Baristas, beards and a mild case of caffeine overdose
The shop is quiet, the music loud and the Aurelia S my elegant espresso machine is stirring noisily from its rest, a little like myself. This is one of my favourite times of the working day, the dial in. The hours before doors open which I spend developing the recipe for all the coffees on that particular day. It’s a quiet few hours spent with only me, the coffees and some music, sole attention is paid to tasting, tweaking and preparing coffees ready for the customers soon to be crossing the threshold. It also is, to me, one of the key roles a barista plays, the decisions he or she makes during dial in effect everything, the efficiency and standards of themselves, the shop and their colleagues, along with their all important reputation. A great coffee can very easily be made to taste horrible when the shot is pulled badly, bitterness, sourness and essence of ashtray, these all easily achievable. I would generally start by guessing at a relatively common recipe, a tomato and basil sauce if you will, 18grams of coffee 28-30 second shot time yielding an espresso weighing 36-38 grams. Once the first shot is pulled I will taste and assess it, a little sour? A short shot perhaps. Bitter? Too much 'blonde' the sign that the shot ran quick. Too acidic? Maybe too big a dose. Each trait found I'll try and rectify using various methods, dose, grinder, tamping technique, temperature and time, tasting and comparing each one until a happy medium is reached. Espresso done we repeat with each filter coffee..
The dial in done, and here comes the customers and the associated trials, errors, highs and lows which they bring. The first one through the doors is usually a regular, dispatched quickly with chirpy chatter and a drink made well before any order was placed. Them gone about their day, a couple approach the counter who clearly aren't quite so chirpy. “Two coffees, love!” here we go.. “Sure! What sort can we got for you?” “Just coffee!”. Pulling the espresso shots for these two coffees I lament the lack of care and appreciation this beautiful Naturally processed Ethiopian Kochere, a fantastically sweet, fruity coffee, is going to be shown. Safely delivered and before I’ve made it back to my counter I hear the scrape of a jar lid being unscrewed, crushing misplaced granules of sugar in it’s path. Will that couple be commenting on the complex layers of berry sweetness, cherry cola and coating mouthfeel? Nope! The added sugar will completely blot the delicate balance, leaving something which is clearly coffee, but like enjoying a michelin Starred chefs signature dish, smothered in ketchup. My aim is to always try to engage customers and therein help them further their coffee knowledge, understanding and appreciation but sometimes, sadly, it falls on deaf ears. The fact of the matter is that bad coffee, over roasted, robusta (a hardier, easier grown coffee varietal, bitter, often used in 'Italian style' coffees) based blends or just badly made isn't pleasant and it's easy to see why people add sugar, but I would love it if everyone tasted before adding their usual 2 spoons!
Next in we have a firm favourite, a gang of friends who love good coffee. Five minutes of chat and discussion about origins, tasting notes and a plan to convert an ageing prison van into a luxurious camper van and their order is placed. Split the Shots (a double espresso split between single espresso and single cappuccino), Aeropress brews and straight double espressos, all drunk, enjoyed with minds and tastebuds open. We tend to follow the drinks with a chat about brewing ratios and the current coffee set up in the home, weighing up possible upgrades, coffee purchases and the elusive perfect cup. These are in the kind of interaction that put all the fun into a baristas day, churning out lattes and americanos may be the staple of a day in a coffee shop but having a good coffee chat and sharing knowledge is the sweet, satisfying pudding we all look forward to. Next time you frequent a good cafe why not just ask the barista (if you're unsure who they are look for beards, side fade haircuts, tattoos and all the usual distinugishing features of our breed) what they might recommend. It will brighten their day and who knows, may start you on journey of discovery. Everybody within coffee, customers and professionals alike, are still on this journey and really will always be. It's a constant learning curve, just as you think you're fairly well up on all things caffeine and some bright spark develops new techniques, equipment or finds way to utilise previously overlooked pieces (Google Matt Perger WBC, it's a game changer!). I can say without a doubt that the coffee community has to be one of the friendliest around. Everybody is looking out for one and other. It's a hugely exciting movement to be part of although someone recently told me it was like a cult(?!), adding "You all look the same!". There's no secret meetings (I'd have to kill you..), odd rituals (Define odd) or dress code, okay we do seem to have that one, but I challenge anyone to show me a more open and honest gang of people than the coffee boys and girls.
The day is coming to a close, the last customers begrudgingly vacating their seats and the washing up stack seemingly becoming never-ending. The moment in which I take the time to make myself a brew, carefully prepared espresso in hand I take a seat at the window bench to debrief from the day and enjoy my coffee. I take the well polished and weighty espresso spoon, dip into the rich, golden crema, stirring to ensure a balanced espresso, lift to my nose and inhale fantastic strawberry aromas with enticing red fruits and a hint of blueberry acidity. The cup raised I take a sip.. A slight sourness, possibly resulted from a shot pulled a few grams short and my ever critical self is back at the grinder, tweaking the recipe. Just one more before home time can't do any harm!
Thank you for reading and remember, life is too short for bad coffee!
Oakley
