I follow several coffee threads on Instagram. Mostly, the posts in these threads consist of latte art. Really, there is a lot of the same generally. This week though, I saw a post that got me excited. It was a post that originated from Alternative Coffee Brewing out of Australia.
It was a simple post that graphically displayed a history of coffee. What got me excited was the realization that there are still so many brewing methods I have yet to try. I would suggest that this post did not cover the whole history, nor every brewing option, but it was a great post nonetheless.
It began with a depiction of the Turkish brewing method. The Turkish flag was sketched out behind a Turkish coffee pot and displayed the caption, “TURKISH, EST 1640”. From there it chronicled the history of coffee thus:
SYPHON, EST 1830, with the German flag represented;
ESPRESSO, EST 1884, with the Italian flag;
DRIP, EST 1908, with again, the German flag;
FRENCH PRESS, EST 1929, Italian flag;
MOKA POT, EST 1933, Italian flag;
CHEMEX, EST 1941, German flag; and finally
AEROPRESS, EST 2005, with the American flag this time.
You can find that post here.
I am excited because I now not only get to do some research and verify these methods, dates and origins, but also because I need to acquire these missing methods and give them a try.
Although I am familiar with these methods, I have been negligent and have not yet tried the Syphon or Chemex methods. I will be doing these very soon and will report back. You may recall that when I was in Toronto to see Jack White last year, that I visited numerous coffee shops. On one occasion I was able to try an Armenian method at Antikka Cafe and Records. So I know there is at least one method missing from this list. Well, at least a variation on a method. The Armenian method was very similar to the Turkish, but used sand to heat the brew.
I know V60 is another pour-over method similar to the Chemex, but I believe it has more to do with proprietary differences; some science, perhaps different grinds on the beans, but still similar . So much yet to learn!
So that’s it for now. I have some research to do.
June remains a busy month at Anabia Cupcakery Cafe. There are two more Open Mics, a Trivia Night and of course, Music Bingo. Events and dates are listed here.
Enjoy what is starting to look like an amazing weekend!