Our Coffee Coffee beans are practically vibrating with potential. Throughout coffee’s history, centuries of species migration and cultivation, hundreds of steps and stages in the processing of the green coffee bean, the roasting of the bean to further develop its potential-- all of this leads to differences from bean to bean.The barista receives this little package and is responsible for creating an accurate representation of all that has gone into that coffee. With this history and variation in mind, how can we ever think that we have arrived at the "perfect" cup? How can we ever totally standardize espresso's flavor when what we are doing in the espresso-making process is magnifying the inherent qualities of a relatively unpredictable raw ingredient?None of us has truly tasted a "perfect" shot of espresso. The thought that there is something better just beyond where we are right now in our total espresso experience drives us to create, invent, discover, and practice ways of espresso preparation that will yield further revelations to our palates. The beauty of espresso lies in the distinctive qualities and characteristics of a particular cup, not in how well it embodies an “accepted” balance of flavors.In this sense, we feel privileged to be a professional baristas because we are the last link between grower and consumer, and it is our job to expose the bean's potential to the world. Using all we know about how espresso works, we approach our respective machines every day, respectfully, humbly, and efficiently trapping the distinctive personality of that particular coffee in an ounce or so of liquid, so that the customer can experience the essence of the origin, the soul of the blend, the efforts of whole tribes of people, the work of the craftsman roaster and the skill of the barista behind the bar.All in a few sips of a wonderful and perfectly “imperfect” espresso.
Our Coffee
Coffee beans are practically vibrating with potential. Throughout coffee’s history, centuries of species migration and cultivation, hundreds of steps and stages in the processing of the green coffee bean, the roasting of the bean to further develop its potential-- all of this leads to differences from bean to bean.The barista receives this little package and is responsible for creating an accurate representation of all that has gone into that coffee. With this history and variation in mind, how can we ever think that we have arrived at the "perfect" cup? How can we ever totally standardize espresso's flavor when what we are doing in the espresso-making process is magnifying the inherent qualities of a relatively unpredictable raw ingredient?None of us has truly tasted a "perfect" shot of espresso. The thought that there is something better just beyond where we are right now in our total espresso experience drives us to create, invent, discover, and practice ways of espresso preparation that will yield further revelations to our palates. The beauty of espresso lies in the distinctive qualities and characteristics of a particular cup, not in how well it embodies an “accepted” balance of flavors.In this sense, we feel privileged to be a professional baristas because we are the last link between grower and consumer, and it is our job to expose the bean's potential to the world. Using all we know about how espresso works, we approach our respective machines every day, respectfully, humbly, and efficiently trapping the distinctive personality of that particular coffee in an ounce or so of liquid, so that the customer can experience the essence of the origin, the soul of the blend, the efforts of whole tribes of people, the work of the craftsman roaster and the skill of the barista behind the bar.All in a few sips of a wonderful and perfectly “imperfect” espresso.