WELCOME
Contributors Embrace the new normal
AUSTRALIA
Editor & Publisher Steve Moore steve@caffeinemagazine.com.au Marketing & Distribution (Aus) Annie Moore annie@caffeinemagazine.com.au Partnerships Director (Aus) Amanda Atkinson amanda@caffeinemagazine.com.au UK OFFICE
Founder & Creative Director Scott Bentley Editor Phil Wain Printed by IVE Group, Sydney Cover image Bentley Creative Contributors Amanda Lennon, Zoe Cormier, Tom Lazarus, Jem Challender, John Bradley, Cristiano Suarez, Safia Shakarchi, The Bitter Barista Thanks to Ed Cutcliffe, Paul Hallit, Ben Bicknell, Penny Wolff and Rosalie the Comma Queen. Like us facebook.com/caffeinemagaus Follow us instagram/caffeinemagaus ©2021 Caffeine magazine, and all its associated trademarks, is the legal property of Bentley Creative Ltd. 13 Sherwood Way, West Wickham, BR4 9PB (bentleycreative.com). ©2021 Caffeine magazine Australia is published four times a year in Australia, under agreed licence, by EroomCreative Pty Ltd, 14 Macquarie Street, Belmont NSW 2280 (eroomcreative.com). Caffeine magazine Australia is printed on 80gsm uncoated paper by IVE Group Pty Ltd. Any material submitted to Caffeine magazine Australia is sent at the owner’s risk. Neither the publisher, nor its agents, accept any liability for loss or damage. Reproduction in whole or any part of any contents of Caffeine magazine without prior permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Caffeine is printed on FSC® certified paper. All details correct at time of going to press.
ORMIER
of Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll: The Science sm And The Hedonism Of Science oks) is educated in biology and raised c industry. Her work has featured in the ed, Nature, New Scientist, the Guardian, Our contributors and more. Shefeatured lives in London. ee are you enjoying at the moment? s my digestive system can tolerate. our shots, whole milk, no sugar.
Amanda Lennon
How formidable is the human brain? Not in any deep and existential way you understand; purely in its ability to self-heal and move on. Even after two of the most turbulent years in living memory – fires, floods, pandemics and international conflict – it allows us to snap back into a familiar groove as if nothing has happened, and get JEREMY CHALLENDER on with our day-to-day routines. Routines that for many millions of us will be kickA move to check out the London jazz scene led started by a morning coffee, and be regularly topped up throughout the day. Jem to Monmouth Coffee and Gwilym Davies, On page 22, we take a look at what caffeine – the addictive drug – does to our gave him you his first coffee lessons in 2002. brains and our bodies.who Now, before drop the magazine, grab your double ristretto The two remained and established and stomp off indignantly, having been friends told you’re a coffee addict; accept that it’s a Prufrock Coffee in 2009. an be authorised drug, that we’re all junkies, and that the newsJem mayisnot what you’re expecting. SCAE trainer, a certified WCE sensory judge Since the early part of the last century, plastic (or more accurately Bakelite as it and thesat2016 UKcentre Brewers Cup champion. was originally) has proudly at the of product development and packaging What coffee are you at the moment? innovation. How ironic then, that this veryenjoying same material is now literally choking the natural processed Zorro Geisha from and on page 9 we look planet, and coffee is a The big contributor. Drastic change is needed Finca Santa Teresa by Bunny Brand. at what a few planet-conscious coffee crusaders are doing to help us arrest the damage. Getting back to our love of specialty coffee, we filled the fridge with a variety of non-dairy milk alternatives (or mylks) and reviewed their ability to perform in espresso-based beverages; the NORTH differences are surprisingly marked. Discover which MAT ones our experts thinkSeasoned you should be putting in your coffee veteran Mat has supermarket more than a trolley on page 26. We also chomped our way through yummy baked confections in search of decade’s worth of some experience of the industry, the best pastries to pair with your preferred Getand the local full story on page 18. including stints with bothbrew. national chains, As the mercury drops and as thetime nation breaks out the Uggs Oodies, while buying as well in the consumables and and engineering up cheap Kmart heaters, remember thats these quirky are as iconically Australian side of the business, giving him atraits well-rounded view as our globally-envied café culture. Be proud, embrace the moment and enjoy coffee. of the coffee world. He opened Full Court Press,
Steve Moore Editor
Cristiano Suarez
Amanda’s 30-year career with Illustrator Cristiano lives in food has been largely dedicated to Macei, Brazil, and has worked on the publishing industry. Starting album covers for bands around out as a home economist at the the world, as well as exhibiting in Australian Women’s Weekly pop-art galleries such as Galerie Test Kitchen, her true love for F in Chicago. Other works have educating and inspiring others been shown on Route 66 and at about food through recipe the Viper Room on the Sunset Shot at The Blind Pig, 58 Poland St, creation and photography came to Strip in Los Angeles. See his work W1F 7NR; socialeatinghouse.com light. Her feature on paring coffee on page 30, and explore more of Photography by Gary Smith, with pastries starts on page 18. his art at @cristianossuarez. garysmithphoto.com What are you currently What coffee are you currently enjoying? “My day rarely begins enjoying? “My favourite is without a homemade latte to the classic Brazilian coffee, awake my sleepy senses.” Cturned A F F Einto I N Ecappuccino.” - 6 - AUG/SEP 16
THIS ISSUE’S COVER
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a small specialist multi-roaster coffee shop in the heart of Bristol, three years ago. He is also the author of Coffee: A Modern Field Guide (We Hunt & Gather, £8), which explores how every stage of the production process affects the flavour in the cup.
CRISTIANO SUAREZ
Illustrator Cristiano lives in Maceió, Brazil, and has worked on album covers for bands around the world, as well as exhibiting in pop-art galleries such as Galerie F in Chicago. Other works have been shown on Route 66 and at the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Turn to page 30 to see his work for Caffeine, and explore more of his art at instagram.com/cristianossuarez. What coffee are you enjoying at the moment? My favourite is the classic Brazilian coffee, turned into cappuccino.
Safia SEANShakarchi ST JOHN Baker, stylist and photographer;
Zoe Cormier
The London-based author of Freelance writer and photographer Sean has worked our resident food writer creates Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll: The with food his whole life. He started his career as a the regular Safia Makes column Science Of Hedonism And chef, before moving front of house and spending six in The Grind. Her flaked almond The Hedonism Of Science years in restaurant management. He currently lives friands with espresso-infused (Profile Books) is educated in Beijing, making him the ideal person to guide you butter can be made in under in biology and raised in the round the city’s best coffee spots (page 22). an hour and are the perfect music industry. Her work has What coffee are you enjoying at the moment? accompaniment to a mid-morning featured in The Times, Wired, I’m down my last is few Los Nogales cuppa. Theto full recipe oncups pageof Finca Nature, New Scientist, The from Salvador,you a beautiful Cornish 14 – weElchallenge not to be coffee from Guardian, BBC Focus and more. roastersFollow Olfactory. It’s clean like tea,What but with a hint tempted. her @dearsafia coffee are you of sweet caramel. and read more at dearsafia.com. currently enjoying? “As much What coffee are you currently as my digestive system can enjoying? “A fruity, full-bodied tolerate. Or a large latte – four filter from the Sidama region.” shots, whole milk, no sugar.”
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THE GRIND
DELISH!
Coffee & flaked almond friands Espresso-infused butter gives a wonderful flavour to these moreishly nutty cakes
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WO R D S, ST Y LI NG A ND PH OTO GRA PH Y BY SA F I A SH A KA RC H I
O
f all the things I’ll miss from lockdown, eating a freshly baked batch of a dozen cakes to myself will be one. But, at the same time, there's nothing quite like having some pals over or heading out for a picnic. These little cakes travel well so they’re great to pack up and take to the park, or just pile them on a plate and let your friends help themselves to a bite when they come over. The coffee comes in by infusing the melted butter. I’ve whisked in some instant espresso for a more intense flavour, but you can also experiment with using your favourite beans. Try replacing the instant espresso with about 40g beans and using 215g butter instead (a little will get lost when coating the beans, and don’t forget to sieve them out). Both methods will result in a light, nutty coffeeinfused cake… you may still decide to keep all dozen of them to yourself after all!
Ingredients
Makes 12 cakes 200g unsalted butter 1tbsp instant espresso 70g plain flour 180g ground almonds 220g icing sugar, sifted 6 large egg whites 50g flaked almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan and lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan. Once melted, whisk in the instant espresso and briefly bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and infuse for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, ground almonds, icing sugar and a pinch of salt together in a mixing bowl. Set to one side. Using an electric mixer (or by hand with a little elbow grease), whip the egg
whites up to soft peaks in a bowl. Carefully fold the whites into the dry ingredients. Pour in the cooled melted coffee butter and gently mix together to form a batter, ensuring everything is fully incorporated. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tray and scatter the flaked almonds over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tray for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
THE GRIND
Kool cafés
on the block
Ashfield Apothocary A round-up of interesting coffee spaces worth a visit
Industry Beans
The Good Egg
Vanilla Food
Corner Kiaora Lane and Kiaora Road, Double Bay, NSW 2028 Located in a Woolworths Metro store, this brand-new Double Bay venue offers a premium, fast, consistent takeaway service for espresso and filter coffee. Using their signature Modbar set up, the brand aims to serve amazing coffee, deliver expert home-brewing advice and even roast on-site – once their stateof-the art Loring Roaster arrives from the US. Once they're fully up and running, Woolies will have never have smelt so good. industrybeans.com
38/44 Albert St, Busselton, WA 6280 Operating as a café downstairs and multi-use office hub upstairs, this place is always buzzing. Which is, in part, due to the Blue Note Colombian/Brazilian blend supplied by Perth's Micrology Coffee Roasters The café is named in honour of owner Debby Hallyburton's late husband Brad, who when battling with brain cancer, called all the positive people around him ‘A Good Egg’. Hence 5% of profits are donated each year to ‘Carries Beanies for Brain Cancer’. thegoodeggcafe.com.au
2/10 Lanyana Way Noosa Heads, QLD 4567 Nilla Tomkins was a chef for 20 years and ran a café and catering business before creating this stunning light-filled space at Noosa Junction. Inspired by things in her everyday life the focus is on good food, health and the environment. Clandestino Coffee provide an organic blend that fits perfectly with their vibe. vanillafood.com.au
St. Crispins Café 9 St. Crispins Avenue, Port Douglas, QLD 4877 Located in a beautiful old railway station and boasting breathtaking views over the Daintree, this hidden gem has been run by Karen Jackson since mid-2019. A fine-dining menu is supported by expertlybrewed coffee from Locale Coffee Roasters, Relax by their idyllic lagoon and say 'hello' to their resident crocodile. stcrispins.com.au
19 Charlotte Street, Ashfield, NSW 2131 Owner Mandeep is introducing his customers to the many flavours of coffee. “It's not only about having caffeine to wake you up in the morning,” he says. Using Single O coffee for their milk-based beverages they rotate black coffee offerings from all over Australia and beyond. ashfieldapothecary.com
Sloppy Joe’s
Coffee Journey
465a Centre Road, Bentleigh, VIC 3204 Co-owners Joe La and Brian Taing serve their community with their own range of ‘sloppy joes’ – based on the US classic of meat sauce in between buns. “Think of a burger and bolognese sauce's love child,” Joe reckons. Quality coffee comes from highlyacclaimed Axil Coffee Roasters. @sloppyjoesdeli
640 Grange Road, Henley Beach, SA 5022 Located near the beautiful Henley and Grange beaches, this is an award winning coffee roaster and retail cafe under one roof. Guided by owner Di Wang, they offer over 10 freshly roasted coffee blends, homemade organic tea, and all-day brunches made from local produce coffeejourney.com.au
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THE GRIND
... is specialty coffee? Every barista has been asked this question more than once, but how do they answer? We sent Karolina Kumstova to find out
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P Speciality coffee isn’t about numbers on a sheet – it’s simply an idea through farming processes and conditions at origin, the potential of which is further explored by the everskillful roasters. The term “specialty coffee” was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. She used it to refer to “beans of the best flavour produced in special microclimates”. In the decades since, it has evolved to define not only the product but the culture surrounding it.
erhaps your customer picks up on the clues that your café is selling specialty coffee – the price of the drinks on offer, the specialised equipment on display, the menu of rotating coffee origins. But unless their queries are met with understanding and a smile, those clues will be left unpursued. The best cafés serve coffee with a smile. That is, in my honest opinion, the best “coffee origin” we can offer our customers. Let’s use the smile to redefine what specialty coffee means to our customers, and we can then use the café as a stage to give the word the meaning we believe it deserves. As a wise hospitality person once said, “Customers may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” Be ready for the question, “WTF is specialty coffee?” and answer it with a smile, and the future of our industry will be much brighter place. Karolina Kumstova was the senior editor of the website European Coffee Trip. She has also worked as a barista in Olomouc, Czech Republic, London and Berlin, and was 2016 Czech Republic Brewers Cup Champion.
T Y LE R N IX - U NS P L AS H
f you want to get technical about it, any coffee that scores 80 points or above out of 100 by a Specialty Coffee Association-certified coffee taster or Q grader is defined as “specialty”. But the term has always meant much more than that. When I asked my colleagues for their best answers to the common customer query “what is specialty coffee?”, not one of their answers was straightforward. For Philipp Reichel, co-owner of Berlin’s Isla Coffee and roaster at Café Neun, it is to do with his duty towards the customer. “The idea behind specialty coffee is the ability as a café – and even more so as a roastery – to showcase what the coffee you are drinking is about,” he says. Luke Kristofski, café manager and customer service pro at Berlin’s Commonground, has a rather more direct definition. “For starters,” he says, “you need to cut the bullshit. It’s not about numbers on a Q grader’s sheet. Specialty coffee is simply an idea – it’s about taking something small and already commercialised, and giving it the appreciation it deserves. Never turning a blind eye and always pushing ourselves to figure out how we can do better. But ultimately, specialty coffee is just coffee that tastes delicious.” For those working in the coffee industry, the differences between specialty and commodity coffees are clear. They are based on sustainability, and flavour and aroma achieved
But while trends in coffee and definitions have shifted, one thing has stayed the same – the industry’s need for customers. Without paying coffee drinkers, the product we claim to care so much about doesn’t have a sustainable future. We’re not here to teach our customers about coffee, but rather to make them interested in learning about it. There is a difference. A customer walking into a café is in need of a cup of coffee, hoping to leave in a better state of mind. Great customer service is the last step in the long journey of specialty coffee. With the rise of specialty cafés and barista becoming a legitimate profession, the communication that takes place over the counter has moved on from “What can I do for you?” to “What can you do for the producer?” Baristas expect customers to have a certain level of understanding and knowledge of specialty coffee, but their understanding of their customers has declined. It sometimes seems that we have forgotten our own beginnings in coffee – our confusion, and our disbelief over certain flavours and terminology.
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CAFFEINE: THE DRUG
Altered
States Caffeine is the most widely-consumed mood-changing drug in the world, with adult ‘users’ consuming an average of 200mg a day. But could it be causing us harm? Zoe Cromier investigates Illustration Cristiano Suarez
E
very day, around 80-90% of adults and children consume caffeine in one form or another – in coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, chocolate and more. Not only is it ubiquitous – truly the world’s most popular drug – it is spectacularly habitforming: a morning without coffee can feel like existing in the hinterlands of awareness, groggy shuffling at our desks nothing more than time ill-spent. Although there are many definitions of addiction, truly addictive substances are not only habit-forming but produce physical withdrawal symptoms when users quit. Caffeine certainly seems to fit this category: the worst physical ache I’ve ever experienced owing to a drug occurred the day I attempted to go cold turkey from caffeine. The headache was unbearable and only alleviated by a desperate dose of coffee (both water and paracetamol proving ineffective).
Addictive substance
Modern academic opinions on the meaning of addiction vary and there’s much hair-splitting, but yardsticks include a chemical’s capacity to produce dependence (an insatiable need for a substance), tolerance (long-term use results in the capacity to consume ever larger amounts) and reinforcement (the more you take it, the more you want it). Caffeine meets all these criteria.
But just because caffeine is addictive, does that mean it’s harmful? In the 1940s, experiments by Swiss pharmacologist Peter Witt found that different drugs had various alarming effects on a spider’s ability to spin a web. In 1995, Nasa repeated the experiments with speed, marijuana, chloral hydrate and caffeine, the latter resulting in the most mangled web (see page 26), hinting at toxic neurological effects. Modern psychiatric analyses have also led to finger wagging from the highest authorities in psychiatry. The 2013 edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – often referred to as the “bible of psychiatry” – lists caffeine withdrawal as an official condition for diagnosis. Symptoms include the usual suspects: fatigue, headache, difficulty focusing, irritability and cognitive impairment, plus the flu-like symptoms that characterise withdrawal, such as nausea, muscle aches, fever, sweats and shakes. This may sound extreme, but a report from Johns Hopkins University’s behavioural pharmacology research unit in 2003 described 11 people who met the criteria for “caffeine
dependence” who experienced far more extreme reactions when forced off java, including; mistakes on the job, missed days from work and screaming at their children. One poor coffee drinker even had to cancel his son’s birthday party because he was so impaired. The scientists involved went on to further study addiction to the world’s most popular drug and in 2013 argued in the Journal Of Caffeine Research that “caffeine-use disorder” is a real medical condition that’s not only widespread, but under-recognised.
Memory boost
It may not all be bad news, however. The same institution released another study the very same year in the journal Nature Neuroscience, claiming caffeine can improve your memory. “We were able to get an improvement in memory performance by about 10%,” says Dr Mike Yassa, one of the study’s lead authors. “In educational terms, a 10% boost in performance can make a big difference.” While countless studies in the past had shown how caffeine improves performance in memory tests, the flaw in those studies was that the caffeine was administered before people learned the material and did the test, says Dr Yassa. This meant it was impossible to say if caffeine improved memory itself, or just test scores by increasing people’s levels of attention, awareness, vigilance and processing speed. In this study, people were given 200mg of caffeine – about two cups of coffee – five minutes after showing them a series of images. The next day, the people given caffeine outperformed those given a placebo in identifying certain images as similar but not identical to the ones seen the previous day. “So when it comes to memory, caffeine improves the sensitivity to detail,” says Dr Yassa. “It’s a very specific form of cognitive rescue.” Dr Yassa and his colleagues are now studying the potential of using chemical relatives of caffeine as an intraventional treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. These chemicals will bind to the same adenosine receptors in a part
“Yes, caffeine and coffee are addictive, but that doesn’t make them inherently bad”
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CAFFEINE: THE DRUG
of the brain called the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory formation, as caffeine but will avoid the jitters, impact on sleep and other annoying side effects of using the real deal. A number of long-term, longitudinal studies of large numbers of people have also suggested that daily coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing dementia. In fact, the number of studies that have found some form of health benefit from coffee span a spectacularly reassuring range of effects.
Health benefits
People have long worried that coffee and the caffeine it contains can lead to cardiovascular problems, which makes intuitive sense given its ability to increase your heart rate. But while some
cancer by 40%. And this year, a survey of more than 400,000 people in the US found that daily coffee drinking reduced the risk of liver cirrhosis – also by about 40%. In boozy London, fewer words from the stuffy annals of epidemiology could be more comforting. Meta-analyses have also shown coffee drinkers are at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Coffee drinking has consistently been shown to be associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, so much so that scientists in Canada are investigating how to use caffeine as a treatment for the neurological disease. Their 2012 study found, to everyone’s surprise, that caffeine dosing for people with Parkinson’s improved their motor skills, reducing tremors and shakes. “If any other modifiable risk factor
Alcohol is toxic in countless ways, but studies have shown that in moderate doses it can have positive effects on stress reduction and may improve heart health. The list goes on. Yes, caffeine and coffee are addictive, but that doesn’t make them inherently bad.
Bee positive
Coming back to the potential for caffeine and coffee to prevent Alzheimer’s and improve learning, Dr Yassa’s study was in part based on the subtle work of Dr Geraldine Wright at the University of Newcastle, UK. Her experiments using fake flowers full of sugar water showed that bees fed sugar water loaded with caffeine were more likely to stick their tongues out for more than those bees fed sugar alone. Through careful dissection
Web of intrigue The webs spun by a house spider after it was exposed to various chemicals in a 1995 Nasa study – from left, control (no chemicals), marijuana, amphetamine (speed), caffeine and chloral hydrate (sleeping pills)
studies suggested this is the case, others have said otherwise (as is always the case with large-scale health surveys). In fact, a 2014 meta-analysis – a study of all the studies – from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at 36 papers, covering more than 1,270,000 people. Pooling all the data revealed not only did caffeine – and coffee specifically – not lead to heart disease, but in fact had a protective effect: people who drank three to five cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of heart problems. And even people who drank five or more cups a day did not have an increased risk. Another health risk long thought to be worsened by coffee is ‘stroke’. A 2011 Swedish meta-analysis found that not only did coffee not increase the risk of stroke, but consuming moderate amounts of it could have a mildly protective effect. The list goes on. A meta-analysis of coffee and cancer risk found that drinking two cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of developing liver
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“The number of studies that have found some form of health benefit from coffee span a spectacularly reassuring range of effects” had these kind of positive associations across the board, the media would be all over it. We’d be pushing it on everyone,” Dr Aaron Carroll, professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, wrote in the New York Times. “For far too long, though, coffee has been considered a vice, not something that might be healthy.” This points to an important truth: every single drug is a double-edged sword that can both harm and heal. Opiate drugs are severely addictive and occasionally fatal, but morphine is still the most powerful painkiller we have.
of the bees’ brains after caffeine feeding, she also showed that caffeine triggered changes in the neurons linked with memory and smell recognition. Taken together, she thinks plants that lace their nectar with caffeine – more than 100 plants are known to do this – are training bees to remember their flowers better; increasing pollination. “This was the first time a plant was shown to manipulate a pollinator by actively drugging them – that was very surprising,” says Dr Wright. Nectar is a food reward flowers use to attract pollinators, but this is a whole other level of manipulation: narcotic seduction. “When you put this into the context of ecology, it is very surprising and very interesting.” Humans are not bees, but mammals and insects share the same basic neural circuitry, so we can look to them to understand how our own brains work. And as studies into the effects of caffeine continue, it may yet hold many more tricks up its neurochemical sleeve.
MYLKS ON TEST
nut or seed, and chances are someone has turned it into a mylk. There’s even a machine called the Nutramilk Nut Processor that allows you to make your own. This was used to great effect by Will Pitts at the 2018 UK Barista Championship, who created a salted cashew cream for his competition drinks and came a creditable fourth overall. Which brings us to the main reason we’re talking about this: how do all these options work with specialty coffee? If you’re a barista or café owner, what do you offer your customers? Caffeine Australia decided to test as many non-dairy alternatives as possible to see which would work the best with the top-drawer coffee we love. We rounded up 19 different alternative milks from nine separate brands, putting them all to the test using the Little Marionette’s ‘House’ espresso roast – a rich chocolate blend with balanced acidity that is perfectly suited to pairing with all types of milk. Next, we enlisted a trio of experts. Stefan Swiegers, South African born, ex-café-owning, chef and coffee perfectionist; Michael Burns, gun barista, chef, and ‘resident tea magician’ at Tippity Teas, who only drinks alternative milks so that we can get a true non-dairy perspective; and the ever-present friend of the magazine, Paul Hallit, Head of Development & Education at The Little Marionette.
Each mylk was judged on flavour (acidity, sweetness and balance), texture and mouthfeel, whether it stretched and foamed, whether it held the pattern and uniformity when used in latte art, and whether it would work in a pro setting. So, without further ado, let’s press on to the results…
n Oat
Our expert baristas found that oat milk was one of the easiest alternatives to use with specialty coffee. Its fairly neutral flavour allows it to work well with a variety of coffee flavours. All five of the oat milks (Oatly Oat Milk Barista Edition, Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend, Alternative Dairy Barista Oat, MILKLAB Oat, and Australia’s Own Barista Oat) were pleasant to work with – all steamed easily and became silky in the jug. In fact, they all performed well in most of the review categories; combining well with the coffee and holding their latte art. The all important ‘flavour’ section started to see some separation, as did the mylks ability to work well in a café setting. If you avoid dairy for health reasons, you will already be familiar with nutritional details. Yet, the rationale behind some of the key ingredients of plant milks may not be so obvious. Our guest chefs, Stef and Michael, were able to shed light on the matter. Salt, most commonly sea salt, and
Not all plant milks are the same... You’d be well-advised to try a few products in a category before deciding if a particular mylk is for you. vegetable gums are added to offset the natural sweetness of the base ingredient, as well as helping to create a thicker, smoother texture. Vegetable oil (usually sunflower or canola, and rapeseed in the case of Oatly) is used as an emulsifier which helps to bind the ingredients together and achieve a creamy texture. Not all plant milks are the same and we noted some very definite flavour differences. You’d be well-advised to try a few products in a category before deciding if a particular mylk is for you. With Oatly, Califia Farms and Alternative Dairy impressing across the board, we were hard-pushed to pick one. All had good texture and mouthfeel (as did MILKLAB); all had great flavour, and all would perform well in a professional setting. But we needed a winner. Oatly was the firm favourite leading into the session, and it did indeed
OUR EXPERTS Stefan Swiegers Stef grew up in Stellenbosch, a small food and wine town east of Cape Town, South Africa. He arrived in Sydney in 2002 and hasn’t left… yet. Since then, he has owned and managed a number of cafés around the CBD, as well as becoming a qualified chef. Normally a black coffee drinker, he embraced the opportunity to try the array of plant milks proliferating the market. Favourite coffee style: Long black with a preference for naturally processed Favourite alternative milk: Oatly or Califia Farms Random flavour experience: Mopane worms – a buttery South African delicacy he compares to chomping on witchetty grubs.
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Mike Burns Qualified chef, barista and ‘tea magician’, Mike has been in the hospitality game since he was 15 (he’s 28 now). During that time, he’s had a variety of roles in cafés and restaurants owned by the Sydney Restaurant Group, before landing his current job as manager at Tippity Tea. Being lactose intolerant, he is more than familiar with the alt milk scene. Favourite coffee style: Strong latte with oat milk Favourite alternative milk: Oatly Barista Milk – not only for its taste in coffee but also for its consistent performance in cooking and baking. Random flavour experience: Braised crocodile tongue – which he would happily eat again.
Paul Hallit Growing up in a house with the scent of coffee from sunrise to sunset, it was only natural to follow his instinct and dive head first into the coffee industry. Paul has owned a number of cafés in Sydney and had a five-year stint in the UK designing and setting up in excess of 30 cafés with a focus on specialty coffee. Now, he is Head of Development at The Little Marionette. Favourite coffee style: Purist pour over. Favourite alternative milk: Califia Farms Random Flavour Experience: While travelling through the Middle East, he raved about the flavour of a dish made of fried and seasoned ‘balls’ – later discovering they were sheep’s testicles. Clearly, they pulled the wool over his eyes.
MYLKS ON TEST
Clearing the curdle hurdle Ben Graham, Head of the Coffee Science & Education Centre at 7Miles Coffee Roasters, explains the facts and fixes for avoiding the dreaded curdle. Milk, both dairy and non-dairy, is essentially fat that has been stabilised in water. With some varieties, this is a delicate balance and several things can break this stabilised emulsion. Factors include heat, pH (acidity or alkalinity), and other chemical reactions. You can then appreciate how heated, textured milk, which is mildly alkaline, might be sensitive to being added to coffee, which is acidic. Once stabilisation is broken, the structure of the cells is compromised, and clumps form –commonly known as curdling. While some plant milks curdle more than others, it’s worth taking care with all types.
balance really well with the coffee without overpowering it. However, the judges felt that Califia Farms Barista Oat just pipped it for having a ‘highly natural and slightly buttery flavour without being too oaty, thus allowing the flavour of the espresso to really shine through without much distortion.’ CAFFEINE RECOMMENDS: Califia Farms Oat Barista Runner-up – Oatly Oat Milk Barista Edition
n Almond
As with oat, there are plenty of almond milks on the market. In our test, we had Australia’s Own Barista Almond Milk, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, Bonsoy Almond Milk, Inside Out Barista Almond Milk and MILKLAB Almond. It should be said that, unlike other plant milks, almond has come under fire from environmentalists: reports claim it takes approximately five litres of water to grow just one almond*. Curdling is common when texturing plant milks; and the use of gums (most commonly gellan gum) helps to stabilise and texturise while allowing the mylk to bind when heated. Best practice is to not go over 60-degrees – five to ten degrees less than dairy – the ‘extra hot’ brigade will just have to get over it. Our panel were pleasantly surprised with the six almond contenders on
the bench. All stretched and foamed admirably (MILKLAB came out best), with all delivering a similar texture and mouthfeel. Inside Out was the clear favourite taste-wise, which left us with another tie-breaker. When paired with House Blend, both Inside Out and MILKLAB were well balanced and didn’t mask the taste of the coffee too much. Even though it had the highest percentage of almond content, Inside Out didn’t taste nutty at all as opposed to MILKLAB which Michael described as ‘hugely nutty’. Stef added that MILKLAB Almond Milk was also the best plant milk for baking. The key difference is MILKLAB’s use of synthetic stabilisers in place of the aforementioned gums. But, with flavour being the biggest factor we gave the decision to the tastiest on the day. CAFFEINE RECOMMENDS: Inside Out Barista Almond Milk Runner-up – MILKLAB Almond
n Soy
As the original alternative milk, soy was probably the first to make an impact in specialty cafés. One of the main reasons it remains the alternative of choice for many is that its flavour isn’t too distant from dairy. Much like almond, soy has seen controversy over its environmental credentials. Brazil is one of the leading
1 Minimise the chance of separation by keeping the temperature comparatively low when texturing. Not all customers will be happy with coffee served at a lower temperature, but it will be the best outcome for texture. 2 Darker roasted coffee will perform better with alternate milks. This is due to the fact that lighter roasted coffee is more acidic which increases the likelihood of the mylk separating. 3 Pro tip: The structures of alternative milk separate quite readily. For this reason, it is important to ensure that the textured product is constantly swirled to keep the milk ‘wet’ and the creaminess incorporated, resulting in a deliciously smooth mouthfeel.
producers – it’s the country’s biggest export by value – but soy production is a major cause of deforestation in the Amazon, (ethicalconsumer.org). We had four soy mylks on test: Bonsoy, Happy Happy Soy Boy, Alternative Dairy Barista Soy and MILKLAB Soy Milk. They all allowed the flavours of the espresso to cut through, yet separated rather quickly in the cup and delivered inconsistent latte art that didn’t hold.
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*M M M E KON NE N & AY HO E K ST R A , WAT E R FO OT P R I NT S OF DE R I V E D C RO P PRO DU C TS (1 996-2005 )
Flavour experts Mike Burns and Stef Swiegers put the plant milks through their paces
INDUSTRY
Toast the top roaster
All hail the 2020 AMC Australian Coffee Roasting Champ Daniel Shadbolt on the Venziano roasting tools
2021 World Aeropress ChampionTuomas Merikanto
aeropress like a champ
The World Aeropress Championships (WAC) are over for another year; and while the organisers make their plans for the 2022 event, we thought we'd share Tuomas Merikanto of Finland's 2021 winning routine for you to try at home. Aeropress Set Up: Brewer Orientation: Inverted Number of filters: Two – both rinsed. Method: 1 Add 18 grams of ground coffee into the inverted AeroPress. 2 Start the timer and take 10 seconds to add 50grams water heated to 80˚C. 3 Stir very gently three times back and forth for 5 seconds. 4 Add a further 150 grams of water over 15 seconds. 5 Allow the coffee 15 seconds to brew and then stir very gently three more times. 6 Allow the coffee to brew for a further 10 seconds, attach the filter cap, push the excess air out and let it brew for another 40 seconds. 7 Put your pitcher on top of the brewer and carefully 'flip' it to be the right way up. 8 Immediately press the plunger and take 20 seconds to empty the brewer. 9 Swirl for 30 seconds to cool and then pour from altitude into a second pitcher. 10 Serve and enjoy! All WAC contestants used a washed Bourbon, Caturra from Aldea Poj, Sipacapa, San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, which had been roasted by Bureaux Coffee. However, the final coffee choice is yours.
v
eneziano Coffee Roasters’ Daniel Shadbolt has won the 2020 AMC Australian Coffee Roasting Championship. The event, which had been delayed multiple times due to COVID-19, was finally held at Criteria Coffee in Port Melbourne on 5-6 February 2022. Though restricted to participants and judges only, the championship still provided competing roasters with an exciting and unforgettable opportunity to showcase their talents. Head Judge, Craig Simon said; “The event gives roasters a chance to demonstrate their skills in grading, sample roasting, and tasting – providing fantastic insight into the significant influence roasting has on taste. “Success in the roasting championships requires a thorough understanding of the rules, a strong grasp of the fundamentals of roasting, and flexibility in adapting quickly to unfamiliar roasting equipment and green coffees. So kudos to Daniel.” Daniel’s success not only built on his third-place at the 2019 Australian Coffee Roasting Championship, but also served as deserving recognition for his unmatched and judge-credited organisational skills. The win will see him go on to represent Australia in the 2022 World Coffee Roasting Championship – taking place in Milan, Italy at the 2022 World of Coffee, 23-25 June. The Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) are among the
many who hope that Daniel can emulate the success of fellow-Aussie, Charlie Chu, who only last year, took the title at the World Cup Tasters Championship in Milan. “We believe we have the world’s greatest coffee culture here in Australia, so it’s great to see our guys doing so well on a global stage,” said ASCA President, Bruno Maiolo. “We’re hoping that Daniel can follow in Charlie’s footsteps, but no matter the result, we know he’s going to do us proud,” he added. Daniel’s recent win also leaves the stage set for ASCA’s upcoming 2022 championship events. “After the delays with our 2020 Championships, we’re extremely excited to be bringing 2022’s regionals and nationals to coffee-lovers right across the country,” said Maiolo. The ASCA schedule of regional and national championship events for 2022 is as follows: • Northern Regionals; 23-24 April Archer Specialty Coffee, Pinkenba QLD • Central Regionals; 21-22 May Grinders, Leichhardt NSW • Southern & Western Regionals, June, Melbourne (date and venue TBA) • Australian Nationals, July Melbourne (date and venue TBA) Those interested in competing or attending can keep updated on the latest event details via the ASCA website, or follow @ascacoffee.
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I NTDI U PP S LT ER Y
the caffeinated tipple Celebrate Christmas this July with a classic that has been flipped on its head – a delicious spiced cocktail
T
his drink is a bold interpretation of the traditional festive eggnog, and its velvety smoothness with pops of complex coffee and spices is truly a treat for your tastebuds. The whisky and mince pie mix makes for a warming, satisfying flavour, while the sherry ties everything together with its rich spice notes and sweetness. Perfect for cold winter nights by the wood burner. We recommend using organic, free-range eggs, giving them a good rinse before cracking them, and ensuring the egg is thoroughly whisked so you get an even amount of yolk and white.
A Bonny Wee Flip 45ml Talisker 10 Year Old single malt infused with mince pie filling 30ml Mr Black coffee liqueur 15ml Pedro Ximénez sherry 30ml whisked egg white and yolk 7.5ml Lyle’s Golden Syrup A pinch of toasted crushed almonds with cinnamon, to garnish To make the mince pie-infused whisky, add 200g of mince pie filling to 700ml whisky and stir well to begin the infusion. Vacuum seal and place in a sous vide for one hour at 55ºC. Remove, allow to cool, then strain using a Superbag and finally re-bottle. Add all to a shaker with cubed ice, shake hard and double-strain into a Glencairn glass. Drink created by Jason Clark, author of The Art & Craft of Coffee Cocktails. Follow Jason on Instagram @drinks_geek
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