Brew News: Betsy's Got A Blend

• Old City Coffee's Betsy Ross Blend is a mix of Kona & Columbia, available from July 17-23. They're calling it soothing and harmonious. Just like Betsy Ross' ghost at her house around the block. 221 Church St.

• South Philly's getting sniffier. Expect a high-end coffee shop and beer take-out at 15th near Mifflin by the end of summer. Bierista is the concept from South Philadelphia Tap Room's John Longacre, with plans for over 800 beers. Ahem, what of the coffee? What about the beer-flavored coffee?
• Academia del Caffe's 11th & Chestnut location was cleared out months ago. What's in its place? Hot Bagels & Donuts. They're currently advertising 99 cent coffee, but I'm afraid you're on your own. I'm too scared to try it.
  

July 11 - Counter Culture Cupping at Milkboy

They say you'll always remember your first cupping.

My body clock is so set for that first jolt that I haven't used an alarm to wake up in a year. I had the slightest doubt that I wouldn't be up in time for the Milkboy Coffee cupping at 9 a.m., factoring in that I had to ride the R5 train to get there. I came to at 7:45 and set out, giving my espresso machine a guilty look before shutting the door.

There are rarely cuppings in Philadelphia. Milkboy's Ardmore location has them twice a month, thanks to Counter Culture Coffee. I rolled in at precisely 9:03 to find that it had been pushed to 10, which gave me a chance to sample some of Milkboy's brew.

A counter in the back corner of the cafe was set up with three types of mystery beans. It was coffee con central, with a protective field of nerdiness that kept all casual drinkers (people who actually order hot chocolate in July) away. The CCC rep, Phil, explained the process to us and gave out cupping forms. Who knew that fragrance and aroma were not the same thing? Fragrance refers to the smell of the unground beans. The aroma is the perfume after they have been ground.


Coffee Geek breaks it down over here. Cupping is mainly about evaluating coffee and where it comes from. After we had completed our tasting and shared notes (our palates picked up wet porcelain, strawberry rhubarb pie, and graham crackers), we tried to guess the origins. One of the coffees was a complete surprise and didn't match its description on the bag. Gotta love that nature fights back.

The more coffee knowledge I inhale, the more excited I am as a drinker. I care about every cup that I take and pick up a lot of the flavor distinctions now. If you were to show up at my door with an unmarked cup from a random coffee shop in Philadelphia, I want to be able to figure out where it is from. I realize how time and circumstance could effect that, but still, I want to think of my tastebuds as bookshelves.

The next event is Friday, July 25 at Milkboy Coffee, 2 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, PA

Doin' Shots: Adina Ethiopian Iced Espresso

Hailed as "a deliciously stimulating blend of dark roast Ethiopian coffee & reduced fat milk", how could I not purchase a bottle of Adina Ethiopian Iced Espresso from Whole Foods, with the fierce-looking lion on the label? Priced at a harmless $2.39, the 90-calorie beverage made from fair trade Harrar beans makes more sense than the coffeehouse alternative. It's an organic, low-fat drink you can feel good about. But what does it taste like?

The package calls the drink "a crisp and deep bodied brew with a velvety hint of violet, fruit, and spice." Deep it is. This is no overly sweet coffee drink, so if you're used to the Starbucks bottled fraps, the strong flavor of this may be overwhelming. If you prefer the punch of a dark roast, then this is it.

Other flavors include Indian Iced Chai, Sumatran Iced Vanilla Latte, and Mayan Iced Mocha. So far, I've only spotted it at Whole Foods.