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Read all of Brian Martell's 2005 Coffee Articles:
Caffeine Competition is Brewingby Brian Martell A few months back, National Geographic did a big spread on the world’s affinity to caffeine. Not surprisingly, the majority of the piece was dedicated to coffee, probably the most common way we consume caffeine, at least in Canada; but also to tea, cocoa, and cola drinks. The article dispelled many myths about coffee, the most pervasive being that coffee will dehydrate you as it is a diuretic (coffee is a diuretic, but it leaves you more hydrated than you were before consuming the beverage). Further, the article went on to state that caffeine will do no harm to healthy adults as long as it is consumed in moderation. One of the products to recently emerge as a consequence of our caffeine craving is power beverages, such as Red Bull. These carbonated drinks pack at least double the amount of caffeine found in regular colas (or about the same amount found in a cup of coffee) and are becoming popular among the young. Except for the water, all other ingredients in these power beverages are synthetically derived, usually from pharmaceutical companies. Some advocacy groups are alarmed that kids will become more addicted to caffeine at an earlier age, while the majority of teenagers look upon the new drinks as a cool power boost or just regular colas on steroids. Enter a new dimension in the caffeine wars – beer. Anheuser-Busch has introduced a new caffeinated beer called B to E while Molson’s has come out with their new caffeinated suds called Molson Kick. Both use guarana from South America as the caffeinating agent to give the beer its appeal, while the B to E product also boasts ginseng. The question one has to ask is why? Alcohol is a depressant and caffeine is a stimulant, is the idea to cancel each other out in a battle for control of our neuro-processors? Cynically, the argument could be made that beer drinkers will stay awake longer to drink more beer, and maybe there is some truth to that; but others feel that with the double whammy of alcohol and caffeine, no one will be able to resist the seductive pull of both drugs together. Conspiracy theories aside, both breweries have invested millions of dollars in their ventures as well as over two years in development. If caffeine is going to be available through more than just the traditional “natural” products, then what does the future hold for coffee and tea? Indeed, at the SCAA show in Seattle last April, there was a company promoting “Gourmet Robusta” (a seeming contradiction in terms). Again, the concept was to sell a relatively good tasting brewed coffee, but with twice the caffeine found in regular gourmet coffees (I have to admit, I didn’t taste the product so I can’t tell you how good it was…or wasn’t. Marshall McLuhan once said, “The medium is the message” and it seems that there is a trend to make all things caffeinated, or to paraphrase McLuhan, “The caffeine is the beverage.” Personally, I think marketers are missing the point. The reason why coffee and tea are the most consumed prepared beverages world wide is not only about their stimulating side effects, but also about the intrinsic value they offer as enjoyable, affordable beverages. Long after power drinks and caffeinated beer lose their day in the sun, coffee will still be the beverage of choice for millions of Canadians who want a good, satisfying adult beverage to start and finish their day right. Questions or comments? Reach Brian at Brian@heritage-coffee.com © 2005 Brian Martell
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