THE EDGE OF AWAKE

okay, so i haven't been current in a month or so, and a lot of stuff has happened between my last post and now.

to start, i sort of took a break from active coffee culture for a little while after the southeast regional comps.  i needed a bit of time to decompress.  coming out of the event i was a bit frustrated with my final scores, but after having given it some time and consideration i realize i'm fine with the turnout of the competition.  in the end, i had a fantastic time performing.  not much mattered after i came to that conclusion.

so now i have to get back on that horse and try to get my knowledge game up.  there are a few things i have in the works for the coming weeks/months.  first and foremost, i am making it a mission to learn more about roasting.  this is something i've been wanting to do for a while, and lately opportunities have been presenting themselves.  the most exciting is the atlanta roasting co-op that local coffee fixture byron holcomb has in the works.  the premise is simple.  byron has a sample roaster on loan from his farm in the dominican republic.  in order to keep the roaster around atlanta, he needs to recoup some of the machines cost.  in order to do THAT, it is being made available to atlanta baristas for a per-session/per-month fee.  specifics are still working themselves out, but it's looking like $25/day will get you roasting privileges, plus a bit extra is you don't have any green coffee to roast and have to use his own personal stock.

at first i thought his pricing structure was a bit steep, but then it IS a co-op.  the more you roast, the greater share you have in the project.  also, you can't put a price on the experience and potential for knowledge gained through playing with the thing.  at any rate, this is a big deal and i'm making it a personal mission to 1.) get the most out of this roaster personally and 2.) garner as much interest and participation as i can from those coffee folks i know throughout the city.  this is a great opportunity to further the already tight-knit community we have and expand our avenues of expression beyond cupping and latte art throwdowns.

i don't know if i'm making my excitement clear, but this is huge.

okay.  what ya got, dan?  how about BE YOUR OWN BARISTA NIGHT!!

i've spoken about this before, but it's time for another shameless plug, i think.  BYOB is a course i am hosting on home preparation of coffee and espresso.  together with whomever shows up, i will be discussing the virtues of five popular home-brewing methods, including espresso, auto-drip, french press, moka pot and chemex preparations.  the class will be an hour to an hour and a half.  IT IS FREE!  and we will have the featured devices for sale at the end of it, along with a variety of coffee (provided by illy caffe) to purchase to go with the devices.

Be Your Own Barista
April 27th - 7:30 pm
Cafe Nineteen.

so come along and talk coffee for a while.

lastly, i have some huge news.  i will be heading to ITALY towards the end of may with a group from school.  this is something of a pilgrimage for me.  i'll be visiting the birthplace of espresso!  while there, the group will be visiting various small- to medium-sized companies, studying cases and seeing the sights of the old world.  after the trip proper, i will take a train out to Trieste to visit the Illy factory and see how Italian espresso is produced in this modern world.

i'm stoked about the trip, but i don't really know what to expect.  if anyone out there has any suggestions for me (what to see, what to do, etc.) please let me know.  i will be blogging (mandatory for the trip) while i'm there, so look forward to some interesting posts, pictures, what-have-you.

that's about it.  everyone watch the national barista comps and cheer on the atlanta baristas that are competing.

later,

dan