Apparently they think there’s something fundamentally wrong with only having a location on every block or two; people should have access to coffee 24/7. Cue light bulb: Instant coffee! But not just regular instant—it’s Starbucks instant. Which we guess just means it tastes like sludge and it’s more expensive than a regular cup.

Starbucks seems pretty excited about it: “It’s pretty revolutionary, when you think about it. With Starbucks VIA™, great coffee can be yours anytime, anywhere. A life-altering concept, with tasty consequences, to be sure.” We’re talking about putting a packet in hot water right? Just checking.

Until October 5, Starbucks invites you to come and order their new “Via” instant coffee to see if you can taste the difference between it and their regular coffee. Even if you can (or even if you spit in the barrista’s face and tell them it tastes like charred mud) you still get a coupon for a free cup of coffee later, so everybody wins. Except maybe you, because you have to drink it.

Starbucks Instant “Via” must die! [Youtube]
Starbucks Via [Website]

Luckily, thanks to your fearless ASUC, you will now have just that. A Tully’s kiosk opened just this afternoon in Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union.

The new location sells sandwiches, drinks and colored candy blocks, as well as providing limited seating and Airbears access. It will also be open weekends, although no specific hours were posted that we could find.

Image Source: Valerie Woolard
Tully’s Prepares to Open Branch in Student Union [Daily Cal]

The decision comes in the wake of a controversy involving a proposed Panda Express location in Lower Sproul Plaza. The ASUC heeded student outcry against the fast food chain, intending to exchange one faceless corporation for a healthier (tell that to our morning caffeine withdrawal … ) and eco-friendly one. UC Berkeley’s anti-corporate, pro-compost constituency seems content with the lesser of two evils, especially when that evil’s menu includes words like “organic” and “fair trade.”

Tully’s promises to accommodate students looking to refuel late at night and hopes to start by the end of the semester. So whether you need the energy to continue cramming or aimlessly wander the streets of south side, the Seattle-based franchise will welcome you (and your substance dependency) with open arms in a way that orange chicken probably never could.

Clarification: The Tully’s Coffee will not replace Panda Express in the proposed Lower Sproul Plaza location.

Image Source: Umair Mohsin under Creative Commons
ASUC Bring Tully’s Coffee to Student Union Building [Daily Cal]
Earlier: Move Aside Panda, More Bear Drama

On Friday you can get your caffeine fix for free. Something about an anniversary or something. Oh yes, Caffe Strada will celebrate its 20th anniversary with prizes all this week, culminating in a coffee bonanza on (oh how appropriate) Feb. 20.

Strada expects at least 5,000 cheap bastards/well-wishers, so be prepared to wait in line. Also, we’re not sure if “coffee drinks” means A) just coffee B) coffee variations or C) coffee and espresso variations. Either way, a free cup of joe is still free. We’d love to reap the benefits of being a “loyal” customer.

Image Source: bitzcelt under Creative Commons
Free coffee at Berkeley cafe coming your way [East Bay Outtakes]
via Nuts & Boalts

We also came up with a somewhat arbitrary–yet ever so apropos–overall rating scale. From worst to best: Steamed Milk, Weak Coffee, Single Shot, Double Shot or Triple Shot.

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We began our epic (and by “epic,” we mean “involving a lot of walking”) journey at Northside staple, Brewed Awakening, partially because we thought we’d work our way south and partially because it closed first–6 p.m. on Saturday nights. Boo on that. The atmosphere was conducive enough to studying–everyone in the place was doing it, and the prices were low at 95 cents for a drip coffee, but something was still missing …

April Isabel Angeles: It doesn’t look like they do food …
Evante Garza-Licudine: Those bitches. Give ‘em a zero.

It turned out that Brewed does do food, just not a lot of it. And not close to closing time. Fortunately, their cappuccino was described as “the friendliest cappuccino in town” by our guest caffeine connoisseur, though we’re still not sure what that means.

Price (Small cappuccino): $2
Overall Rating: Single shot.
Foam Factor: High. Heart!

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Before departing from Brewed Awakening, we briefly debated whether or not the coffee heart in our foam was intentional. And then we set off, over the river and through the woods of the twilit campus. To Yali’s Cafe, we were going. Unfortunately, our witty dialogue-punctuated capering was mostly in vain, because Yali’s was closed.

Price: Unknown!
Overall Rating: Empty cup. Empty non-compostable cup. Ugh.
Foam Factor: Un. Freaking. Known.

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Next up, the motley Clog crew traipsed over to the rather democratically-named People’s Coffee and Tea on Shattuck Ave. A wave of warmth met us as we entered the packed, but weirdly silent cafe, noting the, erm … eclectic decor along the way. We also noticed some rather quaint bookshelves filled with old-looking books that weren’t being taken advantage of, because literally (har) everyone in the joint was absorbed by their laptops. Except the Clog.

Jill Cowan: (Whispers.) I feel like I’m disturbing people by speaking.
Ruby Lee: (Peeking in at the back room’s mural.) I don’t think I’d want to sit in outer space.
EGL: Everyone looks the same. Very hip.

(After obtaining our cappuccino … )

RL: It’s, like, not real. It weighs nothing!
Rajesh Srinivasan: SO MUCH FOAM! (Sips.) Nice balance between foam and … I mean, it’s not too dry or too wet.*
RL: That’s so Goldilocks. (Sips.) The other one was more milky. This one’s stronger.
RS: Harder, better, faster …

After sighing a bit over the adorable individual teapots and noticing the “Long’s Drugs”-like snack selection and extensive menu that included omelettes, the Clog headed back out into the cold.

Price: $2.25
Overall Rating: Double Shot
Foam Factor: High. Wow.

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As we marched to campus hub, the Free Speech Movement Cafe (yeah, we went there), the Clog discussed the cafe’s often acronym-ized name.

RS: Whenever I think of ‘FSM,’ I think of ‘S and M.’
EGL: Really? I think of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

We arrived and ordered our beverage. The cafe was almost empty, but the Clog knew the truth–during the day, the place is always packed. We, then, decided to focus our attention on the tiny cappuccino.

AIA: The foam is less airy. The espresso part is thicker than all the other ones. Also, the newspapers are distracting.
RS: It’s kinda mucus-y.
JC: I kinda like it. I’m kinda into that.
RS: Jill Cowan is into mucus-y foam.

Price: $2.10, but tiny!
Overall Rating: Weak coffee (But plus brownie points for awesome food.)
Foam Factor: Low-ish, and mucus-y.

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Cafe Milano was next on our hit list. Despite its proximity to campus, more than one Clogger told tales of its uncanny similarities to Platform Nine and 3/4.

AIA: It’s, like, Harry Potter status.
RL: One time, I was going to office hours there, and I passed right by it.

Once seated in the cafe, we assessed the atmosphere only to find that electrical outlets were few and far between, and Wi-fi was NOT FREE. Despite this nasty little realization, we decided we should be sporting and stay, if only because the sandwiches were reportedly “epic,” and it was a nice, open space. When our cappuccino arrived, it was lukewarm, as was the Clog’s general response.

RS: It’s not as light as Brewed but still pretty light.
RL: It’s heavier than People’s.
AIA: It’s kind of milky-tasting.

Price: $2.25
Overall Rating: Weak coffee
Foam Factor: Off the chart.

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By this point in our journey, the Clog was getting mildly exhausted (despite being totally hopped up on espresso) and a little hungry. So we took a quick detour to Blondie’s and then made our way down Telegraph Ave. to our final destination–veritable Berkeley institution, Caffe Mediterraneum, where the people are characters and the foam is always a work of art. Also, it is the self-proclaimed birthplace of the latte. (Take that, Italy!) Also, Dustin Hoffman was there. Anyway, we digress.

We ordered our cappuccino and headed upstairs, where spotlessness and transparency were apparently not the top priorities.

AIA: It smells funny up here. Hey, there’s a secret door! (Points as someone emerges from a shelf.) I feel like Alice in Wonderland.
EGL: There are always hobos outside.
RL: I always hone in on the interesting conversations.

The drink itself was well worth the longer wait. It was served in a ceramic cup, and had a foam heart that was undeniably intentional. We also observed that just one person was using a laptop. So much for studying.

RL: I feel like I’m in a real cafe.

Price: $2.50 with two shots of espresso.
Overall Rating: Triple shot (for not studying.)
Foam Factor: Low, but tasty and pretty.

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Thus, a simultaneously wired and tired Clog staff (plus an Arts person) concluded a six-cafe crawl, knowing exactly where we’ll be dragging our computers when we need to buckle down (People’s) and where we’ll go to relax and enjoy the (slightly smelly) view–Caffe Mediterraneum. Bon appetite! Er … Ciao?

Let’s not talk about Panda Express because, hey, coffee! Students like coffee, right?

The Store Operations Board for campus is talking with Tully’s Coffee to open (potentially) a kiosk in the student union. You know, because that space is just a major dearth of coffee, what with the GBC and the Coffee Spot a bajillion miles away.

OK, so it’s better than Starbucks and organic, but really? Don’t we also have Yali’s in VLSB and Stanley Hall? FSM ring a bell? That hidden place in Dwinelle Hall? And let’s not forget the student favorites that line the edge of south campus.

It’s about time, you know. Thank goodness someone is coming to fill this void in our lives.

Image Source: Emma Lantos, Daily Cal
Tully’s Coffee May Open Branch in Student Union [Daily Cal]
Earlier: Panda Express on Campus: Ugh, Are You Serious?

Apparently this presidential election is, like, really important or something. Now even Starbucks will offer freebies to voters on Nov. 4.

Come in to your local Starbucks–there’s one at 2224 Shattuck Avenue and another at Oxford and Center streets–and tell ‘em you voted, and they’ll give you a free coffee. And then don’t forget to pick up your ice cream while you’re on the way to class. Or just go around to all the chains in the area asking for voter freebies.

Image Source: rudolf schuba under Creative Commons
Free Cup of Starbucks Coffee if you Vote on Tuesday [Facebook]
Earlier: Americone Dream: Free Ice Cream on Campus for Voting
Related: Yum Yums: Where to Get Your Caffeine Fix for a Buck or Less

And here’s our compiled list of venues serving the bean for under a buck:

Golden Bear Cafe: 99 cents every day

Student Convenience Store: 99 cents daily, 25 cents on Thursdays

Bear’s Lair (the cafe stand right when you walk in): 99 cents daily

Walgreens: five cents on Fridays, limited time only

Image Source: voteprime under Creative Common
Earlier: Moolicious is No Cereal Killer

We’re only familiar with the Retrofit roast, which is mild with a slight caramel taste, but most of the roasts are robust and pack quite the caffeine punch. Espresso drinks pulled from Blue Bottle beans need no sugar or extra flavoring, and even a black cup of coffee delivers all the sweetness you need. In life after Blue Bottle, you realize that you don’t need to add any mocha or whipped cream or caramel to a good drink.

Location: Tuesday (espresso) and Saturday (coffee) Berkeley Farmers’ Markets
Price: $2 to $4, depending on what you order
Notes: There’s even a list of BB-friendly restaurants and eateries.

Image Source: letouj under Creative Commons
Blue Bottle Coffee Company [Web site]
Earlier: Yogurt Harmony, Sunshine, Butterflies, Etc.

If only it was finals season–perhaps then we’d have a proper reason to down unhealthy amounts of caffeine this weekend. From Mar. 28-31, the Gaia Arts Center will host the 2008 Western Regional Barista Competition to see which California or Hawaii pros can brew the most outstanding cup o’ joe under massive pressure. And if you didn’t catch the hint–yes, there will be free coffee and espresso, compliments of regional roasters who want to show off their skills.

Along with the free cups, the competition treats spectators to coffee talks, a coffee-themed art exhibit and workshops on “cupping” and “taste thresholds.” The contest itself basically runs like any other cooking competition you watch on the Food Network, boasting a live audience, ridiculous time limit, savvy judges and all.

Pacific Bay Coffee Co. & Micro-Roastery of Walnut Creek is hosting and competing in the event. No word yet on whether a barista from the Berkeley staple–Peet’s Coffee and Tea–will make an appearance, but we’ll bet the live audience will be more than half full of caffeine-loving Cal students.

Image Source: Patrici Flores
Western Regional Barista Competition [Website]