The group hit up the Old Spokes Home by bike, rode the #8 CCTA bus, discussed scooter access issues in front of the Champlain Apartments, walked from City Hall Park to the waterfront, and wound up at Maglianero. It turns out the distance walked from one end of Church Street to the other is the same distance travelled between City Hall Park and the Waterfront. This means that if you can shop the length of Church Street, you can get yourself down to the bike path!

As an owner of Maglianero, and leader in the modern mobility movement, Michael Jager accompanied the group on the tour, and once they arrived at Maglianero, shared the cafe’s mission and commitment to mobility. Following his welcome, Jon Adams Kolitz of Local Motion read aloud on Miro Weinberger’s behalf, the proclamation that May 10, 2012 was 2012 Way to Go! Commuter Challenge Day in the City of Burlington, and asked Burlington citizens and Vermonters at large to join in the Commuter Challenge!

Ways you can get involved:

* Remember to sign up for the Way to Go Challenge, the week is not over!

* Sign up for the VT/National Bike Challenge. Vermont is in first place and Burlington/S. Burlington is currently the third place metro area nationally.

* Participate in CCTA’s Curb Your Car Day and come to the Transit Center Public Meeting at 6PM, May 31, 2012 in Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall

…And on your way to or from wherever you are headed, stop by and grab some fuel! We now have amazing sandwiches from Panadero at lunch, and great iced coffee drinks, including our favorite: The Sprocket Rocket.

Ready, set, go!

If you need an excuse to renew (or recreate) your resolution to ditch the pollution of your automobile for a little one-on-one time with your bike, May is the month to do it. Not only has spring sprung in Vermont, but it’s National Bike to Work Month. The benefits of switching to two wheels abounds. From exercise to a dose of vitamin D, biking is a great way to enjoy the fresh air while getting where you need to go!

Scientific studies disagree as to how long it takes to create a new habit, like grabbing your helmet instead of your car keys. But, 31 days sounds like a pretty good place to start.

Can’t commit to a full month of bicycle commuting? Ditch the keys for one week – the official Bike to Work Week is May 14 – 18. Or, take a spin on May 18th, National Bike to Work Day.

Even if your schedule this month isn’t feasible for bicycle commuting , take a spin around the block or down to the corner store for a creemee. Or, better yet, cruise down the Burlington Bike Path for an iced treat at Maglianero Café!

Liz Millikin is a writer living and working in Burlington, VT. She has a pair of snowshoes, one ski pole, and a B.A. in Anthropology in the trunk of her car. Her usual Maglianero beverage is a macchiato, but she’s immensely fond of their Chai Masala. If she’s not in Maglianero, you can find her at http://lizmillikin.com. ]]> http://blog.maglianero.com/does-anyone-keep-their-new-years-resolutions-anymore/feed/ 0 http://blog.maglianero.com/gender-equity-now-coalition-presents-rock-for-choices/ http://blog.maglianero.com/gender-equity-now-coalition-presents-rock-for-choices/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:37:39 +0000 Simon_maglianero http://blog.maglianero.com/?p=850 Join us this Saturday May 5th from 8:00-11:00pm at Maglianero for a benefit concert presented by GENC-Gender Equity Now! Coalition, (formerly Feminists @UVM).  Enjoy 4 bands and the skate ramp while helping to raise funds and awareness for Planned Parenthood of New England. Come celebrate with people who want gender equity NOW! Come skate,  rock out, and support women’s right to choose. Tickets are available at the door for only $3!!!

May 3rd–Grenache and The Rhone–The natural wines of Gramenon & Le Goeuil, tasting of 5 wines ($20).

May 24th–Sicily–The Volcano-High altitude natural wines from the vineyards of Mt. Etna, tasting of  5 wines ($20).

May 31st–Vin de Soif–Wine for your thirst from wine star Maxime Magnon, tasting of 3 wines ($20).

June 7th–Wine Bar Wizards–Killer wine bars from Paris to San Francisco pour these wines, tasting of 4 wines ($20). June 14th-Rosé Glou-Glou-Killer pink wines paired with local charcuterie & cheese, tasting of 5 wines ($20).

June 21st–Goat Roast–An old-school goat roast in the parking lot with wine,tasting of wine and spit-roasted goat ($45). Tickets are available at the cafe.

Do you want to know what it feels like to feel the wind in your face in Patagonia, climb glaciers, and encounter species of flora and fauna that only live in this wild and breathtakingly beautiful part of the world?

Join us this Friday April 27th for a presentation with Argentinean native and experienced expedition guide Dani Catania.

Dani will share about his experiences and in Patagonia and Los Glaciares National Park, highlighting the area’s birds, mammals, and vascular plants. He’ll also be bringing copies of his field guides, maps, and signed prints–and there will be time following the presentation for your questions and an open discussion.

This event will start at 6:00 pm and run until 7:30pm. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to meet Dani, and hear of his amazing experiences and outdoor adventures. Join the discussion while enjoying a drink and a pastry–and maybe pick up a print or two to take home.

Tell us: what do you want to know about Patagonia? (We’ll make sure Dani gets your comments ahead of time so he can respond after the presentation.)

We can’t wait to see you there!

We have options…rent the entire cafe after hours; rent the conference room during. We offer access to a projector, stereo system, wi-fi and of course, our selection of amazing coffees, teas, and pastries.

We can help you find the right caterer, get a discount on any audio gear you may need, and help you realize your vision for an unforgettable experience in our cafe space.

Feel free to send us an email if you have any questions, or please stop by to see the space during business hours.

Typically, a situation like this would be paralyzing for a cafe; rarely is there an understudy for the lead role of espresso machine. We happen to be very fortunate, and the Coffee Lab down in Waterbury was willing and able to give us their machine as a loaner the very next morning.

As it turned out, installing the understudy was not without its puzzles, and it wasn’t until the end of the day on Thursday that it was both functional AND drip free. It’s been a wild week, and I think everyone (and everything) involved is looking forward to a day of R&R on Sunday.

Despite our mechanical woes (or “whoa”s; we also fought with our ice machine in the middle of it all!) we managed to snap many more shots for our #Biketo_ contest! Here’s how it works:

WE provide you with a giant poster that says BIKE TO______.
YOU fill in the blank. You can be literal, witty, and/or esoteric in your response.
WE snap a shot of you with your poster, and post it to Instagram and Facebook.
YOU get to keep your poster.
THE POSTER (more specifically the person holding the poster) with the most likes on Facebook will be awarded a can of our Black Jersey Blend!

Vote for your favorites, and swing down to fill in one of your own. We’ll see you next week…

Cheers!

Greetings, Salutations, and Welcome to the new and improved Maglianero Blog! Check in on Mondays to find out what’s new in our world, and feel free to let us know what’s new in yours…

At this very moment, we are in the process of replacing some o-rings on our lovely LaMarzocco.  You may or may not have noticed that our espresso machine has been crying a bit lately; literally, tears streaming from its spouts.  This has made pulling consistent shots somewhat challenging, as both the pressure and flow are affected by this emotional upheaval.  With any luck, by the time this finds you the center of our world will have dried its eyes, and put on a happy face for service on Tuesday!  Excellent cappuccinos to follow…

In other news, I’m not sure if you’ve been introduced to the energizing wonders of Kombucha yet, but we recently began carrying the good stuff from Aqua Vitea.  As I sat down, I cracked one open for myself; it’s 2/3 of the way gone and I am beaming from the inside out.

For those of you not yet familiar with it, Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea, sugar, and a culture of bacteria and yeast.  The fermentation produces an elixir of vitamins, enzymes and probiotics.  The taste can be a little funky at first, conjuring the experience of sipping some juice that has been in the refrigerator two weeks too long, but if you get past that, its effervescence is both energizing and enjoyable. Come visit this week and give it a go!

That’s all for now; please give us some feedback about what you’d like to see in the café!  From food and drinks, to tastings and workshops…Your ideas are welcome and encouraged!

Cheers!

Quickly! Or we may miss the season entirely and blow right on into summer.

If you’re looking to get your legs pumping a bit before you head outdoors for a solid climb, look no further than Maglianero this week—we’ve got not one, but TWO events guaranteed to get you excited for the upcoming season.

VT Indoor Cycling Group Ride

Thursday, 3/22

Grab your bike, your rollers (or trainer), and a towel, and join the pack for a session with “The Sufferfest” training ride. The last gathering hosted seven riders, tied together by the belief that if you’re going to train indoors, you may as well get out of your basement and sweat with company. We’ve hosted the ride for the last four weeks, but there are only two weeks left before everyone heads outside. Doors open at 5:45pm. The ride starts around 6:30 and lasts about an hour. Check out VT Indoor Cycling’s blog, and email Matt if you have any questions. Hope to see you there!

The Old Spokes Home Presents: Mad Dashes!

Friday, 3/23

If you’re looking to be a bit more competitive, check out the final installment of the Old Spokes Home’s Mad Dashes! Picture two single-speed bikes set up on stationary rollers and two racers going head to head in 250m, 500m, and 2,000m races. Sound like fun? We think so! Registration starts at 6:30pm, the races at 7:00pm.

Can’t make it? Stay dialed on Twitter! Follow #magevents.

The team at Maglianero has been working to pull together some events to get you through the end (and oddly enough, the beginning) of this winter!

Coming up next week:

Brewing Biodiversity {Talk}

Biodiversity-friendly. Shade-grown. Organic. Fair trade. Bird-friendly.

Coffee choices can be overwhelming, but the relationship between coffee and the environment is an important one. On Thursday, March 15, from 5 to 6PM, Maglianero Café will host Katie Goodall for a lecture on biodiversity and coffee.

Katie is a Ph.D. student at the University of Vermont and a researcher in the Agroecology and Rural Livelihoods Group. Brewing Biodiversity will be a discussion of how coffee agroecosystems can support wildlife conservation and how researchers in the Agroecology and Rural Livelihoods Group at the University of Vermont are working with coffee communities in Central America to improve farmer livelihoods.

Can’t make it? Follow all Maglianero Talks on Twitter: (#MagTalk)

Global Palestine {Talk}

On Saturday, March 17, from 2 to 3:30PM, we’re hosting author and St. Lawrence University professor John Collins for a reading of his new book Global Palestine.

Collins offers a provocative interpretation of the Palestinian liberation struggle and its far-reaching global significance. The author of Occupied By Memory: The Intifada Generation and the Palestinian State of Emergency, Collins is also co-editor, with Ross Glover, of Collateral Language: A User’s Guide to America’s New War. He holds a Ph.D. in comparative studies in discourse and society from the University of Minnesota, where he was a MacArthur Scholar.

Battle of the Bands Fundraiser for Maple Street Bike Park {Event}

Later that same Saturday, from 6 to 11PM, come down for Battle of the Bands, a fundraiser for the Maple Street Bike Park. This is an all-ages event to raise money for the freestyle mountain bike/BMX park in Essex Junction. The park will contain dirt jumps, a beginner pump track, an expert pump track, and beginner, intermediate and expert jump lines.

Cheer on the bands and bring your board. Our skate ramp will be open for the 60 Seconds to Shred competition! There will be raffles and prizes, all to benefit the park, and we will be serving all the caffeine necessary to keep the party going.

Stay dialed on Twitter: (#MapleStreetBike)

We want to fill our calendar with events that YOU can’t wait to be a part of! Share your feedback in the comments and we’ll make them happen.

Cheers!

If it’s been a while, let me remind you that it’s absolutely entertaining and fun for all ages.

More on that in a second. First, for those of you who may be new to the café, allow me to break it down: During the day, we serve exceptional espresso, handmade single-origin coffee, and a lovely assortment of tea, hand-selected by our friends at Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea, as well as pastries, soup, and sandwiches prepared by Meyers Bagels, Panadero Bakery, From the Ground Up, The Chubby Muffin, and Douglas Sweets. In the evenings, we open ourselves up to members of the community seeking a space for everything from a surprise birthday party for a close friend to, in this case, Queer Bingo!

On Friday, February 25, DJ Llu and Chopper arrived equipped with their Pop-Up! team to transform Maglianero into an elaborate bingo party.

The lovely host, Kim Jordan, and her dashing and talented assistant, Sarah Mell, entertained the 85 queers and allies who had packed into the café.

The evening was highlighted by drag performances, featuring the talents of Kings Local 802, NCOTB, and Sylk. It was just the sort of event that makes leaving the house in the middle of winter totally worth it.

If you missed this Pop-Up! A Queer Dance Party extravaganza, no worries. You can find about future events on their Facebook page. And if you have an event that needs a superbly functional and gorgeously designed space to bring it to life, check out Maglianero: you can rent a portion of the space during business hours (for the meeting you need to hold anywhere but your own office) or the entire café after hours for private parties and community events. Shoot us an email or give us a call at (802) 861-3155 to get started!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Vantage Point release party on Friday night! If you didn’t make it down, here’s what you missed.

Contributors from Vantage Point, the University of Vermont’s literary and art journal, took over Maglianero, installing paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures featured in the new issue.

Guests flowed through the door and wandered the space or found a cozy spot to sit and enjoy the magazine. While it’s not foreign to see people with their faces in books at the café, rarely is everyone indulging in the same content at the same time, poring over the freshly printed words and images of their contemporaries. We love that!

As the space filled in a bit and the coffee grinder fell quiet, a few brave souls stepped up to the microphone to share their works of prose and verse. The mood was intimate and contemplative as the artists offered reflections on family, love, and interactions with the natural world. The energy shifted when Pals took the stage for the first musical set of the evening—chairs gave way to a dance floor. Keppe Rub played the next set, and Fridge and the Spins followed them. Between the energized performances and the cappuccinos being served up by Maggie, everyone was moving for the remainder of the evening.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Vantage Point, it is the University of Vermont’s democratically decided and peer-reviewed art and literary journal. They publish two volumes annually and hold a release party for each to celebrate the contributions and provide a forum for the artists to interact with each other and the greater community.

The party on Friday was a huge success, marked not only by the attendance and the funds raised for the journal, but by the overwhelming sense of community—and (from the café’s perspective) the fact that the number of bikes in the parking lot far outnumbered the number of cars!

(For more photos from the event, check out our Facebook page!)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012, from 5:30 – 7:30pm, Maglianero is hosting a talk with DJ Stout, presented by the Vermont chapter of the AIGA. Open to the public- $5 for AIGA members, $15 for non-members and free for student members.

DJ Stout is a fifth generation Texan born in the small West Texas town of Alpine. He received his degree in design communication from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where he was honored as a distinguished alumnus. Between 1987 and 1999 he was art director of Texas Monthly, where he helped to guide the magazine to three National Magazine Awards.

Stout joined Pentagram’s Austin office as a partner in 2000. In a special 1998 issue, American Photo magazine selected DJ as one of the “100 most important people in photography” primarily because of the impressive body of original photographic works that he commissioned and art directed during his thirteen years at the magazine. In 2004 I.D.(International Design) magazine selected Stout for “The I.D. Fifty,” its annual listing of design innovators. In 2010 The Society of Illustrators honored DJ Stout with the national Richard Gangel Art Director Award. Also in 2010 DJ Stout was recognized as the AIGA Austin Fellow award recipient for his exceptional contributions to the field of design.

DJ and his team specialize in the creation of brand identity design and strategy, publication design, packaging and interactive design solutions. Recent projects include Microsoft Windows Vista, Ruby Tuesday Restaurants, Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, Walgreens, L.L. Bean, Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine, Yankee magazine, and Texas A&M’s Advance magazine.

Find updates at the Vermont AIGA Facebook page here. See you Tuesday!

Friday, Feb 10th, Maglianero Café is happy to host a release party for the latest issue of the University of Vermont’s Vantage Point magazine. There will be coffee and tea, poetry readings, and a gallery of new visual work, along with live music. A suggested donation of $3.00 to $5.00 goes to support the publication.

About Vantage Point

Vantage Point is the University of Vermont’s literary and arts creative journal. We are a democratically decided, peer-reviewed journal.

We are simply a journal that “thinks”. We publish two issues annually, one for the fall semester and one for the spring semester. UVM’s collective, creative voice is loud and we provide a venue in which writers and artists are encouraged to find their voice and delve in creative endeavors. We have the opportunity to view and publish some of the University’s most imaginative, most adventurous, most controlled, and most contemplative pieces of work. These submissions spark both an exhilaration and creativity within our staff, which becomes a cyclical fuel for the larger community with each issue we publish. We are diverse in our publication, with the intention to create the most diverse journal possible. Our success is impossible without the creative talents of our contributors who continue to reawaken the journal’s spirit. Our goal is to stimulate and support an artistic community, which will strengthen and unify the University as a whole.

To celebrate our contributors success, we host two annual release parties, in which we celebrate artists and writers who were published in the most current issue. Here, our contributors are given the opportunity to thumb through the newly printed issues, view works that were published by other artists or writers, hear writers read, and view artist’s works on the walls. Here, they are given the space to talk about their pieces, share the events with friends, family, and staff members, as well as listen to music. As we noted earlier, our success is not possible without them.

In partnership with the crew from The Chubby Muffin, we’re excited to announce a newly and greatly expanded food offering at Maglianero.

The menu items will rotate every other day and we’ll tweak it as-needed to make sure it’s the best it can be (read: don’t be afraid to pass on comments to us!)

On Mondays and Tuesdays we’ll have the following:
The Farmer’s Friend—A bacon, Chevre, and tomato sandwich.
The Son of Salmon—The Salmon Club sandwich you’ve been waiting for.
The Beet Happening—Beets are part of your program? Then this is the salad for you.
The Three Ps—A Thai-style spicy peanut pasta dish.

Wednesday and Thursday? Try these:
Il Panino Paradiso—Meatloaf, cheddar, and horseradish mayo served sandwich-style.
The Great Pretender—Vegans rejoice: a Seitan sandwich with spice.
The Insalata Leggera—Our light but tastefully complex salad.
The Grains and Grass—A Tabouli salad with seasonings to satisfy.

Friday and on into the weekend finds this offering:
The Autumn Awesome—An apple and brie sandwich? Of course!
The Settlers’ Revenge—The post-Thanksgiving classic without the once-a-year wait.
The Waldorf Schooled Salad—Our Waldorf salad with chicken breast.
The Caesar & Desist the Boring—A Caesar Salad with homemade croutons.

And throughout the week we’ll aim to surprise with a soup of the day.

So there you have it (and we hope you enjoy it…) Items quantities will be limited to first-come, first-served. We’ll do our best to keep you up to date on availability, soups of the day, and any changes via our Facebook page. Stay warm and hope to see you here soon!

(Photos courtesy of blottophotto.com)

Over the past decade Liam Griffin helped create some of the most innovative, entertaining, and relevant events in the world as the global events director for Burton Snowboards. He recently changed things up a bit and has now turned much of his attention to cycling-specific projects here in Burlington. As the Great Turkey Chase approaches (November 12) it seemed like a fine time to catch up with its founder and ask him a few questions about the Chase, as well as get his thoughts on certain aspects of the cycling scene here in the Queen City.

1) Liam, this will be the fourth running of the Great Turkey Chase. What’s the back story on the event?

The concept of a pre-Thanksgiving, alley-cat-style race has been around for years. I think “Cranksgiving” in NYC might have been one of the first. I had read about that event on a blog and decided to bring the concept to BTV with the first Great Turkey Chase in 2008. That year we did the event on the same weekend as Stowe’s opening day so the turnout was only about a dozen people. It also didn’t help that it snowed the night before and that temps during the ride hovered around 20ºF with winds out of the north. It was pretty burly.

2) What’s the average turnout been?

In 2009 the event was a week earlier, which boosted turnout to 30+ people. Last year we had some epic weather and 60+ people turned up. Seems like we’ve been doubling every year.

3) You’ve either participated in or had a hand in organizing many of bike-related events here in Burlington over the past few years. Is the bike community easy to rally here?

There seems to be a really tight knit group of people in the bike scene who are motivated to get out and support the more fringe bike events, like bike polo, tweed rides, alley cats, and the like. We’ve definitely got a good thing going with that end of the spectrum. There is also the whole GMBC, FOTW, and more “organized” bike scene that is huge as well, but focused on a different sort of bike event. I think Burlington is lucky to have something for everybody.

4) What changes have you seen in the bike community from when you started being engaged with it up to now?

When I first moved to Vermont back in 2000, I was way into the MTB/DH end of things. I only got interested in the urban scene after a trip to Tokyo back in 2005 turned me on to the whole “piste” trend that was blowing up over there. Kids in the city were using the readily available track bikes from the Keirin races because they were cheap, cool, low maintenance, and easily customizable. The scene there was really rad, and it reminded me a bit of what skateboarding used to be like for me when I was younger. I got back to Vermont and built up a track bike and started riding around town instead of using my car for errands, and also just doing group rides with friends. I think a lot of younger people got into the whole fixed-gear trend because it was cool, and then ended up transitioning into all sorts of different bikes. Now it seems like everything is cool and accepted—road bikes, cyclocross, whatever people are into on bikes, it just makes sense now regardless of who you are and what you’re into.

5) Now more than ever it seems like cyclists of all kinds are trying to extend their season as far as possible. Given how late in the year the Great Turkey Chase is, do you think you see more participants or less as a result?

I don’t think the lateness has really hurt us, except maybe in the first year when people opted to go snowboarding at Stowe for opening day. I think the key to the increased turnout in the past two years has been word of mouth, and that the event is for a good cause. The weather plays a factor too, but I also think that people just like getting together to ride their bikes, especially when there is a fun social element to it as well. I know that after the “Monster Mash” race that the Culture Cycles crew did, there were a bunch of people hyped that they had the Turkey Chase coming up in a few weeks. There aren’t many bike events left on the calendar, so this might be the last time a lot of people get out and ride together before they transition over to snowboard season.

6) What’s the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf like to work with?

They’ve always been really stoked and surprised to see us when we show up late on Saturday afternoon with a load of food. Last year we filled the back of a friend’s Subaru, with the seats folded down. After unloading all the food into bins and stacking it on pallets, we weighed in at 1225 lb. of food. The guys who helped us unload it all were pretty impressed that all that food had been collected by people on bikes. I know that Thanksgiving is a time of year when they need to support a lot of families, so it is really cool to be able to help them out by putting together an event like this.

7) Are you going to be riding in this year’s event and, if so, what bike are you using?

Yes, I’ll be riding again this year. I always like to ride the course, collect food, and shoot some photos along the way. I’ll be riding my Cinelli Mash, which is my favorite bike to ride in town.

You’ve been integral to Bike Polo here in Burlington. Will we see you taking part in any other organized bike competitions (crits, CX, etc.) in the future?

Bike polo has taken up a pretty good chunk of my bike time the past few years. I’d say in any given week the two days I’m almost guaranteed to be on my bike the most are Wednesday and Sunday for polo. I hear the Catamount races are really fun on Wednesdays, but that would mess with my polo schedule. I wish there were more days in the week! Once the winter really sets in I’m stoked for the “Mad Dashes” roller races that the Old Spokes crew are planning.

9) Any advice to first-time Great Turkey Chasers?

Well, some people come to race, and some people come to ride. Others just come to be social and support a good cause. I know some people last year rode to the first stop, bought the whole shopping list at that one store, and then rode to the finish with full bags of food just because they wanted to contribute. However you choose to ride, I just hope people have a good time and ride safe. We try to put together a ride that is pretty easy to do for the majority of riders, with a map and list that everybody follows so we don’t lose people along the route. Dress for the weather, wear a helmet, and bring a bag. My only other advice is to be careful in the grocery stores if you are wearing cleats. I have seen some people totally bail on the floor while rounding a corner into the canned-goods aisle.

10) Anything else the audience should know about the Chase?

The event is free of charge; you just have to bring money to buy food along the way. Most people end up doing a mix of cash and cards, depending on their strategy. If you’re racing, the choice of checkout line can make or break you, so it helps to have payment options in case the self-checkout is the fastest line. We also do some bonus prizes for people who buy turkeys. If you plan to be one of those people, you might want to bring a bigger bag…

Registration is at Maglianero at noon this Saturday, November 12^th. Everybody will need to sign a waiver before getting their map and checklist.

If you do plan to attend, please RSVP via the event’s Facebook page. It helps us to know how many people are coming so that we can print enough maps and checklists.

Thanks a lot, Liam!

Check the Facebook page for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=265304493506143

As founder of both Coffee Lab International and Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea, Mané Alves has traveled the world in service of quality beans and the people who grow them. On the leading edge of the farm-direct movement, Mané was an obvious choice to lead Maglianero’s efforts to bring the best coffee and brewing processes to Burlington. It’s our pleasure to feature Mané in the first edition of our Maglianero Ten Questions series.

1] Mané, thanks for talking with us. Is farm-direct coffee a recent phenomenon or has it been around for a while?

Farm-direct started long ago, when buyers started to travel to the beans’ point of origin and bought coffee directly from brokers in the area who represented specific farmers. Only in the last couple of years has the name has been used in a slightly different context—farm-direct means you deal directly with the farmer and pay directly to the farmer. In the last four years the movement really started to consolidate, especially when the coffee-price crisis was in full apogee.

2] Which countries are the biggest/best/most innovative producers of farm-direct beans and which countries are their biggest consumers?

Quality doesn’t depend so much on whole countries but on individual relationships. Obviously, size is a factor; some areas are better for this type of trade, especially if one is trading with small farmers.

3] What effects has farm-direct had on the communities and economies of the farmers?

Imagine a farmer is normally selling his or her coffee for $2.00 per pound. Through the farm-direct program, they make double money for the same amount of coffee. The effect is substantial.

4] What are the advantages of this kind of relationship with suppliers?

Usually, as a buyer, I am paying more than what the market is paying, so the farmer has an incentive to sell their coffee to a farm-direct buyer. Suppliers usually are not in the middle of this relationship.

5] Are there any challenges inherent in the farm-direct model?

Lots of traveling.

6] Are there differences in the quality of farm-direct beans, their taste, or other characteristics that drinkers should be looking for?

Yes, when one has ALL the coffee available out there and you pick a certain farm, obviously the coffee has to be outstanding, so the customers will know that the buyer is getting the best coffee available for that country.

7] Are farm-direct beans processed or handled differently?

Not really. There is a lot of care on the preparation, but no more or less than other beans.

8] Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been on your travels?

Many places really. The most remote and one of the most intriguing is Huehue in Guatemala and, at the north, the Tikal ruins. Aceh in Sumatra is very incredible as well, especially if you were there during the Civil War.

9] What lies beyond farm-direct? Is there room for growth and improvement? Are there other models to pursue?

Farm-direct is the best answer. It brings coffee toward the wine model. Remember that what keeps good coffee from devolving into a commodity is the distance from the consuming market, the costumes and traditions that farmers have that are different than ours, and the language barrier. When I meet the farmers and buy directly from them I am not just buying some beans from some anonymous broker in New York—regardless if they have a certification or not. I know the farmer and his family, I know the farm, and I know my purchase will help them do everything from sending their kids to school to having a better quality of life overall.

10] Finally, what’s your current favorite coffee?
This week, Kenya Miiri.

Thanks, Mané! And thanks to all who have supported Maglianero. Hope to see you soon.

Thanks to one and all for coming out to Art Hop. From Blotto’s gallery show to Greg Comollo’s bike portrait setup and beyond, there was something for everyone. In addition to all the happenings, over a thousand dollars was raised for repairs to the Burlington Bike Path. Look for more events soon!

The Modern Mobility Movement marks a new era of enlightened human-powered motion. Art and design are playing a unique role in sharing this emerging view of how humanity might better flow meaningfully and creatively through time and our complex and changing world. At Maglianero café, we are sharing dramatic cycling photographs by Dean Blotto Gray, as well as a group of outstanding bicycle designs from GT—with one very special bike To be raffled off the opening night of Art Hop, Friday, September 9. Enjoy the ride and every detail.

Maglianero’s got big things going on for this year’s Art Hop. Watch this space and our Facebook page for more details.

Check his website out for some absolutely amazing work: http://www.benslens.com/.

To see how things are progressing, or donate money to the cause, please visit http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/.

The 1920s and 30s saw the emergence of a hand-built-bicycle renaissance in the British Isles and the formation of many cycling clubs. Although a production build, the R.R.A. was the top-of-the-line road machine offered by Raleigh Industries in the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s.

First introduced in 1934, this model was favored by many club riders. The Brits, unlike the French and other continental riders who favored the derailleur, were enamored with hub gears.

The 1934 model Raleigh Record Ace featured this month at Maglianero is equipped with a Sturmey-Archer Model K 3-Speed hub. The tube set is lightweight 22g molybdenum steel (forerunner of Reynolds 531), with improved cut-away fishtail lugs, round tapered chain and seat stays, and fork blades. Note the radial laced front wheel and fluted R.R.A. cranks, heron chain ring, and R.R.A. pedals. A nice prewar road bike in pretty much its original “kit.”

It is on loan from the wonderful collection of bikes at Burlington’s own Old Spokes Home Museum.
Please visit them here: http://www.oldspokeshome.com

According to the ever popular and community based information website Wikipedia, a sprocket is a gear or a wheel with teeth.  On a bicycle, a sprocket is used to connect the front shaft to the rear shaft with the chain being the link between the two. It’s chief function and purpose is to bring movement.

Parallel to the mechanics of the sprocket, a Sprocket Rocket is a beverage with the same purpose – to bring movement. It is an 8oz cold espresso based drink. We start with 6oz of cold milk poured over ice, and an awesome double espresso pull of our Black Jersey Blend. We then combine the two and shake vigorously in a shaker. The espresso  blends with the milk and the turbulence creates a frothy sweet taste. We then strain the ice out and pour into a rocks glass, serving a deliciously downable 8oz cold latte to satiate any thirsty palate.
It is the perfect drink for anyone who only has a minute but would like to enjoy a drink that can be slammed, or for a willing biker who is fresh off the saddle and in need of a pick-me-up. Or really, for anyone who could use a little movement in their day.    -Tom Green

Check it out here 

The turnout was huge and the conversation
and debate inspiring. Maglianero is looking forward to hosting more community conversation
sessions in the near future. Check out the event pictures.

Learn more about Todd and the VTPI here: http://vtpi.org/.

Electric bikes are for schmucks, right? Nah. The newest models are stylish, useful machines that will put a lot more riders on the road.

Find out how

A few details:
- The event begins at 6pm on Friday and should run until around 10.
- There will be a cash bar in addition to the café’s offerings.
- The skate ramp will be closed for the duration of the event.
- Approximately 20 of the pieces will be auctioned live.

Relevant links:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192230397491533

http://www.arthelpsjapan.com/

Below, event flyers and press release. See you Friday!

Thanks to everyone who visited Maglianero in the first two weeks of being open. It’s been a fun, hectic, exciting, amazing and inspiring experience so far. The café has been fortunate to receive some great press during this time period.

National coverage! USA Today came through with this piece:

http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/destinations/venturethere/post/2011/05/Maglianero-Cafe-A-Modern-Mobility-Movement/172255/1

Our friend Corin Hirsch from Seven Days dropped in to check things out:

http://7dvt.com/2011maglianero-jdk-design

The Freep weighs in:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110526022

And WPTZ puts the Modern Mobility Movement in motion on the tube:

http://www.wptz.com/video/28087496/detail.html

Thanks to all for the coverage and the visits.

The café is opening Friday. Here’s the new sign getting the white glove treatment by a few handsome devils. Monday to Thursday, 7am to 4pm, Fridays, 7am to 7pm, weekends, 8am to 7pm.

That’s all you need to know.