Social BeveragesNovember 22, 2009
The reason I love coffee, or beer, or desserts, is that consuming them seems to qualify as a social activity. This makes them a great excuse to sit around and just converse. Many people don’t seem to be able to do this without an excuse, I’ve noticed. I suppose it seems lazy, or high pressure unless there’s another focus to the meeting.
Espresso is a great justification for extensive interaction because after I’ve gone to the trouble to make you a cup with all the flourishes, you ought to share a few of your own thoughts with me, even if they are just upon the flavor of the coffee.
I love the machiatto. Forty percent of the time it is my favorite coffee drink. The other sixty percent is divided between pure espresso, drip coffee, and the latte. The picture above is my first machiatto that I’ve prepared myself, which means it is naturally more delicious. It is a cocoa machiatto.
Above is my latest brew, Plastic Paddy Red. I’m very proud of it. The aroma has a primary scent of brandy, and the flavor is buttery with a toasty, hoppy finish. I used a traditional Irish Red approach, but I used Yakima hops. I also discovered a few tricks for head retention, lace, and clarity, but I’ll only share them over a pint.
Beer is a social drink. Brewing it yourself makes it a good conversation starter, as well as giving you the ability to tailor it to your tastes. It’s also an ancient tradition to share it, which makes it even more enjoyable to people like me.
Oh, and if anyone says you can’t brew a clear brew in a single fermentor, I say… Blarney!
— Alan Henager
There’s always something special about home-cookin’ or in this case home brewin’. Maybe it has to do with the accomplishment of doing it yourself? maybe better? or not? Maybe its just the fun of learning and doing something new? Maybe its sharing something you created…sharing a part of you? What better way to break the ice?
— Bo · Dec 9, 02:04 PM · #