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Sunday, March 26, 2006
Break out the whip
Every once and awhile we all need a little whip. My first mocha in maybe two years. It was really good, but my stomach hurt later because I ate a bunch of other weird stuff with it. Yes coffee and chocolate go together.
http://static.flickr.com/22/117371103_2400e9d2dc.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/22/117371103_2400e9d2dc.jpg
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
I know it's only coffee, but I like it.
Last year during the WBC/SCAA here in Seattle I was at one of the many parties and a guy I know who is a local coffee house owner made the comment "It's only coffee." Now this is fairly interesting since he owns a well known local coffee house and makes his living off peddling coffee. In his comment he was referring to all the fuss about the barista competitions and I imagine also all the coffee geeks from around the world talking roasting, dosing and debating anything coffee. I have thought of this comment many times since then and I have thought he is right it is only coffee. At the same time you can say the same thing about anything that people get passionate about. I sort of feel sorry for the guy because having a passion for something anything is fun. Whether it is computers, sports, wine, food, cars, music or coffee, but passion about almost anything is what makes life exciting. So while I agree "it is only coffee" I like it and I like talking about it, making it, taking pictures of it and I like discovering it in it's many facets. Like the Stones who said it is only rock and roll but I like it I say the same about coffee.
So enjoy your coffee however you drink it and have passion in everything, but at the same time remember it is only coffee.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Old friends
I had a chance last night to catch up with two friends. We meet up at Lighthouse Coffee House. Steve Ford aka boyman,dogmilque who you might know from Blue Bottle is on the left. He is now roasting for Andrew at Ecco Coffee. Josh Russert who until recently he was the head trainer with Fairstart which is a organization here in Seattle that trains homeless teens how to be Batista's he is now a international trainer with Starbucks. I had the privilege of working with Steve and Josh in my early Zoka days.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
It's been awhile
Well it's been awhile since I have posted and my fans have been clamoring for me to write and maybe post some pictures. That is Jeremy keeps bugging me and some stalker girl or maybe there the same person. I have had lots of thoughts of what I should do next, but the holidays came and it's been so dark and dreary hear in Seattle and the extended install of our theoretical roaster and afterburner I just haven't had any extra energy. So I thought I would just let people know that I am still here.
Here is what is going on in my coffee world. First of all our roaster ordeal I think is coming to an end and hopefully we will be up and roasting by....... next month maybe I hope sooner hopefully not later. I should also say that I am sitting at this moment writing this blog at the place that is the current coffee illuminates favorite coffee house that is Victrola. I really like their bar seating. I want a coffee house with bar seating like this but longer. Anyway back to my coffee world. There has been construction going on up and down the street of our main store since last spring and it seems like it is taking forever. It has kill about half our morning business. I am working on a barista certification that was supposed to be done before the first of the year. The first phase is almost done. I hope to make it as comprehensive as a basic barista certification can be. I have actually been working on this for a few years and most of my notes got stolen with my back pack about a year ago. It was very depressing.
I am also currently working on a new and exciting side project that I can't elaborate on at the moment that you will be hearing about either right before or after the SCAA show in NC. I can't say more this is Top Secret.
That's all for now.
Peace to your Grannie
Here is what is going on in my coffee world. First of all our roaster ordeal I think is coming to an end and hopefully we will be up and roasting by....... next month maybe I hope sooner hopefully not later. I should also say that I am sitting at this moment writing this blog at the place that is the current coffee illuminates favorite coffee house that is Victrola. I really like their bar seating. I want a coffee house with bar seating like this but longer. Anyway back to my coffee world. There has been construction going on up and down the street of our main store since last spring and it seems like it is taking forever. It has kill about half our morning business. I am working on a barista certification that was supposed to be done before the first of the year. The first phase is almost done. I hope to make it as comprehensive as a basic barista certification can be. I have actually been working on this for a few years and most of my notes got stolen with my back pack about a year ago. It was very depressing.
I am also currently working on a new and exciting side project that I can't elaborate on at the moment that you will be hearing about either right before or after the SCAA show in NC. I can't say more this is Top Secret.
That's all for now.
Peace to your Grannie
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
The NWRBC
Hotwires own Karl "Ice Man" Smeltzer makes the NWRBC finals in his first competition.
Karl was cool and calm in his first competition and showed tons of potential.
Our other barista who competed was Sean "Tornado" Lee
and Jeremy "the Tickler" Summer.
All three did a great job representing Hotwire and look forward to competing in NC.
It was a great weekend and I had a great time hanging out with my coffee friends. The only bad part was that the lens on my camera broke a couple of days before the NWRBC and I had my kids all weekend so I couldn't go to everything or stay as long at the things I did attend.
It was great to see my friend Jen Prince win and to see Victrola representing. Great jog Daniel. If Victrola keeps it up it may not be long before we see a US champ from their company.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Another satisfied Hotwire customer
that's when Hotwire stepped in and saved the day with fresh roasted coffee and drinks made to order by barista's who care for the working stick.
Stickmen Unite!!!
Tired of stale coffee the local stickmen union went on strike to guarantee fresh roasted coffee.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Ballard Locks
This has no relation to coffee other then I was there on Sunday and it is in Seattle. On Sunday my family and I went to the Ballard locks to watch the boats being raised and lowered into and out of the Pudget Sound to and from Lake Union. We also wanted to watch the Salmon run in the fish ladder. It was a beautiful day and the fish were running strong and heavy. This is a great place to see nature up close and personal right in the middle of the city. This is one of the things I love about Seattle. To see the rest of these pictures click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/dismas/sets/1110749/
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The Barista
Now this is something that I have thought about for awhile and it was brought back to mind when I was in Denver for Nascore during a conversation I had. It is the role of the barista right now and how many barista view themselves and where the role of the barista could be. While I think that the "barista" has made great strides over the last five years I think we still have a long way to go. I guess what I mean is that for the most part most barista at best are really good latte makers. There are efforts to take the "barista" past that which is good, but I guess the thing that gets me is some of the egos I have seen. I guess this is just the way humans are wired. You see a barista who has won or done well in a barista competition which is fine and well, but all that means is you made a few drinks well at a given point in time. Competitions really don't show if the barista has any depth of knowledge in not just his/her chosen craft but the coffee industry as a whole. It strikes me as funny that someone with maybe two, three or maybe five years experience like to wax eloquent about what they know. It seems like the less experience the more waxing. If you go to the Court of Master Sommeliers web site http://www.mastersommeliers.org/ and look at becoming a sommelier you will notice the amount of knowledge one needs to know and at each level the requirements a exponentially larger. I think that here in the states any way we are a few years away from any organization like this from starting. In Europe I think there are at least two that I know of that are beginning to develop the knowledge and skill necessary. The two schools are the London School of Coffee http://www.londonschoolofcoffee.com/ and the Copenhagen Coffee Academy http://copenhagencoffeeacademy.com/index2.php?menuid=1&parent=0 , but even these if you look at their courses they are still very basic. I guess I'm not sure what I am trying to say just that I think the position of barista is going in the right direction, but we need to go in that direction with a certain amount of humility and guidance from those who have been in the industry much longer then us. Well I could write more but my "ADD" is kicking in.
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