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Archives for October 2012

How to Drink Black Coffee

October 24, 2012 By Michael 15 Comments

mmm

Photo by Brian Moats

As a barista, I firmly believe that people should drink coffee the way they most enjoy it, but a lot of people who want to drink black coffee don’t think they can. Part of the problem is that popular opinion associates black coffee with John Wayne-like tough guys who wear steel-toed boots and have handlebar mustaches. But since most of us don’t commute to work on Harleys or horseback, it’s easy to see why a lot of people are afraid to drink their coffee straight. Here at the Coffee Compass we simultaneously believe that good coffee shouldn’t “put hair on your chest” and that anyone can enjoy a proper cup of black coffee.

black coffee and server

Photo by Ben Willis

Simply put, black coffee is coffee in its purist form. It’s healthier, classier, and simpler than its cream-and-sugared counterpart, and who doesn’t want a healthier and simpler life? That’s why we’ve compiled a surefire four step process for skipping the trip to the condiment bar.

Four steps towards enjoying black coffee:…

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Filed Under: How to's Tagged With: black coffee, coffee varietal, coffee varieties, filter coffee

Greenway Coffee: Hospitality, Relationship, Craftsmanship

October 15, 2012 By Darren 5 Comments

Greenway coffee being brewed on a Kalita

I mentioned in my last post that I attended a pipeline conference in Houston, TX, where I sought the latest news on crude oil pipeline and rail expansions from giant oil magnates for my job. Around one hundred analysts, reporters, traders, businessmen etc. gathered in the city where most every company with an oil trading desk has an office. Five Greenway Plaza Houston, TX, has been seared in my mind through reading company filings, permits, environmental studies, and various literature since I began research in the oil industry a little over a year ago. The high security, sterile environ that houses offices for such giants as Oxy, Exxon, and Shell is also home to the storefront for a growing name in the coffee industry: Greenway Coffee Company. …

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Blacksmith, Dave Buehrer, Greenway Coffee, Houston, Paulie's, Revival market, Texas

Matt Perger of St. Ali Geeks out in “Man vs. Volumetric”

October 9, 2012 By Darren 2 Comments


Man vs Volumetric – by Matt Perger for St Ali from St Ali on Vimeo.

Matt Perger, 2012 World Brewer’s Cup (WBC) champion, St. Ali barista in Melbourne, Australia, and internet video sensation brings us this video on what an elementary analysis in coffee extraction can yield (pun intended). The video commentary on his vimeo page is worth the read, mentioning control variables and experimental bias.

His conclusion: “I think it’s safe to say: if you’re not using volumetrics or weighing every single shot’s dose and yield, your espresso bar will be grossly inconsistent. There’s really no excuse, it’s 2012.”

The video shakes them haters off, geeks out on ‘spro stats, and features delightful music. Enjoy.

[HT: Sprudge]

Filed Under: Brewology Tagged With: Australia, Brewology, Matt Perger, Melbourne, St. Ali, WBC

Watch This Hypnotic Video from Chapter One

October 1, 2012 By Michael 1 Comment

Chapter One worshipping coffee from Chapter One Coffee Berlin on Vimeo.

When I visited Berlin earlier this year I was lucky enough to get a tip from a barista at The Barn about Chapter One, a new cafe that had only been open for a couple of weeks. When I visited it was clear they were still setting up shop, but the quality of their coffee was already top notch. That has a lot to do with the fact one of the owners is Nora Šmahelová, a Czech expat who is a WBC judge and a former German Barista Champion.

In most places in Europe “coffee” and “espresso” are synonymous, but I was surprised to find Chapter One’s focus is filter coffees. …

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Berlin, Chapter One, Coffee in Germany, Johannes Bayer Kaffee, Siphon

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