new tea choice

In addition to our jasmine and gunpowder teas we have a new organic green tea named Yun Wu Cha. Loosely translated by our resident Chinese-speaking barista Kurt, that means "Cloud Fog Tea", as it's grown in the mountains of Jiangxi Province. It is lightly colored and delicately flavored, so you'll want to avoid over-steeping-- no more than 3 minutes.

Photography Exhibit CLOSING

The current exhibit featuring photographs of architecture and landscapes from around the world by Larry Ponsford will close at the end of January. Several have sold, but many are still available for very reasonable prices. Can you guess which structure this is?

Doc screening + POTUS speech in the coffeehouse!

Join us in the coffeehouse for a screening and discussion of the environmental documentary Hope in a Changing Climate (see more info below); immediately followed by President Obama's State of the Union address. Please note there will be no wi-fi access after 7pm and seating will be re-arranged to accommodate viewers.

Local filmmaker series in the Coffeehouse begins Jan. 27

On Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 8 pm, we will screen the new environmental documentary “Hope in a Changing Climate,” as the first film in our new local filmmakers’ series. Produced by the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP) in Friendship Heights, the documentary was just aired on BBC World, shown in Copenhagen during the COP15 Summit and was the subject of a recent op-ed in The New York Times.

“Hope in a Changing Climate” tells the story of how large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in China, Ethiopia and Rwanda have rehabilitated damaged ecosystems, lifted local people out of endemic poverty and simultaneously sequestered carbon naturally. Following the film, join EEMP executive director Jonathan J. Halperin and the Politics & Prose Climate Action Project for a discussion on ecosystem restoration and the outcome of December’s COP15 summit.

This event is free and open to the public. Please note there will be no wireless internet available in the coffeehouse during the event.

The new Modern Times Coffeehouse Screening & Discussion series will offer an opportunity for local filmmakers young and old, professional and amateur, to show and share their work in a creative, supportive and engaging atmosphere. Click here for more information on the series or for information on how to submit, please contact Lance Kramer at Kramer.Lance [at] gmail.com.

New DC "Bag Tax"

In an effort to curb plastic bag use and subsequent disposal entering into the Anacostia, DC's "Skip the bag, Save the river" policy goes into effect this month. Certain food establishments and retail businesses that sell food items are now required to charge the customer 5 cents for each plastic or paper bag that is used to carry out multiple items from that store. There are tons of exemptions and you can read about them here. Long story short, MTC is exempt because we only give out paper bags for carry-out items AND have seating.

We've recently made some changes to help reduce the trash being generated from our store, including getting rid of disposable wooden coffee stirrers and offering reusable water cups. You can help us further by doing the following:

• We recycle: newspapers, cardboard, glass, aluminum, plastic bottles, and plastic cold drink to-go cups. Just place them in or near the bus bin on the bar.
• Use a "real" cup if you are staying inside the coffeehouse. If you are taking it to go, bring your own mug or use a MTC coffeemug (currently out of stock).