The French press method has been around forever, and its process is tried and true:  use a coarser-grind coffee so that it won’t pass through the mesh filter, pour about 5 ounces of 200-205 degree Fahrenheit water, let sit for about 30 seconds, pour another 10 or so ounces of water over the grounds (which should be floating by now) and steep for another 3 ½ minutes.  Press the plunger down to push the grounds to the bottom of the beaker.  French coffee is dense and heavy coffee, drinkable and full of flavor.  But it is susceptible to over-extraction so should be served very soon after steeping to avoid bitterness.  There are a couple of drawbacks to the French press method.  First, there is no way to avoid sediment in the bottom of your cup.  And secondly, the coffee needs to be consumed immediately for best results (although I’m not convinced this is a drawback.)  The advantages outweigh those negative aspects:  there are no paper filters to purchase or dispose of, the unit is easy to clean using just warm, soapy water, and brewing is simple and quick.  Best of all, the French press can also be used in place of a diffuser to brew loose leaf tea (same rules apply—don’t let your tea sit too long or it will become bitter.)  With many options available in size, construction, and quality, a French press coffee maker will cost anywhere from about $15 to upwards of $50.

Use the Aeropress to make espresso-like coffee in about 30 seconds. Photo Credit: Courtney Stroup

Designed in 2005 by Alan Adler, president of Aerobie, the Aeropress makes a cup of coffee with about the same strength as espresso, yet less acidic than drip coffee.  The contraption uses pressure to brew coffee, resulting in a strong and yet rounded beverage.  The grind should be slightly finer than that used with a paper filter, and the optimal water temperature is between 176-198 Fahrenheit.  First, steep coffee for 10-60 seconds depending on the grind you use and the strength you prefer, then force the coffee through the filter by pressing the plunger through the tube (the process is similar to using a syringe.)  The unit can also be used “inverted,” a process similar to that of the French press.  If you prefer the inverted method, feel free to use a coarser grind.  The drawbacks to this brewing method are that it only makes one small cup of coffee at a time, and it takes some time to become adept at using the unit to make the perfect cup of coffee.  The advantage is that the portable unit can travel with you, it is easy to clean, and an espresso-like coffee can be made without all the espresso equipment.  Depending on the amount of filters and the accessories you opt to purchase, an Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker will price out under $35.

The design of the Chemex has hardly changed since its 1941 inception. Photo Credit: Simon Wright

In 1941 Peter Shlumbohm created a manual, pour-over style glass container coffee maker that, in 1958, was included in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  Wikipedia states that it has been lauded for being “one of the best-designed products of modern times” by designers at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  The Chemex design has barely changed since its inception in 1941, and is still making a cup of coffee with a nice aroma and a taste that isn’t overwhelmingly strong or bitter.  This coffee contraption has you brew your cup by placing the paper filter and the ground coffee into the flask.  Moisten the grinds, the pour the desired amount of water over the top.  This brewing method leaves you with a cup of coffee that tastes like no other because the proprietary paper filter removes nearly all the coffee oils; the result is a smooth, sediment-free cup of coffee.  The drawback to the Chemex is that you need to heat your water separately and if you brew a whole pot you will need to figure out how to keep the coffee warm.  It also takes a while for the hot water to pass through the filter, making it take a little longer to brew a cup.  Other than that, the portable unit can be taken anywhere hot water is available, even camping if you are so inclined.  And best of all, the Chemex retails for under $40!

Invented by Milanese design pioneer George Snowden, the Softbrew™ offers a simple infusion brewing system in which a stainless steel filter is placed in the center of a porcelain cup.  The filter is its masterpiece, with up to 160,000 holes, fine enough to block most grounds (except those “fines” that are supposed to pass through), leaving you with a thick, full-bodied cup of coffee that allows the drinker to taste subtle differences in different kinds of coffee.  The beauty of the Softbrew™ is that there are no directions for use.  Everything is decided by the user, including which variety to brew, how much coffee to use, how coarse or fine the grind, and the desired water temperature.  Experiment.  Learn what you like.  No squeezing is necessary.  No forcing, no pressing.  No over-filtering.  There is no wrong way to brew using this method.  Cleanup is easy, simply run the filter under the tap in your kitchen sink, or toss it in your dishwasher.  At approximately $60, the price is quite reasonable too.

The Technivorm coffeemaker is a graceful addition to your counter top. Photo Credit: Yara Tucek

The Technivorm, handmade in The Netherlands, outputs 10 cups of excellent coffee at a time.  Yes, this is an electric appliance, different from the others on the list.  But this is an exceptional unit, boasting an energy-efficient yet powerful copper heating element which allows for a consistent brewing temperature of approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit, unlike most home brewers which brew at about 185 degrees.  The filter is cone-shaped, improving the extracted flavor, and a pulse-action water feature allows for “the perfect coffee bloom, [and] precise coffee-water saturation time (4-6 minutes),” according to Technivorm.   The number one advantage to the this brewer is the outstanding coffee it consistently produces.  The consumer also has the option to purchase the unit with a glass or thermal carafe, whichever is their preference.  And the overall design of the Technivorm is a graceful addition to your countertop.  The drawback is the cost—the appliance will set you back about $300 for the 10-cup version, slightly less for the 8-cup.

There are many other brewing methods available to consumers, and if you are a coffee nut I would expect you either already know about them, already have a favorite, or these and others are on your list to research and investigate.  As the third wave of coffee continues to grow, though, I think it is worth finding the method that works best for you.  Do you already have a favorite?  Or will you check out some of these or others?  Let us know in the comments.

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Craft soda makers, like craft brewers, improve upon the mass-produced product by utilizing high-quality, ingredients using carefully controlled methods.  The outcome is a better-tasting alternative to big brand sodas.  This non-alcoholic relative of craft beer is built on the same values—sustainability, local sourcing, natural and often organic ingredients with a back story.  “People like the local connection, something that they can tie to,” says Steve Cole, a Sales Manager for Atlas Distributing.  It is especially appealing to the young millennial consumers, whose preferences for artisanal foods and beverages continue to lead the way in the restaurant business.

Aside from the fact that craft sodas venture far away from using high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, using seasonal ingredients is another advantage to crafting soda.  Blood oranges or pomegranate in January, Watermelon in July, or pears in October make great additions, but why stop there?  Kip Barnes, of LA Ale Works, enjoys the culinary aspect of soda making, and states that “soda…is a lot more flavor balancing” than making beer.  It can be flavored with everything from tea to fruit to spices, and are not terribly sweet but rather refreshing and quench the thirst.  Kip started to craft sodas for his friends and relatives that didn’t or couldn’t drink and so couldn’t enjoy his homebrew beer.  Right away he was hooked by the creative options that making soda offered him.

Considering the higher cost of craft soda, how then can restaurants and bars use them to their advantage?  With consumers constantly looking for things that seem like specialties—innovative concoctions you can’t get everywhere—craft sodas resonate among health-conscious consumers as a more natural option to traditional sodas.  They can feed those who are abstaining from alcohol for whatever reason, from pregnancy to breast feeding, from health matters to fitness matters.  And it can also serve as a healthier alternative for children whose parents want a change from the unhealthy versions we have grown accustomed to.  Restaurant owners who base their brand on natural ingredients now have the ability to match their beverages with their mission statements.  According to Maeve Webster, director at food industry market research firm Datassential, “Craft sodas represent a huge opportunity for quick-serve operators right now…You can take a familiar menu item, soda, and offer a heightened experience—yours is fresher, original, more flavorful—and you have something your competitors don’t.”  Bars can also capitalize by integrating craft sodas into their alcohol programs; specialty sodas created in-house are a great base for signature cocktails!

While craft soda brewers are quick to point out their adversity to high fructose corn syrup and other synthetic ingredients, there is still a hurdle they must overcome if the trend is to grab hold and carry over into the future:  there is still sugar in the sodas, and sugar equals calories.  With the continuing rise of obesity across the nation, it is a factor that could potentially hold back the industry.  For now, it seems to be somewhat offset by consumers who are opting for craft soda over other calorie-laden beverages such as beer, wine, or cocktails, and by young parents who want healthier options for their children.  Whether the fad hangs on in the future remains to be seen, but at the moment craft soda seems to hold a lot of promise.

I, for one, am looking forward to some new flavor options to try, from simple and enticing to wacky and fascinating.  Have you had craft soda?  What flavors have you tried, or do you want to try?  Do you think the craze will remain in the future?

The post The Art of Craft Soda appeared first on Houston's Blog.

The high demand for these specialty beers, though, is creating a black market, and unauthorized dealers are selling them underground or online for inflated prices.  All in an effort to profit from another’s time, hard work, and passion.

Besides simply taking from what the brewer so whole-heartedly put in to the craft beer, there are other reasons they are opposed to this black market of beers.  Natalie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Company, says that quality control is at the heart of the issue.  “Beer is a food product and it does not take much to spoil it,” she states.  Imbibing in beer that is not at its best can harm the reputation of the brewer, but still, this is not the end of the harmful effects of bootlegging.  There are costs involved in making and selling the beer, underlying costs beyond the obvious expenditures for materials.  There are business licenses, taxes, production costs that aren’t accounted for when the beer is sold underground.

Unscrupulous black market beer geeks work around the alcohol regulations, too, as they often lack the proper permits to sell alcohol.  By marketing the rare craft brews as “collectible beer bottles” and not mentioning the content of those bottles, they have found a way to divert the system, at least temporarily, as eBay for one is working to prohibit these sales.

So what is a beer-lover to do?  How do you legally get your hands on these scarce relics of the industry, the “whales” in the beer community?  First, try beer trading.  You can find traders online on Craigslist, or Beer Advocate (which, by the way, also posts a “Bad Traders List” to help you avoid price gougers and unethical sellers.)  Or you can join a membership club.  You can find friends who are visiting the area around where your favorite beer is located and have them help you obtain a few bottles or cases.  When there is a will, there is usually a way, and there are opportunities out there for nabbing the vintage beers. You may have to be creative, and you may have to be flexible in your choices, but it is possible.

And what should you do if you do manage to score a rare brew?  Devon, from an article found on www.drinkcraftbeer.com, tells of the five basic rules he follows if he is ever able to get hold of his favorite rare beer, Heady Topper, from The Alchemist in Vermont.  First, he says you should never be greedy.  Don’t buy up all the beer in one purchase—the reason you found it in the first place is because the person before you didn’t do just that.  Second, don’t sell it.  He says that “not everything has to be about money all the time.  Just enjoy the beer.”  Third, drink it now!  As I mentioned earlier, beer is a food product and is meant to be enjoyed soon after purchase.  And as Devon says, there is always new beer coming out.  Fourth, share it.  You may get a little less of your favorite but karma dictates that someone you share it with will likely share their next score with you—win-win in my opinion.  And he is quick to point out that you should share some with your not-so-savvy beer-drinking friends.  Help them learn to love craft beer the way you do!  And lastly, beer should be fun.  If you don’t get the exact beer you wanted, no worries, there will always be new and exciting beers out there.  If you ever take beer too seriously…well, just don’t do that.

Do you have a favorite special artisanal beer?  How do you go about obtaining it?  I bet there are plenty of beer lovers out there who would love to hear your secrets!

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