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Good morning Mark!
It really was a no-brainer as to what topic I’d dive into for our first ever CoffeeGeek Newsletter. It is the coffee subject of all coffee subjects for me. It’s what made me fall in love with specialty coffee.
We’re talking espresso in today’s issue.
For me, espresso is the ultimate expression of what roasted coffee can deliver. No other brewing method is as challenging and demanding to both the skill of the beverage creator, and the technical ability of the tools used to fulfill its full potential.
Espresso happens to be one of the youngest of the major methods for brewing coffee, outside of the AeroPress (also established as a unique brewing method). Espresso is the culmination of nearly 400 years of coffee brewing theory, science and application, always in the pursuit of a more refined and concentrated extraction of coffee liquor from the roasted coffee bean.
Almost every brewing development, from advancements in filters, to the use of steam to push water through finer grounds, and better control over water temperatures led to the development of modern day espresso with the invention of the Gaggia Crema lever machine in 1947.
This pursuit ultimately lead us to tools that push 5.5cl of 93.89C water with 135 pounds of pressure, through a meticulously packed bed of 18.5g of coffee ground to an average 300 micron particle size, in order to get 45 grams of a finished, concentrated brew into a small preheated porcelain demitasse cup. All in 35 seconds or less.
If that weren't enough, we also get to do wonderful and diverse things with that scant 1.5 ounces of viscous, heady liquor.
Just think of all the beverages based off espresso. The lovely afternoon cappuccino, that beautiful balance of equal measures of froth, heated milk and espresso. That midmorning macchiato, when you don’t want the pure intensity of straight espresso, yet benefit from the tiny impact of it. The early morning americano, when you crave a flavour burst that just plain drip coffee can’t deliver. Then there’s the latte, that uniquely American contribution that also turned thousands of baristas into artists, creating lovely patterns in the cup.
For me though, it’s that straight and pure 45ml of thick essence of all that is good in coffee, imbibed in 3 or 4 sips soon after it was brewed, that I most look forward to out of all my coffee journeys.
Espresso is more than just a beverage; it is an emotional and intellectual trigger. When I go through the ritual of hand crafting an espresso, I often think the people who paved the way to get to this point.
Ernesto Illy often comes to mind, and how his life vocation lead to so much discovery into the science and mechanics of espresso that he gladly shared with others.
I think of La Marzocco's Kent Bakke and Bill Crossland. The former is one of the true pioneers in the introduction and popularity of espresso in the USA. The latter brought a dual boiler machine for home use to life.
That dual boiler machine: the La Marzocco GS/3. That single engineering achievement lead to prodigious improvements across the spectrum of home espresso machine technology, starting with $8,000 machines, and filtering down to $400 ones. It made the possibility of better espresso a reality for almost every consumer. Someday, I want to write the story on that.
Espresso is also an emotional trigger. Some of the most seminal moments of my life involved espresso. My first morning ever spent outside my own country was spent at a Parisian cafe, enjoying the scene, reading a newspaper and sipping my first ever espresso. My first date with my wife was over an espresso at a Vancouver cafe.
Then there's my Mother.
My dear Mum, enduring terminal cancer, got her last wish: to take one more camping trip with her boys. Being the oldest, I organized my brothers and made it happen. Packed in my camping gear: a manual espresso machine, and a hand cranked grinder.
That first morning saw us waking up to a serene sunrise over Mew Lake in Algonquin Park, the destination of many youthful carefree summer vacations. I made everyone espresso (an americano for my Mum). It was her first ever. We sat in silence for a while, listening to the morning birds, and then my Mum said "this is perfect." It truly was.
Whenever I'm alone and standing before an espresso machine, ready to make a shot, that memory often floods back into my vision. And I cherish it.
Have a great weekend, folks.
Mark Prince, Senior Editor
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