October Events

1: Columbus Coffee Review Colombian Coffee Tasting @ Spore Infoshop. Three coffees: Grocery Store, Local Specialty Roaster, and Home-Roasted organic. A blind tasting of each to test our palates while we discuss the ecological effects of the coffee trade. October 8th, 7pm. Free (suggested donation to Spore Infoshop and Coffee Kids). Link to Directions

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia
CAPITAL: Bogota
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Unitary Multiparty Republic
AREA: 1,138,914 Sq Km (439,735 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION 38,324,400

Distance between Medellin and Columbus: 2,378 miles.
Distance between New York and San Francisco: 2,570 miles.

Time Zones: Midnight in Columbus, 11:00pm in Medellin.

In general, there are two main seasons, (1.) the wet season from March
to May and September to November with (2.) the dry season from
December to February and June to August.

From this climate, and over this distance, come coffee beans from
Colombia. Grown in the Equitorial highlands, the beans are roasted and
consumed in the United States where they are thrown away after a
single brewing. These grounds contain thousands of chemicals and are
rich in nutrients. Rather than be reused and reincorporated into the
local environment and, in a larger sense, global chemical cycles, they
are sequestered in sanitary landfills. Locked away for the foreseeable
future in Northern dumps and literal waste-lands are powerful organic
fertilizers of tropical origin. The goal of this talk and tasting are
to increase knowledge about coffee trade and efficient use of what is
around us; to increase our ability to get the most out of what we
consume in a way that profits not only the consumer but those chemical
aspects of the global ecology that are influenced by international
trade and agribusiness. And also to drink some amazing coffee and put
our palates to the test in guessing which coffees were traded fairly,
which not so fairly, and which were roasted locally or mass-produced.

2: The Columbus International Film + Video Festival presents "Strong Coffee", a film that tells the story of Café Femenino—a revolutionary idea that is helping people in need all over the world. Café Femenino beans are the first coffee beans grown entirely by women farmers. October 20th, 7pm @ Studio 35. $5 at the door.

Vic's

Vic's
251 W. 5th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201

This is the place where, back when it was called Victorian's Midnight Cafe, I cut my teeth on coffee and cafe culture when I was in high school. Back then it was just an espresso machine and a big drip brewer. Over the years the owner, Greg, transitioned his cafe into something that resembled any old bar. Now, under new ownership, it is more like the trendy Short North hotspots on High Street than the quirky vortex of weirdness it once was. Wine tastings and 60 beers compete with a relatively small assortment of coffees. My nostalgia notwithstanding, I gave it another go after a long hiatus.

Espresso

Beans: Cafe Apropos (just a few blocks away on 3rd)

Positives:
Served in demitasse.
Ground per shot.

Negatives:
Shot volume (about 6 ounces) was twice that of a normal double espresso.
Dissipating, faint crema.
Sour taste, hints of kalamata olive (This sourness is a problem at Apropos, as well).

Cappuccino

Positives:
Appropriate proportions.
Foaming of milk was very quiet.

Negatives:
Skim milk used by default.
Milk foam clung to cup; visible, albeit tiny, bubbles.
Sour espresso.

Drip

The organic Sumatra was great. Medium body with positive toasted nut/rice flavors. Very good indeed.

>Don't forget about the Barista Jam at Kickstart on Saturday!