One thing that we have noticed occurring with an alarming regularity is that boys are no longer behaving, or taught to behave, as men.
We have several groups of late high school and early college girls who come to our caffe for drinks, and tagging along with them are their (only God knows why) boyfriends or just boy friends. The girls all promptly order and when asked what you can get started for them, the boys reply with a "Oh, I'm good."
There was a day not long ago when any young man of wage earning age would be embarrassed to accompany the fairer sex and not either A) buy something for them, or B) Buy something for themselves. This says a lot about the erosion of the nuclear family, and the lack of male leadership in the home, the falling away of boys being taught to be men.
Men belly up to the bar. Men buy drinks. Too many young ladies accompanied by boys.
Sad.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Perspective
During a recent vist, a colleague of mine brought up the Gerber (E-Myth) quip, "You're working IN your business, rather than ON your business." when he asked how much time I spent at work.
There are two main reasons why someone opens a small business.
1) They love what they do (and they make money doing it).
2) To make money supporting what they love(d) to do.
Now if your love is money, or your love is owning a business, then there are many businesses you can start with that end goal in mind. Create a business. Create a system. Watch the business grow. Repeat. Now if your love is books, or pastries, or sushi, or coffee, or cute crafts, then at what point does your love become business?
Let's look at owner operated shops in other countries. You can see many of them if you watch Rick Steves travel shows, where tourists walk around happily to happy owners in happy shops all over Europe. Small restaurants, wineries, caffe, pub, clothing stores, etc. Some of these are fourth or fifth generation. Families go into work doing something they love as part of their culture, family, or something they discovered in their journey of life. Work schedules are long, but not overwhelming... Want a vacation? Take one! Want to change the schedule? Change it! Want to begin something new? You can do that too. The idea that working successfully IN your business is not as rewarding as standing aside and watching someone else do it often mystifies me.
Again, ask yourself the question, "If I love X so much, then why is someone else doing it for me?" And that's ok. It's just a different perspective.
I love working for myself. I love working with my wife. I love making, tasting, brewing, roasting, and understanding coffee and espresso. It's not work. It's love.
But I don't think I need to limit myself to one song, one drink, or one business. Sharing the daily opportunity for us to grow this business together will always make the caffe "home", but that doesn't mean there isn't a little condo we have our eye on as well.
Stay tuned...
There are two main reasons why someone opens a small business.
1) They love what they do (and they make money doing it).
2) To make money supporting what they love(d) to do.
Now if your love is money, or your love is owning a business, then there are many businesses you can start with that end goal in mind. Create a business. Create a system. Watch the business grow. Repeat. Now if your love is books, or pastries, or sushi, or coffee, or cute crafts, then at what point does your love become business?
Let's look at owner operated shops in other countries. You can see many of them if you watch Rick Steves travel shows, where tourists walk around happily to happy owners in happy shops all over Europe. Small restaurants, wineries, caffe, pub, clothing stores, etc. Some of these are fourth or fifth generation. Families go into work doing something they love as part of their culture, family, or something they discovered in their journey of life. Work schedules are long, but not overwhelming... Want a vacation? Take one! Want to change the schedule? Change it! Want to begin something new? You can do that too. The idea that working successfully IN your business is not as rewarding as standing aside and watching someone else do it often mystifies me.
Again, ask yourself the question, "If I love X so much, then why is someone else doing it for me?" And that's ok. It's just a different perspective.
I love working for myself. I love working with my wife. I love making, tasting, brewing, roasting, and understanding coffee and espresso. It's not work. It's love.
But I don't think I need to limit myself to one song, one drink, or one business. Sharing the daily opportunity for us to grow this business together will always make the caffe "home", but that doesn't mean there isn't a little condo we have our eye on as well.
Stay tuned...
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Varietal Language of Coffee
I grew up with the same coffee that many of you did. Somewhere between something that was mountain grown, and the local cup of Joe that could have been substituted for paint thinner. This was the time when coffee mumbled. Unintelligible mutterings that continue to linger in many dank holes today... but let us go back....
There was this generic coffee flavor that we linked with all coffee. Aromatic, yet bitter, deep, but unremarkable, character, yet sameness. Whether it be the standard Colombian or something exotic like Kenya... it pretty much all tasted the same. And when it was different, we tried to mirror that sameness by matching the preconceived coffee flavor in the dark recesses of our mind by flattening out the bitters, sharp tones, and burnt staleness by a glob of sugar and a plop of milk. As we created some artificial semblance of coffee like flavor, we were satisfied that we could take something that was unpalatable and make it... well, recognizably average.
There are a growing number of farmers, roasters, and coffee professionals that hear the bean speaking to them. At first, it was some coded language, but it was the farmers who first understood that although the beans shared a common history, they had all developed their own language. Coffee speaks to us, but not in words, or sounds, or symbols. Coffee speaks to us in flavors.
As we listen to what the bean is telling us, we can learn, through cupping, and by maintaining a varietal roast what stories they have to share. The history of the cultivar, the feeling of the land, the heart of the farmer, the care of the millers and the sorters, the science and skill of the roaster, and the love and passion of the barista all combine to tell the story of each coffee to the world.
Each cup we serve speaks volumes, and like a pristine first edition, we savor every word as it linguistically flavors our tongue. So when you have a moment to savor the unspoken word of coffee, educate yourself by the cup and pass on your knowledge to others by sharing a taste of the varietal language of coffee.
There was this generic coffee flavor that we linked with all coffee. Aromatic, yet bitter, deep, but unremarkable, character, yet sameness. Whether it be the standard Colombian or something exotic like Kenya... it pretty much all tasted the same. And when it was different, we tried to mirror that sameness by matching the preconceived coffee flavor in the dark recesses of our mind by flattening out the bitters, sharp tones, and burnt staleness by a glob of sugar and a plop of milk. As we created some artificial semblance of coffee like flavor, we were satisfied that we could take something that was unpalatable and make it... well, recognizably average.
There are a growing number of farmers, roasters, and coffee professionals that hear the bean speaking to them. At first, it was some coded language, but it was the farmers who first understood that although the beans shared a common history, they had all developed their own language. Coffee speaks to us, but not in words, or sounds, or symbols. Coffee speaks to us in flavors.
As we listen to what the bean is telling us, we can learn, through cupping, and by maintaining a varietal roast what stories they have to share. The history of the cultivar, the feeling of the land, the heart of the farmer, the care of the millers and the sorters, the science and skill of the roaster, and the love and passion of the barista all combine to tell the story of each coffee to the world.
Each cup we serve speaks volumes, and like a pristine first edition, we savor every word as it linguistically flavors our tongue. So when you have a moment to savor the unspoken word of coffee, educate yourself by the cup and pass on your knowledge to others by sharing a taste of the varietal language of coffee.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Siphon Bar
We are just finishing our second week with the siphon bar at caffe d'bolla and the results are starting to come in.
The Siphon Bar has created a lot of new conversation about the coffee and the brewing method. I believe that this is the best way for extracting the dynamic varietal flavors out of the coffee.
Clean and dynamic
brewed above shimmering light
coffee perfection.
The Siphon Bar has created a lot of new conversation about the coffee and the brewing method. I believe that this is the best way for extracting the dynamic varietal flavors out of the coffee.
brewed above shimmering light
coffee perfection.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Heart of the Forest Espresso - A Great Start!
On our caffe blog, I tell about our exclusive espresso blend for Tony Caputo's Market and Deli.
I stopped in to see Matt and Tony this afternoon, and as a brand new offering, the coffee and espresso is selling well. I'm roasting new coffee early this week, and it looks like it will be a great relationship.
I stopped in to see Matt and Tony this afternoon, and as a brand new offering, the coffee and espresso is selling well. I'm roasting new coffee early this week, and it looks like it will be a great relationship.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Ethiopia Koratie DP -- in the Siphon
Wow!
This coffee was roasted to a dark city, almost full city roast... but I would do it at a lighter City roast next time to highlight the sweeter flavors.
In the cup the initial sips are blueberry up top and peach on the bottom. Midway through the cup a tiny hint of melon flavors begin to come through, though still surrounded by the blueberry.... and a bit of bitter cocoa in the background.
Blueberry and cocoa begin to dominate as you finish the cup. It finishes with a blueberry bittersweetness. I believe that the sweeter fruits would be more prominent and balanced at a lighter roast. I will report on that next time.
Total brew time on the siphon: 45 seconds - 35 brewing up, 10 to descend.
This coffee was roasted to a dark city, almost full city roast... but I would do it at a lighter City roast next time to highlight the sweeter flavors.
In the cup the initial sips are blueberry up top and peach on the bottom. Midway through the cup a tiny hint of melon flavors begin to come through, though still surrounded by the blueberry.... and a bit of bitter cocoa in the background.
Blueberry and cocoa begin to dominate as you finish the cup. It finishes with a blueberry bittersweetness. I believe that the sweeter fruits would be more prominent and balanced at a lighter roast. I will report on that next time.
Total brew time on the siphon: 45 seconds - 35 brewing up, 10 to descend.
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