New Year’s Day is one of those emotionally charged days that is suggestive by the very nature of its context. The first day of the year, new beginnings, fresh starts, etc. all entwine to create a day where most of us immediately lose our renewed resolve in the throes of a hangover.
So which is this new blog borne of, the former or the latter? Or just maybe in response to a guilty conscience inspired by angry Chowhounders chiding me for my lack of website?
Without further ado, this is the official blog of Montreal’s Cafe Myriade, which is not to suggest that an unofficial blog lurks somewere within the unfriendly confines of the internet. I’ll use this platform to inform of new coffees and teas at the cafe, tastings and events we host on Sundays, and to engage with myths and issues that confound the everyday barista.
Such as (just for instance) why is it really hard to find drip coffee in Vancouver, one of our country’s leading coffee markets? During my recent five day holiday in my hometown, I was able to make about ten visits spanning six of the more reputable cafes the city has to offer. Having slowly been weaned away from milk and espresso drinks over the last two months, my focus was primarily on filtered coffee. On each of the ten visits, Clover coffee was available every time which is a feat considering that there are fewer units in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifiax combined than the half dozen shops I patronized in BC. There were, however, no other options on eight of the other visits. No french press, no urn, not even drip. When I would quiz the baristas working about this, asking them why there were no other options when sometimes there were Press Pots visible behind the counter, I was met with varying degrees of confusion. Perhaps due to my bias, or perhaps to good fortune, the best coffee I had in Vancouver came from a fresh batch out of an urn, followed by an expensive French Press service where the coffee in question was simply referred to as “the $10 one” by the cashier. That would be the one with subtle notes of dollar signs with hints of buyers’ remorse as it cools. I kid, it was after all one of the better coffees I had while there. Options are our friends, with no disrespect to the Clover why is it dominating Vancouver to the degree that it is?
Lastly with regard to Myriade, I’m looking forward to an exciting 2009. We’ll resume our Sunday tastings on January 11th with an event I’ve yet to finalize, and will re-introduce Pour-Your-Own-Latte days on Saturdays beginning soon again as well. As always, we continue to challenge ourselves to find improved ways to serve you tea and coffee and will be switching our existing manual pour-over stations to newly developed Rao-matics (patent pending). But as I begin to fear that I’m saying too much, I’ll conclude this inaugural entry with best wishes for you and yours in 2009. Thank you for reading!
January 2, 2009 at 2:08 am |
w00t!
Chowhounders weren’t the only ones waiting for Myriade to have its own dedicated blog.
Clearly, 2009 will be the year of the Myriade.
As for lack of options in coffee brewing methods, there seems to be a trend involved. Though the Third Wave isn’t about specific methods, it seems to have been dominated by espresso. When the Clover came in, there was renewed interest for non-espresso coffee, but now that it belongs to Starbucks, the enthusiasm may have died down.
There are several people out there who perceive espresso to be “the superior drink” and they don’t see a point in drinking “inferior coffee.” These are also people who think that coffee experiences are summed up in the quest for the “god shot.”
As you know, Myriade is quite unique in the diversity of brewing options. After having tried some of the same beans through different methods, I can say that I don’t understand why people would focus so exclusively on espresso. Yes, it’s the most “condensed” coffee experience. But other coffee brewing methods can enhance your espresso experiences. Restricting yourself to espresso is a bit like restricting yourself to Pinot noir (excluding other wines) or to single malt whisky (excluding beer).
Ah, well…
January 2, 2009 at 8:20 pm |
[...] http://cafemyriade.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/vancouver-and-the-dearth-of-drip-coffee/ [...]
January 4, 2009 at 9:10 pm |
[...] Vancouver and the Dearth of Drip Coffee. [...]
January 7, 2009 at 2:10 am |
oooooh, Rao-matic! the suspense is killing me!
January 13, 2009 at 10:25 am |
[...] it was first Anth noting the dearth of brewed coffee options on his recent return to Vancouver (other than Clovers)… where was the French Press option ? why were there only Clovers and [...]