Now that school is in full-swing again after a Spring Break that was far too brief, the coffee shops around town are full of students satisfying their addiction to caffeine.  Unfortunately, I count myself among the coffee-loving hoards. By “coffee-loving,” I don’t mean I’m a coffee snob. I just need the stuff to function.

I’m not really a sentient being until I’ve had my morning coffee, and I have trouble studying late into the night if I haven’t had an evening cup or two. Maybe if I got eight hours of sleep a night it wouldn’t be a problem, but as any U-M student with a job and other extracurricular duties can attest, that’s just not possible. But thanks to caffeine’s status as a legal (not to mention widely-accepted) drug, and the abundance of organic and fair-trade options around Ann Arbor, at least I don’t have to feel guilty about my addiction. Neither should you!

Home Brewin’

By far the most eco-friendly way to indulge in a cup of joe is to brew it yourself and drink it from a reusable mug or thermos. You can even buy recycled coffee filters from stores like the People’s Food Co-Op (they stock these GreenLine filters which are fantastic), Trader Joes and Whole Foods.

Finding fair-trade and/or organic coffee around Ann Arbor isn’t too difficult. People’s Food Co-Op (on N. 4th Ave. in Kerrytown) has a great selection of organic, fair-trade whole beans that you can grind yourself. I’m a big supporter of darker roasts, so I like their Love Buzz and French Roast the best, but they have a bunch of lighter roasts at well if you’re not so inclined. Try the Farmer’s Market during the warmer months, and Trader Joes and Whole Foods year round. Most of the chain coffee shops around campus, like Starbucks and Biggby Coffee, stock bags of their whole bean and ground coffee too.

Coffee Shops

Sometimes I’m in a rush and don’t have time to brew coffee in the mornings, or I get tired of studying at the library and need to change things up by hitting up a coffee shop. Rendezvous (on South U.) has the best selection of fair trade and organic coffee in town, and you can use their eco-friendly paper cups or bring your own thermos. Espresso Royale (with locations on South U., State St., and Main St.) usually has at least one organic coffee on rotation, but there have been a few times where I’ve been caught out. Same goes with Starbucks (with locations on South U., State St. and Main St.) and Biggby Coffee (on W. Liberty). Café Ambrosia (on Maynard St., across from Nickels Arcade) always has a fair-trade option, and if you bring your own thermos or mug then the coffee is under a buck. Plus, they use RoosRoast coffee beans, which are roasted in Ann Arbor (Café Verde in the People’s Food Coop serves RoosRoast, too).