Coffee
Posts here are devoted to the simple joy of coffee—whether it’s a nitro oat latte in Fargo or a tasting flight during a road trip. I share notes on cafés visited, beans tried and the small moments that make each cup memorable.
- mandate that all coffee shops shall have available the appropriate serving containers for a pure espresso beverage;
- espresso shall be served in a thick-walled, pre-heated porcelain cup not to exceed 2 ounces in capacity; and
- all coffee shops shall have monthly certification tests for all employees requiring the creation of a shot of espresso with robust crema that will last at least 60 seconds undisturbed.
Mazie and I are reading and relaxing at Cafe Mozart this morning. Really great espresso.
I’m not buying or drinking. No Starbucks for me.
There is no culture here. Sterile. Unhappy people.
Long live local coffee shops.
Kopplin's Coffee
I’ve been doing plenty of complaining lately about coffee shops that are so inept that they cannot serve a passable shot of espresso. Note, I’m not complaining about the use of an automated espresso machine. I use an automated machine at home. I’m not that high maintenance. No, I’m vocal about putting 1 to 2 ounces of espresso in a 16 ounce paper cup. Or not even knowing what it is to just order an espresso. I recently suggested legislation to remedy this and Peter Vader commented about Kopplin’s Coffee and suggested I should try it.
With this sturdy recommendation I asked my neighbor and coffee connoisseur Mike if he wanted to join me and drive over there, about 30 minutes one way, to give this place a try. Obviously I’m not going to make a habit of driving 30 minutes to get a coffee, but if it really was special I thought it would be fun to try.
Kopplin’s is totally unassuming. It seemed like a simple, notably small, coffee shop with a few laptops open and a couple of people chatting at tables. The guy behind the counter was the owner, Andrew Kopplin, although I didn’t know that until I looked at the newspaper clipping on the wall with his picture in it. The first thing I noticed at Kopplin’s were the two Clover machines on the counter.
I knew a little about the Clover from a thread that had spread around the Internet a while back. Mainly, I knew they were $11,000 coffee machines. Not espresso machines, but single batch brewed coffee. Check out this video of the Clover in action to see what this is all about. There was a very big hubbub when Starbucks bought them in a desperate grasp for authenticity and coffee that tastes less horrible. To be clear, I’m no fan of brew, but I had to give this a try. We ordered a 16 ounce pot of the Guatemalan and gave it a try.
It was really good coffee. Extremely smooth. But, it was still brew. I enjoyed it, but the taste wasn’t what I like. For those that love brew, the Clover is probably a gift from the heavens. For me, the $11,000 is lost.
Onto the real reason for the trip, to give their espresso a go. In short, it’s about the best espresso that I’ve gotten in a coffee shop in town. It is incredibly deep with a very thick crema. The service is perfect, in an appropriately sized ceramic cup that has been preheated for a while on the top of the espresso machine. Kapplin’s seems to do a very fine grind, and the resulting espresso just drips into the glass.
We chatted with Kopplin himself for a little bit and he’s a really cool guy. Very nice, obviously knows his stuff. I give him huge respect for being in his mid-20’s and opening up his own place and making that all happen. And on top of making great coffee he is sourcing local ingredients, and even using milk from grass fed cows in his drinks! I don’t think you can go wrong with a trip to Kopplin’s.
Kopplin’s was named Best Barista by City Pages, listed as Ultimate Brew in Twin Cities Business and has great reviews on Yelp.
And last but not least, I really dig the logo.
Freedom of American Coffee Enjoyment Resolution
I suggest that congress work on enacting the following legislation:
Whereas many residents of the United States seek the pleasure of a coffee-based beverage, including many variations thereof, and that these beverages should be preserved for future enjoyment;
Whereas it is understood that espresso is a drink, and is not simply an ingredient to be added with milk or chocolate;
Whereas the history of coffee, and the native basis of coffee shall be understood;
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the United States Government should pursue policies that
Me: Can I have a double espresso.
Panera: Ahh, what was that?
Me: Just two shots of espresso.
Panera: Ok.
Panera: Do you just drink it like that?
Me: You mean just straight?
Panera: Yeah.
Me: Of course.
Panera: Huh, wow.
After more than a year of grinding my espresso at 3, I moved to 1. Finer grind. It’s like discovering a whole new thing. Amazing.
Double Espresso
Just had one of those coffee shop experiences that drive me crazy.
barista: Hello! What would you like today?
me: Double Espresso please.
barista: Ah, what exactly do you mean by a double espresso.
I mean really? What is hard about this?
And then, just to highlight how uncoffee they are, the smallest ceramic mug is a 12 oz. coffee cup. Oh the humanity of it all. 🙂
Caught on Camera at One on One
When I worked downtown I was really lucky to have this very cool independent coffee shop just a block away from the office. I made a daily trip, even in the freezing cold of January, to get a coffee from One on One. Now that I’m not downtown all the time I don’t get there as often, but it seems I did make it into the background on a recent photo shoot!
I was there a couple of weeks ago and I remember them moving some bikes around and it seemed a bit goofy. I saw a photographer and just figured they were doing some promotional shots for the website or something. Turns out it was actually for an article in the Star Tribune and I snuck into the background. See the top-left corner.
If you are in the area and like coffee, bikes or both stop by. I highly recommend the cold press coffee, this is where I was turned on to the wonders of that stuff.
By the way, the Robin Williams visit mentioned in that article was captured in person at the end of my Farewell video by my buddies Jim and Kent.
Thanks to Eric Marshall for tipping me off to this!
Great, but brief, visit to the Kew Botanical Gardens. Great place. This mornings coffee and scone there. Back into city for lunch.
Having nice espresso and croisant with Mazie.