There's a certain type of coffee shop one sees on various industry forums that insists their coffee can only be prepared properly within the confines of their environmental-controlled shop-cum-laboratory and only on their state-of-the-art equipment. And they won't prepare coffee outside of that environment.
We're not one of them.
While it's true that we can't duplicate the experience of serving a cup in the cafe just anywhere, we can come close enough for rock n' roll. We also believe it's important to get out there in the community from time to time to showcase good coffee, even in less than ideal conditions.
Look at it this way: if you're talking drip coffee, all coffee ages (stales) at a predictable rate once brewed. But good coffee that's been in a Cambro for an hour still tastes much better than poorer quality coffee brewed and served under the same conditions.
Sure, it's not the ideal way to present our coffee, but sometimes the situation dictates how the coffee must be served. Yet the quality differences in the cup resulting from better beans, better roasting and better brewing remain clear to every palate well after brewing.
Over the past year we've had nothing but great experiences when
we've taken our drip coffee out to the people. We've heard the chatter
when people are served a cup expecting the same-old-same-old and do a
double-take. "Have you tried this? You gotta try this. This coffee is actually... good!"
We've had people at crowded events seek us out and thank us profusely for providing coffee that was roasted correctly and brewed correctly, whether it's been from Intelligentsia or Jake's Java. It's still an odd feeling having strangers come over to shake your hand out of gratitude. Good coffee is just that important to some people. And you know who you are.
We've also found outside events a great way to get people to try coffees other
than standard blends. It's satisfying to see the line for free coffee stall as folks in the front pause to read the coffee name and tasting notes we've taped to each container. Ethiopia Harrar or Guatemala Itznama or... I have to choose? We view anything that starts a conversation on coffee as a good thing.
If you're talking espresso, a good barista with good beans and a reasonably capable grinder and brewer should be able to make a tasty espresso in most conditions once they've accounted for ambient factors. Our Cimbali Jr. for espresso catering has great temperature stability due to its large boiler size (3L) and, short of buying a tres expensive GS3, is about the best choice available for a single-group capable of serving a large crowd with a reliably tasty cup. With latte art to boot.
At a recent event, a woman from Greensburg who'd heard about
us but had never visited the shop was delighted to find us serving
espresso at the event. Even though we only had foam cups to work with,
she said the cappuccino we poured was everything she expected. We got to
talking and it turns out she actually watched the 2008 USBCs live on UStream and was rooting for Belle, John and Sonja even though she'd never visited us or met them.
Now she's had an opportunity to experience some of what we can do. We'd likely never have met her had we not been at this event.
And that's why it's important to take the coffee to the people from time to time.
Comments