We’re well used to helping customers across the whole spectrum of enthusiasm when it comes to choosing wines, and now we’re brushing up on the language of coffee in order to be able to do justice to the buying, blending and roasting expertise of Australian beanmeister Brock Lewin, the Badger in Badger & Dodo.
We now sell some of the very best coffee around, locally and freshly roasted by a friendly expert.
Here’s a ristretto biography of Brock from the Badger & Dodo website:
He first pulled a shot of coffee in 1993 whilst at Uni – when big bubbly cappuccinos were cool. Since then he has studied coffee at university, managed cafes, learned to roast from an Italian Master Roaster, travelled to coffee estates and processing facilities, served on competition judging panels and been to zillions of trade shows. In 2008 he relocated to Cork city with his wife, and at the end of 2008 rebuilt their artisan roastery in Fermoy, Co Cork…
Just a week or so ago Brock called in to meet us, have a look at how we do things, and introduce his wares with a practical demonstration of three different coffees from his portfolio. We were quickly convinced, and without further ado added a selection of whole beans and ground coffee to our range, along with all you need to prepare a perfect cup.
The current fashion in coffee-obsessed circles is for a return to simpler, gentler methods of extracting flavour from the beans, though of course if you’re still paying off a plumbed-in industrial-strength kitchen-hog, Brock’s coffee will help that perform at its full-throttle best too.
What we’re offering alongside the half a dozen different coffees, though, following Brock’s recommendation, is the V-60 filter cone, a beautiful and inexpensive piece of Japanese design that, when used with matching papers (we have those too) and only moderate care and attention, gives a right-up-to-date cup of ‘pourover’ coffee that is, incidentally, terrifically good to drink. You shouldn’t be shy about using a cafetiere, either – apparently they can also (surprise, surprise) make a great brew if you’re not too slapdash.
We’re enjoying the challenge of smelling and tasting our way through a new vocabulary to help you choose the right brew. It probably goes without saying that there’s a certain overlap between wine- and coffee-speak, but with coffee, as with wine, there’s always more to learn! Naturally the internet provides endless opportunities for research and debate, but be warned: if you thought wine people took their subject seriously – you ain’t seen nothing yet…
We hope to persuade Brock to share a little of his expertise here on the blog now and again, but in the meantime you can find him on Facebook and Twitter. And you surely know where to find us.
You can also sample some of B&D’s handy work with your next case order as we now have a limited selection available for purchase here, with more to come, including whole beans, in the near future.
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