drinks | Coffee, It's a Helluva Drug

single scene, take 2

Following my recent dip into single serve pourover pouches, I’ve been trying the Counter Culture singles I received at Christmas.

So far, a success. I’ve found I like the bolder flavor profile of the Big Trouble blend more than Forty-Six, but that’s just a personal preference and both are certainly good. I also like that, unlike pourovers or drip coffee, there’s a much greater depth of flavor and a really nice caffeine jolt. Using the bags is simple, and on whole a much easier portable process than the pourover pouches or using the aeroPress.

merry christmas!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays, my friends. I’m grateful for every and any for take a look here – maybe even you, you bots and spammers.

A lovely gift pack of single serves and a mug from Counter Culture were under the tree for me this morning, can’t wait to try them out.

trying out the single scene

As I mentioned in my recent holiday gift guide, there’s a nascent market for single serving convenience formats in quality coffee. In addition to instant coffee and teabag-like steeped coffee, there are some inventive, self-contained mini pourover products on the market. My buddy Rob travels to Ethiopia frequently on business, and he recently brought me back a local example of the latter to try.

best yet?

I think I might have done it

this kind of looks like a heart, right?

wrapping up the affogato stuff

Now that we’ve finished the series on affogato at gelato/specialty coffee shops in the DC area, a few thoughts on ways you can try it at home.

affogato wars of DC

*clockwise from top: Pitango; Dolcezza; Gelatteria*

The Washington DC area has a couple local chains (Dolcezza and Pitango) and a stand-alone cafe (Gelatteria) which have two main offerings: specialty coffee, and high-end gelato. Sounds like fodder for a taste test, so I recently visited all three for a comparison.

survival instincts

I’m at an industry conference in the convention center of a large hotel/resort in central Florida. Long days of programming that I’m enjoying, but no access to coffee other than an on-site outlet of the evil empire and urns of questionable industrial drip coffee. Not ideal for an espresso addicted coffee snob.

Here’s how I’m making it through:

well that was new

This morning my barista poured the milk by turning the pitcher to its side and just letting it go, no delicate use of the spout. The last kerplunk was foam. This off-handed ‘effort’ still looks more interesting than any of my milk art failures. Rat? Jellyfish? Marge Simpson’s head on a cat’s body?