Stumbling across the internet, trawling for coffee news I found a new phenomenon called "Babyccinos." Popular in Brooklyn with hipsters and a mainstay in Australia, Babyccinos are coffee drinks for toddlers. Eschewing parenting advice from Tiger moms and French parents with their "bebes," Barista parents, as I shall call them, want to pass on their coffee habits (though the drink itself is decaffeinated) to their children.
What are they you ask? Simply put, they are decaf machiattos with sprinkles. Yep. Nothing new here except that the drink is targeted to toddlers and has a dressed-up name.
Looking at some of the videos online, apparently people are expressing outrage at this coffee drink, leading to a "slippery slope." One Youtube comment responded,
"Why stop at coffee? Why not make baby lingerie, baby non-alcoholic
beer, and baby non-nicotinie cigarettes? And any other adult item
small, decadent yuppie minds can come up with to prevent kids from
enjoying their childhood, and make them more like wonderful “us,” the
so-called adults?"
Ouch! To relax I would point the commenter to Rainymood.com to listen to the relaxing sounds of thunderstorms and the gently rain wrapping on a window. There are worse things to be given to children such as these 24 dangerous toys.
While not making said drink, here are two five years old kids making a cappuccino! Future barista champs? Future barista parents? Apparently, babycinnos are already passe.
This is a guest post by Metro Espresso reader Michael, you can read his blog at http://michaelgorchov.wordpress.com. If you would like to be a guest contributor to Metro Espresso, please email me at Duderino102 *at* gmail.com
My new coffee pots. The Moka Coffee Pot was first patented by Luigi De Ponti, an Italian inventor, for Alfonso Bialetti in 1933.
A moka pot is a type of coffee maker ubiquitous in Italy, but not very popular in the U.S.. Mostly called a macchinetta (little machine) by Italians, this stovetop device makes a very strong brew somewhat akin to espresso. A moka pot works by the same principle as an espresso machine - pressure builds up to push water through a compact "puck" of coffee - the resulting coffee has its own distinctive qualities.
A few months ago I purchased my first moka pot. It's a nice 6 cup size that I found at Marshall's on clearance for $7.50. For an aluminum pot the casting and finishing is very good. It says "Hotel Diamond Collection" on a band around the middle. It took me a little practice to make good coffee with it, but now I know how to control the heat at the end of brew so I don't have it spitting clear boiling water (and ruining it). Aside from the need to maintain a patina of coffee residue in the upper chamber, the big drawback from aluminum pots is the deterioration of the surface of the inside of the lower chamber because it's so hard to keep it dry. Many of the knock-off Bialetti types have really rough casting pits in the bottom chamber. The major benefit of the stainless pots is that they don't get so cruddy from moisture left in them between uses. It probably makes sense to get an aluminum pot if you know you're going to use it every day. They are so much cheaper. But if the pot will see more infrequent use, then it would be better to spring for a stainless model.
A couple of weeks ago I found a vintage stainless Guido Bergna 6 cup pot on ebay that I scooped up for $13.25 (+ $6.70 s&h). One of the photos of the pot on ebay gave the impression that there was serious heat-related damage to the bottom. But when I received the item it was actually in pristine condition, and a little Barkeepers Friend polished it up like new. What a find! This pot also makes good coffee. On this pot, since there is only one little opening on the stem for the coffee to exit, it is important that I turn the pot around so I can watch the progress as the coffee dribbles out.
There was a time (almost twenty years ago) that I routinely roasted my own green coffee beans. I used an old hot-air popcorn popper, and rigged up an exhaust fan system to cool the beans, and vent most of the smoke. I did my coffee roasting in my woodworking workshop so that the acrid smoke wouldn't stink up our home. In recent years I have been able to get freshly roasted coffee so I haven't bothered roasting.
My stomach is pretty sensitive to stale coffee. I can tell immediately that I'm drinking canned coffee; it begins to burn even as I drink it. There is a kind of dull thud that lets me know I better get out the Rolaids. Coffee that's been roasted within a couple of weeks doesn't bother me at all. And good freshly brewed coffee from say, Costa Rican beans roasted in the past couple of days, almost "rings a bell" as it goes down.
Now that I have the moka pots I've begun roasting again. I have a small Precision brand roaster, which I take out on the back porch. Mostly I roast just enough to carry me through to when I can buy more freshly roasted coffee. Back in the days when I was roasting coffee in my hot-air popper, I had a Gran Gaggia espresso machine. This was a pretty low end device, and it took forever to produce even a couple of espresso drinks of middling quality. Right now I am quite satisfied with my moka pot coffee. My wife drinks her coffee black also, but she prefers drip coffee. She finds the coffee from a moka pot too strong. It works out fine actually. I have one moka pot at my office and the other at home. A 6 cup moka pot really only produces one big U.S. mug-full anyway. So, in the morning I make coffee for myself in my pot, and my wife has auto-drip for herself.
Some people - usually espresso snobs - turn their noses up at moka pot coffee. I have developed a taste for it; mostly because I can't afford good espresso. Decent home espresso machines cost over 600 dollars, with commercial models costing over 10K. These machines easily maintain a constant pressure of 9 bars (or nine times earth's atmosphere) during the twenty-five seconds it takes to "pull" a shot of espresso. In order to pay for the machine, good quality coffee, and a competent barista, coffee bars need to charge upwards of $3 for a demitasse of espresso.
A good cup of espresso is covered with a light brown layer of emulsified oils called "crema." This is a feature of true espresso that can't be produced by any other brewing method. Now, I like good espresso. I really do. But it's not something I can have on a daily basis. First of all, it costs too much. A single shot isn't enough for me, so I want a double. That's going to cost $5 easy. Instead, almost all of the time I order a cup of auto-drip house blend. And I often have a grilled muffin with it. That's going to run me something like $6. I've decided to cut way down on going out for coffee, and instead enjoy moka pot coffee, and without the muffins!
In the past, when in an expansive mood I'd impulsively order an espresso. That is, if I'm sitting in a real coffee house with a busy barista, and I can see the shots he's pulling. Even so, I've been disappointed. I never have espresso in a restaurant. There are just too many things that go into making good espresso: The expensive espresso machine. The freshly roasted coffee. The heavy conical burr grinder adjusted properly. The correct amount of coffee tamped down and "polished" with the right amount of pressure. And on and on.
The whole thing is more like fine wine. I appreciate the cultivation of a high level of connoisseurship, but at a certain point I just throw up my hands and say it's not worth all the trouble and expense. I'm just a moka pot kind of guy.
According to the Mail Online, one of the numerous Starbucks (7th street and Pennsylvania) has a peeping tom. Apparently, the perpetrator has not been identified and hasn't been narrowed down to either an perverted employee or a perverted caffeinated patron. The indecent occurred in September.
Oddly, the article on the Mail Online's website shows a picture of a video camera stating "The camera that a five-year-old girl found in a D.C. Starbucks was smaller than this video camera, and fashioned to a sink pipe." AKA, we have no idea what the camera looked like, but it was probably smaller than this outdated camcorder from 5 years ago. Also the Mail used a horrendous pun, "Not So Grande: A Girl in D.C. found a hidden camera in the toilet." Here is an excerpt from the article, "William Yockey and his family were visiting the capital in late August from their home in Norfolk, Virginia. His daughter discovered a video camera hidden underneath the sink that was pointed towards the toilet. Yockey determined that the camera was on and recording, then notified the police.
The camera was taken by police for further investigation, and no suspects have been named. Because so little is known about the camera- including who put it there and when- this lawsuit could theoretically be opened up to include anyone else who used the restroom at that Starbucks.
'We continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement on this matter; however, because there is pending litigation, we cannot comment on the specifics of this case,' Hilowitz continued. 'However, we can tell you that as a part of regular store operations, we monitor the seating areas and rest rooms in our stores on a regular basis to identify potential safety or security concerns.'"
I am entering new territory. I have done a video once before, but this lays bare my ability to make quality espresso. Please, don't judge too harshly! The espresso tasted creamy but a bit bitter. The beans used were Starbucks Mexico Shade Grown. It's a lighter roast than the other products they sell, but you can't dress an ugly duckling into tails.
Notice the quality swirling after the shot was pulled. Professional through and through.
According to the Washington Post, the political center of our country runs on caffeine, specifically we are the 6th most dependent. Congratulations us! This means we are facing an unavoidable crash in the future. Now, when we see another political gridlock or a threatening of government shutdown, we are assured that either politicians have not had their coffee or are crashing from their caffeine high. We should continue to watch CSPAN to ensure our elected officials and lobbyists enjoy coffee responsibly without abuse.
DC is behind Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in caffeination, yet it is unclear whether the study means per capita or total consumption. We can take solace that DC's population is 600,000 people whereas New York City has 8,000,000. I will have a second cup of coffee to ensure that we get one step closer to overtaking Gotham City.
My artistic flair and inspiration: Coffee and Wedding Ring
Wow! I can't believe it, I am married! After a wonderful and joyous wedding weekend, I returned to the DMV to resume my studies.
One perk of weddings is that you get stuff, and in my case, coffee stuff. While 90% of the gifts were directed to my bride, I received a new espresso machine and a coffee grinder, specifically a Gaggia Baby and a Rancillio Rocky. The differerence between this and my Lello Ariete (espresso machine) and Capresso Infinity (grinder) is tremendous. The espresso tastes thicker and I have better control over grind size. The Gaggia' s steamer is powerful and can whip the milk around the pitcher. Sarah received a nice Cuisnart drip machine equipped with a water filter. It evenly disperses the water over the ground coffee with a special nozzle.
An updated picture of my coffee bar.
I am toying around with grind size and tamping with the new portafilter. The portafilter cannot be filled to the brim; room must be left so it can fit securely into the group head. I'm sure over the coming weeks I will work out the kinks, but right now I have plenty of new coffee toys to play with :-) Any tips for these high octane, prosumer machines is welcome! If anyone is wondering, here is my first coffee setup. Note that everything is replaced except the moka pot.
Some readers may have been wondering where I went for the past six months or more. While I may have vanished into the ethereal blogosphere leaving Metro Espresso inactive, I have been quite busy. I am getting married in a week, in August I traveled to Berlin to research, and the rest of the time I was preparing for my comprehensive examinations, which is one step to receiving my doctorate.
I have partly returned to have an outlet outside of school, but also many friends and acquaintances have requested for more articles and posts, pestering me about why the blog has not been updated. To quell there questions and probing, I have quietly returned to Metro Espresso. While I can't dedicate time to Twitter and the other social media accouterments I used in the past, I can promise content on the blog itself, all else is filler. :-)
Last week I ground the last of M.E. Swings's Diplomat Blend. Too cheap to buy good coffee, I peered inside the "coffee closet" finding an airtight Tupperware. An odd mixture of light and dark roasted beans were in the container, most likely aged Dunkin' Donuts and Archer Farms coffee. Yes, the great recession has hit the coffee budget hard. Gone is Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, and Third Wave coffee. Enter First Wave.
I poured the beans into the coffee grinder, set it to a coarse grind for a French Press, and boiled water. Pouring it into the press produced miniscule bloom, a nanometer thick to be exact. The coffee looked anemic, little life, no luster. Yet after serving myself, signs pointed towards to a good cup; a nice chocalety film hugged the edges and after first sip, my eyes expanded to the warm, velvety, and bittersweet taste. After 5 minutes, I voraciously consumed my beverage.
The coffee cup was used and abused.
I have a half hopper of this mystery coffee left. This is why I should start a coffee journal; to keep notes and remember which coffee I have bought and when, but then the mystery would be gone...
A week ago I brought my Counter Culture pour over to the office. Along with the porcelain coffee brewer, I packed a handful of filters, two bags of Sumatran and Columbian coffee, and a mug stating, "Don't mess with my Dad." Thankfully the office had a "whirly blade" grinder and a spouted device that boils water. Now I can make fresh coffee and not spend two dollars at Starbucks! The only other game in town is Bourbon coffee, but that is a 25 minute round trip, which is a tad too far for a quick a coffee pick me up.
After bringing in my coffee making materials, I quickly found that other people wanted coffee too! Gathering around our makeshift coffee kitchen, I waxed eloquent about the benefits of black coffee, the flavor of freshly brewed joe, and the monetary savings from making your own. After brewing three cups, one for myself naturally, my two companions seemed quite content and impressed by the results.
+1 for specialty coffee and -1 for Starbucks.
Next, I will need to train people on making coffee with a pour over, so I am not the only person who will be able to do so. While my system isn't the easiest, it certainly is fun and a nice distraction from studying and writing. And besides, what would academia be without coffee?
"The bad news about fatty fast food just got worse. Researchers have found that a cup of coffee doubles the adverse health impacts of a greasy meal." - Vancouver Sun, 5 April 2011
False alarm! Well for the most part. We coffee lovers have read that there are many health benefits for drinking a cup of coffee everyday. Stumbling upon this article I thought my world was turned upside down. I was lied to and deceived?! But upon further inspection, the article assumes too many things, namely that everyone puts sugar into their coffee. Wheww. Doesn't apply to me. Apparently fats found in fast food inhibit the body's ability to deal with sugars and remove it from the bloodstream.
Here is the relevant piece of the article,
The study, published April 1 in the Journal of Nutrition, examined the results of 11 active, healthy men, between 20 and 30 years of age, given one meal consisting of a special lipid concoction that had the saturated fat content of a cheeseburger, large fries and a shake, and six hours later, a second meal of a sugar-laden drink.
[Me interjecting]: Ahem, "Sugar-laden drink!"
When sugar is consumed the body normally produces insulin, which takes sugar from the blood and distributes it to the muscles. But the fat meal apparently interfered with this process leaving blood sugar levels 32-per-cent higher than when the men had not ingested the fat beverage.
In the second part of the study, test subjects were given two mugs of coffee five hours after the fat beverage. An hour later, they were given the sugar drink. The results showed blood sugar levels were 65-per-cent higher than when the subjects had not ingested the fat and coffee. Beaudoin said the severity of the outcome -blood sugar spiking to pre-diabetic levels -was unexpected.
The study also looked at the levels of incretin hormones, which are released in the gastro-intestinal tract to signal the pancreas to release insulin to dissipate sugar in the blood. Ingesting the fat beverage seemed to blunt the hormones' responses to carbohydrates. In short, fat and caffeine impaired communication between the pancreas and gut, making it more difficult for the body to remove sugar from the blood."
Nevertheless of it being not applicable to Metro Espresso readership :-), if you know someone who loves some BK or McD's, it may be useful to pass on some scientific knowledge.
"Most importantly, the beverage has to be perfect every time. If it’s not, we throw it away and start over." - Rochelle Boone of Le Coffee & Moore.
In my North Carolina hometown of four years, the Sandhills, there is a paucity of quality of coffee. Generally, you have Cactus Creek roasters and that's pretty much it. So I was delighted when a family member sent my a copy of the local paper, The Pilot, spotlighting a new coffee house opening up called Le Coffee & Moore. For those not in the know, the Sandhills area is in Moore county, which accounts for the pun :-). The link for the article is here and the cafe's website here (Still Under Construction). What struck me was the fact that Boone traveled to Portland, Oregon, went and took classes at the America Barista & Coffee School, and set up shop in a market not known for coffee love.
An interesting twist to the cafe is a board-room like table. The article states,
"The conference room, which harks back to her banking days, features a table with seating for eight, a dry-erase board and a television that can also be used for PowerPoint presentations. “I wanted to attract business people as well as students with laptops,” Boone says. “Business people are always looking for a place to take clients. I’ve almost got the whole month of March reserved.”
Generally, cafes have space for groups to meet, but to actively market it as space for businesses to have meetings in a relaxed environment is clever. Buying drinks, scones, and other caffeinated treats, works quite well. I am curious to see if it somehow cordoned off to make sure that the meetings and other customers don't bother one another.
Unfortunately, the article doesn't say what coffee they serve, but I am optimistic that it is quality, especially being so close to Durham-based Counter Culture Coffee. If you're in the area, be sure to check them out, and send me an email. I would like to know how it is!
Hi all, I have been quite busy this week at my real job and haven't had the time to blog. This summer I am trying to go to Germany to go study abroad and go through some archives to look for possible dissertation topics. Getting all the nitty gritty details and funding has been stressful to say the least. Though, it looks like I will live in Berlin for a month!
Look for some future posts in the coming days, but I wanted to update all Metro Espresso readers for whats been happening :-). For your enjoyment, here is a Berlin bear at the Brandenburg Gate. I love the way he bobs his head with the music.
Sitting in front of my monitor, I quietly type away sipping my afternoon coffee. Generally this is not a new experience, except I haven't imbibed coffee since yesterday morning.
What!? You have not had coffee since when? Yes, I was suffering from coffee fatigue. Coffee fatigue, according to me, is when a coffee lover is over caffeinated, gets no pleasure from drinking coffee, and suffers from a coffee "grimyness" all over. (Any other possible symptoms? Drop a comment below)
I went into a self-imposed coffee detox for ~30 hours. Partly due to my busy schedule, partly to the aforementioned coffee fatigue. I agree, sometimes I do not have time to make coffee, or I need to rush out the door to make my class or finish the last few pages of reading. Some days aren't conducive to brewing coffee. Additionally, I have pressed myself not to buy coffee unless I am reviewing the cafe or serves some purpose to writing a blog post. This policy, albeit austere, pushes me to brew at my coffee bar in the apartment. Not ten minutes ago (as of 4:12 PM on Friday), I had my first taste of coffee since 6AM yesterday.
What is so significant of this coffee development? Being away from any cherished thing or person, makes you appreciate it that much more. With coffee out of my system for more than 24 hours, drinking a cup of coffee sends a caffeinated jolt through my body. Similar to drug addict without their fix (An image not without basis, caffeine is a drug you know!), going through a self imposed or contingent detox for coffee, when you indulge in coffee again, you appreciate the flavors, the brewing ritual, and your favorite cup all the more.
What about you? Have you ever though that improving the taste of the coffee could simply mean having longer intervals between cups? Ever suffer from "coffee fatigue?" Comment below!
"It might be the worst of the best coffee, but it is." (Referencing Starbucks) I have to say I can't disagree. While not bad, the image of Starbucks betrays the quality of the product produced. But this is another post.
Looking for a coffee documentary? Look no further.
I stumbled over this coffee gem about a person's search for perfect cappuccino foam. Intertwined with this obsessive caffeinated search, is a critique of Starbucks and how Americans are buying into corporate coffee culture. I have only viewed the trailer, but take a look at their website, (www.cappuccinomovie.com), buy a copy if you like it, and become a fan on their Facebook page. (I would but I do not have Facebook.)
Buying my pour over a few days ago, I felt empowered! Not only would I brew excellent drip coffee, but since I have a coffee blog it would logically follow that I would make an excellent cup the first time. No skill or knowledge need apply. How wrong I was! This is not to say that it turned out badly, but my first cup, despite the wonderful aroma of Counter Culture's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, was watery. Bruising my coffee ego further, the Fiance chimed in agreeing with this assertation. How could this be? It was as if someone broke into my apartment, seized my coffee ego in the form of a balloon, and popped it with extreme prejudice.
Let me start from the beginning. A few days prior, I visited Northside Social and bought the pictured pour over and coffee. When I go to Bourbon coffee in Foggy Bottom, I order the pour over because you can pick the kind of beans you want and it is always fresh. My enjoyment of pour over coffee prompted me to buy said contraption for home use to save money. Spending a few hours reading reviews of Hario V60, Melitta, and the Chemex and the different paper filters, I concluded that I was going to buy the Hario. The accompanying Hario kettle was out of my price range, but I have a green tea pot that is something quite similar.
Arriving at Northside Social to buy my pour over, I found they didn't sell the Hario! I was crushed. Me being the impatient one, I reconciled my feelings and bought the Counter Culture version. Walked the 2 miles to my apartment and eagerly started prepping for the ensuing coffee gloriousness. I ground my coffee (too coarsely I soon found out), heated the water, whetted the filter, and brewed. I followed the directions most baristas give. Wet the grounds for 30 seconds, then pour slowly spiraling out, and always keeping the "bloom" alive. 2 minutes later, my 12oz cup was full. Not the four minutes of steep time I hoped for.
As already mentioned, the results were decent. The coffee itself was good, roasted on Feb. 11 and Counter Culture coffee isn't to be scoffed at. What can I change to improve the end result? Is it simply that I ground it too coarsely? I want to get my coffee balloon back! Thanks, I needed this stream of consciousness/semi-humorous post.
*Update*
Today, I ground the coffee finer, and nuances of the jasmine and honey tasted muted. Is that because the coffee is now being overextracted? Perhaps, I will have to video myself and have you guys comment on it :-).
Hi everyone, I am out and about in the DC area, but take a look at these wonderful pictures of DC this morning! Enjoy the weather if you are in the Metro area. I will be back this weekend with some more coffee related posts on pour overs and Ethiopian coffee.
Until today, I had not visited Northside Social in swanky Clarendon. My friends, knowing that I am monstrous coffee lover, could not believe this omission. It's a few minutes walk from the Metro due to crossing some busy intersections, but distance-wise one can see it from the Metro stop. A specialty coffee and wine bar that sells Counter Culture coffee, pour overs, French Presses, and pastries, Northside Social is the real deal. (Not really a revelation, but its good to know that it's not hype.) There was ample seating inside, a second floor, and an outside patio area.
What was particularly impressive was the drip coffee. One of the best ways to judge a coffee shop, is how tasty the drip coffee is. From my experience, drip coffee is easy to make, but hard to keep it flavorful and interesting resulting in a "wow." Since I bought a bag of coffee, I received a medium sized cup of drip (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe) for free! Let me tell you, wow! It was flavorful, pleasantly warm (not scalding), and tasted fresh. The jasmine and honey notes were particularly noticeable in the taste.
The baristas were engaging, and answered all my questions about the pour over and getting the right filters for it. I will post about that later, but Northside Social serves excellent coffee, and I highly recommend it to anyone if they haven't visited already. I will be reviewing Northside Social in a later post as I hadn't the opportunity to look at prices, offerings, ambiance...etc.
A change of pace this morning. Today, I ground some coffee in the spice mill for a cup of Turkish coffee. Unfortunately, I did not grind enough coffee to get a nice coffee film on the top. The last cup I made had a beautiful oily film on the top. Unfortunately, no camera was around to snap a picture. To be sure, I will make one to show all Metro Espresso readers that it can be done! Interested on Turkish coffee? Look at my previous posts here and here for more information.
Unlike Espresso, French Press, and other warm coffee drinks, Turkish coffee mixed with the spice cardamon, has a refreshing, "pine-like" quality that makes it quite unique and memorable.
This is a Guest Post by Dave, who is currently living in DC and is an avid coffee lover. If you would like to be a Guest Writer for Metro Espresso, please contact me at MetroEspressoDC@gmail.com
On my two visits to Filter Coffee, located one street off Connecticut Avenue on 20th between R St. and S St. in the Dupont Circle neighborhood I walked away with one over-riding thought. They sure can make a nice drink. Not so rare you say? Well, it kind of is rare these days as the coffee shop community blooms here in DC and the talent pool gets thinner and thinner. The baristas who served me were friendly and very competent. I could hear them answering customer questions with patience and with an interest in educating the novice, without being snobbish. From the decor which is earthy and inviting, accented by their signature warm orange espresso machine, to their focus on the coffee I quickly felt I was in a good place. A lightly adorned exposed brick wall serves as the backdrop for a wide cross-section of the diverse neighborhood.
Bike messengers, coffee hipsters, tailored commuters, the self- and un-employed laptop addicts, and local office workers all can equally lay claim to this small semi-submerged oasis. Just a few steps below street level one gets the sense of being a world away aided by the sweet aroma of a large variety of pour overs, and the hubbub of conversations and swell music in the air. Most days finds Rasheed, the owner, personally making the drinks or waiting at the pick-up end of the counter to smartly greet his large cadre of regulars. I overheard a few of his speeches on fine dining and could see a real passion in him - a passion not fully realized in his shop as the selection of baked goods or food of any kind is surprisingly lacking. Upon leaving after my second visit was when I even noticed they offered anything. This is either a bad oversight or a testament to their single-minded focus on the coffee. I will need more visits (and more good coffees) to really know. It didn't bother me one bit.
Of their coffees I went with the Guatemalan suggested to me. French Pressed. It was simple, clean and mild. A true crowd pleaser. My next visit found me going back to the counter for second Americano for the road. More please! One of the best Ive had in the city. Their website lists Cafe Pronto of Annapolis as their roaster, a very competent and popular roaster that serves many shops here in DC.
As good as things were, I would like to see Filter move out of that box a little and multi-source their beans which I believe would back up their bona fides as a coffee-centric operation. The bottom line on Filter is that its a wonderful coffee shop that knows its community and works hard to provide it with good coffees in a nice environment. Coolness factor is high - you must check out the coffee icon bike racks out front.
(This is a printing press, though it does resemble a medieval torture apparatus.)
In seeking new ways to expand Metro Espresso, I will be creating a physical and digital coffee newsletter that will, hopefully, be distributed to select cafes in the DC-area. It will be published once a month. If you would like to write an article about DC coffee culture (highly encouraged) or general coffee topics (still encouraged), please contact me via email (MetroEspressoDC@gmail.com) or Twitter.
It should be roughly 250 words in length or less. Examples of an article could be a tidbit on the ongoing regional Barista championships or a review of a new coffee brewing device. Can you submit coffee-related poetry and prose? Yes! If I receive a flood submissions, the one's that do not make it into the print edition will be featured on the blog as featured posts. I am quite excited about this, and hope you can be a part of this project. If you have friends who are possibly interested, tell them!
Are you a cafe who would like to receive the inaugural Metro Espresso Coffee Newsletter for your patrons? Please contact me and I can set you up with a digital copy.
