Don't forget kids, caffeine is a drug!
A little break, thoughts from bootcamp, and advice for newbies
Lately I can’t stop thinking about this NASA study from 1995. Maybe you’ve seen it. Scientists gave different drugs to spiders — marijuana, amphetamine, chloral hydrate, and caffeine — to see how each affected the spiders’ web-spinning abilities. I hate to break it to you, barista friends, but the caffeinated spider is freaking losing it.
Chaos is a golden thread that runs through many a coffee shop. It seems we (myself included) have a little trouble focusing, resist the monotony of systemization, and tend to make decisions on a whim rather than deducing logic from cold hard facts.
I love this about us! We’re spunky! But I can’t help but wonder how over-caffeination might be messing with our web.
Which brings me to my next point: I’ve been taking a break from drinking coffee (GASP!). It’s true. A series of strange medical events plus a strict preparation diet for a meditation retreat got me drinking nothin’ but water, herbal tea, and the occasional green juice.
Maybe it’s bad for business for me to say this, but I feel awesome. Taking a break every now and again is so, so important for my process, whether it’s music, writing, coffee, podcasting, running, you name it. I need to sit on the sidelines for a quarter to see the whole game before I jump right back in.
Today I write to you from the sidelines, more or less. It’s the slowest week I’ve had all year and I can feel myself slowly returning to awe.
When I think of a perfectly dialed espresso, I see a magic trick that took years to complete. Not only by the barista, but by the pickers and the producers and the workers at the mill, the exporters and the roasters and the equipment manufacturers.
I am reminded of this poem by Mark Nepo:
Under the Temple
The temple hanging over the water is
anchored on pillars that nameless workers
placed in the mud long ago. So never forget
that the mud and the hands of those workers
are part of the temple, too. What frames the
sacred is just as sacred. The dirt that packs
the plant is the beginning of beauty. And
those who haul the piano on stage are the
beginning of music. And those who are
stuck, though they dream of soaring,
are the ancestors of our wings.We spin this web together, you know what I mean?
Here in Austin, there seems to be a new coffee shop opening up every day, and many of the owners have little to no experience working behind an espresso machine. They come from other industries with rose-colored glasses, eager to do something more creative, social, and hands-on. They might be attracted to good profit margins, accessibility, or the perceived "chill lifestyle” it might afford them.
What comes next is often a series of disillusionments: turns out making coffee is harder than it looks, equipment is expensive, city permits take longer than you think, not to mention all the challenges involved in hiring and managing a staff of young people, and the inevitable over-caffeination. Coffee is not easy. It only looks easy because the people doing a good job of it have spent years perfecting their craft.
Last night was the second week of my 4-week Barista Bootcamp. We had two hours to cover espresso, and we barely skimmed the surface. I had my students pull shots to a given recipe, focusing on each individual motion like a meditation — remove the portafilter, flush the group head, wipe the drip tray, dry the portafilter, tare it out, dose the coffee, check the weight, distribute the bed, level tamp, wipe the wings and spouts, insert and immediately brew, check your specs.
Each student got about five turns at it, but they probably needed more like 500. This is not their fault; it’s just the name of the game. Barista skills take practice, like learning an instrument or playing a sport.
It’s not gonna happen over night, but it will be a lot easier if you have a good foundation to support you through the process. That’s all I’m trying to give to my community as it expands at a lightning speed: good seeds and a reverence for the process.
If you’re reading this and you’re interested in starting a coffee shop someday, my best advice is to please take the time to learn the trade! I know you wanna jump in and be the boss and do the thing, but it’s so important for the future of this industry that you not only understand, but hold a deep respect for the community that you are joining and all the people who came before you to make specialty coffee possible.
If you’re reading this and you are an experienced barista, three years or more, don’t you dare sell yourself short! Do you hear me? Your lived experience is SO valuable!
If you need help navigating a job opportunity, please think of me as your badass older sister. I’m all ears and I wanna see you thrive and I don’t wanna see you get stepped on because I know that can happen. We’re all stressed, we’re all strapped for cash, but please take a deep breath and ride this wave with me. This web is chaotic, but you don’t need to get swept up in the chaos.
I’m trying my best to do what I can to move the industry in the direction I think is most equitable for people and our planet, and I’m not perfect. Buuuut I am off caffeine right now and I’m feeling pretty good about it. If you’re overwhelmed, maybe try to lay off for a few days and see how you feel :)
I wanna give a little shout out to Lau Lau, a work-in-progress by an Austin service industry veteran. Hannah Foy is raising money to open her coffee shop this summer, which aims “to become an Austin institution grounded in equitable care and fair labor—proof that commercial success and social responsibility can flourish together.” If you wanna invest in a cool project right here in our community, invest in Hannah!
That’s all for now. Thanks for your patience, I know it’s been a while since I last sent a newsletter. Hoping to keep up with this a bit more this summer. And bring back the podcast… It’s on the list.
Be kind, stay silly, and take it easy, y’all!
— Miranda