Second Cup is revamping their branding and marketing with a new website, a whole bunch of expensive media buys, and some incentive programs, like contests and this magazine giveaway.

You can get a free Elle Canada or Canadian Home & Country with the purchase of a Second Cup chocolate chai, dark chocolate raspberry latte, or chocolate cherry chiller. All sound incredibly sweet, too much so for my taste, but the ads are pretty ;)

So, not so much "coffee" in the cup, but perhaps they have changed their marketing approach in this competitive landscape. 

Tags: second cup, magazines, contest, win, free

JJ Bean on Commercial Drive added a new machine to their espresso bar last week. I went in on Saturday, and it looks great. They’ve reorganized the whole front area and moved the cream/sugar bar as well.

The Commercial Drive location is, by far, the busiest JJ Bean. Always a large lineup, even with the new machine. But this will definitely cut down on the wait time.

Now, if only the other Arieanna at that location would quit using my frequent buyer card, I’d be happy!

On another note, we’ve visited the new JJ Bean in North Vancouver. Nice shop! Will have to take some pictures next time we are in. For those who don’t know, we moved to North Van about a month ago, so we’re all into finding new coffee hangouts!

Tags: jj bean, jj bean commercial, coffee, vancouver coffee, coffee shops

The Ceramic for Mix is a design concept to eliminate the need for a spoon in hot drinks like tea or coffee.

The ceramic ball will stir your tea and makes a beautiful ringing sound as it goes around the glass. No need to remove the ball, it is encased in the ring of the glass and will not come out when you tip the glass to sip.

"Function creates an new gestural and aesthetic appeal."

Via Josh Spear

Meth Coffee, a San Francisco based coffee company, launched today an energy-based coffee roast for "energy addicts and caffeine freaks."

Meth takes "super-caffeinated" beans and adds in yerba mate (a stimulant and very yummy drink).

 Boasting an intense buzz and cocoa-tobacco finish, Meth Coffee is fresh-roasted within 48 hours of shipment to jumpstart workaholics, thrill seekers, artists, and subversives seeking an exciting new fuel for their endeavors.

The flavor of Meth Coffee’s Arabian and South American beans with yerba mate starts as a smooth, herbaceous attack that runs to a soft tobacco-cocoa finish. Yerba mate’s presence produces a gradual buzz arc for periods of intense play and creativity that some drinkers find more cerebral than coffee alone. Research has shown that yerba mate contains mateine, an alkaloid stimulant similar to those found in coffee and chocolate, as well as significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

I think I’d definitely get a buzz from this coffee. It might be a weird buzz since a coffee buzz and mate energy feel different.

Via Boing Boing & Yahoo ; Tags: meth, coffee, meth coffee, caffeine, yerba mate, energy drinks

This coffee mug helps you keep your coffee hot, just like a regular insulated mug. But it also cools down your next sip to a “Perfect Zone of 150-170″ degrees. You have to “tip and swish gently” to load the upper chamber and start the cooling process.
This is all done with “thermodynamic transfer technology”, which sounds like they just didn’t insulate the top chamber as well as the bottom one. The “swish” part of loading the chamber probably helps too.

Sounds gimmicky, but if you have tried this, let me know if it actually works.

Product Page, Via Gizmodo