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Food&Drink Best Coffee
DUMMY’S GUIDE
Jonathan Sharp runs four independent coffee shops in Edinburgh, including Kilimanjaro Coffee, and was Scottish Barista
Champion in 2009 and 2010. He gives us his dummy’s guide to coffee terminology
ORIGIN Specific regions produce coffees with similar flavour characteristics. For example Indonesian coffee is dark, earthy and heavy- bodied. In a flat white it gives a deep full flavour and is the base of Artisan Roast’s espresso blend. An Ethiopian coffee is more likely to be fruity and might give refreshing grapefruit or lemon notes in a cup of filter coffee.
ROASTER Coffee beans arrive here from origin countries as unroasted green beans in sacks. The roaster’s job is to source the best beans and transform them into the brown ones we are more familiar with. This job is far from simple, with a tiny variation in roast being the difference between a poor cup and a great one. I use small artisan roasters such as Artisan Roast in Edinburgh and Square Mile Coffee in London who are skilled in sourcing and roasting the best coffees. ROAST People often wrongly associate a dark roast with strong coffee and a light roast with weak. Simply, the lighter the roast the more flavour is coming from the bean itself. In order to preserve the unique flavours within their beans small artisan roasters tend to favour light/medium roasts.
ROAST DATE Roasted coffee is a fresh product – the biggest misconception here is the fresher the better. When roasted coffee is volatile and contains lots of undesirable gas, coffee just out of the roaster can make a particularly unpleasant cup. Roasted coffee is generally at its best between 5 and 20 days old. ESPRESSO OR SHORT BLACK Currently getting smaller and stronger but becoming less bitter in taste giving the purest coffee hit. It’s traditionally served with sugar; however, the lack of bitterness in the best-pulled espressos means many drinkers now going without.
FLAT WHITE Double shot of espresso served in a small cup with steamed milk. Stronger and less foamy than a latte it also isn’t too hot so can be drunk immediately.
LONG BLACK Double shot of espresso served in a small cup with hot water. Forget the watery americano, this is a proper black coffee.
EXTRACTION This refers to the amount of flavour we take from the ground coffee and is the most common reason behind a bad cup of coffee. Stop the shot too early and the espresso can be sour, let it run too long and you can be left with a very bitter cup. A well- judged extraction is required to make a great espresso-based coffee.
LATTE ART The rosetta or heart design found on the flat whites and lattes of the skilled barista. 7–21 Oct 2010 THE LIST 27
ARTISAN ROAST 15–17 Gibson Street. Mon–Fri 8am–7.30pm; Sat 9am–7.30pm; Sun 9am–6.30pm. www.artisanroast.co.uk The Glasgow branch aims to give an education as well as a coffee experience. Watch the beans being roasted on-site while enjoying arguably the best coffee in town, with a blend that is fresh- tasting and aromatic with plenty of fruity flavours.
PECKHAM’S 61–65 Glassford Street, 553 0666, Mon–Sat 8am–midnight, Sun 9am–11pm. 43 Clarence Drive, 357 2909, Mon–Sat 8.30am–midnight, Sun 9am–midnight. Various other locations. www.peckhams.co.uk The Glassford Street and Clarence Drive branches of this deli chain have tables for sit-in food, well-prepared coffee, pro barista staff and plenty of beans on sale to take home afterwards.
TAPA BAKEHOUSE/TAPA COFFEHOUSE 21 Whitehill Street, 554 9981, Mon–Sat 8am–6pm, Sun 9am–5pm / 721 Pollokshaws Road, 423 9494, Mon–Thu 8am–6pm; Fri–Sat 8am–9.30pm; Sun 9am–6pm. www.tapabakehouse.com Both premises are supplied daily by the Bakehouse’s own micro-roaster, ensuring some of the freshest and best coffee in town. TINDERBOX 189 Byres Road, 339 3108. Mon–Sat 7.15am–11pm; Sun 7.45am–11pm. Various other locations. www.matthewalgie.com Glasgow’s three branches are showcases for the Matthew Algie coffee company so expect a good- quality cuppa to be served up by well-trained baristas. Everything that can be done with coffee, whether hot or cold, seems to be on the menu.
Reviews by Jay Thundercliffe
BISCUIT 17 Skirving Street, 632 3466. Mon–Sat 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–5pm. www.biscuitcafe.co.uk This Shawlands coffee house and diner is proving a popular choice despite being sandwiched between two older competitors. This is largely down to the quality of the coffee on offer and the expertly consistent preparation of the various drinks. COFFEE, CHOCOLATE AND TEA 944 Argyle Street, 204 3161. Mon–Fri 8am–6pm; Sat & Sun 10am–4pm. Set up by McCallum’s fishmongers on the site of its old shop, this small café punches above its weight thanks to daily roastings in store. Rich, chocolatey and perfectly balanced, the house blend is hard to beat.
OFFSHORE 3–5 Gibson Street, 341 0110. Mon–Fri 8am–10pm; Sat & Sun 9am–10pm. www.myspace.com/offshorecoffee Coffee-lovers flock to this café thanks to the comfortably bright and airy ambience as well as the quality of the drinks served up. Smooth and fresh- tasting brews mean that you can happily sip away over a long lazy weekend.