Hi Beanbuffs,
You are reading about reboot of Shack Coffee Co. , a 14 year old project, one espresso shot at a time. If you like the newsletter, please spread the word around.
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Cafes have become a rental business. The price of coffees in a cafe correlates with the rent it pays. High rentals and high prices aren’t good for the consumers and the industry. But, first update about the espresso bar.
1. Shacoco update: To do or not to do
There is so much to learn about coffee. The Luru trip and Kaapi Sashtra helped me shake up the second hand knowledge about coffee. My 20 years of learning coffee on my own, is a mix of second hand opinions. It’s time to get real.
The first thing is to learn about green coffee beans. Specialty coffee beans make up only 6% of the entire coffee production. It is possible to make good coffees without specialty coffee beans. Imagine you not drinking tea because it is not first flush Darjeeling. But, there is no alternative for an in-depth knowledge about coffee.
In October Coffee Quality Institute is organising a 6 day training program. It trains in coffee evaluation. After completing the course, I can equip myself with the right coffee knowledge. I can evaluate green coffee beans. I can pick the right beans for developing the right roast profile. And, I can develop my dream blend for pulling espresso at Shacoco.
It is an expensive course, costing INR 2 lacs. The cost deters me. Still, the course is worth attending.
2. My favorite coffee moments in Bengaluru
I could only visit four of the six places, I had wanted to. In my next visit, I will cover not just the ones I left, but few more such as Coffee Mechanics, Shades of Coffee, Alchemy Coffee.
First, Araku Coffee. I had already tasted coffees from Araku during the Kaapi Sashtra workshop. One of the coffees (Arabica)stood out for its well rounded flavour profile. I badly wanted to check out Modbar espresso machine. However, I was sad to see 17 seconder shots from the ultimate machine. The cafe had all the cool coffee equipment. It must be the most opulent cafe in the country.
Second, I visited Somethingsbrewing’s office. I met the entire team. We talked about the Indian coffee scene and the future of home brewing. On 1st of October, it is launching India’s first coffee brewing equipment store in Indiranagar. It will be a dream for coffee lovers. They plan to offer workshops, demonstrations and also a cafe experience under one roof.
Three, Benki Coffee. It was as beatiful as I had thought. A small corner in JP Nagar, dishing out delicious coffees. I drank a cappuccino and an Americano. Later, I also met Suhas, the founder of Benki Brewing Tools and Specialty Coffee Academy of India. I interviewed him. I will share the interview here.
Four, I visited Third Wave Coffee in Indiranagar. It was a bad experience. I asked them to pull an espresso from Monsoon Malabar. They could not dial in the shot as per their recipe. Also, their houseblend wasn’t good. Though, the interiors were cool, and I could hear startup jargon flying around. I will try it again next time.
Five, S N Refreshments. I tasted the best filter kaapi at a local Darshini in J P Nagar. It is a 30 year old business. An ex employee of Brahmin’s Coffee Bar started it.
Worth your time: Food Lovers TV review Link
3. What am I drinking
I am off my regular coffee blend. I am reviewing coffees from other brands. Since I have an espresso machine at home, I ordered Blue Tokai’s Dhak Blend. It is a dark blend of two Arabicas. It is bright, a unique thing for darker blends. Two, it has chocolate-caramel taste notes. It leaves a good aftertaste. I also made pour overs with it. I like it.
Next issue:
No fuss cold brew method
Ordered Dope’s espresso blend