The Apple iCup. I Would Buy This In A Heartbeat.

Designer, illustrator and 3D Artist, Tomislav Zvonaric (aka DevianTom) of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada has conceived an homage to the Apple brand by designing the Apple iCup.

Nendo Designs Coffee Mugs For Starbucks That Never Need A Refill.

Okay, so they do actually need a refill if you'd like a second cup. However, when turned upside down, these three new mugs designed for Starbucks in Japan appear as a full Americano, latte and caramel macchiato.

Best Picture Nominees As Coffee Art by Michael Breach

In anticipation of The Oscars, Coffee Artist of the stars Michael Breach, has created this year's Best Picture nominees in coffee.

Gravity:

12 Years A Slave:

American Hustle:

Captain Phillips:

Dallas Buyers Club:

Her:

Nebraska:

Philomena:

Wolf Of Wall Street:

Follow Michael and his Bartistart on tumblr.

Tune in tonight to see the Oscars:

UPDATED: Dumb Starbucks Opens In Los Angeles, Making A Latte Fun Of The Original.

UPDATED 2/11 : Despite earlier reports that graphic designer and artist Marc Horowitz was behind the pop up parody coffee shop, the Los Angeles Times reports that it is actually the brainchild of comedian Nathan Fielder.

Yes, it's true. A faux Starbucks coffee shop named Dumb Starbucks opened in the hipster hood of Los Feliz yesterday to long lines of curious coffee-craving crowds.



With Dumb Cups, Dumb Cafe Umbrellas and even Dumb Music, the strip mall satirical store has a menu that features “Dumb Iced Coffee,” “Dumb Frappuccinos,” and a seasonal “Wuppy Duppy Latte.”





According to a Frequently Asked Questions flyer posted on the door (shown below), the people behind “Dumb Starbucks” are using “parody law” to get around what appears to be blatant copyright infringement.“ By adding the word ‘dumb,’ we are technically ‘making fun’ of Starbucks, which allows us to use their trademarks under a law known as ‘fair use,’” the notice reads.



The parody store, located at 1802 Hillhurst Ave. was giving away free coffee and pastries to those who had to wait longer than an hour yesterday.

The Associated Press reports that "Starbucks says it's trying to contact the people responsible for a "Dumb Starbucks" store that set up shop in Los Angeles this weekend."




"We are aware of this store, and it is not affiliated with Starbucks," spokeswoman Laurel Harper said in an email Monday. "We are evaluating next steps, and while we appreciate the humor, they cannot use our name, which is a protected trademark."

She adds that the vast majority of trademark disputes "are handled informally," suggesting the company will not need to take legal action. - AP

It's True. Grumpy Cat Branded Bottled Flavored Coffees, Grumppuccinos, Hit The Market.

Everyone's favorite foul-faced feline, Grumpy Cat, made famous via social media, is capitalizing on her popularity. Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino™, a premium coffee drink that combines quality, quirkiness, and humor, is coming to the Ready-To-Drink coffee market.



Made from premium Arabica coffee and milk, Grumpy Cat™ Grumppuccino™ is available in Mocha, Coffee, and Vanilla flavors. Tagged with "It's Awfully Good™", the flavored bottled coffees will be available August 7th.





The Official Website

A Look At Starbuck's First Tazo Tea Store And The Cade Martin Photos To Promote It.

Starbucks opened up their first Tazo Tea store in Seattle on November 16th of 2012. The Seattle Times reports "Tazo’s 1,700-square-foot store in University Village is a shabby chic collection of grays and greens, with an off-white chandelier at its center and clear jars of teas on its shelves.



The floor is devoted more to selling tea for home brewing than to in-store tea drinking.




It includes 80 loose-leaf teas and a blending station for customers to create their own with ingredients ranging from rooibos to marigold petals."


store photos by Greg Gilbert for the The Seattle Times

Starbucks has not yet decided whether or not they will expand the store concept.



To promote the store, they hired award-winning photographer Cade Martin to shoot twelve images for the campaign. Shown below are nine of those images.










images courtesy of StarbucksMelody, Seattle Times, Cade Martin and Behance

Nespresso Commissions Coffee Cup Stain Portrait of Lucio Dalla in Milan.

I first introduced you to the beautiful and talented Hong "Red" Yi with her unusual portrait of Chinese film director Zhang Yimou created with 750 pair of socks. Most recently she was commissioned by the Milan Nespresso Boutique to create a portrait of the late Italian singer Lucio Dalla out of coffee cup ring stains.


above: Singer Lucio Dalla passed away this past March

Red, who is known for working in unusual mediums, created the piece onsite in Milan:




The final piece:

The unveiling of the piece at the Nespresso Boutique in Milan:



The piece will be displayed in the Milan Nespresso boutique, then given to the mayor of Bologna, who, according to Red, plans to hang it in a museum that they will be building for Lucio.

images and info courtesy of Red (Hong Yi) who now has a new website.