“Where’s the best place to get a latte?” Thanks to the Coffee Mania wave, I can even find a café in
whistle-stop towns. My vocabulary,
spending habits and preferences has unfolded over the past 20 years as I have
been swept along into the rise of coffee popularity. Though my body has spurned coffee, I remain a wannabe,
captivated by its aroma and sweet-bitterness.
The quest for the best java has morphed over time. Years ago, my father would drive his
half ton to the local diner and park alongside other trucks. Inside, the men sat in a line at the
counter on swivel stools where they caught each other up on the news of the
day. As each one seated, a
waitress flipped a cup over in front of the customer with one hand and poured
the coffee from the pot she held in the other. Cream was in metal containers and sugar was poured out of a
glass jar with a metal lid. It was
rare that they ordered anything to eat.
Coffee cups were topped up, and once that was done, they all went off to
do their chores. The women who
poured the coffee were called waitresses, and what came out of the pot was
never questioned.
Today, baristas serve up our drinks, a long list of
possibilities centred on an espresso.
The customer is frequently conversed in the specific language, and the
degree of strength of their cup.
What is espresso?
People often think that it is about the type of coffee bean or grind,
but it is about the preparation method.
Each cup begins by forcing hot water under pressure through a finely
ground coffee. Depending on
different regional preferences, the coffee beans used may be dark or lighter, a
result of beans chosen and the roasting process. The result is a thicker
consistency than drip coffee, and a reddish-brown foam on the surface, called
crema. From this base, other
variations are created such as cappuccinos, lattes, americanos and mochas. Prepared by a barista, an Italian word
for bartender, each cup is presented in an individual, “just-for-you”
fashion. And fashionable it has
become, with recognizable logos on the sides of to-go cups, and the emergence
of the word grande into everyday language. Selecting what to drink at a coffee bar has also become
stylish, and ever changing; for example, one new trend is a Canadiano which is
an espresso with added drip coffee.
A Banff café calls this one a “caffeine avalanche.”
Italy is the birthplace of espresso. It was there, in 1901,
that the first espresso machine was patented. In North America, Seattle is
perhaps the most well known city for its coffee, and perhaps because this is
the birthplace of Starbucks, and other roasteries such as Seattle’s Best
Coffee. Starbucks opened in 1971
across from Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a popular visitors’ attraction. By February 2008, they had 15,700
stores in 43 countries, and in 2006, they bought 32 million pounds of coffee.
Smaller coffee roasteries abound in Seattle. Espresso Vivace in Seattle’s
Capitol Hill district identifies itself as an Italian-style coffee house. Vivace’s is a vibrant culinary delight
with enthusiastic baristas who create spectacular coffee art on their lattes
and cappuccinos. The motto at
Vivace is “una bella tazza di caffe,” – a beautiful cup of coffee. They take their motto seriously. One of the founders has created a book
on professional espresso techniques and a video called “Caffe Latte Art.”
By the time, I stumbled upon Vivace on Broadway Avenue, I
knew that the secret of a great cup of coffee was freshness, both in the
preparation and in the roasting of the carefully chosen beans. Vivace embodies both.
The pursuit of excellence in a divine cup of espresso
stretches far beyond Seattle and Italy.
In my hometown of Nelson, BC, Oso Negro, coffee roastery and coffee bar,
was immensely popular from the start. In 1993, the roastery occupied a 200-square foot room
and has now expanded to roasting 4 tons a month. At Oso Negro, freshness is emphasized; employees advise that
customers’ newly purchased coffees be used within 4 weeks. The popularity of Oso Negro has locals
bringing a bag when they go away on vacation, and former residents requesting
it from afar.
For those who are insistent on the ultimate in freshness,
the roasting of coffee beans can also be done at home. For $89 plus shipping, a person can buy
Freshroast Plus 8.
Roasting coffee beans is an acquired skill. An Oso Negro video of the art of
coffee roasting illustrates the miniscule time between a perfect roast, and one
that is burnt. The results are
what make a coffee popular, or not.
Starbucks, for example, have been criticized for the
bitterness of their coffee, and nicknamed Charbucks. Bitterness is all in the taste of the beholder.
The growth of Starbucks and independent coffee houses have
not gone unnoticed by the big companies who are vying for our coffee
dollars. McDonalds pounced into
the lucrative coffee market in 2006 when they announced their Premium Roast
Blend to increase their ailing sales.
Then, in May 2009, they launched a $100 million advertising campaign for
the McCafe line of espresso drinks, which are aimed to be an affordable
alternative to coffee houses.
Burger King’s entry is the BK Joe, which comes in either regular or
“turbo strength,” which has 40% more caffeine. Dunkin’ Donuts bills itself as “America's largest
retailer of coffee-by-the-cup” with their fair-trade offerings that now include
espresso, cappuccino, and lattes.
Many places are battling for our coffee dollars including our financial
advisors who plead us to consider the “latte factor” when thinking of
investments. We are not giving up our coffees quickly.
Tim Hortons, the land of the “double double,” a coffee shop
established by an ex-NHL hockey player .
Tim Hortons is also popular with a new generation of hurried morning
commuters who take advantage of the drive-through and famous food such as the
Hot Breakfast Sandwich. Tim
Hortons’ motto, “Always Fresh,” is illustrated through their commercials, which
have servers marking the time on each fresh pot; after 18 minutes a new pot is
brewed. Like the espresso,
freshness is essential.
Whether it is brewed or espresso, the phenomenon of coffee
houses has exploded over the last few years. Our local Safeway has a Starbucks installed so customers
pass by on their way from the tellers.
On Robson Street in Vancouver, two Starbucks are on diagonal corners
from each other; it is not unusual to see a line-up at both places.
Starbucks’ growth has much to do with their atmosphere, as
well as their coffee. The coffee
movement, called Coffee Culture, has been called a “social lubricant,” and
indeed Starbucks is a social gathering place.
Coffee Culture is a social atmosphere centred around coffee,
and in particular, espresso. But
it is also about the consumption of coffee, how it is prepared, and where it is
served. Coffee Culture has infiltrated the modern world, changing the
fundamental ways people lead their daily, busy lives.
A chain of stores called Coffee Culture, started in
Woodstock, ON, is a 100% Canadian owned café and eatery with over 26 locations
and 17 planned ones in Ontario. On
their website, Coffee Culture describes itself as a European-style coffee
house, “Canada’s hottest coffee concept.”
Their motto is, “Come for the taste, stay for the visit.”
One of the ways that we know when a trend has become
ingrained into our lives is when it is becomes part of the entertainment
culture. In the movie, Shrek 2, a building called Farbucks is destroyed and all the
customers run out and go to another one across the street. Humorist Andy Burowitz announced that
Starbucks would be opening 11,000 cafés on the moon by 2021. "Those
astronauts are going to be working long and hard to build that moon base and
we’re betting they’re going to want a latte or two," says a Starbucks
spokeswoman. "Fortunately for them, there’ll be a Starbucks on the edge of
every crater."
With such a prominence of
specialty coffee cafés, imagining Starbucks on the moon doesn’t seem that
farfetched. Coffee Culture is
clearly here to stay; the pursuit for more exquisite tastes will engage the
aficionados and delight the rest of us.
Where’s the best place to get a
cup of coffee? Like love, it is
truly in the eye of the beholder.
