A vintage article on coffee and inspiration from our 2007 series. How do you tell if you’re getting great espresso? And why is coffee so essential to innovation?

Just as it seems fast has come todominate our lives, the new trend of Slow … Slow Food, Slow Money, Tree-Changing is become more prominent…

COMMENT, Global – A few of you will recall I started a travel log of global travel & food some time back.
My focus was food, wine, airlines & accommodation as they effect global cultural innovation.
Particularly food, wine, hotels, airports, galleries, museums, cities and cultural destinations.
Why is culture everyday important?
Nothing inspires our better ideas so much as art, food, wine, song, language, design, beautiful architecture.
Inspiring cultural destinations like the Bristol in Vienna, Louvre in Paris or inspiring transit points like the Qantas First Lounge will make you want to be there.
But …

COMMENT, San Francisco, USA — Coffee is important. To world trade, yes. But it’s not all money, coffee is also (more importantly) critical to culture.
How many good ideas have been conceived over a cup of coffee?
How many intellectual battles have been fought in a coffee house until the wee hours?
Voltaire, Franklin and Napoleon all frequented the same Parisian coffee house (at different times)… there must be something in that brew.
Napoleon once left his hat for security whilst he fetched money to pay for the check!
The whole of WordCamp over the …

OPINION, Sydney — The Qantas First lounge at Sydney airport is world-class. When you travel a lot you appreciate world class facilities.
What makes Qantas First lounge innovative?
Let’s start with the physical and obvious.
The comfort is great, lounges are great, it has restaurant and marble shower suites.
The shower suites have plenty of amenities and are marble and very well fitted out. The shower feels fabulous.
There is a dining room, with far better choices than most, although it still is a little airline food, it tastes very good.
The design of the airport …

ANALYSIS: McLaren Vale, South Australia — Writing from South Australia, outside Adelaide in the McLaren Vale wine region. Been researching innovation in food supply in the region.
Food supply important to innovation?
Yes. Definitely. Community and food (never eat alone) are crucial to the development of ideas, and understanding the point of life.
Community and food are a large part of life. French people don’t view food as ‘fuel’ this is an English-speaking (largely big city) definition.
Food and company are to be savoured an enjoyed.
In the community conversation, good ideas grow, bad ideas …

Melbourne has some pretty great food. Food that can inspire good ideas and with a cleansing beer or wise choice of red the occasional flight of fancy.
Melbourne World leader in Food Inspiration & innovation
The world’s best pizzas. The worlds best coffee. And some of the worlds’ best Greek and Italian food, as well as fresh cheeses, hams, dairy and delicatessen food.
Other cities (NYC, Paris, Vienna) might have individually greater restaurants. But for general consistency of greatness in food, you can’t beat Melbourne, especially with a local on your arm…
Of …

I just looked (last night) at a Coke ad for Coke zero, and wonder how exactly is that innovative? More Fried Chicken innovation we don’t need.
Last night, I went and saw a members exclusive viewing of the Australian Impressionism art exhibition National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Australia.
Over the long weekend in Australia, Queens Birthday holiday (yes Australia shares the UK monarchy), for innovation inspiration I visited the National Gallery of Victoria International and the Astor Theatre, an art deco beacon, and a very enjoyable and inspiring cinematic experience.
The post of …

Well President Bush has been in Albania, Tirana, the capital to be precise.
This is a huge and welcome milestone for the small country that Bismarck once called a geographical expression. During the visit, Albanians were handed out America/Albania partners t-shirts. Albanians were encouraged by their government to welcome him. I don’t think they needed much encouragement, as it’s been a long-term dream for Albanians generally speaking, to have a US president visit. Symbolic, but important.
And it wasn’t about Kosovo (Despite some of the press coverage by journalists who get ‘confused‘.). …