The Coffee Experience

Flying M joins 200 cafes in becoming “Luke’s Diner” for the day to celebrate the return of Gilmore Girls

flying-m

Today, to celebrate the four-episode return of Gilmore Girls, Netflix is turning about 200 cafes from the U.S. and Canada into Luke’s Diner – the iconic coffee shop from the show. On the list is Boise’s own Flying M – which, according to The Idaho Statesman – was randomly selected, then given cups and banners to outfit the shop.

Today also marks the 16th anniversary of Gilmore Girls‘ first episode, affectionately being referred to as the “Gilmoreversary.”

Starting at 6:30am, Flying M will be giving away free coffee in Luke’s Diner cups, while supplies last. According to a source who is participating in the event (my wife) a line is already forming, so head over now to score your free coffee!

Check out the full list of participating cafes here!

Colin

lukes-logo-crop

The Official Guide to (Inter)national Coffee Day 2016

Inter(national) Coffee Day 2016

Coffee lovers, now is the time to rejoice. This week grants us not one, but two days dedicated to our favorite beverage: National Coffee Day (September 30th) and International Coffee Day (October 1st). Tons of coffee chains and local coffee shops around the world are celebrating by offering deals, discounts, and free drinks for us over-caffeinated to enjoy.

Below I’ve compiled two lists to help you find the deal closest to you, but keep in mind that local coffee shops are likely to be participating as well. Be sure to check in with your local cafe to see what deals they may be offering! In that vein, I’ve included a few deals from coffee shops local to Idaho – my home state.

National Coffee Day (September 30th)

  • Coffee Studio (Meridian, ID) is offering a free 12oz latte to anybody who utters the phrase “where love & locals meet.” Find out more here.
  • Guru Donuts (Boise, ID) is offering a free cake donut or vegan mini raised with any coffee purchase. Nothing better than free donuts with your coffee!
  • Flying M offered (Boise/Nampa, ID) offered a free 8oz drip coffee between 6:30am and 11pm today. Hopefully you scored one!
  • Dunkin Donuts is offering medium coffees for only 66 cents to celebrate their 66th anniversary. Find out more.
  • Krispy Kreme is handing out a free cup of coffee and free donut to visitors. No purchase necessary. Find out more.
  • Starbucks isn’t offering discounts, but they are donating a coffee tree for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee sold today. Find out more.
  • Pilot Flying J is giving away a free cup of coffee – or any hot beverage – to people who show the coupon found on their website. Here it is.
  • Tim Hortons is running some sort of social media campaign using #TimsCoffeeDay and #WhyWeBrew. Check out their Twitter page for more details.
  • Caribou Coffee is giving away a free medium brewed coffee for every pound of coffee purchased from now until Oct 2nd. Also, for every cup of “Amy’s Blend” coffee purchased, they’re donating a cup to nurses and caregivers at cancer centers throughout the country. Find out more here.
  • Peet’s Coffee is giving away a free coffee with the purchase of any food item.
  • Sheetz is giving away free cups of their new cold brew. You must be a loyalty card holder to qualify.
  • Wawa is keeping it simple with a free cup of coffee (or any 24oz self-serve beverage) all day. No purchase necessary.

 

International Coffee Day (October 1st)

International Coffee Day is a bit different, and quite frankly more organized, than National Coffee Day. There are dozens of events happening around the world on October 1st, so I’ve chosen to highlight a few notable ones. You can find the full list here. You can even sort by events happening close to you!

  • Italy – Free guided tour and coffee at MUMAC coffee machine museum. Find out more.
  • Norway – Join the world’s largest coffee party in Oslow. The Norwegian Coffee Association is attempting to set a world record in coffee brewing. Their goal is to serve at least 5,000 cups of freshly brewed coffee to coffee lovers in the afternoon on October 1st. Find out more.
  • Canada – Experience the tastes and aromas of small batch roasting in Nova Scotia. River Run coffee shop is hosting an open house; the grounds will be open to explore, and the animals for petting, but inside is where the excitement will take place. They will be holding 30 minute coffee roasting demonstrations at 10am and 1pm. Find out more.
  • South Africa – Enjoy the tasting menu at Bean There Coffee Company in Johannesburg. Try a Chemex, Hario V60, AeroPress, or French Press combo for just R30. Find out more.
  • New Zealand – Vanguard Specialty Coffee presents a screening of A Film About Coffee. Tickets are $17 and are available through our Facebook event page or by emailing ahead. Screening is being held Saturday October 1st, at 6:30pm. Every attendee will receive a complementary cold brew concoction created by local roaster/coffee guru Jason Moore using a single origin Ethiopian Dumerso. Find out more.
  • Germany/Online – Save 20% on the Hile Set by Hile Products. The Hile Set includes Sola paper filter holder and Kapu (a measuring spoon/fastener in one), handcrafted in Finland.  Use offer code HILE1 on their online store. Find out more.
  • France – Free cupping of AVPA award-winning coffees in Paris. Find out more.
  • Australia – Coffees from around the world at Pomeroys in Queensland. They will have coffees from a range of origins, brewed using a variety of methods. Find out more.
  • Austria – Coffee Battle: Head to Head for the Best Espresso in Vienna. From 9am-7pm baristas will be duking it out to see who makes the best espresso. Find out more.

 

Did I miss anything? If so, comment on this post and let me know. Enjoy your free coffee, and have a great day!

Colin

Calling All Coffee Shops in the Boise Area!

September 30th is International Podcast Day, and October 1st is International Coffee Day. As you can imagine, I’m pretty stoked that these two are back-to-back, and I’m organizing a special podcast episode to celebrate both. 

I’m trying to get as many Boise-based coffee shops to run promotions on gear/coffee, which I’d shout out on my podcast completely free of charge. If you’re interested in being featured in the show, shoot me an email (boisecoffee[at]gmail.com) or comment on this post and let me know!

Colin