stars shine bright
ONE.
New York
she’s a star
via Zagat, Counter Culture Coffee
coffee woman
Living in the New York scene of coffee and culture is more that probably, you’ve met Tymika Lawrence, at Stumptown Coffee Roasters, or by way of Counter Culture Coffee or on a panel at an event where she’s espousing on being human, woman, of color and culture within the special and specialty industry of coffee.
Quoted from Zagat’s ranking of 30 under 30, Rock Stars Redefining the Industry, ” Tymika Lawrence, 26, customer relations representative, Counter Culture Coffee— Lawrence initially worked at AKA Cafe and taking classes as Counter Culture Coffee before moving over to work at the Stumptown at the Ace Hotel, where she became a manager. But she ended up back at Counter Culture, after helping it open its West Village location, and now teaches classes and manages accounts for the company.”
TWO.
Taiwan
number seventeen
simplekaffa.com
Berg Wu is the seventeenth World Barista Champion. The Taiwanese gentleman competed with a Gesha coffee where white coffee flowers were the dominant aroma of his espresso – the drink and base extracted coffee that won above 61 other competitors. His coffee dried on raised African flavors paired well with milk which Berg described his milk beverage it as an “earl grey milk tea.” His final drink of his three drink flights spanning fifteen minutes was a signature beverage showcasing fruitiness, enabled by orange juice, tea leaves, soda and essential oils like jasmine. This culture thinks the judges loved it as much as Wu does.
Wu is the founder of The Lobby of Simple Kaffa, a coffee house in Taiwan. He placed as Taiwan Barista Champion in 2013, and 2014 and came in seventh in the World Barista Championship in 2014. And, with this 2016 barista competition calendar year he claims the role of the best in the world.
THREE
The Street, Bill Cunningham
The star was the clothes.
Bill Cunningham – visual artist through the lens – died on Saturday June 25th, after complications from a recent stroke. I loved reading his eyes and every week I did, for years through the New York Times. Cunningham had something beyond passion, he had freedom and his freedom was buoyed by his passion. The street was his greatest love affair and thankfully he lived that out loud for all the world to see, as a testament to what his work was once referred to as the yearbook of New York culture. Given the ever melting pot, that is the street, what he captured transcended the city, it felt like a definition of style for a place bigger than New York, yes, the world.
Before he went to work he did what many of this culture do on a given morning, which the New York Times so wonderfully and succinctly detailed, “He ate breakfast nearly every day at the Stage Star Deli on West 55th Street, where a cup of coffee and a sausage, egg and cheese could be had, until very recently, for under $3.”
I especially loved reading On The Street, especially for how those he caught with their coffee on the go – his photos elevated coffee. It was like seeing coffee as a lifestyle, before lifestyle became a zeitgeist brand. In the end, it felt like Bill Cunningham could of been just like us and he would say he was but if we’re really honest about it, he wasn’t like all of us, he was a shooting star. Rest well Mr. Bill Cunningham.