June | 2007 | The Onion-Bean

Archive for June, 2007

CafeCafCast

After months in the conceptual phase I am finally publishing the inaugural episode of my long awaited coffee related podcast. Don’t be put off by the existence of other coffee related podcasts. I figure if you can have 500 channels on your TV, you shouldn’t mind too much having multiple podcasts in the industry.

The challenge was settling on a suitable format. Jive talkin’ co-hosts, cafe owner interviews, local cafe reviews, near real time Vlogging, and publication of highly controversial material have all been done already. That doesn’t leave much room for innovation. I have picked a style I like, and I’m going with it. Just click on the Reel-to-Reel, and if all goes well you will be in aural bliss after a painfully slow download from my free FTP server, (sorry, I’m on a tight budget here).

This episode focuses on the lie of the cappuccino ratios, and how I have handled the discrepancy in the past when customers stumble upon the cold and hard truth.

You will hear musical selections from the second release of kidart´s indie series, There Goes Winter. Kidart indie mix compiles bands from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Canada and the United States. The music is totally “Podsafe”.

Show Notes
Intro, first track————————————-Gatichaves
Pissy lady, second track———————–Underneath it all
75% milk, third track——————————Imagina
Harmonious Balance, fourth track——The Grumbi

I really would appreciate feedback so I can fine tune the procedure and get my polish on. Special thanks should go to my beautiful and forever young wife for giving me my allowance to buy a microphone, and to the Internet Archives for hosting the FTP and compiling a GiggaGig of Creative Commons License music.

2007: 06/09
CATEGORY: Uncategorized
5 comments

Chick Bloggs

Last year I was dismayed by the lack of Women Barista chronicles on the Bloggosphere. There was that Meister lady in NYC, but now it turns out there are multiple Chick Coffee Bloggs coming out of one shop in Atlanta, Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge.

You may have heard of the place already; site of a great Coffee Fest party, Southern outpost of French Press brewing, bar raising slow drip ristretto, scene of the “crime of opportunity”, and current home of the Body Modified, Cloverlicious, kind and gentle “Coffee Boss” M’lissa. Her web logging pages can be found here.

Her work mate Danielle, the jet setting, multi job, broad spectrum, tornado Barisata, and Queen of the Cream Dream, is journalling her escapades at this location.

2007: 06/09
CATEGORY: Uncategorized
1 comment

Update Nibblets

A long and grueling weekend of Coffee Fest in Atlanta has left me depleted of the energy to write up something long-winded and socially insightful at the moment. You can use these nibblets to snack down and be satisfied, (I say that as though I have a reading public clambering for more material, but you know what they say, built it and they will come).

–Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge is pulling off the balancing act of being coffee bar, liquor bar, Internet bar, art hub, haven of house music, social gathering point, shining star of coffee excellence, and high crime location all at the same time. Nice Job.

-Laptop and camera stolen, life is meaningless when disconnected from the outside world. We are accused of creating a “Crime of Opportunity” by parking a locked vehicle on the street, under the street light, next to a busy location, while “security guards” patrol the area.

-Creating a big atrium inside of a hotel with a restaurant, reception hall, and liquor bar is a bad and noisy idea.

–Intelligentsia‘s Sarah and Alex are lovely and dynamic, Jay Cunningham’s hair is very curly, and the rest of the crew are great folks (sorry for forgetting the other names) and made me some great coffee. Ellie was also nice and hospitable.

-Phillip Search is a cornucopia of technical knowledge, and works a fine looking copper clad lever machine. Dan Griffin was also working the 49th Parallel booth; I thought he was from NYC.??

– The coffee consuming public wants to participate in cuppings, but they just need a little tug in the right direction.

–Chemically Imbalanced‘s Ben Szobody is surprisingly calm in person.

-Dan Griffin wins $157 dollars on the spot in the spontaneous Latte Art smack down at the Dirty Dirty South CCC party.

-Most of Peter Giuliano’s stories about sourcing coffee in remote locations of the world go something like this:

-I was cupping many coffees in ______________, and it turned out that all the coffees I liked came from the same place, the village of _____________.

-I asked them to take me there, and we began our long and arduous journey crossing the __________ in a makeshift ___________, and were in real danger of being _________ by the __________.

-All the villagers knew we were coming, so when we got there all the people were in the street to greet us with their hands in the air, cheering and signing while someone wearing a _____________ began the ______________, which is the local custom.

-That night they served roasted ______________ which I ate anyway, and it was delicious. Then they poured me some _____________, which is a fermented ale made from ______________.

-They threw the big party because it was the first time since the ___________ that they now have the ability to sell their crop for good price, and now they can afford to feed their children.