The history of Starbucks coffee began in Seattle around 1971 when three friends (Zev Siegl, Gordon Bowker and Jerry Baldwin) opened their small shop and began selling freshly roasted coffee beans and brewing accessories. It branched out to six outlets throughout Washington around 1980, when Zev Siegl sold out in pursuit of other ventures.

Howard Schultz and His Vision

In 1982, a plastics salesman named Howard Schultz was hired as head of the marketing department of Starbucks coffee. During a trip in Italy around 1983, Schultz found himself obsessed with Italy's coffee beans and industry, which started his idea of setting up a coffee shop in the United States. Unfortunately, Baldwin wasn't too excited about Schultz's idea, but he did let him test the idea by implementing a small espresso bar in one of the Starbucks stores. Because of its immediate success, Schultz opened up his own store named "II Giornale".

It was only in 1987 that Shultz started a worldwide name for Starbucks coffee when Baldwin decided to sell the company for $3.8 million. Schultz convinced several investors of his vision – 120 Starbucks outlets for the next five years. He converted the six Starbucks shops into coffee houses and changed the name of II Giornale shops into Starbucks.

In 1992, the Starbucks coffee shops in operation totaled 165, exceeding Schultz's original vision. Today, over 8,000 cafes in thirty countries are in operation with annual revenues of over $7.5 million.

Starbucks Coffee Liqueur

Starbucks coffee liqueur is the company's "adult-only" version of their line of coffees. Sold in 750 ml bottles, the main idea of the company is to sell the liquor, their coffee and the name Starbucks into one. The product itself comes from 100 per cent Starbucks coffee combined with 20 per cent alcohol. This line of liquor-coffee product is a result of a joint venture with Jim Beam Brands, which is a major player in the wine industry. The reason for the marketing of this product was due to a Starbucks survey that revealed that over 50 per cent of their loyal clients consumed coffee liquors.

Starbucks coffee has collaborated with other companies, such as Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and Pepsi-Cola Company. With the company's collaboration with Jim Bean, Starbucks coffee reports that their DoubleShot remains the number one in the liquor-coffee category.

With the production of high-class coffee beans, brewing accessories, coffee makers and espresso machines as well as the collaboration of different top players in other industries, Starbucks coffee continues to produce well-known products that both loyal patrons and new coffee drinkers love.

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No two coffee flavors are exactly alike, and to find the one that will hit the spot, requires an ability to decipher "foreign sounding" names and understand what they mean.

So, to help the next time you stop at your local coffee spot, here is a basic vocabulary lesson. Remember, names can vary and can even get quite complicated. Say triple mocha latte espresso three times fast and you'll see!

Some of the most common terms you'll see in coffeehouses include:

Drip coffee. This means nothing more than brewed coffee. It's generally the basic, run of the mill coffee.

Barista. This is the fancy name for the person behind the counter that expertly blends and mixes different cups of coffee to a customer's taste.

Espresso. This is an Italian creation that's served small because it packs a real punch. Made using beans that are roasted to their absolute extreme of darkness, this coffee is also used as a base for others such as lattes and mochas.

Café latte. This contains espresso mixed with steamed milk and generally topped off with foamed milk. It can be iced and flavored, too, for a real treat.

Breve latte. This is the same as regular latte except it's made with half-and-half for extra richness.

Café mocha. This is a combination of espresso and chocolate syrup. It's usually served with whipped cream and sprinkles for an added touch.

Cappuccino. Kind of a watered down espresso, this is made using equal parts of espresso, steamed milk and foamed milk.

Café au lait. This is nothing more than drip coffee with hot milk and a fancy name.

It used to be there were only a few kinds of coffee to choose from: black, creamed, sugared or all of the above. Now, with most coffeehouses offering everything from mochas and lattes to espresso and beyond, there's a need to be able to navigate the menus to find that perfect cup of coffee. Whether you like it sweet, straight up or with a cinnamon stick in the mix, there's a coffee for everyone. The key to finding the best is having an idea of what to order!

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If you are more of the creative type, then you may want to create your own coffee gift basket. You can purchase a basket from most any craft store along with the cellophane wrapping to cover the finished product. You can line the bottom of the basket with craft grass or be creative and use coffee filters. You can decorate the outside of the basket to go with any special occasion, whether it is birthday, Christmas or just a thank you gift, it will have that extra personalized touch. Next you will want to pick out some tasty treats to put in your coffee gift basket.

Limitless Options

With so many choices of coffee today, your options of goodies for your coffee gift basket are limitless. There is black coffee, white coffee, lattes, cappuccinos and espressos to name but a few. You can throw in some chocolate covered coffee beans and a coffee mug filled with some flavored chocolate covered spoons to stir in some flavor to any cup of coffee. Biscotti or Rum cake is a nice touch for that special someone to snack on while enjoying the variety of coffees in the coffee gift basket.

Adding a variety of flavored syrups is a nice touch as well. This will give the recipient of the coffee gift basket the choice to mix and match flavors as they choose. There are even some flower shops that offer these types of gift baskets with the special touch of flowers with the coffee. No matter if make the basket yourself or have it made by a pro, a coffee gift basket will be a big hit with even the most finicky of people. The basket will definitely let that certain someone know that they are very much appreciated.

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But the truth of the matter is coffee in the can has in all likelihood traveled a great distance and undergone some serious steps in a long process just to make it to the grocery store. The coffee inside must be grown, dried, processed, roasted and ground before it takes on the shape most people are used to seeing in the grocery store. Of course, that's not even mentioning the canning process!

Coffee itself is grown in about 50 countries worldwide. From Africa to the Caribbean and even Hawaii, the little beans drinkers are familiar with actually come from trees. The trees produce "cherries" within which are the beans.

Getting the bean from the cherry is the trick that takes place long before coffee hits a local market's shelves. This process generally takes place where the cherries are harvested from trees. The trees themselves can grow up to 30 feet high in some cases, but are generally kept short to aid in harvesting.

Once cherries have been taken from the trees, they must be dried before the beans can be removed. There are two primary methods for doing this. One is fairly inexpensive, the other a bit more costly for bringing coffee to the table.

The first method of harvesting beans from coffee cherries is the "dry method." This is considered the most simplistic way of harvesting beans. In this method, cherries are dries out in the sun over of period of about 10 days. Once the moisture levels in the cherries drops, the beans are ready for removal.

The wet method involves a quicker removal of the outside layers of the cherries as the entire "fruit" is put into a pulping machine to wash away the pulp and skin. Once the beans are removed, generally within 24 hours, they are dried in the sun or in commercial dryers.

From either method, the desired end result is high-grade, unroasted coffee beans. These are what's generally shipped to major coffee makers for further processing to deliver to store shelves. The coffee that's shipping from the production site is called "green" since it has not been roasted as of yet.

Estimates for green coffee come in around 7 million tons a year that's shipped to all parts of the world for further processing and eventual consumption.

It may seem like a simple process to go to the store and grab a can of coffee, but the grounds inside have most likely taken a world tour on their way to the market, undergoing multiple processes to become the drink consumers just love to the last drop.

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Green coffee, which is the unroasted bean, is capable of holding its freshness for years. But, once the beans are roasted, the lifespan takes a huge nosedive. It is estimated, in fact, that roasted beans really only hold their full flavor for a week or so and then begin to decline in richness and full-bodied effect.

The grinding process, too, takes a lot of out coffee. True gourmets will say the grounds are only good for a few hours. Once brewed, the lifespan is even more dire straits, as flavor is reported to be lost within minutes.

Since it's nearly impossible for most coffee lovers to fresh roast and grind their own green coffee beans each morning, what's a coffee lover to do to ensure a good cup of coffee in the morning?

The answer to that question is smart and careful storage. The beans themselves are pretty delicate little creations that don't enjoy light or moisture – especially after roasting and even more so after grinding.

The coffee that's purchased fresh roasted and vacuum-sealed in containers right after grinding does hold most of its flavor, but once it's opened, the clock starts ticking. To help ensure coffee holds a much of its flavor as possible, try:

* Buying beans and fresh grinding them yourself right before use. The beans themselves might lose a little flavor if purchased in bulk, but not as much as grounds might.
* Store beans and grinds in airtight containers. Make sure the storage area is dark, cool and free from moisture. Only remove and grind those beans that are needed for imminent drinking.
* Never put beans or grinds in the refrigerator. Cool doesn't not mean cold. The moisture and other aromas in the refrigerator's environment can and will lessen the pure coffee flavor of beans and grinds.
* Freezing is okay with beans that are light in color. Dark roasts are not known for their ability to stand up well in frozen conditions.

Much like fine wine, a good cup of coffee is one that's treated with some tender loving care in the creation process. To ensure the richest flavor and the most full-bodied aroma, coffee lovers go to great lengths to preserve freshness. The difference is in the taste and it's one that a true coffee lover and most certainly distinguish.

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Counting Calories In Starbucks Coffee

Everyone seems to love Starbucks, and they have created so many delectable beverages, that once you taste them the calories seem to be unimportant to most of us. However, a person who is dieting needs to be aware of the calories in these coffee drinks. For instance, a Frappucino in a large cup yields an amazing three hundred and thirty-one calories. That's a lot for a drink that started out at zero. Another example of a high calorie drink is a latte. A tall one has an amazing two hundred and ten calories. Most dieters would agree that these drinks would not be beneficial to their diets, but without doing the research on the calories in coffee drinks there is no way to know what they are actually consuming.

Low Calorie Coffee Tips

When you fix coffee to your liking, chances are you will add calories. There is however ways that you can cut down your intake of calories consumed in coffee.

Start by choosing a small cup, either eight or 12 ounces would be fine. When ordering, ask that your coffee be prepared with fat free milk. This can save you from up to 80 grams of fat. Use a sugar substitute instead of sugar. (1 tablespoon of sugar is 15 calories) You should always order coffee without cream, whipped cream, coffee syrups etc. when you are trying to cut back on the calories in your coffee. A good way to limit the calorie intake is to refrain from more than one or two cups of coffee.

Did You Know…?

Did you know that in order to burn off the number of calories in one of the fancy coffee house drinks you would have to walk for 1 hour continuously? This would only burn off the coffee drink calories and nothing else.

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Photo Memory

We've all seen the kiosk at the mall that will snap a picture of you and immortalize it on a mug, which is a great idea in theory until your mug shot truly looks like a mugshot. Why not use that picture of you and your friend giggling over margaritas at your last birthday party instead? Give a personalized coffee mug that can also serve as a memory holder. With a little planning, getting an existing picture on a mug is just as easy, and actually more convenient, than trekking down to the kiosk at the mall. You can upload pictures right from your computer, and with a few simple clicks your personalized coffee mug is on its way to you.

Inspiring Words

If a picture isn't appropriate for the recipient of your personalized coffee mug, try some textual enlightenment instead. Don't worry about finding the perfect quote, why not just find a really great word instead? Be creative. Use a word to describe your favorite attribute of the recipient, like "fluidity," or something nice you wish for them, like "ovation."

Original Artwork

Another option for you personalized coffee mug is original artwork. You don't have to be Picasso, just have fun. You can find kits at places like craft stores that allow you to draw or paint your own artwork and insert it into a tumbler-style coffee mug. This is a great option if the personalized coffee mug is a gift from a child, as it's a project they can complete independently with many chances to finalize the artwork before it's inserted into the personalized coffee mug.

If you prefer a slightly more refined finished product in this category, try going to a pottery studio, where you can still paint a personalized coffee mug, but the finished product will be professionally fired in a kiln. You can choose to paint a stenciled design, or choose a plain mug to have complete design freedom. There are a number of these studios popping up nationwide, the most well known probably being Color Me Mine. Visit their website to find a location near you.

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A Short History Of Coffee

Most believe that coffee was originally discovered by mankind in Ethiopia. Once local monks discovered it, they began to dry the berries and ship them to other monasteries. The berries would be refreshed with water and then the fruit would be eaten and the water that the berries had soaked in would be drunk as well.

By the time the dried berries made it to the Middle East, there was quite a lot of interest in them and farmers began growing them first in Yemen. In Turkey, the coffee beans were roasted for the first time and began to resemble what we would recognize as coffee today. After roasting, the dried beans would be roasted, crushed and boiled in water. This was a crude early version of what so many coffee lovers drink today.

Coffee was probably brought to Europe by Venetian merchants. Given its stimulating effect, there seemed to be some criticism among Catholics that the drink was evil. Oddly, the Pope at the time was already enjoying it and informed his constituents that it wasn't evil, it was just misunderstood.

Coffee houses spread across Europe and soon they became gathering places for those intellectuals who debated among themselves. Once settlers began to arrive in the Americas, the dark drink soon followed. By the time of the American Revolution, since the patriots had decided not to drink tea in protest, coffee was actually adopted as the national drink. Since that time, it has continued its domination and is the most popular beverage when you take into consideration all countries.

Coffee is a huge industry worldwide and employs millions of workers. It is a living for many people, but for others it is a great way to start their day and get a kick start in the morning when they need it. Even if you don't like to drink it, you probably still enjoy the smell of fresh coffee brewing. If you are someone who doesn't like to drink it, you are in the minority on a world wide scale. This dark pick me up drink is not for everyone, but for those who love it, they are very appreciative of their daily dose of caffeine and usually need it on a daily basis.

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It is an amazing technology that allows you to take the self-contained, individual Folgers coffee pods and turn them into a delicious pot of coffee that you'll be proud to share with your houseguests. This technology is an exclusive system that forces hot water through the ground beans at an extremely high pressure. It's no coincidence that this technique is the one that most leading coffeehouses use the most. It's also no coincidence that this system makes consistently a top-notch, single serving of coffee in under a minute.

The Folgers coffee pods system also allows you the chance to customize the size of your cup of joe, as well as the strength of your brew. Pick from a cup size, for instance, of seven ounces, nine ounces, or 14 ounces. Choose a light breakfast blend, an afternoon pick me up strength, or the toe clenching, rocket fuel variety of brew.

What's more, the Folgers coffee pods system makes it easy to brew a precisely measured portion of coffee. It gives you a freshness every time you make java, which would only be attainable normally if you opened a can of coffee each time you brewed. The coffee pods are easy to clean up after, leaving no messy coffee grounds, soggy filters, or dirty baskets. Plus, a single cup of coffee means you won't have the face the problem of wasting an entire pot of coffee.

You can buy Folgers coffee pods in a variety of flavors, such as mild, medium, and dark, along with regular and decaffeinated varieties. Folgers also has its most popular roast blends, like Classic Roast, Classic Decaf, 100% Columbian, and French Vanilla. In the future, you may also be able to purchase pods that make cappuccinos, lattes, and many other hot beverages. Forget about the future for now, though. Jump on this delicious opportunity now, in the present.

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From the time, in about 800 AD a goat herder in Ethiopia watched his goats literally dance after eating red berries from a coffee bush until Brazil took the honor of having the largest coffee crop in about 1800, coffee was a blend held only for royalty and the elite. No one then cared how the bean was grown, or processed, nor was organic coffee thought to be important.

Today there are rules and regulations regarding all food items that purport to be grown with out chemicals of any kind, and this includes organic coffee. This becomes especially important where the crop is grown in mountainous regions where fertilizers and insecticides would become part of the lower watershed and water supply after rains.

Numerous companies today offer organic coffee, each seeking certification of its designation by following the rules spelled out in The Organic Food Production Act of 1990. This Act specifies procedures for growing organic coffee as well as continued testing of the companies' plans to maintain certification.

Growing Fields Must Be Certified Organic

Not only must the growing and handling process be certified as organic, the fields in which a crop of organic coffee is planted must not have had any non-organic ingredients in it or on it for at least three years prior to the harvest. This would ensure that non-organic materials are not part of the growth.

Due to the requirements of the Act, as well as the long certification process, organic coffee is more costly than non-organic, but health conscious coffee drinkers insist the price is worth it as they are not consuming harmful artificial chemicals. Natural fertilizers, such as the outer bean shell and mulching from other trees provide a think top soil of nutrients for the bean plants.

Many coffee trees are grown in the shade to prevent the top soil from being bleached by the sun, keeping the nutrients in the soil to provide an organic coffee bean, which retains its flavor. The roasting process for most organic coffee growers and handlers is done without any artificial ingredients added, as well.

Most organic coffee purveyors insist growing coffee without artificial chemicals instills the natural flavor of the bean and provides a healthier drink to consumers.

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