Issue 34: Risks, Temperance & Coffee

Standart Issue 34 dances around its themes of risk, reward, and chance—mirroring the essence of nature's renewal.

This quarter, we question whether the golden ratio might hold the formula to the perfect filter basket, and explore why in early 20th-century Sweden, coffee was considered one of the biggest threats to the nation’s health. And beware, you might find yourself pleasantly tipsy and overly caffeinated from our coffee and natural wine tasting experiment!

To refresh your mind with some synth melody, we’ve scored an exclusive interview with the Japanese electronic music duo Satoshi And Makoto, exploring the chances they take in carving their unique sound, after which we’ll take you on a walk through Kyoto and philosophize over some of it’s most charming features.

Speaking of risk, we were compelled to investigate why playing cards in Italian cafés may or may not be (we admit, we’re still not quite sure) illegal, and how even a naive shuffle could lead to unforeseen consequences—yes, even jail time.

Diving deeper into Italian coffee culture, our journey takes us to New York City, where we discover a coffee-themed social club nestled in a Neapolitan pizzeria.