Food & Drink
Read More ›
Learn How to Taste Coffee Like an Expert
Want to really know coffee? Then you’ll need to do a cupping
This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the July 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Living in Seattle comes with a few stereotypical expectations, and knowing more about coffee than the average person is one of them. There’s no better way to boost your coffee cred than at a “cupping,” a coffee tasting experience equivalent to wine tasting.
In advance of CoffeeCon, the consumer craft coffee conference at Fremont Studios set for July 28–29, Seattle Coffee Works co-owner Sebastian Simsch—who holds free public coffee cuppings at his downtown café on Mondays at 3 p.m. (107 Pike St.; 206.340.8867; reserve a spot at service@seattlecoffeeworks.com)—offers these tips for how to taste like a pro.
1. Drink water and eat beforehand—but nothing too sweet or salty that will blow out your palate. Leave sense-obliterating items such as perfume and lipstick at home.
2. Observe and smell the grounds. Small cups are lined up and filled with measured grounds of different coffees. This is when you inspect the color and smell of the grounds; catch a whiff and you’ll be able to connect smell and taste.
3. Crack the crust. Each cup is then filled with water and the coffee grounds float to the top, forming a crust to be left undisturbed for three minutes. You then stir three times to release the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee, so you can evaluate it.
4. Taste and take notes. When the brew has cooled to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, tasting begins. Use your spoon to sift out the grounds and sample the liquid—and don’t be afraid to slurp. As you do so, look for a balance of flavor, acidity, body and finish—these are the hallmarks of good coffee. This is when you’ll hear the gurus talk about dry astringency, floral notes and crisp citrus flavors.
5. It’s ok to spit. Unless you want to be vibrating all day, Simsch says spitting—as in wine tasting—is appropriate.
Follow Us
Restaurant Roundup: Bomb Banh Mis and Oktoberfest on the Water
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
Knowing where to take out-of-town guests is an art form. You know the dance. How do you show Seattle off just enough that it still comes off classy? Give them a taste of what they’re missing and send them home with a pair of emerald-tinted glasses. “The Nosh with Rachel Belle” has some ideas, like…
Entertaining Like a Pro: Holiday Hosting Tips from Herban Feast’s Culinary Director
Holiday season means one thing for hosts: pressure. Whether you’re planning a corporate client appreciation party or an intimate gathering at home, the goal is the same: you want people talking about it well into January. Herban Feast, the Seattle-based farm-to-table catering company and award-winning creative force behind some of the region’s most memorable events…
Mountain Bar Gets a Nutty Update
Brown & Haley introduces its first new Mountain Bar flavor in more than 50 years.
Tacoma confectioner Brown & Haley is raising the bar. Earlier this summer, the century-old candy maker rolled out a new Mountain Bar featuring rich milk chocolate and pieces of Oregon-grown hazelnuts. Developed in partnership with Oregon Hazelnut Growers, the release celebrates a crop with deep regional roots. Oregon produces 99% of the hazelnuts grown in…
Onigiri on the Rise
Japan’s iconic snack is all the rage from baseball games to Seattle boardrooms, thanks to Onigiri Sen.
Anyone who’s been lucky enough to visit Japan has almost certainly made a pit stop at a 7-Eleven—and left with enough onigiri to feed a bus full of tourists. For the uninitiated, onigiri are rice balls stuffed with seafood or veggies and often wrapped in seaweed. It’s a culinary tradition that’s endured for centuries. Samurai…