Media Love for Bklyn's Fair Trade Brews
Caffeine addicts in Brooklyn have been drinking Gorilla’s Fair Trade blends for years, and plenty of other local shops sell coffee, chocolate, and clothing bearing the label. But some people have actually moved to Ditmas Park specifically to be close to Vox Pop and its laborer-friendly coffee, the Times reports. The cafe’s founder, Sander Hicks,…
Caffeine addicts in Brooklyn have been drinking Gorilla’s Fair Trade blends for years, and plenty of other local shops sell coffee, chocolate, and clothing bearing the label. But some people have actually moved to Ditmas Park specifically to be close to Vox Pop and its laborer-friendly coffee, the Times reports. The cafe’s founder, Sander Hicks, says the fair trade label gives his brews “an additional ‘karmic kick'” that others lack. We do feel better buying products that are produced with sound labor practices, but with all the other labels to keep straight (including organic, locally-grown, “all-natural,” and “sustainable”), we admit we don’t always make fair trade our first priority. What labels most influence your choices at the grocery store or coffee shop?
In Brooklyn, Hipsters Sip ‘Fair Trade’ Brews [NY Times]
Photo of Vox Pop by Kate Anne.
And with Connecticut Muffin opening across Stratford Road from them, we’ll now be able to buy coffee without an agenda.
ONE person in the Times article said she moved to the area “because of the cafe.” Vox Pop is extremely convenient – right down the block from me – but it’s not why I moved to the neighborhood.
Coffee is the product for which I most consistently shop – ie: go out of my way – for a fair trade designation. (“Shade-grown” coffee is another thing I look for.) But Vox Pop doesn’t have much of a bulk selection. I usually buy from Leaf & Bean on 7th Avenue in Park Slope instead. They have a wide selection of fair-trade, and shade-grown, coffees in bulk.
And I guess, now that the “hipsters” have caught on, we’ll never be rid of the misnomer “Ditmas Park.”