Liquid Joy

A customer today ordered a caramel latte, and the sweet, rich odor drove me a little nuts. In my butterscotch induced frenzy, I made myself a cocktail of raw indulgence: a 20 oz white caramel soy mocha. It's on!

Oh, man. I've had some coffee drinks in my day, but this one is seriously crazy. White chocolate and caramel could be overwhelmingly sweet, but the espresso in this drink really evens that flavor out. In fact, this drink reminds me of some kind of butter-and-sugar based delicacy. That combination of sweet and savory is irresistible!

One of the wonders of coffee beverages is that they're as practical or as recreational as we desire. The white caramel mocha is pretty much entirely recreational. I confess I feel mildly guilty drinking something like this well before noon. It's like a proper dessert drink. But wow, what a smile this is putting on my face!

Face To Face

We carry 3 kinds of drip coffee here at Morning Fix, all by Caravan. One of those coffees is decaf, so I'm going to skip it for now and focus on our two caffeinated choices. I had a customer the other day who usually drinks one kind, but took the time to sample both of these choices, and drank the kind she usually didn't have. To help facilitate more folks experimenting with their tastes, I'd like to compare and contrast two coffees: Black Thunder and Sumatra Mandheling. I don't believe either of these coffees is better than the other, but I'm curious and interested to note their differences.

Black Thunder is Caravan's dark roast. This coffee is rich and smooth. Not smooth like silk - more like high thread count cotton. That is, the smoothness of this coffee is finite, and edged by a tint of sweetness. I get the sense that this coffee has been tuned by the roaster for maximum robustness and roundness of flavor. Finishing the cup leaves me feeling satisfied and energized.

Our most popular drip coffee is Caravan's Organic Sumatra Mandheling. In contrast to the Black Thunder, this coffee has more of an edge to it. Where the dark roast has a sweetness like mint, the Sumatra has a sweetness like a grape or a berry. The aroma of the Sumatra is quicker to dissipate, but the flavor lingers longer on my tongue. This feels like a "faster" cup - like it was roasted and brewed more to be drank than to be savored.

I honestly think a curious drinker can do no wrong with either of these coffees. They're both balanced, strong and flavorful. I think I'd drink the Black Thunder on a cooler day, and Sumatra on a warmer day, but that's just me. We here at Morning Fix are interested in your opinion as well. Next time you're in the shop, ask to sample these coffees. We'll be happy to hook you up for free, as long as you're willing to fill out an opinion sheet to let us know what you think. See you there!

Multi-generational neighborhood

A small clan of humans has taken over the very popular window seat again. One full-size, drinking a hazelnut latte and two shorties drinking hot chocolate. As a barista I was grateful to these customers for giving me the opportunity to practice steaming milk. Turning milk into microfoam is not easy. It's subtle, easy to ruin and potentially quite messy. Like anything, it takes practice to get it right.

Making their drinks, I put the steam wand into a pitcher of milk along with a thermometer. As soon as I turn on the steam wand, one of the little ones gets very curious.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making your milk warm and steamy."

"That sounds good."

Oh, it's good alright. When done well, steaming milk makes it sweet and fluffy. It's a fun texture to mix, and foamed milk art is a mainstay of the espresso culture elite. The full-grown one tells me that she runs a local day-care, and wonders if she could bring some kids and card games some time. Morning Fix is definitely muli-generation-friendly, so I tell her she's very welcome.

The three of them sit at their table for a while debating whether or not they like the hot chocolate and the blueberry muffin. When they've decided, one of the little ones comes over to tell me so.

"I like hot chocolate."

"Sweet! I'm glad to hear it."

"Beatrice doesn't like it."

"That's okay, she's brave for trying."

The other little one (apparently Beatrice) leans over to the extroverted one and whispers something. He relays the message.

"Beatrice likes the hot chocolate."

Morning Fix: give us a try, we'll change your mind.

Return to the warmth

The latte and the americano are very popular espresso-based beverages. I prefer the americano for its mellow texture and low acidity. Many love the latte for its creamy richness. A cappuccino is an intermediate drink between the latte and the americano: espresso topped with milk that is mostly foam. Originally popularized in Italy in the early 20th century, cappuccino is still a popular breakfast beverage all over Europe. Here in the states we serve cappuccino as an afternoon or after-dinner drink more often.

Classically, the beverage is served in a ceramic cup and topped with a full 2 cm of foam. The cup and foam work together to insulate the espresso and keep it hot. The foam also serves to add a hint of smooth sweetness. The foam is the key to the texture of this drink, and making proper microfoam is challenging. While I am an experienced blogger, I am a fairly new barista, so I spent a little extra time today practicing making foam. When I made a cappuccino I was happy with, I was surprised to notice how light it was. My cup looked and smelled full, but weighed nearly nothing.

I've been a fan of Caravan espresso since the first time I walked into Morning Fix. What I enjoyed about my cappuccino was that it felt mostly like a garnish or liquid wrapping for the espresso. While americanos change the strength of the espresso and lattes change the texture, a cappucino frames and focuses on the shot in the middle. The airiness of the foam reminded me of how aerating a sip of wine or beer can release new subtle flavors and aromas. When I finished my drink, I was surprised to see some foam left in my cup. This made me realized the experience of drinking capppuccino was about sipping espresso through the foam. This is a fun and flavorful way to enjoy coffee.

By the way, the name "cappuccino" comes from a visual comparison between the topping of foam on the drink and the religious habits worn by the Capuchin monks. We get the name of the Capuchin monkey from the same comparison.

New Local

"Mornin'."
"Mornin'. What can I make for you?"
"How bout a large skim milk latte?"
"Sure, would you prefer hot or iced?"
"Hot will be fine."
"No worries."

I grab a milk steaming pitcher and start to pull some shots. My customer seems to awaken before my eyes.

"Oh wait, it's like a hundred degrees out there. Let's make that iced."

"You got it." I smile knowingly to myself, sure that I will repeat this conversation many times today.

"What kind of coffee do you guys carry?"

"This is all from Caravan. They're based in Newberg, and you're drinking the organic espresso right now."

"Nice. I'm new in town, and tried to spend yesterday out walking around checking stuff out. But I ended up hiding inside all day."

"I get that. This drink should help keep you comfy."

"Thanks, man. Stay cool. By the way, I'm M."

"Great to meet you, M. I'm S."

Satisfied customers for the win.

Peachy!

One of my earliest alcohol-related memories is tied strongly to hot summer days. The summer I was 21 (I, of course, never had any alcoholic beverages before my 21st birthday.) I was working at summer camp, and after a long day we'd brew up some iced tea and add a shot of peach schnapps to each drink. I love stone fruits in general, but in the summer, few foods are more refreshing than a peach. Thus, I associate peach-flavored iced tea with rejuvenation in the heat.

Like many Portlanders, I'm going mildly crazy from the current heat wave. On our fourth day of 100+ degrees, I'm well past simple refreshment. The right kind of cold beverage is key to my comfort, so today I broke out the big guns and rocked the peach iced tea.

Morning Fix carries Monin Peach Iced Tea, and I am as happy with this product as I have been with their wonderful flavor syrups. This drink is cooling and revitalizing. It has serious peach flavor that reminds me pleasantly of my peach schnapps days. At the same time, this beverage tastes fresh-brewed, with only a light sweetness. I feel energized after drinking this tea, and ready to face the steamy pavement outside.

I judge no one for the ways they try to beat the heat. Some of us sneak into yards with pools. Some get hotel rooms or hide out at the library or airport. No matter what your strategy, be sure it includes cold beverages. We have lots of iced options here at Morning Fix, and would be happy to be a part of your heat-beating adventure.

His and Hers

He's large iced mocha (plus bear claw). She's small caramel macchiato. They ask for water for their dog before ordering for themselves. They sit in the window, him in the shade, her in the sun. It's barely 8 am and they look like they've been out walking for hours already. Maybe they took the dog on a long walk, because he is passed out next to the water dish, just outside the window.

I overhear that he's just returned from three days of camping on the Deschutes river with the guys. They're having a laugh about how the dog would have acted had he gone along on the river. Clearly these two people are intimate, but whether they're partners, siblings or friends remains to be seen. It's beautiful to see the world moving by at full speed on the other side of the window while these two take a moment to catch up and be together. It's the kind of moment that keeps relationships going over long times and distances. These two people are in the middle of a bustling urban area, but have created a space around them in which it is just them, doing that beautiful nothing that we humans love so much. These moments in these spaces are a big reason we go out to shops for food and drink.

The big coffee shops have long lines and a low electrical outlet to customer ratio. Medium coffee shops have funky branding and colorful regulars. Morning Fix has a window seat that slows down time.