It has been cultivated and consumed for centuries, and today it is one of the most valuable agricultural commodities in the world. On average, Canadian coffee fans consume 2.6 cups of the stuff per day, according to 2003 figures from the Coffee Association of Canada.
We know that Wine Access readers put a lot of thought into what goes in their wine glass. But do you put the same level of attention into the contents of your coffee mug?
“I’ve been working in coffee for about 8 years and I do notice that people want to know more about it, but there’s still a lot of people that just — they don’t have any idea the many aspects that there are to coffee,” says Amanda Wiley, regional operations manager of Waves Coffee House in Alberta.
We talked to Wiley and Peter Izzo, another Calgary-based coffee expert, to give you the basics of what you need to know about joe.
There are three major coffee-growing areas in the world: Latin America, Africa and the southeastern parts of Asia, particularly Indonesia. Like wine, the soil in which the coffee is grown can affect the flavour profile, but altitude is also a major factor, according to Izzo, owner of Cappuccino King, a retail store selling and servicing high-end coffee equipment. The best beans, he says, are grown between 3,000 and 4,500 feet above sea level.
These beans are most likely to be Arabica, one of the two main species of coffee produced for human consumption. Arabicas are the higher quality beans — they take longer to mature and are bigger and more flavourful than Robusta beans, which can be bitter, but have a better crema (the thin layer of reddish foam on top of an espresso) when brewed.
Within these two species, there are many different varietals, frequently named after where the beans are grown (think Java, Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain), but sometimes there is such a small lot of a varietal that it is designated only by number, Izzo says.
Unlike wine, most of the coffee you’ll find will be a blend. Blended coffees use different varietals, different roasts and even small amounts of Robusta beans to create a specific flavour and mouthfeel.
One trend that’s becoming more popular is single-origin coffee — one varietal from a specific lot, roasted in a particular way. But, Izzo says, it will likely always remain a boutique product.
And don’t even try looking for a single-origin espresso, says Wiley.
“Espresso is so dynamic and has so many different layers to it, and in order to create what you want to create, from the flavour to just consistency and how you get that nice rich crema on top, so often it will be a blend of three or more coffees,” she says.
The first step in preparing a good cup of coffee is finding a coffee that you like. A lot of this is trial and error — simply figuring out what you like or dislike about the coffee you presently drink and trying different products in line with what you like.
In a grocery store aisle, Wiley says, bags of coffee will frequently have descriptions on the back labels (like you see on bottles of wine). Alternatively, you can visit a specialty store or coffee shop, where the staff should be able to tell you more about the products.
Some general pointers to keep in mind are that Latin American coffees usually have nutty flavours, African coffees have floral or citrus notes and Asia-Pacific coffees have earthy flavours. Latin American coffees tend to have higher acidity and African coffees are less acidic.
If you stay away from dark roast because you don’t like strong or bitter coffee, Wiley advises that what people perceive as strength or bitterness is frequently acidity. Lighter roasts are actually more acidic than dark, which tend to have more sweet or roasted flavours, more body and less “acidic punch,” she says. Wiley suggests experimenting with dark roasts, but avoiding those that have “smoky” as a prominent descriptor, as those tend to be the darkest roasted.
Before you can brew your new coffee, it will need to be ground. It is important to tailor the grind to the type of machine you’ll be using, Wiley says, and most home grinders (the ones with the blade) aren’t up to the job. For this reason, she suggests having coffee ground at the point of purchase, in a proper burr grinder. Once it’s ground, though, use it quickly — within 7 to 10 days, Wiley says.
To taste test your new coffee, Wiley recommends using a French press, her favourite method of preparing coffee. It’s the brewing process that’s closest to cupping, which is how roasters taste their coffees, as it allows more contact between the water and the coffee grinds. It produces a drink with a slight grittiness, more flavour and higher caffeine levels, Wiley says.
“It does the coffee more justice,” she says.
If you’re using a machine, Izzo advises that there are a few things you can do to ensure your coffee continues to taste as it should
Finally, it’s important to note that even your favourite coffee won’t taste great if it’s stale. Make sure you’re buying coffee that’s fresh — roasted coffee beans are good for up to 6 months past the roasting date, but are best between 5 and 6 weeks. Coffee should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (but not in the freezer). Once the bag is open, it only has about a week before it starts to lose flavour, so drink up!
Photo: Luz Bratcher
965 Kings Rd.
Victoria, BC
250-385-2326
Multiple locations
Vancouver, BC
2152 West 4th Ave.
Vancouver, BC
604-420-4900
2043 33 Ave. S.W.
Calgary, AB
403-686-1221
Analog Café — Calgary Farmer's Market
510 77 Ave. S.E.
Calgary, AB
403-265-2112 (roastery)
Multiple locations
Edmonton, AB
780-430-9198
1838 Hamilton St.
Regina, SK
306-757-7899
708 Broadway Ave.
Saskatoon, SK
306-242-6016
614C Broadway Ave.
Saskatoon, SK
306-652-5558
460 Dufferin Ave.
Winnipeg, MB
204-586-3989
30 St. Andrew St.
Toronto, ON
416-595-0327
983 Queen St. E.
Toronto, ON
1-877-558-3276
Multiple locations,
Toronto, ON
1-800-762-3067
857A Bank St.
Ottawa, ON
613-231-7788
Multiple locations,
Ottawa, ON
176 Dalhousie St.
Ottawa, ON
613-562-1775
multiple locations,
Montreal, QC
969 Rachel St. E
Montreal, QC
514-529-1321
3990 St-Urbain
Montreal, QC
514-842-3110
6027 North St.
Halifax, NS
902-423-6944
Multiple locations
Halifax, NS
47 Harvey Rd.
St. John's, NL
709-754-4538
Santopol Photo: katymartin
This recipe comes from a joint project a couple of years ago between Melitta Coffee and celebrity chef and cookbook author Trish Magwood. The ground coffee will give “additional depth and life to the sweet maple syrup, spices and natural oils from the nuts,” according to the chef’s notes from the original recipe.
If you can’t find Melitta, substitute any other South American medium-dark roast coffee.
Yield: 2 cups of nuts
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Melitta Estate South American roast, ground
2 cups mixed nuts, unsalted (almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pepitas, etc.)
1 Tbsp sugar
Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together nuts with honey or maple syrup, spices and coffee, tossing to coat well. Spread the coated nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes (be sure to spread out as much as possible so they don’t stick together too much). After 15 minutes, sprinkle the sugar over the nuts and give them a stir. Return the nuts to the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking tray. When nuts are cool, break them apart if needed and serve. Can be made a week in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Substitutions: Try playing around with the spicing; in place of the allspice/cayenne, try smoked paprika/ground coriander or cardamom/cayenne.
Photo: shivery
This classic southeast Asian beverage is perfect for a cool summer caffeine fix. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.
Yield: 4 servings
4 cups very strong brewed dark roast coffee
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Ice cubes or chips
Spoon 2 tablespoons of condensed milk into each of four coffee cups. Add 1 cup of coffee to each cup and stir to dissolve condensed milk. Fill each of four glasses 3/4 full with ice cubes and pour coffee mixture over ice. Stir to chill coffee.
Warning: Rapid changes in temperature can cause glass to crack or shatter. Use heavy glasses for this recipe.
Photo: Marjie Kennedy
Blended coffee drinks have become popular summer choices for coffee shop patrons. This recipe for a make-at-home frappé comes from I Love Coffee! (2007 Andrews McMeel) by Calgary coffee fan Susan Zimmer.
Yield: 1 serving
4 oz cold espresso or strong coffee
2-3 oz chocolate syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla-flavoured syrup
4 ounces milk
3 cups crushed ice
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, to garnish
Place the espresso, syrups, milk and crushed ice in a blender and blend until the mixture is slushy. Pour into a chilled tall glass. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Photo: Luis Macalinao
For more information on choosing and preparing coffee, check out our Introduction to Coffee.
Try one of our coffee-based recipes: Coffee-spiced Nuts, Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Fake-a-Frappéccino
Shelley Boettcher is the Executive Editor of Wine Access magazine and is a wine columnist and blogger for the Calgary Herald. When she's not drinking wine, she's probably drinking coffee. Her favourite wine? Whatever's currently in her glass.
While my weeks are normally filled with an assortment of wine tastings, winery lunches and winemakers dinners, sometimes something comes along that is just plain fun. Monday morning on September 28th, I got an email invitation to be a guest judge for the Krups Kup of Excellence http://www.krupskupofexcellence.com/ they had a last minute cancellation from a judge and I was able to clear my Tuesday.
Tom Firth is a writer, wine consultant, judge and a member of the Wine Access National Tasting Panel. He loves to chat about all things wine and blogs for wineaccess.ca, tweets as @cowtownwine and is a general nuisance.
