R!WC is on a quasi-holiday until Season 4 drops in February 2022, but I didn’t feel right leaving you completely coffee content free. Each Classics podcast has new introductions and combines some of the earliest Coffee Smarter education shows. I hope you enjoy.
This week we go all the way back to cover how coffee grind size, freshness and “strength” can impact the flavor in your cup of coffee. Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting—who is the coffee expert on these episodes—is hosting Coffee Smarter 101 classes in early 2022. Click the button to get tickets. Limited quantity.
I’ve been on the road (still managing to socially distance) exploring northwestern Arizona and Colorado. I strongly recommend visiting Antelope Canyon and the Glen Canyon Dam area near Page, Arizona. The views, hikes, and landscapes are truly incredible. My only complaint is that there are very few, almost no, craft coffee shops or roasters in the region. I sense an opportunity for an enterprising roaster out there.
While I was in town the only local cafes in Page were closed for the holidays, which is how I found myself making a cup of coffee in the hotel room using the mini-coffee maker and provided travel coffee pack with ground coffee in a tea bag.
I’ll just say…I did this so you don’t have too.
I don’t know what this was supposed to taste like, but that expression that little kids make when they try something bitter or tart for the first time, that was me. The experience left a lot to be desired. The only tasting note I could provide would be: burnt. The coffee tasted as if someone had taken coffee beans and burned them until all that was left was ash. They then scooped them up to distribute into these tea bags.
There are plenty of better travel pourovers available. Industry Partner, Steady State Roasting regularly offers them, and Nostalgia Brewing is really raising the bar, or invest in a travel hand grinder so you can bring your favorite coffee roaster’s best beans with you. I have this one from Javapresse.
FROM THE SHOW
I’m no longer a vegan. I’m back to being vegan-ish.
On the show, Chris says he doesn’t roast coffee. That has obviously changed! His highly-rated, fresh-roasted coffee beans are now available.
Blade grinders = bad. Burr grinders = good. This is the Bodum Bistro entry level burr grinder I was using (and still use) when I make a cup of coffee at home. I chose it based on a comparison test that Chris and I did of about eight grinders in the entry and mid-level price point for at home coffee grinders. It isn’t fancy, but it is consistent and regularly available.
If you wanted to move up to the next level, Chris brought up the brand Baratza. They have a great customer service and education program, and their prices have been coming down a bit as they add new models. Their Encore model is the next level up from the Bodum and made well enough to be your grinder for the long haul. See the Baratza Encore Grinder on Amazon.
I cannot find the phone based coffee app that measures grind size. Please send it if you do! This one from Coffee ad Astra is online only, pretty intense, and definitely for the advanced coffee science enthusiast.
Bonus: Not from the show but coffee related is this article I wrote for The Coast News Group. If I’m going to stay awake and celebrate the New Year properly, I’m going to need a coffee pick me up in the form of a coffee champagne punch.
Bonus: Not so coffee related but just as valuable is the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. It’s only $80 per year, which considering entry fees at most parks range between $25-45, is a great deal. My wife and I use ours constantly just to pop into parks without worrying about entry fees or about getting our money’s worth. It makes it a lot easier to visit without the stress of seeing everything. This week we used ours to drive through the Grand Canyon and the Colorado National Monument.
From a quick stop in the Grand Canyon this week.
COFFEE VOCAB CLASSICS
ROAST! INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Chris O’Brien of Coffee Cycle Roasting was featured in SDVoyager.
Shout out to Ignite Coffee founder Tyler Whitehead who used the holiday to get engaged! Congratulations!
First Light Whiskey has developed a special cocktail with Steel Mill Coffee that is only available at Pacific Coast Spirits in Oceanside. They blend Steel Mill cold brew coffee with First Light Dark Roast whiskey, and add a splash of oat milk. It is served from a nitro draft line which makes it much creamier and soft (like a Guinness).
Everyone has holiday hours for the New Year! Be sure to check their social feeds for updates.
Leap Coffee is offering Espresso Basics classes at the Roastery! Get in touch with our team at info@leap.coffee to book a lesson.
Thanks to the the Roast! Industry Legacy Partners. Click these links. Drink their coffees (and whiskey).
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company
FINALLY…
Finally, this week it is almost New Year’s Eve. We’re facing a huge surge in the coronavirus with the Omicron variant spreading faster than any previous version of the virus. There is good indicators (albeit not officially confirmed) that this variant is going to be less impactful on individual’s health, but the logistics of so many people getting sick all at once are heightened. It is straining our health systems, burning out our medical workers, and causing huge upheavals in day-to-day life for many people.
Be safe out there. Please wear a mask and get vaxxed or boosted. If not for you, for your local nurse who hasn’t had a day off in months, for the neighbor kid who can’t get vaccinated due to age or illness, or for at-risk family and friends. Do it for your local baristas who engage with hundreds of customers a day and don’t get paid nearly enough to be the mask police!
I’m taking great joy in my morning cups of coffee and the opportunity to get outside and explore safely. I have big hopes for 2022. It’s going to be different this year–better, safer, healthier. I can feel it. Happy New Year.
Ryan
Listen to the show on these platforms!
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Roast! West Coast Classics Volume 3