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Permalink Reply by Cedric on April 18, 2009 at 10:45pm

One of the other options that we have at our shop is agave nectar. A little pricier, but it's something that's sweeter than sugar but diabetics can use. We also have a bottle of simple syrup as part of the condiment bar.

teresa said:

no, i wouldn't say it requires honey to be enjoyable, but we're talking about americans! most people here dump a crapload of sugar into their coffee, so it's hard for me to say. i prefer all my coffee, espresso & tea plain, so to me it tastes fine without anything extra. my guess is that most people would want the sweeteners though.

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Permalink Reply by teresa pilarz on April 19, 2009 at 11:46am

Oh yeah...that's an idea! Agave's better than simple sugar because of its lower glycemic index; won't spike the blood sugar. It's tasty and you can also bake with it. So, if you have to add sugar, a little agave or honey are probably two of the better options.

Cedric said:

One of the other options that we have at our shop is agave nectar. A little pricier, but it's something that's sweeter than sugar but diabetics can use. We also have a bottle of simple syrup as part of the condiment bar.

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Permalink Reply by Natasha on April 20, 2009 at 1:05am

Hey Paulito

I'm not usually in the habit of responding to discussions, but as red espresso is such a new concept and innovation and there's a certain amount of education involved, I thought I'd add my two cents in and see what you think...

red espresso was started in South Africa in 2006 by Carl Pretorius (my uncle actually), an ardent espresso enthusiast who was starting to feel the effects of having too much coffee (six shots and more a day). Without wanting to give up on his love for the experience of making and enjoying espresso and espresso-based drinks, he started experimenting with Rooibos tea - which is indigenous (and endemic) to South Africa and renowned for its incredible health benefits (it is naturally caffeine-free and very rich in antioxidants). It took him many months to find not only the very best Rooibos tea (grown on a single estate at highest altitude and hand harvested) but to perfect the grind so that, when expressed, it delivered as an espresso should: on taste, crema and strength. Needless to say, he succeeded.

Carl then patented the concept and, teaming up with friends and family, created the red espresso brand. Within one year, red espresso became available at major coffee shops, restaurants and retail stores in South Africa. It also won its first award for innovation: Best New Product - South Africa - 2006. Since then, it's gone on to win 3 more internationally-acclaimed awards, including making history as the first tea to win the title SCAA Best New Product - Specialty Beverage - 2008/9.

While red espresso never will or aims to replace coffee, it is an interesting alternative for those who want to try something new and different; for coffee drinkers who still want to enjoy a rich-tasting espresso, cappuccino or latte without the caffeine (as it's naturally caffeine-free); for tea drinkers who want a full-bodied, strong-tasting, espresso-based tea latte or cappuccino; for the health conscious (one shot of red espresso is equivalent to drinking 5 cups of green tea without the caffeine); for pregnant and nursing women... and for those who simply enjoy the taste and comfort of a delicious, soothing and smooth Rooibos tea drink.

Regarding equipment, it is ideal to dedicate a group head to red espresso - to ensure that neither your coffee nor red espresso is mixed. However, stores that only have a 2-group machine are doing well with dedicating a handle to red espresso - and cleaning their machine between uses. We have also created and patented a specially adapted portafilter basket for red espresso, which fits into the handles of most commercial espresso machines, and delivers on perfect crema every time.

If you or any other baristas are interested in receiving some samples of red espresso to try out it for yourself, please let me know and I'll happily send you some.

Natasha

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Permalink Reply by Black Sheep Coffee North on April 20, 2009 at 3:29am

Not a fan! Some of my employees do like it, though.
I've heard that it's best having it's own portafilter, and not cross contaminate between coffee.
When I did taste it, it was kind of disappointing.

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Permalink Reply by Samantha Bako on June 26, 2009 at 3:45pm

Reviving an old discussion here >.>

But I'm curious as to how the chemicals/flavonoids/antioxidants etc. stand up to a pressurized espresso brew, as opposed to being steeped in water. Someone here mentioned using mate in a portafilter, and I wonder if it retains the caffeine content, or how the chemistry breaks down.

Because, let's face it, a large reason people drink teas is due to the perceived health benefits.

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Permalink Reply by Stickman on June 26, 2009 at 7:23pm

I brought in a bag when I heard about it a year ago, give or take.

I had great expectations but was a little disappointed with the outcome. I was expecting something like espresso in grind and extraction but it was more like using Guayaki Mate in the gaucho grind - very fast extraction even when tamped with all my weight and polished with weight. I think the product could show some real promise with a little bit more honing of its consistency. The flavour was a little 'dirtier' than regular rooibos as extracted in a tea form.

I should try it again because it sure looked cool and makes a neat option.

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Permalink Reply by Zechariah White on June 27, 2009 at 5:28am

I tried making a few of these a couple years ago. They tasted pretty great- exactly what you'd expect. I did not try adding milk, though. Sounds good.

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Permalink Reply by illudereludere on June 28, 2009 at 2:48am

Here's a clicky. It's no Postum!

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Permalink Reply by jules on June 28, 2009 at 11:18am

Its a good replacment to a espresso based drink, Its nothing like chai, its brewed to order and it is caffine free and much higher in antioxidents than green tea or berries like blue berries, I like a 4oz extraction with just a splash of half and half, it can be sweet but also is high in tannins and can have a tabbaco finnish, I also find the darker the red and finer the (grind) has a sweeter finnish. One down side is the gasget on the head you dedicate it to drys out alot faster than the others, its odd I havent really looked into as why it dose but maybe i will, probably something obvious.

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Permalink Reply by John Cunningham on June 30, 2009 at 7:35am

umm, i'm not going to do it but here is a very well produced video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mwZeEx36D8

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Permalink Reply by Mitch Buckner - Bella Caffe on January 7, 2010 at 7:19am

Its got a earthy almost alfalfa taste to it. Well Alfalfa smell to it. I work with alot of Horse people so thats what they tell me. Its an aquired taste but really it doesnt take long to aquire the taste. Mainly its just unexpected when you first try it & then you realize that its good. I've had customers come up & order it to try it out, take a sip & about spit it out. Then after a few more sips love it. Its like picking up a drink thinking its a coca cola & taking a sip of it & realizing its a dr pepper. Completely not what you expected so it taste horrible. But now that you know its a dr pepper it tastes good, its just not what you expected. Same with the Red Espresso. Most people take a sip of it still expecting it to taste like a "black" cappuccino & dont like it. Then they get the taste & their brain realizes that it isnt "black" espresso so then they like it. Mainly its a mind thing.

paulito said:

interesting... what does it tast like as a extracted shot of tea? hows it taste when combined with milk in "teacinno" form(sorry for the blasphamy it was irisistable!?

Jake Robinson said:

we use it to make rooibos lattes, its interesting. Worth a shot! We reserve a whole head on our four group for mate and rooibos shots, to avoid coffee oil contamination. Arguably a lot more could be done to improve that set up, but we sell a LOT of soy honey and vanilla mate lattes. The rooibos is more popular as loose tea though. Our tea importer has been providing us with some very interesting preliminary studies on roobios and the antioxidants that it has. Apparently there are more than 50 times the amount of antioxidants in roobios than there are in green tea.

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Permalink Reply by Mitch Buckner - Bella Caffe on January 7, 2010 at 7:24am

Had a woman proceed to put 24 packs of S&L in her coffee one day before her daughter stopped her from putting anymore. I think her issue may have been more mental than taste. But its nothing to watch someone put 10 packs of sugar in a 12oz cup of coffee. They'll have to dump out coffee just to fit the sugar in it! Sad. I do alot of horse shows where alot of Latin Americans work & I've learned to not give them a full pitcher of cream because they will pour out coffee & fill it up with half & half. So now I just give them a pitcher of cream without a couple of ounces. They're fine with that but will keep pouring if they have it. They also then proceed to put 10 packs of sugar in it. Basically sweet cream with a little coffee (literally)

teresa said:

That I would like to see...right when someone's in the midst of lacing your beautiful latte art with 4 sugar packets -haha! Good luck w/ the redspro!

paulito said:

true that!!!! im horribly guilty of fantasizing about rolling my condoment bar right out into the parking lot next to the dumpster when i see the atrosities that they commit to beautiful beverages passionately prepared by my staff!

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