Well, alot has happened since the last post, much like the last. First off, Maytag and I went to the Midwest Barista Jam on April 15 at the Roasterie's main warehouse. It was a great experience. They covered the marketing behind signature drinks, roasting(with a tour by Norm Kilmon) and cupping, and finally brewing techniques (and they had a Clover!).
Jason from the Roasterie and Anthony from Monin presented the marketing presentation. It was very interesting, and displayed alot behind the ideas of signature drinks. We were given a free container of Caffetto espresso cleaner, which was nice. Next was the roasting and cupping presentation by Norm Kilmon. The Roasterie has 4 pretty good sized air roasters, the biggest being able to roast a whopping 300lbs of coffee. Cupping was by far my favorite. We got the basics of how to cup, Aroma, Fragrance and Taste. We cupped three origins, Panama, Sumatra and Ethiopian Yirqicheffe. The first two were nice and bold, but when I got to the Ethiopian coffee I was blown away. Finally the brewing techniques, we had two people from Clover. Let me tell you, the Clover machine is AMAZING. Just watching it work was a sight to see. The coffee it produced was very clean and flavorful. The second half of the presentation I thought was a little boring, the other member from Clover went though the process of brewing a proper shot of espresso. This for me was a little redundant since I've worked at a cafe before, but the other girl in the group was very interested the whole deal. Overall it was a very great experience and I do plan to attend the next Jam.
I've also started a adventure into home roasting. I found my parents old, Westbend Poppery II. So far I've only roasted some Yirqucheffe. My result are going pretty well. Next I plan on ordering some Brazilian green and practicing on going to Vienna roasts. I also want to explore making some espresso blends. Should be fun!
And, whats this blog without a cafe to critique! Black River Espresso on 69hwy in Excelsior Springs Missouri, my home town (and hopefully my next place of employment). The cafe has a great location on the highway, perfect for grabbing a cup on the way out of town. Inside is nice, they have several tables and three really big chairs with a coffee table, very nice. Their prices are very reasonable and affordable. The espresso they have is a little bitter for my taste, but still a good blend that makes a good macchiato, and any other espresso based drink. The owner Phil is very knowledgeable about coffee, he has been helping me a little bit with the whole home roasting thing. Telling me what origins would be good for specific roast levels. Overall Black River is a very good coffee house, tasty blend comfy chairs, friendly people and lots of caffeine.
Final Rating: 4 Shots out of 5
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
A Month In.
Wow, one month has passed since I made my first post. I didn't even realize it when I signed in. I have been to a few new Cafes since the first post. First one is Hazel's Coffee in St. Joesph MO. Going in I had high expectations from hearing that they roast their own coffees. Sadly, Maytag and I were very, very disappointed. As you walk in, to the right is their giant commercial roaster, it looks rather nice. I ordered they typical double macchaito and a vanilla latte. First sign of terror was when she tried to correct me on the pronunciation of macchaito. Her version was (ma-cha-toe), the true pronunciation is (ma-ki-atto). Then I watched their "barista" make the drinks. This was also painful, he didn't tamp properly, and he made the macchaito in a 12oz cup more like a latte. The latte he made was done with the same lack of skill on the tamp. When it was done the latte was more like a gas station cappuccino then a latte. The macchaito was overly bitter, to the point where I couldn't even tell if the bitterness was due to over extraction (very possible due to poor tamp) or over roasting causing the beans to burn. Overall I give Hazel's Coffee a 1/5. Not an enjoyable experience. Maytag and I left mad.
The next few coffee houses we visited were in Kearney, Missouri. The first was The International Beanery. Cute name, nice location in Kearney just off the main drag. Nice set-up on the inside. I got a single shot of espresso and a cup of the blend that they had on drip. The espresso was ok, nothing special a little bitter probably due to an unskilled barista. The drip coffee was thin and woody, tasted more like Folgers than anything you'd expect at a coffee house. Not a bad experience at the Beanery, just nothing super fantastic. 2/5
The second coffee house we visited in Kearney was Mojo's Coffee, just off 92 hwy as you come into town. This is the prime example of a Mom and Pop Shop, (or a Sid and Nancy Shop). Owned by a husband and wife, the shop is very small a few tables and quite quaint. The barista who was on duty was the Pop of the shop. I ordered a double shot of espresso. It was good, not overly bitter, and left a very pleasant after-taste. He gave us the shots on the house since he was closing early when we were there. He was knowledgeable about coffee and very friendly and talkative. Overall 3/5.
Finally for this entry, we have Espresso Dell'Anatra at I-35 and Cheauteaux Twy. This place is in the middle of a shopping center just off I-35, inside its very nice. Leather chairs and a couch with a coffee table. They have tall tables and short table spread throughout the establishment. The bar is set up so you can watch the barista at work, everything is in plain view. They have a wide selection of teas, coffee, and accessories on a cabinet against one wall. They have a huge menu, from all the espresso classics to their house specialties. The barista on deck was Mike, very friendly and knowledgeable. First off I ordered a double macchaito, it was amazing. Very sweet and rich, with great chocolate undertones. The richness and sweetness comes from the Shatto Milk Co. Half and Half he uses to mark the espresso, superb. Then I ordered a vanilla latte, but was coaxed into trying a molasses latte. It too was excellent. Very sweet and rich, a nice signature seasonal drink. At first it smells as if it could be an alcoholic beverage, but when you sip it the taste is quite different. This has indeed been the best coffee house that I've found aside from the Roasterie. 5 out of 5 in my book. Great espresso, great barista, great layout and an overall great experience. I will most defiantly make sure to frequent this cafe more often.
Espresso Rip out.
Keep caffeinated.
The next few coffee houses we visited were in Kearney, Missouri. The first was The International Beanery. Cute name, nice location in Kearney just off the main drag. Nice set-up on the inside. I got a single shot of espresso and a cup of the blend that they had on drip. The espresso was ok, nothing special a little bitter probably due to an unskilled barista. The drip coffee was thin and woody, tasted more like Folgers than anything you'd expect at a coffee house. Not a bad experience at the Beanery, just nothing super fantastic. 2/5
The second coffee house we visited in Kearney was Mojo's Coffee, just off 92 hwy as you come into town. This is the prime example of a Mom and Pop Shop, (or a Sid and Nancy Shop). Owned by a husband and wife, the shop is very small a few tables and quite quaint. The barista who was on duty was the Pop of the shop. I ordered a double shot of espresso. It was good, not overly bitter, and left a very pleasant after-taste. He gave us the shots on the house since he was closing early when we were there. He was knowledgeable about coffee and very friendly and talkative. Overall 3/5.
Finally for this entry, we have Espresso Dell'Anatra at I-35 and Cheauteaux Twy. This place is in the middle of a shopping center just off I-35, inside its very nice. Leather chairs and a couch with a coffee table. They have tall tables and short table spread throughout the establishment. The bar is set up so you can watch the barista at work, everything is in plain view. They have a wide selection of teas, coffee, and accessories on a cabinet against one wall. They have a huge menu, from all the espresso classics to their house specialties. The barista on deck was Mike, very friendly and knowledgeable. First off I ordered a double macchaito, it was amazing. Very sweet and rich, with great chocolate undertones. The richness and sweetness comes from the Shatto Milk Co. Half and Half he uses to mark the espresso, superb. Then I ordered a vanilla latte, but was coaxed into trying a molasses latte. It too was excellent. Very sweet and rich, a nice signature seasonal drink. At first it smells as if it could be an alcoholic beverage, but when you sip it the taste is quite different. This has indeed been the best coffee house that I've found aside from the Roasterie. 5 out of 5 in my book. Great espresso, great barista, great layout and an overall great experience. I will most defiantly make sure to frequent this cafe more often.
Espresso Rip out.
Keep caffeinated.
Friday, February 23, 2007
The Start of the Crusade.
As I sit here in the Roasterie Cafe, on the 6200 block of Brookside Blvd. in downtown Kansas City, I feel as though I am in Camelot. After having downed one Double Macchatio, on seven dollar mexican hot chocolate and currently sipping on a cup of Jasmine green tea, I feel as though I should expand my pallet of Coffees and Teas from area coffee houses. Hence forth, me and my companion Maytag (otherwise known as Nathan, long story on the nickname) shall set forth upon a crusade to find the best coffees and teas in KC. The Roasterie Cafe shall be our standard. I'm sure there are better actual coffee roasters in the world, but I feel the need to respect the locals. Join us on this beany journey (cheesy I know).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)