August 2024: Yay for adventure!
Ending the season with a spirit of adventure...
Hi friends!
This is the Barista Friend newsletter. I hope you’re feeling cool, calm, and caffeinated wherever you are!
I’m sipping on a washed Pacas from Honduras roasted by Proud Mary, the leftovers from a podcast episode I recorded on Sunday afternoon with their global coffee lead, Jak. It’s juicy and sweet, brown sugar sweet, with baked green apple acidity. We dialed in together at 17 grams in, 38 grams out, 26 seconds. It’s a tart but pleasant espresso.
Today, I brewed it as a double-batched V60 (one for me, one for my partner), possibly botched due to an overly sensitive scale, but I get it. I’m sensitive, too. Summer in Austin is like winter everywhere else; it’s painful to be outside, so no one does much of anything. Whatever we do gets done slowly, between travel plans and afternoon naps.
The Latest
Last month, my band and I went on tour in the American Southeast. It was about as good as any DIY tour could’ve been (IYKYK), but I’m most grateful to have spent two weeks with my very best friends, playing heart songs to small crowds and tuning out the rest of the world for a hot (very hot) second.
My roommate moved out, and my partner moved into my apartment a few days after we got back. A few days later, we flew home to Maryland for my family’s annual beach vacation. It’s been non-stop, and it ain’t stopping any time soon!
This week, I’m heading to Denver for the best barista competition in all the land, The Barista League! Charli Maher (Sweet Bloom) and I will go for gold at Huckleberry Roasters in downtown Denver on Saturday, August 17. Colorado friends, tickets are $16 and well worth it. I’ll see you there!
Next week, I’ll be in the Rio Grande Valley, the southernmost tip of Texas, to teach a week of barista classes at specialty shops in the area. For this, I thank Daniela from Creature Coffee, who reached out a few months ago with the idea of bringing higher-level coffee education to the passionate baristas and cafe owners in her hometown. I happily obliged (after a moment of imposter syndrome), and together, we’ve put together Café Con Community! Please share with your 956 friends! The classes are low-cost, all-skills, and hosted in McAllen, Edinburgh, and Harlingen.
Next month, I’m co-hosting a honey coffee tasting at Two Hives Honey in Manor, TX, on Saturday, September 14. This is your chance to visit a working honey farm, learn about the magic of bees, and taste honey-processed coffees from the country’s best roasters. Tickets are $55 and include a guided coffee and honey tasting.
Honey-processed coffees are silky, smooth, and just a lil fruity
Finally, my home barista classes for September and October are live on the site, hosted at Rising Tide in South Austin. Always down to do private classes, corporate events, and industry barista training. Just shoot me an email 🙂
New ATX Cafe Shoutouts
Lone Man Coffee (west): Amber and Mack went from part-time pop-up to full-time pop-up to Tarrytown coffee trailer. We love to see the goirls bootstrappin’ the coffee biz. Superthing on ‘spro. Fun little brambleberry sig bev.
Mercado Sin Nombre (east): Julian, Ethan, and the whole team at MSN have something special brewing on Pleasant Valley. Single-origin Mexican coffee paired with Mexican masa, with immaculate vibes and some of my best friends behind bar. Get the atole cortado and a masa twinkie.
Sightseer Coffee Bar (south): Women-grown, women-roasted specialty coffee inside an award-winning cupcake shop. It’s glitter, rainbows, and a signature menu inspired by feminist icons. Get an espresso and the Fade Into You, iced with oat.
Royal Blue Spyglass (west): The little bodega you know and love, all spruced up for the Barton Hills crowd. Creature on ‘spro. Get the Kimbala chai with Tache pistachio milk, then take it for a walk on the Greenbelt.
Neighbourhood Cafe (downtown): Belfast-born coffee shop with Andytown (SF) coffee just opened a pretty cafe on 6th St next door to the infamous cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit. TBH, I felt feelings when I heard an out-of-towner opened a high-end specialty cafe in downtown Austin. I swallowed my pride and tried it last week. The drip was good, and the pastry case was Epicerie. It’s overpriced and giving Manhattan. Give it a go.