Coffee & the Arts

Coffee and the arts are natural companions, whether you're an artist drinking an espresso for that extra spark to ignite your creativity, or a book lover enjoying a pot of coffee with your book group. And in some cases, like these, the art is all about the coffee.

A Coffee in Berlin

By Brian Lokker. Published July 23, 2015, last updated November 10, 2022.Leave a Comment

The 2012 German film A Coffee in Berlin tracks a day in the life of Niko Fischer, a law school dropout. This day is no doubt similar to many other recent days in Niko’s life, as he struggles to find direction and purpose. He even struggles to find a cup of coffee. A Coffee in Berlin is funny, ironic, and melancholy, and ultimately hopeful. For coffee lovers, it validates the notion that sometimes all you need is a cup of coffee to make the world right again.

Original Sin: Love, Lust, and Coffee

By Brian Lokker. Published May 24, 2015, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

Original Sin is a 2001 thriller (usually described as an “erotic” thriller) starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie in a tale of love, deception, murder — and coffee. For coffee aficionados, it’s a plus that in this version of the story Luis owns a coffee plantation and a coffee export business. And it’s an especially nice touch that several plot turns, including the climax, are marked by Luis drinking cups of coffee, shot in close-up. Can a cup of coffee change your day? How about your life?

Billionaire Blend by Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse Mystery #13)

By Brian Lokker. Published November 26, 2014, last updated June 22, 2020.1 Comment

In Billionaire Blend, the thirteenth Coffeehouse Mystery in the best-selling series by Cleo Coyle, coffeehouse manager and amateur detective Clare Cosi gets an explosive introduction to the world of super-rich tech entrepreneurs. As she attempts to find the perpetrator of a car bomb that exploded outside the Village Blend, she also has an opportunity to create the world’s most expensive coffee.

Holiday Buzz by Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse Mystery #12)

By Brian Lokker. Published August 28, 2014, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

On a near-freezing night three weeks before Christmas, holiday festivities are interrupted when a young baker’s assistant is murdered in a dark corner of a New York City park. Coffeehouse manager and amateur sleuth Clare Cosi believes the young woman was targeted for a reason. She is determined to discover the truth and bring the killer to justice.

Coffee Blues by Mississippi John Hurt

By Brian Lokker. Published June 23, 2014, last updated October 11, 2017.Leave a Comment

Mississippi John Hurt loves his coffee. But not just any brand of coffee will do. It’s got to be Maxwell House. Just a spoonful of the coffee that’s “good to the last drop” will do him as much good as two or three cups of some other coffee. But what he’s really got in “Coffee Blues” are the “lovin’ blues.” His girl moved away. He needs to find her, so she can give him the “lovin’ spoonful” that he misses so much.

Coffee Cup Collages by Megan Coyle

By Brian Lokker. Published April 25, 2014, last updated June 22, 2020.

“Intellectual Cup of Coffee” is one of several beautiful, colorful coffee cup collages created by artist Megan Coyle from magazine cut-outs. The collage captures the essence of an “intellectual” cup of coffee, with the coffee cup and saucer resting on an opened book. The steam from the hot coffee suggests question marks—this cup of coffee is stimulating thought and ideas. Coyle’s coffee cup collages are perfect for any coffee enthusiast with an eye for art.

A Brew to a Kill by Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse Mystery #11)

By Brian Lokker. Published April 4, 2014, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

For coffee shop manager Clare Cosi, coffee can be a dangerous business, even deadly. The coffee business has become more and more competitive, and Clare has decided to expand the Village Blend’s customer base by investing in a coffee truck. Clare’s business partner thinks the investment is too risky, and he may be right. The truck may be driving someone to murder.

Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse Mystery #10)

By Brian Lokker. Published January 19, 2014, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

Mocha Magic Coffee is about to become the hot new product featured on Aphrodite’s Village, a popular online community for women. “Hot” in more ways than one: the mix of coffee, chocolate, and herbs is guaranteed to improve your love life. But as the international product launch for Mocha Magic Coffee approaches, trouble is brewing. And it’s up to Clare Cosi, manager of the Village Blend coffee shop and amateur sleuth, to sort it out.

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle (Coffeehouse Mystery #9)

By Brian Lokker. Published December 16, 2013, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

Coffee shops around New York City are the targets of arson in Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle, the ninth book in Coyle’s popular Coffeehouse Mystery series. Clare Cosi, the manager of the historic Village Blend coffee shop in Greenwich Village and an amateur detective with an impressive crime-solving resume, sets out to discover who’s setting the fires, before the Village Blend goes up in flames too.

Coffee and Cigarettes Movie by Jim Jarmusch

By Brian Lokker. Published November 5, 2013, last updated June 19, 2020.Leave a Comment

Coffee and Cigarettes, a 2003 movie written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, is a compilation of eleven vignettes shot in black and white, in which two or three people have conversations over coffee and cigarettes. The scenes feature actors and musicians, usually playing themselves, but in fictional scripted (or sometimes improvised) encounters. The vignettes are often humorous, sometimes sad, often ironic, and sometimes profound. The cast is extraordinary: it’s a real treat to see these performers, many of whom are well known, struggle to connect with another person as we all do.