By: Natalie Clark
Calling all coffee addicts, there’s a new must try spot in town! Phin Coffee Bar is located at 804 King Street West. The Westdale neighbourhood spot is only a short walk from campus. The owner, Andrew Meas, launched the bar’s soft opening on Feb. 16 and has been committed to serving the Westdale community their best cup of coffee since.
This may be Meas’ first coffee shop, but he has lots of experience in the coffee industry and a lot of love for what he does.
After finishing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto, Meas wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. His grandmother, who owned a café in New Zealand, invited him to make the trip to work for her and learn how to bake and make coffee.
Although Meas wasn’t a fan of the baking aspect of the café, he became intrigued by the coffee. Her returned back from New Zealand and starting working at Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters in Kitchener.
Soon after becoming a pro at brewing coffee, Meas made the decision to start planning his own coffee shop in June 2018. It was a decision of impulse and instinct, and he admits to a little bit of peer pressure.
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This pressure came in the form of the encouragement he had from his friends to take the next big step in career and open up Phin.
Meas quickly realized that opening up a coffee shop meant more than just knowing how to brew a good cup of coffee. While opening up Phin, Meas ran into some challenges, mostly administrative things he didn’t think of, like cups and insurance.
When choosing a location, Meas knew that the Westdale neighborhood would be the perfect place. The community’s charms and close proximity to McMaster were advantageous to the new business.
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Meas is aiming Phin Coffee Bar at students, professors and young adults, and being in the Westdale neighborhood accomplishes that for him.
When asked what he believes Phin will add to the Westdale community, Meas mentioned that he hopes it will create a lot of foot traffic, encourage the exploration of coffee and brew a reputable cup of coffee.
Meas sees coffee as a gateway into people’s lives, it’s a part of their routine and lifestyle, and Phin Coffee Bar aims to be that gateway by creating a cozy and approachable vibe in the Westdale community.
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By: Michal Coret/ SHEC
University students are recommended to sleep seven to nine hours a night. Ha! That’s funny. Thanks, science. With increasing sleep debts due to schoolwork, social life and other obligations, many of us turn to caffeine as a solution to stay awake. Caffeine is the most popular substance on university campuses, and also worldwide, with approximately 70 percent of university students addicted.
So how much is too much? The maximum daily caffeine intake is often cited as 400 mg. An eight-ounce cup of coffee, depending on its intensity, can contain 40-200 mg of caffeine. When consumed within this margin, caffeine improves attention, memory, wakefulness, reaction time and athletic performance for some. Additional evidence suggests that that caffeine, in moderation, has positive effects on mood, and may play a role in weight loss. Sounds great, right?
Unfortunately, many coffee drinkers exceed this safety margin. Two cups is just with breakfast. Almost unconsciously, another three or four may be consumed to stay awake during lectures, meetings and assignments. But what are the consequences? Most of the detrimental effects of caffeine are long-term. These include heart problems, deteriorated bone health and even diabetes.
Caffeine may also have effects on the dopaminergic reward system of the brain. This is a pathway involved in drug addiction and a possible explanation for why coffee is so addictive. Withdrawal symptoms (which might appear all too familiar) include sleepiness, poor concentration, headaches and nausea. Studies done specifically on undergraduate students showed that those who drink over six cups of coffee a day sleep significantly fewer hours than their peers. It seems to be a vicious cycle.
Another consideration is that brain development related to planning and emotional control is also critical in the early 20s. Caffeine may have an adverse impact on how these brain functions develop and lead to long-term cognitive changes.
If one were to try the daunting task of leaving coffee behind, the best way to start is a gradual reduction in daily amounts of coffee. This, combined with caffeine alternatives may effectively promote long-term caffeine reduction. If you’re going for a cleanse, cold water and stretching are also good options.
But let’s not paint such a dark (roast) picture of coffee consumption. The bottom line is that caffeine — like most things in life — is best in moderation. If you are drinking three or more cups of coffee a day, running to the washroom frequently and/or wanting to reduce caffeine, there may be merit in evaluating your daily schedule and priorities to see what can be changed. Also, stress is a major hindrance to sleep. In days when sleep seems far away, considering various outlets for stress can improve your nighttime zzzs.
Caffeine alternatives
Green Tea
The most well known alternative has less caffeine than coffee and contains catechin, an antioxidant and disease fighter.
Licorice Tea
This caffeine free tea also replenishes adrenal glands, organs that respond to stress.
Prune Juice
Need something sweet? Prunes replenish your electrolytes, which can lead to increased stamina.
Chai Tea
A creamy chai tea latte will trick your body into thinking that you’re drinking coffee.
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By: Sonia Leung
Bound by a passion for coffee and food, close friends Dave and Rocky poured their hearts into Saint James Espresso Bar & Eatery, Hamilton’s newest cafe. Having gleaned much from the community, they decided to give back to the city that contributed so much to their lives. Snuggled in the middle of the art district on James Street North, Saint James has a lot to offer. Be sure to try their state-of-the-art steampunk coffee, only available in three other locations in Ontario.
When I visited the café in mid-November, its doors had only been open for a month. Saint James is already making a name for itself, inviting locals in with their one-of-a-kind coffee vibe. As you enter their cozy establishment, you are greeted by an open kitchen where they bare it all. The seating layout is refreshingly different: there is only one big table where strangers gather and become strangers no more, an optimistic injection of camaraderie between Hamiltonians. The co-founders have witnessed meaningful connections form between customers with their bold floor plan. “We want to be like a living room where people come in and relax and we’ve started to carve that, I think,” muses Rocky. The “Saint” component of their title refers to the fondness and respect the founders have for the downtown hub that James Street North has become. Being a neighbour in the neighbourhood is their motto-as we wandered in conversation over a cup of Steampunk coffee, Dave and Rocky would casually wave to a regular customer or the truck driver cruising by on the road. It’s smiles all around at Saint James, and I want to get in on it.
True to their down-to-earth vibe, Dave and Rocky were eager to share their inspirations and passions.
. . .
How did you get into coffee?
“I was at Detour and one of their guys, Jeff, who’s awesome, pulled an espresso shot [for me]. On my motorcycle ride home, I still tasted it and I thought to myself, ‘this is just not possible.’ I’ve had [multiple] experiences like this with coffee that made me want to learn how to make good coffee.”
What is your favourite menu item on the menu?
“Right now the clear winner is the Drive Thru sandwich. It’s like a sausage muffin with a hashed brown in the sandwich. People love bacon, people love sausage, people love eggs, so we put it all in a sandwich. It’s our overall number one best seller. People even get it for dinner!”
What is steampunk coffee?
“It’s based on a filter, but it uses steam, which extracts a lot more flavour. Then, at the end of the cycle, it uses what’s similar to a siphon, so it uses a vacuum to suck out the flavour. The great thing about steampunk is that as it cools down, the flavour profile changes and you start to notice more notes. [The steampunk machine] does tea really well too, so eventually we’ll dabble with tea.”
“It’s a good time to be a Hamiltonian,” says Rocky fondly. Indeed it is. Just over a decade ago, this street was lifeless. It is now the art district of Hamilton, with the hustle and bustle of independent boutiques, galleries, restaurants and coffee shops. Now, more than ever, is a good time to be in the Steel City. “You don’t have to go to Toronto for good food or coffee anymore,” Rocky enthuses, and he’s right. Come by for the Drive Thru sandwich and a cup of steampunk coffee for a taste of Hamilton.
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By: Sonia Leung
If you cut me open, I would probably bleed coffee. If you find me on Instagram, you would probably find dozens of pictures of Americanos fondly filtered with slumber or gingham. My name is Sonia and I am a coffee addict. I wasn’t always this way though.
Summer after second year, I went job searching and landed a job as a barista at a cafe near McMaster. It was just a job — I needed to pay rent and my barista job afforded me that. Little did I know, I would eventually tumble down the rabbit hole of coffee and all things related.
At this point in my life, coffee was just a tool, a pick-me-up for the groggier of mornings and the occasional all-nighter for that extra resilient project that didn’t like when you tackled it. On such occasions, my virgin tongue would shudder in anticipation of the bitterness that the “double-double” imposed.
In the following months, however, I had the misfortune of developing lactose intolerance and my digestive system no longer responded amicably to the dairy component of my “double-double.” Soy and other dairy alternatives aren’t comparable as creamers and were not worth the 50 cent add-on.
Notably, in the same timeframe, I also decided to reduce my sugar intake as per my family history of diabetes. And so it went, I now drank my coffee black. This one change, though unassuming, would lead me to new discoveries.
1. To my surprise, coffee breath was no longer an issue. The culprit to the unanimously dreaded case of acute coffee-induced halitosis is dairy and sugar. Black coffee does not mark its territory!
2. Black coffee has pleasant flavours even without creamer or sweetener stirred in.
3. Caffeine is a laxative.
These findings were serendipitous; no longer must I channel my exhales carefully so as not to subject my peers to coffee breath. I also found that I enjoyed coffee much more without the embellishment the “double-double” calls for.
Tasting the flavour notes of coffee requires a few steps. First, inhale. Gently waft in the smell of your cup of java. Let the aroma saturate your nasal cavity, hold your breath for a brief moment, and exhale. Your olfactory senses contribute to your perception of taste, so this step primes you for optimal enjoyment of coffee. Then, take another breath, drink some coffee, and swish it around your mouth and let it evenly coat your tongue for a few seconds. After you swallow it, exhale through your nose. Discernment of flavour notes comes with practice, but the first two domains of flavour you will experience are fruity (from varying levels of acidity) and nutty (varies between crops of coffee and levels of roastedness). Graduation from this dichotomy of flavour entails experiencing other tones. Three cheers to you if you taste that your coffee is earthy, herby, spicy or flowery.
Due to my penchant for flavour, I made the switch from drip coffee to Americano (FYI, Americano is a mix of espresso and hot water). The subtleties of flavour aren’t so subtle in such a beverage.
Drop the cream and sugar in your coffee if you’re feeling a little adventurous today. And in case you’re wondering, the best coffee I’ve had in Hamilton is the Americano from Pinecone Coffee Co. on John Street South.
Erica Greaves / Silhouette Intern
Being criticized seems to be a staple in teenage life; some criticisms more severe than others. I personally have an issue with being criticized over one thing: caffeine intake. Like every youth, I faced arguments built on rumors such as “caffeine will stunt your growth” and “caffeine causes heart disease” from the adults in my life. Since then, it has been my mission to reveal the true facts and answer the questions everyone has been asking: is caffeine really harmful? Does it need to be controlled like alcohol and cigarettes?
First of all, we need to address what the real risks of caffeine are. Let’s start with symptoms: increased mental speed, feeling alert and increased heart rate are most common. As you can see, these side effects are minor and hardly interfere with every day life. However, caffeine can also cause anxiety, headaches and gastrointestinal pains. These side effects are not severe, but are present and can be worse in those who already have general or social anxiety, chronic headaches or migraines and gastrointestinal problems to begin with.
Now because caffeine is classified as a drug, the question arises, is overdose possible and what would happen in the case that one should take place? An overdose is defined as administering too large a dose or too many doses. In this context, an overdose could simply mean drinking one too many cups of coffee in a day than what you are used to. Symptoms of a caffeine overdose could be tremors, nausea and in some cases, a panic attack.
Given this information, should caffeine be controlled? We’re almost there, as we must next examine what effects caffeine has on children and youth, because as it stands now a child could walk into a coffee shop and order something with no law to bind them. Among children, caffeine can cause nervousness, upset stomach, headaches, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping and weight gain.
These symptoms are quite similar to those of adults, and with obesity rates in children and teens already at an all time high caffeine is the last thing children need to be served. Let’s not forget however, that caffeine is a major ingredient in soft drinks as well, a treat often given to children on special occasions and sometimes for no reason at all. Seeing these effects on children could cause serious problems in the classroom when they’re trying to focus, as well as at home when it comes to irritability and sleep loss.
At last, we can finally answer the question everyone has been asking; does caffeine need to be controlled? I would say yes. Though caffeine is a socially accepted drug like nicotine and alcohol, it is on some level addictive because it can cause withdrawal. Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal can include headache, fatigue, muscle pains and perspiration. The severity of symptoms may vary depending on the person and how often the person drinks caffeinated beverages. I believe a person should be at least 16 years of age when they decide they would like to put themselves at the minor yet possible risks caffeine pose. In putting a cap on the age in which a person can purchase caffeinated beverages, we can control the number of youth and children suffering from caffeine’s effects in school and at home, especially is they have health conditions that put them more at risk than their peers.
Ronald Leung / Silhouette Staff
Caffeine | Adderall (and other psycho-stimulants) | Energy Drinks | Sleep | |
Availability | Found in most tea bags, coffee products (not decaf, obviously), and your local coffee shop. | Legally only distributed as a prescribed medication. Not meant to be used as a studying stimulant. | Readily purchasable at supermarkets and convenience stores. | No money required for purchase. Only investment needed is a time commitment. |
Effectiveness | Depends widely on each individual. Some live by caffeine, some feel it does nothing to boost energy. Caffeine tolerance can also build, requiring increasingly large portions. | Has varying effects, but most users describe having the ability to zero-in on a task with stringent focus for hours on end. | Energy drinks are simply heavily-caffeinated drinks, so they would have the amplified effects of a cup of coffee. | Requires multiple sessions of adequate sleep, but the effects pay off by allowing for more energy-filled and focused study sessions |
Side-Effects | Twitching/uncontrolled muscle movements, sleep problems, loss of appetite. | Headaches, inability to fall asleep, dry mouth, restlessness. More serious side effects include difficulty breathing, migraines, seizures, depression. | Dizziness, insomnia, irregular heart rate, agitation, breathing problems, tremors. | (In healthy amounts) better memory, mood, and immune system. Balanced appetite, more logical thinking process. |