Nikolas Krankl, July 07, 2010

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CERISE COFFEE REVIEW (92/100)

Cerise was recently reviewed by coffee review and was awarded a stunning 92 points.  I am incredibly proud of everyone at GHCC that had a hand in developing this really special blend.  We already knew it was delicious, and it also fared extremely well at competition this year, but a good review is always well received, too! 

Here's the review:

Terroir Coffee

Cerise

Acton, Massachusetts

Reviewed: May 2010 

Price: $16.95/12 ounces 

Aroma  8

Body  8

Flavor  9

Aftertaste 9

With milk: 8 

Roast (Agtron): (44/53) 

Origin: Kenya; Colombia; Brazil.  

OVERALL RATING: 92 

Notes: The first offering in George Howell’s Barista Espresso Series, Cerise was developed in cooperation with Nik Krankl of Taste Coffee House in Newton Massachusetts. This espresso blend marks a new departure for Terroir, which has historically offered only elite single-origin coffees. Terroir is the creation of George Howell, one of the world's leading coffee visionaries. It is a pioneer in the revival of medium roast styles designed to foreground the character of the green coffee. Visit www.terroircoffee.com or call 866-444-5282 for more information. 

Blind assessment: Evaluated as espresso. High-toned aroma combining flowers and very ripe orange with a distant hint of fresh-cut grass. In the small cup smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel and a complex range of flavors that maintain the floral and ripe citrus theme with complications of black cherry and sweet nut. The flavors carry into a sweet short finish and linger delicately in the long. The flavor complex carries intact into two parts milk cushioned by a rich, caramel-like sweetness.    

Who should drink it: A competition quality espresso that resists simplification in milk. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

We just finished up a run with Cerise and you can be certain that before long we will crave it back on bar!  But for now, we are serving Espresso Toscano by Counter Culture.  We are pulling it like this: Short and sweet i.e. 19g coffee dose, 19g bev weight, 27-28 seconds, 201 degrees, yielding approximately 1.25 liquid ounces.  As a straight shot and with milk this espresso really appeals to the masses.  It has incredible body with tons of caramel, chocolate and orange zest.  Not the most challenging but definitely a classic approach to what an espresso should look and taste like.  Unlike what we typically serve, this coffee very low acidity.  

We will do 2 runs with Espresso Toscano so it will be in the hopper for the next 14 days.  Plenty of retail bags available as usual.

 

Nikolas Krankl, June 03, 2010

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"LIKE FATHER LIKE SON"

Congratulations Dad on your Wine Spectator cover shoot!  I'm so proud of you!  Now I just need to figure out how to get my name on the infamous Sine Qua Non mailing list :-0  

 

Nikolas Krankl, May 20, 2010

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Andrew David von Guerard

April 30, 1989 - May 17, 2010

 

He was beautiful inside and out, gone from us in the springtime of his years.  May 17, 2010 Andy died as a result of injuries sustained during an accident with an SUV while riding his bicycle in Newton, Massachusetts. Since August 2009 Andy had been living in Waltham, Ma. During the past year, he was an online student at Mesa State College and worked in the Taste Coffee Shop in Newton, Ma. There he was a cook and eventually earned the title of barista. He had just turned 21, loved living in Boston, and was hitting his stride. Andy was passionate about life and bringing people together. He drew us close with a sense of humor and depth of knowledge beyond his years. Andy also had a passion for skiing, Oh did he ever love “Fresh POW”. "Life" he said, "would not be complete without skiing." Andy was a firm believer in natural rights and a champion of individual liberty.  A critical thinker, Andy was ever skeptical of authority and always demanded concrete evidence and sound reasoning behind the positions he took. He had a strong interest in music, DJing a show for some time at Mesa State and later at the University of Puget Sound and expressed himself lyrically as a member of the parody rap group Beta Wolf. Always creative and spontaneous, he loved to drive and to go on adventures throughout the wilderness of Western Colorado.  He was a hardcore hiker, climbing many mountains around the state. 

Andy was born in Pueblo, Colorado April 30, 1989 and was the Omega to his older sister Joy’s Alpha. In 1994, he moved with his family to Grand Junction, Colorado. A 2007 graduate of Fruita Monument High School (FMHS), as a junior in the fall of 2005, he led the FMHS Matchwits team to a state championship. He was also one of the founding members of the current FMHS Knowledge Bowl Team and invented an alternative form of wall ball which was played at numerous Knowledge Bowl Competitions around the state.

Andy gave his heart to Jesus as a young boy and on May 17, 2010 Jesus received him into his eternal rest. Andy was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents Dave and Dee Twiddy and paternal Grandfather Ralph von Guerard. He is survived by his grandmother Maryanne von Guerard, parents Paul and Tina von Guerard, Sister Joy von Guerard, niece Leila, Girlfriend Natalie Thomas, and Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins and many friends from coast to coast. A service to celebrate Andy’s life will be held Thursday May 27 starting at 11am at Redlands Community Church 2327 Broadway in Grand Junction, Colorado. In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to the Buddy Werner Ski Program; Powderhorn Racing Club P.O. Box 532 Grand Junction, CO 81502. 

Nikolas Krankl, May 20, 2010

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USBC 2010 WRAP UP

Wow.  Where do I even begin?

First and foremost let's talk about my ranking.  I made it into the semi-finals (top 25 in the USA), and from that select group of extremely qualified baristas, I ended up placing 12th... in the country!  Very cool and I am honored/shocked.  To view that info online click here.  It's nice to know that all the hard work came across to the judges throughout the three sets of drinks.  Most importantly, to me, the espresso tasted phenomenal!  It is called, "Cerise," and will be available online at Terroir Coffee or on the retail shelves at Taste shortly.  If you haven't had the pleasure of trying this blend, do yourself a favor and grab a bag-- your mouth will thank you for it!  The past two years I have developed an espresso blend specifically for competition and it is an incredibly fun and rewarding experience (last year it was from Barismo called, "Poker Face," now referred to as, "Soma," and it has turned into one of their beloved espressos').  I anticipate 'Cerise' will gain similar popularity in due time.  Each year I make more progress and push myself harder than before.  Let me be the first one to say that next year will be no exception.  There's already talk of trips to origin with George Howell and 1-on-1 training with one of the world's best competition barista, who will remain anonymous for the time being.  The bottom line is that I'm hungry to get back on stage and see if I have what it takes.  Rumor has it that Intelligentsia is not going to be sending any of their baristas to compete next year.  Click here to read that press release.  BUT, do not be fooled into thinking that their presence will be lacking from the future of competitions.  Doug Zell has said publicly that they will be training accounts that use their coffee, and,  will take an active role training their own barista to be judges in next year's event(s).  Isn't this a conflict of interest?  I hope that the SCAA monitors such plans mighty closely.  Alas, only time will tell... 

I MUST give a great big shout out to Jennifer Howell, from GHCC, who placed second in the U.S. Cup Tasters Championship.  She got 7 out of 8 right in an impressive 3:01 minutes!  Bravo.  I think it is pretty clear she got some of her fathers' coffee DNA and I'm sure you will see a lot more of her in the years to come.  Last year's US champion and old friend from Boston, Ben Kaminsky, of Ritual Coffee Roasters, defended his title with a perfect score 8 of 8.  Word on the street is that it was a nail biter until the last second when Ben changed one of his choices and got the perfect score for his timely decision. Well done, Ben!       

Aside from competing, the SCAA 22nd Annual Exhibition was incredible.  Coffee stuff galore!  I even got to pull shots of Cerise on a Slayer.  Now that's what I call a good time.  49th Parallel had a lovely booth set-up with syphon and an awesome custom espresso machine- fully manual.  La Marzocco showcased their new "Strada" espresso machine...also awesome.  Without going into too much detail, it was a carnival for the coffee-obsessed.  I was like an ADHD kid unsupervised and without my Adderall.  Splendid!  

While I was gone, the baristas at Taste were busy breaking record after record.  In fact, our daily sales record was broken three consecutive weeks in a row!  I want to thank my staff for working like crazy while I was away and I want to thank the local community from Newton and all the way to downtown Boston for showing us incredible support for over two years now.  We promise to continue proudly serving you beautiful coffees from local roasters and abroad!  Thank you!  

Finally, a quick update:  our beloved Chloe Langham is moving to Chicago to further develop her career in theatre.  She's looking into working for either Kickstand or Metropolis as a part-time barista gig while she pursues her studies.  If you are reading this, Kickstand or Metropolis, hiring this girl will be the best decision you've made all year!  She is flawless on bar and your customers are going to be begging for her to pull their shots and make their cappuccinos.  When Chloe started here she knew nothing about being a barista.  Oh how times have changed.  I know that everyone here is going to miss having her work that 3-group Synesso like Carlos Santana plays the electric guitar-- flawlessly.  Chloe was recently featured in an online piece for www.latteartthrowdown.com.  Click on the link and view it in tribute to Chloe Langham.  I salute you, lady!

WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER?  We just finished a run with a SOE Colombian espresso from Ritual.  Sweet, clean and impressive.  So good we blew through it.  Next in line is Streetlevel espresso blend from Verve, a roaster based in Santa Cruz, CA.  It will pass through the groupheads tomorrow afternoon at the latest.  Don't worry, we will revisit our beloved Cerise soon enough.  Simply put, we love tasting different coffee from different roasters.  We have used GHCC exclusively for the past couple months during competition training and it is time to challenge our baristas and customers again with some different beans and roaster profiles.            

 

Nikolas Krankl, April 27, 2010

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United States Barista Championship

Coming off a second place finish at the Northeast Regional Barista Championship, Nik will be competing in the US Barista Championship in Anaheim, CA.  You can watch Nik compete live at www.usbaristachampionship.org April 16 at 10:30am west coast time (1:30pm on the east coast).

Julia Krankl, April 08, 2010

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ROOM TO DREAM ~ GALA 2010

Truly a huge success!  I will write a recap shortly hereafter with the details concerning the nitty-gritty stuff i.e. # of attendees, $$$ raised, etc...  Big Big Big support from GHCC/TERROIR for providing the second GS3, a grinder, and the superb espresso blend that I developed in tandem with them for the NERBC and will be pulling at the USBC, too, called, "Cerise."  Below is a sneak peak of the highly anticipated label that will hit shelves soon and make a large splash in the local espresso game.  Also, gotta give it up to Hi Lawn for donating a ridiculously large amount of milk!  I thank you and the chronically-ill children that this event benefitted thanks you too!  

It's too late to review the event right now, but here are a few pics of the night to tide you over until then!

            

Nikolas Krankl, April 03, 2010

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USBC @ ANAHEIM, CA.               APRIL 15-18

So there have been some technical problems with Taste's website which explains the long overdue post.  So here's the highly anticipated NERBC recap:

First and foremost congratulations to each and every competitor, sponsor, volunteer, friend and family member that made this event such a great success!  And a large shout out is in order for the incredible support provided to me by the entire staff from Terroir Coffee/GHCC- you guys are incredibly passionate, generous and most importantly fun to work with! 

So here's the deal.  Compared to last year, this years event had a much larger field (according the the SCAA we had the largest number of competitors out of any region in the country), and a much tougher field than last year (minus the fact that the infamous Amber Sather did not defend her title as back-to-back NERBC champ).  The best of the best gathered to strut their stuff on stage from most every notable shop/roaster around and the top 3 "best" in the region are:  

1st place:  Danielle Glasky, Stumptown Coffee--> NYC

2nd place: Nikolas Krankl, Taste Coffeehouse / GHCC--> BOSTON

3rd place: Jordan Barber, Cafe Grumpy--> NYC

It was a ridiculously close competition.  I do not know what Jordan Barber scored, but I was told that Danielle Glasky scored a 627 out of 870 points versus my 625 out of 870 points.  2 freakin' points... excuse my awful math but that is like .02%!!!  You know what though, she really deserves it because frankly I had a mishap day one and she was polished throughout both rounds.  Plus, she seems really nice and even teared up when announced as the winner, which made for a much better show than if I won and just blushed/smiled.  So what does this all mean?  Well, I get to move on to the Nationals on April 15th-18th and compete against all of the best barista finalists from all over the country, all of whom are vying for 1 spot to represent the USA in the World Barista Competition.  Sounds easy, right?  Just getting to perform on that type of stage for the second year in a row and meet such passionate barista is a true honor.  

This is the 2nd year that I've competed, and both times I've gotten second place which is very neat.  Not long after I received a message from Sammy Piccolo.  For those of you that don't know Sammy, he is from Canada and is considered to be one of the best barista in the world.  Sammy is an unprecedented four-time World Barista Finalist achieving three consecutive 2nd and 3rd place finishes between 2004 and 2006.  What he told me is that he's happy I didn't win because it is only going to make me hungrier to win.  Plus, he thinks that the first round by (the winner of each region automatically qualifies to the semi-finals) really sucks!  I thought it was so cool to have someone that I respect enormously in the industry reach out to me like that.  This is a big reason why I compete.  I want to immerse myself amongst the industries most competitive, qualified, a top-notch barista and learn from them ( and hopefully beat them someday, too :-0 ).  

There is a lot of good reporting about the competition, so if you're interested, click these links to see what The Boston Globe , The Boston Globe sidebar,  CNN i-report  & Wicked Local had to say about the NERBC!  Nice to see the local press and beyond show such great enthusiasm in regards to Boston's blossoming coffee scene.      

Here are some of the photos from the competition with plenty more to come soon so check back!

            

It is not easy running a successful cafe & training for competition simultaneously, but my staff has been incredibly hard working and supportive of me during this journey.  With nationals coming up so soon, I have got to train harder than ever and push my limits.  So I thank my staff, again, for holding down the home-base while I head to Anaheim.

An equally important update with an even greater cause: Taste will be setting up a booth this coming Thursday, April 1st at the Cyclorama to support the, "Room To Dream Foundation," to benefit chronically-ill children.  Click here to get more information if you want to attend, it's for a great cause!!!  All of the top-chefs will be there and it is a great honor to be asked to serve our coffee next to culinary icons like Lydia Shire of Scampo and many, many others!  We will have two GS-3 La Marzocco's at the event along with a brew bar.  Should be incredible and I want to give a great big shout out to GHCC and Hi Lawn for donating in conjunction with us to make this possible!  

There's so much more to talk about, but that's all for now folks!      

Nikolas Krankl, March 29, 2010

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"The first rule is not to lose. The second rule is not to forget the first rule."

The big competition is just around the corner! For those of you interested in seeing what all the hype is about, come check it out.  Here's the necessary information on time/date/place: CLICK HERE.  There are 36 competitors registered which should make for a truly epic show. 

I'll be on stage Saturday, March 20th at noon if you want to come root me on!  I've been very fortunate to have been provided with outstanding support from local roasters the past two years.  Last year,  Kaminsky and VanSchyndel of Barismo introduced me to competition and helped me acquire a solid foundation as a first-time competitor.  Thank you!  This year, I am competing with an espresso from the George Howell Coffee Company (GHCC), and they have been really incredible to work with.  Unlimited coffee and supplies to name a few, but the greatest resource they provided was the competition machine, a Nuova Simonelli!  Espresso is so finicky, and knowing the machine and how the coffee behaves on it is invaluable.  Furthermore, they're award winning product, "ExtractMojo," has been an invaluable tool in fine-tuning my shots.  If you can afford one of these bad boys, I'd highly recommend purchasing said instrument-- your palate & patrons will thank you.  Some of the other people that I want to thank for helping me prepare for this year's event are:

My lovely wife, Julia! Thank you for your enthusiasm, understanding, and great efforts in organizing practice sessions, keeping me focused, and for all of terrific your input.  You're incredible!  I love you.  Nuff said :-0

David, Ryan, Melissa, Mike, Jenny, Scott, Vince, George, Janet, Gio, Chloe, Sheryl, Anna, Andy, Paul Westerkamp, Jackie, Lucy, Mintz, Jess, Leo, James (yeah you, triple-shot :-0), and whomever else may accidentally be forgetting-- THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!  As competition nears closer let us remember...., "Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is."

See you there!       

                            

Nikolas Krankl, March 14, 2010

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PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Hairbender Espresso Blend by Stumptown is next in line for the jaws of the Robur E.  It's a big-bodied, chocolate fruity classic, sure to delight most.  From my experience this is a blend that home users have great success using.  We recommend it in milk, preferably as a traditional cappuccino (2 ounces espresso, 3 ounces steamed milk).  Speaking about, "What's in the Hopper?," Taste is now using Twitter!  This means quick updates about our ever-changing espresso program.  If you want to add us and receive said information about coffee, events and coupons, our Twitter account name is:  TasteNewton.

As you all know the Regional Barista Competition is just a little more than a month away!  So much time, energy and money goes into preparing for these.  As a second-year competitor, I have so much respect for the barista that undergo such a large commitment.  From what I've heard, the attendance this year is going to be larger than last, which speaks highly about Boston's growing specialty coffee community.  My hope is that regardless of who wins and who loses we all keep in mind who the real heroes are-- the farmers.  I intend on doing my part to represent them to their fullest and make their hard work shine in the small cup.  I hope all of our die hard fans out there come to check out the scene and show support.  We have 100% Cotton American Apparel t-shirts for sale for anyone interested in rocking some Taste gear at the event (they look a million times better in person than the crappy images below).  Come to the shop and see for yourself-- we're wearing them!

 

A lot of people are wondering what I will be serving as my signature drink this year.  I can't say because I do not want to ruin the surprise element.  But, what I can say is that this year I've been more fortunate than ever in regards to the kind of help I've received in developing the sig drink.  Renowned pastry chefs, restauranteurs, wine sommeliers, my lovely wife and soon-to-be doctor, bartenders and microbiologists, too, have all had a hand in creating a distinct, delicious and all around wonderful creation sure to please the sensory judges.  Now it's just time to practice, practice, practice.

                            

Nikolas Krankl, February 07, 2010

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WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER?

PT's Coffee Roasting Co. will be making their first appearance before the weeks end.  These guys have a great reputation in the industry and their espresso/barista competitors score quite well in regional/national competitions.  I'm really looking forward to pulling shots of this stuff.  The blend we are trying out first is called, 'La Bella Vita."  The 3 components are Brazil, El Salvado and Ethiopia.  The roast = northern Italian style.  We ordered up an especially large amount of retail bags because as of lately our shelves do not seem to be able to supply enough to meet demands.  Come pick up your bag and try a shot.  

We are just finishing up with Ecco Espresso, a Brazil + Ethiopia blend.  In my humble opinion, this coffee is more complete, rich and balanced than the Ecco Reserve that we had served the week beforehand.  If you haven't been in and tried it, don't procrastinate, because its a beautiful coffee that is almost all gone.    

Training on the GS3 has been surprisingly more popular than I had originally anticipated.  In just 2 weeks we've already done 3 sessions and booked 2 more.  Most sessions range from 2-4 hours and people are leaving with a really solid skill-set that they can take home or back to their shop and refine.  If you are interested in booking a private 1-on-1 lesson, hiring a barista for a party, catering or other event, checkout the "BARISTA-4-HIRE" tab on the upper left hand side of the page for additional information.

Lastly, this years Northeast Regional Barista Competitions (NERBC) will be held in Boston.  The dates are locked in - March 19-21, but the location is still TBD.  I'm really excited that this years event is on our home-field, and I am feeling a lot more confident and prepared than last year.  This time around I have a really nice foundation to build on and a much better idea of what to expect.  I'm in the process of making the finishing touches to my routine/signature drink, but from here on out it is just a matter of polishing (and I've got 2 months to do so, so I'm feeling really on top of it!).  Really the only thing left to figure out is which roaster to use.  The fact is, we've tried so many great coffees from skilled roasters that the decision has become very challenging.  Check in with us for updates on the location of the event if you are thinking about attending and/or competing.  You can also check in with Barismo, this years, "host sponsor."  They are playing a big role keeping the competition held locally this time around.  Nice job!                    

Nikolas Krankl, January 19, 2010

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WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER?

We are serving a blend called, "Espresso Classico," from Paradise Roasters until Thursday.  It is a 5-bean-blend with components from Brazil, Ethiopia, Hawaii, India and El Salvador.  This shot offers rich complexity as a straight shot, medium body, medium/light acidity and a delicate roast.  It was designed with the straight espresso in mind and in regards to that mission was accomplished.  In milk it does struggle a little bit more and can lose a lot of its edge, so think about trying it in smaller drink sizes or by adding a couple extra shots to your normal drink of choice.  Last week we were running "Espresso Nuevo" by Paradise and this blend was the polar opposite.  It's ability to cut through milk and show its true character was brilliant.  Decadent and sweet, this blend was a real crowd pleaser for the latte/cappuccino audience.  The components to the Nuevo blend included Brazil, Colombia and Sumatra.  Both coffees from Paradise are fun and I am so pleased to have had the pleasure to serve them.  Their 90+ scores on coffee review are well deserved and you can be certain that they have secured a spot on our overwhelmingly popular and crowded rotating espresso program.  

I really want to thank the community for embracing my love of trying new beans and blends from specialty roasters from all over the country.  It is something very unique and different that we do, and it takes an open-minded clientele to be willing to mix it up with us, frequently, in order to expand our coffee-knowledge.  Hopefully it has been as fun and interesting to you as it has been for us, and we look forward to continuing to offer you new and exciting experiences for years to come!

Speaking about what's to come...  We have a lot on the horizon!  First and foremost we are going to be loading Ecco Reserve Espresso into the hopper on Thursday afternoon/Friday morning.  As you all know, Andrew Barnett is one of the most renowned roasters in the country if not the world and it is with great pleasure to get to combine his passion with ours and pass it on to you.  The Ecco Reserve received a 90pt rating from Coffee Review and was awarded first place from Coffee Geek.  The 2-bean-blend masterfully pairs two wonderful coffees together in harmony- Fazenda Cachoeira and Fazenda Serra do Bone.  As always there will be lots of retail bags in house but don't wait because no matter how much we seem to stock they find happy homes quickly.

In other news, go pick up a copy Imbibe Magazine from the newsstands as we are mentioned in the January/February 2010 issue in an article about Heirloom coffee written by Kara Newman.  It is not posted online, yet.      

There is also a photo-shoot happening at Taste in the next few days that will appear in the online espresso blog, "Food Thinkers."  But more on that later...

Two final important notes (sorry, but I haven't posted recently due to holiday traveling and there is a lot to catch you up with).  The Hario Cold-Brew Tower arrived and is being fine tuned.  Seeing as the instructions are all in Japanese we really have to work at it through trial and error.  Two good friends of mine and regulars at the shop, Ryan Moses and David Singer, have scanned in the manual and are getting it translated by a Japanese native.  As soon as we can perfect it we will start offering up the cold-brew coffees on the regular.  And last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, the highly-anticipated La Marzocco GS3 espresso machine has arrived!!!  Let me tell you, believe the hype.  This machine is a masterpiece.  A work of art.  And we will be unveiling it within the next week with a day full of free espresso.  You heard it here, free espresso!  As I had mentioned in the previous post, with the arrival of the GS3 we are know offering our services for personal barista training sessions, and for events like catering, weddings, birthdays, Bar/Bat Mitzvah's, etc.  For more information like pricing and scheduling you can contact me directly at the shop (617) 332-6886 or online at Nikolaskrankl@gmail.com.  I will also be publishing those rates/services here on the website over the next few days.

That's all folks, for now.  Happy New Year!                

Nikolas Krankl, January 05, 2010

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HOLIDAY HOURS

Christmas Eve (12/24/09)---------> 6:30a.m. to 5:00p.m.

Christmas (12/25/09)----------------> CLOSED

New Years Eve (12/31/09)---------> 6:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. 

New Years Day (01/01/10)---------> 9:00a.m. to 8:00p.m.

I will repost our Holiday Hours on the website again as the dates near closer, but in case you wanted to plan YOUR schedule around OUR schedule, here you go!

On a different note, here's a couple of updates on in shop happenings.  For one, I just got word that the GS3 tentative export date from Florence is Monday.  That's not the only new piece of coffee hardware on the way.  We have a  "Hario Cold Brew Tower" that is arriving before the end of next week.  Here's what it looks like:

  

The method used by this all glass contraption is called Cold Brewing, and its advantages in cup quality are significant and unrivaled.  The cup produced (after 24 hours from start to finish) is low in acidity, smooth, heavily caffeinated and full-bodied.  The fruit notes, while not acidic/sour, show up strong, sweet and clean.  Whether you take milk/cream/sugar with your coffee, or not, this superior brew method is going to improve your iced coffee experience tenfold.  The cold brew stays good for at least a week if kept sealed in the refrigerator, so we will be able to showcase several different coffees from dozens of different renowned roasters at a time- essentially reproducing an iced coffee experience that is as deliciously progressive as our espresso program!  Are you getting excited?  You should be.

Speaking about our espresso program.  WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER, you ask?  We are currently serving a blend from Terroir Coffee called, "Gingerbread espresso."  It is a 5-bean-blend that consists of 2 Brazil coffees, 1 Ethiopian, 1 Kenyan and 1 Sumatran.  This particular blend just received a 93pt. rating out of 100 from Coffee Review.  George and the rest of the team from Terroir constantly send us samples of new blends to try out (almost as often as Ritual).  This particular blend really stood out to me, and when you come into the shop you'll see why.  I will certainly post our pulling notes for those of you that pickup some retail bags and want to calibrate your at-home-experience against what you are being served here.  We are going to do 2 runs with this coffee so it will be on bar for at least 14 days.  Subsequently we are going to unveil an espresso & retail bags from a Minnesota based company called, "Paradise Roasters."  More on that later...

Nikolas Krankl, December 04, 2009

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BARISTA - 4 - HIRE

A special package is en route to Taste as we speak.  I'll give you a hint: it is handmade in Florence, Italy.  Solved the puzzle yet?  It's a La Marzocco espresso machine!  But not just any old espresso machine.  This one does not require plumbing and can be plugged into a standard 110V electrical outlet.  This little bad-boy is completely mobile.  It is called the, "Lite Professional," but I can assure you there is nothing "Lite" about the GS-3.  Its commercial capabilities rival the best (i.e. Synesso, Mistral, GB-5, etc.).  It's beautiful enough to even make our 3-group Synesso jealous.  But why does Taste need a portable espresso machine you ask?  Well, we have been approached by several different people to host events, give lessons, and offer consult services.  And the demand seems to only get stronger and stronger as our popularity within the local community continues to strengthen.  The icing on the cake came when Terroir Coffee willingly offered up a deal too good to refuse, so good that we pulled the trigger without hesitation.  Big thanks to those guys for hooking us up at basically no charge and with no strings attached.  Now that's what I call supporting the growing coffee community!  In particular, thank you, Vince!  Vince has a strong relationship with La Marzocco, in part due to his 2009 Best New Product awarded by the SCAAl which he has coined, "ExtractMoJo."  

We have been wanting to offer our services outside of the shop for sometime now, but it takes a truly tremendous piece of equipment to pull-off such a stunt, successfully duplicating the high-quality drinks we craft in shop.  Well folks, I believe this espresso machine is that piece of equipment.  If you want to read a review written about it, click here.

As soon as the stainless-steel beauty arrives, I'll do an updated post with some information about rates and services offered.  We will also be offering free espresso and hosting a pour-over booth (roaster TBD), gratis, to mark the arrival of the highly-anticipated GS-3!  Definitely, stay tuned.  

Nikolas Krankl, November 27, 2009

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THANKSGIVING HOURS

We will be OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Stop by and have a coffee pre/post grocery shopping.  Or, if you just need a reason to sneak away from the relatives for a few, we're here for you!  

Quick update:  Epic Espresso from 49th Parallel is getting loaded into the hopper midday tomorrow.  It is a 3 bean blend of Brazil, Ethiopia, and El Salvador.  The owners, Sammy and Vince Piccolo are really good people.  They love coffee and take a lot of pride in what they do, without being pretentious or pompous.  It's the kind of people that we are proud to do business with.  Come in for a taste!  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

PS.  Keep your eyes out for a mention of Taste in the not-yet-released issue of, "Imbibe Magazine."

Nikolas Krankl, November 24, 2009

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ERC BARISTA JAM!

Espresso Royale, now known as ERC, hosted a Barista Jam on Friday the 13th.  It was really nice to see coffee lovers of all ages, shapes and sizes in attendance.  The shop is huge, and yet, filled to the brim.  What excited me the most was how enthusiastic my staff was to be there and to throwdown in the "latte art" competition.  It is a sign that they care and take interest in the blossoming coffee culture.  Big thanks to everyone for organizing the event (Jake, Larry, Mark, Jaime, Jamie, Logan, Chris, Atomic Cafe Coffee Roaster guys whose name I don't know, and everyone else that I'm surely forgetting....  Job well done boys and girls!  

The event was comprised of 3 events to stimulate friendly competition.  There was a latte art competition, a coffee triangulation, and an espresso throwdown.  The way it worked is for the latte art everyone had the opportunity to pour one drink in any cup of there choosing.  Then the drinks were judged and scored based on things like symmetry, contrast, difficulty, creativity, etc..  The coffee triangulation involved tasting 3 different coffees, 2 of which were the same.  Competitors were expected to pick out the odd coffee out, and they were timed to make it more difficult.  The espresso throwdown was also a judged event where competitors had 5 minutes and to serve the judges 1 espresso.  They could pull up to 3 shots but only serve 1.  Barista were scored on taste, smell, appearance, and overall bar cleanliness.   

Here are the results from the 3 different competitions:

Latte Art Pour organized by ERC/MEMteas:
1. Nik K. of Taste Coffee House (Newtonville, MA)
2. Jacob of ERC @ BU (Boston, MA)
3. Ethan Miller (New Hampshire)

Coffee Triangulation organized by Atomic (Beverly, MA):
1. Mike (Cambridge, MA) 
2. Jamie W. of Barismo (Arlington, MA)
3. Melissa W. of ERC (Boston, MA)

Espresso Throwdown organized by barismo (Arlington, MA):
1. Judson M. of Hi-Rise on Brattle St. (Cambridge, MA)
2. Scott B. of Cafe Fixe (Brookline, MA)
3. Markus of ERC @ BU(Boston, MA)

So, I ended up winning the latte art competition which was really exciting!  But the big news is that Mike Mitchell (yes, Clare's dad, won the coffee triangulation!!!!).  He is a friend and also a regular at Taste and we talk coffee religiously (beer, too).  Gotta give it up to him for an awesome performance!  We will post an audio of his acceptance speech here later.     

Enough about that, what's in the hopper you ask?  We are featuring Redeye Roasters, "Who's yer daddy."  It's a classic Brasil/Ethiopia blend that I'm favoring as a macchiato or 5oz cappuccino.  This is the 2nd run with the blend roasted by Bob Weeks and we are revisiting it due to popular demand.  The following week is set up for the "Epic Espresso" from 49th Parallel coffee roasters.  

Stay tuned for what follows next!

Nikolas Krankl, November 18, 2009

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These baristas stay true to the bean

edible BOSTON

We are featured in the fall 2009 issue of, "Edible Boston."  Check it out by clicking here, or pick up a hard copy, we're on page 15.  It's extremely well written, thanks to Andrea Pyenson, the talented food writer and editor for publications such as the Boston Globe, Fine Cooking, Yankee magazine, msn.com, and oneforthetable.com.  It was a great pleasure getting to know her throughout the interviewing process and we had a blast getting overly-caffeinated while talking coffee.  Thank you!  Also, I wanted to give a big shout out to the photographer, Michael Piazza (no affiliation to the baseball player), who had the extremely difficult job of making me photograph well.  Thanks for photoshopping in the extra muscle mass and for airbrushing my face to cover up all of the many unsightly blemishes.  Thank you!    

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Nikolas Krankl, September 20, 2009

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WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER?

Tomorrow we will load up an espresso blend from Redeye Roasters called, "Who's yer daddy."  The blend is made up of Brazil and Ethiopia.  We are really excited to try a new coffee from a local artisan micro-roaster.  More on our tasting and extracting notes to come after we play around with the coffee for a bit.  

For those of you that have never heard of Redeye Roasters, here's the scoop.  The owner, Bob Weeks, roasts on a small-sized commercial roaster out of his home in the town of Hingham, MA.  Don't judge a book by its cover, however.  The blend that we will be serving for the next week or so received a rating of 91 points by Ken David on Coffee Review.  Congratulations mister Weeks!  We look forward to tasting the fruits of your labor.  And by the way ya'll, we have a dozen retail bags available for sale so be sure to pick one or two up before it's too late.

Cheers!

Nikolas Krankl, September 10, 2009

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LABOR DAY

We will be closed on Monday (09.07.09) in observance of Labor Day.  But what is Labor Day, you ask?  And why are we being withheld from our lattes and espresso?!?!  Great question.  The following is a very brief explanation of the holiday for anyone interested (with just tad bit of help from wikipedia.org).  

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 7 in 2009). The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes ("Nine-Hour Movement") first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers' strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.^[1]In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.^[2] Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.^[3] All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labour Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school. However, start dates for schools vary widely, beginning as early as July 24 in urban districts such as Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. In addition, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. The NCAA usually plays their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.    

Nikolas Krankl, September 6, 2009

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Ciao Clare!

The lady who needs no introduction is saying goodbye.  Clare is going back to college!  We are all so excited for her, but also so sad she is leaving.  

Clare is one of the original employees since the start of Taste, under my ownership.  She is the perfect coworker- friendly, a little funny at times (just a little), honest, responsible, hard working, and all around adorable!  She has contributed to shaping the face of Taste as we know it today, and oh my what a beautiful face it is :-D  

Clare, if you're reading this, my hat's off to you.  You are a damn fine young woman who will always be remembered fondly.  The good news is that she is going to school in Cambridge so it's not like she has a good excuse to be a stranger!  

We all love you so much, Clare, thanks for everything!  

Nikolas Krankl, August 29, 2009

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The Big Apple

Just returned from a mini-vacation to NYC.  It is such a fun city to visit if you like good food and coffee.  I do!  I ate at Artisanal and Bar Boulud, neither are cheap, but the food is seriously good.  Enough talk about food, though, we're here to talk coffee, right?  

Unfortunately, time was short and sleep-ins were aplenty, so the only "real" coffee bar I visited was Cafe Grumpy's.  Amber Sather (the two-time Northeast regional barista champion that I got runner-up against this year) pulled me a shot.  Amber certainly knows what she's doing and it was a real treat having her on bar, even though I did not particularly love the coffee in the hopper.  Grumpy's is cute, consistently good, and the best part is, NO LAPTOPS ALLOWED!  That's right, they are amongst the many small coffee shops in NYC that are taking part in the anti-laptop movement.  Personally, I'm all for it.  The other barista working, Jordan, mentioned to me that they frequently receive complaints from the clientele about their policy.  This is precisely why I have not enforced the said policy, yet.  The problem is two-fold.  One, laptops take up time and space, both of which equal money.  Two, laptops are antisocial, which is the exact opposite of why coffee-shops were established.  Enough about that...  If you find yourself in NYC, go to Cafe Grumpy's...

Anytime I take a vacation, no matter how short, I have a lot of catching up to do.  You'll see me around the shop for the next few days for sure (I open-closed today!).  Good to be back  :-D  

Nikolas Krankl, August 28, 2009

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WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER?

For the past week we've been using single origin Brazil from Ecco Caffe for espresso.  It is a screen-dried yellow bourbon that can offer a delicate, yet rich, sweetness.  It shines in milk, rather than as a straight shot, and many of my patrons are really pleased with their lattes because it is able to be prevalent even amongst the large-sized milk drinks.  

Our next run is a blend we are familiar with from GHCC coined, "MOJO," espresso.  It is blend of Kenya, Ethiopia and Brazil that offers a very dynamic and well-balanced cup.  As I recall, it is a sweet straight shot and takes best to smaller amounts of milk i.e. macchiato's & traditional cappuccino's.  Not a lot of other roasting companies and coffee shops are roasting/serving espresso blends using such high-caliber components.  It certainly isn't cheap or very lucrative, which is exactly my kind of espresso.  More on that later when we start the run of it...  

On a side note I popped-in to Crema Cafe and Hi-Rise today.  Crema really impresses me with how busy they are, always!  My sandwiches (yes, I had two) were phenomenal.  Well-priced and made using Iggy's bread and other high-quality ingredients.  My espresso had the potential to be quite good, but the baristas shot's were loose, meaning I was served a very full 2 ounces, almost overflowing from my demitasse.  I tell you they have everything going for them i.e. great machinery, great coffee, great location... now all they need is a great barista to take them to the next level.  Hi-Rise is much smaller and therefore more controlled.  On bar was a familiar face, Judson.  He's impressively solid on bar, and therefore usually the face you'll see behind the machine.  He pulled me a shot of the two coffees on bar- Sundae Espresso from Ritual and Sonata Series from Barismo.  The shot from Ritual was pulled tight and long (19grams, 201.5 degrees, 1.5 ounces, 27-28 seconds).  It was very appealing: incredibly sweet and balanced with creamy smooth praline undertones.  The shot of Barismo followed, pulled to similar specs as the prior espresso.  It had a lot going on in the cup and was far more complex but also far less balanced, with a sharp lemongrass component in the finish.  Judson informed me that they were reconfiguring it more to his liking.  I look forward to revisiting them soon and trying it again!          

Lastly, I wanted to briefly mention that Barismo is putting on several events to promote themselves and the release of their 4 new Kenyan coffees that have arrived.  These coffee tastings are going on from August 22-28 at shops like Simon's, Hi Rise, and ERC (formerly known as Espresso Royale Caffe).  In order to take part in the said event accounts are required to purchase 24 bags, yikes!  Unfortunately, we cannot commit to such a large quantity of retail bags, but we wanted to give ya'll a heads-up nevertheless so that you can participate if you fancy.     

Nikolas Krankl, August 17, 2009

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BEST OF BOSTON 2009

This is our first time in the running for Best of Boston "coffeehouse" and we placed 2nd!  Crema Cafe in Harvard Square took home the title this year and we want to congratulate them on a job well done!  Nevertheless, taking the runner-up title is something we are very proud of!  

I also want to extend a great big congratulations to George Howell.  Although it was not noted in Boston Magazine, the top 3 finishers for "best coffeehouse" are all his Terroir accounts.  That's quite the impressive feat!  Congratulations are also in order for Jamie V. of Barismo whose coffee appears in both runner-up shops (Us & Simon's)!  Local roasters and barista, keep up the great work!

On another note, the mysterious Mazzer Robur E issues have finally been resolved.  It took a phone Call from Terry, owner of espresso parts.  He advised me to remove the "anti-static cling screen" that is located on the throat of the grinder.  This piece is meant to stop the grounds from clumping, when in fact it was blocking the coffee from dispensing, thus pushing the grounds back up inside the burrs.  What a mess!  This is why the grounds were so inconsistent and the pucks looked horrendous.  Now that it has been fixed, we are running at 100% and appreciating everything that this grinder is meant to offer.  The auto-doser function is really nice and streamlines the consistency in shots from barista to barista.

What's in the espresso hopper right now you ask?  Right now we are extracting "SOMA" by Barismo.  A blend of Kenya + 2 Guatemala's that has a striking resemblance to "Poker Face."  This coffee is deliciously sweet and syrupy with many wonderful flavors like dark chocolate, ruby red grapefruit, and sour cherry.  

We find it favorable when pulled like so:   

202-203 degrees

19-20 grams

25-27 seconds

1.75 fluid ounces

6-7 second preinfusion

I am preferring this coffee right now as a double shot 5oz cappuccino.

Nikolas Krankl, August 2, 2009

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LATTE ART THROWDOWN

(The top 3 best pours out of 21 competitors)

Trophies courtesy of Reg Barber

The fun begins at Dottie's Lounge in Pittsfield, MA.  Organized by the cool cats from TampTamp (Anne + Neil), 21 contestants dropped $5 into a jar for the opportunity to show off their milk skills (and socialize while drinking cold beer- always a perk).  Each person had 1 pour, winner takes all ($110 prize pool).  Numerous sponsors contributed to making this event possible like:  Reg Barber (provided the awesome trophies featured above), High Lawn Milk, and too many roasters and coffee equipment suppliers to mention.  

Geovane, Alyssa and I made the 100 mile trek to show our support within the tightly-knit New England coffee community, and boy was it worth it!  We met and reacquainted ourselves with tons of great people all with one common bond- a real love/obsession for great coffee.  The turnout was incredible, with a roomful of at least 50+ competitors and spectators that arrived from all over.  They even ran a live stream of the event online!  This is only the second barista jam/latte art throwdown that I've attended (I actually hosted the first one) and I intend on taking part in many more to come.  In fact, with all of the new friends and contacts I've made, stay tuned for another event to be held at Taste in the very near future! 

I am really impressed and proud to belong to a community that is so passionate (yes, at times eccentric too), fun, friendly, and all around awesome!  If you want to hear more about the event, see who placed in the top 3, and scope out some nice pictures click here.  I think that Anne + Neil of TampTamp deserve credit for saying it best.

Big ups barista!

"Winner winner chicken dinner!"

Nikolas Krankl, July 26, 2009

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PURE COFFEE BLOG

The past month has felt like Seattle and Portland, hasn't it?  That's okay by me, though, because it seems that rain goes in tandem with coffee.  I think people actually need a place to go away from home when the weather is miserable, like a cafe!  It is the third place- not home and not work.  

About our espresso bar.  Still showcasing the 3 bean blend from Ritual (2 costa rica, 1 brazil), and very shortly Barismo's, "Soma," espresso blend is taking the stage.  For those of you that have missed seeing the white bags on our retail shelves, I'll be ordering an exceptionally large shipment  so gear up to stock up.

Other than the usual, you will be seeing a lot of new faces around the shop since summer is coming to an end and it is time to start training the new blood.

See you there!

PS.  Check out this recent online posting.  Nice reviews make my day!  Some good old-fashioned appreciation is what I value more than anything else about this business.  I must make one correction to the post, however, the espresso served currently is from Ritual Coffee Roasters, SF.

Nikolas Krankl, July 12, 2009

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HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

(WE WILL BE CLOSED ON SAT, JULY 4TH)

First off all, where did the month of June go?  Holy toledo, what a whirlwind!  At first it felt like the days were passing quickly, but now days have turned into months that are just flying by at light-speed.  It's hard to keep up with...  Enough about that, lets talk coffee.  

Black Cat Espresso, Intelligentsia:  Bold chocolate, caramel sweetness and syrupy are the positives, smoky campfire/charcoal notes are the negatives.  This coffee is funny because you can change the dose, extraction times, temperatures and whatnot and still end up with basically the same cup.  As barista we find this frustrating.  As a cappuccino + latte I find that I enjoy it, as a macchiato/espresso, not so much...  Nevertheless, it has been a real fun ride that is on the tail end.  Starting Friday (tomorrow) we are loading in an espresso blend from Ritual called, "Sundae Espresso Blend."  We think they do a great job and it is exciting to have the opportunity to showcase their goods.

The Mazzer Robur E is finally back in shop.  It is massive and very sleek.  There are still a few kinks that need to get figured out, but all in due time.  I am confident that this grinder will provide us with a quicker, cleaner, and more consistent espresso.  I'll come back to the issues we are having, and how they hopefully are resolved in a later post when we figure out the solution.

Last but certainly not least, we are now serving Hi Lawn milk!  This has been something we've wanted to do for a very long time now because it is a far superior product to most others that we have tried.  It is definitely a costlier dairy than our former milk, Garelick Farms, but the taste/texture is such an improvement that we simply cannot due without it!  It is rich, creamy, and sweet with notes of vanilla.  It is just so good you'll think you're having dessert and coffee at the same time!  However, the milk is so great it can dominate the cup, overshadowing the wonderful coffees that we offer, so I definitely recommend trying some smaller sized drinks than you might normally order.  In fact, we are in the process of downsizing most drink sizes (particularly the to go cups) because we are certain it will offer you a tastier coffee experience.  Let us know what you think!

(WE WILL BE CLOSED ON SAT, JULY 4TH)

Have a great holiday weekend!   

Nikolas Krankl, July 2, 2009

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GOD IN A CUP RECAP

This book signing for God In A Cup was a really fun evening!  I have to give a big shout out to Newtonville Books for organizing and hosting the event (and also for giving me a copy of the book!).  Thanks guys!  For those of you who haven't attended one of their events yet, I highly recommend that you stop procrastinating because you are definitely missing out.

We brewed La Esmeralda and it was good.  It could have been extraordinary, but the dose was on the heavy side, which resulted in a thicker and toastier cup that masked over the really delicate and refined fruit / perfumed candy notes this coffee is full of.  I must admit, I was surprised by the number of requests for decaffeinated coffee, cream and sugar.  This coffee is so special and it costs somewhere around $40/16 oz, so it seems like it should be taken black and unadulterated, which is precisely how we served it. 

photo of M. Weissman, author

I am going to be uploading some pictures of Taste at the Newton North after-prom event shortly, along with some photos of an in shop latte art contest between Geo and I.  A winner has already be crowned, but I'll post them for you to decide for yourself.

Lastly, Clare and Alyssa returned today after a weeklong vacation.  We are so happy they are back and I'm sure you are, too!  Working short-handed the past week reminded myself, and Geo, what an amazing team we have put together here at Taste.  This job isn't easy, but when you have a skilled set of hands the workload feels much lighter.  I already feel like an immense weight has been lifted off my shoulders and am so delighted to have them back in town!

PS.  Intelli Black Cat arrived, along with retail bags, but it will not be in the hopper until Monday, Tuesday at the latest.   

Nikolas Krankl, June 20, 2009

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TASTE IS NOW HIRING!

Real briefly wanted to mention 3 things:

1)  Black Cat Espresso by Intelligentsia Coffee is going to arrive on Friday for those of you out there looking to try something different.  It will be the first coffee from Intelligentsia that we have had in the hopper and we are greatly looking forward to the experience.  Along with the black cat blend we will have several different newly released single origin offerings for sale in the retail area.  More on that coffee to come when we put it through the groupheads...

2)  Just a reminder that this coming Thursday, June 18, Newtonville Books we be hosting a meet and greet with author of God In A Cup, Michaele Weissman.  Terroir has provided us with La Esmeralda to brew for the event which will be very tasty!  Mark your calendars or put a reminder in your Blackberry, but whatever you do don't miss out on a chance to drink some great coffee and even get your book signed if that's your sort of thing.  Start time is at 7 p.m. and for those of you that do not know, Newtonville Books is located directly across the street from us.

3)  Lastly, we are currently accepting applications for full-time employment.  Qualified applicants must have flexible schedules and be willing to work weekends.  Summer job seekers need not apply as we are looking for an individual(s) interested in a long-term career with Taste.  Is this you?  If so, drop in and ask to speak with myself, Nik.  Can't wait to meet you!              

Nikolas Krankl, June 15, 2009

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NEWTON NORTH

Taste has been selected to operate an espresso bar for the Newton North after-prom event on Monday, June 8, from 11:30-1:30 a.m.  Geovane & I will be "kranking" out the drinks and can't wait!  The trick is going to be handling the kind of volume that we anticipate using a portable Rancilio S24 (my home machine).  We are honored that the event planning committee selected us to run this booth and we take great pride in being supported by, as well as supporting our local community.  Big thanks to Terroir for supporting the coffee(s) and Trader Joe's for the milk(s)!            

Nikolas Krankl, June 06, 2009

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GUESS WHO'S BACK

Hello again my friends.  It has been awhile!  Why, you ask?  Well, I just got married (may 23rd) in LA, and then Julia and I proceeded to take a week long honeymoon.  The Royal Caribbean cruise line took us to visit Belize, Cozumel, and the Florida Keys.  The list of things we did and adventures we had would take up a whole page in itself so I won't put you through that.  What an unbelievable time the two of us had...  Everything was perfect.  Ok, maybe not everything...  The only coffee offered on the ship was Seattle's Best.  

Anyways, I have to give a great big shout out to my staff who held down the shop so well, exceeding my wildest expectations.  I'm so proud of them all.  They can handle lines of thirsty/hungry people stretching out the door with ease and a smile, never compromising quality of the product and the customer service that is such a key part of the Taste experience.  Not only did they do a great job, they broke records!  May was the record setting month for us.  Much props, bravo and kudos amigos!!  

Moving on...  What has been in the hopper for the past week(s) you ask?  Well, you should probably know by now seeing as we've done an exceptionally long run with this batch (2+ weeks)...  It is a three-bean blend from Terroir:  There are Daterra beans from Brazil, in which half of them have been roasted with a drip coffee profile and the rest are roasted in their standard espresso profile.  The other two components are Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Kenya Chania.  I am really appreciating the well roundedness and multi-dimensionality of this coffee when pulled like so:

197 degrees on the PID, 9 second pre-infusion yielding 1.5 ounces using 19-20 grams over a 26-28 second extraction.  The grind is fine and the tamp is wimpy, so no tough guy bologna.  The first drop should appear at 7-8 seconds producing a beaded stream thru approximately 12 seconds of the extraction.  Got that?

Now, when all goes to plan you are going to taste:

Crisp and clean cup.  Light yet creamy and rich in body.  Remarkably bright and juicy cup full of raspberry, strawberry and ruby red grapefruit.  Finishes with a dry bakers cocoa.  It is very smooth in milk, but can quickly diminish if not pulled tightly enough.  It is somewhat finicky in the sense that you pull it too long and you get an unpleasant sour/tartness.  You pull it too short, roast and toast.  Like everything, it's all about finding that balance.  It will be on the bar for sure for the next 7 days so check it out if you haven't.  

Lastly, a recent blog from Boston Food & Whine was posted about us that I thought some of you out there might be interested in reading.  It is an amazing review that we are so proud to share with you all!  To check it out, click here.  

P.S.  I still have yet to meet the author of the piece, Tammy.  Please introduce yourself next time you visit!!!

Much more to come now that I've got time on my side again.

It's great to be back!  

Nikolas Krankl, June 02, 2009

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GOD IN A CUP

The single origin espresso from 49th is still on bar for the next 2-3 days.  It is a classic Brazil espresso-  not very complex, yet  full of peanut-butter and chocolate tones.  It thrives in milk and can be a bit harsh on the throat by itself.  Add some rich whole milk to the equation and this coffee really rounds out and reveals its good qualities.  Our best results came when we extracted at 199-200 degrees, 26 seconds yielding an ounce and a half.  Oh and by the way, the sweet spot lies between 4-6 days off the roast.

What coffee is next in line after the Brazil Ipanema is used up? Don't worry, I'll let you know shortly...

Just a heads up coffee lovers, Michaele Weissman, author of GOD IN A CUP: THE OBSESSIVE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT COFFEE, will be doing a reading across the street from us at Newtonville Books on Thursday, June 18th at 7p.m.  A reception will be held afterwards at TASTE to meet the author, talk about the book, and sip on some free coffee.  Haven't yet decided what coffee(s) to serve, but they are going to be really special I can assure you of that.  I am really looking forward to this- the book was awesome!  So don't forget to mark your calendars ya'll. 

Nikolas Krankl, May 15, 2009

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BRAZIL IPANEMA ESPRESSO

Down to the last few beans of SOMA...  It was a nice run while it lasted, and don't be surprised if it comes back into rotation sometime in the near future.  Moving on however- before noontime tomorrow our first run with 49th Parallel's single origin espresso "Brazil Ipanema" begins!  I am really looking forward to seeing what these guys can deliver.  They have certainly earned a lot of respect in the industry, most notably with Sammy Piccolo's recent 2nd place finish in the World Barista Championship 2009.  You can watch his sickly polished routine by clicking here.  We are heavily stocked up on retail bags for anyone interested.  Stay tuned for our tasting/extracting notes, or just cruise through and taste it for yourself.      

And here's a picture of a newborn french bulldog for your personal enjoyment, so enjoy!

Nikolas Krankl, May 11, 2009

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- WHAT'S IN THE HOPPER -

We just finished up our run with a modified version of Ritual's "Vitamin D" espresso blend.  It was solid- better in milk than as a straight shot though.  I definitely look forward to using their coffee's again!  They are really nice people that I truly enjoy doing business with.  

Right now it is "SOMA" by Barismo that we've got running through the machine.  It has a lot in common with Poker Face, the infamous competition blend, so naturally I think it's great!  However, this blend is slightly more baker's cocoa and sweet lemon than ruby red grapefruit / dark chocolate.  The beans appear to be pushed a little harder in the roast which would explain it.  Similarly to Poker Face, I like the heavier dose (21 grams) with a tighter pull (1.75 oz, not 1.25 oz like recommended on the bag).  This espresso definitely shines as a straight shot with tons of complexity, and I really prefer it by itself than with milk.  This is precisely why I intend on having two grinders on bar in the future, the Robur E for straight shots, and the Super Jolly for the milk drinks.  However, I got a busted Robur from Espresso Parts so it will be a little longer as I wait to send it back to their shop for diagnostic work / repair.  More on that later...  Only 15 lbs of SOMA left on bar.  Don't wait!!!     

Nikolas Krankl, May 7, 2009

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USBC 2009 RANKING ORDER

To all those who have been asking and patiently waiting for the results, below is the official ranking order of all the barista that I competed against at the 2009 United States Barista Championship held in Portland, Oregon.  18th place is pretty respectable for a first-timer, and besides, I had a lot of fun!  I'll try to upload my score sheets if I can figure out how...

ROUND ONE

RANK / NAME / COMPANY / CITY, STATE / SCORE

1 Devin Pedde Intelligentsia Coffee Los Angeles, CA 686

2 Ryan Wilbur Intelligentsia Coffee Los Angeles, CA 654

3 Jesse Crouse Intelligentsia Coffee Chicago, IL 653

4 Michael Elvin Espresso Parts Olympia, WA 650

5 Renee Teichen Ritual Coffee Roasters San Francisco, CA 641.5

6 Brett Walker Zoka Coffee Roasters Seattle, WA 632

7 Mike Marquard Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co St. Louis, MO 629.5

8 Sara Peterson The Abbey Coffee Lounge Santa Cruz, CA 624.5

9 Colin Whitcomb Alterra Coffee Milwaukee, WI 617

10 Chris Demarse Alliance World Coffees Marion, IN 614.5

11 Micahel Phillips Intelligentsia Coffee Chicago, IL 614

12 Micah Svajda Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. St. Louis, MO 613

13 Phuong Tran Lava Java Ridgefield, WA 610

14 Kristina Merryman Lava Java Ridgefield, WA 608.5

15 Chris Weber PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. Topeka, KS 608.5

16 Courtney Robinson La Terza Coffee Cincinnati, OH 605.5

17 Cam Kellett Lava Java Ridgefield, WA 605

18 Nikolas Krankl Taste Coffee House Newtonville, MA 603.5

19 Jesse Bladyka Coal Creek Coffee Co. Laramie, WY 603.5

20 Andrew Ferguson Stompin Grounds Cabot, AR 597

21 Robbie Britt Zoka Coffee Roasters Seattle, WA 589

22 Justin Teisl Four Barrel Coffee San Francisco, CA 586

23 Trevor Corlett Madcap Coffee Grand Rapids, MI 582

24 Allie Turner Murky Coffee Arlington, VA 573

25 Jay Caragay Spro Coffee Baltimore, MD 555.5

26 Joshua Flail Octane Coffee Atlanta, GA 554.5

27 Jared Truby Verve Coffee Roasters Santa Cruz, CA 554

28 Kevin Perkins Caffe Medici Austin, TX 552

29 Nicole Mournian Caffe Luxxe Santa Monica, CA 548.5

30 Sam Penix Everyman Espresso New York, NY 545.5

31 Ryan Knapp Madcap Coffee Grand Rapids, MI 541.5

32 Vajra Rich The Coffee Syndicate Boulder, CO 531.5

33 Joe Marrocco Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. St. Louis, MO 530.5

34 Samuel Purvis Coffee House 5 Portland, OR 529.5

35 Les Stoneham La Terza Coffee Cincinnati, OH 526.5

36 Kevin Fuller The Albina Press Portland, OR 526

37 Benjamin Wilkinson Blue State Coffee New Haven, CT 525.5

38 Travis Edwards Murky Coffee Arlington, VA 524.5

39 Isaiah Sheese Double Shot Coffee Tulsa, OK 518

40 David Sapp Independent Barista Charleston, SC 517

41 Amber Johnson LAMILL Coffee Los Angeles, CA 495.5

42 Philip Search The Coffee Syndicate Boulder, CO 488.5

43 Robin Crosby Coal Creek Coffee Co Laramie, WY 478.5

44 Erik Williams Caffe Sole Boulder, CO 466

45 Emily Kryska Caffe Sole Boulder, CO 453.5

46 Joseph Mains Cartel Coffee Lab Tempe, AZ 450.5

47 Breanna Lloyd Coffee Bean International Portland, OR 443

48 January Vawter Blend Coffee Portland, OR 428.5

49 Claire Ghormley Mon Ami Café Vancouver, WA 458.5 *DQ

50 Dale Donchey Method Coffee Bar Atlanta, GA 451 *DQ

Nikolas Krankl, May 4, 2009

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BOSTONIST: ANN WOODY

A friend just emailed me a nice piece that mentions us in the Bostonist.  It is positive feedback and enthusiasm such as this that helps me drive myself and the rest of the staff day in and day out.  Sometimes it is easy to forget what we are really here to do.  What our main goal is.  But when someone gives us a compliment it reminds me why I like doing what I do-- to make people happy!  If you are reading this, thank you Ann Woody, and all the other happy customers who actively go out of there way to spread the good word about Taste.  Without this, what we do would not be possible nor rewarding.  Thank you!

PS.  Modified "Vitamin D" espresso from Ritual is still in the hopper for the next few days so come get some whilst we still got it.  The following week we are doing a run of Barismo's newest blend, "Soma."  

Nikolas Krankl, April 28, 2009

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QUICK CORRECTION!

I just got word from the wholesale account manager at Ritual, Shane, that they are all out of the Fazenda Esperanca.  This Brasil will be replaced with another Brasil--Fazenda Apucurana.  Of course this means that we have no idea what to expect now since 80% of the blend is a different coffee than we tasted originally.  Stay tuned for our results and extraction methods when the modified "Vitamin D" arrives!

On another note, I have to give a great BIG SHOUT OUT to Ben Kaminsky of Barismo for winning the US Cup Taster's Championship in Atlanta.  His impressive performance has earned him the opportunity to compete for the world title in Germany in June!  Way to go, brother, we're all incredibly proud of you!  Quite frankly, I'm not surprised you won and think you deserve it.  Again, bravo amigo.     

Nikolas Krankl, April 22, 2009

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VITAMIN D ESPRESSO

Here's how Chris Baca defines the blend. "Vitamin D is a two bean blend.  80% of Vitamin D is made up of a coffee from Fazenda Esperanca Brasil, produced by Joao Souza in the Cerrado eco-region of Minas Gerais.  Processing:  this coffee is a full sun-dried natural.  20% of the big D is comprised of a Colombian coffee: La Plata.  La Plata is the product of six small producers in Huila, Colombia.  Processing:  washed.  Ridiculous crazy cherry aroma melting into dark chocolate with a touch of almond/vanilla."

Better get in and taste some before it's all gone kiddos!      

Nikolas Krankl, April 21, 2009

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IN THE HOPPER

The Ethiopian Natural Beloya presently in the hopper is tasting really nice right now with an intensely syrupy body and highly floral + fruity aromatics.  The taste has lots of dark red + blue fruits with a delicate lemon/strawberry finish & hints of licorice.  For the home users out there, right now we are happy with our results when extracted like so:

Ethiopia Organic Yirgacheffe Beloya (Ecco Caffe)

Dose:  18 - 20 grams

Temp:  199 - 200.5 degrees

Volume:  1.5 - 1.85 oz

Time:  27-29 seconds

Tamp:  Aggressive  

We only have a day or two at most left with it on bar so if you haven't tried any yet, I recommend not procrastinating.  

On another note, we are currently in the process of hiring a new teammate.  We have a great potential candidate whose information I do not want to disclose until things are finalized, BUT, if all works out, he will be an outstanding and valuable addition with a wealth of knowledge and passion about coffee + food!  More on that later.

Lastly and briefly, if you want to see a picture of yours truly featured in this months "Anniversary Issue" of Barista Magazine, click here.  You'll find a picture and a brief mention on pages 24 + 26.  Pretty cool!           

Nikolas Krankl, April 18, 2009

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SIX MENTIONS

A couple of things:

I. The much anticipated, ever so popular,Open Mic Night, will be happening Saturday, May 2nd.  

II. We will be permitted to have 2 tables and 4 chairs outside starting Wednesday, April 22nd.  I'm thrilled!  It's a great look, customers enjoy sitting outside drinking iced lattes soaking in the warm sunlight, AND the extra seating is much needed as our beloved following continues to grow, and grow, and grow, and grow...

III. The Fazenda Cochoeira is behaving quite nicely.  At 200.5 degrees, 20 grams, 1.65 fluid ounces, and a 27-28 second  extraction this elixir is sweet like trick or treating.  But what makes this coffee so exquisite as a single origin espresso is that it is soft, approachable, and round, yet still layered with subtle complexities.  I think that JW said it best, "It's like a pillow!"  [Insert adorable giggle here].  After tomorrow, at latest, we will be be running the natural-processed Beloya.  

IV. I just wanted to show a picture of the pimped out La Marzocco that Intelligentsia had custom built by Terry with Espresso Parts for their new location opening up in Venice, CA.  Excuse my language, but you lucky bastards that machine is amazing!  I mean, check this out.

V. Mazzer Robur E will arrive around the 24th of this month, WOO HOO!  I got a cool deal from Jerry at Espresso Parts.  The machine will be used by a WBC competitor (I believe from Greece), and then will get shipped out to me, slightly used.  The price point was so good that my folks in LA who own Gelato Bar + Espresso Caffe picked one up for their shop, too!    

VI. Lastly, we will be organizing a cupping before the end of the month.  It will take place after regular store hours, and the event will be open to the public.  More specifics about this and which coffees will be part of the lineup to come later.

Enjoy the nice weather out there!  

Nikolas Krankl, April 15, 2009

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AMOR EST VITAE ESSENTIA

"Love is the essence of life"

Taste's New Back-Door

Julia!

1993 BMW 900R

Diego

It's not only about the coffee for me.  I've got a lot of other loves in my life.  I love my soon to be wife, Julia, who I'm marrying at the end of May in my hometown, LA.  Woo Hoo!  I love my Chihuahua, Diego.  I love my 1993 BMW 900R.  And I LOVE my co-workers!  We are like family.  The things these guys and gals do for me / Taste is unheard of.  Let me be the first to tell you, it certainly isn't about the pay.  This group of all-star baristas are honest, respectful, hardworking, and they constantly exceed my wildest expectations with their persistent commitment to improving the shop.  Take Clare & Jamie for instance.  These two girls have spent their own time creating beautiful labels for the retail shelves, redid the menu boards last week, and are currently in the process of revising our entire menu.  Today Clare worked a 6am to 11am shift, downed a cappuccino and a biscotti, and then painted the back door, which was in major need of some restyling.  This was all on her own time I might add.  I'm so thankful to be surrounded by such amazing people in my life, motorcycles, and dogs, too!  

Thank you, thank you , thank you!

Nikolas Krankl, April 13, 2009

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TRADITIONAL CAPPUCCINOS

Some fun things are in the mail and should arrive some time next week!  First of all, a couple dozen black ACF cappuccino cups are on the way.  This means that at last we will be offering traditional cappuccinos in the shop like the ones served at competition!  We will also be retailing a limited amount of these, so check out our merchandise shelves if interested.  In addition to the capp cups, I impulsively bought some matching espresso cups, too.  Also available for sale.  

In regards to retail, we are selling 2 Bodum Antigua Electric Coffee Grinders perfect for the home/office users.  The conical burrs will do a great job for anyone looking to brew at home at a terrific price of $110.  These are currently selling for $129+.  Note:  We do not recommended this grinder for the espresso brewing method.  

Lastly, 2 Europa steaming pitchers by Motta are coming (a 12 oz and a 24 oz) and I'm excited to see if they live up to all the hype.  Word is that they are superior for latte art and stretching milk.  These are the pitchers that James Hoffmann, 2007 World Barista Champion, used in competition.  I'm excited to find out firsthand and then post our results.  If they live up to their reputation, I'll order some more to retail for the serious home users in need of a good steaming pitcher.      

Nikolas Krankl, April 12, 2009

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LOVE IT OR HATE IT

Still no word from Emily as to what charity she wants to donate her $100 in winnings from the latte art throw-down.  I'll let ya'll know when I know...  Anyways, I think that Jaime summed up the event extremely well, so no need to echo his words.  

Speaking of Ecco, we are still serving the reserve espresso on bar, but Mondays delivery brings some new flavors/aromas.  Half of the shipment consists of the Ethiopia Beloya espresso, and the other half is 25lbs of Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira, a screen-dried yellow bourbon (we are lucky to get to taste it because Andrew says it is the last pounds of it he's got).  I'm eager to familiarize myself with these 2 coffees.  The Natural Ethiopian coffee is featured at Billy Wilson's shop in Oregon, BARISTA.  The people there are loving the stuff so I expect similar results.

This reminds me.  We have taken a new approach to our espresso program and it is going over quite well amongst both the staff and the consumers.  The goal is to bounce around using different espressos whenever we feel like it.  The plan is to keep our audience excited to try whatever we decide to pull next, as well as ensuring that we brand our shop, not a roaster.  There is still much development to be made there, but that is at least the direction that we are going.  Sure, we have had 1 or 2 people that miss that comfort cup-- the exact same coffee day in and day out.  But for the most part, everyone seems to be taking to the idea of tasting new things.  Lord knows I have!  It is not just me though, in fact, we are gaining espresso drinkers as a result.  Love it or hate it, the fun of tasting new things and then analyzing them with a knowledgeable staff that is more than willing to exchange opinions about what's in the cup is intoxicating.  And the 20 oz extra hot skinny vanilla latte sippers, 2 splenda, no foam, haven't even noticed anything has changed...    

Happy Easter & Passover everyone!   

Nikolas Krankl, April 11, 2009

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"NIK'S 1ST BJ" -clare

I'm still gathering some final pieces of information before posting (like what charity Emily of diesel wants to donate her winnings), but for the time being click here to read all about the barista jam from the mind of VanSchyndel!  What an amazing success it was... Big ups to everyone that showed up and those who made donations making it all possible.

All I can think about is when the next one will be?!?!? 

Nikolas Krankl, April 4, 2009

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MEET THE SPONSORS

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to the sponsors of the upcoming barista jam on Friday the 3rd from 5pm - 8pm. 

First, Hi Lawn Farm is donating the milk for the latte art contest.  I have a feeling that after the jam, a lot more baristas will be pushing their shops to start carrying Hi Lawn milk.  It is terrific stuff.  In fact, it is the milk that I brought with me to the NERBC and placed 2nd with.  Thanks Hi Lawn!

Then of course there's Barismo.  Hands down the biggest sponsors of this event.  They're providing a keg of Harpoon seasonal beer, finger foods, and also helping out a great deal spreading the word to the community and asking for donations to give away as prizes. 

Lastly, Gus, from Toscanini's is donating some espresso ice cream!  Gus is all about community building and I'm psyched that he's taking an active role to support us!

If we receive any additional support, I'll be sure to update this posting to give credit to the said sponsors.

Happy April Fool's Day!               

Nikolas Krankl, April 1, 2009

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ON THEIR TOES

During my trip to Portland for the USBC I had the pleasure of finally meeting the infamous Andrew Barnett face-to-face.  He is one of the most genuine and passionate people I have ever encountered.  It was a pleasure getting to know him over some good food and drinks (not coffee).  For those of you who may or may not know this, my mom, Gail, and her husband, Joel, own a gelato bar + espresso caffe in LA and they brew Ecco on a a 2-group synesso.  Anyways, I got to thinking about a conversation Jaime & I had about Taste during all of the preparation time we spent together leading up to competition.  The gist of it was to make sure to brand the shop, not the bean.  This is the kind of advice that you get from a true friend who's looking out for your best interest, not just a businessman with a sales pitch.  We discussed the importance of showing the public that we are skilled baristas.  We have the ability to extract many different coffees well and to showcase their different qualities to customers, thus increasing coffee awareness and keeping our clientele on their toes with excitement and anticipation. 

So before I digress too much more, let me tell you about the coffee we are serving for the next week.  It is the Ecco Reserve Espresso.  It has only been in the hopper for one day so far, but we are loving the results.  Pulling our shots at  19-20 grams, 200 degrees, 27-29 seconds with 6 second pre-infusion yields a sweet, soft and creamy shot (1.85 oz) with a rich bakers cocoa flavor and syrupy, honey-like mouthfeel.  Add milk and the chocolate/caramel really bounces out of the cup making this espresso a sensation for all the dairy drinkers out there!  Hurry in while we got this stuff on the bar. 

Keep your eyes posted for some different coffees flowing through the group-head in the months to come.  We've already started talking about pulling the Nimac by Barismo next which will be fun!  I'll keep posting...            

Nikolas Krankl, March 26, 2009

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KRANKY'S BARISTA JAM

The 1st Barista Jam in Taste history will be held on Friday, April 3rd from 5-8pm.  I'll be inviting all of the notable coffee shops (distributing invitations this Friday) i.e., Hi Rise, Cafe Fixe, Simon's, Bloc 11, Diesel, 1369, Cafe Crema, and Lincoln Street.  These are the biggest and baddest shops/baristas and I'm wrangling them into my shop for free food, free beer, yeah, FREE BEER (special thanks to BARISMO for co-sponsoring the event by providing us all with a keg, finger foods, and some other fun giveaways!!!), free coffee, live music, and, of course, a LATTE ART CONTEST!  That means that all of the "best baristas" will square off to see who has got the best pours in the business.  Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the winner, along with insane bragging rights within the local coffee community.  Also, we are getting together some other cool prizes like tampers and shirts and other cool swag for the less serious contest that will take place... the LATTE CHUG CONTEST!  May the fastest drinker win!  This event is open to the public.  Again, thank you BARISMO, or should we say, BEERISMO, for your generous contributions to make this event a smashing success!!  You guys are the greatest. 

My hope is to unite the local coffee community because after all don't we all want the same thing, a perfect cup?  I know Jaime and Barnett hear me on this one.  Baristas mark your calendars because this is a night you won't want to miss out on!

Here's what the invitations / flyers look like (click on the photos to enlarge images):

GOVERNMENT WARNING:

 (1) ACCORDING TO THE SURGEON GENERALWOMEN SHOULD NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING PREGNANT BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF BIRTH DEFECTS (2) THE EVENT WILL BE HELD AT TASTE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 3^RD FROM 5PM - 8PM 

CONTAINS CAFFEINE 

   Nikolas Krankl, March 25, 2009

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OPEN MIC NITE 

Dip, dive, socialize, get ready for a Saturday Night!!!  Another open mic night = another night of fun.  Saturday, March 28th from 5-8pm.  As you all know, this event is quite popular, so show up early if you want to secure a seat.  Here is a copy of the flyer for the event:

Featuring-

Craig Sonnenfeld,

Wall-Man

and many more of the usual suspects

Saturday March 28^th 2009

Starts @ 5pm Sign ups @ 4:30pm

Contact Logan via email at loganhudson@yahoo.com to sign up early or request an extended time slot.

More info on www.tastecoffeehouse.com

Drink Specials! $2 Simpler Times Lager,

$3 Heineken, $6 La Fin Du Monde 

   Nikolas Krankl, March 25, 2009

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HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

We will be experimenting with green food coloring tomorrow.  Yeah that's right, green latte art, green eggs and ham, green crepe batter, etc...  Should be interesting, and if the results are cool, I'll post pics tomorrow.  

On another note, Taste's birthday party was a smash hit.  Thanks to everyone who came out and celebrated with us.  It seems with every event we host, the turnout gets larger and larger and more fun, too!  We really need to expand...  But, the cramped space full of hipsters adds to the Taste charm.  We will host another open mic night in the near future, but more importantly, my goal is to host a barista jam.  This is something my old pal Jaime has been wanting to take place for awhile.  Well Mr. VanSchyndel, let's just say it's in the works.  I'll be going around town to all of the "best" coffee shops and inviting barista's to come out and compete in a friendly latte art throw down at Taste in the near future.  Stay tuned for updates on that, folks!

Lastly, I am pretty close to making a pricey purchase that I hope will improve our speed, cleanliness, and consistency in regards to dosing.  Enter Mazzer Robur E.  Here is what Kyle Glanville, 2008 United States Barista Champion has to say about this grinder: 

"This machine marks a significant advance in espresso preparation equipment. For the last several years, grinder manufacturers have been climbing all over themselves to successfully create a doserless model that doesn’t clump and is fast enough to handle high volume environments. 

Keep your eyes peeled for one of these making their opening debut on the bar within the next few weeks, hopefully banging out some wonderful spro shots!

Be well, Boston, and have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

   Nikolas Krankl, March 17, 2009

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TASTE!

Friday, March 13, 2009: 

1-Year-Anniversary Celebration!!!! Come to drink, eat, and listen to live music to celebrate Taste's one year birthday party.  We will be partying from 5 pm to 8 pm and we will serve free espresso all day long as well as free small drip coffee's from 5-8 pm as  a thank you to the community for showing us such amazing support!!!  Nik will also be preparing his 2009 Barista Competition signature drink for a lucky few, so make sure to get there early if you want to try one.

   Nikolas Krankl, March 10, 2009

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NEW TO THE SCENE

A lot has happened in the past few weeks.  Taste is busier than ever, and I've been caught up in the day-to-day and haven't had much time to reflect and put down some thoughts on paper about everything leading up to competition, the time on stage, and all of my afterthoughts.  I will revisit that later.  More important news is introducing the newest member of the family, Jamie!  She made the trip to the regional competition (10+ hour drive) as a volunteer, along with her boyfriend, Lex.

LEX---->  

JAMIE---->  

Nikolas Krankl, February 24, 2009

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"The Coffee Economy"

The Associated Press recently released a piece called, "The Coffee Economy."  Newswoman Ramit Plushnick-Masti interviewed several shop owners and competitors during the Northeast Regional Barista Competition for a closer look into how small coffee shops are doing in these tough economical times.  I managed to put my two cents in!  

To view the slideshow that went out on the AP wire, click here.

To view the story written by AP newswoman, Ramit, click here.

By the way, see ya'll tomorrow at our open mic night, starting at 6 p.m.!!!  Come listen to great eclectic musicians and artists alike while enjoying our great beer and wine selection.  Also, I wanted to point out that we have some new photographs on display/for sale at the shop by a talented local artist, friend, and blogger, Chuck Tanowitz.  I think they're terrific!       

Nikolas Krankl, February 19, 2009

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* * * Open Mic Night * * *

Friday, February 20 we are hosting another open mic night!  This is definitely back by popular demand, and I'm expecting an unbelievably full house.  For that very reason, I'd encourage early arrival if you expect a seat, because they go quickly!  The event will begin promptly at 6 p.m.  I do not need to say much, other than expect a kick a$#*  time!         

Below is a copy of the flyer floating around Newton:

Open Mic Night

Featuring-

Bassist, Louis An”Dre” Ochoa &

Pianist, Aman Mahajan

Friday February 20^th 2009

Sign ups begin at 5pm

Music begins at 6pm till ?

Contact Logan via email at loganhudson@yahoo.com to sign up early or request an extended time slot.

Special Menu Items and Pricings will be available in limited quantities the night of only so do not miss out! 

Nikolas Krankl, February 16, 2009

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