(BUBBLING)
-JEFF: What in the world is this? -(BUBBLING)
-JEFF: What have we here? -(MUSIC PLAYING)
Is this a... a dastardly experiment, possibly?
No, it's just, uh, it's just me, Jeff Goldblum,
making a 21st century cup of coffee.
It is accomplished.
-From its simple beginnings... -(MUSIC PLAYING)
-What will it be this morning, coffee? -JEFF: ...Coffee has become...
well, some may call it an art...
a science...
and certainly an obsession.
It's laced with caffeine, the most widely consumed
psychoactive drug on the planet.
MALE VOICE: You'll enjoy the show more while you're enjoying steaming hot coffee.
Come and get yours now.
JEFF: Over two billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day.
Wow. Here in the United States of America, it's a multi-billion-dollar industry.
And you know what?
They even drink coffee in space.
They even drink it in space.
That is awesome.
How is it that this...
(CLICKS TONGUE)
...brown beverage has, um...
gone so deeply into our...
-hearts? -(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Full disclosure, all, I'm gonna lay all my cards on the table,
not a joker in the deck.
I've never particularly enjoyed the taste of coffee.
Do you normally take coffee with your sugar?
-What? -JEFF: You know,
I gave it all up about five or six years ago.
And, uh, now, I gotta lead us
through this, uh, odyssey of coffee. Oh, boy, I wonder if I'm gonna be tempted.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Howdy, partner. Didn't think you'd see me on a horse, huh?
Well, uh...
fact of the matter is, I... I ride like the wind.
(CROP WHIPPING)
JEFF: Jeez! And this is what you guys really do?
-MALE VOICE: All day, every day. -JEFF: You're not just pretending?
It's exactly in places like this
that America's torrid love affair with coffee
first got real serious like.
And where, believe it or not, you can still find characters
who make pots of joe exactly like they did in those grand ole days gone by. Yep.
-(SPITS) -(BUCKET CLINKS)
I think we should go make some coffee.
Let's make some coffee, man. Thanks, guys.
(HORSE NEIGHS, SNORTS)
What do you call it? Coffee or anything else?
-Coffee. -That's it. No nickname for coffee?
-No nickname. -Okay.
-I'll rustle up some coffee for the... -Yes, sir.
-...for the guys. Right quick. -KENT: Welcome to camp.
-Thank you so much. It's a great... -Kent Rollins.
Hey, look at that, that handshake. Wow. Do that again.
Lifting a little iron, know what I mean? Everything in my camp is hot and heavy.
JEFF: Kent Rollins. He's a cowboy cook
who's keeping the traditions of the Old West alive.
Oh, y’all are in for a treat today.
JEFF: On a YouTube channel, with over 49 million views. What the heck?
Oh, I didn’t know y’all was going to join me today in the showers.
JEFF: But you know what his big claim to fame is?
Uh, authentic cowboy coffee.
(JEFF SINGING)
Coffee is something that has welcomed people into camps
oh, for... for many, many, many years.
And when you make cowboy coffee the right way,
the... It is the smoothest coffee in the world.
-Are you a coffee connoisseur? -JEFF: You know,
I cut it out about four, five, six years ago.
Haven't had a drop of caffeine since, and I like it a lot better.
Well, we're gonna load you up today, okay?
Okay.
There's three simple things you gotta have to make coffee, okay?
Fire, water...
and coffee.
But today, I'm not grinding coffee, you are.
Oh, brother, I'm taking a vacation from my problems.
You gotta grind faster.
Yeah, what was I doing? I was just kinda... Oh.
There we go. You know what my dad would say about that?
-What's that? -You're using asses and elbows.
-That's right. Hold that. -Wow. I don't want the wind to blow away
those grounds, wow.
Oh. (COUGHS) Not too close, not too close.
The inside of that coffee pot has never seen soap.
-No soap at all? -Fire purifies all.
-Ready? Hey! (GRUNTS) -That'll do it.
-And we're gonna dump her right in there. -Gee... Okay.
KENT: This ain't like some little percolator
drip, drip coffee maker Keurig something another.
This will make coffee the right way.
-(CLATTERING) -When that coffee boils, the first place
-it's coming up is in that spout. -JEFF: Okay.
So, we put a little right here,
then the rest goes around the outside edge.
-Wow. -And we let this sit
for about three minutes
-right here on this side. -Yeah?
-Yeah. -And then when we pour it,
all the grounds will have been settled to the bottom.
JEFF: Coffee doesn't grow around these parts,
so, how exactly did it become the cowboy pick-me-up of choice?
Well, to find out, you gotta travel back thousands of years
and halfway around the world.
-(MUSIC PLAYING) -(GOAT BLEATS)
JEFF: Legend has it, there was once an erratically behaving Ethiopian goat.
Curious locals, uh, started snooping around, found out that the reason
was that she'd eaten coffee berries.
Roasted and brewed with water, this new drink
took first Africa, and then the Middle East,
and Asia and Europe by storm.
America joined this, uh, coffee palooza somewhat later,
but once it got hooked,
it wasn't too long before the US of A found a way to mass produce this stuff.
Now we cut to the 1860s in Pittsburgh,
and, uh, Jon Arbuckle made use of a self-emptying coffee bean roaster,
and put his product in paper bags to keep it fresh
which meant that coffee could get shipped in bulk all across the country
even way out west.
And, this now convenient drink, became a hit with settlers and cowboys
providing, hmm, rocket fuel for... for life on the prairies. How about that?
-JEFF: I'm... I got it. I got it. -KENT: So... You got it?
Jim, y'all ready for some coffee, brother?
JEFF: How about that? Who's next?
-Now you sure you want this, uh, Weston? -Yes.
So... this will make you grow taller, Weston. Are you wanting to grow taller?
When I was a kid, I was like, "Why are adults drinking this?
-"It tastes like dirt and sticks." -JESSE: Oh, man, I love coffee.
-JEFF: You do? -Absolutely.
JEFF: Why do you like coffee?
I can get up an hour early every morning, sit around and drink coffee
-before I ever do anything. -Right.
Let me go get you a cup, 'cause you're the one needs to try it.
-(BLOWS) Okay. -And then we're gonna have a little toast.
Okay. I like the idea. Wow.
"There's good ships and there's wood ships and there's ships that sail the sea,
"but the best ships are friendships and may they always be."
That's just wonderful.
(JEFF SINGS)
It'll burn the hair off frogs, but it's hot enough, I promise.
-(CHUCKLES) Okay. -It’ll take the hair off your tongue, too.
Yeah. It is hot.
I love it. Wow.
I've never tasted anything like that to be... to be honest.
-Do you know that song? (SINGS) -Uh-huh.
-My cowboy brothers and me. -(CHUCKLES)
Do you know that song?
What's the matter with me? That's the question.
You just need more coffee,
-that's what's wrong with you. -JEFF: Maybe that's it.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Ugh. Coffee.
Hey, maybe it's not so bad after all.
(HORSE NEIGHING)
(HARMONIZES) Ready? Uh, I have not had a drop of caffeine
for lo, these four or five years, until
about 15 minutes ago. (ECHOES)
-(MUSIC PLAYING) -(HOOTING)
I think it did do something to me. (ECHOES)
-(CHUCKLING) -I tell you,
I hadn't thought about it till this second,
but I feel charged, charged up.
-You ever see a human being spoon a horse? -(MALE CHUCKLING)
Anyway, I'm gonna use this charge
to continue on my caffeine exploratory. I'm ready to go.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Oh, boy, coffee.
I'm now remembering it can have a radical effect on the...
on the human brainpan, the old noodle. Ouch, where am I?
Wait a minute, I'm clear as a bell, I see everything.
Could this be why people adore this drink so head-over-heels-edly?
And how exactly do these mind-altering properties
do their work?
Let's swing out and investigate.
(JEFF SINGING)
Maybe now would be a good time to consult an expert.
Well, as somebody who's just finished a 14-hour hospital shift,
neurologist Dr. Marwa Kaisey
might be the perfect person
to explain just how coffee gets us way perked up.
But, you know, I think I should keep my wits about me for this,
so, for now, for heaven's sakes, Jeff, stay off the juice.
Hi, I'm Molly, can I get you all something to drink?
-I'll have a coffee with cream, please. -MOLLY: Just regular cream
-or... or milk? -Uh, regular cream.
-MOLLY: And for you? -Um, gee, do you have a cup of hot water?
-Thank you so much, Molly. Appreciate it. -Thank you.
-JEFF: Yeah. -Do... You don't drink coffee, huh?
For a while, coffee would be my performance enhancement,
-a drug of choice... -MARWA: Oh. Uh-huh.
...and I'd chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug.
I would go home that night, not only couldn't I sleep,
but my mind was telling me strange things...
-MARWA: Yes. -...and you... you know...
Well, it releases adrenaline, so it...
it triggers that fight or flight stress response
-in the body. -Right, right.
Yeah, and if you have that much,
then you're gonna feel like you're about to fight a bear or something.
Yes. I felt that the kind of energy it gave me...
was superficial...
was adrenalized and kind of,
you know... (MUTTERS) ....something, it was... I was just...
wasn't making it up, but it was...
-superficial. -Because of that adrenaline,
you're on heightened alert, so you are more focused,
but you don't have time to think about things on a deeper level.
Like a lot of things, it's a balance, right?
-It's a balance. -It's a balance. Moderation is key.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Okay, so, uh, I know what happens if you overdo it,
but, hey, I like what she said. What if...
you take just a... a sensible dose?
Animators, let's go. You're on, you're on, guys.
Travel inside the brain...
and we see that coffee's big magic trick is not just to get us stimulated
but to stop us from getting sleepy.
One reason that we feel tired is 'cause of a chemical called adenosine,
which gets released throughout the day, and as it builds up,
we feel more and more fatigued. But, when we drink coffee,
caffeine blocks adenosine from doing its job, and you feel...
perfectly, fully awake.
I guess that's why this tonic has become so popular.
So every body is different, every brain is different...
-Yes. -MARWA: ...in how it responds to coffee,
and so that's why people have such strong opinions,
people either love coffee or they hate it.
And the people that hate it, are a little bit like you,
feel that it made them irritable or jittery,
or not quite able to reach deeper thoughts,
but for a lot of people, it's a very comforting thing.
It helps to stay awake, it helps us focus on our work
and it can even bring us together.
JEFF: If I may, I'm going to sum up my thoughts
after that delightful meeting here in this diner.
While caffeine, for me, can be the wrong thing,
but it certainly could be okie-dokie,
used in balanced moderation, I suppose.
I... I shouldn't close my mind to anything.
And something else occurs to me,
with this whole coffee business, that it can be a, uh, portal
into something larger and more interesting.
This mood altering and trippy substance helps people to get things done.
People become just like industrious ants.
But while it may have become all the rage,
thanks to the caffeine, I suspect there's more to it than that.
Could Homo sapiens be so nutsy cuckoo about this stuff
because of its unique smell and taste? Well, some people sure think so.
Oh, yeah, there are folks who obsess over coffee's delicate essence
and uh... the most effective ways of extracting it.
You want to meet one of these amazing individuals? I do, I do.
Hi. My name is David Schomer, and in 1988,
I started a company called Espresso Vivace.
(SNIFFS)
JEFF: David Schomer has spent 30 years perfecting the technology and techniques
needed to produce the perfect cup.
And he's done it in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.
He's quite a guy. He's... he's really a, uh... a wonderful guy.
-JEFF: Okay. Ready? -DAVID: All right.
Why are we here in this enchanted... enchanted forest?
And me, of all people, digging a hole.
I read the journal Science came out with an estimate to completely stop
climate change, you plant one trillion trees.
So, we're getting started in order to offset
the carbon dioxide from coffee roasting. So, I see optimism.
JEFF: Why did you devote your life to the pursuit of perfect coffee?
-When I was four years old... -Yeah.
...my mom would take me to this store and they'd have this coffee grinder,
and I smelled the fragrance and I'm like, "Oh, my God, that's, like, adulthood."
So, my life is to get that fragrance in a cup
to enjoy as a flavor aroma experience.
I love you very much because you're pure-hearted.
I... I am pure-hearted. Absolute pursuit of that perfect coffee, 31 years.
Hey, I think I'm doing some progress.
-Look at that. For anybody... -DAVID: You are, you are.
...who doubted me and my...
-(HARMONIZING) Look at that deep hole. -Okay, we're good to go.
Sweet little Japanese maple. I love it.
-Yeah. -Shall we proceed to coffee central?
Let's go to heaven.
(SINGS)
JEFF: David has graciously invited me to one of his flagship coffee shops
in order to experience the thing that makes the dirty brew, so to speak,
so vital to him and uh, hordes of others,
and that is its celestial aroma.
DAVID: So, here's my my raison d'être.
-JEFF: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. -Smell that. That is my muse.
Oh, my God!
-That's it. -Wow!
That's what I drive to get into a cup.
-Oh. -That's a Northern Italian roast.
Is it chocolatey and, like, pickles too? Or is there something vinegary
-in chocolate? -I call it an Earthy Caramel,
featuring peak caramelized sugars and peak origin flavors
at the same time.
And origin flavors are like if you have an Ethiopian harrar,
you're looking for a chocolate umami upfront
and blueberry aftertaste.
Your words are melting like honey in my brain.
Oh, good. I was glad I'm not boring you. (CHUCKLES)
I've never experienced anything like this.
David is not just a scent and flavor wizard,
he's totally into how a cup of coffee looks.
And it's been through his Herculean efforts
that there's been a complete transformation
in the way a coffee is served all over the world.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
-What is the big secret? -(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Latte art, as it's come to be known,
has become a big, big part of the attraction of 21st century coffee.
The light foam of the milk gives the cupful a silky mouth feel
and lets you know that your order was filled
by a highly skilled professional.
And even though it all really started in Italy,
David has been instrumental in its, uh, widespread use,
by means of his teaching.
Espresso Vivace is known
for popularizing latte art patterns worldwide,
with a tape I released in 1995, Caffe Latte Art.
If you have a passion for doing the coffee, you can't lose.
I have a specialist to train you in this. Brad Langdale is a master Vivace barista.
I can tell you, nobody gets this on their first try. Good luck.
Thank you, Master.
Dr. Langdale, Master Langdale, you are a master of this...
-Uh, latte art. -Latte art.
And you're gonna teach me a little something?
Yeah. I'm gonna do my best to teach you this thing.
Maybe I can get you to pour a heart or something.
Well, let me show you how it's done.
I like that sound. Reminds me of the car wash a little.
What's that song go, "Milkshake", uh?
-(SINGS) -(SNAPS FINGERS)
(SINGS ALONG)
How in heaven's name are you doing that?
I saw it before my eyes but I still can't believe it.
-It's like a magic trick. -BRAD: Yeah.
I'm gonna do it. I'm ready to do it. Wait a minute. Okay, okay. Wow, it's hot!
Make it last, make it last. Slow, slow, slow.
BRAD: And now we're gonna get very close.
It's less a heart and more like a kidney or a spleen.
-BRAD: Everybody's gotta start somewhere. -JEFF: Hey-up.
-Huh. (CHUCKLES) -JEFF: Perfect. I love it.
It's like a Rothko.
Nice to see you guys. We're making latte art.
(JEFF HUMS)
Lift your hands.
JEFF: Holy cats! What did I just do?
Show the camera. Show our friends, our dear, dear friends.
That heart's for you. That's for you, that heart.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
What came over me? Why did I do that? Oh.
Mm. Mm, mm, mm.
Hey, all day, you know, as we've been here,
I've been noticing whole groups of people,
you know, they're friends meeting up, and families, and study groups,
and couples on dates,
and they're all enjoying David's handcrafted beverages.
You know, it seems to me that
wherever there's coffee, there are people coming together.
I'm struck by the power of coffee.
It's a powerful drink and more than just a drink.
It's a social lubricant. Somehow, we make these places
and we serve it and we get together. Hey, let's have a cup of coffee.
Do you wanna... Let's get together for a cup of coffee.
Can I pour a little more co... coffee for... et cetera, et cetera.
You feel yourself amongst others. And then you say,
"Hey. Hi. Yes.
"Sure. Ha... have a seat. Join me for coffee."
(LAUGHS)
Yes, well, coffee can be an aid in our interconnection.
But, hey, what happens when this potent brew escapes the coffee shop
-and gets out on the open road? -(DROPLET PLUNKS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
-JEFF: Would this be called a hot rod? -SIMON: This is a hot rod.
Nearly a thousand horsepower rumble under there.
-A thousand? Wow. -Yes.
I love this car.
-Should we, uh, get... grab a coffee? -Let's get coffee.
Simon is now muscle driving me to the final stop
on our coffee pilgrimage.
It's a social event that's become a global phenomenon.
-All righty, guys. -Look at that, and...
-Oh that's you... That's for you? -That's for you.
-That's yours. That's your iced one. -That's me?
-Cheers. -Cheers to you, Simon.
You're gonna meet some really interesting characters today.
I think you're gonna be surprised when we'll pull in when you see. But...
-You like to be surprised? -I do.
-Boo! -Don't do that. I...
Spilled my... I spilled my coffee.
JEFF: Cars and Coffee events offer a space for people to meet up
and chitchat about this thing that they have for their cars and...
you know, I guess everything, uh... everything else under the sun.
Holy cats! Look at this.
Jeff, welcome to South RC Cars and Coffee. Cars and Coffee, welcome Jeff.
-(CROWD CHEERS, APPLAUDS) -JEFF: Thank you so much.
Come and meet my... my posse.
So, this is... this is the group of friends
that we started Cars and Coffee with originally.
-We got Scott over here. -Oh, my gosh.
Scott is the spitting image of Kevin Bacon.
SIMON: We always say that.
-JEFF: A young Kevin Bacon. -SIMON: That's what we always say.
You tell me how you came to coffee?
So, when you buy your cup of coffee...
-JEFF: Yes, sir. -...and you come to Cars and Coffee,
you're basically buying a ticket to a social event
where everybody is open about talking about
-what they're passionate about. -JEFF: Isn't that nice?
-(MUSIC PLAYING) -JEFF: Uh-huh.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Hmm.
What percentage of talk goes on here that's about cars
-and what percentage about coffee? -I think that conversation is about cars
but the coffee is what makes it an intelligent conversation,
because they all come here half asleep.
I wanna introduce you to some people who...
Cars and Coffee has really changed their lives.
We met September 1st of last year.
Jackie comes up to me and she goes, "Is this your car?
"I have one just like it."
Did coffee play a part when you were, you know, courting each other?
Yes. We needed a lot of coffee.
-Yes. -JEFF: You did? Because you didn't get
-much sleep? -JACKIE: Yes.
-That's correct. -That's special.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Every morning on the way to work, I stop at a coffee shop...
-Yeah. -...and there's a group of guys
sitting at the table and one thing led to another and he says, "You know, Dave,
"you gotta bring your car to Cars and Coffee."
So, I came down one day, and I've been coming ever since.
I reacquainted with friends that I haven't seen in over 30 years,
and I made a whole new group of friends here
-as a result of it. -Beautiful, beautiful story.
What then have we learned...
finally, when all is said and done, about this... this drink?
I mean, certainly people enjoy the flavor, and the smell of it.
But, you know, I think the... the reason that this, uh, humble beverage
has conquered the world, I think we can fairly say,
is, its ability to, uh, both bring us together...
and then enliven our conversations.
It's why this drink has been at the heart of intellectual
and political and artistic movements.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
JEFF: From the 18th century enlightenment...
See what you think of this coffee.
-JEFF: ...to the beatniks. -This is us, see, we're today.
JEFF: Since its discovery, coffee has helped like-minded people,
we can say, swap ideas and knowledge and stories.
And those exchanges might end up changing the world...
or they might simply put a smile on your face.
What's wrong with that?
Coffee, coffee, coffee. What a special drink.
Not only coffee can lead to friendships,
and the opening of one's life and the enlargement of the social circle,
but positive things,
I can imagine that political convictions could be, uh, honed.
And that starts from a little pebble of friends,
outward and outward and outwards.
Our lives will be challenged and we gotta have fuel,
and we gotta have friends as, as Ringo said...
(SINGS)
As long as I've got some coffee.
Uh, I hope that's not just the coffee talking, huh?
(MUSIC PLAYING)