Seattle Coffee Works

Growing up in the Southwest of Germany, I understood at an early age the true meaning of the village pub. There was a brewery with a brew pub in pretty much every town of more than 1,000 people. The meaning of the brew pub was multifold. Mainly, it was where the village elders gathered after church; where we’d go after a funeral; and where we’d go during summer for refreshments. (I did try my first beer at the tender age of three but, seriously, I didn’t swallow it, I promise!)

There were lots of brew pubs where I grew up but barely any coffeehouses. The closest thing to Kaffeehaus was the Konditorei in the big town. They were known for their cream cakes but not for their coffee. Some of the best known Cafes in Berlin, Cafe Kranzler, and Vienna, Cafe Sacher, are known for their cream cakes. The famed prototype of a Viennese Kaffeehaus isn’t known either for their coffee or for their cakes. It’s for that reason I always wondered what made the Kaffeehaus so famous.

Just after my recent espresso crawl in Berlin, Germany, I continued on for a short visit of some very good friends in Vienna. They sent me off on a small crawl of Wiener Kaffeehäuser. Here’s what I learned about Viennese coffeehouses:

• they have a great selection of national and international newspapers;
• their service is fabled for a basic grumpiness; if your waiter or waitress is friendly they’re having a bad day;
• the Vienna specific coffee concoctions like Einspänner or Verlängerter are just names for basic coffee with more or less water or more or less whipped cream.
• you go to a Viennese coffeehouse pretty much for the same reasons the elders in my village visited the village pub;
• sometimes you run into a very famous people, like poets, writers, artists, famous actors;
• the interior design of Viennese coffeehouses follows strict design principles and by and large the goal of the design is to allow customers to see and be seen.

I was wondering what might happen (if it might happen, ever?!) if the traditional Viennese coffeehouses started serving excellent coffee. Would they go out of business? Would it confuse the poets?

A recent trip to Berlin, Germany, afforded me an opportunity to check out the local coffee scene there. The Berlin coffee crawl was a about as sobering (if not more so) than a recent espresso crawl with a couple of friends here in Seattle.

I’ll spare you the details of all the disappointments I had on the way but will say the following was true for each of the espresso bars (all of which roasted their own coffee) I went to:

• the espresso machines were of the single-boiler type with little to no temperature control; I spotted no LaMarzoccos or Synessos or any other quality make of an espresso maker;
• while the interior design of many cafes was truly breath-taking, the emphasis on design didn’t apply to what type of cup to present an espresso in. Most espressos were presented in an 8-oz cup; one time I asked for a double espresso and received – it’s really true! – a 4-oz cup full of a brown and bitter substance which might have been concocted in a Melitta drip filter contraption using old coffee and the wrong grind;
• If the baristas’ equipment and techniques were lacking, the quality of the coffee didn’t help. Coffee often was overroasted, the blends struck me as unsuited for an excellent espresso (single-origin espresso was not an option anywhere I went), the roast date was often not noted on the package.

In all, given the pride Germans take in fine food, the espresso scene was lacking at best. There was a notable exception – Bonanza Coffee Roasters in Prenzlauer Berg. My heart started jumping when I saw a beautiful three-group Synesso Cyncra. The espresso was superb. I briefly met Emile (sp?), one of the two roasters at Bonanza. Bonanza uses a 3kg Probat. Small. Very small. But very very fine. There is hope!

P.S.: After I’d left Berlin, I received a note from Barista Academy Berlin with a couple of recommendations: Double Eye and Berliner Kaffeerösterei. I’ll have to try those out the next time when I am in Berlin.

Rose Tosti and Michael Smith and I wanted to take a pulse of the quality of the espresso at some of the newer establishments and roasters in town. Earlier today, we went on a seven-stop Seattle espresso crawl. The result was humbling and somewhat sobering.

Three espresso bars we visited produced delicious espressos for us.

Two espresso bars’ espresso was technically good but simply not very enjoyable. In one case, the barista didn’t do as good a job as he could have. In the other case, we didn’t like the ashen undertones of the coffee itself.

Two reputable espresso bars served us undrinkable espressos. They were burnt tasting and badly pulled. In one case, the burnt-tasting and badly pulled espresso was served by a guy who looked in pain – maybe a funeral home would be a better place for him.

The good news: espresso is still the king of all coffee drinks.

The lucky news for us: our own single-origin El Salvador Villa Espana came in solidly in the top three espressos we sampled.

The no news: making espresso truly ain’t easy. It takes so much work and flawless execution. We can only hope that with all the diligence we put into sourcing, roasting, and preparing our coffees we’ll serve an enjoyable cup almost all the time.

Photo: An espresso made at Seattle Coffee Works in September 2006, photographed by Lara Ferroni

We were invited to demonstrate some Slow Bar contraptions on King 5. Check out the video.

They were all from El Salvador. Oh, El Salvador…

#1 Apaneca Ilamatepec Suiza: Sweet tobacco, tart dried fruit and rich earth.

#2 Apaneca Ilamatepec El Ausol: Lots of high notes - very tart and sweet with a bit of creamy earth.

#3 Alotepec Metapan La Matanita: Tart, nearly shrill approach leading into earth & chocolate, though slightly out of balance.

#4 Apaneca Ilamatepec San Isidro: Tangy cherry & woodsy earth, dark chocolate, and a light finish.

#5 Apaneca Ilamatepec Los Andes: Tropical fruit, sweet cream, tobacco & dark chocolate. Great balance and nice, round mouthfeel. Delicious.

We tasted the Atlas Importers coffees again. These were the same coffees as last week with the same roast dates, and another week’s aging. Looking over the two sets of notes, it seems that the week’s age made a big difference to me in most cases.

FTO Cascadia Blend (decaf): Creamy, rich & nutty. Round & sweet.

Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna: Dusty. Earth & chocolate, with a slightly bitter finish.

Costa Rica Santa Elena Miel: Earth, wood & baking spice. Dusty finish.

Costa Rica Cerro Paldo: Creamy tropical fruit leading into a chocolate and baking spice finish. Delicious.

Costa Rica Cloza Estate: Sweet tobacco, chocolate & caramel finish.

El Salvador El Toreador: Rich & sharp, a little caramel sweetness though acrid on the finish.

We tasted some great single origin coffees from Atlas Importers, which were surprising and delicious:

FTO Cascadia Blend (decaf): Mellow. Nutty, creamy earth.

Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna: Smooth & sweet. Lemon candy, nuts & baking spice.

Costa Rica Santa Elena Miel: Tangy & sweet. Dried berries & dusty earth in great balance.

Costa Rica Cerro Paldo: Creamy and hearty. Lemon, smoke & toasted nuts.

Costa Rica Cloza Estate: Tart & funky. Spice & cream spiked with dried tropical fruit.

El Salvador El Toreador: Dusty. Earth, baking spice & toast.

Welcome friends and welcome foes
Welcome you fools, and you sages.
Welcome you thinkers and you laborers,
Men and women, young and old.

We gather to taste of that divine nectar,
That permeates the air with its fine fragrance,
That dances on our tongues like a tango,
That sings to our pallets of symphonies unheard,
Yes, coffee is all of this,
This and much more.

For there is mystery here…
From farmer to roaster to barista,
Passion is channeled into attentive labor – this bean desires care.
And care we give it, as much as we’re able,
Not because we have created this thing,
But because we know the glory it has to give,
And so we tend to it – meticulously, tenderly,
As a mother to her child,
That it may be birthed into its fullness,
That wonder we are here to enjoy.

So drink you fighters and you lovers,
Drink you cynics and you hopeful,
Drink you orthodox and you heretics,
Drink you conservatives, and you liberals.

Join us in this most human endeavor,
As we delight in this gift—
From Creator to all humankind,
Dissolving the boundaries which separate us,
And forming community where we thought we had none.

It is precious,
It is beautiful,
It is coffee – Let us drink!

At the occasion of our Panama Esmeralda Tasting & Fundraising event on May 18, 2010.
Pictures by Joya Iverson.

We tasted most of our blends that day instead of the usual single-origins, and it was a great opportunity to try them all side by side. Here’s what I tasted:

Seattle Space: dried raspberry/loam/smoky chocolate

Mellow Seattle: dried apple/toasted walnut/nutmeg & cream

Emerald City: toasted bread/dark-roasted nuts/dark chocolate

Molly’s Blend: caramel/firewood/baking spices

Seattle Sunrise: toasted nuts/cream

-Delicious!

A quick alert about and an invitation to our event on Wednesday May 12 at 4:30 pm at Seattle Coffee Works (107 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 206.340.8867)

The event is open to the interested public. There is a suggested cash donation of $10 to participate.

If you’re planning on coming, just so we know how many to expect, please sign up in the comments for this blog. Or send us an email. Or both. Otherwise just show up. We’ll have a good time either way!

Here is the skinny:

+ Ahead of the May 18 Hacienda La Esmeralda auction (which last year saw prices of more than $100 per pound for green coffee), we’ll be tasting samples for the seven lots this coming Wed. The format will be part traditional cupping part samples made through another contraption (either the Trifecta or Hario filter)

+ The event is a fundraiser for Facing the Future, a local Seattle nonprofit currently reaching 1.25 million students nationwide each year. Facing the Future develops curricula for all grade levels to help teach about issues of sustainability, global inter-connectedness, North-South issues — all topics critical for the future of the enjoyment of coffee.

+ The event kick starts Seattle Coffee Works beer & wine offering and showcases various coffee making contraptions including the brand new Trifecta.

Tentative Program:
4:30-5:30 Hors d’oeuvres (appetizers, $3 beer & wine cash bar, free coffee)
5:30-5:45 Introduction to Facing the Future and why sustainability matters in an increasingly interconnected world. A short introduction of Hacienda La Esmeralda and why we believe this coffee farm can show the way to more sustainable coffee consumption
Speaker: Pipo Bui, Director of Development Earthcorps; Member Board of Directors, Facing the Future
5:45-6:00 Cupping and Tasting.
6:00-7:00 Raffle for top coffees; cash bar.

We hope you can make it.