Coffee and Alcohol

Upcoming for 2015....

Since Counter Culture Cafe is an Elite Beverage Service Bar, we do make drinks link coffee concoctions, cocktails and mocktails.

Most of the previous blog entries are about coffee. We will be soon posting articles about alcohol, cocktails and other things as long as it is related to beverages. 

We will be an informative blog for all types of beverage enthusiasts - barista, bartender, mixologist 

September 29: International Coffee Day

Love Coffee? 

Celebrate Coffee!

Coffee in the morning; coffee and a catch up with old friends; going for coffee with your new hot date – we drink coffee morning, day and night with friends, business associates and lovers. You have only to walk down the nearest high street and note the number of coffee chains to realise the extent of our love affair with our favourite caffeinated beverage.

Whether you favour espresso, americanos, lattes or cappuccinos; iced, decaf, instant or filter – Coffee Day is the day to savour and appreciate your beverage, and maybe even pick one up for free at certain chains in the USA.

Coffee Day also marks the long history of the drink: the properties of coffee beans are thought to have first been discovered in Ethiopia. The beans are actually the pits found in the coffee berry or cherry. The story goes that a 9^th century goat herder noticed their stimulating effects on his goats and began experimenting.

Coffee drinking was originally popularised in the Arab world from around the 15^th century spreading across Asia then to Italy and across Europe and to the Americas – and finally to your coffee cup.

Today, coffee is one of the world’s biggest crops so buying ethically grown coffee is all the more important – be sure to be selective in buying your cup of coffee and supporting ethical trade.

So when you drink your cup of coffee today, inhale its aroma, taste its dark and full-bodied flavour, think about its story – but most of all enjoy.

from: http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/coffee-day/

International Coffee Day (also known as Coffee Day or National Coffee Day) is an annual event observed on September 29 in a handful of countries[ for the celebration and enjoyment of the popular beverage coffee. This day is also used to promote fair trade coffee and to raise awareness for the plight of the coffee growers. On this day, many businesses around the world offer free or discounted cups of coffee. Some businesses share coupons and special deals with their loyal followers via social networking. Some greeting card companies sell National Coffee Day greeting cards, as well as free e-cards to help celebrate the occasion.

Parts of Espresso

Espresso

The literal meaning of the word "Espresso" is "made on the spur of the moment". In Italy, it is chiefly used to describe coffee. When you ask for the "espresso" in a bar or restaurant, it always meant coffee. It is the fresh extract of coffee. Espresso should be served withing 20 seconds after it has poured.

Three Parts of an Espresso

1. Crema (Emulsion)- Produced when the oil gets emulsified by the pressure of the Espresso Machine.
2. Body (Suspension)- Particles and gas bubbles that are suspended in an espresso, helps inhibit the bitter flavor of the coffee.
3. Heart (Solution)- Water soluble elements.

Health Benefits of Coffee

Researches indicates that coffee provides protective effects for the following conditions:

Asthma

Drinking coffee can help to control asthma and in some cases can also be used to treat an asthma attack when conventional medication is not available.

Colon Cancer

Two or more cups of coffee per day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25%

Gallstones

The likelihood of developing gallstones is decreased nearly 50% by drinking at least two cups of coffee per day.

Headache

Coffee cures or diminishes some types of headaches.

Live Cirrhosis

The risk for this condition is reduced by 80% with the ingestion of two or more cups of coffee each day

Parkinson’s Disease

Six studies have found that regular (caffeinated) coffee drinkers reduced their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 80%.

Tooth Decay

A compound in coffee called Trigonelline has adhesive and antibacterial properties, which helps prevent cavities.

Diabetes (Type 2)

A Harvard longitudinal study of 126,000 people found that one to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by less than 10%, while six or more cups per day reduces women’s risk by 30% and men’s by 54%. Drinking decaffeinated coffee reduces the risk of diabetes by approximately half that achieved  with caffeinated coffee.

Coffee Cupping

Cupping

This is the traditional method of tasting coffee, just as in wine tasting, it uses all of the sense of smell and taste to determine the overall quality and flavor of coffee. A typical day of cupping can include 24 to 75 different cups.

How to Taste Coffee

1. Begin by getting your nose as close to the coffee as possible  Draw in a steady and very deep breath through your nose, slowly exhale and repeat. What do you smell?
2. Let coffee cool to about 120-140 F
3. Loudly slurp the coffee in your mouth. The intention is to spray coffee over your tongue while drawing air in with the coffee. This action will bring the olfactory senses back into play. Make note of the body. Repeat.
4. Again, slurp the coffee into your mouth concentrating on the tingle at the side of your tongue  Make note of the acidity level. Repeat.
5. Slurp the coffee again. What does it tastes like? Repeat.
6. Let the coffee cool more and taste again.

Decaffeination

Caffeine

Caffeine is a mild central nervous system stimulant, found in over 60 pieces of plants and trees. Caffeine takes effect approximately five minutes after digestion, reaching its peak effectiveness level 20-30 minutes. The body clears itself of caffeine within three to sic hours.

Decaffeination

This is the removal of caffeine from the beans

A coffee must have 97% of its caffeine removed in order to qualify as decaffeinated coffee

The Swiss Water Method

The Swiss Water Method uses a patented "Flavor Protection Process" that maintains the full flavor of each and every bean. Consumers also care about naturally decaffeinated coffee. Swiss Water is all natural, using only pure water and guaranteed to be 100% chemical free.

The Emergence of Coffee as a Beverage

Coffee first emerged in the form similar to tea today. The leaves from coffee shrubs were boiled in water and the liquid was consumed "black."

This preparation technique gave way to the use of cherries and later the roasted seeds of cherries known as coffee beans.

It did not take long for the opportunity of coffee to spread, and as a result a great demand was created for drink.

Coffee is both functional beverage as well as a sensual experience. An understanding of the romance and history of coffee is integral to truly enjoy a fine cup of coffee. Few people realize the history they hold in their cup.

The History of Coffee

The History and development of the beverage called "coffee" has come from 1,300 years of violence, piracy, pilgrims, warriors, smugglers and politics, which contributed to a cup of your cappuccino being what it is today.

Most popular is the Legend of Kaldi, a third century monk and a goat herder living in Ethiopia. He happened to notice that his goats would get hyperactive after eating the red cherries from a certain plant. He tried a few himself and was soon as overactive as his herd. Hearing about Kaldi's new fruit, other monks were said to use it to keep them awake during long hours of praying.

A few hundred years later, coffee crossed the Red Sea to Arabia. Wherever the Islam traveled, coffee went to - North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, and India.

Coffee Study: Seattle

Browse more data visualization.

Interesting Coffee Facts

Learn about infographics software.

Brewing Better Coffee by Dunkin Donuts

Browse more infographics.

How to Make a Cappuccino

Ms. Joan of Kitchenlink making a Cappuccino Coffee

C3: Counter Culture Cafe
"A Flavor Experience"

How Coffee Alamid Ends Up Into A Cup

Here it is...

Coffee Making Tips II

How to Evaluate the Quality of Coffee Beans

• Color
• Appearance
• Aroma
• Flavor/ Taste
• Freshness
• Type of Grind

Methods Used in Evaluating the Quality of Coffee

• Use of visual and other sensory means including smelling and tasting coffee
• Customer Feedback
• Consistency of Product

What Makes a Good Coffee

• Water - filtered, measured, calibrated
• Coffee Beans - freshly gound
• Espresso Machine - Clean and in good condition
• Dose/ Grind - 7 grams per shot; sand like texture
• Barista - must be confident, consistent and accurate

Most Expensive Coffee in the World

Coffee Alamid

Alamid 

(Musang or Toddy Cat)

Scientific Name:

Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus

Philippinesis

Coffee Alamid or Civet Coffee is the most expensive type of coffee beans

The most expensive coffee in the world does not hail from Jamaica or Hawaii, but instead from Indonesia.

Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world does exist, and those who drink the expensive coffee insist that it is made from coffee beans eaten, partly digested and then excreted by the Common Palm Civet, a weasel-like animal.

"Kopi" the Indonesian word for coffee along with "Luwak"  the local name of this animal which eats the raw red coffee beans. The Civet digests the soft outer part of the coffee cherry, but does not digest the inner beans and excretes them.

Apparently the internal digestion ends up adding a unique flavor to the beans, removing the bitter flavor, and then beans are picked up by locals and sold. The most expensive coffee beans can cost up to $600 per pound and up to $50 per cup, if you can get over the fact that you are drinking such a strange brew.

You would know if you drank the most expensive coffee in the world, because the quantities of it are in tiny amount.

 C3: Counter Culture Cafe

"A Flavor Experience"

Coffee Making Tips

Here is a collection of tips to making a Good Coffee...

Tips for Using the Espresso Machine

1. Measure the Coffee
2. Pack the Coffee
3. Tap the bottom of the Portafilter against the counter
4. Pack the Coffee again, using a bit more force
5. After packing the Coffee, release the tamper by twisting in a circular motion over the Coffee

 Tips in Brewing Espresso

1. Use a standard commercial espresso machine
2. Seven grams of coffee in a portafilter
3. Brew an ounce of espresso, 15-25 seconds, with nine atmosphere of pressure
4. Use freshly ground coffee
5. Measure the coffee carefully
6. Pack the portafilters correctly

Determining the Grind in Brewing

A. Correct Grind - will flow through the coffee at the right speed

B. Too Coarse a Grind - will result in an under extraction as the water will traverse through the coffee too quickly
                                     - produces a weak result

C. Too Fine a Grind - will result in an over extracted espresso, because the water will stay in contact with the coffee for too long
                               - the finely grind coffee will easily lose its                                                     aromatic complexity

C3: Counter Culture Cafe

"A Flavor Experience"

Know More About Coffee

A Review on 15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee

The origin of the word coffee came to the English from the Italian word "caffè". The word "caffè" comes from the Turkish word "kahvè" that was borrowed from the Arabic language where the word "qahwa" referred to a type of wine - wine of the bean (qahwat al-bun).

Robusta coffee is a variety of coffee, which has its origins in central and western sub-Saharan Africa. 

Coffee arabica is a species of Coffee originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen 

Coffee is a $70 billion industry

The literal meaning of the word "Espresso" is "Made on the spur of the moment"

                    

                         

C3: Counter Culture Cafe

"A Flavor Experience"