tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-136999022011-04-21T14:35:41.721-07:00the pursuit of 'spro (with some good beer along the way too)Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-50098850378313688642006-11-14T03:10:00.000-08:002006-11-14T03:14:24.036-08:00

Hey all...After drooling over jimseven.com and now Stephen Morrissey's new flyingthud.wordpress.com I too have made the decision to switch to Wordpress. Now you can find me at Pulling Shots so please update your feeds, your bookmarks and links to my new page. It's amazing how much better it is over there!Cheers,Peter

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-29465428304945539472006-11-14T01:03:00.000-08:002006-11-14T01:20:43.883-08:00

So I had a raw milk cappuccino the other day (and no, it's not on any menu in town). It was pretty crazy! The milk is a lot more dynamic than your standard pasteurized and homogenized milk. It's a whole lot different than even the Avalon Dairy organic milk I have once in a while. I'm not sure where I stand on its place in coffee drinks. One side of me thinks that it is awesome that you can have a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-64572235607551603412006-10-26T14:04:00.000-07:002006-10-26T14:21:08.518-07:00

I'm such a slacker. I haven't posted in 12 days...A number of pretty awesome coffees have passed through my hands in the past couple of weeks. The most notable of all of them was the Novo Coffee Hache Ethiopia Sidamo from down in Denver, Colorado. There has been enough hype about this coffee on the net, viewable on several blogs and forums. It's a brilliant coffee, but for myself, did not live up

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-76368682331578025222006-10-14T20:25:00.000-07:002006-10-14T20:27:13.843-07:00

Alright, I give up... I have been told! In all seriousness though, thanks for enlightening me (Robert, and anonymous, and the wonderful folks at JagaSilk). It all goes to show that I should probably do a bit of reading instead of making sweeping and generalized comments about a language I know virtually nothing about as well as a product I know only vaguely. I promise to do my homework next time!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-7015408129714648712006-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:002006-10-13T22:58:58.911-07:00

I did a matcha training session the other day at the cafe. It was interesting for sure, with techniques and tastings being the focus. The most important bit of the session I think was seeing and tasting three different grades of matcha, from a medium to very high grade matcha. There's quite a bit of difference, though I wasn't surprised at that. Ceremonial matcha is tough. I let down the trainer

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1159897005461112972006-10-03T10:29:00.000-07:002006-10-03T10:41:19.933-07:00

I've been thinking about this for a bit and I'm pretty sure it's come up in arguments before.What scale do you have to work at until the coffee we drink is so homogeneous, so uniform that it becomes one dimensional without anything too impressive. Is there a balancing point due to blending at stages in the coffee process where a coffee becomes complex and exciting enough?How does one define an

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1159329125745472702006-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:002006-09-27T13:19:29.990-07:00

The last two days were the Annual Canadian Coffee and Tea Expo, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre as well as the Canadian Barista Championships. I attended on Sunday after my shift at the cafe, but was unable to attend the Monday events due to a day at school that couldn't be missed. I was very impressed with most of the show. The percentage of serious/interesting booths was more than I

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1158474736531344062006-09-16T23:24:00.000-07:002006-09-16T23:33:25.576-07:00

The adjustment to a previously known and used set of machinery and a cafe is an odd experience. You return to a place that feels normal but there are subtle differences (or not so subtle) that affect your performance. Especially so if you are coming off of a period of work at another cafe, like myself, where things were quite different.That being said, I am readjusting fairly well I think, going

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1158342248988830722006-09-15T10:24:00.000-07:002006-09-15T10:44:09.136-07:00

So, yesterday I finally made it down to the Elysian for an espresso. I think I breathed a sigh of relief when I found I really enjoyed the espresso when I was able to ponder it's complexity and substance. Fortunately too, I was able to look at it from a critical eye and see it's faults too (which I am not blaming at all on anyone... apparently the finish had been a bit rough all day). See, I had

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1158096987118029232006-09-12T14:12:00.000-07:002006-09-12T14:36:27.190-07:00

I've discovered something about myself. Like fellow barista Stephen Morrissey, I believe I am not an espresso person anymore. Sure, I appreciate espresso. It is the most concentrated representation of coffee and brings out characteristics that are not apparent in any other mode of preparation. But, it has to be done well. That's the issue I think. There are so many intricacies in getting that

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1157394397273564612006-09-04T11:17:00.000-07:002006-09-07T10:23:37.156-07:00

I made it back to Vancouver for the school year as of Saturday. I'm living on campus but in an apartment style residence, which makes for an interesting transition to wholly independent living (well, at least day-to-day living). Already, I am feeling the entirely different vibe of the industry here as compared to Calgary.There are people in this city who care about coffee (warning: understatement

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1156568701104455952006-08-25T21:33:00.000-07:002006-08-25T22:05:01.140-07:00

Today I finished my nearly four month stint as a barista at Bumpy's Cafe. This was really my first time working full time in a high-volume cafe and it seemed to work well. I'm pretty sure I could go head-to-head with a La Marzocco Swift and be pretty close in speed and consistency even though I would be fully manual. I head back to Vancouver in a week to start school and tentatively start another

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1155600156932346652006-08-14T16:55:00.000-07:002006-08-14T17:02:36.950-07:00

Yesterday involved going to one of my favorite festivals held in the city of Calgary, the Taste of Calgary. For all of you not in the know, this is where many local restaurants (or breweries/wine merchants) pitch tents and provide samples of their food and the attendees buy tickets to acquire their food or drink. It's a fun and crowded place to be on a Sunday afternoon.Unfortunately, there was

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1155599566393310252006-08-14T16:49:00.000-07:002006-08-14T16:52:46.416-07:00

Alright, so it's fun but it's harmless (unless your ego gets hurt by a bad rating...), and as I mentioned to the site's creator, you don't have to navigate the great plains of coffeegeek's forums to get to the good latte art. It's the hot or not of the latte art world, Rate My Rosetta.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1154899517810117932006-08-06T14:19:00.000-07:002006-08-06T14:25:17.823-07:00

The reputable John Gilchrist, Calgary's top restaurant critic for both the Calgary Herald and CBC Radio 1, unleashed his top picks for an espresso in Calgary in the Herald (sorry, no online link!). There were no big surprises this year, with Bumpy's in the top spot and Java Jamboree of Cochrane in second. Cadence, the shop I believe to have a ton of potential if they just worked a bit on their

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1154584369079891352006-08-02T22:41:00.000-07:002006-08-03T06:28:11.286-07:00

Today at work I was trying to have some fun. Or, I was trying to pull off multiple art pours in small volumes. Surprisingly counter to prior attempts, it worked out for me. These photos were taken very quickly and are thus a bit blurry. I promise that the drinks were much more impressive in person. My true thoughts on multi art pours are actually against it. I think almost any day, a pure, well

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1153451223553575532006-07-20T19:50:00.000-07:002006-07-20T20:07:03.573-07:00

In my adventures as a barista in Calgary I have come across many things that differentiate this market from my more familiar territory in Vancouver. It's an interesting area to look into, due to the many similarities and differences between these two major western Canadian cities.1. The traditional cappuccino is a very popular drink.Well, at my shop it is. Some days we sell more of these than any

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1151599471289133392006-06-29T09:21:00.000-07:002006-06-29T10:08:04.393-07:00

I recently received an email from Alistair Durie of the Elysian Room detailing the weekly offerings of his most excellent shop. Apparently, in my absence, a Synesso has been installed in place of his LM Linea as well as the world's first Clover 1s installed in a commercial environment. Talk about improvements! The 1s is a reengineered version of the revolutionary machine that was introduced

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1149826095941712202006-06-08T21:02:00.000-07:002006-06-08T21:08:15.960-07:00

Well, I have been given the green light to mention where I work in Calgary. I am a barista at what I believe is one of the few places in Calgary where it is possible to get a true espresso, Bumpy's Cafe on 8th Street SW between 10th and 11th Avenues. I work full time, so it's pretty easy to catch me at work. I'm getting quite confident with the machine and beans (Big Mountain), so feel free to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1148967027594969082006-05-29T22:16:00.000-07:002006-05-29T22:30:27.616-07:00

To make up for my rant, I will push a concept I came up with a few weeks ago.Many of the "gourmet" shopping spots I have frequented have too many ties to one particular theme. It might be an Italian grocer/deli serving Illy, or maybe it is a place aimed at a wealthy clientele, bringing in foodstuffs with recognizable names at luxury prices.My idea is to forget about the brands, the countries of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1148966038665956862006-05-29T21:19:00.000-07:002006-05-29T22:15:37.403-07:00

The process of making decent espresso is not difficult. The Italians have the 4 M guidelines, drawing attention to the blend, the machine, the grinder and the barista. It only takes a bit of effort between these four to achieve drinkable results resembling true espresso.The machine and grinder (Macchina e Macinazione):I've always been astounded at the price differences between different

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1148019106680182982006-05-18T23:06:00.000-07:002006-05-18T23:11:46.693-07:00

I am kicking around Calgary still... but not blogging. I haven't had all that much to talk about (at least that which I feel like talking about).I've started a tasting journal in the past few days. My idea is too keep all kinds of notes and entries on all kinds of food and drink related things. Writing things down in something like that allows my mind to focus more on the task at hand and not

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1146891053225669752006-05-05T21:35:00.000-07:002006-05-05T21:50:53.243-07:00

I've been loose with my posting this past little while. It doesn't help when you're at home and you have no router or wireless network to use, but instead have to wait until the family office is free and you can take the ADSL modem cable... Soon I may have that wireless network... or I'll have to resort to posting from my new Motorola Razr (with full high speed EV-DO internet access)!If I hadn't

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1145764470407728572006-04-22T20:42:00.000-07:002006-04-22T20:54:30.436-07:00

I am going to be pulling my last couple of shifts at Wicked tomorrow and Monday morning. It's a sad end to an era that has been extremely successful (I think) for my line of work. But hopefully I'll be able to still work next year while a second year Geology student at UBC and pouring lattes like this one I poured yesterday:Or this one (it's a bit blurry due to taking it quickly before handing it

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1145300850639701412006-04-17T11:53:00.000-07:002006-04-17T12:09:14.646-07:00

So here's where I work, and some new latte art.This is the wonderful Leslie and Ayumi, hard at work. Notice all the pound and larger bags of Intelligentsia whole bean...The bar got moved around a bit, and as Brad knows, I am slightly wary of change... lol. But seriously, that's the wonderful LM GB5. The Mazzer Major I use isn't in this pic, as it got moved further away from the machine due to

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1144647121655653472006-04-09T22:27:00.000-07:002006-04-09T22:32:01.670-07:00

Here's a question: Should I work towards becoming a competition barista, with a possible debut at the Western Regionals?Also, I did not get the position at the oil and gas firm I had an interview with in Calgary, so anyone with a café in Calgary that is looking for someone, I may be available for full time work starting May 1. Actually, if you are anywhere in Canada, let me know... I may be

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1144261914649330972006-04-05T11:23:00.000-07:002006-04-05T11:31:54.686-07:00

I've had a fairly busy week here, hence the lack of updates.From flying out to Calgary for a day for an interview with a gas company to writing midterms (though it is the end of term) to partying at concerts, I've barely had time for coffee.I did however have a positive experience with a couple of customers who came in over the weekend. It was their first time into our shop and they were curious

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1143430506191551142006-03-26T18:54:00.000-08:002006-03-26T19:35:49.526-08:00

Today I participated in an informal cupping and tasting of the top 3 lots from the 2005 Brazil Cup of Excellence over at chief Coffeegeek, Mark Prince's place. Present were Elysian's Jake Moss, Aaron Delazzer and JJ Bean's Angie Lof. Also around were two local coffeegeeks not in the industry. To anyone unfamiliar with the recent results of the Cup of Excellence auction for Brazil this year, the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1142831855637518622006-03-19T20:55:00.000-08:002006-03-19T21:26:38.043-08:00

So I decided that I better get a new post up with the podcast being uploaded to the net... traffic is higher today than it has been for awhile!I got a chance today to taste the number one Bolivian Cup of Excellence coffee, the Juan de Dios Blanco, roasted by my friends (okay, so I don't know any of them) at Intelligentsia. My meeting with Juan occurred at the Elysian Room, where it was brewed

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1142278583293039482006-03-13T11:31:00.000-08:002006-03-13T11:36:23.323-08:00

I've participated in a recent roundtable podcast with Mark Prince of coffeegeek.com. According to Mark, the show should be up on Friday the 17th, so keep an eye out for it. We talked about a wide variety of topics, including the Aerobie Aeropress, the Vibiemme Domobar and the Vancouver scene. You should check it out.Other than that, I've managed some of those thick leaf art pours characteristic

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1141788732661565652006-03-07T19:23:00.000-08:002006-03-07T19:32:12.680-08:00

Maybe it was technique related. That is, my ability to pour glossy cappuccino foam into Black Cat. This past weekend, I don't think I necessarily changed anything in my overall process, but more my approach to drink building and I got some awesome cappuccinos poured. I think I have achieved a new level with my own approach to drink making. The drinks spoke for themselves, and I received a few

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1141358544170328292006-03-02T19:59:00.000-08:002006-03-02T20:03:51.956-08:00

Stopped by Artigiano's Hornby location. It was packed with a line to the door and noisy. Awesome to see that kind of vibrancy in the middle of a weekday afternoon! Anyways, I meant to commend them on their Clover offerings. I had the Colombia Cup of Excellence Palacio, the number 4 of the past auction. It was very very good. Great profile, covered all that the information sheet mentioned. It's

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1140852602967796232006-02-24T23:23:00.000-08:002006-02-24T23:30:02.983-08:00

This is something I have been thinking about for awhile, when switching between the two big Intelligentsia espresso blends, Black Cat and Kid O: the crema behavior of each is considerably different. It is most evident when making cappuccinos. The combination of that level of microfoam and the different espressos results in a different "product".What's seemingly happening is that a Black Cat

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1140321346171860412006-02-18T19:04:00.000-08:002006-02-18T19:55:46.283-08:00

I've spent the last few days whirling around San Francisco, California, with a short stop in Seattle. I definitely got my money's worth out of the Monday-Friday trip. Here's the Bay Bridge (I think).SeattleFirst up was the stop in Seattle after getting my morning caffeine at the Elysian Room in Vancouver. I got cheaper flights by flying Seattle - Oakland, so I bussed down to Seattle and had a few

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1140150514972000392006-02-16T20:25:00.000-08:002006-02-16T20:28:34.996-08:00

Well, I'm here, but only until tomorrow afternoon... here's a pic until further posting can occur...

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1139599429630289612006-02-10T11:01:00.001-08:002006-02-10T11:23:49.823-08:00

It's another beautiful day. This weather makes you want to forget all about the ridiculous amounts of rain we received here the past two months. I am really wanting to take the bike out for a spin, but alas, I promised a girl at work I would come in early for her. This prevents me from riding. Oh well. Maybe on Saturday it will be as nice... the forecast is calling for it.I am über excited about

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1138928787773367892006-02-02T16:57:00.000-08:002006-02-02T17:10:47.196-08:00

It was a beautiful day today. The wind was a bit chilly, but I was still able to get out for a ride in a long sleeve jersey and shorts. Not bad for February 2nd. This is a pic from Locarno Beach on the south side of Burrard Inlet, looking out over North and West Vancouver.Coffee news is good. After watching the Advanced Barista Techniques with Extreme Pour Latte Art, I left thinking I could

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1138648952457676602006-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:002006-01-30T11:25:10.676-08:00

I can't wait to test out my new toys. I acquired a pair of the Bodum Pavina demitasses from Alistair yesterday. They will be used both at home and at the shop when I'm toying around, just because they are so sexy. I cannot wait to pull a shot into them, though Alistair has said that they tend to keep the espresso way too hot.Another toy I would love to have is one of those beautiful 12 oz Alessi

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1138218331146579302006-01-25T11:37:00.000-08:002006-01-25T11:45:31.180-08:00

I have set up the Mazzer Major grinder over at Wicked in recent days. It will be used for espresso and cappuccino orders so that these particular drinks are ensured of their quality. The Swift is still there, to be used for everything else. It makes sense.With the Swift, the espresso was not bad, but, it was not "exceptional". I found the body to almost always be on the thin side when working

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1137647564624658822006-01-18T20:54:00.000-08:002006-01-18T21:13:18.146-08:00

I had a chat today with Aaron DeLazzer, a former Vancouver barista trainer and industry consultant. I bumped into him randomly at the Elysian Room (well, okay, that's not so random). We quickly introduced ourselves and talked a bit, ranging from what I was doing in Vancouver to the state of the coffee industry.One thing that was blatant is my palate is still not used to the variety of roast

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1137125715486670682006-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:002006-01-12T20:15:15.520-08:00

Well, I did get to try the Clover today after all.Matt, a barista and enthusiastic member of the Elysian staff, let me know that Alistair was going to be stopping by to install the Clover and I should stick around for the festivities. I did.My first impression of the Clover was that it was larger than I expected. It is also really slick. It's design, though primarily black, is reminiscent of

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1137106329162964822006-01-12T14:51:00.000-08:002006-01-12T14:52:09.176-08:00

So I showed up at Elysian to pick up a Clover coffee... only to be disappointed with it not being here... oh, the anticipation!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1136681124574159202006-01-07T16:41:00.000-08:002006-01-07T16:49:23.753-08:00

To celebrate my 50th post on this blog, I am posting a couple of images of some art pulled today at Wicked:This is a cappuccino made for myself to get me out of my sleep at 8:00 AM. The art's not great, but it was one of the best cappuccinos I have made for myself...

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1136681498329528172006-01-07T16:40:00.000-08:002006-01-07T16:55:41.376-08:00

This is a hot chocolate. I love when art can be this good (and trust me, I still have a lot of improving to do) on a hot chocolate... In other news, congratulations to the Piccolos on a healthy baby boy!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1136602552000251082006-01-06T18:46:00.000-08:002006-01-06T18:56:30.746-08:00

So I didn't have much to say recently. I was busy finishing things up in Calgary where I was only drinking the tail end of the Intelligentsia and Hines that I brought. I've been back in Vancouver though for a few days, only to get my blood levels of caffeine right back up to where they should be.I've been thinking a bit about why Vancouver seems like a more appealing city to live in, for me

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1135753817053487502005-12-27T23:06:00.000-08:002005-12-27T23:10:17.110-08:00

What do you do when you visit somebody's house and you find out that your reputation as a "coffee expert" has preceded you? Everybody was hesitant to serve me coffee at the few places we visited over the holidays. I tell them if I ask for it, I can't complain, and I won't. Have I been disappointed yet? No! Everyone seems to be using smaller roastery beans (well, for Calgary), and I don't think

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1135280974802171862005-12-22T11:40:00.000-08:002005-12-22T11:49:34.870-08:00

I've finished my first term at university, and I've managed pretty good marks considering I've been working upwards of 20 hours a week at the café alongside a full course load. I'm still waiting on my physics grade, but other than that, it's looking pretty good. I scraped through Math 102 - Differential Calculus with Applications to the Life Sciences, an incredibly difficult course that I was

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1134805291063158182005-12-16T23:40:00.000-08:002005-12-16T23:41:31.083-08:00

Well, I don't feel like cross-posting, so here's a link to my top albums list of 2005. Check it out, you might find something to listen to in all that, or something to argue with me about...The Top 10 (wait, 11, erm, 12) Albums of the Year

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1134498559444659982005-12-13T10:01:00.000-08:002005-12-13T10:29:57.926-08:00

Over on the Coffeed forums, Jay Caragay of Jay's Shave Ice and Hawaiian Coffee, posted these words from the latest Restaurant Hospitality magazine:"I won't change a recipe to make it more American. Also, customers want the same cuisine they have experienced in my other restaurants. If there is a request and we have the ingredients, we can prepare it. But if I am asked to put caramel on top of a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1134450914190852112005-12-12T21:02:00.000-08:002005-12-12T21:15:14.206-08:00

Yes, I am awash in good coffee at the moment. In fact, this may be the first time I have had so much superior coffee in my life. I'm pressing at this very moment a natural process Ethiopia Sidamo from Hines. It smells incredible. And it tastes incredible. I have seen tasting notes on this coffee around from the poetic types, and it does live up to it's strawberry characteristics, though I am

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1134102453460696212005-12-08T20:16:00.000-08:002005-12-08T20:27:33.473-08:00

Well, I've gotten over my separation from the GS3... we were never meant to be, but I think we're still friends.I spent some time pondering differential equations and other facets of my first year calculus course at the Elysian Room today. It was really busy in there, which took me by surprise at first, because on my way over to Elysian, on the 17 bus route, I was pondering how a place like

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1133559989287535202005-12-02T13:44:00.000-08:002005-12-02T13:46:30.273-08:00

Well, I've received a bunch of traffic, with increasing referrals from Google. Today, I got a hit from somebody at the American House of Representatives! Who's skipping off work? No, in all seriousness, I appreciate my readers (they are few, but I was surprised about where and how they get here). Leave a comment, all you regulars!

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1133411439744928392005-11-30T20:22:00.000-08:002005-11-30T20:31:36.103-08:00

Well, here are the results of my one-night stand with a La Marzocco GS3 prototype.The set-up.Tamping hard.Espresso porn.More.A short latte to finish it off.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1133162044883379882005-11-27T22:56:00.000-08:002005-11-27T23:14:04.900-08:00

I worked my longest shift ever today. Nurses will roll their eyes, so will truckers, but I pulled a 10+ hour shift today. Mind you, there was an hour "break" where I was chauffered over to the Elysian Room for the La Marzocco GS3 machine evaluation put on by Mark Prince of Coffeegeek fame. That, and I worked yesterday as well as volunteered for a couple of hours with Brad and Mark at a formal

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1132944378675055242005-11-25T10:36:00.000-08:002005-11-25T10:46:18.700-08:00

Alright, so there hasn't been much coffee news for me recently, except I'm planning on attending an evaluation of the new La Marzocco GS3 consumer machine on Sunday. Should be quite the coffeegeek gathering. I'll be late, due to work, but I hope to get in some shots on this beautiful model. Jason (coffeeactivist), from Calgary, is driving out here for it. Now that's determination/obsession, but

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1132727730260970902005-11-22T22:19:00.000-08:002005-11-22T22:35:30.273-08:00

I decided the other day that I have been destroying my coffee at home in my french press. I never really gave it any thought until I tried a coffee pressed at Wicked with some beans I picked up at Fantastico in Victoria, Terra Nova AA from Zambia. At Wicked, which was the first place I tried it, I was getting some intense citrus notes, mostly grapefruit. At home? Nada. Nothing. It tasted like

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1132038173802604432005-11-14T22:56:00.000-08:002005-11-14T23:02:53.816-08:00

I was thinking about this earlier today: I don't like milk drinks much anymore.It's true. I cannot stomach a latte over 6 oz. That's my tolerance. I have no idea how some people can deal with a daily 20 oz sweetened latte. Ugh. I'll just take my espresso, thank you very much.Non-coffee news: I'm now on track to enter into a Geology honours degree here at UBC. No more marine biology. I'm still

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1131865848255832352005-11-12T22:29:00.000-08:002005-11-12T23:10:48.290-08:00

I made the jump over to Vancouver Island on Thursday, just for a break from the hectic pace of Vancouver. It was primarily a vist to Pearson, my wonderful "high school". There I saw people I hadn't seen in six months and I got to chat with a whole bunch of them. It was a good time, and I'll be back in December.During my trip I did make it out to 2% Jazz and Caffe Fantastico, arguably the best

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1131526217849583352005-11-09T00:47:00.000-08:002005-11-09T00:54:25.660-08:00

Here's some latte art from my shift today. The crema's not so dark due to the dilution happening in a 16 oz drink. It's not nearly my best either, but it's representative of recent work.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1131328102496030682005-11-06T17:31:00.000-08:002005-11-06T17:48:22.510-08:00

So yesterday, I probably worked my busiest shift ever. Five pounds of coffee in roughly five hours. That's over a hundred shots for those not in the know. It was cool.Anyways, the real reason for this post is to ponder the idea of the "long" espresso. Yes, the (for people like me, anyways) lungo. I don't know why people like it/order it. Recently I read on cGeek an opinion that rang true with me

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1131130192045416132005-11-04T10:42:00.000-08:002005-11-04T10:49:52.056-08:00

Taste is inherently subjective. Period.This has been discussed by the boys and girls down at portafilter.net for a bit and by wine, coffee, tea, beer enthusiasts worldwide. Some people believe that taste can be boiled down to a combination of several organic chemicals, your esters, ketones and such. I know it's possible. But, taste is the brain's perception of these chemicals, not the chemicals

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1130783905122101082005-10-31T10:17:00.000-08:002005-10-31T10:38:25.136-08:00

I worked 15 hours this weekend. Saturday was my first eight hour shift since the summer, and it was tough. I was on bar the whole time, and it was, according to Brad, "a reasonably busy day". In retrospect, it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed making drinks, that's for sure. I had the Black Cat dialed in nicely and the pours were spot on throughout the day.Maybe it comes with the volume of customers

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1130011148867218572005-10-22T12:34:00.000-07:002005-10-22T13:00:09.350-07:00

So yesterday, there was a bit of a Pearson revival at my place. First, Corri (PC 29) got in touch with Alex and said she was on campus for a bit. So we chilled out, talked about life and such. But, no offense to her, the big event of the night was that Rita (PC 30 Brasil) was supposed to be in Vancouver. Rita was a good friend of mine back at the college, and one of Alex's as well. She also

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1129743889284582992005-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:002005-10-20T22:23:06.576-07:00

You'd think my years at Pearson would help to subside my consumerist tendencies. I guess this is not the case. Because I want a digital camera. I want one so I can photograph the latte art I have been putting out. I'm not nearly at the standards of some of the experienced pros out there like the guys at Victrola... see their photostream on Flickr. They know what they're doing. But, my art has

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1128985551547162702005-10-10T15:49:00.000-07:002005-10-10T16:06:06.966-07:00

This past week has been eventful. Thanks to the incredible generosity of Alistair of the Elysian Room I got the chance to taste both the number three and number one Panamanian auction lots for 2005. Yes, I got to try the Esmeralda Special and the Carmen Estate. These coffees are incredible. The Carmen is a coffee that could be compared to other top Central American coffees. It has a similar

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1128667592211389562005-10-06T23:34:00.000-07:002005-10-06T23:48:39.580-07:00

So, while I was checking a variety of blogs, I ran across a new article on Chris Tacy's Godshot. Check out his writing here. His idea is one that I haven't really considered, but it makes a ton of sense. Mind you, I don't think I'm entirely like that. So Brad, if you're reading this, don't worry, I'm not converting."We're bastards, we're surly - but we know coffee, we're passionate about coffee

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1128219310416216312005-10-01T18:58:00.000-07:002005-10-02T12:04:58.183-07:00

I did some bar training today. Well, it was kind of more like learn how to make drinks the Wicked way. With a LM Swift grinder that doses and tamps for you, it's kind of hard to mess it up (although we were having some extraction issues for a while, more likely due to the new espresso machine). I had art on almost every drink made (I can think of only 2 or 3 out of many more than that that didn't

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1127678357113091922005-09-25T12:55:00.000-07:002005-09-25T13:00:49.663-07:00

So, it's a bit tacky, childish, etc. But I really think it's great. Check out Natalie Dee's site for a good laugh. One of her desktop images is on mine at the moment. People think I drew it, but no, I am leeching off this quirky Columbus, OH based artist. I was going to post today's drawing, but she expressly forbids this without her permission. And I'm too lazy to seek it. So anyways, check out

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1127621456712519142005-09-24T20:52:00.000-07:002005-09-24T21:10:56.736-07:00

So it's official: I am the latest member of the Wicked Café on Vancouver's west side. I worked a 4.5 hour shift today. No bar. I didn't even want to go near that thing. Yet. Brad (the owner) is installing the new La Marzocco GB5 on Wednesday night, so it's going to be fun then!No, my tasks today involved making a lot of sandwiches (more than I would at Thistle's on a busy day) - and they are good

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1127529894054402702005-09-23T19:40:00.000-07:002005-09-23T19:44:54.060-07:00

I started using this about a week ago. It's a music listening tracker that allows you to do many things, simply based on your musical tastes. It's like a community site... with purpose. It's called Audioscrobbler. I use it a lot for tracking my recent habits, as well as checking out artist recommendations. The site will give you a huge list of artists based on what you have been listening too.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1127266405446248772005-09-20T18:07:00.000-07:002005-09-20T18:33:26.860-07:00

So I've hit two more shops that I was told I should go to. I wanted to go to both and it was just a matter of time.Last week, I made it down to JJ Bean on Main St and W 14th. Cool shop, cool neighborhood. Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm in a different country when walking the more international streets of Vancouver there's just that much of an ethnic presence. I swear there's a sushi place

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1126719824807618212005-09-14T10:11:00.000-07:002005-09-14T17:25:55.756-07:00

I'm a pretty lucky guy. From my room in UBC's Tec de Monterrey house, I can walk to a bus loop in ten minutes. At this bus loop, I can catch the 99 B-Line, which is always at the loop (it runs more often than Calgary's C-Train) and in twenty minutes, be at the corner of Broadway and Granville. Two blocks from there, I can be at Brad's Wicked Cafe, home of an incredible selection of Intelligentsia

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1126400804515315332005-09-10T17:50:00.000-07:002005-09-10T18:06:44.523-07:00

So recently, I have gotten into a bit of different music. It's not that I don't like my old standby progressive house, but it appears that this is just another one of those seasonal downturns as all the DJs recover from their summer long tours. I don't even want to imagine their hangovers! So, at the residence here, since we're all hooked into the same LAN, iTunes lets you share your music with

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1126132505526471992005-09-07T15:21:00.000-07:002005-09-07T15:35:05.533-07:00

Totally non-espresso related: I finished up my first day of classes just now. I had four of them: EOSC 110 (geology), EOSC 112 (atmospheric sciences & oceanography), MATH 102 (calculus) and BIOL 111 (cellular and organismal biology). They seem alright, with some classes looking better than others: geology and bio. Calculus I can deal with, but it took me a bit to get into that math groove. I'm

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1125880771288198342005-09-04T17:36:00.000-07:002005-09-04T17:39:31.296-07:00

As I type, I am sitting in the Elysian Room, just off of Burrard in Vancouver. I've been in the city for roughly 25 hours, and I've already dove off into the deep end of coffee/espresso.A couple of days before I took off for the big city, I received an email from Brad Ford, proprietor of the Wicked Cafe, replying to my job wanted post on coffeegeek.com. A mention was made to a cupping at the

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1125466946206578502005-08-30T22:19:00.000-07:002005-08-30T22:42:26.230-07:00

I seem to have an affinity to expensive things. Take this for example: today I was in Steeps, Calgary's trendy tea house in the upscale Mount Royal Village building just off of 17th Ave. The tea I selected was one classified as "rare", and hence I paid an extra dollar for the press pot of this "Iron Goddess Special" oolong tea. However, this tea was incredible. So good, I decided on buying some

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1125256652276192602005-08-28T12:04:00.000-07:002005-08-28T12:17:32.283-07:00

So, I made the trip to Cadence Coffee yesterday, located in the interesting community of Bowness in Calgary's northwest quadrant. I had been there about a year ago, and was relatively impressed, but this was before my introduction to really good espresso.Their machine is the same as I use, a 3 group Rancilio Z11/AT. I couldn't identify their regular use grinder, but their decaf grinder was a

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1125123956533599372005-08-26T23:12:00.000-07:002005-08-26T23:25:56.540-07:00

So Shaun and I were talking today... is there anyone in Calgary who will make a proper macchiato? (People, we're talking the 2-4oz milk and espresso concoction... not the 20 oz sugary behemoth some Seattle company calls a "macchiato") We both can, and do, but is there anyone else? We don't think so, but I'll be going to Cadence Coffee in Bowness tomorrow (oops... today, past midnight) to see if

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1124432032660396252005-08-18T23:00:00.000-07:002005-08-18T23:13:52.726-07:00

So here is a picture, courtesy of riedel.com of my new glassware. I'm using this "Gourmet Glass" as my Belgian beer glass, so I can sip in style. No seriously, I was looking for a Riedel beer glass, which doesn't actually exist, but I came across these in Caban. I immediately decided I needed a pair. They are beautiful. Sort of a cross between a brandy snifter and a Bordeaux glass. Plus, they

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1124294947713078232005-08-17T08:38:00.000-07:002005-08-17T09:10:04.860-07:00

So I returned to Calgary yesterday, only to be rained upon. This city is cold! It's 8ºC out there, and raining. I really don't want to walk to the train station for work.My time in Nova Scotia was good. I had no plans, so I just went with the flow. Played some golf, snorkelled, went to the beach. One thing I did not do was have good espresso. You see, in Antigonish, coffee=Tim Horton's. So, I

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1123349353291819882005-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:002005-08-06T10:29:13.303-07:00

You know, the whole espresso scene is my big pet peeve. Here's why:1. Using the false term "expresso" instead of espresso.2. Referring to the mysterious "espresso bean". It does not exist. Gah!3. Thinking a macchiato is a huge, caramel infused latte.4. Maintaining that a carcinogenic level of roast is a prerequisite for espresso.5. Refusing espresso/americanos on the basis that it will keep them

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13699902.post-1122876048488494392005-07-31T22:49:00.000-07:002005-07-31T23:00:48.493-07:00

Hi all (and there are more than two of you!)...I've decided to post a non-coffee related bit for a change. I think I have flogged a dead horse just a few too many times with recollections of my cafe and Calgary's coffee scene. Really, I think I have to wait the month until I'm in Vancouver, then I can start talking the good stuff.In 8 days time, I am flying to my family's cottage in Nova Scotia.

Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13941347872886730485noreply@blogger.com3