Shot Zombies

Gettin Crazy

2006-11-16T23:46:00.000-05:00

So tonight I got a little trigger happy and ended up recreating our entire blog over here. This means that the page you're currently looking at will no longer be updated. Yikes. You'll have to update your bookmarks and blog readers accordingly. Sorry about that. All our archives still exist, but they're no longer categorized by date. We also seem to have lost access to most of our pictures

Chelsea Treats

2006-11-16T17:48:00.000-05:00

I took the time to wander over to West 20th Street today to say hello to the staff of Cafe Grumpy on their inaugural day of soft opening sales. While still completing some minor construction on the space (standing bar, art rail, etc) the store is definitely ready to rock. Chelsea is now home to one of the best espresso bars in the city. These guys have worked hard bringing this to fruition and

Dirty Dirty

2006-11-13T23:17:00.000-05:00

It would be a slight understatement to say that there are big changes happening very soon. I'm nervous, a little sad, but over all very very excited.You see, I'm moving. Not to a new apartment, in a new neighborhood. Nope. To a whole new city. In a whole new state. Atlanta, GA.I'm sad because this means my time with Gimme! Coffee is coming to an end. Gimme!, in many ways, has been my salvation.

Grumpy's Groovin

2006-11-12T16:38:00.000-05:00

Cafe Grumpy has kept us busy this week hosting two separate cuppings with industry titans Andrew Barnett and Peter Guliano respectively. Excited about the imminent grand opening of their new space Grumpy has flooded the west side of Manhattan with coffee buzz. Crowding the new space coffee fanatics from near and far gathered around to sniff slurp and spit with each other, listening in awe to

We're Back

2006-11-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

So, Mike and I have been a little weak with the posting lately. Sorry about that.Mike is sick and I'm tired.Mike has had some sort of super flu and has been all but completely out of commission for weeks.The store has been crazy busy as of late. We had been on a pretty rapid upward trajectory anyway and then the NYT article hit. Boom. It has been crazy ever since. We have set the company wide

Tuesdays with Tim

2006-10-23T08:56:00.000-04:00

As reported on the latest podcast from portafilter.net, the WBC Board of Directors converged on NYC for a couple days of meetings followed by a NY cafe crawl. Doug came by early to scope the scene, slyly ordering a shot before his brand new t-shirt gave him away. We chatted briefly before I called him a car to visit Grumpy up the street, where Owens happened to be. Meanwhile Tim Wendelboe

Monday in Malmö

2006-10-15T16:26:00.000-04:00

After the Nordic Barista Cup, M'Lissa and I stayed in Copenhagen for a little vacation. Monday we decided to take a little day trip to Malmö, Sweden. It is just a 20 train ride over The Øresund Bridge.We spent the day wondering this quaint little town (although I think it's Sweden's third largest). Of course we had to visit some coffee bars. First stop was Caffe Nesta. This is the home of Dan

How to miss half of the Nordic Barista Cup

2006-10-01T09:13:00.000-04:00

NBC day 1After collecting our bags and hitting the hostel, M'Lissa and I made our way to the Nordic Barista Cup location at 4pm. Just in time to catch the champagne boat tour of Copenhagen. But, we missed the registration. We had no badges. Sarah Allen (Barista Magazine) spots me and we explain the situation and she takes charge and finds Bjorg Brend (Europa) for us. We are well taken care of.The

Chestnut Hill and Milkboy Pictures

2006-09-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

Mike called me out so here they are. I only took a couple and they aren't very exciting really but, if you want to seem them look here.In other news, I leave for the Nordic Barista Cup tonight. I'll do my best to blog while there. Also, unlike Philly there will be MANY photos. I promise.

Visitors from ESI

2006-09-25T17:52:00.000-04:00

We ended up rallying for the day trip to Philly yesterday, hitting up Chestnut Hill Coffee Co and Milkboy. Both shops were impressive in terms of design and execution, and it was fun tracking down John Hornall. Unfortunately Hornall was in the Pacific Northwest at the time, but it was still cool to check out the new digs. The space is really beautiful, with two floors of spacious hardwood and

Busy Weekend

2006-09-22T17:45:00.000-04:00

Shoutouts today are in order to our new buddy Scott Lucey over at Alterra Coffee Roasters in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Scott was kind enough to send along a few of their "Barista Throwdown" t-shirts in a package that included a pound of their pride and joy Espresso Blend. While we haven't played with the coffee yet (probably tomorrow night) I gotta say, the t-shirts rock! I was excited to receive

Coffee Cake

2006-09-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

Why?Why not?

Surprise Package

2006-09-19T17:21:00.000-04:00

Big shoutout to Gabe today for sending along a couple choice items from the PNW. Included in the box were two half pounds of their Ethiopian Wild Forest Limu, and the COE Guatemala Finca El Injerto. We cupped and pressed them both, enjoying the differences in the two. I picked up notes of apricot in the Limu, with a nice body a bit heavier than typical of Ethiopians. The Guatemalan scored

Cupping some Terroir

2006-09-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

Just before the tornado that is the New York Times hit, I met up with Jaime during his quick visit to NYC. We talked coffee for a good hour. Maybe more. Which I was very happy to do.To get right to the point, Jaime brought me a gift of a couple of Terroir coffees for me to cup.A couple of days later, Mike and I cupped the Yirgacheffe.Dry aroma: Black tea and peppercornsWet aroma: Black tea all

Holy Crap

2006-09-17T21:16:00.000-04:00

That NY Times article blew up our spot yesterday and today. All hands were on deck for a powerhouse of hard-earned weekend sales records. I felt like we were in San Francisco working at Ritual. Show me "paint the fence" Daniel-san, it was back to basics for us. And you better believe all those extra lattes we made looked "just like the picture". The award for Longest Distance Traveled goes

Gimme Love

2006-09-15T19:22:00.000-04:00

Though I previously made allusions to our next featured guest in the "guest espresso" program, an old friend has stopped me in my tracks with a text message promising me a surprise Monday delivery. He and I started this coffee journey together more than a few years ago and he's since moved westward and northward, working his way through some of the finest coffeeshops in North America. When I

Espresso’s New Wave Hits Town - New York Times

2006-09-12T22:06:00.000-04:00

Hot off the presses...check it out...(and don't forget the multimedia...)Espresso’s New Wave Hits Town - New York Times

Terroir Finale

2006-09-12T20:26:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to have the company of Scott Lucey tonight, who is visiting from Alterra in Wisconsin. He joined us for our last in depth look at the roaster that's commonly agreed to be wildly different from our own. Scott showed up with his friend Elicia to take part in our experiment, hopping on the bar and pulling standard sized 30 second, 2 ounce shots at 194 degrees. We also passed

Tiki Barber is a Good Example

2006-09-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

You probably think I'm crazy but hear me out. It may just be because I happen to be watching him play right now, and I'm from NY, but I think Tiki Barber is a good role model for baristas. He's a superstar in the football world but you'd never know it from his attitude. He goes out there as a team player and never trys to steal the spotlight. Not only that but when Tiki is running down the

Terroir Invitational

2006-09-10T19:41:00.000-04:00

For all you naysayers out there that thought the Terroir might rock our minds here at Gimme Coffee in Brooklyn, um, you were right. Its been hard for us to wrap our portafilters around. But after a decent amount of huffing and puffing on a live bar, we're ready to open up our experiences to the general public. Does this mean I'm going to spout prolific on what's hot or not about Georges baby?

Crossing Borders

2006-09-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

Nick Brown of Artigiano and Dwell Time fame came by our shop today. He sent Chris and I an e-mail a couple days ago alerting us of his upcoming presence here south of the Canadian border, and requesting a small get together to alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms he's experienced since moving to the coffee-culture lacking city of Toronto. Since we had the pleasure of meeting him during his

An Obsessive's Guide to Coffee | Food & Wine

2006-09-07T13:45:00.000-04:00

An Obsessive's Guide to Coffee | Food & Wine

Terroir is on the Way

2006-09-07T00:14:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to report that my new friend in Massachusetts Jerry O'Hare has packed a 10lb bag of George's finest in a box with my name on it. We discussed their brewing specifications and I've ordered baskets that will help us dial in the shots. With our GB5, setting the boiler to the desired temp will be a piece of cake. Now all we have to do is wait for it. If you're in town this weekend and

First Day Home, First in Sales

2006-09-04T20:38:00.000-04:00

My first jet-lagged day home and we broke our sales record on this holiday morning. Not only that but we were a barista short during the busy morning shift. Chris actually stopped by to drink some coffee I brought back from John Sanders but we never had a chance. We were dead in the water this morning and Chris spent a good hour of his day off lending a hand. So...congrats to our staff on

Home from Vancouver

2006-09-03T18:51:00.000-04:00

Wow what a trip. My head is still spinning. Thankfully I have to get up at o'dark thirty tomorrow to force me back into reality here in NYC. I managed to take 253 pictures in six days plus three videos. Here's a few shots...The waterfront in downtown Vancouver...Wicked Cafe in South Granville. There's Brad talking shop on his phone...The Elysian Room, also in South Granville. We found a lot of

Cupping ECAFE

2006-08-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

Chris from Cafe Grumpy calls me up and says, "we are cupping 7 of the ECAFE coffees tomorrow and I thought you might want to join in" Of course I do. These are the top Ethiopian coffees of this year. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this.So I show up and as it turns out, I heard wrong. It wasn't 7 coffees Counter Culture Coffee had sent them, it was 27 coffees. Daniel only planned on cupping 18

TheBurg.tv » Fair Trade

2006-08-25T17:42:00.001-04:00

For those who don't know, these guys create shows online that comment directly on the irony of life here in our fashionable Brooklyn neighborhood. For this particular episode, they filmed here in our shop a little while back. The episode is out now for our enjoyment. They were a pleasure to work with...Much more so than other film crews that have graced our humble home, and we got a kick out

Pressure, Stat!

2006-08-25T16:23:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago we noticed we were having some issues with our steam pressure. This was a bit scary and definitely frustrating. The gauge was acting erractically, dipping down below .5 at different, random points during the day, regardless of activity on the bar. There was no rhyme or reason to this behavior, and it made steaming milk a challenge. The randomness of the problem led us to

Roadtrip!

2006-08-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

We were here. And it was good. Thanks to Nick Cho and Jay Caragay for playing host to fried and road-dusty travelers Tuesday. You guys were great. It was well worth the whirlwind day trip from NYC to DC. Can't wait to do it again...

Dialing in the Leftist

2006-08-20T16:31:00.000-04:00

Chris, Brett, and I took some time last night to really dial in our shots. With our boiler temperature in it's default state we started pulling 1oz shots in 30 seconds at 14 grams, gradually increasing the weight in 1 gram increments and swirling, swishing, and spitting into plastic cups. Actually Chris pulled all the shots while I took the notes, writing down everything we were experiencing in

Guest Espresso

2006-08-19T15:08:00.000-04:00

In the interest of expanding our horizons, we here in Brooklyn have recently been authorized to spend company resources on espresso blends from other roasters. Our plan is simple. Buy five pound bags of espresso from respected roasters throughout the country and spend a day or two pulling shots and making drinks with it. Though our motivation is primarily to increase our personal experiences

Building the Army

2006-08-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

Mike and I met Daryn Berlin of Counter Culture Coffee yesterday. I'm not sure if it's just the Southern hospitality but, this is one nice guy. We sat around and chatted, over a press of Counter Culture's Harrar, about the Northeast coming up in the world of specialty coffee. Adding Counter Culture to the growing list of high quality coffees available here in NYC certainly helps. So, we would like

Gimme's new roaster

2006-08-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

New roastery eases growing painsBy Katherine GrahamSpecial to The Journal Gimme Coffee has found a way to give more coffee and cope with growing pains at their State Street location in Ithaca, with the purchase of an industrial property in Ulysses to be used as the company's new roastery.The local espresso bar chain has

Coffee as a Health Drink? - New York Times

2006-08-16T00:42:00.000-04:00

Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits By NICHOLAS BAKALAR Published: August 15, 2006 Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the

Espresso Map

2006-08-13T17:46:00.000-04:00

Genius. I love it. Well done.espresso map

Rate My Rosetta - Latte Art Ratings

2006-08-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

Here's a new website dedicated solely to latte art pics sent in by viewer contributions. Check it out and vote for your favorites, it's pretty cool...Rate My Rosetta - Latte Art Ratings

More on Grumpy

2006-08-13T14:59:00.000-04:00

As you know Chris O. and I are fans of Cafe Grumpy here on this side of the East River, and we took advantage of this beautiful summer day to make the fifteen minute walk up north to visit our friends this afternoon. The owners Chris and Caroline were there (as usual) and were gracious enough to spend some time socializing with us, serving up a couple choice items from their current supplier

Latte Art in Brooklyn

2006-08-11T14:42:00.000-04:00

Chris and I were playing with the digi cam today and documented a couple of our lattes. Since we frequently work together and divide the labor into two parts, espresso and milk, I haven't had a lot of experience steaming milk in the last couple of weeks. It was good exercise for me.Here's one by me.Here's one by Chris.As you can see Chris definitely creates a finer texture than I do. I think

Baci & Abbracci Restaurant

2006-08-10T17:20:00.000-04:00

This is my new favorite Italian restaurant here in the neighborhood. Straight out of Naples, Italy (literally...Including the pizza oven). These folks dropped some serious dough on designing and creating their restaurant. The service is attentive, the food fresh, and the wine list solid. Now clearly these people invested heavily in what they are doing, particularly in comparison to some of

Portafilter.net

2006-08-09T17:12:00.000-04:00

If you haven't yet clicked the link to this website from the column on the right, you're missing out. These folks are all coffee heavyweights providing a service completely unique in the coffee world. Their content never ceases to amaze me... Check it out...pf.net

Grumpy Morning

2006-08-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

Due to Mike's unprecedented flurry of posts, I have been spurred into action..Our friends, Chris and Caroline of Cafe Grumpy, were kind enough to let me do a little guest barista shift this morning. And, Samuel Crane (Victrola's first roaster) was very accommodating as I interloped behind his bar. They have a nice set up going over there. A two group Synesso Cyncra and a couple of Mazzer grinders

Pouring Latte Art - Rosetta. - Google Video

2006-08-08T13:28:00.000-04:00

Here's another good one I found via the geniuses at google. While I unfortunately cannot identify the creator of this video I must give them props for a job well done.Pouring Latte Art - Rosetta. - Google Video

Coffee, and Hope, Grow in Rwanda - New York Times

2006-08-07T14:16:00.000-04:00

Coffee, and Hope, Grow in Rwanda - New York TimesHere's a little something to think about from the NY Times yesterday. It's a good article, written as it turns out, by a friend of a friend. Too bad she didn't look us up, I would have sent her here.

YouTube - Rosetta in a Pavina glass

2006-08-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Rosetta in a Pavina glassNicely done Jim

gimme! coffee

2006-08-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

Kevin has posted an unprecedented number of posts in a single day breaking his long standing record and increasing his monthly averages exponentially. Yeah yeah I'm one to talk, but hey, who has the time? In this Sunday series, Kevin discusses the two subjects that have long been on the forefront of our otherwise preoccupied brains here in the gimme camp. In the red corner; standing tall at

Vancouver

2006-08-05T15:29:00.000-04:00

I am pleased to announce my scheduled trip to Vancouver BC during the last week of August through early September. Although in retrospect planning my trip to coordinate with the upcoming Canadian Coffee & Tea Expo that kicks off three weeks after my return to the States would have been smart, I nevertheless intend to have a great time traveling with Gimme Coffee GM and long time friend Alexis.

Barista at Large

2006-08-01T17:52:00.000-04:00

A hearty congratulations is in order to Christopher as his first and only venture into journalism has been published. Although he never quite got his thoughts together for us (me) here on Shot Zombies, he managed to sweat his way through a feature article in the upcoming Barista Magazine. If you don't have a subscription then, well, you should. Because although you can read excerpts here, you

Shoutout

2006-07-26T22:14:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been noticing an increase in visits by baristas from all over North America. Obviously we get our fair share of guests from the northeast here as NYC is a common destination for millions of people every year, but occasionally we get colleagues and enthusiasts alike from a bit further. And while this whole instant gratification revolution has changed our lives with the advent of

Health Tip: Coffee May Be a Healthy Way to Start Your Day

2006-07-22T11:28:00.000-04:00

Health Tip: Coffee May Be a Healthy Way to Start Your Day - Yahoo! NewsIt's certainly a healthy environment to work in.

I know. I know.

2006-07-06T05:31:00.000-04:00

I promised a report about my trip to Norway. Well, it seems that a somewhat edited version may appear in an actual publication soon. That publication shall remain nameless for now, as to not jinx it. Because of that, though, I am holding off on the post. I will however provide some asides that did not make the article. Here is the first one:After day two of training we head to Aker Brygge where

Salty Sea Dog

2006-06-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

Bye Attraeu! Good luck in Florida. We'll miss you (and Alli and Dave)!

Pictures

2006-06-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

I haven't reached a place where I'm writing yet, but, I have posted some pictures for you viewing pleasure (possibly displeasure). They can be found here. But, If you want to look at GOOD photos pf the trip, look here.

The time I went to Norway for a tan

2006-06-15T16:54:00.000-04:00

I'm back.The training with Tim was amazing and he was a very gracious host. Solberg & Hansen was an amazing host facility. The espresso bar tour was enlightening and inspiring. The fjords...well, nothing can be said. You'll just have to go and see for yourself.When I collect my thoughts (and pictures), there will be posts. Detailed posts. Several.You have been warned.

The Records Keep Falling

2006-05-30T21:06:00.000-04:00

The Best of Panama 2006The Esmeralda Special from Hacienda la Esmeralda just went for $50.25 at auction. Wow.

On the same "Third Wave"-length

2006-05-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

Kyle Glanville has an excellent post about the Andy Schecter Pressure Profile Pump we had hooked to our Synesso at the SCAA show in Charlotte.The pump made me daydream about how things could be. I had the very same thoughts as Kyle after using the device in Charlotte. This proves why I'm no good at this blogging thing. Go check out what Kyle said that I couldn't. You'll find it here.

Diamonds on the Inside

2006-04-17T15:15:00.000-04:00

Bon voyage Mirage. You've been a great friend and solid work horse for over two years. Alas it is time for an upgrade. Not many machines are capable of filling your shoes on our counter, but we found one that will do you justice. A three group GB/5 straight off the showroom floor from the SCAA conference in Charlotte. Not just any GB/5 mind you, but the very machine used by Matt Riddle of

Finally home from SCAA (Part 2)

2006-04-14T17:05:00.000-04:00

So, where was I? Day three. That's right.My main reason for wanting to go to SCAA, other than to be a part of the Gimme! team, was community. I wanted to be a part of the community of baristas and other passionate coffee professionals out there. I feel a little isolated out here on the east coast. So, after I went to my first Coffee Fest, I realized I wanted to be a part of that pool passion and

Brief Interruption from SCAA ramblings

2006-04-14T16:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Paul Pratt paid us an unexpected visit. Paul is from Just Java Coffee Roasters in Hong Kong. He is also very well know for his beautiful restorations of vintage espresso machines. Most importantly, he is an all around nice guy.Paul, thanks for taking time out of your all too brief lay-over in New York City to come and say hi.

Finally home from SCAA (Part 1)

2006-04-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

Well I'm back.My memory and writing skills will prevent me from doing any justice to my experience. Not to mention the fact that all the big news has already been posted elsewhere (and far better than I ever could anyway). So, I'll just talk about some of my personal highlights.But first....I would like to thank everyone who made the trip possible for me. Mike for letting me off the bar.

Espresso Viking

2006-03-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

So, I have been trying to put this together for months now. It has finally happened. The dates are in. June 6th through the 8th, I am going to be in Oslo, Norway to train. As if that isn't cool enough, my trainer will be Tim Wendelboe. For those of you who don't know, although if you're reading this you probably do, Tim is the 2004 World Barista Champion, not to mention placing second in 2001 AND

Naked News

2006-03-27T18:18:00.000-05:00

After using "naked" "chopped" and or "crotchless" portafilters for the last year or so, we've recently made a move towards returning to the original double spout style. Initiated by Chris's endless passion for improving shot quality, we've gone retro for almost a full week now in an attempt to isolate some funky feelings we've been having about our shots. Though spurred by Chris's desire to

Competition

2006-03-20T17:11:00.000-05:00

This was brought to my attention thanks to Jim Seven's blog. If you are interested in competing, you should check it out.Troels Poulsen 2005 WBC Finals

Fair Prices for Farmers: Simple Idea, Complex Reality - New York Times

2006-03-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Fair Prices for Farmers: Simple Idea, Complex Reality - New York TimesThis article from the Times's caught my eye today, not just because it's about coffee and most coffee articles catch my eye, but because it underscores a point that we have long believed in. That Fair Trade is in principle a great idea, but the reality is that it's not enough. Paying farmers Fair Trade wages is a bit like

So Happy it's Sad

2006-03-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

Either she's really psyched about leaving us in a couple weeks, or she's on a sugar high from the dozen donuts I brought them from the new Dunkin Donuts up the road. Either way I'm glad she's laughing now. She probably won't think it's so funny when I start charging her that $3 for her occasional weekend lattes. We had a good run K-diggs, but now it's time to pay the piper. From the early

A Break in the Action...

2006-03-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

Gotta love the camera phone pics. There must be a better way to keep the lens clean. Rubbing alcohol and a q-tip?

Yup, Tarrytown.

2006-03-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

So Tuesday, I took a little trip to Tarrytown, NY. For those of you playing along, Tarrytown is about 45 minutes north of New York City. Straight up the Hudson river. Why? Coffee Labs Roasters, Inc. of course. Mike Love, owner/roaster, was kind enough to let me come up and play. You see, lately I have been wanting to challenge myself. I never want to stop learning. I feel It is one thing to go

Performance Peter!

2006-03-16T10:03:00.000-05:00

Action shot!

Grindz is the Shiz

2006-03-15T14:02:00.000-05:00

Today Chris and I were lucky enough to experiment with the new product from Urnex called Grindz. They're little pellets that you feed through your grinders to clean the blades. Why it took so long for them to create these is beyond me. The difference in the before and after shots fed through our Robur is the difference between night and day. After one application the shots tasted much cleaner

brownstoner

2006-03-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

brownstonerThis is a site for all things Brooklyn...they picked up the Daily News article and posted the stuff about us. Included were some shots on flickr posted by our friend Dave Beery. Nice shots Dave.

New York Daily News - Home - Something's brewing

2006-03-14T13:41:00.000-05:00

New York Daily News - Home - Something's brewingThe Daily News did two full pages on coffee in this last Sundays issue. We were mentioned among others, as the place to go for no nonsense high quality drinks. It's too bad the photographer was never able to make it, but here's another nice one from Dave B...

An Obsessive's Guide to Coffee | Food & Wine

2006-03-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

An Obsessive's Guide to Coffee | Food & Wine(and Gimme!)

Australian guy to us: "This

2006-03-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

Australian guy to us: "This is the best soy cap i've ever had in America, ever." Nice.

2006-03-13T18:54:00.000-05:00