Don Senneville and Jim White
To begin our new quest for the perfect cup in 2025, we turn to our loyal readers and now guest authors, the Koffee King and Kueen of Karefree. Ron and Nicollette have been educating loyal coffee enthusiasts about the neuroscience behind caffeine and the artistic benefits of the black brew. She is an accomplished artist herself and has hosted coffee and art talks benefiting the Holland Center for years. Ron is a renowned neuroscientist, musician and artist and he uses his morning Joe as a palate for his very creative and creamy art on top of a great cup! Check out his art at ron at neurocyants on Instagram. Here are some reflections from this caffeinated couple which give insight to the depth of their knowledge and the path to coffee as medicine.
“A head injury, falling off a motorcycle, and a neurologist who said coffee will help your brain begin the day he drove us to our first cup of Joe in our 60’s and we have never looked back! Yes, coffee has antioxidants, supports heart health, and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, and most importantly stimulates clear thinking. This has led us to explore coffee all over the world. Wherever we go coffee seems to be a unifying theme for much of the planet. Truly it has been a journey to learn about the coffee houses of Europe and the MIddle East and how that little brown bean became SO popular as well as healthy.
We must give the goats credit as they were the coffee finders…a farmer saw how eating cherries from the bushes gave his flock pep! My goodness I’m glad he was watching! It all started there. Coffee houses originated in the Muslim world, appearing in Damascus in the 15th century. Moving into the 17th century, coffee moved to Europe and the penny universities. Yes, sitting in a coffee shop and buying a cuppa for a penny you could gain an education, by listening to others sharing their thoughts. The penny universities were where revolutions were planned, and ideas formed. Remember the Boston Tea Party was not about tea, but rather the coffee shop that hatched the Sons of LIberty.
My last coffee tip is Jamaican coffee which is considered the sweetest coffee…have you tried it? An outlier to our own coffee row is XOLO (2428 N 16 th ST PHX). Where pistachio coffee is our favorite right now. The owner makes a nut paste and adds it to this specialty coffee. It’s worth the drive. We hope you have a favorite brew and are starting your brain each morning too. Nicolette Maguire Bonnstetter”
As the CUP enters the third year of publication, Don, who is in Tulum and Jim who has walking pneumonia, hope to be back in the next issue. It appears that Santa, Inc., did well this year and that you all are enjoying the fruits of his labor. Happy New Year and again thanks to the Sonoran News for their support.
We still don’t know what Tom and Melissa drink, coffee wise, but it seems to keep their brains working well. Please write us with your quirky coffee tips at [email protected]
