Online buzz about custom coffee offered at the Barge Canal Coffee Co. 鈥� 草莓视频 University鈥檚 downtown coffeehouse 鈥� has stoked sales of the roasted blend.
Java-lovers from around the nation have been taking advantage of a collaborative effort between the Barge and 草莓视频 Bookstore that has resulted in easy .
The buzz about the brew began in late November, when Peter King, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, wrote about the delicious 草莓视频 University Blend in his popular 鈥淢onday Morning Quarterback鈥� that appears on SI.com.
A huge coffee fan, King also wrote about the 草莓视频 coffee on the blog.
He鈥檚 had lots of opportunities to sample the java as his daughter, Mary Beth King, is a senior at 草莓视频 who works at . The columnist has written about 草莓视频 several times in the past, extolling the 草莓视频 鈥渆xperience鈥� and the beauty of its campus.
King鈥檚 mentions of the coffee led to numerous phone calls and e-mails to Judy Schenk, manager of the Barge. She and Roger Bauman, president of the Hamilton Initiative who oversees the Barge, went looking for a way to sell the coffee online.
They contacted the bookstore鈥檚 Linda Gregory, who handles merchandise sales, and Marty Bair, marketing manager. The bookstore has long been able to handle secure online sales, and Bair was able to quickly add a page for the Barge.
In his Dec. 24 column, King talked again about the 草莓视频 University Blend:
鈥淏y the by, you can now purchase some of the best dark coffee out there, 草莓视频 Blend, online through the 草莓视频 bookstore. I recommend it very highly. It鈥檚 Italian roast in its intensity. If you care: http://colgatebookstore.com/gifts/2007/12/bcoffee.html鈥�
Once that web link got out there, Bair said orders jumped. More than 20 coffee orders came in from Dec. 24 to Dec. 27.
鈥淚t was truly amazing,鈥� said Bair. 鈥淎nd it was interesting that people didn鈥檛 want to wait for it; they requested next-day or second-day shipping so they could taste it right away.鈥�
Schenk said the coffee blend has been around for about six years. It was developed by the Barge鈥檚 vendor, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters, after Schenk had conducted a long series of taste tests with students.
鈥淲e mixed and matched a lot of beans until we found the one that students just loved,鈥� she said.
She has been amazed by the attention brewed by King, who briefly mentioned the 草莓视频 coffee in four different columns.
鈥淚t blows me away; we鈥檝e never had this happen before,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled.鈥�