The Wild Drink Blog

The sourcing is done, the grinder is installed and calibrated, the pots have arrived and we’ve got a great coffee to put in them… and the result is not even enough room to swing an infant hamster behind the bar!

I have Freud Living to thanks for the beautiful press pots. I really wanted something that would be stylish as well as functional, I do find that some of the traditional glass French press’ look a little… well, French! Some might say that these look a little bit too ‘form over function’ but I can tell you that the press action is great and the pour is almost completely dripless contrary to how it looks. Freud also do a really nice sustainable wooden handle version but alas, they need hand washing which is not really an option in a busy restaurant. Lets hope these ones don’t get trashed too soon…

…they look like fire hydrants/something on the deck of the Titanic/daleks, I know.

We’re using the El Salvador Monte Sion washed Bourbon from Origin, I think it’s a great starting point. So far it shows signs of a good sweetness, some almondy notes and a growing fragrant acidity as you work your way down the cup. Origin have supplied me with a Fracino grinder specifically for the task, we have dialed in a coarse grind and the dose is set to 56g for about 900ml water. I’m going to tweak this over the next few weeks but the results so far are really pleasing. I really need some better scales. What ratios work for you?

The next stage (which some of you are already aware of) is roasting. I fully understand that some people will see this as a bit of a stunt, or you might be thinking roasting is really not the roll of a barista, especially one who doesn’t know how to roast (yet). I’m chewing at the bit to give it a go though, and I’m lucky enough to have backing from my boss - would you turn it down in my shoes?!

I long for the day that my stock room has jute bags of green beans stacked next to crates of beer!

Of course there will be plenty of roasting related posts to follow and as always advice and comments are appreciated. Oh and if you’re in the area, pop in for a coffee.