You quickly know it when you find a Barista that is passionate about their job. The way they speak about coffee is different and it very much shows in the final product, the coffee you get to drink. However, when it comes to making coffee there are two major components in that final result. There is, of course, the coffee, but there is also the milk.
The topic of milk and coffee and how the two interact is something that I want to explore over the coming weeks. In itself, it would easily fill a book, if you went into depth on each and every aspect. However, I want to give you a couple of little things to remember before blaming the coffee entirely.
Almost all coffee roasters put time and effort into maintaining a consistent flavour or profile for their coffee. You will especially find this with big-name mainstream brands. Often because of the quantities of coffee, they are roasting, they need roast the coffee in a fashion that removes any particular flavour coming through.
The result is usually quite a dark roast, that tastes like coffee but little else. As the roast gets darker it also tends to gain bitterness. Of course, this is what some people look for in coffee and why some roasters seem very popular. In essence, it could just be that the need to explore other options when it comes to coffee to try and move away from the more mainstream coffee brands.
Monday, 15th January 2018
Day Made – Little Paul’s
Location – 17 Greg Chappell St, Albion QLD
Coffee – Laneway Coffee Roasters
Little Paul’s is one of those cafes that I discovered because of Instagram. At some stage, one of their posts showed up on my feed and I watched what they were doing. It looked like a good spot to check out and I found my way there. In the end, I am very happy I did as I discovered they had some rather nice coffee from Laneway Coffee Roasters. Which also led to the discovery of a spot that I shared last week, Raw Lovely Two, who use the same coffee much closer to home.
Tuesday, 16th January 2018
The Fox Den
Location – 82 Church St, Gloucester NSW
Coffee – Pablo & Rusty
The Fox Den in Gloucester is a little spot I discovered on the way to Canberra, as part of the road trip I did in November 2017. Along with my friends, we had no idea where to grab a coffee in this town and as we wandered along the street spotted this great cafe. Well it also looks like they do a whole lot more than just coffee with a good looking menu, but it was to early for lunch. They are serving up Pablo & Rusty coffee, which I must say was just what we were looking for.
Wednesday, 17th January 2018
Blackbird Espresso
Location – 4 Martha St, Camp Hill QLD
Coffee – Wolff Coffee Roasters
While Blackbird Espresso may be just a hole in the wall sort of cafe, it is one that is well worth a visit. They do have a couple of tables on the footpath, which is usually shaded by the awning in the morning. The best part of a visit to Blackbird Espresso for me though is the super friendly service and the choice of coffee’s from Wolff Coffee Roaster.
Thursday, 18th January 2018
Blacktan Coffee & Kitchen
Location – Shop6, 4/8 Burke Cres, North Lakes QLD
Coffee – Roasted In House
The first time I tried to visit Blacktan Coffee, I was actually a day early before they even opened. However, a week or so later I was in the area again and got to try their coffee. They are roasting the coffee themselves in-house, with the coffee roaster sitting proudly at the back of the cafe. Unfortunately, it was not a coffee that I overly enjoyed, roasted just a bit too dark for me. However, in saying that it might go well for coffee drinkers that like that.
Friday, 19th January 2018
John Mill’s Himself
Location – 40 Charlotte St, Brisbane City QLD
Coffee – Five Sense Coffee Roasters
I cannot be entirely certain how I learned about John Mills Himself. But it made an impression, and I knew that I had to find my way here to check it out. The cafe itself, which leads a double life as a bar at night, is quite small. What it lacks in size though is definitely made up for with great coffee. When I visited I gave the Ethiopian Single Origin from Five Senses a try. But you can find other coffee’s on the menu from various roasters including Parallel Roasters, Small Batch Roasting Co. and Sample Coffee Roasters just to name a couple I have spotted.
Saturday, 20th January 2018
Wolff Coffee Roasters
Location – 140A Gerler Rd, Hendra QLD
Coffee – Roaster In House
One coffee that I always enjoy when I drink it is Wolff Coffee Roasters. If you look above on Wednesday was one of the cafes that use Wolff Coffee. Heading to the source is often a good way to see how they intend their coffee to be enjoyed. The Espresso Bar at the Wolff Coffee Roastery is small, but they do have some great coffee. They also run a range of training and coffee experiences from this location including the opportunity to roast your own 1kg batch of coffee.
Sunday, 21st January 2018
Pomeroy’s Coffee Roasters
Location – 2/85 Kent Rd, Brisbane QLD
Coffee – Roasted In House
One way that I often find places to try the coffee is a quick search on Google Maps. While that is how I found my way to Pomeroy’s at Wooloowin, it took a little to realise it was the right spot. An old listing for a previous coffee roaster in this location was showing up. But not to worry as Pomeroy’s continued with the idea of roasting coffee in house. They do have some nice coffee and if you are on the Gold Coast they have another location at Isle of Capri.
Coffee, aka. Wake Up Juice
I hope that you are enjoying seeing a little of my coffee journey. If you have a moment I would love to hear any feedback that you have in the comments below or if you want to send me an email. Also if you have any cafe recommendations around Brisbane that would be great as well.
