Espresso

Coffee and Espresso Opinions Wanted :) !!!!

2006-04-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

Coffee and Espresso question of the week?

What is your favorite java town and why? Whether it's a fantastic roast, the coolest cafe, the most hip barista, or a drink that just blows your mind?

Give us a shout!!

2006 United States Barista Champion - Matt Riddle

2006-04-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

Redeye Roasters wants to send a huge shout out and congragulations to Matt Riddle, of Intelligentsia Coffee! for winning the 2006 United States Barista Championship. Great job Matt and what a score!!

We salute you!

The Redeye Roaster Crew

Willem Boot Coffee Course in Panama 2006

2006-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wake up and literally smell the coffee!!

There's a fantastic, one of a kind, educational 3 day coffee course being led by Willem Boot this April in Panama. I have included the basic information with links to his web-site for more detailed information on the course and contact info to enroll. There is also a daily outline of activities at Willem's website. A very good friend of mine ( Bob Weeks) the Roastmaster and Founder from Redeye Roasters informed me of this progam.

Boot Coffee is proud to announce
the first edition of a hands-on coffee course in Boquete, Panama.

BOOT COFFEE CONSULTING PRESENTS:

"Crafting Quality At Origin"

A 3-day coffee quality course in Boquete, Panama
Learning about the source of quality.
Presentations by industry experts.
April 24, 25, 26 2006

www.bootcoffee.com/panamacourse.html

2006-04-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

"Stephanie, Bob, Stefanie"
Redeye Roasters "Vogue"
Scituate Harbor 2005

The shenanigans that take place when you mix one too may
Redeye Roasters Espresso Martinis.

1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Stoli or Ketel One Vodka
1 oz Redeye Roasters Espresso
dash of Half and Half

Shake with ice and serve up in a martini glass

2006-04-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

2006 SCAA 18th Annual Conference and Exhibition

The annual festivals of festivals. I wish the jet stream traveled from East to West because at least I could catch a whiff here in Oregon of that Bee-autiful smell eminating from Charlotte. Yes - that would be a cheap consolation prize, or at best, better than a sharp stick in the eye for a particpant that is not making this years event. The bank wouldn't let me take out a line of equity to pay for my adventures :) I told them it was for "Education" but the lack of a four year degree program was the tipping point. Maybe SCAA could consider this for next year . . .

However, I have noticed that Mark Prince from Coffeegeek is graciously broadcasting daily from The Daddy of all Caffienated Events in Charlotte. If you have a moment and desire to experience the 2006 SCAA Conference vicariously then check out Marks daily commentary at CoffeeGeek.

Here's a small sample of Mark's daily journal from today and I found this conversation he had with Julie Beals to be especially informative and I believe would have a profound positive impact if implimented for the Coffe Industry at large:

Posted by Mark Prince, 10:20am April 7, 2006

The biggest part of my morning was a series of interviews I did for Julie Beals of Fresh Cup Magazine. The interview was supposed to be about home roasting, but we ended up talking about a variety of subjects, including one of my pet missions these days... how the SCAA can become a year round organization serving all its members.

My chief criticism of the org lately has been about their "all eggs in one basket" mentality that doesn't serve the .org well or its membership. I am talking about the event I'm at - conference and the trade show. Great event, lots of fun, lots of info and educational opportunities.

But the show is also a hardship to many smaller players in the industry because it costs so much to attend. And the show is a hardship to the .org itself because, if they have a bad conference year (like they did in Miami), it could sink the SCAA battleship. That's not good.I floated an idea to Beals that I've been talking about in my "circles" for some time.

Why isn't the SCAA capitalizing on a golden egg they have sitting right in their paws - Regional Barista Championships.They have six or seven active right now, and there's supposed to be ten events around the country each year. Why not turn these regionals into a 3 or 4 day Regional SCAA event, complete with seminars, hands on training, and the competitions. Start the event off with a Barista Jam, then go into two days of educationals (including the cupping workshops, brewing workshops, roasting workshops, yada yada) then roll into a one or two day regional barista competition to end it off.

I further expanded on the concept. Almost all the workshops the SCAA is famous for have multiple levels. A beginner level, intermediate, and sometimes a master level.Further, the SCAA has some real brand recognition with regards to its seminars and workshops. Whereas other trade shows involving coffee pay little heed to educational events at their shows (and when they do, they tend to be more profit driven for the seminar presenter, and not necessarily educational), the SCAA's educational tracks are consider the gold standard in this industry.So the concept I came up with was pretty obvious once vocalized... do the beginner and maybe even the intermediate seminars at these regional events throughout the year. Then save the intermediates and masters programs for the annual conference. A feeder system to get more people to conference for the upper tier training.

Money... always talked about. Who's going to pay for it. Well, one would hope that a well organized structure of regional workshops and seminars, tied in with regional barista competitions and a jam will become not only self-supporting, but add to the coffers of the SCAA so that they are no longer solely tied to membership dues and the annual conference to fund them throughout the year.

Big thinking, and even bigger effort to get it rolling, but I can't think of a better way for the SCAA to:

stop membership churn, especially in the retailers sector
better address its membership needs and wants
achieve the SCAA's own stated misson statements and goals
diversify the stranglehold that conference has on the .org's overall health.
Than do move to a yea round, regionally focused trade organization.

The above is credited to Mark Prince from www.coffeegeek.com

I hope others out there agree that this could be a great way for many small to intermediate coffee roasters and purveyors to get their hands around some terrific education a little closer to home a hopefully more cost efficient.

I've also included the Exhibitor web-link for the 2006 SCAA Conference for anyone else unable to make the journey. This can be a very useful tool with contacts to help our unique ventures continue successfully. There's some great links to Green Coffee Distributors, Roaster Distributors, Cups Supplies Bags, Brewing and Grinding, Publications, Non-Profits, ETC

http://www.scaa.org/charlotte/index.html

2006-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Coffee Vacuum Pot

Referred to by some as "the coffee bong." Happens to be my personal favorite.
Not only does it leave the complexity of the coffee intact, it is entertaining as well.

To speed up the process, preheat quality water to the boiling point.

While the water is heating, grind the beans to a medium-coarse consistency.

Make sure the stopper is in place. Measure 7 grams or 1/4 ounce of coffee per cup and place in the top carafe.

When the water is heated, pour the desired amount into the bottom carafe. Place the top on the bottom carafe and gently set it on the heat. (If you are using direct heat, a diffuser is advisable.)

As the water starts to rise into the top carafe, give it a gentle stir.

Leave the pot on the heat 1 to 3 minutes (depending on how strong you like your perfect coffee).

Remove. As the pot cools, the coffee which has formed at the top will be sucked down into the bottom.

Your guests will give you a standing ovation right about now . . . Bow.

2006-04-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

Redeye Roasters

The eye is moving my friends and it's looking your way,
so all you coffee bean heads better get on board!

The crema has arrived !

RedeyeRoasters

2006-04-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

RedEye Relaxing!

I have come upon a rare rare moment. Why is this guy smiling? having fun? even . . . enjoying himself? It's quite simple, when you happen to be a coffee fanatic and the Roastmaster for RedeyeRoasters you don't get many chances to escape the insatiable demands of US! Who is us? We are the many java junkies in this world that are getting anxious because this guy (Bob) needs to get his butt back to his Deidrich and roast us another god-shot. The only reason I was able to capture this moment was that I was the designated chaperone to keep Bob from roasting under the influence :). Plus - he wanted to hang out on the boat a couple extra hours and he bribed me with a pound of Ethiopian Yergacheffe roasted just two days earlier. Yes - I am extremely weak when it comes to a coffee bribe. I guess in the end, you have to give your Roastmaster a break now and then to keep them sharp and happy.

El Roastmaster Gigante pictured above is Bob Weeks

2006-04-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Espresso Bellisimo!

The maddening pursuit of the nuances of flavor that make a cup of coffee 'great?'

I was once a simple man who liked his coffee but thought that, somewhere, there had to be something else.

So one day I brought home a bag of raw green coffee beans (if you want something done right) and concocted my very own batch of roasted coffee. Alas, it was not something to share, but the damage was done.

I had been bitten. Obsessed, I went on. Ignoring wife, dog, and day-job (the wife forgave me).
Sampling bean after bean after bean and then roasting them in small batches, over and over,
determined to create The Very Best. And here it is. Redeye Roasters. The way coffee should taste.

Some people take their coffee with cream and sugar. I take mine personally.

Artisan microroasting is impractical. It's painfully time-consuming. It's most definitely not cost-productive. It's also the only way coffee should be made.

Basically, it starts out with the selection of The Beans. Sampling batch after batch from the best of the best premium growers have to offer. The microroaster makes his choice. And then roasts his selections in infinitesimal batches, over and over (and over and over), until the unique characteristics of each origin are revealed. Brought to the surface. For you to enjoy.

It's not the way big coffee companies make their coffee (duh). But it's the only way to achieve Coffee Nirvana.

Sip accordingly.