The Great Los Angeles Cappuccino Project | We're Halfway Through!
If you've been following Brunchographers for a while, you'll recall that back in October, I embarked on an ambitious journey to sample a cappuccino at all the best coffee shops here in Los Angeles. The project was designed to push me out of my coffee-comfort zone, to help me learn more about espresso and the people who make it, and to allow me to explore my city through one of my favorite rituals. In an effort to enjoy every excursion and every cappuccino to its fullest, I've taken it slow, and now I'm about halfway through the list of coffee shops that are considered the "best" in Los Angeles.
So, what have I learned so far?
For one thing, I learned that coffee tasting is subjective. By taking my time and savoring each cup, I feel like I've been able to identify distinct flavor differences between varieties (as best I can with an untrained palate, anyway), and I've begun to narrow in on what specifically tastes great to me. At the same time, it has become clear that what tastes great to me won't always taste great to others - sometimes, when having coffee with a friend, we will pick up on completely different characteristics when tasting the same variety of espresso. They may love it, and I may not. And that's ok.
Similarly, I've found that describing a coffee's characteristics can be challenging and often hilarious - how are you supposed put a qualifier on a flavor when you've never experienced anything quite like it before? A lot of times, I feel like a wine tasting novice, ignorantly repeating phrases I've heard in movies ("just look at the legs on this one!"). But, since some people claim that wine tasting is completely subjective and that no sommelier's palate is any more valid than your own, I've tried to embrace the silliness I feel and have fun with it. When stumped, I've found Counter Culture's coffee tasting wheel to be a valuable resource, especially when I'm having trouble conjuring adjectives.
And most importantly, I've learned that talking to the barista will make your experience infinitely better. At establishments that take their coffee very seriously (and the vast majority of these spots do), the baristas are going to be bona fide coffee lovers. They live and breathe coffee, and they've made it their life's purpose to make your morning cup as good as it can be. They understand the complexities of each variety, what makes it good and unique, and how to prepare it in the best way possible. They're wildly passionate about this stuff, and as much as you think you're a coffee lover, they love it even more. So of course they want to geek out about it with you! Ask them about their craft, tell them what you liked about your drink, and thank them for their hard work. They'll probably share some really interesting information with you, and if you're lucky, they'll let you taste something else they're working on. Oh, and one more thing I learned about baristas: they don't all have beards. In fact very few have beards. Apparently that's a vicious stereotype.
For those curious, below is a quick rundown of where I've been so far, with some notes on each one.
Thanks for coming along with me for this ride! I'm looking forward to sharing more absurd coffee descriptions and plenty of heart-shaped latte art with you in the future.