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Category: General Coffee (Page 13 of 29)

Coffee Shop Glossary and Espresso Drink Guide

Being a manual brewing enthusiast and living somewhat far from any third wave coffee shop, I must admit I can get a little hazy on all the different espresso drinks.

The comedian Jim Gaffigan has a funny bit about working in a Mexican restaurant. In the bit, he essentially points out the fact that no matter what you are ordering at a Mexican restaurant, you are getting the same few ingredients (tortilla with cheese, meat or vegetables) presented in a different way and called something slightly different.

I imagine that the majority of casual coffee shop patrons feel the same way when they are trying to order an espresso drink at a coffee shop.

Rewritten, the bit would go something like this:

“What is a Cortado?” It is espresso with steamed, frothed or foamed milk.
“What is a Flat White?” It is espresso with steamed, frothed or foamed milk.
“What is a Cappuccino?” It is espresso with steamed, frothed or… Look it’s all the same stuff. Just say a fancy coffee shop term and I’ll bring you something delicious.

In the spirit of learning things by writing about them, I thought it might be useful to compile a concise list of the most popular beverages you encounter at third wave coffee shops.

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A Few Can’t-Miss Coffee Shops in Florida’s Tampa Bay Area

My Florida vacation has come to an end and while my travel coffee set-up was more than sufficient to weather the coffee doldrums of Anna Maria Island, I did manage to visit a few area coffee shops during my stay.

Author’s Note: When it comes to visiting coffee shops, I am no Brian’s Coffee Spot. I do enjoy visiting and experiencing coffee shops, but it is actually pretty rare that I get the opportunity to go to one. When I do visit, I will typically order espresso or espresso based drinks as I do not get the opportunity to drink these very often. The three shops I visited on this trip were with my wife and children and thus seen through that lens as well.

Below are brief summaries and reviews of three coffee shops I visited while in the Tampa Bay(ish) area. My trip took me from Tampa to the Fort Meyers/Cape Coral area but these coffee spots are from Tampa down to Sarasota (about 60 miles south of Tampa). Special thanks are due to the members of the Twitter coffee community who pointed me in the right direction and helped me find some good places while on the road.

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Travel Coffee- How to Make Great Coffee While Traveling Light

How to brew a great cup of coffee while traveling light is a subject that has vexed many manual brewing enthusiasts over the years. Is it possible to make a great cup of coffee in a hotel room (bedroom, hostel, train station) without bringing your entire manual brewing arsenal in your suitcase?

Would you believe I can fit everything I need to brew a great cup of coffee into the nylon storage bag that came with my Aeropress (with the exception of my Hario Slim Mill and a bottle of water)?

Below are a few travel coffee musings as well as my on-the-road coffee packing list. My travel coffee kit is self-contained and will hold up in nearly every scenario (save the loss of electricity). It is compact, fairly inexpensive and durable. From the curious traveler who has just sworn to never drink another hotel K-cup to the seasoned road brewer, there is a little something for everyone.

Travel Coffee Musings- Everything Boils Down to Hot Water

I’ve been thinking a lot about making coffee away from home (whether coffee outside or traveling) lately and I’ve concluded that the most limiting factor for making a good cup of coffee on the road is hot water. Without a source of clean water and a way to heat it, your options are cold brew, café or settling (or some combination of the three).

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