I heard a rumor from someone at Cafe Brioso that Kickstart (on High St in the Short North) is having a barista jam soon. I went down there to confirm this and, as it happens, they are having a barista jam on September 5th, 2pm to 7pm. There will be a latte art competition as well as skill building clinics for local baristas at any skill level. (linkorama)
I took this as an opportunity to have another double at Kickstart. The friendly barista used whatever was already ground in the hopper, but he took care to clean the portafilter before pulling my shots. It was a pretty good shot: a little tannish and just this side of bitter, but it mellowed out into nutty flavors and had a fantastic smoothness. The lingering aftertaste (more of an aftersmell, really) was very much like smelling whole beans (they're still using Caruso's, by the way). Well done, Kickstart!
I took this as an opportunity to have another double at Kickstart. The friendly barista used whatever was already ground in the hopper, but he took care to clean the portafilter before pulling my shots. It was a pretty good shot: a little tannish and just this side of bitter, but it mellowed out into nutty flavors and had a fantastic smoothness. The lingering aftertaste (more of an aftersmell, really) was very much like smelling whole beans (they're still using Caruso's, by the way). Well done, Kickstart!
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Luck Brothers had a barista jam a few weeks ago and, although I regretfully was not able to attend, it sounded very similar to what the Kickstart one sounds like. And even though I stop by Kickstart now and then and generally enjoy it, I think Luck Brothers has a lot better coffee a lot more consistently (I swear I don't work there--just a very happy customer)!
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on Venezuela nationalizing two major coffee processors? Here is alink to story
ReplyDeletehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8182172.stm
Historically, the governments of coffee producing countries have always held a vicelike grip on their respective coffee industries. A lot of countries, especially in Africa, have national auctions that are heavily regulated. In the case of South America, there is a long history of price fixing and gaming the global market. Have a look at Brazil's valorization schemes, the FNC in Colombia, and the Bogota Group for examples.
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