Country Brew Cafe

23/02/2026

Folks, we regret to inform you that this will be the last week for us to serve you.

7 years ago, we started up this venture with no previous experience at all. Just a few months later, the pandemic came and it hit us bad. We struggled but we became stronger. We made mistakes but we learned a lot. We lost money but we met good people. Some of our services and products may not be good enough; we deeply apologize for that.

At present, the situation is again not on our side. But we are resilient and we will survive.

We thank you all for the experience and we hope we can still serve you in the future.

Til the next brewing session.

Salamat apo.

02/02/2026

Yung pinipilahan nyo sa palengke o.

Vietnamese police have launched a criminal investigation after uncovering a massive fake coffee operation in the country’s main coffee-growing region.

What happened?
Authorities raided a warehouse in Lam D**g Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and seized more than 7 tons of material, including 4.1 tons of finished “coffee” products ready for sale.

How the fake coffee was made
The warehouse owner, Luong Viet Kiem, admitted that the so-called coffee was produced by:
• Mixing cheap soybeans (and sometimes corn)
• Adding artificial flavorings
• Using only a small amount of real coffee beans

The motive was simple: profit. Real coffee beans in the region currently sell for around three times the price of soybeans, making adulteration far more lucrative.

⚠️ Health concerns
While soybeans and corn are technically edible, experts warn that the flavorings and additives used in fake coffee products may pose health risks, especially when the products are unregulated and unlabeled.

How authorities caught it
The raid followed an earlier inspection of a truck carrying undocumented ground coffee, which led investigators straight back to the warehouse.

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🇵🇭 What about the Philippines?
The Philippines has no known large-scale fake coffee cases like this soybean operation in Vietnam. However, related issues have occurred, including:
• Sale of unregistered or mislabeled coffee products
• “Slimming coffee” products flagged for safety violations
• Imported beans falsely marketed as local Philippine coffee

⚠️ The National Banner Program Committee on Coffee (NBPC) has repeatedly warned consumers about imported coffee being passed off as local, taking advantage of the higher value of genuine Philippine beans.

To fight this, experts have even proposed using scientific testing methods such as isotope analysis to verify the origin and authenticity of premium Philippine coffee.

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Why this matters
This case is a reminder that:
• Not all “coffee” is what it claims to be
• Mislabeling hurts farmers, consumers, and public health
• Strong regulation and transparency protect both livelihoods and lives

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Sources:
• Vietnamese police and provincial authorities (Lam D**g)
• Regional and international news reports on the Vietnam coffee raid
• Statements and advisories from the National Banner Program Committee on Coffee (Philippines)

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⚠️ Disclaimer
This post is for public awareness and discussion only. Information is based on official reports and publicly available sources at the time of writing. No claims are made beyond what authorities and experts have stated.

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