Brew Coffee > Spro, or Brew Coffee < Spro ..

If you were to ask me a year ago what my favorite preparation of coffee is, I wouldn’t have hesitated one bit, and said “ESPRESSO. DUH.” I would probably start to passionately talk to you about the intricacies of every little aspect of pulling just one shot of espresso. I probably would start to talk to you about how one little change in grind, different tamp pressure, different water temperature all makes a massive difference in how a shot pulls blah blah blah blah… It’s easy to talk espresso. It really is..

The truth is, I always get jaded by espresso because of the inclusion of pouring latte art, and that I don’t have a La Marzocco parked in my kitchen. I get hot and bothered about espresso, because it’s (generally) where Baristas get to flex their muscles. Let’s face it, the preparation, and everything around espresso is just more attractive than with brew coffee – you have espresso machines that are worth more than most cars, shiny milk that makes sexy latte art and lots of little tools baristas use to make the espresso. Espresso really takes the spotlight over brew coffee.

I’ll tell you what though.. It’s really something to meet a barista who can hold up a conversation about coffees that aren’t available in their shop. I really do love it when I meet a barista who’s knowledgeable about the coffees available in his/her shop. I get truly impressed when folks start talking about roasters, and equipment other than what’s within the walls of one cafe. I tend to ask folks what they brew at home with, and where they like to buy their coffee. It’s really sad, but most of the time I hear “I don’t brew at home. I just drink coffee from my shop and other shops I visit.”

I can speak from a good bit of personal experience on the matter, it really makes you a better barista if you’re brewing coffees at home. When you brew coffee at home, you can take your sweet time to be intimately attached to the magic of turning bean into beverage.

 

Just a thought..

My Clever Dripper Recipe

Hope you enjoy it!

 

Psssst…

I have a secret for you =)

I am alive

If you don’t have anything nice to post, don’t post at all! I’ve learned that lesson recently.

Along side that comment, I don’t have much to say!

I’m going to Seattle on May 5th!!!! Stumptown, Vivace, Victrola…

Aeropress Picture

I just thought it was a cool picture.

Couple New Shops in DC

I haven’t really spent a lot of time in front of my computer in the last couple of days. I did however, make an awesome trip to D.C. with a couple friends!

We started off with a trip to Northside Social in Arlington. We wanted to enjoy the weather, so we parked a little ways away. As we were walking, I was staring at my iPhone, finding out which way to go to get there. Despite all of the 15 Tweets I saw from people raving about Northside Social, nobody mentioned it was in Murky’s old building! I would’ve walked right past it, had it not been for the new red paint job. I must say, whoever opened Northside Social, clearly had a look in mind. Everything was very clean, and bright in the main room. The counter tops were all nice chunks of raw(ish) wood, and the upstairs was absolutely beautiful! We were fortunate enough to score some capps from a trainee there, who did an absolute BEAUTIFUL job. I am however, a little sick of seeing Counter Culture everywhere. It’s no dis against CCC – there’s a reason so many shops use their coffee.. Though, my wish for something different was granted when we ended up at Filter, in Dupont Circle.. They’re serving coffee from Caffe Pronto, which is a roaster in Annapolis Maryland. They wouldn’t tell me what was in the espresso blend, but it was epic – I didn’t know a espresso could be so syrupy! It Pronto product was extremely thick, very berry-forward, and smooth as can be. I am very happy for all of Dupont Circle!

Oh, and we also went on the obligatory trip to 2Amy’s Pizza. =) Duh.

Mazzers at Northside Social

Front counter @ Northside

Bar upstairs @ Northside

No more capps @ Northside

Pretty self-explanatory

Pizza Margherita

La Marzocco FB/80 at Filter in Dupont

Bar setup at Fiter

….

Peregrine, of course.

Pitango Gelato!

3 City Tour

I first visited Ultimo Coffee in October of last year. I remember really enjoying the capps Ultimo’s barista crafted, so I was excited to return. This visit was the first time I got to introduce myself to Aaron Ultimo – the mastermind behind the machine! I couldn’t believe how nice the dude was. He was really polite at the cash register, and provided great conversation whilst making capps & shots for my brother and I. Aaron really encouraged me with my passion for coffee. Not many people in specialty coffee have taken the time to do so. So, if you ever read this, Aaron – thanks so much!

I was already happy when I didn’t have to park 3 blocks away just to go to Ultimo.. I was REALLY happy when I got half way through the capp Aaron made me. I’m don’t remember where he sources his milk from, but it’s certainly the most balanced, sweetest milk I’ve ever had. Aaron Ultimo wasn’t done impressing my brother and I simply with the capps. After we finished our drinks, Aaron pulled some shots of a Kenyan coffee that Novo roasted. It was ironic that a Kenyan coffee was the guest espresso, because I have been on a massive Kenya binge as of late. It was rather priceless drinking my shot, knowing what the expression would be on my brothers face when he took HIS first sip. I’ve been drinking espresso for a lot longer than my brother, so I can handle brightness a bit better than him. The boy was doing everything in his power to not pucker up and chug a glass of water! The Kenyan shots were extremely balanced, but intense as hell.. Buttery, yet unforgiving. Notes of cherry, black currant, and (Aaron’s note) stewed tomatoes created the flavor profile of the espresso.

After Ultimo, we headed North to visit the girls of Spruce Street Espresso. I was surprised to see what a small space they have! I stalked them on Flickr before, and from the photos, assumed they had a massive shop.. It’s funny how you can get an idea in your head about a physical location you’ve never been to. It didn’t matter much since their location is absolutely amazing. It’s right on the corner where a nice line can form out the door. My brother and I ordered spro, capps, and macchiatos (caffeine buzz. Yes.) I was really happy to enjoy their craft It’s cool to see some barista girls kick some ass!

On what I thought was my last visit to Ultimo, Aaron convinced me to stop by on my way home. It was quiet in the shop that morning, so I was able to relax before embarking on a very long drive home..

..I really opened a can of worms on myself when I realized that I-95 goes past Philly, Baltimore and D.C.

I sat in Ultimo fighting the urge to do a 3 city tour… Damn you, Aaron Ultimo.
Along with convincing me to visit again (absolutely no regrets there), he eventually convinced me to go check out the new Spro location in Baltimore.

So, I set off! Trekking down I-95 South. Eventually I arrived at the new Spro location, with a light heart, and a hunger for some SPRO. The two girls at behind the counter were very polite and willing to make sure I had the best experience possible. I ordered an Aeropress of some Peru, and an espresso from Origins Roasters (no idea what it was). I was very excited to see how they are able to achieve every brew method a coffee geek could dream of. It was really cool to see a twist off a traditional espresso bar!
I was bummed to not meet Jay, but I wasn’t about to complain – the girls at Spro were awesome!

Next was a drive further down I-95 to get to my personal spro capitol, Washington D.C.!! I was kind of coffee’d out at that point, but I was eager to catch up with the crew at Peregrine Espresso. I arrived in D.C. to be greeted warmly by Jeremy, and Randy at Peregrine. I don’t feel like I have to advertise Peregrine any more than I already do.. Everybody who knows me, knows I’m a die-hard Peregrine fan-tard. As usual, the spro and pastries I got at Peregrine were stunning!

Sorry I didn’t get more detailed shots..

Benchmarks

No matter what industry you’re in, there’s a “benchmark” something. Benchmarks can be specific to a company, or an entire industry. In the coffee industry, I feel people avoid using the term “benchmark” because they’re too afraid of change – which honestly might be the intelligent standpoint. Things in coffee have changed a lot even since I got into industry in late 2006. I might be shooting myself in the foot here, but I feel like there *are*/might be a few consistent benchmarks in specialty coffee.

I’ll start by asking about brew methods.

Do you think there’s a benchmark brew method? – a brew method that you always use, or refer to other people? A brew method that can establish a very diverse group of points about a coffee.

So, are there any other benchmarks? Whatcha think? Are there benchmarks at all?

*item in the photo does not imply an opinion on the matter =)

Riding the Aeropress Wave

Today, my partner in crime and I did some Aeropress exploration (Aero..ration?)
The goal was to refine our skill, and hopefully find something that confused us past the point of sanity. The result? Well, I can certainly share with you some of the experiences, but much to our surprise, we have a secret that we won’t tell you.

We used 2 coffees (both CCC): Michicha, Sidama, and Peru, Valle del Santuario. Both coffees are awesome, and I recommend them  =)

I hadn’t been able to spend much time on Aeropress until today. Any previous attempts were at somebody else’s house, or with too-old coffee. I did my research on brewmethods.com to see what other people were doing with theirs’. I knew already that I was going to do the “inverted method”. I also knew that I was going to be dealing with some variables, that I don’t particularly like:

First off, with the Aeropress, I can’t maintain temperature as well as I’d like to. I’m not  certain that it matters *too* much, but I am a syphon fanatic – which means that I am used not worrying about  constant brew temperature.

I was having an issue trying to figure out how much to stir the coffee before plunging. I feel like there’s a bit more agitation during a Aeropress plunge, than the end part of a syphon brew. If my memory serves me, all I had to do was stir so that I knew all the grounds were saturated. I quickly secured the filter and was sure to not rush the plunge process. I think there was around a minute of contact time from water added to finishing the plunge. Alex took a video of the whole thing – I’ll make sure to get it edited and posted as soon as possible.

Lastly, I feel silly for (finally) purchasing a Aeropress as it has recently gained much due press. I suppose I should just say that I hope I don’t fall into a category by writing about this right now..

I can’t complain too much further than that. You can make multiple kinds of cups with the Aeropress! I haven’t even scratched the surface, as it were. This all makes me really want syphon coffee right now..

Please feel free to scrutinize my article. Please also give me advice =) Think of this as a giant question!

Tasting Fer Duh Weeen!

You know at the end of tv shows when the producers write in “No animals were harmed in the making of this film.”? Well, just to be clear from the BEGINNING, I agree that all brew methods have something special about them. Even if I am biased toward one brew method, trust that I have curiosity for all of them =).         Except for the French Press…

I was deemed the “brew master” for a brew-fest at my friend, Fillipo’s a little while back. While it was certainly an honor to be put in charge, I was also anxious to keep everything organized (Imagine 6 coffee addicts in one room with 72 oz. of beans.) There’s a lot of added pressure when you’re using someone else’s kitchen to make coffee!
I feel like there’s such a thing as “home field advantage” when making coffee. I was nearly out of my element at my friend’s house (even though I’ve brewed there before.) I brought all of my own equipment, even bottled water (I always use bottled). It was definitely a lot harder to do everything right with an extra 6 people hovering around the kitchen!

After dialing in the coffees, I felt like products being produced from Clever Dripper, Siphon, and Chemex were all being scrutinized by each and every person. I enjoy these opportunities because it helps me see what kind of product people expect from a “Coffee Geek”. Much to my surprise, I was 1 of 2 people attending who enjoyed the Siphon coffee. Everyone else seemed to be enamored by the Chemex and Clever Dripper’s (due credit given) result. I am somewhat biased toward Siphon, but I was thinking to myself during the event “What is it about pour-over coffee that appeals to a wider audience?” Now, take into consideration that there were 6 guys in attendance: a mad coffee scientist, a former barista/coffee fanatic, a genuine coffee connoisseur, a Dunkin’ Donuts fan, myself, and a complete maniac (we love you, Gabe.. Your affection for coffee is unparalleled!) So, the demographic, in my opinion, was awesome. Time-after-time people would gravitate toward the taste that the Clever Dripper and Chemex had to offer! Eventually we were sitting around talking about this topic..  Fortunately, Filippo made a comment about how Siphon tends to take all of the flavors and compress them to where they are all on the same plane. Now, don’t take this the wrong way- he wasn’t saying that it holds flavors at bay, rather, he was saying that they all tend to move “forward” in the cup. I never thought of it that way, but I was over-joyed by Filippo’s statement. Not only did I have a fellow in Siphon allegiance, but he described Siphon coffee in a way that I never would have thought of.

It could also be that Matt is just awesome at Chemex. Because he totally is..

In my opinion, one should try the same coffee through as many brew methods as possible. I like to start with Siphon because of what Filippo said- it really does make every flavor apparent in the cup. Near the end of the coffee-fest, we brewed a coffee, Siphon vs. Clever Dripper to see which method liked the coffee the most. I didn’t *not* like what the Clever Dripper did- it was truly awesome! I feel like it gave a more round cup than the Siphon, but was not as complete flavor-wise.

So, to sum up why I wrote about this in the first place…

The event gave me a bit of perspective as to why our taste buds are our own. I went in to brew-fest, being all confident in my Siphon, only to learn that I need to wake up! I have a goal to make money doing what I love most. I have a goal to educate people who want to learn about coffee. I have a goal to brighten people’s lives to the best of my ability. I am glad to have been put in a situation where people didn’t like the same thing as me, where I wasn’t asking for their money first! I wasn’t disappointed that people weren’t as impressed by Siphon as I thought- I was simply confused… Much better to mentalize this sooner, rather than later!