Tastemaker A. Karno

WHERE TO FIND HER: Java Juice® (www.javajuiceextract.com), the 100% liquid, organic coffee extract, hot or cold, coffeehouse-quality coffee in a different form. We say “Rip It, Drip It, Sip It”  – just by adding water. It comes in a 1/2 oz. crush-proof, TSA-compliant flex pack you can conveniently enjoy throughout the day and use as a secret ingredient for your cooking. Java Juice is made in the USA from organic, Arabica beans and contains no chemicals or preservatives. The product is fairly traded, & kosher certified. It’s also anti-oxidant rich, contains zero fat and is sugar free. Of course, the beans are sourced by Richard Karno of Groundwork Coffee Company.

HOW SHE GOT THERE: It was a total accident. I wasn’t interested in wedlock or the coffee biz, but somehow married into the mud and became the Queen of Cups. In 2003, I re-branded the Groundwork Coffee Company and, later created the Java Juice brand, but I’ve been a javaholic since the early 70’s. Back then, Cuban coffee was exotic and you had a choice of exactly one coffee house. Today, my biggest challenge and reward is remaining faithful to the eclectic nature of the neighborhoods and customers we serve.

WHY SHE LIKES IT: I like that the business of coffee runs the gamut from the personal to the political, to the creative, and branding works with social concerns. In essence, every bean tells a story. The coffee trade is ancient — but so dynamic— full of  passions that I get to plug on my website.

WHAT MAKES JAVA JUICE/GROUNDWORK UNIQUE: Its informed, urban-street vibe. Java Juice is like the iPod of coffee — you can download it when and how you want it. However, it is not instant. It’s a brewed concentrate. Extreme athletes and college students dig it for the jolt. Green consumers love that sustainable qualities are inherent in the product, which adds a benefit to people’s lives and the environment. Groundwork Coffee Company is known for being the hometown favorite where organic isn’t a marketing shtick. Its in our DNA. For instance, we recycle and compost the “spent” coffee grounds for local gardens.

ADVICE FOR NEWBIES: Go to a cupping. Find out your personal preferences. Pay attention to your tongue, not trends. Don’t aspire to snobbery. Granted, quality is essential. But it’s coffee, not scotch or champagne, okay?! It’s bean quality and freshness that matters. You can be discerning without being an insufferable geek about it. For example, I personally like the coffees from the Africas. Without being exposed to them at cuppings, I’d never have discovered that!

PERFECT DAY OFF: Phones off, sleeping in. Coffee in bed, surrounded by favorite reading material. Working up a good appetite with a yoga class or shooting photographs while listening to music on the Shuffle. A blab fest with girlfriends while anticipating dinner at home. Caesar salad, garlic bread, with a glass of Val (Polacella) or a red Cote du Rhone or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And maybe…some decaf Bitches’ Brew from Groundwork Coffee Company and a frozen Snickers bar. The King of Cups really knows his way around the kitchen. Better than any restaurant—no joke.

LOCAL FAVES: I still like the standards. In summer, I like sand dabs and a martini at Musso and Frank’s, or sneaking a bottle of fine champagne into a favorite hole-in-the-wall, such as, like Neptune’s Net or Jumbo’s Clown Room. I’m also a fan of Lilly’s on Abbot Kinney because you can get a great glass of red and an authentic flamiche. Having said that, I left my heart in Echo Park! You can’t beat the East Side for greats like the Dresden Room and the Good Luck Bar. Another must, for a hangover: hot café con leche and cold flan from Café Tropical. And this is corny, but the Encounter at LAX makes up for the fair fare with stellar service: perfectly mixed cocktails in interesting stemware. I like getting my Austin Powers on over a Kettel-One gimlet a-go-go. Lastly, Filipe’s French dip, taken to go, and eaten under the 4th Street bridge or brought to Dodger Stadium with a nice a flask of rum and coke is heaven. I told you I was a local.

For more information on Java Juice, visit www.javajuiceextract.com.