Daily Demitasse

Lem creating "sexyfoam" Photo Credit: King Plow

When I was a barista at The Connection Internet Cafe’ (which, unfortunately, has since closed) we were required to attend our roaster’s beginner espresso course for staff consistency. So, off we went to Counter Culture in Durham, NC. This is where I met Lem Butler, our trainer for the day.

Not only did I learn to make a perfect espresso shot, but also Lem’s key term for the perfect milk steaming consistency-”sexyfoam”.

This was also the same day I realized my new passion, coffee. Soon after, I signed up for their intermediate course.

I was excited to find out that Lem won the Southeast Regional Barista Championship held last month in Atlanta, GA. And now, the featured Barista On Duty, Lem Butler.

When did you start drinking coffee?

Wow, not sure. I remember growing up and my sister and I fighting over who gets to hold and smell the bag of freshly ground eight o’clock coffee that my parents would buy at the store. Whenever we would run out of Ovaltine, my sister and I would drink coffee but we would load it up with lots of cream and sugar. Picture that an 8 and a 5 year old sneaking into our parents coffee, running around the house buzzing off sugar and caffeine.

Later in college I would revisit coffee in order to stay awake for final exams, but as a serious coffee drinker who drinks to experience the different nuances of coffee, well that didn’t come about until much later when I worked for the Daily Grind Espresso Café on the campus of UNC-CH.  The “Grind” is an independent business from Carolina dining services, so we were able to think outside the box as far as your average coffee shop. I believe we were the first shop in Chapel Hill to feature coffees from specific farms, I know we were the first to serve Direct Trade Certified coffee which blew a lot of customers away. “20% more to farmers than fair-trade”, that was awesome.

How and when did you decide to become a Barista?

When I was an undergrad at UNC-CH I had no idea that the Daily Grind existed. I went about my academics unaware of a future in the coffee industry waiting for me in a building I passed two or three times a day. After college I decided not to use my Political Science degree, and further pursue music. I toured like crazy up and down the east coast, only to have the band split leaving me with a void to fill. After living a nocturnal lifestyle for 4 years, I decided to live in the sun for a while and find a day job. In 2003 I was hired at the Daily Grind Espresso Café and slowly worked my way through the ranks: cashier, barista, trainer, GM.

How long have you been in the industry?

2003 – present

What all are you involved in within the industry?

I worked for Jane Brown at the Daily Grind for 4 years. I trained a lot of baristas and wrote the Daily Grind training manual. After the Grind, I moved on to the roaster (Counter Culture Coffee) where we bought all of our coffee and received countless hours of training courses. At CCC I started in production bagging coffee, shipping coffee, blending coffee, delivering coffee and then when a customer relations position opened, I joined the CR team. As a Customer Relations Representative for the local area of Chapel Hill, Durham and southern Virginia, I advise, consult and train our customers. I also do minor technical work on espresso machines, grinders and brewers. Here at our training center in Durham, I am also a part of the Counter Intelligence Program, where we teach labs/classes on espresso, milk chemistry, coffee history and origin, cuppings and the science and practice of proper coffee extraction. I also help customers in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill host Latte Art Contests each month. This month’s Latte Art Competition will be hosted by Busy Bee Café in downtown Raleigh on March 25 at 7 pm.

You recently prevailed, again, at the Southeast Barista Championship. Congratulations! Tell us about the competition.

All over the world the World Barista Championship rotates from country to country. The competition involves baristas preparing 12 drinks in 15 minutes (4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature beverages). There are four sensory judges that drink and evaluate the drinks, there is a head judge and then there are two technical judges that judge the competitors on consistency and waste. There can be only one barista representing each participating country, so each country holds its own national version. Here in the US, we have a National competition, but because we are so large, we hold regional competitions before the larger US Barista competition.

I have won the Southeast Region three times (2005, 2007, 2010). Each time I advanced to the national level, I have fallen short. This year’s Southeast was a little different than prior competitions, mainly because this was the first time I sat out a year and came back. I was concerned about competing because I haven’t worked a barista shift in years and I felt the talent in the baristas has improved drastically.

Before, everyone was using blends that have already been established, this year everyone was customizing espresso blends and using single origin espressos. There just seems to be more knowledge of coffee and coffee quality here in the southeast that has never been here before. The bar has definitely been risen since I was away.
Tell us about your signature drink and why you chose it.

Signature beverages are always, for me, the most challenging as well as the most fun part of the competition. Everyone (audience) wants to know what new and exciting ingredients baristas are bringing to the competition. One common mistake baristas make with the signature beverage is that they will find a really different ingredient that no one has used, but it does not pair well with the coffee.

Here’s my secret. I will choose the espresso blend that I want to use in the competition. Then, I will look at the coffees in that espresso blend and focus on the flavor profiles of each individual coffee. Then I will cup each coffee individually so I can experience these nuances separately from the blend. For example let’s look at the blend I competed with. La Forza has a Sumatran, Peruvian and an Ethiopian. Cupping these coffees individually I would pick up on fruity flavors, red fruit acidity, chocolate notes and with the Sumatran I would always perceive earthy roots and vegetal earthiness…immediately I thought of ginger root and cucumbers. That was my start. 3 months in the lab and I emerged with La Forza infused with a local bee hive honey topped with a non-dairy espresso foam flavored with cucumber and ginger.

Sounds interesting? Well, you should try it. In a cocktail shaker, add:

• lots of ice
• 1 oz water
• 2oz shakisso natural from Ethiopia
• 2 slices of cucumber (organic)
• ¼ tsp shaved ginger root
• Shake vigorously and strain into a whip cream charger
• Add one beaten egg white (organic)
• Shake and charge with one nitrous canister
• (this can be chilled in the fridge 3-5 days after 5 days I would toss it and make a fresh batch)
• Pull 4 shots of La Forza into a pitcher with tblsp of honey
• Stir and split amongst 4  2-3oz glasses and top with the non-dairy esp foam
• Stir and drink it fast!

How are competitors judged?

Competitors are judged on espresso taste, espresso taste of the cappuccino and espresso taste in the signature beverage. Also, knowledge of the barista, consistency of barista, cleanliness of the barista, and overall impression.

What does it take to compete in this or any Barista Championship?

Knowing the coffee and being ready for anything. Anything can happen and the barista has to be able to adapt. An example was my presentation at nationals in Minneapolis in 2008 where the top to my honey bottle came off in mid pour spilling honey all over the judges table. I have seen baristas knock over an entire tray of signature beverages and not have replacement glasses to make new drinks. One year a barista didn’t bring enough coffee and ran out of coffee on stage during her presentation.

Regardless of what will or what could happen, you have to have fun with it or it will drive you mad.

What advice would you give to Baristas who want to compete for the first time?

Do as many uninterrupted full run throughs of your presentation as possible. Do this in front of as many people that you know. It is more difficult to go through your presentation in front of friends than it will be in front of strangers (judges). If your friends get it, then the judges will get it.

credit: istockphoto-inkit

This has been an amazing year so far and it’s only begun. I have met some amazing people. I can’t explain how much I appreciate and am humbled by each and every one who has supported me so far.

Last month, I was asked by Kerri Goodman-Small, Owner and Publisher of   Coffee Talk, “The most influential coffee trade journal in the industry”, to write a couple articles for their March Issue. I wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity.

The main theme for the articles, Cups, Lids, Sleeves, & To-go Boxes and Packaging, was ‘innovation goes eco’. The articles are on pages 8 &10. After talking to each company during my research, I am pleased by how far these products have come and where they are going.

One of my goals this year was to write for at least one coffee Trade Journal. However, I didn’t think it would happen so early in the year and as a birthday present to myself of all things. I truly believe things happen for a reason and that if you trust in yourself and follow your passions, great things will come.

qotd -What goals have you achieved this year so far?

From atmosphere and customer service to presentation and the first sip, there are many things that create a great customer experience. Here is my list of what I look for in a café’ to determine whether or not I will become a regular.

10 reasons you know when you’re at a great cafe’

1. You are greeted when you come in
2. The cashier or barista walks you through the menu and provides          recommendations
3. The café’ offers traditional espresso drinks and makes them correctly
4. The milk being steamed does not sound like a plane is taking off
5. The staff is knowledgeable about their coffee and educates their customers
6. The café is so clean you could eat off the floor (although I don’t recommend it)
7. They roast their own beans
8. Free Wi-Fi (I ALWAYS buy something every two hours I’m there)
9. They have events going on each week (anything from open mic to throwdowns )
10. Bonus: Not only is the espresso great, the Latte Art is beautiful

If a café’ has at least half of the listed items then you have found your new “third home”. If on the rare occasion a café’ has every one of these, you have found a “diamond in the rough”.

Discussion: What makes a cafe’ special for you to want to be a loyal customer?

Different things and people inspire us. A mentor. A great book. A quote. All of these have inspired me daily or at some point through-out my life. Some things and places that you least expect can inspire you.

Coffee has had an interesting effect on me. It has inspired me in different ways. From aroma and taste to exploring new cafes and meeting new people, coffee has inspired me to:

• Start this blog
• Experiment with the chemistry of coffee
• To appreciate culture and history on a whole new level
• Push myself even harder to achieve short-term goals
• Conversation I would not have otherwise
• Conquer fears
• Change my perception on different issues

And more goals I’m in the process of working towards for this month.

Discussion: How and what has coffee inspired you to do?

When it comes to “the finer things in life” all I ask for is the best food and beverage available. I don’t usually buy nice things, but when I go out to a restaurant or cafe’ I seek out the most authentic and highest quality product. Like a beautifully aged wine, when you sip fine coffee as it should be, is like a puzzle in your mouth, deciphering the flavors while inhaling the aromas. And a flash of culture warms you.

Coffee is one of the more affordable luxury’s and for good reason. For me, I believe if you drink coffee each day, especially more than once, why not drink the good stuff? I see it as one of those “stop and smell the flowers” type moments. In the long run, you save money too, because you don’t have to buy creamer, sugar, or any other crap to “fix” bad coffee.

On my list of “finer coffees,” I appreciate the passion and skill that goes into pan roasting. So, when I received Johnny’s, better known as BaristaOnDutY, set of Ethiopian Harrar, Yirgacheffe, Limu, and one other coffee (but that’s a surprise till later), I couldn’t start tasting them fast enough. But I made sure the coffee lasted and every sips moment captured in time. They arrived in small canning jars so the gasses from the beans kept the beans fresher longer.

A couple months ago I received the set of Ethiopian coffees. I wrote a mini review about the Harrar and discovered a whole new level of quality.

This time  the coffee came, I used a 3-cup Bodum French Press (comes out to be 1.5 U.S. cups) as my main brewing technique. This “single serve” version is perfect for a more personalized brew and for taking time to sip the coffee.

I had to try the Harrar first since this is the unanimous favorite among us coffee reviewers. The first thing I smelled was how much more pronounced the citrus and dark chocolate was. The pleasing blueberry made for a really nice acidity. A full body made a nice relaxing touch with the chocolate finish. I would recommend the Harrar as an evening coffee to curl up with a good book, as a close to a stressful day.

Next up was the Yirgacheffe. Johnny recommended I try this in a Moka pot. I used this reasoning as an excuse to buy a new 6-cup Bialetti Moka pot (which is the equivalent to about 4-5 shots of espresso) to brew it in. I used this method because it supposed to bring out the lemony notes to it’s fullest. And that it did. The lemon aroma and flavor was over whelming, in a great way. Just as if you are walking through a lemon orchard and a ray of sunshine is shooting out of your mouth. The Yirgacheffe is the perfect morning wake-up coffee.

If you need a good “throughout the day” coffee, Limu is it. Again, I brewed this in the French press. This is an all-around great coffee for a medium body. The first thing I smelled was earthy with a hint of caramel. The flavor was very complex. The more it cooled, the more different flavors came through. At first it was like a spice with an underlying nutty tone and a caramel sweetness. And a very nice light acidity with a chocolate-covered cherry finish.

And last, but certainly not least, is Kenya AA. I wanted to save this one for last because I humbly and exclusively get to review it. The aroma was a warm citrus nibble and full bodied. The black-currant and hint of chocolate made a nice combination. With a fine dry wine aftertaste, I’d say this is the perfect after dinner coffee.

For more information about Johnny G Milton Jr (Barista On DutY) and where to buy, check out his website at http://www.baristaonduty.com. You can follow him on twitter @baristaonduty . Be sure to drop by and join his Ning Coffee Network to ” Come Learn All About Coffee .”

It’s amazing to hear about and be a part of the many people around the world who have come together to help a nation in need. But how can we help Haiti long-term?

Not only does Haiti have us for support, they also have a coffee agriculture ready to be rebuilt on hope. Did you know Haiti and coffee go way back?

This article from The Atlantic Food Channel is about a rocky History of the rare Haitian Bleu coffee we don’t normally hear about.

Rick Peyser, director of social advocacy and coffee community outreach for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, said that as massive numbers of people move from ravaged and dangerous Port au Prince to the countryside, they are going to need a source of income.

“Coffee was there before the earthquake and coffee will be there after,” he said. “It’s a great way for consumers to get involved in commerce: if enough people wrote checks for a quality product that benefitted farmers and their families, then the infrastructure of Haitian coffee could be improved.”

The potential to rebuild Haiti’s coffee industry is great. Many taste profiles could emerge that would be completely different from other Caribbean coffee because of it’s rugged mountains with small coastal plains and river valleys.

The Haitian Bleu is already Fair Trade certified. This is the best time to help if you’re a coffee drinker, by donating to long-term agricultural projects.

I hope to try this special bean someday soon. For more information about Haiti, click here.

Mmm, coffee. Not only does it wake us and warm us up, it can even inspire us when we least expect it. Here are some of my favorite inspirational quotes that happen to include coffee. Hope these help start your day on a high note.

“Actually, this seems to be the basic need of the human heart in nearly every great crisis – a good hot cup of coffee.” – Alexander King

“A cup of coffee – real coffee – home-browned, home ground, home made, that comes to you dark as a hazel-eye, but changes to a golden bronze as you temper it with cream that never cheated, but was real cream from its birth, thick, tenderly yellow, perfectly sweet, neither lumpy nor frothing on the Java: such a cup of coffee is a match for twenty blue devils and will exorcise them all.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee.”

“To drink is human, to drink coffee is divine!” – Unknown

“Behind every successful woman…is a substantial amount of coffee.” – Stephanie Piro

“Coffee. Creative lighter fluid.” – Floyd Maxwell

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I found another quote I just had to add to this list…

“Flavour is like design: it has to be sexy, simple, intuitive like a beautiful woman. It should never need to be understood or interpreted, its message is evident and sensual.” ~ Tonino Lamborghini

Discussion: What is your favorite coffee quote?

Click pic for photo credit

Remember, when you were younger if you will, watching “Bill Nye the Science Guy“?

Well, I just took a trip down memory lane doing some research geeking it out on Discovery Channel’s Planet Green.

Bill Nye is back! Wahoo! Ok, besides the excitement and caffeine consumption, I’ll be serious. This is a serious matter after all.

In this video from Planet Green, Bill Nye explains what the most dangerous drink in the Rain Forest is. Think it’s the water? Try again.

As you may have guessed by now, based on the topic of the blog, coffee is the answer. Calm down! Don’t worry, it’s not hazardous to your health.

Watch Most Dangerous Drink and find out. Sustainable shade-grown coffee, to the rescue!

Marketing is one of the biggest ways to gain customers. You need to get them in your store so they can experience your great coffee.

Just be sure to fit your Advertising to your goals. Marketing is not created equal.

Word of mouth Marketing is best, but how do you begin? By building trust with customers so they buy from you. Then they tell all their friends! Get people talking with these 5 free Marketing strategy ideas:

Social Media

This isn’t just a trend anymore. Twitter and Facebook are just two sites to stay connected and build relationships with your customers. You can see what others are saying about your business and to easily take care of any  customer complaints that may arise and quickly fix the situation. You can even post proceedings to Facebooks “event” feature.

E-newsletter

Keep customers updated on events, specials, and coupons, even highlight an employee or co-worker. Offer a sign-up sheet for your customers at the cafe’ counter and a subscription on your site to keep them updated. Try Mailchimp or Aweber.

Blog

Write about events-music, throw-downs, fundraisers, meetups, networking groups. Be sure to take a lot of pictures so customers can see what a great time others are having and will want to make the next event. For customers that did attend, can tell about their experience (customer testimonials) of how much fun they had.

Yelp.com

Register your cafe’ on Yelp to be reviewed and see how you stack up to other local businesses. Will yours be the “Top cafe’” in town?

Be Newsworthy

Are you sponsoring an event, hosting a fundraiser or donating coffee? Build company reputation and goodwill within the community while gaining the attention of the media. And in-turn, gain more customers.

Discussion: How do you market your company? Do you use any of these strategies? What experience have you had using these strategies?

This past year, I had a difficult time finding a new coffee to really enjoy that stood out from anyone else. I wanted a coffee that tasted rich and chocolaty with a tang as if it were hanging around a camp fire.

That’s exactly what I got from BaristaonDuty’s Ethiopian Harrar. So, I was excited and not surprised when he made it on DailyShotofCoffee’s list of  Top Reviewed Coffees of 2009.

What makes the Harrar so special? It’s pan roasted with a passion and craft for coffee I have never tasted before. Along side the bigger roasters, I’d say BaristaonDuty will be going places for 2010.

Jason, over at Coffee Cup News, thought this was amazing as well.

Discussion: My favorite coffee of the year made the grade. Did yours?