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Permalink Reply by Ryan Knapp on November 11, 2008 at 7:08am

It depends on what type of bar you are going to be. If you are strictly an espresso bar then doing americanos and not doing any drip is ok, because you are an espresso bar. However, you CANNOT REPLACE an americano for a brewed cup of coffee, they are two different methods and two different products. An americano beverage is not the same as a cup of coffee.

The large concern I have for substitution is that you take away highlighting certain coffees brewed cup profile. There are some great so coffees that aren't the best as espresso, but come out amazing brewed. Pulling so espresso does not exactly tell you everything about that coffee and definitely does not represent a brewed coffee but rather a diluted espresso.

My suggestion if you'd like to drop drip brewing is to do slow drip coffees. Try Chemex or Siphon, both are reasonable priced and can produce an excellent cup of coffee. That was you don't have to worry about drip coffee and you can still highlight s.o. coffee.

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Permalink Reply by Brady on November 11, 2008 at 9:37am

Hi January.

Sorry... think I got confused cause there are two similar threads happening right now. Your interpretation is spot-on.

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Permalink Reply by Rich Abker on November 13, 2008 at 1:16pm

It is concievable to remove drip coffee from your menu, however to a drip coffee fan, americanos do not taste the same. Even if you did substitute an americano for drip coffee, why use a single origin for the americanos?

In my opinion, single origins are much narrower in flavor complexity than a good blend. Almost all great espresso beverages begin with a blend of bean varietals. A blend is a roaster's recipie. The recipe delivers the aroma notes, the flavor, the body, the crema and the taste profile that the roaster has chosen.

I recommend selecting a good consistent blend from your roaster. This will provide a harmonious profile that reaches out to your customers taste buds. Once the profile is identified and enjoyed by the consumer, they will likely be a regular customer.

In an analogy, think of your favorite salad that uses lettuce as the base. Think of the lettuce as your single origin bean. Now add some goodies to the lettuce. Add a little of your favorite dressing, some bacon bits, some roasted sunflower seeds, and maybe some croutons or shredded cheddar cheese. Lettuce resembles your single origin bean, it is damn good by itself, but undeniably more complex and flavorful as you blend other interesting ingredients.

I like lettuce by itself, but never more that when it is blended into a tasty salad. I really enjoy trying straight variety coffees, however not as a steady diet. My taste buds cry out for complexity in flavor. I may be wrong, but that is the way that I view it.

Speaking of blends, the worlds first well known coffee blend originated when a straight variety from Arabia was mixed with a varietal from Indonesia. At that time Indonesia was known as the Dutch East Indies. This famous blend is still popular today, and normally found in most retail shops featuring whole bean coffee. The blend is called Mocha-Java. Things have never been the same since!

I would be interested in hearing other opinions. I am open minded

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Permalink Reply by will frith on November 13, 2008 at 1:48pm

Chris Hooton said:

Mmmm... I miss Harrar!

Benza Lance said:

I tried a Harrar Americano for the first time this morning... really tasty, but I'd much rather have the spro straight.

Batdorf & Bronson's Harar is still around and rocking the cupping table. You don't have to miss it. You just have to know where to get it.

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Permalink Reply by will frith on November 13, 2008 at 1:57pm

Sarah said:

I would be very sad to see drip coffee disappear from the menu. I never order Americanos; if I want espresso I want it straight or with perfect milk. If I want coffee, I want a french press or a Clover. Watering down espresso is not the same thing!

and how!

comparing the two seems like a brush-off of the drip. there are tons of single-cup brewed coffee options out there that don't have to take up all your bar's counter space (if that's a concern). there's nothing like the complexity of coffees in all their different preparation incarnations.

at B & B, we offer our baristas a "retail equipment training," in which we brew the same coffee 8 different ways. we consistently notice and point out the differences between all of the methods, no matter how similar they may seem. set it up and see for yourself that customer preferences aren't so arbitrary, however "undefined" or "uneducated" some of us think they are. they are really noticing something different, even if they're unable to "properly" articulate it.

i think that some of us are suffering from confirmation bias.

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Permalink Reply by Brady on November 13, 2008 at 5:36pm

Rich Abker said, among other things:

In my opinion, single origins are much narrower in flavor complexity than a good blend. Almost all great espresso beverages begin with a blend of bean varietals. A blend is a roaster's recipie. The recipe delivers the aroma notes, the flavor, the body, the crema and the taste profile that the roaster has chosen.
I recommend selecting a good consistent blend from your roaster. This will provide a harmonious profile that reaches out to your customers taste buds. Once the profile is identified and enjoyed by the consumer, they will likely be a regular customer.

In an analogy, think of your favorite salad that uses lettuce as the base. Think of the lettuce as your single origin bean. Now add some goodies to the lettuce. Add a little of your favorite dressing, some bacon bits, some roasted sunflower seeds, and maybe some croutons or shredded cheddar cheese. Lettuce resembles your single origin bean, it is damn good by itself, but undeniably more complex and flavorful as you blend other interesting ingredients.

I like lettuce by itself, but never more that when it is blended into a tasty salad. I really enjoy trying straight variety coffees, however not as a steady diet. My taste buds cry out for complexity in flavor. I may be wrong, but that is the way that I view it.

To me, the great thing about SO espresso is the super-concentrated experience of all that is unique and wonderful about that particular coffee. It is not an all-purpose coffee. It has personality and adventure. Yes, blend away to develop your all-purpose espresso blend for all the reasons you gave. But don't short-change a good SO espresso.

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Permalink Reply by Bedlamite23 on February 6, 2009 at 11:23am

How could an Americano be more cost effective than drip. I took the hit and added drip and I make bank of it, way lower cost to me per cup...and then I never have to say no to a customer that wants coffee, just good old fashioned coffee...

John Kijote said:

We serve no drip coffee in our shops. Only Espresso Americano. We don't have too many regular drip customers, though. In taste tests, most of our customers couldn't tell the differnce. Probably because most of them are not coffee aficcionados, just coffee drinkers and addicts.

In most shops, this may not be practical, HOWEVER, it may be beneficial for you to try to convert as many drip drinkes into Americano drinkers as possible, since the americano has a higher profit margin, and in many cases is a fresher cup. And almost no waste.

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