holidays

So, Barefoot’s in house results are: 1st place-Dominic, 2nd place-Yaelle, and third place-Mary. Look for these kids to be tearing it up at the WRBC come March. I need to get on my game for that too, the holidays seem to have slown everything down for me though. I’ll be glad to put this holiday season behind me and get back into a normal schedule. Hmmm…not much to report on this time; a nice litte grocery/deli store called Bi-Rite just opened up an ice creamery a few blocks away and one of there selections – coffee! With our coffee! They’re brewing our Harar via Tody but instead of water its the ice cream base that it’s swimming in. Shit is good. For the new year: a new store (no it’s not replacing the existing one), the most likely short lived return of a barista supreme, a new machine, who knows?

Alright…I got nothin’. Keep it safe.

the ‘foot…and toys

Monday after my shift I swooped up some coffee and headed down to Barefoot in Santa Clara to help judge their annual in-store competition. They throw everyone into the fire and the two baristas that come out on top get to kick my ass at the Western Regionals! There were quite a few people that showed up to hang and help out…Shawn from Temple was in the house with a couple of his baristas, Janna from ESI, and various other coffee geeks from around the bay area. I think Barefoot just won best of the bay for coffee…thats the third year in a row now folks. Tasted some awesome espresso and tossed back a press pot but sadly had to leave early to get home ’cause I was so damn tired it hurt. Sorry I couldn’t watch you Andy.

Last week brought me two new toys: A Solis Meastro Plus from mom so I can make press pot at home and…Robur. My very own. I’ll be grindin’ (and most likely overheating) like a mad man. It was supposed to be a used one from coffeefest but the one they had sold me got dropped on its head so ESI shipped a new one at the same price; Janna and everyone at ESI kicks ass kids.

Untill next time.

showdown!

So last Sunday night we got of our asses and threw together a single origin showdown. The evening crew closed out the bar while I warmed up by having a nice Italian sandwich and a Duvel with Drew…tasty stuff. We put the Robur to bed cause I didn’t want to clean it again and brought up the reserve grinders from the basement; a couple super jollys and my major that I had never really gotten the chance to use. Oh yeah, and the coffee. Sundays menu: Ethiopia Wild Foredt Limu, Costa Rica Dota Hermosa, Nicaragua Pueblo Nuevo, Papua New Guinea peaberry, Papua New Guinea grade A, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, and Colombia Chamberi.

Awesome night. The flavors that come out of the espresso machine are insane with some coffees. So the worst and best… Limu: kickin’ ass! My personal favorite, lots of raspberry with some cinnamon, spice, and everything nice; verry forgiving as well, taste profile was for the most part consistent within a three or four second swing. Yirg: aromatics like a mad man, citrus-orange creamsickle floating off the top of these bad boys, lemon zest flavors, but with a bitter finish that hit me under my jaw like a spicy whiskey steak sauce that I didn’t really enjoy. Ryan Brown liked the Yirg more than I did…I remember him saying that the nights best shot was Yirg. A little PNG peaberry: tastes like veggie stew and squash…more like stew though. Not neccesarily pleasing flavors but no apparent bitterness at all, also forgiving within a swing of a few seconds. Interesting. The other coffees on the list were uhhh, not so nice. I’m gonna save those for another blog perhaps, not today.

Good weekend…well my weekend (tues, wed). Had a birthday, got some sushi, sake, and beers with good friends, hung out with mom, dad, and my brotha’. My birthday treats were real nice, from mom: a solis maestro plus that was late so it’s en-route and from my lovely fiance: an electric hot water kettle and a small electric scale. French press at home anyone? oh and courtesy of T-bone: interpretive plant trail…

On a sad note Ritual has to say goodbye to three baristas/friends/family members. Jenny is leaving for N.Y. with her lady friend this month, Liam is going to live on an Island in Maine with his lady friend in late January, and Johny…well he’s just chillin’ for now. All these people kick ass and I will miss all of them, they were all super nice to me when I was the new guy and helped me feel at home in my new surroundings. Have fun peoples.