I just read an article in the Economist about a classical guitarist who is a new big hit on the classical scene (is that possible??). The 27 year old artist from Montenegro is at the forefront of a rebirth in the classical guitar. “People are now realizing the beauty in things that are pure and natural” he believes about the renaissance of classical guitar.
The same thing is happening in the food industry. I’m not talking about Jamie Oliver and locavores – although that’s part of it. I’m talking about food carts, pop-up restaurants and slimmed down menus. In a world of increasing complexity – where we know everyone’s location from foursquare and everyone’s sexual history from okcupid, I need something that’s throwback and simple.
Four Barrel here in San Francisco has seized on this movement. The best roaster in the Bay has introduced the “Slow Coffee Bar” near the storefront. I’ve walked by this modified countertop many times, thinking it was a gimmick and just too out there for me. I was wrong; it’s an attempt to demonstrate the art and time necessary for good coffee - A return to the ritual.
It’s curated by Matthew, one of the many plaid-clad, horn-rimmed baristas who take coffee more seriously than Michelle Bachmann takes pornography. The slow coffee bar features the preparation of single origin coffees like the AeroPress, V60 Hario, Chemex and the ubiquitous French Press. The beauty of the slow coffee bar is its simplicity. If you don’t have 10 minutes to wait for your coffee, don’t bother. This is not your normal order>pay>receive transaction. Matthew or whoever is behind the bar is going to walk and talk you through the whole process,
Four Barrel is now offering a class at the slow bar for those trying to save a few dollars and make quality coffee at home. The class emphasizes the science of making good coffee – controlling the three variables for optimal coffee output, which are – temperature, extraction time (how long you engage the coffee with the water) and the coffee/water ratio (by volume), For instance, by controlling temperature and ratio, all us home baristas can test out the best extraction time for great coffee. Now that I have these newfound skills, I’ve been engaging in some major experimentation in the kitchen. It’s messy (and costly), but if the doughnut sandwich was born of experimentation, then I’m all for more of it…
Matthew and the Four Barrel team (you can get to know their names/faces from the signature line of FB mugs) are offering more and more coffee courses at the slow bar ; they are planning to deepen and expand the curriculum in the coming year. I’d encourage anyone, from the coffee dilettante to the gourmand, to give it a try; I guarantee you’ll learn something and your coffee will taste better…
