Articles by Ken

About Ken
Kenneth R. Olson (he/him) is co-founder and publisher of Barista Magazine the worldwide trade magazine for the professional coffee community. He has written extensively about specialty coffee, traveled near and far for stories, activities, and fun, and been invited to present on topics important to coffee culture. He is also an avid fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Huskies, and public libraries.
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Cafés

Local Barista Gets Some Love

February 18, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Local Barista Gets Some Love

A young, local barista here in Portland, Oregon is opening his own shop, and he’s already drawing interest from the local media. In a cool twist, the café will offer not just local favorite Stumptown, […]

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Coffee

Saturday News and Notes

February 14, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Saturday News and Notes

A couple of newsworthy notes to pass along on a Saturday. First, the second-to-last regional for the USBC is underway in Atlanta this weekend. The Southeast Regional, won last year by Lem Butler (BMag’s June/July […]

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Cafés

Looking for Love in Pittsburgh?

February 11, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Looking for Love in Pittsburgh?

Sure they’ve got the 6-time Super Bowl champion Steelers, and lord know that makes my brother happy, but to me Pittsburgh will always be home to Prof. Grady Tripp. But the point of this post […]

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News

We're thinking of you, Aussies!

February 10, 2009 Ken Comments Off on We're thinking of you, Aussies!

Just one week ago, Emily Oak was updating the blog with reports from the Australian Barista Championship, unfortunately, Australia today is back in the news as wildfires race across the state of Victoria and immolate […]

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News

ZOIKS! Starbucks' troubles continue

January 28, 2009 Ken Comments Off on ZOIKS! Starbucks' troubles continue

The U.S. House of Representatives just passed President Obama’s economic stimulus package this afternoon (not a single Republican voted for it), but it won’t be in time to save 300 Starbucks stores or Howard Schultz’s […]

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Competitions

If It's Not Scottish, It's Crap!

January 27, 2009 Ken Comments Off on If It's Not Scottish, It's Crap!

Yes, the regional barista competitions are in full swing here in the States, but we’d be remiss not to mention some results from around the world. Today I just read about the Scottish Regional in […]

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News

Coffee News from Seattle

January 24, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Coffee News from Seattle

Two stories this morning out of the Emerald City. First, the exhibit “Coffee: the World in Your Cup” reported on in the current issue of Barista Magazine opened at the Burke Museum of Natural History […]

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Regional Barista Competitions

Maybe this can get us all to Tacoma?

January 8, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Maybe this can get us all to Tacoma?

As I-5 lays impassable under 20 miles of water, some folks from Portland have managed to book flights into SeaTac and Horizon Airlines has added additional flights to try ferry more passengers back and forth […]

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News

Wild Weather Wrecks another Weekend?

January 8, 2009 Ken Comments Off on Wild Weather Wrecks another Weekend?

Oy. Well sure, the snow’s gone, but now here in the Great Northwest, we’re under the influence of the Pineapple Express. No, not this Pineapple Express, but this one. So the 40-year record snowfall we’ve […]

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News

P-Town in the Times

December 29, 2008 Ken Comments Off on P-Town in the Times

Fabulous Portland Oregon, home of Barista Magazine and the amazing Trail Blazers among other terrific things, is receiving some national attention once again for its coffee scene as the New York Times reports here. And […]