Hi Beanbuffs,
You are reading about a 14 year old reboot of Shack Coffee Co. Every week Abhishek sends an update about the journey and interesting things about the world of coffee.
Italians turned leisurely coffee into a serious matter. It invented a new industry with green buyers, roasters, baristas and cafe owners. But, first an update.
1. A mock run
I did a mock run at a restaurant in Shahpurjat. I took the oldie Solis espresso machine and my Vario grinder. I pulled shots with Dope’s Dark Matter. I also made Americanos. We paired it with in-house brownie. In the last, I prepared a cappuccino with Naivo’s Ambedo.
They loved the espressos. They admitted not having tasted such espressos at the third wave cafes in town. Americano surprised them the most. Americano has all the goodness of an espresso shot, and it lasts longer. It’s like adding the right amount of ice or water to your favorite whiskey. Pair it with a good cake, and it will surprise you.
What’s next? The place has constraints such as space. The little space works as a service counter for the guests. They also use it to prepare tea, warm food, plate ice creams and sweets. I saw a constant jostling between the barista and the waiters for space. The owners want to start the pop-up by mid December. I will decide by the next week.
2. Hail Americano
Americano is a passive beverage. Customers order it when they do not want anything else from the menu. A cafe serving good Americano is as rare as one serving good espresso.
An average Americano is one part espresso shot and three to five parts water. A typical cafe in Delhi offers a 180ml Americano. It consists of 30ml of shot and 150ml of water. Too much water dilutes the espresso shot. It just becomes warm water with a bit of coffee flavour. A good cup should not have water more than three times the espresso.
Mark Prince, the founder of CofeeGeek wrote, “Originally, the espresso based americano was served with hot water on the side, but by the 1960s, it was served with the hot water added directly to the cup after a double shot of espresso was brewed into the cup. With this method, in the post WWII, crema espresso era, the addition of hot water to the pulled shot results in the dilution and dispersion of the crema from the espresso.
The Australians developed their own americano beverage independent of Italy, and they call it a “long black”. Their change is to first put hot water into the preheated cup, then brew the espresso right on to the hot water. The result is a beverage that retains the espresso’s crema on the top of the beverage.”
I keep it between one part espresso to two or three parts water. The temperature in cafes is scalding hot. I prefer it at a lower temperature. I will prioritize Americano at Shack Coffee Co. Expect the best.
3. A serious business
I am learning Italian for the past few months. One day I would like to visit the country to experience its espresso culture. It invented espresso and the modern cafe culture.
Coffee reached Venice in 16th century. In 1901 Luigi Bezzera forced hot water through coffee powder to produce the espresso. It could be prepared quickly and separately for each customer. In 1947 a bar owner named Achile Gaggia added pressure to produce the crema on top. It gave birth to today’s espresso.
Espresso is the drink of choice when drinking coffee outside the Italian homes. Locals do not drink cappuccino after 10am or 12pm. Espresso is always an excuse to hang out with the friends and family. Just say, “ Un caffe per favore”. It means let’s have a cup of coffee please. Also, ordering espresso or caffe in Italy is like ordering golgappas, sans the order or queue.
NPR interviewed a skilled barista and cafe owner to know the secret of a good espresso:
A landmark in Rome’s Monti neighborhood is the Er Baretto café. Owner Marco Eskandar, an Egyptian by birth, and longtime Italian resident, reveals the secret of good espresso.
“It’s the 5 M’s,” says Eskandar. “Miscela — blend; macchina, the coffee machine; macinino, the grinder; manutenzione, machine maintenance; and mano, the skill of the barista.”
I wish Indian third wave cafes love their espressos as Italians do.
Trivia:
The temperature of cappuccino is around 65 degrees centigrades so that one can finish the drink within a minute, without waiting for it to cool down.
Italian dictator Mussolini coined the term ‘barista’. Earlier people used the word ‘barman’.
Worth your time: How to order coffee in Italy Link
What’s next:
To pop-up or not to pop-up
Bean Song