National Irish Coffee Day

Irish Coffee 

Deliciously warm, authentic Irish Coffee is made with whiskey, coffee, and heavy cream. The original Irish Coffee recipe was invented by a man named Joe Sheridan, a new restaurant owner in one of Europe’s biggest airports during the 1940s.

Ingredients
6 oz fresh-brewed, hot coffee
2 sugar cubes
1 oz whiskey
1/4 cup heavy whipped cream (for garnish)

Nutrition Profile

National Gourmet Coffee Day The Difference between Gourmet and Specialty Coffee

The Difference between Gourmet and Specialty Coffee

There are many coffee companies that like to state their coffee is gourmet. The term “Gourmet” coffee, has no standard definition. Gourmet coffee could be superior coffee, or it is just a term used for marketing.

Grading Coffee Beans, Specialty Coffee

All coffee beans can be graded out of 100. This grading process is called “cupping”. And according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), specialty coffee is Arabica coffee with a cup score of 80+ points.

The coffee must have been cupped by a certified Q grader. On top of that, too many defects in a sample of the green, unroasted coffee beans will automatically disqualify that coffee from specialty status.

Arabica beans are considered the premium, best-tasting type of beans. Robusta is less expensive to grow and tastes inferior. Some blends mix both types of beans, but the best coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans. To improve the taste of the coffee, look for a blend made from only Arabica beans.

Resources
1. The differences between gourmet and regular coffee, @CafeBritt
2. Discover the Many Coffees from Around the World, National Coffee Association
3. Coffee Professionals Discuss: What Is Specialty Coffee? @PerfectDailyG

National Caffeine Awareness Month - Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze

So what's the harm, ask caffeine lovers, who point to studies showing the benefits of caffeine, such as boosting memory and improving concentration and perhaps lowering risks of diseases such as Alzheimer's and liver cancer.

But others are alarmed by what they say is an increasingly overcaffeinated nation; they are concerned about studies finding too much caffeine can set you up for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and decreased bone density -- not to mention jangled nerves.

Caffeine abuse by young people alarms some experts. It was the cause of many calls to an Illinois Poison Center over a three-year tracking period, a team of doctors reported at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting in New Orleans.

FDA investigating caffeine-infused food

Though today we look at the caffeine in Carbonated Beverages, this is also an opportunity to view the caffeine in energy drinks that have been cited as the cause of some deaths and are currently being investigated by the US FDA. Some energy drinks contain 2 to 3 times the amount of caffeine found in soda.

Links between energy drinks and death

Hidden Dangers of Caffeinated Energy Drinks



Caffeine (mg) based on 12-ounces Soda

Caffeine   Soda

  (mg)

 71.2         Jolt       

 69.0         Diet Pepsi Max 

 55.0         Pepsi One

 55.0         Mountain Dew

 55.0         Mountain Dew Code Red

 55.0         Diet Mountain Dew

 46.5         Tab

 45.6         Diet Coke

 44.4         Shasta Diet Cola

 43.0         Diet RC Cola

 43.0         Diet Dr. Pepper

 40.0         Diet Sunkist Orange

 37.5         Pepsi-Cola

 36.0         Diet Pepsi

 34.0         Coca-Cola Classic

 34.0         Diet Cherry Coke

 29.0         AW Creme Soda

 22.0         AW Diet Creme Soda

 0              7-Up

 0              Sprite, regular or diet

 0              AW Root Beer

Resources
1. WebMD: Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze