Crazy Tennis/Coffee/Cocktail Tapestry Post

I know that sometimes this blog is a bit of a whirlwind, what with the myriad Civil War threads we're weaving, all the while hyped up on coffee, gravel-voiced from screaming at another Nadal-Federer tennis classic, and sticky-fingered from mixing some new concoction. All comes together to make one crazy tapestry.
I like it this way, I like having lots of different stories being told at the same time. It makes everything dynamic, unpredictable, and fun. You don't know if I've been reading some thick tome on Reconstruction, tinkering with my coffee roaster, playing tennis, or all at the same time; thus, you (and I) don't know what's coming next.
To honor this, I've got a few things to say on a few different subjects. So I don't step on my own posts by putting up multiples in one day (a costly mistake, some people won't scroll far enough to find the new stuff), we've got a crazy silly-putty-that-rolled-down-gravel-driveway amalgam for you to chew on.
First up is a favorite punching bag of this space, Starbucks. This monolith of coffee mediocrity, exploitation, and marketing is about to roll out a new gimmick: instant coffee.
INSTANT COFFEE!!!!!
I love the use of marketing terms like "innovation", "game-changer", and "value". Here's the bottom line, if you buy this stuff, you're getting a double whammy of being ripped off and screwing the farmers who grew the beans, they'll see maybe 5 cents on the dollar. Just remember, you have a choice, so don't buy this crap.
Speaking of choices, the United Arab Emirates made a poor one when it revoked the travel visa of Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer on the eve of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship.
Now there are international headlines blasting the decision, the tournament nearly got canceled and may get yanked off next year's WTA schedule, and the Tennis Channel made the courageous decision of canceling its television coverage in protest.
Many Gulf nations have had standing policies that Israeli citizens and those with Israeli visa stamps in their passports will be denied entry. I say "many" instead of "all" because nearly one year ago to the day, Peer broke ground as the first Israeli woman to compete in a professional tournament in the Gulf. Now a huge step backwards has been taken with this gruesome misuse of sport to make a despicable political statement.
WTA chairman Larry Scott had this to say on the issue, I direct your attention to the last sentence of the statement:
"The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking"
Then, Mr. Scott, you have a responsibility to enforce this policy. This issue did not come out of nowhere, and without an assurance that a host city can apply this policy, tournaments should not be awarded. When the policy is violated in this egregious manner and right before the tournament to boot, the event should have been shut down.
Peer's exclusion is sad and infuriating on many levels, and leaves me wanting to make a t-shirt out of the stamps from Israel I have in my passport. Next week, the issue will resurface when the men come to Dubai, including Israeli doubles player Andy Ram.
Man, all of this ranting has left me thirsty, good thing we've got a new refreshment coming down the pike. On Valentine's Day, The Jess and I made a beautiful fruit salad with winter strawberries, blood oranges, and navel oranges drizzled with some passionfruit juice. After inhaling the salad at brunch, there was a brilliant juice mixture floating in the bottom of the bowl.
After a few minutes of contemplation, the Fruit Salad HugYa was born...

Fruit Salad HugYa
1.5 oz Hangar One Mandarin Blossom vodka
0.5oz Noilly Prat sweet vermouth
1.5 oz fruit salad juice (I think fresh-squeezed OJ and passionfruit juice evenly mixed would probably suffice)
Add all three liquids to shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and serve up.
Whew, did you get all that? Take your time, because there will be another post tomorrow wrapping up my visit last night to the Orange County Civil War Rountable and tonight's SDCWRT meeting. Oh wait, I'm not helping, but you'll be fine, and back for more.

Delocate The Best Books And Coffee Houses

Of course we're all conscious of the ongoing economic crisis, and of course we want to spend our money in a responsible and productive manner. I've written before about the importance of supporting local bookstores (just made a run to one of San Diego's best, Wahrenbrock's, over the weekend and found a volume of Whitman's Civil War poetry, Ambrose Bierce short stories, and Arthur Fremantle's memoir of travelling through the Confederacy in 1862-63) as well as the brilliance of local coffeeshops like Caffe Calabria. Putting your money into these locally-owned venues will not only get you a premier product, but you'll be keeping your money in your community, instead of having it vanish into the corporate ether.

A major obstacle to doing this was knowing where these places are. Rarely does an independent bookstore or coffeehouse have a substantial marketing budget, and certainly they lack name recognition, thus its difficult to compete against ubiquitous juggernauts like Borders or Starbucks when you want a quick coffee or something to read.

Now there is a solution to this problem: delocator.net

This website allows you to plug in your zipcode and immediately get a list of locally-owned coffeeshops, bookstores (and movie theatres, for that matter) straight to your computer or hand-held device. You'll be given the address, phone number, all the vital statistics you need. It's incredibly easy to use and will allow both you and your local businesses to reap immediate benefit.

Give it a try and tell me about the great finds you come up with. I'll be hitting up Elixir Espresso Bar to see what they do with the beans they get from Caffe Calabria.

Doc Roasted

So I've been roasting coffee beans like crazy, and the holidays were especially prolific. I cranked out so many bags of freshly roasted heaven for friends and family and got so many compliments, I decided that my little hobby needs a name. I'm going with "Doc-Roasted" because, you know, dark roasted, my job, haha.
Anyway, we're about due for another coffee cupping and a new stash has arrived from Sweet Marias. I'll be slapping this new moniker on the ziploc bags that hold the beans I roast, so be on the lookout.
To ensure that the quality continues to rise, I'm hoping to take my hobby to the next level. I've been using a fixed setting on my trusty iRoast-2, and am quite sure that I'm not getting to the true essence of the beans I'm roasting. I found this article about getting the most out of my roaster, as well as these suggestions from Imbibe Magazine, and have thus been newly inspired.
I've got 2.5 lbs of Rwanga Ngonkoru Nyarusiza, which is a premier bean, just below an Ethiopian yergacheffe, and I'm determined to solve this puzzle. I've just finished roasting in the standard way I've been doing it; using a fixed setting for about 6-7 minutes. Tasting notes will follow, and next time, I'll vary the roasting times and temps a bit, and seek out the differences.
It's pretty amazing how good these home-roasted beans turn out, and I fully realize I'm a buffoon when it comes to actually doing this right. A little more dedication to the craft, and hopefully the next level won't be too far off.
Oh yeah, coffee art for your viewing pleasure here.

Coffee As Beverage, Gift, And Art

Sometimes I feel like coffee is the forgotten partner in this blog, given that I don't write about it as often as spirits and the Civil War. This paucity of narrative doesn't mean I don't love, drink, and roast it, and now I've got a few anecdotes to share.
I've had a few mishaps recently; the first was when working with a decaf bean that I badly over-roasted. First time that happened, and hopefully won't happen again. Blah, tasted like something from Starbucks: flabby, burnt, just nasty.
The next blunder was an experimentation with Qishr tea. This is a Yemeni invention, basically takes the coffee cherry husks, dries them, then you brew them in a French Press like a tea. How best to describe this brew?
When The Jess and I first tasted it she stated, quite deadpan, that it tasted "vegetably". I replied with "Bleegh" and, as my wife reminds me now, I let the beverage fall from my mouth into the sink.
This stuff sucked. Just because it grows in nature doesn't mean you have to drink it! I'm still irritated.
I cheered up when I roasted and tasted two of the beans that came in the same package as the Qishr debacle. I'm becoming a huge fan of peaberries, and the Guatemala Antigua Los Pastores Peaberry at a Full City roast was genius! Bright and sweet, almost refreshing. Very solid. The El Salvador Cup of Excellence Finca Malacara; however, stole the show by living up to its name and just blowing me away. At a City Plus roast, this was a full-bodied, rich and caramelly brew. One of the very best I've had.
I'm rolling along with this hobby, and have found many companions along the way. A fantastic coffee journey recently surfaced in the NY Times and features some brilliant coffee art; coffee impressions in napkins accented by some very clever narrative.

On The Refreshment Front

Two interesting new recent refreshments that need to become part of the repertoire here, and the first is all because it's melon season!
The Jess and I sojourned to The Fruit Stand just up the road, and after a fabulous session of percussing, hefting, and sniffing, selected what has proved to be the single greatest cantaloupe either of us has ever tasted.
When we cracked it open, dissected it, and chopped it into a bowl, my brain sprung toward a complementary beverage. It was time for dessert, so we needed a sweet, fruity pairing that could be served cold with the chilled melon. Where to turn...
There is a maxim in our household, being I'm of South African parents, that any food item made or invented in South Africa is primo-delecto good. (Anyone remember our wedding cake?) I applied this rule in the dessert drink category and selected a bottle of Amarula. A double served in a rocks glass with ice for each of us, and a bowl of fresh cantaloupe...this was heaven!
I know this doesn't strictly classify as a recipe, not that you shouldn't try it, but here's one that will blow your mind!

Cantarula With A Spoon
1/2 sliced and cubed cantaloupe (preferably chilled)
1/2 cup Amarula
2 scoops good vanilla ice cream

Add cantaloupe to bowl. Put ice cream on top. Pour Amarula over the top of that. Find your spouse/partner/best friend/companion and eat the whole thing out of the same bowl. Repeat if necessary.
Alternate: dump the fruit/ice cream/Amarula mix in blender for a short burst. Drink out of a highball glass.
On the coffee front, I'm experimenting with my first blend. Up to this point, I've done one varietal at a time in my roaster and my cup. Today I found myself needing to roast and having just a small amount of three different beans in the cupboard. So, I did them all together. To err on the side of caution, I went with a Full City + roast; the smells are amazing right out of the roaster, the beans are dark and oily...this blending thing seems to hold a great deal of promise!
Here are the components of this first blend:
Guatemala Antigua Finca Relana Yellow Bourbon
Guatemala Fraijanes - Finca Agua Tibia
El Salvador Matapala Estate Peaberry

The State Of Coffee Drinking In Our Communities: Part One

Few beverages are as ubiquitously consumed on a daily basis as coffee. It crosses ages, demographics, social circles, any number of artificial barriers. It's enjoyed on the run, quietly at home, amongst friends and strangers alike. I love it, you love it, and we have the rare opportunity to be part of a coffee renaissance, both at home and beyond.
We all remember when the ever-present emblem of the coffee industry first came on the scene. It was admixed with Seattle grunge and cold weather, and it raced from corner to corner covering first our major cities before moving into smaller and smaller towns. Before that smiling green goddess logo arrived, most of us made do with freeze-dried stuff or maybe a few solid local coffee houses. I grew up in a tea-drinking household, given my South African parentage, and my coffee exposure came in trips to Lyon's Restaurant for a quick caffeine hit before hanging out with friends.
Then came the Starbucks juggernaut, and our coffee expectations were forever changed. This was a masterstroke of marketing, because these coffeehouses managed to convince us that we wanted a premium product (brewed coffees, espresso drinks, etc) and that it was acceptable to pay a premium price. I will never forget their featured display that ostensibly showed why Starbucks coffee was worth so much loot.
It was a glass-in case with 4 individual sections. One held green beans, one held lightly roasted beans, one held chocolately brown beans labeled "supermarket quality", one held dark brown, shiny beans labeled "Starbucks quality". Thus was the quality of coffee forever defined for us as something based on a dark roast, instead of what really counts, which is freshness.
Having learned a great deal about home-roasting coffee, I have come to understand just how effective this marketing scheme was. Starbucks didn't lie or anything like that, they simply capitalized on the ignorance of the marketplace to set artificial standards. Dark roasted coffee is not necessarily better, it's just darker. It's also much more uniform, as a longer roasting process cooks off much of the compounds that make a bean unique, and leaves a much stronger, reproducible flavor regardless of the bean used. Thus Starbucks was able to buy huge quantities of beans, roast the hell out of them without regard for what roasting profile would make those beans really stand out, and put them on the market as a marquee product. Those "supermarket" beans? Well, that light roast or City roast, may have been just perfect for that particular bean, but there's no room for subtlety here.
In this structure, Starbucks convinced us that a dark roasted coffee is a good coffee (remember that espresso does not denote any particular bean, but again is simply a very darkly roasted bean, thus a perfect fit) To provide this model to the customer, volume is the key and we lost track of what really matters with coffee, which is a properly-roasted bean and FRESHNESS.
Remember, once a bean is roasted, it materially degrades over several days, and most are stale in a week. Once it is ground, it is stale in hours, thus instead of focusing on a dark roasted bean that sits around, premium coffee is one that is roasted with some subtlety and craft to promote the unique profile of the bean and used while fresh.
This is not how Starbucks does it, and their beans sit around for who knows how long. Before this new "Pike's Place" house brew, they never told you when the beans were roasted, now they do, and when I peek in, it's hard not to laugh. I've seen 2, 3, sometimes four week old beans being touted as a marquee item. Would you spend any money, let alone top dollar, for bread more than a few days old? Of course not, because it's not fresh. The reasoning with coffee is exactly the same, because you're buying stale junk when you shop at Starbucks, or most major coffeehouses, for that matter.
It's not just the coffee, either, for there are multiple ways in which Starbucks manipulates those who walk into the ubiquitous cafes: using headsets in busy stores to encourage customers to stay in line, thus making the famous "line out the door", purveying all manner of corn syrup-engorged items that have nothing to do with standard coffee house fare. Indeed, now he have the Vivanno, which is a 270 calorie banana milkshake that has no place in a respectable coffeehouse (or our stomachs, for that matter.) There's even a blog run by former Starbucks employees detailing how the company does business.
Admittedly, I'm a bit conflicted in ripping Starbucks and saying we shouldn't shop there. The problem is that when these stores close (and they are closing like mad), it's young people who are losing their jobs. However, independent coffee shops also hire out of the same demographic, so not only can you make the most delicious choice, but one that fits with the larger theme of keeping our money in our community and keeping local businesses thriving. The good news is that the slow-growing, locally driven coffee movements are building in both strength and breadth, and these artisan coffee shops seem to be thriving. In part two of our analysis, we'll take a look at the multiple directions in which these movements are going, so stay tuned.

The State Of Coffee Drinking In Our Communities: Part Two

I'm fresh from an amazing experience at what is clearly San Diego's finest coffee shop called Caffe Calabria and, to be honest, still enthralled by the coffee experiences The Jess and I had in Portland, so in that spirit we go forward in our exploration of what's new and exciting in our coffee community. To capture the spirit in which it's written, and because there are links to some newspaper articles, get something nice to drink, and take your time.
You make recall, avid reader, that The Jess and I hosted a coffee cupping a few weeks ago, which was a great success, after having learned about the process at Stumptown Coffee in Portland. What made this so much fun was not just the variety of flavors and smells we experienced, it was having a communal process like this that was cheap, interactive, and highly entertaining. No need to go to a wood-paneled tasting room at a winery to explore the subtleties of a choice beverage, this same level of sophistication can be enjoyed anywhere and with anyone.
This is no longer a grassroots effort, either, as artisan coffee shops around the country are realizing that their clientele want more from their beverage experience than grab and go. Here is an article from the NY Times detailing the growth of the cupping movement.
Not only are we, the novitiate, beginning to break the shackles of the mass-produced junk from Starbuck et al, but there is a new cohort of experts finding their way into our communities and neighborhood coffeehouses to bring expertise and enthusiasm to this movement. The Los Angeles Times documented this new education a few weeks ago.
There is no hope of cupping and discussing high quality coffee unless it is roasted properly, and that is, in my opinion, where the true artistry of this process lies. Delicately controlling such roasting variables as temperature, duration, intensity and manipulating them to bring out the true taste signature of a coffee bean is a most exacting science. I haven't even begun to manipulate temperature myself, just trying to figure out roasting duration. There is a tremendous demand for skilled roasters, because more and more customers expect locally roasted, fresh beans. Now the call sign for a marquee coffee house is no longer a trademark name, it is being able to serve expertly roasted beans that have been prepared either onsite or nearby. This art form and the demand for it has also drawn the attention of the NY Times, and I just love the fact that newspapers with the size and scope of the LA Times and NY Times are showcasing this movement!
Caffe Calabria subscribes to this roasting protocol, as does Stumptown in Portland. The Bay Area is studded with wonderful coffee shops that are roasting their own beans (check out this wonderful blog for updates and reviews of Bay Area coffee shops.) There are even two coffeehouses in my hometown of Santa Rosa, Ecco Caffe and Flying Goat, which are roasting and spreading the gospel to nearby stores and customers.
You may have noticed that oftentimes the coffeeshops on the cutting edge of this movement are often referred to as "specialty" coffeehouses. I think it's high time that this appelation is dropped, as it connotes a certain aloofishness, not to mention expense, which simply do not apply. These are coffeehouses, stripping the bean down to basics and showcasing the fundamental greatness of coffee, so lets save the "specialty" nomenclature for stores serving banana milkshakes.
Let's go back to Caffe Calabria for a moment, because it captures what happens when a single entity subscribes to this approach. As I walked from my car, I saw a man get out of a Caffe Calabria truck. I introduced myself and asked about the store. We started chatting, turns out his name is Arne Holt and he's the owner!
We went in and he took me all around the store: we went into the shopping area with all the coffee equipment you could ever want, we saw the roastery just behind the cafe area and I watched a batch of beans go through their paces under the watchful eye of Jesse, the roaster. We finished by checking out the upstairs cupping room (cuppings at 8:15 Mon-Fri) and chatted about The Jess and I taking a barista course. I went down to the cafe and got ready for a tasting.
I selected my standard measuring stick, the latte, and it was PERFECT! Smooth, sweet, with beautiful latte art on top. These baristas are clearly at the top of their game and proud of what they do. We had a great conversation as I enjoyed my coffee. They do the iced toddy, which is the favorite cool beverage of The Jess, and take tremendous pride in pulling first class espresso shot. The WiFi is free, the pastries incredible, and the coffee is as good as you can make it.
San Francisco has Ritual and Portland has Stumptown. San Diego has answered that challenge with Caffe Calabria, and answered with vigor!
The cornerstone of all of this, and what I believe to be the final common pathway for coffee enjoyment is roasting coffee at home. Easy, fun, cheap, social, environmentally responsible, you name it, this hobby provides it, not to mention delivering knockout coffee. You can easily source beans from sweetmarias.com, and can choose organic, fair trade certified products. The roasting is quick, the cleanup is quicker, the end result is heavenly!
In whatever form you choose, coffee preparation and drinking no longer needs to be a rushed and banal experience underwritten by huge businesses. It is now a delicious, accessible, and responsible way to recreate, socialize, and wake up in the morning.

A Tradition Of Cupping Is Born!

Saturday was a landmark day in the world of coffee tasting in San Diego, at least for myself, The Jess, and a cache of friends, as we came together for my first hosted coffee cupping.
I got started with the preparation several days prior and roasted my little heart out. There were 5 varietals to choose from, delivered by the good people at Sweet Maria's, and I wanted each one to have at least a day or two to mature prior to tasting. For fun, I made the choice to roast each bean approximately the same amount and didn't pay attention to the notes from Sweet Maria's. I went with a Full City roast on each one, with very interesting results.
The varietals were as follows:
Guatemala Organic Finca Ceylan Maragogype
El Salvador Matapala Estate Peaberry
Brazil Cachoeira "Canario Bourbon"
Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza
A Kenyan bean who's name is unfortunately lost to history (I already tossed the bag into the recycling bin)
Given the number of coffee enthusiasts who were joining us, I wanted to ensure that there were plenty of cups to sample from, so I roasted enough for three cups of each bean. Having read a few websites about how to host a cupping, I had to make a few executive decisions about getting the house ready. My concept of getting ready was making sure there were enough cups, and snacks, as well as cleaning up a bit. I did not; however, subscribe to some of the more bizarre rules that are out there (imagine me ever being able to follow a No Talking rule)!
As a reminder, there are four steps to a cupping:
1. the dry smell: dry grounds (a coarse grind is employed) in the cup are inhaled using both mouth and nose
2. the wet smell: coffee is poured over the grounds, and the steam is inhaled
3. breaking the crust: the layer of grounds on top of the mug is broken with a spoon after 4 minutes of brewing, with inhalation taking place at the moment the spoon breaks the surface
4. tasting: after lifting off the grounds on the surface, a spoon is dipped into the coffee, and slurped up. The slurp is key, because it aerates the coffee and sprays it all over the mouth, palate, and posterior pharynx. The grounds are then spat into a cup (none of us had a spittoon)
Here are some photos from the event, taken by, of course, The Jess!

This was a really fun morning and a truly novel experience. I know you're wondering, and the consensus favorites were Rwanda and El Salvador. The next time we do this, I think I'm going to pick two or three varietals and roast them to different ends of the flavor spectrum. That'll be in the near-future, but for now, stay tuned for more pics and hopefully some fun comments from the esteemed participants:
The Tipsy Historian
The Jess
Captain Sizzle
The Amusing San Diegan
Mr. Triathlon
Femme Futbol
Mr. Handsome
Mr. Handsome's Master
Escuela
Leblon Fan
Prince Donut
Princess Donut
Giggles
(there is an appeals process if you want to change your nickname)

Imbibe, My Friends, Imbibe

This is not a post designed to encourage you, dear reader, to consume alcohol or any beverage for that matter (though it is summer and the physiologist in me wishes to remind you to take plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration). No, this missive is actually an introduction to a most spectacular publication called Imbibe Magazine.
I have long been a magazine enthusiast, as my 24 year collection of Sports Illustrated and my mandatory trip to the newsstand when at the airport will attest. Imbibe, which I subscribed to one year ago and will now be discussed here is one of the single most wonderful and tempting periodicals out there.
If you haven't guessed by the name or clicked on the link, Imbibe is dedicated to all liquids fit for human consumption. The focus is on cocktails and spirits, but there is plenty of discussion on beer, wine, tea, coffee, and soft drinks. Basically, if you have ever been thirsty in your life, there is something for you in the contents of Imbibe. There are also pages and reviews of all the accoutremonts required for the preparation and consumption of your chosen bevvy, so not only can you learn what you want to drink, but how best to get it down.
Each issue is a whirlwind tour of beverages: their preparation, their origins, the cities where they are popular, and the recipes and dealers you need to get yourself some. There are tons of appetizing pictures, the writing is quite solid, and the breadth of coverage is just amazing. From Amsterdam to Seattle, from absinthe to vodka and all destinations between, it's all there.
Perhaps you're feeling that, as a teetotaller, there isn't going to be enough here to tickle your tastebuds, but I can happily divulge that I was introduced and continue to learn about home coffee roasting through this mag. I've bought root beer selections for friends and picked out crazy plates for The Jess. The newest issue has a huge feature on tea in all of its permutations. As I said before, if you've ever been thirsty, Imbibe will slake it for you.
The best and most titillating part of this magazine has got to be it's timing. It only comes out every two months, so each issue must be carefully savored and rationed ensuring that the fun isn't over too quickly. Oh, and archiving is particularly important so you have back issues for a reference. I usually skim the whole mag and read the reviews section on arrival, then do one article every few days with more than one sabbatical in between. I got the newest issue a few weeks ago and still have about 1/3 left to enjoy. See, Imbibe even encourages moderation!
It's entertaining, it's incredibly diverse, it'll broaden your horizons, it's Imbibe. Check it out!

Winning Hearts, Minds, and Palates, One Cup At A Time

One of the nicest offshoots of roasting coffee at home is giving fresh-roasted beans to friends and family. These are the people who have had to listen to me verbalize "how fantastic" and "so delicious" for months, and giving them a taste of what I've been blathering about is quite satisfying. The general response has been exceedingly positive, for the obvious reason that this stuff is fantastic, and am slowly setting up a little family tree of roasters.
One colleague at work is already roasting, one is going to buy a roaster. My sister and I are in the midst of establishing a nice little intra-state commerce of coffee beans for homemade apricot jam. The Jess, of course, is my mega-super sidekick in all this, with her primary responsibility being to brew my pre-night call cuppa.
It's the funniest thing, and part of what makes this hobby so fun; even though she uses the exact same beans and equipment as me, the cups she makes turn out with subtle but distinct differences from mine. She has even taken a turn at the roaster, with a magnificent outcome. Come to think of it, I need her to roast some more of that crazy Yellow Bourbon varietal tonight.
The best one-liner to come of my early efforts at conversion was with my mother in law. As I handed her a bag of fresh beans, I asked her "do you take your coffee...awesome?"
She replied yesterday that she does.
The next step in my development as a roaster is definitely going to be refining my roasting profiles. Thus far, I've used the presets on my iRoast 2 with good success, but want to move into the more advanced roasting where temperature and timing are more strictly controlled. To hear the ace roasters at Sweet Maria's tell it, each bean peaks with a specific roasting pattern of temperature and time. Now that the palate is getting a bit more refined, that's going to be the next frontier.
If anyone would like to get a sample of roasted beans, please let me know, and if you ever have questions about getting started, getting beans, etc, I would love to be of assistance.

Our Trip to Portland Part I: Coffee

Let the trumpets be sounded, let the clarion call be heard, let us all intone our best primal yell, for the greatest coffee and espresso in the world has been found.
Not only that, but is consumed by thousands of dwellers in Portland, Oregon every single day.
And I hate them for it! (not really, but I'm jealous, that's for sure)
For those of you who are devotees of this blog, you know that coffee and the rituals around it are one of my great passions, so it was truly rewarding to consort with people who not only share this affection, but are highly skilled in the preparation of coffee, espresso, and roasting coffee beans.
Portland seems to be the keeper of all things coffee, and the epicenter of this wonderfully caffeinated place is a series of establishments either called or supplied by Stumptown Roasters.
I shudder to call it a chain, because there can be a negative connotation with that word and coffee (your fault Starbucks), but there are several stores around the city along with a central location where all the roasting happens and whose beans are distributed to several other venues in the city.
These beans are, to be blunt, perfection. Perfection in color, flavor, and roast quality. Just magic, and the baristas hired by these stores are the magicians. Each person takes a particular pride in making the perfect cup of coffee (yes, they make it by the cup, to order, from 13 different varieties at Stumptown Annex, all roasted within the past 4 days) or pulling the highest standard espresso shot. If they don't like their effort, they throw it away and do it again.
I'm totally serious about that.
The drinks they turn out after steaming the milk perfectly, tamping the espresso before putting it on the machine, and making a beautiful pattern in your latte, are just sublime, and nowhere are they better than at Coffeehouse Northwest
From the minute you walk into this place, it is clear that the focus is on coffee and espresso making and nothing else. The menu is spartan, as is the layout. There are only the basic drinks to choose from, no frappes, no blends, and only a few syrups to choose from (but it's sacrilege, darling, just sacrilege).
Our baristas, Daniel and Matt, were not only congenial and interesting, but they made the two single best espresso drinks I've ever had, and spoke all about their love for the craft as they made them. The first, a cappuccino, is below, resting quietly next to my wife's iced toddy, which is the greatest iced coffee since the invention of ice.
Please look closely at the pattern that is formed in my drink. Every barista at all of these stores takes pride in generating a little piece of latte art in every drink they serve.
And oh my goodness those pastries. As I already have enough to focus on here what with tennis, the American Civil War, UCLA sports, coffee, and mixology, I will say only that the pastries at these stores are the very best, and the bakery that makes them literally fills a city block with aromas of sugar, cake, and orange zest.
For my second drink, Daniel and Matt made me an Americano. Simple, delicate, and perfect. Best of all, this sublime beverage was on the house! Find any top flight place that would do that for a customer on their first visit!
Honestly, I could watch that crema separate all day, but there was drinking to be done!
As you can clearly see, coffee drinking was a big part of our visit, and I've got the full Stumptown coffee frequent flyer card to prove it (13 coffees in 4 days, thank you very much!). But we're not done, because there was one more new experience left...
...coffee cupping! This is the coffee drinkers equivalent to wine tasting, and it's even more rewarding. This process is hosted twice a day at Stumptown Annex and is free to the public. 5 fresh-roasted coffees are put out, and you just need your taste buds.
The 4 steps:
1. the dry smell: dry grounds are inhaled
2. the wet smell: coffee is poured over the grounds, and the steam is inhaled
3. breaking the crust: the layer of grounds on top of the mug is broken with a spoon after 4 minutes of brewing, with inhalation taking place at the moment the spoon breaks the surface
4. tasting: a spoon is dipped into the surface of the coffee, the sample is slurped up, tasted, then spat out (unless you want to get really wired) This final phase is repeated as many times as you like, because the coffee flavor evolves as the beverage cools.
Amidst the sound of hearty slurps filling the store was the occasional WOW! This is a special experience and something for everyone to try. Since I'm able to roast coffee at home, we'll be having a cupping soon, so get ready!
I'm still wired from all this coffee, and it's not from the caffeine. This was a seminal experience to have in the nascency of this hobby of mine. So with a more attuned palate, and fresh-roasted beans at my side, I go forth into the world of coffee drinking!

Coffee Happenings (and Mishappenings)

In my first few months of roasting coffee, I was keeping the beans in the roaster for longer periods of time, getting well past 1st crack, the Maillard Reaction, and into (sometimes beyond) 2nd crack. This made for a lovely, dark roasted bean, but I began to find that the flavor profiles were quite similar: bold sweetness, minimal acidity, caramel/toffee flavors. While remarkable to drink, it was clear that I was tasting the features of a dark roast, and because the roast had gone for so long and much of the sugar had burned off, much of the innate uniqueness of the beans themselves had been roasted away.
Not to worry, because with the versatility provided by my roaster, and the ability to watch the roast process proceed second by second, sound by sound, and smell by smell, I've tried to shorten my subsequent roasts to stay more in the City Plus to Full City range, with a focus (using sense of hearing) on staying well away from 2nd crack.
Definitely now, as I've slurped through cups of Sulawesi Enrekang "Mount Alla" and Ethiopia Organic Dry-Process Golocha, the fantastic taste profiles unique to each selection come through. I can see how a wine taster trains their palate, because these coffees are incredibly variegated. There's chocolate and pepper in the Sulawesi, with a clean, short finish, and a fruity, acidic opening in the Ethiopia, and a long creamy finish.
Today's cup, roasted two days ago by my beloved Jess (in her first-ever roasting effort) was a true sparkler. She prepared a City Plus roast of Guatemala Antigua-Finca Retana Yellow Bourbon beans, and it's one of the nicest we've tried so far. Fruit up front, then brown caramel, then a long finish reminiscent of, as the name implies, bourbon. Just a triumph!
In the midst of all this deliciousness, I pulled off a fabulous blunder in the process of grinding my beans. So, as everyone knows, the beans go in the receptacle, then through the HOLE into the blades, then into the collector, then to the filter. So I put some beans into the receptacle and realized there wasn't enough. I didn't want a blend of beans, so I took off the receptacle to trade them out.
And forgot about the HOLE!
With a playful clattering, the beans tumbled out and proceeded to leap and bounce all over the kitchen. Seriously, all over the kitchen. After picking them up on an individual basis, I write this with a sore back and a clear reminder that coffee beans, like everything else in this world, are answerable to gravity.

Roasting Coffee at Home - A Gustatory Triumph!

First off, an explanation from the Tipsy Historian; though there has been a spate of posts over the past week, close observation will show that there was an abrupt cessation of writing here in late January. Though life has undergone a dramatic change with some wild ups and downs, my wife and teammate Jess and I have continued to build our repertoire of hobbies, experiences, and activities. Many, if not all, fit within the purview of this blog, so with a three month gap in writing, you, dear reader, may rightfully assume that there is something of a backlog of things to write about.
This assumption would be correct, so I will immediately commence bringing you into the Tipsy Historian's world, for as my blog subtitle shows, much has gone on in the world of beverages, sports, and the always engaging and edifying study of the Civil War.
We begin, my friends, with a taste experience that has changed the way I experience and enjoy my only daily vice, coffee drinking. I do not have a coffee shop or special brew to refer you to, no, no. I want to take you back to what I now regard as the first principle of coffee.

Thou shalt roast thine own beans in the sanctity of thine own abode, and thou shalt eschew beans roasted in any other venue, save for the abode of thy friends and kinspeople.

Why should it be so? Because home coffee roasting brings a level of freshness, complexity, and sheer joy that cannot be captured in any other way of getting coffee. Coffee is at its peak 24-48 hours after it's roasted, and within a week of roasting, it has already undergone a marked decline. Beyond 10-14 days, you're wasting your money.
It all starts in Oakland, which is (I was surprised to learn) the biggest coffee importation point in the United States. Just near the port itself is a warehouse with a robust company called Sweet Maria's. From this company and its website springs all you need to know about this wonderful hobby. Before I provide the link, be warned it is very dense and not so easy to navigate, but your persistence will be amply rewarded. That said, here it is.
Now, how does this process work? Well the green beans come from Sweet Maria's and are stable in a ziplock bag for up to a year. They're also much cheaper than roasted coffee, coming in at about $4 per pound.
Not only that, but they have names like Brazilian Coromandel Fazenda Sao Joao, Peru FTO Cuzco Ccochapampa, and Ethiopia Dry-Process Golocha. Best yet, when you buy them, you can select organic and Free-Trade Certified beans.
Now, there is a tremendous amount of science behind this, which the website covers in tremendous detail. Though I have learned quite a bit about it...
...there is always more to be gleaned. Suffice it to say, "first crack" and second crack" are becoming a powerful part of my coffee lexicon.
The machine is the next part. Any hot air blowing device will work, and there is a huge market for old school popcorn poppers. I opted for a more professional choice, which was a great investment; the iRoast 2. This has made the process so quick and easy; from selecting my beans to everything cleaned up and put away is about 30 minutes. Can't beat it I tell you.
The roasting process itself is a total treat, with smells evolving rapidly, colors changing before your eyes, and sounds emanating from the beans as the heat and the sugars interact. Without stealing too much fun from those of you who are convinced you must go down this road, here is a picture of beans approaching 1st crack.
The best part of this machine is the ease of cleanup, as I mentioned, no more than a few minutes. Why? Well, all the stuff that flies off the beans as they roast, called the chaff, gets collected in an easy to clean receptacle at the top of the roaster. It's also pretty cool to look at...
Anyway, as the roast goes on, I usually water the plants, chat with Jess, or stand on the porch and watch birds. Most importantly, after 1st crack, my eyes turn to the roasting chamber, because there is a wide range of "doneness" in the roast once 1st crack is completed. Initially I liked it a bit darker, but find the lighter finishing points more interesting currently.

There is a final phase of the roasting process that we must discuss before we get into what this stuff actually tastes like, and that is the roasting uniform. Any good activity has the appropriate apparel (check out my tennis gear in posts to come) and coffee roasting is no different. To that end, I give you The Espresso Monkey!
Now for the reason you've all kept reading this far; the taste. The best way to describe it is to think about profound tasting experiences you've had with wine, and how the sophisticated, complex bottle gives much to think about, as well as enjoy. A bottle of 2-buck Chuck will get the job done in a pinch, but there is another level to be achieved as well.
This process of roasting at home is that other level. These coffees are unbelievably interesting and absolutely delicious, with spices, chocolates, toffees, and fruits all there for the savoring. I invite you to look at the tasting notes at Sweet Maria's for the batch I've just finished drinking, and, even for a beginner, these flavor patterns just leap out at your taste buds.
This is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable hobbies out there, each day starts with not only a nice caffeine lift, but an intellectual stimulation that gets both the brain and palate ready to enjoy another day.

Roast It!

"Coffee should be dark as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love" -Turkish proverb

I found the above quote in my new issue of Imbibe magazine (imbibemagazine.com) and it is the perfect realization of my expectations for my daily brew. I use Wolf's Coffee (a Northern California institution, check out wolfcoffee.com) that is delivered to me ground for paper filters. I prefer the Mocha Java and Machu Picchu beans. Chocolately, rich, with a nice caffeine boost in the morning. On the weekends, we indulge in a French Press using the same grind. 2 tablespoons to 8 oz boiling water, steep for 4 minutes, depress the plunger and go for it! Believe me, french press coffee is a different sport entirely and one that is reserved for long, mellow mornings.
The next frontier, however, will be to roast my own beans at home. Basically you take the green beans, roast 'em, rest 'em for 24 hours, then grind 'em and drink 'em. I'm on the prowl for a West Bend Poppery II air popcorn popper, which according to www.sweetmarias.com, is the ideal choice for roasting at home. Ebay is probably going to be my best bet as I pulled a Ryan Howard (MLB record holder for most strikeouts in a season) on craigslist. My feeling, and I don't want to raise the bar to Sergei Bubka heights before my first attempt, but I think we're going to set a new standard here.