Open Culture

A Canadian production aired on PBS, Black Coffee examines “the world’s most widely taken legal drug,” a beverage whose intellectually intense die-hard enthusiasts give wine’s a run for their money, from historical, political, social, and economic angles.

Part one, “The Irresistible Bean,” follows coffee’s spread from Ethiopa out across the entire world. Part two, “Gold in Your Cup,” looks at the “coffee barons” of the nineteenth century and the rise of coffee-house culture. Part three, “The Perfect Cup,” brings us up to date with the modern “romantic age of coffee” and what entrepreneurs (such as Starbucks’ Howard Schultz, who appears in the documentary) have done to, depending on your inclination, either democratize or cheapen the pursuit of a worthwhile sip.

The Irresistible Bean

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Gold in Your Cup

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The Perfect Cup