Blue Bottle Coffee, NYC

Just below the High Line, Blue Bottle Coffee’s Chelsea location has brought a little San Francisco to New York. Open since February, 2012, a visit should be on everyone’s coffee bucket list. Tiny in size (only four seats downstairs and five at the Siphon Bar upstairs), what they lack in space they make up in presentation, service and phenomenal coffee.

A friend from London was visiting and we spend the morning checking out galleries in Chelsea and walking the High Line. Unfortunately, many galleries were closed due to the Memorial Day holiday. After staring at too many locked doors and windows we decided to have a bit of lunch at The Half King (and a spot of Boddingtons) and walk down to our coffee destination.

As soon as we went inside, we were greeted with the smiling faces of three Baristas eager to help us navigate the selections, immediately dispelling the notion that New York coffee shops can be snobbish and off-putting at times. My daughter had been waiting patiently for dessert and I noticed Mast Brothers chocolate on the counter. One of the Baristas recommended that she try the San Franciscan company TCHO’s fair trade offerings instead as they are a bit sweeter. She picked the Mokaccino and declared that it was one of the best chocolates ever. I unfortunately didn’t get to try it as her idea of “sharing” was to pick off two flecks and deposit them in my hand.



The Siphon Bar

Anyway, the coffee….. while the rest of my group stayed downstairs to have a few pour overs, I scurried up to the Japanese siphon bar and snagged the last remaining seat at the counter. I ordered the Kenyan roast ($10), personally selected for the bar by Michael, the siphon zen master. He first presented me with a glass of water to cleanse my palate. Next he had me try some tea made from a coffee plant. Sweet and fruity, it was quite appealing. I was also offered some small pieces of in-house prepared marshmallow, a gesture I found a bit superfluous. Next Michael presented the beans and then offered them again after grinding. Earthy notes with a hint of fruit, it had a lovely delicate nose.

While I peppered him with questions and perhaps a bit too obnoxiously took tons of video and photographs, Michael prepared the coffee. The siphon was first invented in 1840 and I believe that this is only the second halogen powered model in the US, the other in Blue Bottle’s flagship store in San Francisco. The alchemy is a wonder to watch (see the next post for a Vine video of the process). And the coffee? It was remarkable, roasted perfectly, the brew method brought out wonderful stone-fruit flavors with a nice balance on the finish.

All in all, I am truly amazed at my experience Blue Bottle has managed to pack an impressive coffee punch into less than 200 square feet of New York real estate.



Michael preparing my coffee at the siphon bar

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com

http://www.tcho.com

www.thehighline.org

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Coffeehouse Photographs by Greg Cohen

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CoffeeGuru: Because You Don't Want to Drink That Starbucks Bullsh*t

CoffeeGuru: Because You Don't Want to Drink That Starbucks Bullsh*t

A review of CoffeeGuru by Gizmodo

Review: La Colombe and their Alpha Dominche "Steampunk" brewing system

Last weekend I got a chance to check out the new, $15,000 coffee machine from Alpha Dominche at Philadelphia’s Dilworth Plaza La Colombe cafe.  Owner Todd Carmichael has installed five of these machines in his cafes.

Alpha Dominche is an American company based in Salt Lake City Utah. It first offered their machines in April and is currently being sold only in the US.   Also known as the “Steampunk”, this machine is a marvel of technology, one that may change the way coffee is made both at cafes and, eventually, at home.



The Steampunk has four chambers, all controlled by an internal computer that enables the Barista to “dial in” any brewing process, including French press, Pour-over and Siphon.  After configuration, the barista can choose from three different filter/plungers to replicate the brewing process that’s perfect for each individual bean selection.  Barista Ben made for me a single origin Kenya Kirinyagan utilizing the French Press method.  Just watching the process is a marvel.  And the coffee?  Although I felt that they could have brewed at slightly lower temperature, the proof was certainly in the cup.  Bright citrus flavors on the nose and palate, it was a great cup of coffee.

At this time there isn’t a home version of the Steampunk brewer.  For around $500 US, Bunn makes the “Trifecta” which uses “Air Infusion” which I heard makes an incredible cup.  Users can dial in up to 25 brew settings but they do not offer the array of filter options that Dominche provides.  By the way, if anyone is reading this from Alpha Dominche, I know someone who would be happy to test the Steampunk home version.  Just “call me maybe?”

http://alphadominche.com

http://lacolombe.com

http://www.bunnathome.com/products/trifecta

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Direct Trade Standards Needed Within The Specialty Coffee Industry

Since its initial release, I’ve featured over 70 Direct Trade roasters in CoffeeGuru. But what is “Direct Trade”? It’s a term most of the public has not heard of and those that have offer various definitions.

Arguably Direct Trade is a response to the Fair Trade movement and what some roasters view as weaknesses within this system.  The philosophy behind Fair Trade is that farmers should be paid a fair price for their labor.  The US consumes 20% of the world’s coffee but few of us realize that workers in the field can make less than the cost of production.  Fair Trade guarantees farmers a consistent price that guarantees of a living wage no matter how volatile the market prices are.  For example, during the last twelve months, coffee prices declined 41 Cents/lb to the current price of $1.50 with forecasts predicting  $1.25/lb later this year.

Within the Fair Trade system, farmers get a $1.40 per pound “floor price’’ - a minimum maintained even if commodity markets go lower; an additional “social premium,’’ which pays for communal benefits like health clinics or schools, and an extra 30 cent premium if the coffee is organic. It is not directly tied to quality of the coffee beans.  Some roasters feel that this model doesn’t work, and want to work under a standard where the best prices are paid for the best quality beans.

Currently there is no governing body regulating what Direct Trade should be. As things are, the public can be easily confused, often relying on claims made on websites which are often lacking in information. Some Direct Trade roasters have taken the initiative and have worked together attempting to set an industry standard. For example PT’s and Intelligentsia have established specific Direct Trade criteria:  1.The coffee quality must be exceptional  2.The verifiable price to the farmer must exceed market and Fair Trade by at least 25%  3.The farmer must be committed to healthy sustainable, environmental and responsible community practices   4.Roasting representative must visit the farms at least once per harvest season  5.All Direct Trade participants must be open to transparent disclosure. Counter Culture’s approach is similar with some slight differences such as the minimum price paid. They also add 3rd party certification to insure transparency.

Can these business models work for the entire industry?  Perhaps, it depends on the resources of each roaster.  Some are quite small and it’s always a balance in trying to do the right thing and maintain a viable business.  Certainly Counter Culture, Stumptown, PT’s and others are setting the standard by example, pushing the industry in the right direction.  So what’s the next step?

There needs to be a reasonable and certifiable Direct Trade standard that both large and small roasters can afford.  Looking to the wine industry, the evolution of “Meritage” wines is an interesting example.

Meritage is used mostly by California wineries to denote red and white Bordeaux-style wines.  It is a blend of grapes using at least two specific bordeaux varietals.  In order to display the term on a bottle, winemakers must license the Meritage trademark, a proprietary name, from its owner, the Meritage Alliance.

Begun in 1988, the Alliance initially focussed on policing their trademark.  Eleven years later there were only 22 members.  Shifting its focus to education and marketing, the Association grew to over 250 wineries by 2009.  Fees for membership are $1.00 per case of wine, capped at $500 per vintage.

So what can we learn from this example?  Here’s what I think Direct Trade roasters should consider:

-Establish standards set by roaster representatives within the industry.  They should be fair for roasters of all sizes and, at the same time, acknowledge the goals of protecting the enviornment and livlihood of farmers and producing the world’s best beans.

-Trademark a term.  Establish a proprietary name that represents Direct Trade

-Keep fees low

-Educate and market to the public using an association of Direct Trade roasters, in other words a “Direct Trade Alliance” paid for by fees collected.

In conversations with Direct Trade roasters one of them told me that CoffeeGuru should be in the forefront of establishing what the term stands for.  While I believe that all of the roasters that have been chosen as Direct Trade producers are meeting these criteria, the standards should be set, policed and marketed by those within the roaster community who do the hard work of seeking the best beans, improving lives and changing the way we think about coffee.

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