haven’t checked out Intelligentsia Venice yet - do it! It’s an experience you'll never forget."
July 06 - Grub Street New York – Newest Coffee Innovation: Chemex by the Cup
This article from Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld of Grubstreet New York highlights the great work of "Danger" Dan Griffith and the team at Third Rail Coffee. Chemex "by the cup" brewing sets the tone for the experience and yields a "cleaner, brighter, better cup."
July 01 - Zagat Los Angeles Nightlife Survey – Intelligentsia "Best Bang for the Buck"
The Zagat Survey released the results of its ninth annual Los Angeles Nightlife survey, and many of them were not surprising. In tough economic times Los Angelenos are going out less often and watching what they spend. Happily, the survey also found that "this year's top Bang for the Buck is Intelligentsia, a hip coffee shop in Silver Lake." The results are based on the thoughts and opinions of over 1,750 locals and reveal that the cafe has become a part of both the morning and evening routines of residents of Silver Lake and Los Angeles as a whole.
May 23 - Men's Health – 16 New Lessons of Great Guy Food
As summer approaches, Men’s Health recommends iced coffee and provides a recipe to make it… and the best iced coffee requires the best beans from Intelligentsia.
May 23 - LAist – Wake Up and Smell the Opening
Lindsay Williams Ross from LAist keeps it short and simple in her posting on our Venice coffeebar opening party. East Siders have Silver Lake and West Siders will shortly have our Venice coffeebar. (Make sure to watch the video.)
May 21 - Daily Candy – What To Do This Weekend
Daily Candy picks the fun, the cool, and the interesting. Daily Candy LA thinks that you should be at our Venice opening party on Friday night.
June 2009 - Bicycling Magazine – My Favorite Things
In the June 2009 issue of Bicycling Magazine cyclist Mike Friedman is asked about his favorite things. He likes his '66 Mustang, his crock-pot, and... Intelligentsia Coffee. He claims that "Intelligentsia isn't as well-known and deserves to be." Thanks for doing your part to get our story out there, Mike.
April 30 - LA Times – We're jealous: Intelligentsia creates special blend of coffee for Stones Throw label
Margaret Wappler of the LA Times writes about Intelligentsia's creation of a specific blend for Stone's Throw Records. She particularly liked the descriptions for our coffees and wondered if we would be doing record reviews next.
April 29 - Los Angeles Times - It’s just you and your barista at Intelligentsia Venice
Joshua Lurie from the Los Angeles Times gives his readers at sneak peak at our new Venice coffeebar. He talks to Doug Zell and Kyle Glanville about creating an environment where customers will by taken through the experience by one barista and what that level of attention will mean.
April 29 - Chicago Tribune - 4 paths to Jazzed Up Java
The Chicago Tribune’s Monica Eng makes the case that Americans are saving money by brewing their coffee at home. She reviews four brewing methods that all provide great cups.
April 18 - The Guardian - Escape from LA-la land
Looking to present the more interesting and less shiny parts of Los Angeles to his British readers, the Guardian’s David Vincent stops at Intelligentsia for coffee, notes our by-the-cup brewing techniques, and enjoys our Agua Preta, our Direct Trade Coffee from Brazil.
April 16 - Creative Loafing - A guide to Atlanta coffee
With both the Specialty Coffee Association of America Conference and the World Barista Championship taking place in Atlanta this month, the community is focused on coffee. Besha Rodell from Creative Loafing, Atlanta's alternative weekly paper, conducted a blind taste test of espresso. Black Cat Espresso from Intelligentsia was selected as the "overwhelming favorite" from a group of offerings from some other well-known coffee roasters.
April 15 - NPR's Morning Edition - Chicago Barista To Compete In Championship
Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep interviewed Intelligentsia's Michael Phillips on the upcoming World Barista Competition to be held in Atlanta April 16-19.
April 14 - Qantas Magazine - Espresso Mojo
Qantas' in-flight magazine seeks to provide travelers with new, interesting and unique experiences. In this month’s magazine, Emily Carr explored the Los Angeles coffee scene and featured Intelligentsia’s Silver Lake coffeebar. She states that "Intelligentsia's founders are serious about the craft of coffee-making and also about graphic and architectural design." We expect to see lots of Australians visiting the shop this summer, which will make Deaton Pigot (one of our LA Roasters and a proud Aussie) very happy.
April 10 - Bon Appetit - Conscious Cook: Direct Trade Coffee
Bon Appetit's Zinzi Edmundson explored coffees moving past the Fair Trade model and discovered that Intelligentsia is a “excellent source” to get “direct-trade beans delivered straight to your home.”
April 9 - TimeOut New York - Eat Out Awards 2009: Readers' choice - Best coffee: Café Grumpy
Time Out New York gives Café Grumpy the nod for "Best Coffee in New York" and recognizes Intelligentsia for "top-notch" beans. High praise, indeed.
April 2 - The New York Post – New Coffee Crop Jolts City
The New York Post's Carla Spartos explored the city's cafe scene and selected Intelligentsia Coffee as the pick for Best Coffee in New York. She described the coffee as "sweet, complex and full-bodied" and said that she preferred Intelligentsia's "high-octane" espresso to some competitors' offerings.
March 26 - The New York Times blog – Remembrance of Espresso Past
New York Times writer Oliver Schwaner-Albright discusses Intelligentsia’s newest coffeebar in Venice, California, including a 1972 La Marzocco GS2 espresso machine that was in Starbucks’ first location.
March 25 - Chicago Reader - 2009 Best of Chicago: Readers’ Choice, Best Coffee
Each year the Chicago Reader selects its "Best of Chicago." This year the editors included categories such as Best Bread and Best Diner. In the coffee category, they went for "Best Foo Foo Coffee Drink" and selected Vella Cafe's cardamom latte. Happily, their readers selected Intelligentsia as best coffee, with no drink specified. We do great coffee but without any of the foo-foo.
March 14 - The Cafe Guide - Interview with Nick Griffith
"...you no longer sound like you’re just listing fact that you've committed to memory, you start sharing what you know about coffee." Café Guide talks with USBC competitor Nick Griffith about inspiration and preparing for the big show.
March 13 - The New York Times blog - Like Mike
New York Times writer Oliver Schwaner-Albright writes about the USBC. He also includes a description of Mike Phillips's signature drink in such detail that it could be considered an act of cruelty against those who haven't tried it.
March 11 - NBC 5 Chicago - Broadway Barista is Best-of-the-Best
NBC Channel 5 reports on the 2009 USBC championship win, calling 1st place finisher Phillips "The best of the best." The video includes a small interview with the always-humble Mike and his cohorts.
March 9 - Imbibe Magazine - An Intelly Sweep
Imbibe Magazine gives us a run-down of the 2009 USBC, where Intelligentsia baristas captured 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th place trophies.
March 9 - Chicago Tribune blog - Chicagoan named nation's best barista
Writer Monica Eng sums up Mike’s USBC performance for Chicago Tribune readers. Note the special pride the Tribune takes in mentioning that Mike’s a Chicagoan.
March 8 - USBC Blog - Mike Phillips wins the 2009 United States Barista Championship
The USBC's official announcement of the contest – including wallpaper-sized photograph of this year’s winners.
February 4 - The New York Times - The Cafe Way
Reporter Tim McKeough spends time with Intelligentsia’s New York guys, David Latourell and Steve Mierisch, discussing the tools necessary to get coffeebar-quality coffee and espresso at home.
January 26 - LA Times Daily Dish - Intelligentsia sweeps the Western Regional Barista Competition
Deborah Netburn provides a recap of the 2009 Western Regional Barista Competition where Intelligentsia’s Nick Griffith, Devin Pedde, and Ryan Willbur captured top honors.
January 14 - Chicago Sun Times - So You Wanna Be a Barista?
Intelligentsia hosts barista training courses that are open to the public. In a quest to get better quality from his home machine, reporter Jerry Soverinsky attended a class led by Alexandra Switzer.
2008 Press
December 1st - Crain's Chicago Business - 40 under 40
Each year, Crain's Chicago Business, Chicago's weekly business paper, focuses on 40 area up-and-comers under the age of 40. Doug Zell, Intelligentsia's founder and CEO, was selected in 2004 and 2008 marks Geoff Watts' turn. Geoff is Intelligentsia's Vice President of Coffee, and journalist Laurie Cunningham does a good job of capturing his personality and vision.
October 27th - New York Times - Bean Town
The New York Times' Ted Botha explores the state of Specialty Coffee in New York City and finds many coffeebars of all shapes and sizes. Places like Southside Coffee and Gimme! Coffee have led many to conclude that New York is experiencing a coffee renaissance, with Intelligentsia playing a role in its position as "probably the country's most talked-about roaster."
October 8th - BoingBoing.net - Kyle Glanville reports from Fazenda Conquista in Brazil
With over 300,000 unique visitors per day, 900,000 page views and over 1,000,000 RSS subscribers, Boing Boing is one of the most popular sites on the Internet. With a constant source of links and commentary on technology, culture, politics, free speech, and the occasional oddity, BB is one of our favorite sites on the web. Intelligentsia's Kyle Glanville has become BB TV's global coffee correspondent, and in this episode, he reports from Fazenda Conquista in Brazil.
October 3rd - LA City Beat - Best of Real LA
CityBeat, Los Angeles' alternative weekly, devoted its September 25th edition to finding the things that make each of the city's neighborhoods special, unique, and decidedly LA. They made a great choice in Silver Lake: "Intelligentsia's first California location presents the coffeehouse experience at its most genteel: by-the-cup brewing for freshness that challenges the limits of human experience, a custom-built espresso machine, and a heroic import agreement with Delilah's and Bread Bar to make sure the sweets on sale are supporting other local businesses."
September 22nd - Citysearch.com - "Best of" Awards
Citysearch.com conducts a yearly contest to determine the "best of the best" in cities across the US. The categories vary by community and year, but Los Angelenos were asked to select their favorite coffee in the 2008 competition. When the voting ended, Intelligentsia's Silver Lake coffeebar was selected as the "Audience and Editorial" winner. We are proud of our Los Angeles baristas and cannot thank them enough for all their hard work. Thanks for showing them your support and appreciation.
We would also like to congratulate Diesel Café in Boston and Joe's Coffee in Atlanta for their awards.
September 17th - Saveur Magazine October 2008 edition - 9 of the World's Best Coffees
Saveur Magazine sampled more than 100 coffees from around the world and chose Intelligentsia’s Hacienda La Esmeralda as one of the nine best.
August 28th - Edible LA - "Best coffee in the world"?
In Issue #1 of Edible LA, Caroline Kim discusses Intelligentsia's Silver Lake coffeebar, our Direct Trade Program, and Kyle Glanville's performance at the United States Barista Championship. Is our coffee "the best in the world"? We'll let you be the judge.
August 27th - Time Out New York - Review of Intelligentsia Customers
Elizabeth Oakes' review of the independent coffee scene mentions two locations serving Intelligentsia Coffee: Café Grumpy and the Blue Spoon Coffee Company. While Blue Spoon was noted for a great au lait, Café Grumpy brewed up our Limoncillo, Nicaragua Cup of Excellence: 2nd Place for the author. Intelligentsia is proud to be served at both coffeebars and we look forward to many good things in New York City.
August 18th - Food & Wine - Best U.S. Coffee Bar
In Food and Wine's 30th Anniversary issue, the magazine's editors selected Intelligentsia as a one of the "Best U.S. Coffee Bars." Author Nick Pandolfi notes that Intelligentsia is "one of the most respected coffee roasters in the country… (and) was among the fist to seek out individual growers, cutting out the middlemen." We couldn't have put it any better. We celebrate Food and Wine's good taste and wish them another successful 30 years.
August 15th - Intelligentsia Coffee and Slow Food Nation
Intelligentsia Coffee will be participating in Slow Food Nation in San Francisco from August 29 – September 1. We will be part of the Tasting Pavilion within the pier at Fort Mason where guests can also sample Beer, Bread, Charcuterie, Cheese, Chocolate, Coffee, Fish, Honey & Preserves, Ice Cream, Native Foods, Olive Oil, Pickles & Chutney, Spirits, Tea and Wine from producers around the United States.
Slow Food Nation is a subsidiary non-profit of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement. It was created to organize the first-ever American collaborative gathering to unite the growing sustainable food movement and introduce thousands of people to food that is good, clean and fair. The first annual event of Slow Food Nation takes place on Labor Day 2008 in San Francisco with enjoyable, accessible and educational activities for all Americans. Slow Food Nation is dedicated to creating a framework for deeper environmental connection to our food and aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy and delicious. Intelligentsia Coffee supports the mission of this very worthwhile organization and we look to follow their principles in the operation of our own business.
July 15th - American Express - Commercial featuring Doug Zell
Doug Zell has been a cardmember for many years now and Intelligentsia uses American Express company-wide, so when Amex asked him to participate in a commercial, he agreed with only slight hesitation. Here you have Doug in the Newark airport at like 3AM after many, many takes, looking to "catch a flight to San Francisco". He said that the whole experience was "otherworldly" and we appreciate American Express asking us to partner with them in such a prominent way. The exposure is nice, and if even one person chooses to explore Specialty Coffee after seeing the Intelligentsia Coffee name, we consider it a worthy endeavor.