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Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/71652
CAFÉ CROSSROADS continued from page 26 How do you view your espresso program? That's been a big point of emphasis at the shop. At the roaster, we of course have a cupping lab and an espresso machine where we fiddle with things, but in terms of espresso drink preparation, you can only hit a real stride with it in the con- text of retail service. You learn so much more about espresso and the way it evolves in the days after it's roasted through the rhythm of the service. Espresso and Americanos are sort of our answer to not having a slow bar. We can make it for you in about 60 seconds, and it's a really special thing that changes as we bring in different coffees. It's not something you can make at home. Do you do anything to draw attention to the special coffees available every day? Our staff is pretty well versed in the coffees we're handling. But we really want people to come in and have an experience without a lot of bombardment. We like to think we can provide someone with an appreciation for something because it has inherent value, not because they've been told that it's special. We'd like to be able to put that cup in someone's hands and have them drink it and say, "Oh my god," and then get excited to learn more. Are you getting that type of reaction as often as you'd like? It can be a struggle. New Englanders, we're wicked stubborn, you might say. People have grown up with Dunkin' Donuts. A broader population in Boston is starting to warm up to the idea of something different, but you're fighting against a more entrenched scene. We have people who come in and have a great experience where we have a great conversation and they have a great cup of coffee, and then the next day I'll see them walking past the store and they'll have a large iced coffee from Dunkin'. But I think it's happening. There's been a groundswell. The guys at Barismo [a small roaster located in Arlington, Mass.] are doing a lot, and Counter Culture is in town now. Do you Boston coffee folks ever feel overshadowed by all the attention New York's been getting? New York is New York and is awesome, but the thing about Boston is it's a very livable city. You can walk around. You can bike around. There's green space, and it's a great place to live. I think café culture is an extension of that—it's time for that in Boston. There's also been a great cocktail culture that's developed here in the last six or seven years. We have this amazing collection of cocktail bars, and it doesn't take long before cocktail nerds start to think more deeply about the coffee they're drinking. 28 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com