Coffee, SEO, Rice-washing, U.S. Supreme Court being weird Pt. 1
New York Coffee, the best thing in your inbox today.
If you haven’t yet heard, Google’s SEO ranking documentation was leaked a few weeks ago, meaning that we can look at exactly how to make our pages rank more highly on search. This is a huge leak and is likely sending Google into a re-working frenzy, as capitalizing on SEO is a valuable industry.
For example, today’s [ahah! tomorrow’s!*] recipe is an adaptation of the bartender’s negroni modification (for baristas and bartenders) using rice, called “rice washing”. A bartender or barista might use rice washing for their bar to make cocktails such as the negroni cocktail taste smoother, or taste more luscious, or have a more cloudy appearance [when compared to a regular negroni cocktail a bartender might prepare].1
Tedious, right? Hey, maybe this entire newsletter is going to read just like “My great-grandma annie’s best ever one-step 30-minute easy, one-pot, gluten-free mac and cheese” that she passed down over 5 generations.
At least I’ll get shares. I’ll certainly lose all my current subscribers though.
I can’t win ‘em all I guess…
…not like great grama annie.2
Fun Fact FrSunday
This year’s question of the week is “Why do I keep getting swabbed whenever I fly with coffee into another state?”
The answer of the week is because compact things like coffee grounds or vacuum sealed green coffee is very dense, and they are making sure it’s not explosives. Some theorize that coffee is also used to mask the smell of drugs, but dogs can definitely smell the difference.
Or maybe they are just big coffee fans and have never gotten a chance to smell your blueberry coconut infused pink bourbon. If a few ounces are missing at the end of your flight, you know why.
Tune in July 2025 for the next “question of the week”!
This week’s coffee shop spotlight!
I only have one, not-so-great, up-so-close picture of this place because I wasn’t planning on doing a spotlight on it. In fact, I was going to do a spotlight on Cositas Café, but I’m waiting to sync it up with my first influencer collaboration. Marketing!
Ah yes, here it is:
Kafen is a little in-the-wall shop with a great consistent branding and a large food menu despite being a small place. You go up to a window and grab your coffee and continue on your day. They use Moka D'Oro coffee, which I’ve never heard of, yet despite being an Italian brand they are doing this:
[Their insta also has Moka & Co., a deeply Yemeni coffee shop, on it, with no context as to how their brand relates.]
I’m eternally curious, but even I know when to stop asking questions.
I got the Taro iced latte at recommendation and a free churro for following their Instagram.
The Taro iced latte was…not great? But let me explain it first. The day was hot. I had been out all day, burning my hand trying to switch the registration from a blisteringly hot windshield. I hadn’t eaten, was out of water, and needed something light, a little sweet, and refreshing. It’s entirely possible this barista knew that and in the winter would make it heavy on the taro and light on the milk. It also smelled like chicken everywhere thanks to Kafen’s neighbors, so this helped bring my focus back from that. In a way, it was ideal.
BUT LISTEN, ignore all that. Who cares. Moka D’Oro watching us through our windows as we speak and taro chicken lattes aside, the churro is what we need to talk about.
They filled it with custard. Churro with custard. It is free.
You can get another one after rating it 5 stars. Good Churro Free Go Now.
It’s a place pretty deep in Bushwick, but you can treat yourself when you get there. It is all about balance.
What’s new, Jude?
Fontainhas has opened in Dumbo, with chai and Indian Specialty Coffee, which is quite rare. I’m excited for a decent cup of chai, but I haven’t had the chance to go yet. “Fontainhas” is the name of a Portuguese-inspired quarter in Goa, India. Time to go and compare if it’s as good!
Rhythm Zero just opened a new place in West Village. This line is not an ad, but the boujeebitesonly post about this cafe is almost certainly.
Featuring — The Cafe is open in Harlem; it is a non-profit organization.
Pop-ups (thanks Coffee Klatsch, links below)
Friday, July 5—Bean & Bean in FiDi is holding a tasting of Panama Elida Gesha beans. It is $10 to taste.
Saturday, July 6—Three Legged Cat in East Williamsburg is having an Aeropress Bar Takeover.
Break time!
If you’re new here, this is the time you should take to share this to your twitter, instagram, facebook, friends, family, autoparts dealer, sell my IP on the internet and pretend it’s your creative property, include a reference to this newsletter on a love letter, shout the word “coffee” from your rooftop, and click this button.
And now…
Part 2 coming tomorrow!
Oh eugh this feels like it was written by AI, am I an electric sheep?