Erwan and Sarah met at a small café in Paris, where they both worked as waiters while studying photography. Since then, they've become inseparable.
One day, they decided to leave their day jobs and embark on an adventure together. They bought an old van and began traveling all over Europe, looking for beautiful places to capture in their photographs.
Dedicated to their passion for photography and specialty coffee, Erwan and Sarah fell in love with the beauty and diversity of life in Europe. And as they continued their journey, they realized their love wasn't just about photography and coffee, but also about the adventure and freedom of life on the road.
Now, Erwan and Sarah continue their journey with no fixed destination, exploring new places and sharing their stories through their photography and Instagram account. For them, every day is a new opportunity to live life to the fullest and share their experiences with the world.
If you'd like to learn more about their work, you can follow them on their Instagram account, blooming.memories, where they share their photographs and travel stories.
Father Gabriel, alone and tired, but hoping that his efforts will be rewarded in this or the next life, takes an oboe out of his backpack, sets it up with gentle, rhythmic movements, and then blows until heavenly notes come out of that piece of wood that reach the furthest corner of the jungle.
In the midst of this inhospitable landscape, constantly observed and examined, he never ceases to breathe life into this vital concert of his. He knows that whether he is thrown into the falls or whether it is the beginning of his true "MISSION«.
The missions were places where the Jesuits, guided by their motto (To Love and Serve), poured their entire being into the service of God. Father Gabriel leads the mission of "San Carlos," where different cultures coexist and knowledge is exchanged based on the collective and Jesus. Captain Rodrigo de Mendoza—a soldier, a captor of indigenous people, and with a dark and corrosive past—arrives at this mission, located in a remote place filled with indescribable beauty, in search of a new life that will redeem him from his past and fulfill him fully.
These two adventurers will fight for what they believe in, based on their different perspectives. One with the Bible and faith. The other with truth and strength.
From the time Christopher Columbus set sail from Puerto de Palos to La Gomera in search of the twenty-eighth parallel and be carried by those trade winds that propel you toward the New World, until the year 1750, the Spanish and Portuguese were governed by the Treaty of Tordesillas. From that year on, a new agreement, the Treaty of Madrid, would restructure the territorial divisions—a turning point in the life and outcome of certain missions.
This new continent brought riches of all kinds. Just talking about the culinary experiences we would have without potatoes, tomatoes, corn, chocolate, tobacco, etc., is enough. But since the topic of this blog is coffee, what would Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, etc. be without coffee? There wouldn't be enough time to talk about what coffee culture means to each of these countries. It seems as if these lands have been waiting for centuries for these seeds to arrive, to give them their best.
Who brought coffee plants to the Americas? The history of coffee shows how missionaries and soldiers who crossed the Atlantic between 1720 and 1800 introduced this product to their various regions (Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, etc.), thus imprinting it on their cultural DNA. Colombia and coffee are so closely linked that they are a world reference not only in quality (100% Arabica) but also in quantity.
They say that when you discover certain aromas, your mind processes memories from a past you've only ever experienced in your memory. Thus, in my personal taste, I tend to drink Guatemalan coffee, attracted not only by its quality but by everything that I believe unites me to these Latin American countries.
"What's up, why spend fifteen thousand euros on a toaster?" "Are you already a specialty micro-roaster? I don't think so."
Jean reviews his career in the coffee world in a critical yet profound way. "My earliest memories of coffee are with my brother during the harvest, swimming among mountains of parchment coffee," he says.
To start, tell us where you're from.
I consider myself a citizen of the world. My parents are Colombian, but I was born and lived in the United States until I was eleven. Then I moved with my mother to Spain, where I spent my teenage years and truly have my own life. It's true that I alternate that American foundation with the European culture I've acquired over the years, but without abandoning my Colombian roots, as I travel every five or six months to stay connected. This has allowed me to open my mind a little and see that each culture has its own characteristics.
Before the interview, we were at the La Olímpica warehouse, where they have a Dalla Corte MINI. Jean was preparing several espressos.
Where do you work and what is your role?
I'm in a family business: OPCE (Specialty Coffee Producers Organization SL).I have entered the business and am now in charge of imports and quality control in Spain and the rest of Europe.
Jean was looking for the profile of an Ethiopian Yrgacheffe that was freshly roasted
When did you first get in touch with the world of coffee?
I was born into the coffee industry. My father's family is from Manizales de Caldas (we're talking about the heart of the coffee-growing region). He's been in the coffee industry since he was fourteen. My first memories of coffee are with my brother during the harvest, swimming among mountains of parchment coffee. Those are my first memories. At that time, my father had a coffee farm in Chinchiná.
-What is a coffee purchase?
They are the intermediaries between producers and the industry, which are the coffee mills. They collect coffee, usually finish drying it in silos, and then resell it to the mills.In the 1990s, there were several different players: producers, coffee buyers, mills, exporters, and then the coffee left the country.
The process has become much more complex today. Today, we are buyers, millers, and exporters. We're even roasters for local products. We've been growing and adding parts of that production process to the family process.It's in my blood; it's something my brother and I share, and we're trying to take it to the next level.
How is specialty coffee evolving in Colombia?
There, due to our geographical location and abundant water resources, we specialize in washed coffees. Now, what's happening? One of the biggest dilemmas that has existed in Colombia over the last forty years is the market-determined price. Market value plus a differential based on minor quality characteristics, but that's the basis for everything.
What happened? About five years ago, a transition began. They saw that Central American countries were developing other types of processes, andthere was starting to be a demand for specialty coffees.This means you can play with the price; you're out of the market.The regulations for exporting coffee in Colombia are changing. They liberalized the market so you can export coffees that don't meet the excelso regulations, which are coffees that are labeled "product of Colombia" and not "coffee from Colombia."That was the window people found to innovate with different processes, break out of the market, and also improve their income.
Juan Zabal is one of the owners of La Olímpica. He's also the roaster behind the Astro Café brand, where we conducted the interview. He showed me around his facilities, and we tried several coffees.
But we're still in the early stages in that regard, and the first to do so are farms with the financial resources to invest and develop these types of processes, risking their harvests.
We, as exporters and as part of the learning process, We worked with a pilot farm that was one of the first to introduce natural varieties. Their first harvests went to shit, everything fermented.That stabilization process, the evolution of the microorganisms, the temperatures used to stabilize, all of this was completely new to us. Since then, we've been learning from this farm and seeing what the market offers and the price differentials.
Obviously, these types of processes make the product more expensive because everything has to be done more slowly, and the cup profile improves. Now we're playing with tasting points, a process, a story behind it, traceability... My brother is the one who's at the origin; he's in contact with the farms. He now has about five farms and is expanding. He's implementing a protocol for different processes, and we're learning little by little.
What impact has the FARC's laying down of weapons had on the sector?
The Colombian countryside is extremely dangerous. Consumer countries are unaware of this. The FARC controlled much of the jungle in the south of the country, Cauca, Nariño and southern Huila. Many areas were abandoned because of this cause.These are unexploited areas, but with tremendous production and quality.There are people who are starting to go to those areas to buy, but the guerrilla is not over yet and they are taking many risks trying to get coffee out of there.
It is not so easy to grow and extract coffee in Colombia, and that in turn makes it wonderful because it makes it a complete adventure.Many risks are taken.
Let's change the subject. I want to ask you about DISPAR. That's where I met you, and I'd like you to tell our readers about the space you created in La Coruña.
Photograph provided by Jean Zuluaga
It was an idea I had in my head and had to execute sooner or later. The opportunity arose when I ended up in Coruña, and I said, now is the time to introduce a new idea into my life.
The idea was so clear in my head that I told myself: the day I open my business, I'll have the equipment I want, without worrying about whether this or that is expensive or cheap. I was clear about which coffee maker I wanted for this project. The Marzocco Strada was a turning point in espresso machines, especially for my generation. I knew it was the only machine I would accept for the concept I wanted to introduce. Taking everything to the extreme.
Jean working at DISPAR. Photograph by Jean Zuluaga
DISPAR by definition means going against the current, and that was part of what I wanted to conveyI wanted to demonstrate that there was another level within specialty coffee shops, and that was by giving absolute importance to the product. I didn't want a coffee shop; I wanted a space where coffee could be consumed.
Risking everything for a very clear and precise idea: to specialize in espresso, a single origin (Colombia), and without any other accompanying products. Let the coffee speak for itself.
Taking it to the absolute extreme, there is nothing like it in Spain or Europe, as far as I know.
Showing people that there could be a completely different concept when it comes to drinking coffee. Spain remains a country where the hospitality industry and coffee culture are deeply rooted. In order to introduce a completely new concept, I had to go to the extreme, which was a small establishment specializing in takeaway, but without abandoning the concept of having a cup of coffee on-site.
Photography by Jean Zuluaga
– How was it accepted?
The beginning was very difficult; people couldn't understand so much extreme. I'm always a black and white person; I don't like shades of gray, and that was something I had to represent there. The first six months were truly chaotic. I didn't want to advertise; I wanted people who walked through the doors to be curious, and I wanted to satisfy that curiosity. That was the real goal, and I knew it would take time and patience for them to believe in it.
-Were the customers showing interest?
Yes, you have to generate that curiosity in the customer. It was part of my responsibility at that location to generate interest. Over time, many people became curious. You can't expect someone who's used to drinking a coffee with lots of milk to drink a double espresso. But I could guide them through the process of bringing them to the quintessential espresso. How do we do it? We start with a coffee with milk and lots of sugar. By choosing the right ingredients and working the milk well, we can extract a lot of sweetness. From there, we begin to introduce drinks with less milk to adapt the palate to more intense flavors. The next step? Let's eliminate the milk. We replace the milk with water to create a diluted drink with coffee as the sole protagonist. And now we can start playing with espressos.
I did this learning process with many people, and it really worked. They were able to adapt their palates little by little. We can't be so tyrannical as to try to change our consumption habits overnight.
The typical case of "no, there's no sugar, why isn't there sugar?" At first, not even God paid any attention to me. They thought I was crazy. After the first six months, people saw I was serious. Time is crucial in small towns; it ultimately sets the tone for whether people believe in you.
Photography by Jean Zuluaga
What negative things did you find out?
There are some things I can't fight. Someone I'm trying to sell a different concept to can't judge me solely on the economic factor. You can't tell me my coffee is bad because it's too expensive. I couldn't tolerate this, and it caused me tremendous frustration.
Another mistake was the size of the space. People weren't prepared for something like this. There's a culture of sitting down and having a drink, whatever it is.
It was also a challenge selling coffees with a pronounced acidity. I had to introduce much simpler coffees. The base was balanced coffees, very sweet and with a mild acidity to make them easier for people to introduce. This left me with little flexibility when choosing raw materials. This always frustrated me, because those of us in this business like to experiment.
How do you see specialty micro-roasters in Spain?
I see them very badly. How many of these micro-roasters have the experience to offer this product to market with such differentiated values and a very different price from the established one?
It happens like with many baristas who are starting out. Is an eight-hour course enough to start a business? I don't think so. Why? Because it discredits the experience of the people who are actually behind it, with a foundation, a rationale for selling the products at the right prices.
It's not about having good raw materials, roasting them and selling them, no. So what? It happens with understanding that raw material, with understanding the composition of that product, con the selection process or quality control? What's up, why spend fifteen thousand euros on a toaster? Are you already a specialty micro-roaster? I don't think so.
Is investing in creating a specialty coffee micro-roastery in Spain a risky business today?
Yes, it seems like suicide to me. Aside from my background in this industry, I'm a financier by training, and I'm fully aware of the numbers behind this type of business. When I see a new business like this, I wonder: Do they really understand the five-year viability? If you do a market study, the numbers aren't going to work for you.
Jean was roasting some samples with his IWAKA roaster
Tell me about a coffee you tried and will never forget.
I have one that left a mark on me very recently. St. Petersburg, January, very cold, a frozen city. My brother and I were walking down the street and a scent appeared and we said, wow, what is this? And there we came across a store. Double B. This is a Russian specialty coffee chain, with a strong presence in Moscow and St. Petersburg. I remember going in and up to the second floor, where we both ordered Kenyan coffee, espresso, and filter coffee. When I tried that filter coffee, I said, "Fuck, what is this?" It is the coffee that marked a before and after for me in the concept of specialty coffees.Because they created the perfect atmosphere for me. Due to the very cold, wintery circumstances, and in a completely unfamiliar place, I didn't expect to find a cafe like this.
How do you take your first coffee in the morning?
I'm currently using an Italian coffee maker. My partner and I are just starting to experiment with it.
He was roasting two samples of an Indonesian coffee
Finally, what is your favorite origin?
Colombia. But not because of the connection I have, but because of the number of options and alternatives there are in that country.
I want to thank Jean Zuluaga for his time, and Juan Zabal for allowing me to conduct this interview at his impressive "La Olímpica" location and showing me his roastery for his "Astro Café" brand. Their kindness and hospitality captivated me.
My name is Luis Ángel, and I'm the founder of San Agustín. I'm currently in charge of roasting and selecting green coffee.
I have decided to create this new section within the “San Agustín” Blog for two important reasons for me:
First: my passion for photography. I like to apply this passion to a sector as technical and specialized as this one. It's very rewarding and I really enjoy it.
Second: to show readers the personal or professional stories of relevant people within the specialty coffee industry in Spain.
This is completely altruistic and in my free time. I've been in this industry for eleven years and have made interesting connections with many people. I've met people from all over the world who are connected, in one way or another, to specialty coffee. If there's someone I find interesting, they think it's a good idea... perfectly fine!
For those of you who find this initiative interesting, I hope you enjoy these stories, and if anyone has any suggestions, please don't hesitate to write to me. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
In this first interview I'm going to talk to you about two people I've known for a few years now, María and Luis.
Those of you who are in this world may still be familiar with the name “BICO”, a nice café that was in the heart of the Malasaña neighborhood in Madrid, fI love the coffee, Luis's lattes, and those delicious tortillas that Maria made.
They closed some time ago, they left, and I think my questions for Luis might be interesting to many people just starting out and looking to get started in this difficult sector. He wants to tell us his story and talk about his new project, "RATIÑOS."
For those who don't know you, tell us where you're from and why you chose to come to Spain.
I'm from Venezuela, and sadly, the situation in my country is critical right now. I've been here in Spain for about eleven years. Even back then, the situation there was starting to get a little shaky, and I decided to look for an alternative because I didn't feel comfortable in my own country. There was so much insecurity, so much crime, so much impunity, so much corruption, and that, in the end, made me leave. I had a cousin in Spain, and I said to myself: this is my chance. I got all my papers in order, got on a plane, and without thinking twice, I came here in search of a better future.
All photos by Luis Ángel. Follow him on Instagram: @luisangelgarrido
How did you discover your passion for coffee?
Actually, what I liked was cooking. After a while of not knowing what to do because I didn't have the proper documentation, and since I loved cooking, by chance, I discovered the Zaragoza School of Hospitality. At first, I got into it to cook. But little by little, my dining room teachers, perhaps because of my demeanor, perhaps because they liked me so much, or I don't know why, moved me out of the kitchen and into the dining room. From there, I started working with José Luis Morón, who is someone who has been involved in the coffee business for a long time. I've also been with the "Coffee Forum", trying to learn a few things. That was my beginning, from then on it was nonstop.
What led you to want to open your own business?
It's a combination of several things... the precariousness of the sector in terms of employment contracts. What's happening right now in the hospitality sector in Spain is terrible.
Being my own boss, managing our own resources, and then also dedicating ourselves exclusively to coffee. Being able to provide good service and offer decent coffee is very difficult. And we said, well, it's a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. We seized it, and here we are.
Why Santiago de Compostela?
The reason is my partner, María. She's from here, from Santiago. We already had a business in Madrid, BICO, which helped us a lot to open our eyes to something that was becoming fashionable.
But Madrid has the disadvantage that it's quite expensive, and life there is very difficult and quite stressful. Given all that, we decided, health and quality of life come first, and since María is from Santiago, we decided to come and invest in opening our project here. The truth is, we're super happy; it's an incredible city—above all, it's easier to breathe!
How would you define “Ratiños” for someone who has never been here?
As a very special place, small, cozy and with an incredibly high-quality coffee service.
What products do you offer?
Specialty coffee. We also have cakes, cookies, muffins, some pastries, and bread. Everything is homemade.
Your roaster is now San Agustín, why?
Well, I think it was a coincidence. We were working with another roaster in Madrid. I remember things weren't going very well with them, and suddenly, Luis de San Agustín contacted us. Right at a moment of transition. After our initial contact, he sent us some samples, and when we tried them, we said, "This has to be here, it can't be a coincidence!"
How popular is specialty coffee in Santiago de Compostela?
The response is always positive. They're surprised because the quality in the cup is unlike anywhere else. Each coffee has its own personality, and when it's prepared, it's treated differently, which brings out nuances. I think our role is to understand, through tasting, the profile of each coffee to offer each person a specific coffee. Being aware that there isn't much of a coffee culture here, I'm obviously not going to offer extremely acidic or exotic coffees. Sweet and balanced ones are better, and so things gradually change.
Things are complicated here right now, but I think we can start paving the way, and in fact, we have to. We have to start paying attention to the quality and service of our coffee. People drink a lot of coffee here, yes, but I think the quality is quite lacking. That's why we're here, to try to pave the way.
Do you think personalized service is essential to educate customers about this product?
Without a doubt, we need to explain why coffee really tastes the way it does. That it's not just something that comes in, you put it in the grinder, then press a button on the coffee maker, and that's it. No, no, there's a story, and whenever there's a story behind a product, it ends up engaging.
A coffee you'll never forget and why?
Honestly, I'd say a coffee from Venezuela, San Cristóbal, Táchira State. When I arrived in Spain and tried this coffee, I found it surprising. In fact, San Cristóbal is right on the border with Colombia. Venezuela has very good coffee-growing regions, but unfortunately, nothing comes from there now.
An origin?
Ethiopia
What is your method of preparing the first coffee of the morning?
I'll have a flat white. It's a drink that New Zealanders and Australians are fighting over. It's a latte with a much stronger coffee content, with a double shot. For me, that's the best to start the morning.
What future projects do you have?
Expand on this. And well, why not have a farm in Venezuela when things get better? That would be great!
WHERE TO FIND THEM?
Ratiños Coffee Shop
Instagram: @ratinoscoffeeshop
Address: Rua da Caldeirería, N4, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña
We go to coffee shops in search of good coffee, usually using an espresso machine. Espresso machines originated in Italy (Turin) over a century ago. They have evolved from steam engines to pistons to the more modern pressure pumps.
This evolution in technology has led us to new coffee makers where almost everything is regulated: the amount of liquid (approximately 30 ml), the extraction time (approximately 25 inches), the correct temperature. All of this always takes into account and depends on the type of bean, the blend, the roasting, the packaging, the carbonation, the type of grinding burr, etc., etc., etc.
There are also vending machines that don't even require a barista. They ignore all these things that are so important for good practice. (Necessary for those who don't have anything else.)
A not-too-distant future could lead us to cafes without waiters—there are already robots being tested for this type of work. We can imagine that robot knowing our tastes during coffee, our topics of conversation, having the information we need at the moment, and always being polite and correct.
In 1982, a futuristic film (Blade Runner) was released. The future takes us to Los Angeles in the year 2019 (current year). It wasn't as successful in theaters as expected, but over time it became a benchmark for fiction films. Pollution, darkness, constant rain, a city, and a softening planet. Fortunately, there are already inhabited colonies on other planets.
Advances in civilization have reached every field: spinners (flying cars), replicants (human replicas so perfect they're hard to tell apart). Not only is it difficult to distinguish a human from a replicant, but as the film progresses, it seems that replicants are more human than humans, that the material they're made of can not only be replicated but also artificially enhanced.
Some replicants had come into conflict with humans, and revolts had erupted in some colonies. Deckard is the Blade Runner tasked with eliminating certain replicants roaming unchecked within the system.
These wanted replicants, who have arrived and seen where humans are forbidden due to their condition, seek out their creator (Tyrell Corporation) to give them answers about their existence. The dialogues and monologues of the Nexus 6 are either hymns to freedom or thoughts of existentialist philosophy.
What the future holds is up to us, though it may be out of our hands. In the meantime, when looking for a good coffee shop to talk about movies: Be discerning and find good company with a professional barista and a Nexus 6 machine!
Karen Blixen was a Danish writer who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Most readers of this section are probably unfamiliar with both her life and her literary work.
However, if I put the phrase "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills" on the table, everyone quickly associates it with the film classic Out of Africa.
1986: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score… In total, Out of Africa takes home seven statuettes out of eleven Oscar nominations.
The autobiographical novel tells how Karen Blixen moved from Denmark to Kenya, where, influenced by her husband, she decided to open a coffee plantation and found the Karen Coffee Company. At the time, Kenya was a protectorate of Central Africa belonging to the British Empire.
The film takes place in these African lands, blending stories of love, war, traditions, betrayals, and everything that has always attracted adventurers, writers, and film directors.
The fact that a coffee plantation was established in this country… and it failed is what catches our attention.
Anyone passionate about coffee knows that Kenyan coffee is one of the world's great coffees. Its volcanic soil, altitude, climate, and commitment to this product make it the most important industry in this country. Kenya's AA, its unique grading system, and the perfect balance and strength of its SL28 and SL34 coffees highlight its products.
They say it was French Catholic missionaries who introduced coffee trees near Mombasa… back in 1843 (Bourbon and Mocha varieties). Since then, these lands have struggled to become a world leader in the coffee industry.
To discover this excellence, we must turn to all those importers who investigate these products of origin. Did you know that specialty coffee only accounts for 1% of the coffee in this country (Spain)? However, its scores are consistently higher than those of commercial coffees.
Therefore, from this blog, those of us who must make writing a profession of resistance have the urgent need to reclaim the artisanal over the industrial, the passionate over the routine, the heart over reason.
Look for something more than just a cup of coffee, look for specialty coffee, break away from the monotony and enter a multifaceted world of sensations.
Leonidas, leads his hoplites to the Thermopylae Pass to confront the hordes of the Persian army. Along the way, his troops encounter an army from Athens.
The Athenians' mission is to support the Spartans in holding off the Persian troops at the Thermopylae Pass. But the Athenians are surprised by how small a force Leonidas has. Proud of his soldiers, Leonidas addresses the Athenians and asks them about their trades (there are potters, blacksmiths, etc.).
Leonidas turns to his army and in a martial voice asks his soldiers: Spartans! What is your profession? They reply…
The world of progress has always tended toward professionalism. This, extrapolated to our daily lives, makes us think of the cardiologist who examines our heart or the writer who makes us dream with his words. However, when we head to a bar every morning to enjoy a cup of coffee and thus energize ourselves and gather enough energy for our daily tasks, it seems of little importance that the place doesn't specialize in it, that it doesn't know what type of coffee it offers or what blend it has.
Nor is it taken into account whether the waiter puts the exact grams for the espresso, nor what type of crockery he uses, nor how long it takes to extract the milk, nor what the optimal temperature is for the milk.
All this is because most people are uninitiated on the subject and don't care which type of coffee they prefer. Perhaps simply because they're looking for something warm to get them going, even if it's bad coffee, and to do so, they have to mask its flavor with lots of sugar.
Therefore, I urge the constant search for places where specialization is the goal and where we can see the work done by professionals who want to show us their passion for this craft.
In these establishments, you can smell the aromas they seek with every cup, carefully meticulously detailing the quality of the beans (provided by artisan micro-roasters), which adds their distinctive touch. The correct grind, the appropriate brewing equipment, the perfect extraction, temperature control, and even the delicacy of their lattes are their hallmarks.
Every process is pampered down to the smallest detail, and sometimes even for the price itself.
MeditateEven the busiest of specialty coffee lovers in their busy schedules have one or two moments a day when they just stop and let themselves go. That's basically meditation. And no, it doesn't necessarily mean doing yoga. The simple act of making a cup of coffee in the morning is a kind of silent ritual, when only you and your morning brew exist in the world. The water is heating up, the filter is washing, the first drops of this precious liquid fall into your cup, you breathe deeply, thinking of nothing, only in the moment, letting the moment happen... Congratulations, I don't know if you noticed, but you've finished your meditation, and you're ready to start the new day :)
Explore – Drink specialty coffee It means constantly exploring. Exploring coffee itself, different origins, new varieties, new processes, new regions. Coffee goes from being simply coffee to something that's always new, always exciting. Have you tried the Mundo Novo variety? Have you ever had coffee from Guatemala? What kind of Brazilian coffee do you prefer? Do you remember the time when it was "just coffee," just a regular dose of caffeine directly into your veins?
Love – I'm not going to lie when I say that when we go to a restaurant, we expect a chef to love their job, and when we buy clothes, we expect the designer to love what they're doing? Specialty coffee, in many ways, is a product of love. At every level, people in the coffee business love what they're doing. Isn't that a perfect reason to drink it?
Get closer to the product – It's not unusual to find the producer's name on a bag of specialty coffee now. How powerful is that?! Once again, coffee, which used to be completely devoid of personality, is now a product named after the person responsible for growing it. I think this is a huge step toward appreciating the efforts of the people around us in general, and understanding that things don't just appear out of thin air; certain people produce them for us. We're all interconnected. It would be a huge impact to know the names of the people who produced the food in our refrigerator, wouldn't it? We can start with coffee.
Consume locally – Specialty coffee is best when enjoyed freshly roasted, no more than four weeks after the roast date. This is why many people prefer to find local coffee roasters and buy directly from them, ensuring that the coffee they drink will be fresh, even knowing the roast date. This isn't really the case with commercial coffee purchased at the supermarket. By purchasing locally roasted specialty coffee, we support small (or not so small) businesses and contribute to the fact that people in their communities are living better lives.
Appreciate the details – Anyone who has tried to make a “simple” espresso from scratch knows how difficult it is. I mean it. Evaluating the coffee’s potential, “building” the espresso desired in your mind, choosing the ratio, adjusting the grinder, tasting the result, measuring the TDS, adjusting the espresso to the desired extraction rate. All these steps are just to make a small, "simple" espresso. Anyone who starts drinking specialty coffee immediately understands that beauty is in the details, and every detail is important. And absolutely not just in coffee, but in life in general. Starting with your cup of coffee, you end up appreciating more and more every aspect of life that requires effort.
Community Specialty coffee has one of the most dedicated communities around it. As you begin your journey, you'll find more and more people involved in the world of coffee (or discover that some of your friends have been doing it for a while), share your preferences, your discoveries, and expand your perception. New friends, new acquaintances, new people, all centered around one simple thing called "coffee." And you thought it was just a drink, right?
Improve your tasting – in the tasting of everything. This one is simple. When we start paying attention to the coffee we're drinking, we'll want to pay attention to more of the things we're eating. You'll want to try different beers, different cheeses, you'll think about experimenting with new wines. You'll discover that whiskey can be different, bread can be made from different types of flour, and with different levels of fermentation required. You'll try sourdough. Craft beer. Natural wine. You'll expand your palate. And in this way, you'll end up eating more consciously, paying attention to the flavor of products even more than before. You'll be able to savor nuances you never knew existed.
Finding Harmony – Drinking specialty coffee brings peace and harmony to your life. Making coffee in the morning is like a meditation. It brings you closer to the local producer and roaster. It gives you an insight into what it takes to grow a product like coffee and how much love goes into a coffee bean after all the work put into bringing it to your table. Coffee ultimately becomes much more than we ever imagined. And yes, it tastes incredible!
«"Look! It's a good espresso machine! The coffee here should be good!"
So here comes the first and my favorite myth about specialty coffee shops.
The machine.
How often do I hear, while working as a barista, "it's a good machine." People stop and take photos of the machine. For them, the brand of espresso machine is the guarantee of the quality coffee they'll get.
And the fact that some espresso machine brands have become so famous that even people outside the industry can recognize them is a huge step forward.
But that's not all.
For me, and for the person who works with coffee, this belief, that A good espresso machine = good coffee, sounds completely crazy.
But I keep finding more and more coffee lovers who think that a well-known espresso machine brand equals good coffee. So I see a need to talk about that.
Imagine someone bought a professional chef's knife for €500. Does that make them a chef? No.
And what makes him a chef? The ability to use that knife, making efficient, fast cuts of varying difficulty. Knowing how to care for the knife and sharpen it properly. Then, It is the skill that makes him a chef, among other things (such as creativity, knowing the products, the techniques, having an idea of what you want to achieve in a final dish).
A chef may have an expensive chef's knife or a cheap one from a local store; he'll still be a chef. On the other hand, someone who just bought a chef's knife doesn't necessarily know how to use it.
The same goes for the espresso machine. It may or may not be a well-known brand; it's not the machine that makes your coffee automatically (we're not talking about super-automatic machines here). It's the skill of a person who's making coffee for you right now.
It seems simple, but I also understand why this idea comes up. We always try to simplify things for ourselves, generalize, draw conclusions, and make quick decisions.
"Does this place serve good coffee? Probably yes, because they have that machine!" – a good quick way to decide whether or not to go into the cafe.
Often, however, the opposite happens. People who have just had a coffee come up to me and say, "That's a good espresso machine!" as if I were there just to keep that machine company...
It seems like anyone can come and make a coffee on that machine, and it will come out great, just because the machine is so good.
For me, as someone who constantly gives workshops to coffee shop owners, trying to teach them how to use their coffee equipment, both good and not so "good," the reality is quite different.
The problem, and the beauty at the same time, of specialty coffee is that it's complex. It's a set of certain conditions that must be met for a good cup of coffee to end up on the customer's table in the café or in the kitchen of a coffee lover.
The machine is one of them, yes. But to give you an idea, it's just one of many conditions on a long list.
The role of the espresso machine is basically this. It has to provide a stable flow of water at a stable/controllable temperature and pressure, and ensure that it comes into contact with the coffee as evenly as possible. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
The other big part of what makes a good specialty espresso at the coffee shop: quality coffee, quality roast, quality grinder, grind pattern, espresso recipe—has nothing to do with the espresso machine.
My point is, and the goal of this post, is to give you an idea that specialty coffee is a complex mechanism that depends entirely on the qualifications of the people involved (coffee producers, roasters, baristas) that is impossible to explain and reduce simply to one factor – for example, using a certain espresso machine.
What is the right water for making coffee?
What water are you preparing it with?
I've been facing a lot of coffee superstitions lately, or some kind of beliefs, and the topics related to water for making coffee are the ones that generate the most questions.
Questions and doubts about water that are winning:
The battle of the "correct" coffee recipes for different methods (Coffee recipes aren't set in stone; it's good to experiment, not just repeat after someone else. They have a different coffee, different water, a different grinder – why repeat? Hoping it will work anyway?))
the idea that roasting for espresso should be darker ((only if you want it that way or for some reason you got used to it, but it is definitely not mandatory),
and the question "Why does coffee taste salty?" (because it is under-extracted).
And yet, among all of these, the water issue continues to create a lot of confusion.
To name a few: some people defend their position that the softer the water, the fewer minerals it has, the better it is for making coffee (question: “Why not use distilled water?” It has none at all, so I guess the coffee will taste better?).
Some people opt for alkaline water, believing that a higher pH contributes positively to the flavor of coffee prepared with that water.
Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood and Christopher H. Hendon have already addressed the topic of water in coffee in their book, Water for Coffee: a must-read for those interested in the subject, focusing on how water works and what elements contribute to coffee flavor and how. Consult this book if you want to understand why low-mineralization water isn't the best choice for making coffee, and why coffee water shouldn't have a pH of around 9 or 5.
The truth is that coffee lovers around the world continue to search for the best water for making coffee.
So… What is the right water for making coffee?
I'll answer this question from the perspective of a roaster and coffee drinker, leaving aside the "coffee geek" (being a coffee geek is useless...).
The right water for brewing a particular coffee from a particular roaster is the water that roaster uses to taste their coffee when looking for the roast profile. Period.
You may ask me why.
Why can't I use water "X" because I consider it to be the best water for making coffee?
Or “Y” water which is very soft?
Or “Z” water that…
The truth is that you can.
And if you've learned enough about water and what contributes to coffee extraction, you can even make your own water with ingredients you can easily buy at the pharmacy. It's all fine, really, as long as you don't claim that only this particular water is suitable.
But there is one important detail, no matter what water you choose to use.
There is already water involved.Before you even brew the coffee you get, that coffee has already been tested. With a particular water. The roaster was cupping it with a certain water, and was guided by the results of that cupping, looking for a specific roast profile. He, intentionally or subconsciously, tuned the coffee to the particular water.
And that will be the best water to drink that coffee, whether you want it or not.
Roasted coffee is always roasted to a specific water temperature, and it would make life much easier, and coffee drinkers more satisfied, if that idea had been communicated more widely. Every bag of coffee you've ever bought was roasted to the water temperature the roaster uses at the location where they cup the coffees. Whether the coffee is from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the United States, or Germany, each of them is water-roasted in their cupping rooms.
It's probably happened to you before. You bought a coffee from a beloved roaster, opened the bag, brewed it at home... And you weren't impressed, or rather, disappointed?
Most likely it's because the water you used and the water the coffee was roasted in were dramatically different.
The message I want to convey with this post is simple. Buying locally roasted coffee, aside from the benefit of fresh roasting, has an additional benefit, hidden from public view, but ultimately even more important. Local roasters probably roast for local water. They roast for the water you have at home.
What does this mean in practice? You can literally make your coffee with tap water and get wonderful results.
