Interested in this one - what other sort of options are we missing out on in the pub food realm?
My quick internet research says that Australia failed massively in trying to enter into the Australian market and has pulled back to catering mainly to tourists. Starbucks was described as too sweet for Australian tastes and too expensive. A common criticism seems to be that Starbucks didnāt fully understand the Australian coffee culture that was strongly influenced by Italy, where Starbucks has been more careful about trying to enter the market.
Heh, I was annoyed by the Aussie coffee situation because everything was a flat white (ie, vat of milk with a little bit of coffee), and ordering takeaway always seemed like an ordeal. Just give me my 16 oz of brewed coffee!
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That seemed to be what I was reading. Americans have more of aa utilitarian relationship with coffee and want to drink it on the go and while working, while Australians enjoy coffee in a more leisurely and social context. Thereās just a massive cultural disconnect.
For sure. It was pretty much like being in Europe except that instead of espresso the default was the flat white.
Melbourne coffee absolutely crushed anything I have had outside of Panama.
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Didnāt see a single Starbucks in Italy, which stands to reason - espresso is available everywhere all the time. After Italy, coffee in Switzerland was pretty bad - most places use fully-automated machines. Saw one Starbucks in Lucerne and one in Geneva, both seemed really out of place.
This has all been very illuminating. Definitely was not expecting Australia to be a coffee powerhouse.
Weāre gonna need to get @Lawnmower_Man down there for the definitive ruling.
It will all come down to roasters. Proud Mary is based in Melbourne, Iād start there. Internationally known, locally respected. Also, ask @Rugby since heās there.
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Panama isnāt surprising. The highest-rated and priced coffees of all time come from Boquete, Panama, notably the Elida Estate green tip gesha natural that sold for $1,029 / lb (itās not the civet cat shit coffee, thatās a scam).
Panama is a relative newcomer to high-end coffee though with the major breakthrough coming from Hacienda La Esmeralda and their Esmeralda gesha in 2004. So itās really these two farms / families that are known for changing the coffee industry. The tier rankings for coffee varietals ever since then has been gesha > *, and that has predictably led to a lot of copycats trying to cultivate gesha in other countries with varying degrees of success.
Cliffs: In 2004, Panama ascended to the top of the mountain in high-end coffee out of nowhere and remains there today, thanks mostly to two small farms cultivating an obscure varietal from Ethiopia.
Hereās a local pub menu I selected specifically because this pub is not fancy at all. I ate there not long ago because my gfās father wanted to. Itās a pretty basic suburban family pub.
Like one of the drawcards of eating at a pub is diversity of selection. If everyone wanted a burger weād eat at a specialty burger place where they do good ones.
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Iāve travelled quite a bit and I have never been in a better coffee city than Melbourne. Australia is a good country for coffee generally but Melbourne is next level.
Cant you just order a long black? Youāll have to wait a bit longer for it, sure.
Lots of very good coffee in Melbourne.
If ever there. My suggestion is to download the bean hunter app. Then just be super picky and look for the places with lots of reviews and an elite rating. There should be 2 or 3 in easy distance most places you go.
For a special trip. Iād also recommend the code black coffee HQ in Brunswick
Havenāt been to Aussie, but NZ had notably good coffee.
But in the US, the range is huge. Any coffee intended for the masses will be trash, and this includes almost all restaurant coffee. Donāt bother getting it. Even decent brunch places will often just have Folgers brew crap.
But every major city these days has a scene of fanatical roasters who do very good stuff. You have to seek out the independent coffee shops or local chains, and specifically the ones that are all about the coffee rather than the vibe/art.
For instance, hereās a notable one in Atlanta:
In small cities throughout the south and Midwest, you have the added challenge of avoiding Christian coffee shops, which are terrible in every level besides friendliness. Like I said, a huge range!
Yeah, long black or americano are the closest options but theyāre only about 6 oz., and watered down espresso just doesnāt taste as full as a brew. Plus it gets extra awkward when I try to get a dash of milk added to the long black for the wifeās order. Long macchiato sometimes works but itās still much different from a brew.
Donāt get me wrong, the coffeeās great there, itās just hard to get a nice big āMurican cup of brewed, which is what my wife especially is used to. Iām always content with a cortado.
honestly there are very few coffee shops (in the US or elsewhere) I would trust to actually brew a good pour-over, even if theyāre great roasters. Less than 10 in the US. Many that are pulling excellent espresso, but wonāt put in the time to dial in their filter coffee properly.
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I had to cancel a trip to Ireland due to sickness but just rebooked it. Staying in Dublin for a few nights at the beginning and end, and in County Donegal near Letterkenny and Derry the rest of the time. Anyone have tips for those locations? Restaurants, food markets, easy hiking locations (donāt think Iāll be able to handle significant hills unfortunately).
Oh and whatās the border situation like? I assume there arenāt stops and checkpoints if I drive into Derry or cross the border on the highways?
wtf these things exist? I mean put Christian before anything and it immediately becomes worse.
Ugh.
Bale?
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