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April 2025

A Fundraiser for Gaza Hopes to Wake Up the Coffee Industry
For 18 months, the coffee industry has remained mostly silent about the ongoing destruction of Gaza. A new fundraiser hopes to raise money—and jolt the…
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Ashley Rodriguez
"How do you take care of your mental health?"
A student asked me this during a journalism Q&A and I gave an inadequate answer. I haven't stopped thinking about it.
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Ashley Rodriguez
How Tariffs and Private Equity Are (Loosely) Connected
Two stories dominated my coffee news cycle this week. I found some interesting resonances between them.
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Ashley Rodriguez
2
Against Interpretation (In Coffee)
How Susan Sontag's seminal essay speaks to the constraints we place on coffee—and what breaking free could look like.
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Ashley Rodriguez

March 2025

Revisiting the Question: Does Coffee Taste the Same as it Did Five Years Ago?
Pondering a question I had in 2022 and how, due to climate change, coffee's flavors have morphed over time.
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Ashley Rodriguez
11
Q&A: Peace Sakulclanuwat Wants To Give Thai Coffee the Spotlight
The coffee professional won second place at last year’s U.S. Brewers Cup Championships with a Thai coffee blend. Now, she’s on a mission to give…
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Ashley Rodriguez
What Everyone Gets Wrong About Unions
Too many people still operate under the assumption that unions are only necessary in “bad workplaces.” Here’s why that’s wrong—and why it’s time to…
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Ashley Rodriguez

February 2025

What if Coffee Cost As Much as Wine?
Running the numbers reveals an interesting truth about how we value these two beverages—and where the oft-repeated comparisons between them fall flat.
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Ashley Rodriguez
1
Is Starbucks Doomed?
Years ago, I wrote that Starbucks acts like it’s too big to fail. Now, by alienating people across the political spectrum, the multinational may be on…
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Ashley Rodriguez
9
Q&A: Kevin Joanisse Only Buys Coffee From Costa Rica and Colombia
The owner of Lulo Coffee Roasters in Ottawa uses a "slow sourcing" model, keeping his focus on building and growing longstanding partnerships and…
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Ashley Rodriguez
2
Eight Years of Boss Barista
Marking a significant milestone for Boss Barista by reflecting on the present moment.
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Ashley Rodriguez
8
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