I encourage everyone to watch this video. To all those who can't understand Tagalog let me explain the advertisement. The Cafe Puro coffee is being compared a crab and how it can be used in different ways. You may eat it, use it to play truth or consequence, use it to pluck your eyebrow, and you may use it as a fan. As for the coffee it has 1. The Coffee 2. The Sugar 3. The Creamer and the fourth is "THE CUP." There you have it, the Cafe Puro 4 in 1.

When I saw the title, it made me wonder what was the other ingredient in the 4 in 1. I was curious so I watched, only to find out that the fourth ingredient was "the cup." I never saw this product in groceries. My guess is that it was pulled out immediately after the company realized that the public would not be fooled by this type of marketing.

Tell me what do you think about the 4th ingredient, "the cup." Can it be considered the 4th ingredient or was it just something to grab the attention of the public?

So we didn't go home yet since we were a little hungry. We decided to try the Pho Hoa place in Eastwood City for some late night dinner. I ordered the Noodle Soup with Seafood (which the real name escapes me right now) but the highlight of my trip their was their Vietnamese Coffee.

That was the first time I tasted Vietnamese Coffee. The presentation and the ingredients really intrigued me and I couldn't wait to try it. In the picture above, the metal canister of some sort was where the coffee drippings were coming from and you could refill this with hot water just like what you do with a tea bag. It would drip in a mug with ice and condensed milk (the one at the bottom), which made the coffee a little sweet. I was given an extra mug to pour my finished product as I prepared making another cup in the other mug. Of course the second one, didn't taste as strong but it was all good.

This really was a great coffee experience as I really enjoyed it and had fun modifying my drink even if it got a little messy with the pouring of coffee from one mug to another. The service was excellent as I asked for extra condensed milk for my 2nd cup of coffee and they gave me a generous portion.

For everyone looking for some coffee fun in making coffee go ahead and try making a Vietnamese Coffee Cup for yourself. You will enjoy it and will look to going back there. We all had fun night and it was time to go home...Free CBTL Tea Latte..Free Daughtry Concert Tickets and Vietnamese Coffee (Not Free)..Yup! It was really time to go to home...

(Yup! The pictures were pretty bad)

Daughtry Live in Manila

One of the stops of the band Daughtry here in Asia was Manila where they performed at the Eastwood City last July 29,2008. The songs were great, the band played really well, Chris Daughtry sang like he should have won that American Idol in 2006. He sounded really good that for me it was almost like the one in the recording studio. But the greatest part of this whole concert was that we got to see the show for free. Yes FREE!

We really enjoyed the concert as the band played most of the songs in their album like "It's Not Over," which was the eight most played song across all formats on U.S. radio in 2007. They also played "Over You," which is my favorite song of the album since it really shows the range of Chris Daughtry's voice even if he is a rocker. I don't know but in my vocabulary, rockers don't have that much range unless you consider the shouting "range" or more of the same word except for the N - RAGE. Another song they played that was included in the Billboard Charts was "Feels Like Tonight." Of course, the last song (if it weren't for "More, More, More" chants) was "Home." This makes you wonder did they really want to go home already?

Why? Yes, the crowd was into it and they loved the band but for a small place with a capacity of not more than 2000 people, it wasn't full (Don't worry the recent fight of Pacquiao and Diaz also wasn't full also). Where I stayed, I could have easily moved 5 rows forward without anybody in my way. Yup, literally in my way..it just wasn't that crowded.

Despite not having a capacity crowd, I still hope the Daughtry band felt some Filipino love during the concert since those who watched were really into it and they (ok, WE) were singing along. We would love to have them back here in the Philippines. I hope next time they come here, they would have had launched their second album so more people could be into it and it could be held in the Araneta Coliseum. Another thing, isn't it great how many artists/bands have been coming to Manila lately?

We were already tired even if tt was still early since the concert lasted around an hour and 15 minutes "So I'm going home, I'm going home"...

...but wait! [To Be Continued]

What a night it was last night as me, Ada, John, Miko and Gretch spent it having free latte from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Eastwood City followed by watching the Daughtry concert in their central plaza then me and John finished with Vietnamese coffee from Pho Hoa.



CBTL Free Latte Experience

We arrived at CBTL feeling really excited about getting something free. Even if I had one the previous night, I still wanted another one. When we reached the counter we inquired if they still had free tea latte, unfortunately they only had Tropical Passion Latte and the girl said that they didn't have any cover for the cups anymore if we were to take it out. Well, if you look at it, it was fortunate for the others since that was their favorite. I wanted the Chai Tea Latte and I was really craving for it but having something free that was supposedly good, who would complain right? I used the words supposedly good because I thought it would taste good but it didn't. Our tea was watered down, it really tasted like water with a little tea and a little vanilla powder. So we complained and ask for a replacement and they did replace it.

If you're giving out free drinks to promote your product or for whatever marketing purpose, your drinks should be at par with what the actual drink taste like. Instead of leaving a positive mark to your new customer, you'd actually even drive them away. It was a good thing we love CBTL and we know how their teas and coffees tasted or else it would really turn us off. Anyone who actually tasted the tea we had last night would definitely complain because of its watered down taste.

Another is that by the looks of it they weren't able to anticipate the number of people who would actually get the free tea latte. I guess their process control wasn't that strict since anyone could actually just print the stub even if they didn't go to their website. I raise this up because the other night the CBTL in Greenbelt ran our of tea lattes and the one last night ran out of cover for their cups. We could have had ours in a mug but we had to go to the concert and were afraid if we had it there we might not be able to catch the start.

I guess this will be a lesson for CBTL and for those who would want to do a promotion similar to theirs. Just give the same quality in your product even if it's free. Your purpose is for them to try the real thing and purchase it the next time and not to turn them away with bad tasting teas or whatever it is you're trying to promote. Also be strict with your process control so as not to let people just print your promo stubs out without letting them enter your site. I am guilty of this but I am just assuming that they made a mistake here since some branches say that you have to have a colored printed stub. That makes me believe that they're trying to control people from just photocopying the printout.

Well, that was a fun two days with CBTL despite what happened. It is still free and they changed our drinks when we asked them too so it was all good. I am still a loyal customer and I am thinking of going back there today...hmm...On with the the Daughtry concert first..[To Be Continued]

As promised, here are the rest of the Pinoy designed coffee mugs that were posted in last year's (yes, last year!) YTrip Contest. Hope you enjoy the designs and hope this inspires a lot of artists out there! Enjoy..

Coffee Road Trip
LAKBAY DIWA



Tara na Biyahe Tayo



Biyaheng Pinoy



Lupang Hinirang



I still wonder if there will be another one like that contest for this year. I hope there is one but I won't be joining since I am not that gifted in designing. I just want to see different artists displaying their talents in something really useful and that is the coffee mug. Come to think of it, why not make the coffee mug more Filipino? That would be really nice! Great mugs and design!

Source: Biyahe at Kape's Photostream

I had mine tonight but forgot my camera so I had to borrow. The picture will be uploaded tomorrow. But for everyone who wants a free Tea Latte from CBTL you may just get the picture from my previous post and print it but I encourage you to visit their site http://www.coffeebean.com.ph

Me and Ada really wanted our free tea latte that when we found out that the branch in Greenbelt ran out of free tea latte, we had to go to Bonifacio High Street to get it. It was really worth the trip. So go ahead and get your free tea latte, you don't have to order anything to redeem it. Just present the coupon and you're done.

Enjoy your free chai tea everybody!:)

Some coffee laughter to start your week right (Hoping you won't need that much coffee for your work) Tickle Away to a Great Day everyone!

Via IneedCoffee.com (Jym Annear)

I got this email today and I am hoping that it is not just a marketing scheme or something by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Philippines. So how do we get that? It says just print that picture above out and you get a free tea latte. Well, looks like you can also get one free too just by printing that one right? (You're welcome:)) I can't wait to find out! If it is not true then it will be ok since I can buy one of their drinks and still enjoy. I'll let you know by tonight if this is true. If anyone who knows if this is true or not, hope you can still leave us a message. Thanks! Have a great week ahead everyone! Looking forward to my free tea latte...

Smooth..yes smooth..I like that one! I especially like this line "you can't help but be one smooth operator no matter what curveballs life throws you. And that's exactly what's going to take you to the top. Stay cool!" How I wish that this could be true. Well, no one knows and I just have to work harder to reach the top and of course staying cool while at it. Be smooth just like coffee..

Do take your online tests now and share us what kind of drink you are. Have fun! This sure is a coffee tickle moment.

What's a great way to help fight memory loss and even improve our memory? One is sleeping right but according to research another would be eating right. According to Joy Bauer MS, a TODAY nutritionist,

"Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that impedes blood flow will starve those all-important brain cells."

SO..what are those foods that can help boost our memory? Let's start with our favorite drink:

Coffee

Good news for coffee lovers. About two years ago, researchers from the University Innsbruck in Austria found caffeinated coffee can temporarily sharpen your focus and memory. After giving volunteers the caffeine equivalent of about two cups of coffee, they observed that their brain activity was increased in two locations—one being the part responsible for memory. Results were observed using MRI technology. Without caffeine, there was no increase in brain activity.

Then, earlier this year, another study published in a leading Neurology journal, found the effects of coffee may be longer lasting — specifically in women. This four-year long study involving about 7000 participants... all participants went through thorough baseline evaluations – cognitive function was tested, along with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other vascular issues. Participants were re-evaluated at the two-year mark, and again at the four year mark.

At the end of the four year period, researchers found that women age 65 and older who drank more than three cups of coffee per day (or the caffeine equivalent in tea) had 33 percent less decline in memory over time than women who drank one cup or less of coffee or tea per day. The results held up even after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect memory abilities, such as age, education, baseline cognitive function, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, medications, and other chronic illnesses. This caffeine-memory association was not observed in men — the authors hypothesize that perhaps that’s because men and women metabolize caffeine differently.

So if memory problems are a major concern for you, and if you don’t have a medical condition that precludes caffeine, feel free to indulge in a cup or two in the morning to jump-start your brain.

Note: If you have elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, you should limit your caffeine fix to plain brewed coffee or tea. There is some evidence that unfiltered coffee (the kind used to make espresso, cappuccino, and latte) may raise cholesterol levels, especially in people who are already battling high cholesterol. To be safe, skip the fancy brews and stick with a regular cup of joe. Of course, be cautious and moderate with added sugar! [Read the full Article]

We are three weeks now and so far I am having fun posting and sharing stuff related to coffee to everyone here. I'd love to have more people reading my blog though but that will come right? I hope..:) For people here reading I was just wondering what I can do to further improve my blog.

Do I have to change the colors? How About the template? What else do you think I should add? Do you like logo? Stuff like that I'd really appreciate if you can share your thoughts. I would really like to hear you out and input your opinions in my blog.

This blog is for every PCT fan out there. I really want to improve this blog for you. So if you have any comments or suggestions please please send your comments and suggestions here. Thanks! Tickle Away to a Great Day!

Picture from University of Toronto

Muscle biopsy. (Credit: John Hawley, RMIT University)

Here's another reason to drink coffee especially for those who are active and workout a lot. Add Coffee to your post workout diet and eat carbs! Isn't that weird? I must admit that even as a coffee lover, I'd rather go for something cold like a Gatorade after workout to refuel my body and something like coffee rarely crosses my mind to do that. My heartbeat would still be fast after a workout and I wouldn't want to make it work faster by drinking more caffeine. But this research is convincing and I just might have changed my mind about drinking coffee after a workout. This is taken from the Science Daily:

Glycogen, the muscle's primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise, new research shows. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone, according to the study

If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition, there is absolutely no question you will go farther or faster," said Dr. Hawley, the study's senior author. Caffeine is present in common foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, chocolate and cola drinks.

I am now convinced that coffee and yes, chocolate can be part of our diet after a tiring workout. Being a chubby guy, I can't outrun some of the guys who I play basketball with and this research is something I can look forward to in helping me increase my speed (Hopefully even if I've accepted that I was born slow). I will update you the whenever this becomes part of my "workout" all right? Let's see if it works even if it is just works psychologically. Tell me also if this research works for you too. Have a great day everyone!

*Originally posted in Coffee Tickle

Every Thursday I will posting some the Coffee Related Videos I've seen on Youtube or any other site that I get it from. It may be Coffee Ads, Interviews, News, Clips..just about anything related to Coffee. Some videos may be done by me but as of now everyone will have to wait since I haven't started that part yet. Hopefully by August I could post some of the videos that I will be doing.

Hope you enjoy this part of PCT and if you have any comments suggestions please feel free to email me. I would really love to improve the site for you. And another thing, if you have coffee related videos you want to post here in Pinoy Coffee Tickle, please send it to us at pinoycoffeetickle@gmail.com Thanks! Tickle Away to a Great Day!

Coffee Video Thursday:
#1 Nescafe Coffee Ad: 70th Year Anniversary

This is just a great video by Parokya ni Edgar, Champ and Zsa Zsa Padilla for Nescafe 70th Anniversary. The effects really fit the mood and the song. You could really feel the whole video and just sing along. It just makes you want to drink coffee and relax and i-"Tuloy and Kwento" with Nescafe...

Philippine Coffee Board Executive Director Carlo Perez talks about their private sector group's aim to revive the our coffee industry and Kape Isla, the Philippine Coffee Board's cooperative marketing program. (Video taken by INQUIRER.net online videographer Janie Christine Octia).

There was a part where he said something related to drinking Philippine coffee should be cool also as compared with drinking coffee from international coffee shops (Starbucks, CBTL, etc). For me, as a coffee lover, I love Philippine Coffee (Although I've tasted some that just were not that great) but I am also guilty of loving international coffee too. Eventually people will also love our own and be part of helping the local coffee industry. But how?

There should be a lot of creative marketing here to make people drink the local coffee. I love how they're trying to make the Kape Isla Logo a seal of excellence. It might take time for people to recognize this if there are minimal advertisements but this idea will work. Another idea is maybe to follow the strategy of Burgoo, Texas Road House Grill and other restaurants who have marketed their establishments in a way that it looks American/International. If there's a coffee shop that looks International, I think people would want to try it.

Take for example Figaro, when I was in high school back in the late 90s I didn't know it was local. Another would be Bo's, if it were not for seeing them in the Philippine Ad Congress in Cebu back in 2001 and knowing that they were Cebu-based, I might have thought they were foreign. You know how marketing is, it's all about perception. When us Filipinos think it's from another country then we go buy or try it. Once we try it then if we like it then we become loyal customers.

These are my thoughts on how we can help the coffee industry. How about you?

In celebration of last year's Philippine Coffee Festival, YTRIP and Kape Isla launched Biyahe at Kape! - "a coffee mug design competition in search of THAT Pinoy coffee mug design that highlights Pinoy travel experience and enriches Pinoy taste."

Seen above is the coffee mug sample done by Clare Amador and Ron Nieto and the picture was taken by Jason Tengco. The rest of the mugs will be posted in the coming weeks. I am not sure if they have the same contest for this year but I will be updating you in the next post of Pinoy Coffee Mug Tuesday. Tickle Away to a Great Day everyone and remember when drinking your coffee in the shop, drink from a mug..it helps save the environment and it tastes better:)

Pinoy Coffee Tickle is about great days because of coffee, excellent coffee and of course unbiased reviews of coffee around the Philippines. Since we, Pinoy Coffee Tickle, are based in Manila and have no budget yet to go around the country, I decided to search for Pinoy blogs that feature coffee in it. I came across Davaofoodtrip, where two foodtrippers, Charles and Tere, try out different restaurants in Davao City.

Their stop at Coffee For Peace caught my attention since I've never encountered the word Peace added to a restaurant or a coffee shop's name before. A little catchy huh? Anyway, I started reading their blog and they explained why its name was like that. According to Ging Navarro Descallar, Coffee For Peace's Franchising Operations Manager:

We are into coffee trading and Coffee for Peace is a venue where they invite people to talk about their cause - to bring and promote PEACE in Mindanao especially between the rebels and government soldiers inviting them to put down their guns and have a peaceful talk over a cup of coffee so that is why it is Coffee For Peace.

What a great idea! I have never been to Davao but one thing's for sure and that is when I go there I would want to visit this place. Putting up a business/coffee shop for that reason will help you succeed and push further even in hard times. If your main purpose is to just earn money then you won't succeed as much compared with having a "social" reason. They have their cause. They have their reasons. And it is for Peace. Coffee for Peace everyone!

With regard to their coffee, all I know is that they use Arabica beans and Philippine Civet Coffee from the Cordilleras and Mindanao. We are starting to be known around the world for our Cordilleras' coffee and this is another great step for it. As for the taste of the coffee, I will leave it up to Davao Food Trip to be the judge. It seems that they tried a drink that won an award in 2007. Here is the link to their Coffee For Peace article.

Also check out Coffee For Peace's Site to learn more.

Thanks to Davao Food Trip for the Picture:)

While walking around the Mall (Greenbelt here in Manila) the other week, I dropped by the Apple Store to check some of their latest products since I wanted a new iPod. Then I saw this area full of Swarovski (of course it's hard to miss a Swarovski) so I took a look at it. There was a Swarovski earphones and also a USB drive that looked like a lock and a pendant.

I asked the sales associate how much the Phillips Swarovski earphones were and he said it was around P8000. I then asked if a lot of people really buy these things and he said there are a lot, which was quite surprising. What was even more surprising was that someone actually purchased the whole set two days before. My guess is that that person wanted literally crystal clear sounds huh?



So I got really curious and searched if there were any Swarovski inspired coffee makers and yes there is actually one. This Swarovski bedazzled Coffee Maker is for people who need to add some more bling bling to their kitchen which may brighten up your kitchen (just a little bit). As for making coffee, of course it can make a cup of coffee but I think this is not the main purpose why people would want to buy this. I think it would be more for the crystal than the functions.

This Nespresso Crystal Edition coffee machine is covered with 3100 Swarovski crystals and costs you around $4,000 (around P184,000). Not bad for a "coffee maker" with studs like that huh? Well..if you're that rich. Imagine being able to buy a 2nd hand car for around Php 200k-300k. That's already a car people! Well, I guess some people are really that rich..

Some Studded Information:
width: 22.6 cm deepth: 23 cm height: 23 cm
Weight: 4,50 kg Power: 1260 Watts

- metal working
- cup warmer in aluminium
- removable grill for the preperation of Latte Macchiato
- automatically remove of used capsules
- illuminated collecting pan for used capsules
- high pressure pump with 19 bar
- electronic temperature control (Thermoblock)
- removeable watertank
- easy preperation with ergonomically handhold
- automatic functions. Choose with one push at a button between Espresso and Lungo.

ABS CBN reports that the local government in Tinglayan, Kalinga is trying to eradicate marijuana plantation in their villages. According to its Mayor Johnny Maymaya:

Enhancing our coffee production will make the local farmers realize that there are other kinds of livelihood aside from planting marijuana

Despite having problems with marijuana plantation, Kalinga is progresively starting to be known as producers of Robusta Coffee. Agriculturists are also looking into cultivating Arabica beans in the upper part of the municipality.

Another good thing is that there is a growing demand for Cordillera Coffee in Europe and in the U.S. This is something the locals can take advantage of in helping change its image of being a marijuana farm.

This is just great for Kalinga since it not only tries to eradicate marijuana but also tries to make a name for itself in the coffee industry. I hope this continues and helps the Philippine Coffee Industry be better known for great coffee around the world not only in the U.S. and Europe.

It's great to be getting some recognition in these areas of the world, but we have to strive more and be known worldwide. The Philippines can do it and I know sooner than later, as long as we keep cultivating and teaching, we can be major players in the coffee world.

So..everyone should stop smoking marijuana and just start drinking coffee. Tickle Away to a Great Day everyone!

Around three weeks ago I saw this new Coffee Shop called Coffee Overdose in Robinsons Galleria. It really caught my attention since I thought that its name sounded a little weird. I mean why would you want to call your shop Overdose? It just doesn't sound right from a marketing perspective. It just gives its shop a negative connotation. Then I thought that maybe they named it that way because coffee is a "legal drug." You know how drugs are, they can be addicting and when you take too much you become overdosed or something like that. Another is that maybe they just wanted people to get curious and just try it anyway. That time I was thinking too much and I just decided to try their coffee.

I asked the lady what their specialty was since I wanted to know more about the place. She said "the one with raspberry, sir." I didn't want to try that one since you don't get to taste the real coffee with all the fruity flavors (even if I was tempted) so I ended up trying their Coffee Latte and since I just came from the gym, an extra rum cake wouldn't be too bad right? I then asked her what beans do they use. All I got was "hindi po sa amin sinasabi, basta dito galing at masarap po siya (They don't tell us, but it comes from here (Philippines) and it just taste good)" So, I didn't bother to ask anymore since I don't think she would still be divulging any information.

While waiting for my order, I still kept wondering what's with the name. Good thing they had a sign that said something like "You know you had too much coffee when you don't get mad. You get steamed!" Funny line but I still think that it's negative for the consumers especially for those with family/friends who might agree with that and dissuade you from drinking another cup. Negative impact on your sales. Or am I just acting like some kind of marketing expert here?

Looking at the bright side and also to be fair to them I actually liked their latte. It had a certain kick to it and it was made just right. The taste wasn't too strong but it lacked a little of that aroma. Another good thing is that it really complemented the rum cake. Since the rum cake was already sweet, I decided to add just a teaspoon of brown (mascovado) sugar to it.

I was very happy with my coffee as it was done the way I like it. But for its name, sorry but it was too much for me to handle. Another thing is that they tried to put small couches in the area but that did not help the ambiance but when it came to the coffee, there was no overdose, it was coffee made just right.

What do you think of their name? Coffee?

We all know how important mugs are in drinking our favorite drink (Coffee right?). Whether you're a coffee drinker, a tea drinker or what the ceramic mugs just seem to help our drinks taste better. I don't know what the ceramic mugs do but drinking from them not only makes the drink better but it also helps the environment.

With that, I'd like to welcome you all to this new portion of my blog which is called "Coffee Mug Tuesday." Every Tuesday we will be featuring mugs from around the world/internet and mugs from anyone who'd like to showcase their mugs. There are a lot of great mugs out there and I'd like to see them so send the pictures of your mugs now. Show them off everyone!

Let me start by showing you my mug by AmericaWare (Feltman Langer). For some reason I just can't find a link or a picture on the internet for this mug. It was a gift to me a couple years ago by my dad and I'm guessing it was bought in eBay.

This mug reminds me of a combination of Darth Vader and that contraption that falls off the spaceship. Even if this mug looks like it came from space with the way it is designed I still love the it and most the important thing is that it serves its purpose. It has a very solid/no-slide base that has a texture grip. It also features a lockable, twist-in, drink thru lid.




So I invite everyone to email the pics and description of their mugs and hopefully we can feature your mugs here for "Coffee Mug Tuesday" or you may send me links to other coffee mug sites. Thanks a lot! Tickle Away to a Great Day!

What is Jennifer Barrientos, our Miss Universe 2008 candidate, doing here in Pinoy Coffee Tickle??? I thought this was supposed to be about coffee, kape, barako, anything related to coffee. Yup, this has got something to with coffee...believe me. I will give you two reasons why she is here in PCT:

First, this time of the year is for Miss Universe and we have to root for our own. Besides this is one of the few times that the country is united in cheering for our Miss Philippines, Ms. Jennifer Barrientos.

Second, she loves having coffee with friends and family. See, I told you this is somehow related to coffee. Still don't believe me? Here's her interview:

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I love watching movies, dining out, and having coffee with my family and friends. I also love going to the beach to engage..

[Read the Full Interview]

Don't forget to watch the Miss Universe (Well, it's already finished) primetime telecast on Tuesday (July 15), 7:30 PM on Studio 23. This is according to ABS CBN news since I'm wondering why it will be televised on July 15. Anyway, whatever happens(happened), this is really a Pinoy Coffee Tickle Moment - something we can all relate to and root for together. Goodluck to Jennifer Barrientos.

Throughout my blog you'd be seeing these, coffee tickle and coffee ticked. What does these words mean? Originally, I wanted to change the word comments to Tickle/Ticked and this means that if you have nice things to say or you like the product, article, coffee then it is a Coffee Tickle moment for you.

On the other hand, Coffee Ticked is when you literally get ticked off by the topic, coffee or what. If you disagree or if you have any negative comment, that is what you put.

Hopefully, we could use it more often next time but as of now as we will stick with the word comment. Just take note that sometimes I'm going to use these words to describe the products or maybe my day.

Thanks! Tickle Away to a Great Day!

I was doing some research the other day (Yes! I do the research for you guys so you can just sit back, relax and read) and saw this Ristretto coffee mouse from early 2007. I didn't know how to react when I first saw it but it sure wasn't a positive one. Talk about an ugly mouse - the beans just don't go well with it.

I give the design 2 thumbs down but I guess a positive here is that you wouldn't have to worry about staying awake while working on a paper or a project late at night since the coffee aroma from the beans will help you with that. Well, unless your hands sweat too much and somehow changes the smell of the coffee beans. Hmm...I think that was just wrong! Anyway, tell me what you think about this coffee mouse. Coffee Tickled or Coffee Ticked?

I have always wanted to see creativity when it comes to anything related to coffee but I wasn't expecting this type of creativity. This is a coffee table/NES controller made by Kyle Downes.

His creation has created a lot of great reviews from the tech world (sites/blogs). As for me, I am not that much into tech but this is just great...awesome(like the name of his blog). This just brings the past back (the up, up, down, down, left, right days), you guys remember that right?

What's great about this is that it serves different purposes. First, it can be a coffee table since it has a glass on top, then it is an NES controller, and it can also be a storage for your games, books, etc. I wish I had that kind of coffee table and everything will be all good. I can drink coffee and when I'm done I'd be playing Super Mario then drink coffee again.

If you don't believe me it is fully functional, watch this video.



Wouldn't you want to have one also?

With the declining production of coffee in the Philippines in the past years or so, Nestle Philippines has addressed this problem by creating a cropping system that will not only the production of coffee but also help as a supplement to the coffee farmers.

According the the Manila Bulletin:

The system involves the planting of so-called companion crops like peanuts, corn, mungo, forage and other crops to supplement the farmers’ incomes, and serve as an incentive for others to go into coffee farming.

Nestle Philippines started this system in 2004 under a Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives (SAI) program. This system is free of charge to any farmer who is interested. [Read the full article]

Ed's Comments: This is just great for the end user, coffee industry and of course the coffee farmers. We know that the production of coffee has dwindled in recent years and at least Nestle has done its part to help keep up with the growth of this industry. Great job on their part!

We really benefit from this as this might create better coffee and with that there would be more happy customers. I am proud of our coffee here but we could still improve on it. I am not sure how since the beans would depend on the weather, soil etc but in terms of efficiency and volume of production and the quality of beans I think that these are things we should concentrate on first. Any suggestions on how we can help our industry?

These improvements would really help our coffee industry in terms of marketability. I really want our coffee to be known worldwide. I want it to be of great quality and great taste (no advertisement here :P) so we could really tell the world that the Philippines makes great coffee.

Let us not forget our farmers, because without them these dreams of being known worldwide won't come true. Again, great job with this SAI, since this system targets the coffee farmers and helps them with their methods and practices. With them learning more and getting more incentives out of farming especially on the financial side, there would be more happy farmers. You know what happens when the people are happy with their work, great things can happen. This is just a win-win situation for the farmers and the coffee industry.

In addition to that, with the SAI, these farmers would not have to wait two to three years in order for them to reap what they have sown. Right now it only needs them less than a year (yes, less than a year!) to earn from their coffee farms. This has been such a great improvement for them.

This is a Pinoy Coffee Tickle moment where everyone is happy. A great achievement for the Filipinos. We just have to stick with it and hopefully this would benefit more in the long run. Thanks to Nestle and to all those who have supported our coffee industry. (This makes me want to write about those who have helped our industry hmm...)

As we say here, Tickle Away to a Great Day! To a better Philippines!

Muscle biopsy. (Credit: John Hawley, RMIT University)

Here's another reason to drink coffee especially for those who are active and workout a lot. Add Coffee to your post workout diet and eat carbs! Isn't that weird? I must admit that even as a coffee lover, I'd rather go for something cold like a Gatorade after workout to refuel my body and something like coffee rarely crosses my mind to do that. My heartbeat would still be fast after a workout and I wouldn't want to make it work faster by drinking more caffeine. But this research is convincing and I just might have changed my mind about drinking coffee after a workout. This is taken from the Science Daily:

Glycogen, the muscle's primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise, new research shows. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone, according to the study

If you have 66% more fuel for the next day's training or competition, there is absolutely no question you will go farther or faster," said Dr. Hawley, the study's senior author. Caffeine is present in common foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, chocolate and cola drinks.

I am now convinced that coffee and yes, chocolate can be part of our diet after a tiring workout. Being a chubby guy, I can't outrun some of the guys who I play basketball with and this research is something I can look forward to in helping me increase my speed (Hopefully even if I've accepted that I was born slow). I will update you the whenever this becomes part of my "workout" all right? Let's see if it works even if it is just works psychologically. Tell me also if this research works for you too. Have a great day everyone!

One of the things that Pinoy Coffee Tickle would like to encourage is art that's why I'd like to show you this coffee art video. This is just an amazing video and I would like to learn how to do that someday. I don't know how he does it but I better find out (anyone want to teach me?). Enjoy this video guys and tell me what you think. If you can make it, send me your videos and I'll post it here in PCT. Tickle Away to a Great Day!

Even with all the problems Starbucks (USA) have faced recently, there are still a lot of loyal Starbucks fans out there. I know that it has not affected the Philippine market that much since Starbucks stores are not like in the US where you see them in almost every corner especially if you're in the downtown area. With still a lot of Starbucks fans here, I'm sure that you are curious what your favorite Starbucks drink say about you right? Thanks to "sheknows" we can now find out. But before reading I just want you to know that the article was written mainly for the US market but it should somehow still be the same. Starbucks coffee here is the same Starbucks coffee there so read on and enjoy.

Venti bold coffee, no room

Typically bold, no room coffees or “red eyes” (coffee with an added shot) are ordered in the morning just as the sky changes from dark to sunlit. Expect this customer to be a corporate male on his way to the office who occasionally brings in his own travel mug to be eco-responsible. He may just order a blueberry scone… if it’s Friday.




Iced grande, sugar-free vanilla, non-fat latte
This is the favored drink of suburban moms. The vanilla sweetener is a low-cal, sugar satisfier and non-fat milk is the only option after an early morning spin class. No guilt for this mom as she heads to playgroup.

Chocolate milk
Whether made with mocha sauce and cold milk or purchased in a small box from the cooler, chocolate milk, or hot chocolate at a kid’s temperature with whip and chocolate sauce, is a staple for the young ones. Clearly this is the underage beverage for the children who accompany their parents during their daily coffee fix. It’s a bribe and a promise. [Read the full article]

Do you agree with what your Starbucks drink say about you?

You may use the following form to contact Ed if you have any questions, suggestions, comments or if you just want to say hi. Thanks!

Anyone entering my coffee blog might be surprised to see bright colors instead of a brown dominated theme, which is mostly associated with coffee. What's with the sun? The color combination of orange and brown and that big red line? Coffee should only have earth tones..Coffee should be this and that. My choice of colors has its reasons and one reason is because I wanted to have a different feel to coffee/Coffee Tickle or the experience that it gives us. And yeah, the Sun..that represents the Philippines. Some may agree and some may not but here are the factors that pushed me to go this route:

Coffee Tickle's Mood is about (Doesn't come in order of importance):

1. Happiness that's why it's Tickle away to a great day
2. Bright and sunny days
3. Bright and sunny days even if it is gloomy outside.
4. The anticipation of knowing that your making your coffee is about to be
done/served.
5. The smile you get when taking that first sip.
7. The smile you get when taking that second, third....until the last sip.
8. Sunday mornings (or the whole Sunday) with your family.
9. Friends
10. Coffee Art and how it enhances our creativity.
11. Caffeine High and how it gets you going.
12. Caffeine High and knowing it helped you pass the test or get the job done right.
13. An increase in your salary and the feeling that you can't wait to tell your
family.
14. Problem solving with friends when you talk about it over a cup (or cups depending
on the problem) of coffee.
15. Living life to its fullest.

More meanings/reasons why I chose coffee tickle in my next entry. See ya!

For all Coffee Lovers around the world, coffee just has its way with tickling our senses. Not only does it tickle our sense of taste but is a delight for our nose and eyes. Add the anticipation you get when you hear the coffee beans being ground and the feeling of holding the cup and getting ready to take that first sip to start your day right.

That's the magic of coffee..how it just makes our day. With that, I'd like to say that this blog is dedicated to all the coffee lovers who know how coffee just brightens their day. There's still so many people who are not yet into coffee or haven't learned about coffee so let's all learn together. May it be different coffee beans, coffee brands, coffeemakers or even coffee art, I am sure we will pick something up from this blog. There's so much to know about in the coffee world. Let's all learn from each other and let's all have fun while were at it.

Of course, where there is coffee there should be tea and chocolate right? So there you have it...coffee, tea and chocolate.

About Ed

*To be Updated*

If you have any comments with my blog or my topics just feel free to email me and I'll be more than happy to listen. Thanks

To a great year ahead of us...let's take it one cup at a time. Just tickle away to a great day:)