Sign of the Apocalypse?

Vacuum/Siphon Brewing


Bali Honey Process

I actually got good coffee at a Starbucks today.

I don't mean that I had a good coffee drink, where the addition of various milk products and syrups obscure Starbucks signature "Burnt Roast" coffee, I mean that it was a truly superior coffee that I drank black.

We went to a Starbucks "Reserve" coffee shop.

There is a hierarchy of Starbucks stores:

1. Starbucks license, which you find in grocery stores and book stores.
2. Starbucks cafe, which are your standard stand alone coffee shops.
3. Starbucks reserve, which have premium single origin coffees, special syrups, and additional brewing techniques, with 43 locations worldwide, including one in Baltimore.
4. Starbucks reserve roasteries, which are Starbucks reserve, plus on premises roasting, serves alcohol, and a theme park experience.

I got a Bali honey process, which came with a card (pictured) describing the coffee.

Honey process is a roasting technique that does not wash off the last residue from the (sweet)  coffee fruit which surrounds the coffee bean (which is actually a seed).

I decided to splurge and go with vacuum/siphon brewing, as my son Charlie had expressed an interest in the technique.  

Vacuum brewing is a technique where you place water in a vessel on the bottom, and bring it to a boil, and then a top vessel, with a seal and a filter, is placed on top.

The boiling water pushes the water into the top vessel , then coffee is added, and after a set amount of time, the heat is removed, and the condensing steam creates a vacuum which sucks the now brewed coffee back into the bottom vessel, from where you can decant your coffee.

It makes a very nice coffee, and it is fascinating to watch.  (see attached video)

Making it even better, the Baltimore Starbucks reserve is unionized.