The Wild Drink Blog

I’m back from Caffe Culture after some high and low points over the last few days.

High Point…

During the show I spent most of my time on the CMA stand demonstrating on the Plus 4 You. This is my first time demonstrating like this and on the whole it was very enjoyable chatting to people about espresso and espresso equipment. I also did a couple of tutorials on the machine going over the features etc. with a camera and video screen, lots of fun and a good way to show lots of people exactly what you’re going on about.

Low Point…

My latte art was rubbish. We later ascertained that it wasn’t my fault (perish the thought) and in fact it was a water issue which went on to produce questionable, unmanipulatable, (?) fluffy, spongtastic crema. Day two it was sorted and I knocked out a few gooduns.

High Point…

Phil won the Latte Art competition! I’m really pleased for Phil ‘Pig’ Gevaux, always the trainer and never the winner, but for once he stuck his neck out and thanks to a sub-zero level of cool knocked out a couple of good rosetta’s, two very nice macchiatos with hearts (he even took the time to grin at us) and two lattes with hearts as his signature. Well done Phil and good luck in Copenhagen, you’d best get working on a more creative sig drink!

Low Point…

I didn’t win the Coffee In Good Spirits. Preparation preparation… cream. I’ll be honest, my heart wasn’t really in this competition. I hadn’t done any run throughs, lack of time whilst finishing up at Fifteen and lack of passion for Irish coffees meant that I never got round to doing much practice other than perfecting my sig drink, which I was very proud of.

The drink was based around espresso of Kenyan Gethumbwini, very curranty and acidic coffee coupled with Dominican Republic chocolate, creme de mure, organic blackcurrant vodka, Frangelico & cream. It basically tasted like a fruit and nut chocolate bar with a hint of coffee, the acidity of the coffee balanced the sweetness of the liqueurs and the bitterness of the chocolate. I served it in a flute with a redcurrant garnish which was supposed to look like mini coffee cherries.

I didn’t really get to explain everything though because as usual I ended up rushing! This was mainly due to a cow which woke up that morning and decided to make its cream extra-awkward, in a nutshell I whipped the cream too much and it was thick and gloupy, not good - it wasted me time and lost me points.I used Bulleit Bourbon and unrefined cane sugar in the drink along with a Costa Rican SO coffee.

I came joint 2nd with 22 points out of only 4 competitors. Emma Chapman will be going to Copenhagen to represent the UK in CiGS, she scored 26 points, well done! We now know that joining her will be Hugo competing in the WBC, Phil for the Latte art and Jim Hoffmann who won the cupping at Caffe Culture.

…Cornwall!!

*ahem*

High Point…

Possibly the highest point, I met Søren Markussen, the recently crowned Danish barista champion, a lovely chap who very willingly gave up a bag of The Coffee Collective espresso blend, the very blend he used to win the aforementioned competition. Now back home I have wasted no time in trying out the coffee on my new machine and I think it’s absolutely brilliant, so many wonderful flavours stick out yet it’s hard to place them… There is fruit, bags of body and a wonderful finish, I think I need more time to fully comprehend this espresso. Thankyou Søren.

More highpoints than low points and i’ll definitely be at the event next year, one of the best bits is getting to chat to all folks who seem to be fast becoming good friends and regular acquantences.