Trends

All coffee lovers you are invited to the Rio Theatre this Thursday, August 21st for the Vancouver premiere of the documentary a Film About Coffee. The film examines what defines specialty coffee and takes audiences around the world from farms in Honduras and Rwanda to coffee shops in Tokyo, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and New York. You will see coffee through the eyes and experiences of farmers and baristas. The film offers an overview of all elements including processes, preferences and preparations as well as traditions old and new to create the best cup of Joe.  This Thursday’s premiere is being brought to you by the Rio Theatre and Parallel 49 Roasters.  For those wishing to taste as well, there is a VIP Tasting Session at 6:30 with limited spots available and $18 tickets. Doors open for the film at 7:00 pm and shows at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $13 in advance

Drip, French, Pour Over, Aero, Keurig, Nespresso, the list goes on. If the range of coffee contraptions on the market is any indication, some people are fanatics when it comes to coffee. And, it appears, equally passionate about their brewing method of choice.

I love coffee like I love my wine. While I can appreciate the ‘high end’ stuff (Hello, Blue Bottle), I need to be cost conscious to support my cup(s) a day habit. That generally means House Blend Light beans from my local roaster, D’Amico, brewed in my Cuisinart Drip Coffee Maker, or a classic New York coffee from the corner deli. Splash of milk, no sugar.

Unfortunately, I’ve come to find that my 12 cup drip doesn’t always make sense when I’m looking to satisfy a single cup craving. Add to that, the Cuisinart, and possibly all automatic drip coffee makers, don’t really produce piping hot cups of coffee which frankly…

For most of us, the days of walking into a coffee shop and just ordering “a latte” are long gone. With every order comes a series of follow-up questions from our beloved baristas: Hot or iced? Would you like any flavor? What kind of sweetener? And of course…what kind of milk would you like that made with?

Most of know our basic cow’s milk options: whole/full-fat milk, low-fat (usually 2%) milk, and skim/non-fat milk.

The queen of the dairy-free milks is soy. It’s commonly the only dairy-alternative, although almond milk is starting to become a staple most independently-owned coffee shops.

A milk that I’ve been seeing more and more lately at shops around Los Angeles is hemp milk. When I stopped by one of my favorite L.A. coffee shops, Javista Organic Coffee Bar on Sunset Boulevard, yesterday morning, I decided to give it a try.

Mostly standard coffee beans (some Peaberry beans may have snuck in!)

A friend from the Doka Estate (on Doka see our most recent post on coffee) visited Xandari yesterday to tell us more about the process of growing and preparing coffee from seedling to cup. We’ll go into what we learned in more detail in another post, but for now I wanted to share something interesting I learned about different types of coffee–specifically about the type of coffee called “Peaberry” (or caracoli).

Some mornings call for several cups of coffee. If you find yourself reaching for that extra shot of joe this fine Sunday, make sure it’s the good stuff. The Fox loves to journey down to Midtown Detroit for an excellent pour of Great Lakes Coffee. Here, at the first of now three metro area locations, coffee enthusiasts can get lost in a host of delicious lattes, draught iced coffees, espresso shots and pour over brewed coffees. In addition to testing some of their small-batch roasts they source from independent farmers, co-ops and more – one can enjoy a delicious draught pull of several locally brewed, Michigan beers. Right next to the iced coffee, you will find selections from Jolly Pumpkin, Shorts, Bell’s, Petrus and Dupont on tap. There is a regularly rotating menu of natural wines, small plates and goodies to satiate any hunger pang to come your way.

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