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2010-03-19T14:27:00.001-05:00

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Got Raw Milk?

2010-03-16T11:05:00.004-05:00

Let me start this post by saying: We are not carrying raw milk at either of our shops. DHEC won't allow it.

BUT we have recently been approached by a local farmer who wants us to carry raw milk at our shop, to use in lattes or sell by the gallon, or bathe in, whatever. Raw milk, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is milk that has not been processed in any manner - neither via homogenization nor pasteurization. It's milk that your grandparents might have drunk and was drunk throughout most of the world for millenia until pasteurization was applied to milk in the last decade of the 19th century. It was a pretty good idea back then since it prevented illnesses like diphtheria, salmonellosis, scarlet fever, listeriosis, brucellosis and typhoid fever, all of which were much more common than they are now. (Homogenization has to do with suspensions of fat in milk and doesn't really factor into this discussion.)

The world of today is generally regarded to be cleaner and safer than it was a 125 years ago. We also have standards and regualtions as to how a business such as our must be run. The environment that made pasteurization a necessity still exists in the broader sense - we likely don't have outbreaks of listeria and typhoid fever precisely because we do have in place standards on how milk should be processed - but at the same time is it necessary to keep them in place where they might not be warranted?

The reason I bring this question up at all is because of the taste and not some sense of the homeopathic efficacy of 'real milk' in our diet. I do believe that the less processed and altered a food is the more likely it is to be good but for the moment I'm focusing on the culinary advantage of raw milk over normal milk. It's creamier and sweeter and acts as like as a compliment to milk-based drinks and not solely as a transport medium for the espresso. At least this is my experience of the past couple of days. I have spent a lot of time tasting cappuccinos made with raw milk and though it can be a trick getting the froth where you want it the flavor was never a problem.

I don't know. Are the risks, in this day and age justified? Would it be plain irresponsible to offer raw milk to customers? I certainly don't want to make anyone sick but I also want to make the best cappuccino possible.

It's all a moot point of course, because you know what DHEC said. I just wanted to bring the issue up. We all talk about extraction parameters for espresso, their blends and roast times but we rarely talk about the milk in any meaningful way.

NB: The farmer offering this milk is local and is inspected weekly by DHEC. The price he wants to charge is actually pretty reasonable.

On a nearly non sequitur note: Don't forget next week's Latte Art Hoedown. We're giving away a Mypressi TWIST to the winner! And for those of you who'd rather just purchase one, we are taking pre-orders as well!

Hoedown With a TWIST

2010-03-01T10:33:00.003-05:00

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that the grand prize for this month's Latte Art Hoedown is the Mypressi TWIST!

You've heard the hyperbole, exclamations and rumors. Now come by and find out for yourself what the TWIST can do.

In it's price range nothing else even comes close to this level of quality. I hope to experiment a little and post results here but from what I've already tasted it's good enough to offer at the shop.

To that end, we are now taking pre-orders for the TWIST. If you come in and put your money down before the day of the Hoedown you'll pay only $149.99. After that the price goes up.

Or you can just win it ...

Thursday March 25th. Let's try 7 p.m. this time.

Latte Art Hoedown Heart to Heart

2010-02-26T20:24:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Charlotte, February's latte art champion! She won her first competition with an immaculate heart! Absolutely gorgeous. Her winnings were over $300 from the pot (OK, I didn't count but it looked pretty hefty), coffee from Counter Culture and a gift card from JP Collections. Russ (whose last name I don't remember) poured himself into a gift certificate for Mars Hill Christian Bookstore.

Next month's Latte Art Hoedown will be March 25th - the last Thursday of the month - and this one will have an extra-special grand prize ...

... but more on that in the next post!

Congratulations again Charlotte!

SERBC 2010 Wrapup

2010-02-25T08:54:00.003-05:00

The SERBC is finally over and I can take a minute or two to recollect (and then I have to get back to work 'cause there aint no rest for dashing erstwhile-young entrepreneurs of the modern era).

First, I should congratulate Lem Butler, Dale Donchey and Chandler Rentz for their performances this year. They all did a great job of bringing up expectations for coffee here in the southeast. Hats off especially to Lem, who seems nigh unbeatable. He is as professional and engaging as any barista could (and should) hope to be.

Next let me say that this pool of baristas was the best it's ever been. No one walked off stage in tears or gave up in frustration and though several people went over-time they still had the presence of mind to finish their routines. It was an impressive competition.

Having said that, it makes Coffee & Crema's success there all the more wonderful. I can't begin to tell you well Alex and Caleb did. They both brought superb performances to the judges and walked away with very respectable scores. It is worth noting that neither of them went over time, which seemed to be a real problem the first day.

Alex's run came in the middle of the first day, sandwiched in between seventeen other competitors. His espresso was a blend of Sumatra & Colombia and was one of the more distinctive espressos of the competition, with two distinct flavor profiles - cocoa in the front and after 30 seconds nothing but red fruit. It was delicious.

Caleb perfomed at the tail end of the second day. He had the most time to worry but he had brought his wing man, Jim Croce, for backup and pulled off his routine with aplomb. He brought a Burundi espresso and served his judges a dirty hippie with avocado. How's that for moxy?

I was the ultimate competitor (never say last!) on the first day, perfoming a couple spots after Lem. I was really nervous and it certainly showed but I didn't break anything, go over time (though I scared everyone a little by going up to 14.59.57), vomit on or kill anyone. Still, it was not what I had hoped to get up and do. Here at the shop I feel at home and alway think I can carry the spontenaity I have here (as moronic as it might be, at times) to other venues, like the SERBC. Apparently that is not the case. So by Saturday afternoon I had already packed my gear and equipment and was ready to go home. I was utterly certain I wasn't going on to the finals. My plan was to stand with a smile in the lineup for the announcements and not look disappointed.

They called Lem, Dale, Chandler, Dustin Mattson and Dave DelChamps and I was even more sure by that point that I wasn't going to the next round. There were so many better performances! Then they called me and I couldn't believe it. I kept that smile in place and took my spot.

Oh if it had only ended there!

The next day I performed again and thought I was doing OK. Then, I noticed that I hadn't served the judges their water a second time. More importantly I didn't tell them to stir their signature drink. What a stupid thing to forget. "Stir, please." Geez. Anyway, I'm sure everyone has a reason why they didn't place better.

So in short, Coffee & Crema did great! I'm really proud to be a part of what's happening to coffee in the Southeast and I really hope it vitalizes coffee in the Greenville area. Congrats to everyone that got up to compete this past weekend and super-congrats to Alex & Caleb.

On a quick final note: Tonight is the Latte Art Hoedown here at the Forest Park shop. Things kick off at 7:30 p.m. and we hope to see you here!

SERBC Live video link

2010-02-19T13:17:00.002-05:00

Go here for a live feed of the Southeast Regional Barista Competition:

http://www.usbaristachampionship.org/

OK, now I gotta get ready for my performance.

Alex will perform between 3-4.

I will go on around 4:30 thereabouts.

Wish us luck!

It's SERBC Time!

2010-02-05T22:11:00.003-05:00

It's already time for the Southeast Regional Barista Competition! For those of you not familiar with barista competitions, let me just say that they are one of the few times in a year when a barista wears a shirt with buttons. In a nutshell, each competitor has fifteen minutes to make 12 drinks, all the while acting professionally passionate about the drinks he's serving. Like NASCAR there is always a wreck of some sort to look forward to and, of course, there can be only one winner.

Having said that, it's also a lot of fun.

This year we have potentially three people heading to competition this year. Alex Medina, who you might otherwise known by his gang name, The Swan and Caleb Sherer, know simply as Um. If they make it in and there is still room later for me, then I will also go.

Otherwise the roster is already looking respectable with competitors from Volta, Octane and a few others I won't name because I don't know for a fact they're competing. But I do know that the superhero Lem Butler is on the sign-up sheet and that makes this perhaps the best SERBC ever.

You should try to make it out if possible but even if you can't there should be a live webcast of it somewhere. We'll post details as soon as we know them. Either way, show Alex and Caleb some encouragement when you see them.

February 19th-21st in the King Plow Arts Center is where all the fun will be taking place. You can find out more information here.

The Hoedown is Back!

2010-01-16T19:39:00.001-05:00

Art For January

2010-01-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Emily Clarke is coming to our walls in 2010 (is that 20-10 or two-thousand ten?) and the image above gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. We're really looking forward to having some of her work on the walls in January.

There will be an opening reception on Friday the 8th from 6-9 PM. Everyone is invited and there will even be music.

We look forward to you guys coming out and supporting local artists.

New Year's Hours

2009-12-30T08:41:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, nearly!

I just wanted to let everyone know that both shops will be closing at 6 PM New Year's Eve. Also, hours will return to normal on January 1st and beyond.

Toast Music to the New Year!

2009-12-27T21:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome in the New Year by coming to see Crazy Matt Kay perform some beautiful jazz this Friday evening at 7:30 PM. He's been performing every weekend now for the last month and is really bringing some great sound into our little space. He's definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet.

Then on Saturday, January 2nd come see Tim Keesee and Jacob Kuruvilla play some acoustic original songs (and a few choice acoustic covers). Also, Stephen Davis will open the evening with some of his own tunes. Things kick off at 7 PM.

Spend a cold winter evening enjoying some hot coffee and warm music.

Weekend Music

2009-12-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

Stop by this Friday and hear some Christmas tunes played and sung by locals, Jason and Joanna Bursch. With piano and voice they will sing the standards and maybe some new favorites. The music will start at 7 PM. Come and go as you can - we'd love to see you.

Then on Saturday evening come by to hear jazz guitarist Mathew Kay and some instrumental work from one of the area's rising musicians. He starts around 7 PM and we look forward to seeing you.

New Art For December

2009-11-30T11:33:00.002-05:00

Edith McBee Hardaway has gone up on the walls for the month of December. She describes her work as 'realistic abstract' and uses whatever is at hand to produce exciting textures and forms. You will find plastic wrap, tissues, sand, glass, oil paint, acrylics, charcoal and ink to get interesting results. Even ferns, leaves, tree bark, grass and other botanicals have found their way into her work. "If it sticks it stays," she says.

Her work will be up from now until the end of December so come by and check it out.

Matt Kay International Man of Jazz

2009-11-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know about one of the performers we're excited to be hosting at the Forest Park shop through the holidays. Matthew Kay is a well rounded guitarist who has been working for years to find a unique sound, along the way discovering the joy of jazz and classical music. You might have seen him playing on the streets of Greenville or recognize him from his teaching work at Greenville Guitar Academy but Coffee & Crema will be his first headlining gig. We hope this will prove to be a great platform for introducing audiences to members of the local jazz community, the sounds of classic low-key jazz and, of course, original music built around the idea of improvisation. His influences and set list include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Wes Montgomery, and Bach.

Starting the 27th you can catch him every Friday and Saturday night through the holidays, starting at 7 PM.

Thanksgiving Day Hours

2009-11-23T16:18:00.002-05:00

Our hours for this Thanksgiving are:

For Forest Park:
Wednesday 7 AM - 9 PM
Thursday Closed
Friday 7 AM - 9 PM (Jazz at 7 PM, don't forget!)

For The Mall:
Wednesday 10 AM - 8:30 PM
Thursday Closed
Friday 4 AM - 10 PM

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Jam Jammed!

2009-11-17T12:07:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am safely back from Charlotte and this weekend's Southeast Regional Jam. It took a tow truck but I'm back.

Seriously, a tow truck.

It was a great event and I wanted to congratulate all those people that sponsored and put it on. Especially Brady. you did a great job!

For anyone that wants to know more about what went down, educationally speaking, check out here. It should hopefully be updated with post-event details and maybe a picture or two.

And for the less formal latte art competition check out the Chemically Imbalanced blog. It was a great time, with fun and prizes for all. Speaking of which, Jason Dominy, I never got that raffle-DVD!

BTW: Thanks Greenville for twittering us into the #1 attraction in Greenville! You guys rock! But there are a bunch of other local establishments out there that need your support so go back to http://votegvl.com/viewAll.html and show them a little love too!

I'll talk to you soon!

The Southeast Regional Jam!

2009-11-11T21:49:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend in Charlotte is the Southeast Regional Jam. It's a series of workshops designed for anyone wanting to better understand coffee and how it produced on a professional level. There are classes on a variety of topics and I have been asked to talk about siphons and how to use them in a commercial environment. It should be an instructive class, should you want to attend. It starts at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Registration is required but if you have a hankerin' to learn about coffee definitely check out http://southeastregion.wordpress.com for more information.

There is also a barista competition Saturday evening, with a sundry of prizes, food and music. I hope to see some of you guys there and catch up on all things coffee!

The Hoedown and the Vote Up!

2009-11-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay but you can now see the best pours of October's Latte Art Hoedown at http://lattearthoedown.com. It really amazes me that people are finally getting over their nervousness and stepping up to throw down. We had a couple more first timers sign up to compete and one of them, a home junkie, said that since the milk didn't explode all over him this last time he'd compete every month now.

Too bad we won't be having any more competitions until the beginning of 2010. November and December are the holiday months and even if we have time to put on a Hoedown all the baristas around the city will probably be too busy to attend. At least that's the hope!

And one last note: If you are a twitterer you should go to http://votegvl.com/ and vote for your favorite places to eat and drink. The last time I looked Coffee & Crema was in striking distance of second place! It's pretty encouraging for such a small shop to have such great people supporting it and to everyone that has already voted I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And vote again! (There's nothing stopping you from voting multiple times, apparently.)

Obviously, Coffee & Crema wouldn't exist without its customers but it's the caliber of those customers that makes me so very very grateful.

Victoria Ferrer on the Walls for November

2009-11-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

The jellybeans have come off the walls and Victoria Ferrer has gone up. Her work is a photographic exploration of the stuff we discard. Called “The Beauty of Abandonment” this small collection of photos really brings color and vibrancy to a world we hardly pay attention to. Neither romantic nor 'edgy' Ferrer's work still manages to demonstrate a kind of craquelured vignette of lives that have passed on, through the objects they have used and thrown away.

You can see her work at the Forest park location through the month of November.

New Tea For the Holidays

2009-11-02T18:28:00.002-05:00

The time has come to update our loose leaf tea offerings and this holiday we are paring back a bit. The system we have used for nearly three years now of combining a dozen herbal components with black, green, red or white bases has worked well for us but a little confusingly for customers. There is such a thing as too much choice, it would seem.

Accordingly, we will be moving from our classic lineup of teas to an all-organic line of blended teas. Still loose-leaf, still delicious. But what will they be? Glad you asked:

Organic Roman Provence:
Rooibos blend
Fruity ripe berry notes balanced with mild lavender.

Organic Monk's Blend:
Black Tea blend
Light fruity grenadine lifts exotic caramel vanilla creating a unique heavenly flavor. Smooth and mellow finish.

Organic Lapsang Souchang:
Black Tea
A smooth crisp character with the remarkable heady aroma of a pine and oak wood fire. This tea is not a blend.

Organic Bancha:
Japanese Green
Fresh green flavor explodes in your mouth tempered with hints of sweet pear. This tea is not a blend.

Organic At The Waterfront:
Herbal Mint
Notes of fruit and a light spearmint finish.

The changeover will happen at our Forest Park location first and come to the Mall sometime after the holidays. Come by and let us know what you think.

Carmen Melton on Display

2009-09-28T17:39:00.001-05:00

We finally have new art on the walls! For those of you that were getting a little worn out with the bikes and flowers, rejoice. Carmen Melton has brought us dueling jelly beans and veritable forests of cabbage and, er, forests. The color is a welcome change too with lots of warm, rich color. Her work speaks for itself but if you'd like to know more about her and her work go here.

Carmen's work will be up for the month of October so come by and check it out while you can.

The September Hoedown

2009-09-25T07:50:00.002-05:00

Last night's hoedown went really well with great pours coming out of everyone. Congratulations to Alex, who has yet again won with a pour of stunning proportions. He takes home a bag of the famed Panama Esmeralda for his efforts (which he plans to at least try as an espresso, he's already said). You can see pictures of the competition and winning pour at http://lattearthoedown.com

After the competition our photographer mentioned that the shots he took for this competition are a lot better than the ones from even a few months ago. It seems that environment for latte art here in Greenville is starting to blossom, or rosetta, or whatever. Now that's great insofar as it goes but what it implies is even better: that the number of people taking a serious interest in coffee in the area is growing. Could Greenville have the beginnings of a revolution on its hands?

In other news, we are still taking pre-orders for the Panama Esmeralda. Eight-ounce bags are $34.95 and we can take the orders up until Monday afternoon. Tuesday (the 29th) they roast and We should have our lots by Wednesday. We'll also have a little Esmeralda available for pour-over and siphon brewing.

Latte Art Hoedown is Here Again!

2009-09-21T17:36:00.002-05:00

It's already time for this month's Latte Art Hoedown! Pull out your pours and bring a little attitude this Thursday evening for Greenville's grandest coffee competition. It'll be worth it when you hear the prize ...

Panama Esmeralda - one of the world's most expensive coffees, and certainly one of the most discussed. The winner of this week's Hoedown will get an eight ounce bag for their own enjoyment. You can swim in it like the ultra-rich swim in money or just drink the brew an ounce at a time. The choice is all yours. Because you're a winner.

And for the rest of us, we can pre-order eight ounce bags all this week for next Tuesday's delivery. (I've already got my order in, actually). The price per eight ounce bag is $34.95. This is probably the only order we'll be able to make for this particular coffee before it's gone so don't think too long. Stop by and get yours while you can!

Thursday night, 6:30 PM. That's a half hour later than we usually start so don't forget. It's Hoedown time!

That's Clever

2009-09-11T16:14:00.003-05:00

Just arrived in: The Clever Coffee Dripper. This is the newest (& therefore coolest) way of brewing coffee. It's like the pourover you've seen at our shop before with one little difference. These new brewers have a stopper at the bottom which opens when set on top of a cup.

That's why it's called clever!

They are in stock for purchase and we will also be brewing by the cup for you. So come in and give it a try. Initial results have been very promising (that means the coffee has tasted great).

And for this weekend only we'll be brewing small cups of Kenya Thunguri on the new brewer for the same price as our standard coffee, the Americano.

Chocolate Offering

2009-08-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce that Coffee & Crema now offers Omanhene chocolate. This particular chocolate is shade-grown in Ghana, where it is fermented in banana leaves before being refined at a factory not far away. Because the workers are creating a complete product they make more money for their labors than if they were producing only raw material.

And Omanhene has been lauded as one of the finest cocoas in the world.

For the moment we are bringing in their natural cocoa powder and when the weather cools off a little we'll bring in some of the dark and milk chocolate bars as well.

In fact, we like their cocoa powder so much that have decided to start making our own chocolate sauce with it. Over the next couple of months we'll be working on the recipe but it's already in the Forest Park shop, so come by and give us some feedback.