So, there’s a world class barista of the year – well of last year I suppose, as selected at the 2011 World Barista Championship.  Now before I go rushing out the door in search of him/her, I’d best pack a suitcase as the 2011 winner was Alejandro Mendez from El Salvador.

Unfortunately I can’t afford the flight this year (sorry Alejandro), but I didn’t have to search too far down the list to find an Aussie: in third place was Matt Preger from Axil Coffee Roasters, Hawthorn, Victoria.

The hunt is now on for our rep for the 2012 World Barista Championships to be held in Vienna in June 2012. All of which means the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AACA) are on the Nation-wide hunt for this year’s Australian representative, with state-based Coffee Championships being held across the country over the last few months.

Here are the results for NSW:
NSW Detpak Barista Championship
1st Place Trisatya Dharmawan (Mecca Espresso, Circular Quay)
2nd Place Dylan Johnson (Pink Papaya Juice & Espresso Bar & Cassiopeia Specialty Coffee Roasters, Blue Mountains)
3rd Place Toby Wilson (The Wedge Espresso, Glebe @WedgeEspresso )

And for my home state of Queensland:
QLD Barista Championships
1st-Matt Troughton (Dandelion & Driftwood)
2nd-Janelle Kingsley (Dandelion & Driftwood)
3rd-Jean-Paul Sutton (Veneziano)

Now there are a few different categories, including one for latte art (the art bit of which I’m partial to if not so much the latte). Check out their website for full details:  www.aasca.com

All of which means I’ll be paying a visit to Dandelion & Driftwood  on my next trip to Brissie – I’ve been hearing good things about this place for ages, not to mention the fact that their cakes and biccies always look amazing. I’ll also be venturing to Circular Quay (somewhere I don’t normally associate with great coffee) and popping in to Mecca Espresso.

 The state champions will represent their state in the AASCA Australasian Barista Championships, taking place at the 2012 Melbourne International Coffee Expo from 4 – 6 May, with the winner heading to Vienna to vie for the title.

Filed under: Barista, Brisbane, Cafes, Coffee times, Sydney Tagged: barista, Brisbane, cafes, coffee, coffee art, coffee roasters, espresso bar, specialty coffee association, Sydney, World barista championship ]]> http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2012/02/22/found-the-coffee-version-of-the-world-class-bartender-of-the-year/feed/ 0 bethflatley http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2011/11/05/word-count-before-cocktails-but-not-before-coffee/ http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2011/11/05/word-count-before-cocktails-but-not-before-coffee/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:28:06 +0000 bethflatley http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/?p=240 Continue reading →]]>

National novel writing month

So it’s Nanowrimo time of year again (that’s National novel writing month, or write a novel in a month time, for the uninitiated). Madness, I know, but it never ceases to amaze me how the discipline of writing 1667 words a day (that’s the figure that gets you from novel zero to novel hero in one short month) also brings other areas of your life into focus.

I started this blog back in March this year to have fun exploring two things I love: cocktails with friends and coffee, really good, well-made coffee. I also hoped it would help me learn more about a character in the aforementioned novel.

While cocktail bar visits are on hold this month as I devote every spare minute to the world of word counts, the coffee times are-a ramping up! It’s no secret that writers love their coffee – we take it to the level of secret language and life-giving force – we’d pop it on an IV drip if we could, but no doubt we’d still consume it in the old-fashioned way too, for the taste and the ritual. Rituals and writing go hand in hand.

And so my coffee ritual tip for this month is my own morning coffee haunt The Brewery. After the fair to middling Campos establishment outside my work closed down for renovations this week, the girls in the office have been on a daily search for a new place to take their morning coffee business. And, after trying a new cafe each morning (only to be disappointed with the coffee, milk, service, temperature, level of bitterness, strength, flavour - you name it. They are back to square one.) Square one being staring at me enviously as I consume my lovely Brewery goodness each morn.

Perhaps I’ll convince them to take the ten minute trek with me next week - I could do with a second coffee break in November: this being then month of 1667!

Gillian's Garden Cafe

I was up in Brissie a few weeks back for my Dad’s 60^th
birthday bash and, as I always do, I packed a lot in on my short visit to the
Vegas. In between birthday preparations and celebrations, I managed to squeeze
in a lovely catch-up with the girls at Gillian’s Garden Cafe.

“The girls”, as our families and respective partners refer to us (and we to ourselves), are my girlfriends from school days. Back in the day a catch-up for us meant 2-4-1 subzeros with a shot of red cordial. These days however, it was an 8:30am Sunday “Nanna breakfast” as we termed it, given the hour. Having fallen into bed at 1:30am, after convincing the olds it might be time to turn down the jukebox of 60s and 70s faves, it was a bit of a struggle but well worth the effort.

Not only was it fab as always to see the Brissie girls and their kids, but the venue – which was chosen due to its equidistant location for all involved – was an absolute gem.

Gillian’s Garden Cafe, formerly the Cottage Garden Cafe, might be on Stanley Street (no. 999 to be exact), but once you step inside you wouldn’t know that busy road existed outside or anything else for that matter.

This place is a little oasis, filled with gorgeous treasures: new and vintage furniture, ornaments, chandeliers and trinkets, not to mention the nursery. And then there’s the cafe itself: a Gillian Hirst creation and very much a family affair with sister-in-law Tracy in the kitchen.

All the staff were friendly and accommodating, smiley on a sunny Brisbane Sunday and obviously enjoying their beautiful surrounds. We were
too and there was plenty for the kids to explore in the nursery.

Then there was coffee – delivered in a generously Brissie-sized mug. They use Di Bella at Gillian’s, which is decent if nothing out of this world, but my soy flat white was beautifully prepared, piping hot and just what the breakfast doctor ordered after a late night.

soy flat white at Gillian's Garden Cafe

Brekkie itself: 2 poached free range eggs with herbed hollandaise and brioche soldiers was also generous without being gluttonous and presented with flare.

The lunch menu includes Gillian’s famous sandcrab lasagne and I would
say its well worth a repeat visit just for that.

She was lamenting the limited options for a chilled-out girl’s night in her hometown of Birmingham and I couldn’t help but wax lyrical about cocktails with the girls in many a relaxed Brissie or Sydney locale. There are so many gorgeous little cocktail bars here – places where nothing but catch-up chitter chatter, dulcet tones of knowledgeable bartenders and clinking of glasses fills the air.

There was time when it meant showing your age to want to relax in a comfy armchair, sipping a cocktail, but no longer. And as it’s rare I want a night that ends with me carrying my fave green velvet heels and dance-weary feet to stand in an endless 2am taxi line while dreaming of my doona, it’s nice to know there’s another option.

But, given last year’s Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year (Erik Lorincz) is from the UK, surely my friend can find a few top-notch cocktail bars in the mother country. There are certainly plenty in and around London (East London has some particularly fine joints), but Birmingham? I wonder. I certainly hope so as it’s such a great city and, given the UK is my second home, I felt bad I couldn’t recommend any Brummy gin joints to her.  I think I’d best start researching. Suggestions welcome.

In the meantime,  and speaking of gin joints, here’s my fave vid from this year’s Global Word Class finals:

I know it’s a bit promo-licious, but it transports me to another place – which is exactly what a good bar and its bartenders should do.

Manabu Ohtake, Diageo Reserve's 2011 World Class Bartender of the Year

This year’s Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year was crowned on the 14th July: Manabu Ohtake from Tower’s Bar Bellovisto, Japan. Aussie finalist Tim D Philips (from The Ivy Level 6, Sydney) placed an overall 6th (and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific Region). You can chart his progress through the finals over at his blog.

So I reckon we could do no better than to follow the CVs of World
Class bartenders like Tim D Philips and last year’s Aussie finalist Adam Brewer
- ’cause at the bars these guys call home a good night out will always follow.

Filed under: Brisbane, Cocktail Bars, Cocktail hour, Gin, Sydney, Uncategorized Tagged: Brisbane, cocktail bars, cocktails, Diageo, Gin, Global Word Class, Sydney, Tanqueray, United Kingdom ]]> http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2011/08/01/a-video-fave-from-diageos-2011-world-class-bartender-of-the-year/feed/ 0 bethflatley GENTLEMANS_DRINKS_&_FANCY_TIPPLES http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2011/07/18/grandma%e2%80%99s-finest-monday-night-cocktails/ http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/2011/07/18/grandma%e2%80%99s-finest-monday-night-cocktails/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:00:37 +0000 bethflatley http://cocktailsandcoffeetimes.com/?p=171 Continue reading →]]>

creatively attired cocktails at Grandma's Bar, Sydney

Lately there have been more coffee times than cocktails on my horizon (perhaps it’s the winter chills). So when a good friend’s birthday came around last Monday, and she was unexpectedly free from work, we decided cocktails were in order. We settled on Grandma’s Bar in Clarence Street and it proved the perfect location for a little Monday night cocktail spontaneity.

It was a cool, crisp Sydney evening, but downstairs at Grandma’s all was warm, cosy and decidedly floral. Comfy armchairs, formica coffee tables and floral foot stools adorn this small establishment, with the bar itself rightly taking centre stage. We settled in for the evening, sampling the generous, but not overwhelming cocktail list and a few of Grandma’s finest toasted jaffles.

That’s right: jaffles.

And at $7.50 they’re a fill-me-up bargain in anyone’s language, arriving on Grandma’s best floral china – gorgeous.

It’s a measure of the place and its staff that what could be pretentiously kitsch is actually the exact opposite. This tiny bar is of the genuine and inviting variety.  Something tells me they wouldn’t mind a bit if you brought your own crocheted blanket and curled you feet up on the couch. I stopped short of testing this theory, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had produced a rug upon request.

Each drink was delivered with its own paper doily coaster – a cute thematic touch.

Given our individual tastes, we managed to sample a good range of cocktails on the list and the bar staff were very helpful and ever-ready to offer suggestions accordingly. I tried the following…. well, thanks to the generosity of my girlfriends, I tried a little of the all the cocktails we selected, but technically this was the fave from my selections:

Fog Cutter (made with Tanqueray gin and all manner of other tropical delights). I blame being excited about our spontaneous girl’s catch-up for not taking down the ingredients as diligently as I normally do, but suffice to say it was a lovely, crisp citrusy concoction and I’d highly recommend it.

In fact it was second only to the fresh, aromatic flair of the Basil Grande (vodka, strawberries, basil leaves, Chambord, Grand Marnier and cranberry juice).

Fog cutter

Rum Swizzle with a Basil Grande background

As we wandered up the steps and back out onto Clarence Street, bellies full of
toasted jaffles and cheeks warmed by excellent cocktails, we all agreed that
more Monday night spontaneity was most definitely in order. And judging by the smiling patrons we spied through the basement window, whiling away their Monday evening,we weren’t the only ones who’d be back.

Last Friday night we tried Lotus in Potts Point – another of the Merivale Group’s bar-restaurants and, like the more recent Ms G’s, also a Dan Hong establishment.

We were keen to eat, so we headed for the restaurant rather than the cocktail bar. Both are clean and crisply attired with just a touch of glam.

As we were pre-theatre customers (notorious early eaters) we went for the Sunset Menu and I swiftly ordered a cocktail from their Lotus favourites selection.

Being a pomegranate fan (rather than just lazy and picking
the one at the top of the menu – I promise), I went for a Pomegranate 2^nd:

Pomegranate 2nd at Lotus

pomegranate 2^nd
plymouth gin
pomegranate syrup
passionfruit
mint

It was quite dark in the Lotus den and the images aren’t all that, but it was cleanly and swiftly presented and very smooth. My guess is that the passionfruit is there to act as an acidic balancer to the sweetness of the pomegranate syrup, but to be fair I couldn’t really taste it. It was rather sweet and, while I was expecting sweetness (which is an unusual choice for me, as I normally go for something with a more acidic edge); I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so sweet.

It was most definitely pretty and for its sweetness it remains a delicate drink. Next time I’ll be having it with my dessert!

Here’s what I missed:
10 by charlie
tanqueray gin, martini rosso, maraschino
liqueur, rhubarb syrup, dehydrated rhubarb chips

burnt orange margarita
herradura silver tequila, lemon and lime
juice, home made caramelised orange and vanilla syrup

de rigueur
chivas whisky, grapefruit juice, honey,
lemon, angostura bitters, dehydrated lemon

hoffman house fizz
tanqueray gin, maraschino liqueur, lemon
juice, sweetened cream, orange juice, soda

The last two are from a menu that Lotus categorises as: for bartenders / the historians – dedicated to a new breed of ‘bartenders/historians/nerdy bartenders’.

There’s plenty on the cocktail menu to explore and, while the food was certainly enjoyable, it wasn’t amazing, or perhaps it’s the concept of eating a ‘cheeseburger’ without a knife and fork encased in a bun that tastes like something straight out of MacDonald’s that didn’t quite do it for me. Don’t get me wrong it tasted good, just too playful a concept for the straight-laced surroundings and impeccable wait service with which it was delivered.

The cocktail menu is too good-looking not to make a return journey to Lotus, but I’m thinking it’s straight to the bar this time.

sunshine-infused coffee and cake amongst the collection

There’s nothing quite like combining life-long loves and Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore on Oxford Street in Paddington allowed me to do just that last Saturday morning.

It was a cold day in ol’ Sydney town – one of the chilliest we’ve had for a while but, as is the case with days of this ilk, the sky was cloud-free and the sun was crisp, bright and ever-ready to warm the cockles. It was the sort of day when you cross the road solely to worship the sun.

And that’s exactly what I did as I made my way back down Oxford Street towards the city after having my unruly Greek eyebrows tamed by Yas at the Brow Bar (the girl is a solid gold, eyebrow-shaped gift from heaven) but that’s another tale…almost.

Each time I visit the Brow Bar I come across Swizzle, otherwise known as the world’s coolest big old ginger cat. The microcosm of William Street is buzzing around him and yet there he lies, comatose by the sunshine, moving only when its rays require. His favourite afternoon spot is right on the doorstep of the Brow Bar, where I’m told he keeps the ladies company until the sun goes down and he invariably heads home for his dinner.

Swizzle soaking up the sunshine

This morning, as I leave the Brow Bar, Swizzle is passed out on one of the neighbour’s cars – one of the few cars on the street with its bonnet in full sunshine. And so, buoyed along by the bliss that is Swizzle on a Saturday morning, I make a beeline for Ampersand and that gorgeous little patch of sunshine they have in the alleyway beside the shop.

Of course on a day like this many-a Paddington local has also had the same idea and so, having placed my order, I find myself upstairs and in danger on spending my fortnight’s wages in bookage.

I remain torn as to which is the winning odour de jour for me: second-hand books or coffee, but regardless of your preference, Ampersand has the bases covered. Not only did I find a magic little spot upstairs in the sunshine, surrounded by books, but my soy flat white was tremendous: strong yet
creamy, lovely and hot with a really rich, dark flavour.

Ampersand use Allpress Espresso coffee and it’s really top notch. As was my beautiful (just out of the oven), mixed berry muffin. It’s only a shame it was a little burnt at the bottom, but it was so chock-full of luscious berries that I was willing to overlook that.

Books, coffee and cake in the autumn sunshine – as my father would say, “It doesn’t get much better than this.” No doubt Swizzle would agree.

Blackstar coffee

After a rough start to 2011, tropical Brissie is kicking on into autumn in much more traditional style: with 29 degree days. At least that’s what was in store for me a few Friday’s ago when my sis and I hit West End for a coffee. I hadn’t been to Blackstar in ages and really fancied a strip down to 44 Thomas Street to sit in the sunshine. It’s a little West End oasis.

When I used to work at Queensland Writers Centre (which is in the State Library) we would sometimes manage to talk Jodi into making a trip there on her way to work. Ah how we savoured morning coffee time when we did. That was until we discovered Birds Nest (infinitely closer and also very fine coffee).

Blackstar has a little mobile coffee set-up at the Brisbane Writers Festival each year, which meant last year there were a few glorious days when Blackstar was on our doorstep and that was when we discovered their Cold Pressed Kaffe.

Cold Pressed Kaffe

So when hot coffee times proved challenging in the Brissie heat, my sis and I reached for a Soy Deluxe Cold Pressed Kaffe – yep they even do soy and better yet they do it well. It’s not one big diluted milky mess. The coffee tastes strong, aromatic and well, real. (None of this fake coffee-syrup business.)

Blackstar also roast their own coffee on the premises and the smell of it wafting out onto the street is divine, although we do feel a bit sorry for them, in this heat it must be hard work. Perhaps they relax with a Cold Pressed Kaffe after work too.

Lady Marmalade cafe, Stones Corner

I’m up in my hometown of Brisbane at the moment and when my
sister suggested brekkie in Stones Corner yesterday morning I may have screwed
my nose up just a little. Brisbaneites will know that good old Stonezie ain’t exactly the city’s food mecca, but then again there are a lot of great local coffee shops and eateries popping up on Brisbane’s south side, and that IS my hood so…off we went.

The name Lady Marmalade sounded familiar and I worked out why when we stepped through the little brick doorway – there were Mal and Bec from My Kitchen Rules getting on with the day-to-day bizo of running a cafe. I’m not a religious viewer of the program, but I know enough to recognise them when they’re hard at work in the kitchen and that they were. The place has such a great sunny aspect with views on both sides (albeit not breathtaking ones, but surprisingly relaxing given its right near the Old Cleveland/Logan Road roundabout that heads into the Gabba). It’s been well adorned with stuff
your Nanna would covet too (or perhaps stuff you covet when you visit your
Nanna); either way they’ve obviously been paying a few visits to local antique
and charity shops.

Counter at Lady Marmalade cafe

They’ve jam-packed (pun intended) a-lotta stuff into a small space and the same can be said for the very tasty savoury mince on sourdough with crumbly feta, roast tomatoes and gremoulata – at steal at under a tenner and so packed with flavour. I was feeling a bit blue this morn and it was just what I needed – good comfort food, presented so sweetly on Nanna’s best everyday plates. They pride themselves on being an affordable eatery and they’re living up to that promise and then some.

coffee at Lady Marmalade cafe, Stones Corner

The coffee was also the best I’ve had in a while – I wish, like my sis, I’d ordered a mug. Like the mince (if you dare compare coffee to humble mince) it was jam-packed with flavour and the soy milk was rich, creamy and perfectly heated. I can see why so many people stopped by for a coffee while we were there. It’s not the sort of place you rush into for a take-away, rather people popped in to take a load off while walking their dogs, riding their bikes or to sit with a good book and in our case it was a sisterly catch-up in the warm Lady Marmalade-style sunshine.

I came across this, not so little place, while getting my car serviced in Drummoyne a few weeks back. Yep, you heard right, it’s just down the road from Ultra Tune. Now whilst this is handy, it’s not the best of adverts for a cafe.

I’m not gonna lie – the view isn’t amazing. You can’t actually see Ultra Tune, but you know it’s there – taking copious amounts of money from people who wish they hadn’t bought cars with expensive European parts, but this is not a review of Ultra Tune, so…

Our view was actually of a small car park, but there are better views to be had out onto Formosa Street, not to mention from the roof terrace, which looked lovely. As a fairly recent Drummoyne local, it’s great to see a few more places like this popping up off the car-beaten track of Victoria Road. This place is set back enough from the hustle bustle that, for Drummoyne residents at least, it has lazy weekend brunch written all over it.

And it seems the locals are mad for the place – not only does it have a warm, welcoming atmosphere and attentive (but not pushy) staff – it also has something I’ve rarely seen at a Drummoyne cafe: a queue! (Albeit only about 15 mins and it was 10:30am on a Saturday.)

the welcome at Copo cafe and diner

Head chef Brock Coffey, formerly of Rockpool Bar & Grill, certainly knows what he’s doing menu-wise with this place; sourcing fresh, local market produce daily, affordable prices and decent, but not over-sized portions. The freshly squeezed OJ was divine, as were the blueberry hotcakes with a generous dollop of vanilla bean-infused mascarpone.  The South American Style Baked Beans with Chorizo and Bacon on Toast went down pretty well by all accounts too – although if you were a feeling on the ravenous side you might like one of the larger menu items.

freshly squeezed OJ

blueberry hotcakes

And now to the coffee…. they use Campos, which to my mind (and palate) is decent enough if nothing to write home about. Still you know what you’re getting with a Campos establishment and their head barista Danny Acioli has 5 years experience with the brand, so all I can say is that he mustn’t have been the one that made my soy flat white on Sat morn.

The coffee itself was fine, but the soy milk (and I’m not sure what brand they use – as sometimes this can be the problem) had been over-heated and had formed that unattractive and not so tasty brown foamy layer at the sides of my cup.

coffee at Copo

It was the only disappointing element of an otherwise gem of a find. And the number of locals lining up for take-away probably means they know what they’re doing with your good-old, run of the mill cow’s milk number.

Copo do lunch too and we’ll definitely be going back to check that out soon.

http://www.copocafediner.com.au/