Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries
Coffee stories with an extra shot of history and science. Filter Stories is a podcast revealing coffee’s hidden microscopic secrets, its powerful past, and how your choice of beans impacts tens of millions of people. See the behind-the-scenes stories on Instagram @filterstoriespodcast. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Episodes

Thursday May 27, 2021
Thursday May 27, 2021
Today I'm sharing the story of a coffee drinker, Jools Walker, and how coffee helped her complete an inner journey. Listen to more episodes from Adventures in Coffee here: https://bit.ly/300V4jSRead Jool's book, Back In The Frame: https://amzn.to/2NTbb0rPiano music written and performed by James Harper.

Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
Do you grind your beans fresh before brewing your coffee? If so, you are helping overturn a race-to–the-bottom with deep roots in colonial extraction that today is leaving millions of coffee farmers impoverished. Or, at least, that’s what many specialty coffee companies would like you to believe. The truth is a lot less rosy.In this final episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore where the specialty coffee movement came from, whether it will succeed in arresting coffee’s race-to-the-bottom, and look into the future to understand what might be the future of coffee. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUListen to the bonus episode on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChOMusic featured in this episode:La Traviata, Brindisi (Verdi) by MIT Symphony Orchestra: https://bit.ly/3eGUsIfInfant Holy, Infant Lowly by Ann Alee: https://bit.ly/2SKlaY6

Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
When was the last time you bought a coffee that was Fairtrade certified?Certifications make it easy for consumers to put their ethics into practice. But, hidden beneath the glossy sticker is a maze of complications and paradoxical outcomes. In this fifth episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore where coffee certifications came from, how they tried to stop coffee’s devastating race to the bottom and assess whether they succeeded.A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFuture episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChO

Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
How do you drink your instant coffee? If you’re like most of the world, you fill your mug with milk and sugar to sweeten the taste. By adding milk and sugar to your instant, you helped bring new growers - and consumers - into coffee, but arguably contributed to a crisis that left hundreds of thousands of people malnourished. In this fourth episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore how the popularity of instant coffee dramatically alters the balance of power amongst coffee growing countries. Coffee as a global commodity takes on a life of its own, sweeping millions of farmers into a race to the bottom.A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFuture episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChOCoffee and brewing equipment featured in this episode1930 and 2020 “World Blend” roasted by Smiths Coffee (UK): http://bit.ly/3rtR2g1Comandante hand grinder: http://bit.ly/3qmTSCNSage electric grinder: http://bit.ly/2Zf3NyC

Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
A hundred years ago one Brazilian man owned so many coffee trees he could fill every inch of a European country with them.But why does Brazil grow so much? And who is drinking these lakes of caffeine?In this third episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James explore how industrialisation dramatically and permanently strips away Brazil’s forests, and why coffee becomes a part of the American dream. A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Stay tuned for the upcoming Instagram live session where we unpack how the British produced coffee in Sri Lanka, and why so many Indians die. Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFuture episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChO Coffee and brewing equipment featured in this episode:Marcelo Carvalho Ferraz, Boa Vista, Dom Viçoso. Roasted by Supremo (Germany): http://bit.ly/37UW79u Comandante hand grinder: http://bit.ly/3qmTSCNSage electric grinder: http://bit.ly/2Zf3NyC

Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
Why do we get upset when we’re charged €36 for an ordinary cappuccino?The answer flies us to the Caribbean where white Europeans make black Africans suffer. In this second episode of A History of Coffee, we uncover how colonialism squeezes the price of coffee, and how that changes European culture forever. Future episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel! http://bit.ly/2NArChOPress Subscribe so you don't miss future episodes!A History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Stay tuned for the upcoming Instagram live session where we unpack how the British produced coffee in Sri Lanka, and why so many Indians die. Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) & James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk)Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFuture episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChO

Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Here’s a surprising fact: coffee was only invented around the time Michelangelo was chiselling his statue of David. Why did it take so long for humans to invent the cup of coffee?In this first episode of A History of Coffee, Jonathan and James unpack how humans figured out that delicious flavours were contained in the roasted seeds of a coffee tree’s cherries.The answer has nothing to do with dancing goats...but, in some ways, it has everything to do with a shepherd in the forests of Ethiopia. Future episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel! http://bit.ly/2NArChOPress Subscribe so you don't miss future episodes!Watch James and Jonathan bust coffee myths at the Barista League's High Density conference, for free: http://bit.ly/3pxtlSaA History of Coffee is a collaboration between James Harper of the Filter Stories - Coffee Documentaries podcast and Jonathan Morris, Professor of History and author of ‘Coffee: A Global History’.Visit Jonathan’s Instagram (https://bit.ly/37eMS3F) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3jNr9ou) to see Ethiopian coffee ceremonies and historical interpretations of Kaldi. Explore James’ Filter Stories Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O) and Twitter (https://bit.ly/3baTsJk) to marvel at ancient coffee growing techniques in the mountains of Yemen. Help other people find the show by leaving a review on...Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/3jY42aJCastbox: http://bit.ly/38sXdcHRead Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFuture episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel: http://bit.ly/2NArChO Coffee and brewing equipment featured in this episode:Ethiopia - Dimtu Tera Farm, Guji, Odo Shakiso. Roasted by 19 Grams (Berlin): https://bit.ly/3jQxRKvYemen - Hasan Al-Salool, Jewain village, West Haraz. Roasted by Darkwoods (UK): http://bit.ly/3db7yxfComandante hand grinder: http://bit.ly/3qmTSCNSage electric grinder: http://bit.ly/2Zf3NyC

Thursday Feb 18, 2021
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
A History of Coffee is the story of how a tiny psychoactive seed changed the world and shapes our lives today. Across six episodes, documentary maker James Harper and professional historian Jonathan Morris narrate how humans race coffee across oceans to keep up with demand for this addictive drink. Coffee creates enormous fortunes for some, and misery for others. Sometimes the environment benefits, but more often it is plundered. If we want to make coffee a more equitable industry that’s also kinder to the environment, a place to start is understanding the stories and systems that put the coffee into your cup this morning. Future episodes are already out on the ‘A History of Coffee’ podcast channel! http://bit.ly/2NArChO Press the Subscribe button so you don’t miss future episodes.Read Jonathan’s book, ‘Coffee: A Global History’ here: https://amzn.to/3dihAfUFollow Filter Stories on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Mlkk0O

Sunday May 24, 2020
Sunday May 24, 2020
Sofía is a teenager living on a coffee farm and was going to school five days a week. But a year later, she’s studying only on Saturdays. This might sound trivial, but I’m going to take you on a journey to show you why this undermines an industry worth over $30 Billion. ———————————A list of charities working in the coffee sector: https://sritson.com/Good-Hands-in-Coffee-BetaBuy your next coffee from a marginalized farmer: http://www.marginalizedfarmers.org/Leave a review for Filter Stories on Castbox! https://castbox.fm/channel/2604177?country=usNeed help on your podcast? Email James at hello@filterstories.orgSign up to the Filter Stories newsletter here: www.eepurl.com/dD-sY1Recommend Filter Stories to other podcast lovers on Podyssey! https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1428327760-Filter-StoriesPiano music composed and performed by James HarperA big thanks to Jake Warga, Ellen Rolfes, Michael McDowell, Janina Grabs, Helena Wolf, Jenn Rugolo, Vasant Chari, Ed Maine, Rachel Knapp, Adam Harper, Pia Klein, Andrew Johnson

Thursday Mar 26, 2020
Thursday Mar 26, 2020
You’ve just achieved a life goal. Now what? Dream bigger? Quit while you’re ahead?When Federico Bolaños fulfills his dream of helping a young Salvadoran win one of the hardest championships in coffee, he wants to aim higher. But his business partners tell him he risks losing their business. What Federico does next will change his life and El Salvador in ways he wants, and in ways he doesn’t. At the end of it all, I ask him: did you make the right choice?———————————Buy your next coffee from a marginalized farmer: http://www.marginalizedfarmers.org/Leave a review for Filter Stories on Castbox! https://castbox.fm/channel/2604177?country=usSign up to the Filter Stories newsletter here: www.eepurl.com/dD-sY1Recommend Filter Stories to other podcast lovers on Podyssey! https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1428327760-Filter-StoriesGuitar song “Frantic" composed and performed by Håkon Vadet (hawkonn72@gmail.com). Produced and mixed by Ekaterina ZuevaNeed a voice over professional? Visit https://hannahvoice.comFederico Bolaños' new roastery - https://www.instagram.com/alquimiacoffee/Alejandro Mendez's roastery - https://www.instagram.com/4_monkeyscoffee/Sound mixing: Dom Edgley / https://soundfoundryberlin.com/Piano music composed and performed by James HarperFilter Stories logo design: https://headquarters.studio/A big thanks to Federico Bolaños, William Hernandez, Alejandro Mendez, Victor Flores Menéndez, Geraldo DiazEditorial thanks: Hannah Smith, Jasper Marlow, Pia Klein, Adam Harper, Andrew Johnston