Last Update - Aug. 9, 2008
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Looking to make your own iced coffee drinks? Here are a couple of simple methods you can try. Use a Press Pot to steep room-temperature water in coffee grounds for 12 hours and then pour over ice - this method is time consuming but will yield a less acidic brew. The other simple method is to get yourself a pour-over pot (an hourglass shaped glass pot that takes a paper filter on top) and measure out your water with ice included. Use enough ground coffee (2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water) to match the amount of water you have (with the cubes in it). Then separate the ice from the water and place it in the bottom half of the pour-over brewer (Chemex and Bodum make some great ones). Heat the remaining water to boiling, let rest for a moment and pour over the coffee grounds in the filter slowly. This will create a full extraction that is instantly cooled and because you measured the water with the ice in it you won't have an overly watery iced coffee. Look for beans from Central and South America when making iced coffee - the chocolate and nutty tones will stand out
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Updates and news about what is happening in the world of coffee, espresso, tea and and anything else we find relevant or interesting.
Summer can be a slow time for beverage news unless we're talking about new flavors of Mountain Dew, which I definitely do not want to talk about. If you've got any news about wine, coffee or tea to share with us you can post your info on our forum in the Contribution area.
Best iced tea at home: Use water that is just under boiling temperature and use 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6 oz. of water. If you're using a tea that is broken leaf you can use a smaller scoop. Keeping the water cooler than boiling allows you to get flavor without extracting a lot of tannins. Add a scoop or two of lavender or dried jasmine flowers to give your iced tea some complexity and a pleasant summer-scent. Don't let this concoction steep for more than 3 minutes. Let it cool after removing the tea leaves and anything else you're steeping before pouring it into a container to keep it in the fridge. If you're making iced tea for drinking right away use a higher leaf to water ratio like 2 teaspoons per 6 oz. of water and pour over lots of ice when serving. The melting ice dilutes the strength of the brew.
Bitters are making a big comeback and some companies are getting creative to get you to use their product in your cocktails. Fee Brothers is one company and they make Orange, Lemon, Angostura, Grapefruit and Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters. I love a dash of bitters in ginger ale with a bit of bourbon over ice.
Speaking of Ginger Ale - some are much better than others, in quality and taste. Try brands like Fever-Tree and Boylan for your summer mixers like Tonic, Club Soda and Ginger Ale. Q Tonic is another brand making some exceptional tonic water.
Best iced tea at home: Use water that is just under boiling temperature and use 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6 oz. of water. If you're using a tea that is broken leaf you can use a smaller scoop. Keeping the water cooler than boiling allows you to get flavor without extracting a lot of tannins. Add a scoop or two of lavender or dried jasmine flowers to give your iced tea some complexity and a pleasant summer-scent. Don't let this concoction steep for more than 3 minutes. Let it cool after removing the tea leaves and anything else you're steeping before pouring it into a container to keep it in the fridge. If you're making iced tea for drinking right away use a higher leaf to water ratio like 2 teaspoons per 6 oz. of water and pour over lots of ice when serving. The melting ice dilutes the strength of the brew.
Bitters are making a big comeback and some companies are getting creative to get you to use their product in your cocktails. Fee Brothers is one company and they make Orange, Lemon, Angostura, Grapefruit and Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters. I love a dash of bitters in ginger ale with a bit of bourbon over ice.
Speaking of Ginger Ale - some are much better than others, in quality and taste. Try brands like Fever-Tree and Boylan for your summer mixers like Tonic, Club Soda and Ginger Ale. Q Tonic is another brand making some exceptional tonic water.
Many of us vacation in the summer or go to the beach or the park and relax. This is a good time to read. What books should you read? Well, I just happen to have a list here for those of us who want to learn more about wine.
The Only Wine Book You'll Ever Need by Danny May
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil (huge book)
Most recently a very interesting book has come out. It was released this spring and was written by Alice Feiring, a wine writer and taster who prefers more natural wines made with mostly traditional methods. I agree with much of her opinions and tastes. Her book is a very good read and is interesting as well as a good story. If you only read one wine-related book this summer, read this one. It is called The Battle For Wine and Love by Alice Feiring.
Continuing on this note, I have updated the Wine Lists page to include only wine makers (vignerons) who show that they too wish to be more traditional and natural in their wine-making. What difference does it make, you may ask. Let's first say that it does make a difference. Today many wine makers are using designer yeasts that are not indigenous to the local area they are in, they use wood chips to speed up the oaking process (like we needed more oak in our wine), they use enzymes and walnut tannins to adjust color and tannin levels. The list goes on and these things cause wine to taste confused and sometimes overripe and too concentrated instead of tasting like the place it came from with delicacy and finesse. Of course, the choice is yours, what you drink, but knowing the difference is the first step to deciding.
The Only Wine Book You'll Ever Need by Danny May
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil (huge book)
Most recently a very interesting book has come out. It was released this spring and was written by Alice Feiring, a wine writer and taster who prefers more natural wines made with mostly traditional methods. I agree with much of her opinions and tastes. Her book is a very good read and is interesting as well as a good story. If you only read one wine-related book this summer, read this one. It is called The Battle For Wine and Love by Alice Feiring.
Continuing on this note, I have updated the Wine Lists page to include only wine makers (vignerons) who show that they too wish to be more traditional and natural in their wine-making. What difference does it make, you may ask. Let's first say that it does make a difference. Today many wine makers are using designer yeasts that are not indigenous to the local area they are in, they use wood chips to speed up the oaking process (like we needed more oak in our wine), they use enzymes and walnut tannins to adjust color and tannin levels. The list goes on and these things cause wine to taste confused and sometimes overripe and too concentrated instead of tasting like the place it came from with delicacy and finesse. Of course, the choice is yours, what you drink, but knowing the difference is the first step to deciding.
