Road trip coffee... Don't you drink road trip coffee when you are driving? I think we all do. It's a kind of driving ritual. We grab a cup when we stop for gas. Gas station road coffee sucks for the most part. Although it is improving. Every time I travel by car, I remember why I like really good coffee. One thing about a road trip... A road trip is like a refresher course in coffee … [Read more...]
The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Often the Coffee and Espresso We Sample Is Not Very Good... And definitely not perfect. In fact, we discard a high percentage of the coffee and espresso we buy as customers - prior to finishing our purchases. On some days, we might throw out 3 of 5 purchases. When you look at it that way, it's really quite an expensive hobby. What drives someone to do such a thing? It's not something you … [Read more...]
Avoca Coffee Roasters
Avoca Coffee Roasters... There are many coffee shops around the country that disappoint. Avoca does not. Team Barrett came across this place accidentally and it turned out to be one of the best espressos we had on our round trip coffee Florida to Texas. It was definitely the best coffee we had in Texas. But in all fairness, we didn't have enough time to explore more cities and more coffee … [Read more...]
Ernesto Illy – a Really Good Coffee Pioneer
Dr. Ernesto Illy - a Really Good Coffee Pioneer In the early nineties, they started Coffee Fest in Seattle and that's where I first saw Ernesto Illy. What a class act. This man was such an elegant speaker, a real intellectual, a scientist and what seemed to me to be the "high priest" of espresso. He commanded respect but did not abuse it - he was gentle and kind in his interaction with … [Read more...]
Peets Coffee Pioneered Really Good Coffee
Peets Coffee Started The Whole Coffee Experience On The West Coast Flashback: Peets Coffee in Berkeley, California at the original roasteria on the corner of Walnut and Vine - three blocks away from the pediatrician who tended me as a child. It is 1967, I can remember standing in line with 20-50 other people everyday waiting for my cup of java. Most of us had our favorite ceramic mugs in our … [Read more...]