Coffee Discovery Series: A Ritual Coffee Experience : Tiny Bites

Coffee Discovery Series: A Ritual Coffee Experience

Leave a Comment Karen HamiltonNovember 20, 2008

This week marks the publication of my second article on CoffeeGeek.com. Topic is the October free tasting: samples and prize giveaways were from San Francisco roaster Ritual Coffee, and basic/advanced operation of a French press was demonstrated and discussed.

Run over to CoffeeGeek for the full text; abstract and full photo gallery below.

The October CoffeeGeek tasting at Vancouver’s Bump n’ Grind Café couldn’t have been more perfectly timed for yours truly. The night before was a vigorous celebration of my 29th birthday, and the promise of quality coffee to sooth my aching liver certainly spurred me out of the house with a burst of energy that I shouldn’t have been capable of at the time.

With the one tasting event under my belt and additional education gleaned from regular visits to the new Italian-style espresso bar on my block, I also felt more confident in my ability to assess the roasts that would be sampled on this day, care of San Francisco’s Ritual Coffee.

Unlike the September tasting, which consisted of a vertical flight of 3 Ethiopian Sidamos, the October event would provide a free sampling of roasts from two different parts of the world.

The first hails from the Matalapa region of El Salvador, grown on a farm called La Libertad; these farmers garnered a prestigious Cup of Excellence finals standing for this particular bean in 2008. The second was a Kenyan – from Muburi, Kirinyaga to be precise – grown 1700 metres above sea level in volcanic loam.

Another new item on the agenda was the inclusion of a French press how-to. Prince has already authored a number of popular tutorials on this topic on CoffeeGeek.com and Imbibe Magazine. During the day’s session, copies of this article from Imbibe were distributed to participants and were referenced throughout the in-person demonstration.

As a special treat, two additional espresso roasts were available for a nominal charge following the tasting and tutorial, pulled at the Synesso by [Sammy] Piccolo, who also happens to be a 4-time Canadian Barista Champion and fresh from his 2008 win in Montreal.