Moving to Brisbane - Pommie coffee newbie to Aussie coffee snob
Moving to Brisbane
has turned me into a coffee snob. This is a fact! You can keep your Starbucks
and Costa Coffee and any other big chain coffee places that you find all over
the world, if you want a decent coffee then head to a cafe in Brisbane. Once
there, don’t expect to be able to make a quick decision on what you want, there
are too many options for anything to be quick. I always thought the only
decision to have to make was to have in store or takeaway; how wrong was I.
First, there is the decision of what coffee to have. If you have seen any
coffee menu in Brisbane, you will know this list can be like a novel. As well
as your normal cafe drinks such as cappuccino and a latte there is also my
personal favourites such as:
Long
black /Americano
A
long black is hot water in a mug with 2 shots of espresso added into it. A
small foam is left on top of the coffee. If you were to make the espresso shots
first and then add the water this would result in an Americano, less foam Is
left this way. History says that American soldiers invented the Americano
during the Second World War to make their hot drinks last longer. I love to
drink either of these coffees with pastries whilst reading
Dirty
chai latte
This
coffee is a new find for me. I always thought of it as a hippy drink but then I
met a friend for coffee and she persuaded me to try it. It is a chai latte
(spices and hot milk) with a shot of espresso in. In my favourite local coffee
store, they serve it with cinnamon sugar on the top
Flat
white
This
is my go-to coffee when I can’t decide. Sort of the little black dress of
coffee. The flat white is made from the steamed milk at bottom of the jug
(which is creamy not frothy) and is poured over a shot of espresso. It’s
normally drunk from a glass cup. This type of coffee was invented in Australia
and as such there is a love affair with it.
Affogato
Affogatos
are the coffee that I order when I can’t decide between a coffee or dessert
after dinner. A shot of espresso is poured over ice cream(normally vanilla) In
a coffee cup and it is hot but cold. It’s probably the best type of coffee to
have after a heavy meal when you want dessert but can’t eat a whole dessert.
Mocha
This
coffee is a halfway house for me. It’s not a hot chocolate and it’s not a
coffee. It is basically a latte’ with chocolate powder or syrup and is a good
drink to have on an evening in winter. My son loves this drink and when we go
for coffee after our Friday gym session, he always orders this along with
breakfast.
Next
comes the milk decision....
Full
fat, skim, rice, almond, soy, oat, coconut and these are just a few of the
choices.... I always opt for skin milk unless I’m having a long black or
americano and then I choose hot skin milk on the side so that when I add it to
my hot drink it doesn’t make the coffee cool.
The
silliest option for coffee is cup size. The size is always as big as possible,
this is not an option in my eyes and more of a rhetorical question, who wants a
small coffee when you can have a massive coffee.
A
close runner up in the silly options is the strength of the coffee. Full Strength, double shot, half strength,
decaffeinated ... What!!! Always full strength at a minimum, who orders decaf
coffee?? It’s like ordering fat free ice cream or sugar free chocolate ...
crazy!
And
just when you think you can get any more options you get asked if you would
like a flavoured syrup. My favourite is caramel, but I only ever have this as a
special treat or else Annie the PT will cause me great pain (or should I say
more great pain).
Don’t
even start me on the options for hot weather. We are currently experiencing a
heat wave in Brisbane and 37 degrees is not the best temperature for drinking
hot coffee. This is where iced coffee comes into its own. As I type this, I am
sat with an iced coffee on skim milk. Its basically a cold latte but way hipper,
and if you are feeling super naughty you can have whipped cream and sauce with
it. Clearly, I’m being good and I have a skinny iced latte…. Certainly no
whipped cream here …..
With
the huge coffee culture in Brisbane it will come as no surprise that we have
drive through coffee bars. You can simply drive up to the window, order your
huge skinny mocha with extra cream and caramel sauce and sprinkles, swipe your
reward card and credit card and they will hand you a cup of the good stuff and
you can continue with your day. You don’t even need to step out of your car
into the heat. Who even thinks of this amazing stuff!
According to my boys, I drink way too much coffee and I
should drink iced tea, or water. They also state I know too much about the
stuff and that it could be my topic of expertise on game shows. I can’t argue
with them on this one.
Until next Time
The Hooked on Coffee Opal One X
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