The Great Coffee Overload at ACF 2015

Friday started extra early for me. I had set my alarm clock for 7.30 the night before, but had beat the annoying jingle to the morning.

A familiar feeling crept up on me. It felt like I was 9 again and my dad was about to take me to an amusement park. With that same childish giddiness I rushed to catch my train. No thrill rides and sugar rushes for me, but a weekend of caffeine and awesome inspirational people awaited! I simply couldn’t wait until I passed the doors of the Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2015 and after two long… very looooong hours I finally did.

Like last year, the ACF was hosted at the NDSM-dock in Amsterdam. It was such an awesome location for a festival like this.

Walking in, one of the first things that stood out was the La Marzocco stand. The public was greeted by three covered machines. Eagle-eyed coffee fanatics already knew this was about the unveiling of the new La Marzocco Linea Mini. A shiny new machine, yet inspired by a true classic, for the very enthusiastic home baristas among us

On to the festival itself. Fortunately it was my second time ’round. I learned the hard way I had to pace my coffee intake. So, naturally, I ran to the first stand I wanted to visit for an espresso.

The remainder of the day I spent running around, tasting awesome coffee at the hands of White Label, Single Estate, Stooker Roasting Co. and Berlin’s Five Elephant.

I also got to listen to an enticing talk by Jeffrey Young, as he laid out a full coffee market report. A presentation about today’s coffee scene. He talked about how he has been saying “branded chains are on the rise” for years now, and how that still holds true. Next to that, he also mentioned the blossoming artisan coffee culture. He even went as far as calling Amsterdam one of the most exciting coffee places of Europe. He also explained how we’re starting to see a lot of specialty coffee pop up in combination with other ventures (coffee and ‘vintage’ anyone? ;))

What I took away from Friday is how unbelievably passionate and sharing the people at the ACF were.

Fortunately for me this was day one of two I got to run around a caffeinated fool in Amsterdam!
In the next part I’ll discuss my runnings about on the Sunday… And what finally decided to take home with me from the ACF 😉

See you at the next shot!

Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2015

A small impression of ACF 2015. Met so many cool people 🙂 Expect a full update, later this week!

Something’s brewing

So, two years ago I started this blog. I didn’t really know which direction I wanted to go in, so one day I just decided to start off. Unfortunately, I found out it took a lot more time than I anticipated. And so it turned awfully quiet around here.

However, I never stopped being around coffee. I volunteered for SCAE at the Dutch Latte Art Championship in Amsterdam, for instance. It was fascinating meeting all these professionals and seeing the contestants at work. I got to meet a lot of new and very interesting people!

Enter the Amsterdam Coffee Festival. As you can read, I got the opportunity to blog for them. It made me fall in love with writing all over again. Moreover, it made me connect with more coffee lovers and bloggers alike!

Finally I know which direction I want to go in and boy, it’s exciting! With the Amsterdam Coffee Festival right around the corner, I’ve got some awesome ideas lined up, working with equally awesome people.

I won’t tell you exactly what you can expect, but you can expect a lot of stories. No reviews, rankings or ratings, but I’ll be sitting down with different people to talk coffee, whether they be professionals, amateurs, or complete strangers to specialty coffee. Basically it’s an excuse to meet people and drink coffee 😉 I mostly want people to tell their story and bridge the gap between the connoisseur and the average Joe.

Well, that’s the major update for me for now. Thank you for reading and you’ll hear/read from me soon!

Much love and coffee,

Tahn.

Coffee is the coolest drink this summer!

May is upon us. That means the Amsterdam Coffee Festival is fast-approaching.  I can’t describe how excited I am!

Now, the Netherlands has seen its first rays of promising sun in April. I’ve already spotted the first shorts, flip flops and ice creams in the street. I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with the standard iced lattes and coffees. But for those of you who aren’t, I have a few suggestions if you need to cool down this summer.

Cold brew coffee by Mike Cooper (Jamie Oliver’s Drinks Tube)

One of UK’s most popular chefs Jamie Oliver took to Youtube a couple of years ago and set up Drinks Tube. In this video resident barista Mike Cooper explains what cold brew coffee is and how you can make it yourself. Do try this at home, I’d say!

Espresso Affogato (by Noom Sarawuth)

More dessert, than drink, an affogato is sure to cool you down especially when you have a sweet tooth. It’s as simple as pouring a shot of espresso over good quality vanilla ice cream, but look at that oozing goodness in a glass!

Espresso tonic (by For Better Coffee)

For the adventurous spirits among us, there is the espresso tonic. It’s basically what it says on the tin. An espresso topped off with tonic water. I tried this in Amsterdam for the first time and what a revelation it was. The typical bitterness of the tonic is somewhat softened and complimented by the coffee. As a result, you end up with an oddly refreshing beverage for those sweltering days.

Hopefully I’ll see you in Amsterdam. Have a great festival everybody! See you at the next shot.

Much love,

Tahn

The incredible journey of coffee

I can’t believe another month’s gone by and it’s time share some exciting  coffee videos again!

For most of us, the only thing we get to see when we order a coffee, is the final product. A nice fresh brew sitting on the table top in front of us, to be enjoyed, relished, analysed or simply just consumed. We all know that the contents of that very cup has an origin, but where does it start?

This month, I’ve tried to find videos that take you further back, over the counter, to the roaster and onto the farm.

Disclaimer: as always, none of the videos are actually owned by me. Give the creators a like, to show and share the coffee love!

Specialty Coffee: The Pursuit of Deliciousness (by Thrash Lab)

A great video that depicts the arts of roasting and cupping. Two of many processes key to serving the best quality coffee to the customer. What I particularly love about the video, is the amount of passion shown by these professionals.

Tim Wendelboe: Developing  Green Coffee Quality (by Nordic Barista)

 I set out to find a video about the people who actually import green coffee. Having founded his own company Nordic  Approach, the ever inspiring Tim Wendelboe ranks among the best. He talks about his perspective on developing green coffee quality. At 51 minutes, it’s quite a lengthy talk, but definitely worthwhile!

SPREAD Rwanda Specialty Coffee: Brewing Fresh Oppurtunity (by GLP Films)

Coffee; a global language

Coffee’s ability to unite people from different cultures, can be described as nothing short of uncanny. The Amsterdam Coffee Festival is able to welcome people from all over the world, simply because coffee is global language. But, as with any language, variation defines a nation. Each country has its own history with coffee . This month I’ve chosen videos that highlight the coffee cultures on three different continents.
Disclaimer: As per usual, I do not own any of the videos. Give the creators a like, to show your support and shared love for the good stuff!
Specialty coffee: Paris awakening (by Puxan BC)

Paris is a city which is riddled with cafés and its people are widely known for their love for artisanal products. Therefore, it came as a surprise to me that specialty coffee is just now finding its feet in the French capital. Watch as one of the biggest coffee consuming nations awakens.

Coffee in Melbourne (by Visit Melbourne)

On the other side of the world we find a completely different story. Together with their neighbouring kiwis (with which I mean the people from New Zealand, not the… fruit…), Ozzies can be considered frontrunners. Just don’t ask either party who created the Flat White first… Take a look and see what they’re up to in beautiful Melbourne.
The History of Coffee Culture in America Smithsonian (by BU Today)

Before creating one of the Ventiest largest franchises, coffee in America started humble, post-war. I like this video, because it also briefly touches on the science behind our daily ritual.
As I said, from the outback to the home of the brave to the land of the setting sun, we all speak coffee. So please allow me to conclude with a very wise, universal saying:

Cool coffee on the web feat. Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2015

This year our Dutch capital will host the second edition of its Coffee Festival, aptly named the Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2015. The festival will take place on 15 – 17 May. To gear up for the ACF, I will be scouring the internet the next couple of months, for the coolest, most fun and/or most inspiring coffee videos it has to offer.

Important disclaimer: Again, no infringement intended. It’s all about the spreading of coffee love.

This month ‘inspiring’ was the word I used to gather my first collection of videos. I found 3 (rather known) professionals with an awesome perspective on coffee.

First up is Katsu Tanaka of Bear Pond Espresso, Tokyo. One could say Tanaka-san is somewhat an ‘enfant terrible’, but what a master of his craft he is. (Side note: a trainer brand is mentioned here, but just listen to what Katsu has to say 😉 ).

Bear Pond Expresso (by K-Swiss Asia):

Now, who doesn’t love a great TED Talk from time to time. I always love watching these on a quiet Sunday morning, enjoying my first brew of the day. In this video kiwi Nick Clark (2013 Barista Champion New Zealand) talks about what specialty coffee is.

Nick Clark’s TED Talk “What is specialty coffee?”:

And last, but certainly not least, is the ‘there-really-aren’t-enough-positive-adjectives’ Gwilym Davies. European Coffee Trip sat down with this passionate innovator to talk about his journey. The interview is a whopping 45 minutes, but check the description for useful timestamps.

Gwilym Davies interviewed by European Coffee Trip:

Hopefully you’re getting those pre-festival jitters with me after these videos! Thanks for reading (and watching) and I’ll see you at the next shot!

CtB Calling… London! Part 1

So… Yes, it has a been a bit quiet around here. Sometimes not so fun stuff can get in the way of the real fun stuff.

However, that doesn’t mean I’ve dropped coffee altogether. If it hadn’t been for coffee I wouldn’t have survived my uni’s reign of terror… And now for something completely different!

I’ve been to London last week. Ah yes, London. Wonderful London with your great food, plays and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. All crammed in a stay which lasted a whopping 39 hours.

Sadly, I didn’t arrive in time for the London Coffee Festival. But, the day I arrived I did have the pleasure of dining at Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa. By the way, if you’re not only a fan of coffee but also of barbecue, meat and beer.. Go there. Seriously. What are you waiting for?

The next day we woke up nice and early in the morning to start our coffee quest… And boy, did we quest.

First stop, Workshop coffee!

We started off with a nice bowl of porridge (don’t judge us!) and I tried their Finca Tamana (Aeropress). To me it was a lovely full bodied coffee, without getting too heavy. It also had a certain crisp sweetness to it, which made a great pairing with the bowl of chunky aforementioned porridge. By the way… Porridge is an awesome way to start your day.

 

Also, before we ordered anything we were served a milk bottle of water with two glasses. A milk bottle… Of water… That’s genius right there.

Anyway, after the porridge and coffee we ordered some tea. Yes, tea. Y’see, last year we went to the World of Coffee in Vienna and stumbled upon a stall displaying tea. They were Waterloo Tea from (the Doctor Who-famed 😉 ) Cardiff. Their teas were excellent. Ranging from fruity lychee to the bold smokey Iron Goddess of Mercy. Really nice blokes as well!

We chose the Iron Goddess of Mercy and boy, what a way to finish off breakfast!

Of course we had to buy some coffee here as well so I took home the Cult of the Done Espresso. A nice, fruity blend with a chocolatey/cocoa finish.

All in all, to me Workshop offered a great combination of atmosphere, great coffee, good service and bloody excellent porridge!

In the next part we’re heading to Prufrock!

The Great Hiatus

First off: My apologies. Yet again. I haven’t updated in a long time and I know that. Uni has been frightening hard on me and has demanded my full attention sadly. But… Luckily coffee is never far away, especially during my midterms. Now that I’ve finished those, I can get my butt in to gear and write more. And boy, there’s some fun stuff coming up.

For one: I will be going abroad at the end of April and it’s that trip that will ring in the Great Relaunch. I know I haven’t been writing for that long at all, but I really want to figure out which way I want to go with this blog.

Keep checking my Twitter for updates!

I’ll see you soon!

———–

Edit: Wow, it’s  been ages… The Great Hiatus was greater than I ever expected. However(!), you can expect this blog to come alive once more, as we’re gearing up to the awesomelicious second edition of The Amsterdam Coffee Festival!

Kenya, My Cousin and the Chemex

So, I didn’t get my coffee fix last week ’cause of this -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g80pESB7jqU

But it was well worth the wait, because I came back to some awfully delicious things by Normo, Drop Coffee and Caffenation

Kenya

First up to taste was this great Kenyan Kangocho. While I *think* they boast sweet apple tones and vanilla (source: Drop Coffee, 2013, http://dropcoffee.tictail.com/product/kangocho-nyeri-kenya-250g#&panel1-1), my budding taste buds were picking up on something green-ish like pine while the coffee was still hot. The more it cooled off, the more the pine seem to blend into an overall sweeter/fresher kind of coffee.

My Cousin

So I had to work again on Saturday… And my cousin and a friend of his decided to drop in for a cup of slow coffee. Since it was quieting down my lovely employers decided I could try my hand at Aerostress –press. They were also kind enough to take pictures of me dawdling. Good LORD there’s a lot you have to keep in mind while working with an Aeropress! Weighing, knocking out old coffee from the grinder, putting the beans in, grinder on, grinder off, grinder on, knock… Boiling, weighing some more, stirring, pressing… And that’s skipping steps! Luckily I have 2 pairs of watchful (but gentle) eyes on me and they took me through every step. I do love my job so much.

 

Oh, and more importantly.. I served two satisfied customers! Now only to speed up that time to serve them and it’s another gold star for me, haha!

Chemex

For some reason I’ve seen to have taken to the Chemex. Having two (and a half) cups of coffee for myself allows me to taste the coffee at different temperatures. It’s really amazing how the taste of coffee can subtly change while it cools and still be as delicious. I also happen to enjoy jauntily pouring coffee from that Chemex… but that’s just me.. =P

 

In other news; I’ve decided to go for a weekly update! I’ll drink coffee, take some pictures and take notes of what I think I taste. I should be able to work on my posts during the weekends and update every Tuesday!

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at the next shot!