Vancouver: Locals have much to learn about espresso
Posted by TheShot on 21 Sep 2006 | Tagged as: Barista, Quality Issues
Knowing the difference between a good and bad espresso can be a curse to many a former barista. Or so says a former barista in today’s Georgia Straight, a popular Vancouver free weekly: Straight.com Vancouver | Best Eating | Locals have much to learn about espresso.
The author writes that, “The espresso, as it is pouring through the machine, should squirt through in 20 to 30 seconds and have three clear features: at the bottom, the dark heart; in the middle, a deep brown body; and at the top, a thick layer of flavourful crema.” All basic stuff. But it gets interesting when she suggests, “a bitter-tasting latte should be sent back.” Who would pay for a corked bottle of wine, right?
The author says she sends back about half of her espresso drinks. It’s a habit I’m going to have to take up more often myself.
Also mentioned in the article is the Canadian National Barista Championships in Vancouver this weekend and an interview with Barrett Jones, an award-winning barista from Vancouver’s Caffé Artigiano — arguably my favorite place for an espresso in North America.
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[...] Unfortunately, conventional wisdom in this country suggests that espresso is a “hot, bitter brew” — with the maximum caffeinated effect. This reflects just how poor the American cultural standard for espresso really is. I would argue that if it’s hot and bitter, you’re not drinking espresso — you’re drinking something else. In a country where our beverage choices are either “freezing” or “scalding”, espresso should be served a touch closer to room temperature. And if it’s bitter, whoever made it likely over-extracted the shot, and it should be sent back like a corked wine. [...]
[...] opinions of Stuart Ross, an award-winning barista and co-owner of Bulldog Coffee in Toronto, and Coulter Jones, the 2006 Canadian barista champion from Vancouver’s Caffe [...]