Coffee Not the Same Old Grind

These are the best of times to be alive and sipping the black brew. There are more options, more varieties, more high-quality coffees in the market today than at any other time in history. Consider the proliferation of beans from all corners of the coffee-growing world: mild, aromatic Hawaiian Kona; winy Colombia Medellín; spicy, medium-bodied Guatemalan Antigua; rare, complex Yemen Mocha; and fragrant Jamaican Blue Mountain, named as the best coffee in our January guide The Best. (Note that Jamaican High Mountain, Mountain Peak and other sound-alikes are not the same as Blue Mountain.)

In all, more than 100 types of coffee reach our shores. Empire Coffee and Tea, an old-line emporium on Manhattan's West Side, displays about 60 burlap sacks of whole-bean coffee on its floor. They can be had in any choice of roasts, from the lightest to ebony-hued espresso; any choice of grinds, from coarse to pulverized; and any combination of beans. Favored blends are mocha-Java, Colombian-Brazilian and Empire's house blend--7 ozs. Colombian-American, 7 ozs. Tanzanian Peaberry and 2 ozs. Colombian-Viennese.

What else is perking in coffeeland? Quite a bit, as it happens. Not so long ago, the only decaf was instant. Now you can brew decaf from either preground or whole-bean coffee ground to your taste--with the caffeine extracted by a water process rather than by chemical solvent. One of the newest entries in the coffee sweepstakes is flavored coffee. The range of flavors encompasses such familiars as cinnamon, almond, orange, cherry and vanilla, and such exotic accents as amaretto, Irish cream, sambuca, rum-chocolate and other hyphenated variations on the theme of chocolate. Flavored coffees wouldn't be everyone's pick for a morning cuppa, but they definitely have a place. Try one in the evening when you're building a romantic atmosphere.

While these adventures in coffee got started in coffee boutiques and specialty-food emporiums, most well-stocked supermarkets now offer a respectable selection of regular and decaffeinated beans. Moreover, the big guns are moving in on the action. What may be the most popular brand in the U.S., Maxwell House, offers supermarket shoppers 16 coffees in a range of grinds, (continued on page 139)Coffee(continued from page 84) roasts and styles. The latest launch is the Maxwell House Private Collection, a line of premium coffees; it should be in your supermarket now. Other large companies present similar options. Nescafé, for example, fields five types of instant coffee. Procter & Gamble's Folgers brand is pioneering high-yield flaked coffee, of which, presumably, less is more. Its latest package weighs in at 11-1/2 ozs. and is said to yield as much brewed coffee as a pound of regular.

Coffee-making at home was changed radically by the introduction of the electric drip-filter pot, which has made the percolator virtually obsolete: If you measure the coffee and the water accurately, you'll get a good, consistent cup. Reliable names are Braun, Bunn, Krups, Melitta and Black & Decker. Some machines will even grind the beans and whip up cappuccino, as well as brew coffee. A clever new accessory, the gold-plated permanent filter, is said to produce superior coffee, because it allows more flavor solids to pass into the coffee than do standard paper filters. It's made with 23.8-kt. gold and comes from Switzerland, so, naturally, the name is Swiss Gold. There's also a Swiss Gold coffee maker that brews a single cup at a time.

Coffee can be a recipe ingredient and a baste and also happens to be a superb mixer. If you have a taste for it, you'll love the coffee-based quaffs that follow.

[recipe_title]Fairmont Hotel Cherry Flip[/recipe_title]

"The coldest winter I ever spent," Mark Twain supposedly said, "was the summer I spent in San Francisco." He'd have loved the San Francisco Fairmont's heart-warming Cherry Flip, created for the hotel's elegant Cirque room by bartender Kathryn Thomas.

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. cherry-flavored brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. crème de cacao[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whipped cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Cherry with stem[/drinkRecipe]

Pour brandy and liqueur into pre-warmed cup or mug. Add coffee--about 5 ozs. Top with mound of whipped cream. Garnish with cherry.

Note: This can be made with regular or decaffeinated coffee.

[recipe_title]County Cork Irish Coffee[/recipe_title]

This version is favored by the staff at the Midleton Distillery, County Cork, where most Irish whiskey is made.

[drinkRecipe]l-1/4 ozs. Jameson Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 rounded teaspoon brown sugar, or to taste[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Heavy cream, lightly beaten[/drinkRecipe]

Preheat Irish-coffee goblet or heatproof mug. Add whiskey, coffee and sugar; stir to dissolve sugar. Top generously with collar of cream. Don't stir; the idea is to sip the coffee through the cream.

Note: For special occasions, make the drink with 12-year-old Jameson 1780 Special Reserve. A sensuous experience.

[recipe_title]Café Antrim[/recipe_title]

A warming Irish potion that has made new friends at Manhattan's hospitable Pen & Pencil steakhouse.

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Old Bushmills Irish whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon cognac[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 slice orange[/drinkRecipe]

Shake whiskey, cognac and sugar briskly in shaker to dissolve sugar. Pour into demitasse cup or old fashioned glass. Fill with coffee; stir. Garnish with orange.

[recipe_title]Café Istanbul[/recipe_title]

(Four servings)

A combination of Ethiopian Harrar and Tanzanian Peaberry coffees is often used for this kind of brew--also known as Turkish coffee.

[drinkRecipe]1-3/4 cups cold water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 cup superfine sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 tablespoons pulverized dark-roast coffee[/drinkRecipe]

Measure water into copper or brass-and-tin ibrik or saucepan. Add sugar and bring to boil. Stir in coffee; bring to boil. Allow the beverage to boil up 3 more times, removing from heat each time. Sprinkle with a few drops of cold water. Serve in demitasse cups.

[recipe_title]Campton Place Café Sonia[/recipe_title]

Craig Claiborne has called San Francisco's Campton Place "one of the most stylish hotels to open recently." The drinks are stylish, too.

[drinkRecipe]Heavy cream, chilled[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Vanilla extract[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3/4 oz. Metaxa 7-Star[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. amaretto[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. Tía María[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Sugar, if desired[/drinkRecipe]

Lightly beat cream with few drops vanilla. Reserve. To warmed 7-oz. mug, add Metaxa, amaretto and Tía María. Pour in coffee. Taste for sweetness; add sugar, if desired. Top with beaten cream.

[recipe_title]Café BrÛlot[/recipe_title]

(10--12 servings)

A distinctive version from Brennan's, a distinctive New Orleans restaurant.

[drinkRecipe]4-in. cinnamon stick[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]8--10 whole cloves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Peel of 2 oranges, in thin slivers[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Peel of 2 lemons, in thin slivers[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]6 lumps sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]8 ozs. brandy, warmed[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. Curaçao, warmed[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 quart strong black coffee, hot[/drinkRecipe]

Combine spices, peels and sugar in brÛlot or 2-quart chafing-dish pan; mash with ladle. Add brandy and curaçao; stir; ignite with long match. Ladle flaming spirits back and forth from pan to bowl, creating the effect of a column of fire. When sugar has dissolved, gradually add hot coffee, stirring until flames burn out. Strain into brÛlot or demitasse cups.

Note: For safety's sake, stand back when igniting liquor and be sure flammable table decorations are out of the way.

[recipe_title]The Big Chill[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. dark rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Kahlúa[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. coffee, chilled[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 scoop vanilla ice cream[/drinkRecipe]

Shake all ingredients but ice cream with cracked ice. Strain into tall glass or 12-oz. goblet. Top with ice cream. Serve with straws and long-handled spoon.

[recipe_title]Ragtime[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. coffee liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. half-and-half[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 roasted coffee beans[/drinkRecipe]

Vigorously shake first 3 ingredients with cracked ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Float coffee beans on top.

[recipe_title]Coffee Fling[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Scotch liqueur, Drambuie or Lochan Ora[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Lemon-peel segment[/drinkRecipe]

Pour liqueur into cup. Add hot coffee to fill, or to taste. Stir. Add sugar, if desired. Twist lemon peel over cup to release oils, then discard.

[recipe_title]Boonoonoonoos[/recipe_title]

Jamaicans say boonoonoonoos is good news. After you taste one, you'll agree.

[drinkRecipe]Lime wedge[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Jamaica rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. coffee liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Hot black coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whipped cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Powdered allspice[/drinkRecipe]

Run cut side of lime around rim of large goblet or heatproof wineglass. Invert glass and swirl in sugar to frost rim. Add rum and liqueur. Pour in coffee to within about 1 in. of rim; stir. Taste for sweetness; add sugar, if desired. Pile on whipped cream. Lightly sprinkle allspice over all.

[recipe_title]Bourbon Street[/recipe_title]

(30--35 servings)

[drinkRecipe]1 bottle (750 ml.) bourbon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 pints strong black coffee, at room temperature[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 pint half-and-half[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. amaretto[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 quart ice cream, vanilla or coffee--half-thawed[/drinkRecipe]

Bitter-chocolate shavings, optional In large pitcher, combine bourbon, coffee, half-and-half and amaretto. Chill well. Place ice cream in large punch bowl. Slowly stir in mixture from pitcher. Decorate with chocolate shavings, if desired.

[recipe_title]Coffee Bustamante[/recipe_title]

A heady blend of brandy, liqueurs and coffee from the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead (uptown Atlanta); the drink was conceived by bartender Julius Bustamante.

[drinkRecipe]1-1/2 ozs. Courvoisier[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. Kahlúa[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. Benedictine[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]7 ozs. hot coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Unsweetened whipped cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. Mozart Chocolate Nougat liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

Grated white chocolate, optional

In warmed, heatproof 12-oz. mug or glass, combine Courvoisier, Kahlúa and Benedictine. Pour in hot coffee. Top with whipped cream; drizzle chocolate liqueur on top. Sprinkle with grated white chocolate, if desired.

Threepence covered the cost of an evening's entertainment in early London coffeehouses. A one-penny admission charge entitled patrons to listen to or participate in the entertaining verbal dueling. The remaining twopence went for a bowl of coffee. Talk about inflation!

Ground Rules for Perfect Coffee

Preparing a great cup of coffee should be a simple matter, yet the knack eludes a lot of people. There are three basic elements to the task--the water, the coffee and the brewing. The following is all the information you need. Master it and you'll never again serve inferior coffee.

Water

• Start with fresh, cold water--let the tap run a moment or two before filling the kettle.

• Naturally soft water is best. The chemicals in artificially softened water flatten the taste of the coffee. If you're in a hard-water area or your water is overtreated, use bottled (not distilled) water to ensure a first-class cup of coffee.

• Don't overboil water. Once the kettle reaches full steam, pour the water promptly.

Coffee

• Determine your favorite coffee type or blend by systematic tasting. Concentrate when you taste a new coffee. The descriptions in the text will help you zero in on your preference.

• Buy coffee in the grind recommended for your coffee maker. (Check the instructions.) There's no such thing as an all-purpose grind.

• Freshness is of paramount importance. Vacuum-packed coffee will keep for months as long as it's unopened. Once the package has been breached, however, the coffee can deteriorate rapidly. Keep as much as you'll use in a week in the refrigerator; store the rest in a tightly closed container in the freezer.

• If mail-order coffee arrives in nonvacuum packages, immediately transfer it to containers with tight covers, then refrigerate or freeze.

• Coffee keeps better in the bean than when ground. For the very best results, buy beans and grind just what you need for each pot you make. Small electric coffee grinders do an efficient (if noisy) job and are widely available in housewares shops and department stores.

Brewing

• Carefully read--and commit to memory--the instructions that come with your coffee maker. (See text for hints on recommended equipment.)

• The coffeepot must be scrupulously clean. Scrub it well with detergent and water after each use and rinse thoroughly. Store it with the lid partly askew, so that air can circulate inside.

• Experts recommend using 3/4 cup water (6 ozs.) and 2 level measuring tablespoons coffee per cup. But feel free to modify these proportions to make the coffee stronger or weaker, depending on your taste.

• Clear cup markings on the side of the pot are a helpful guide as to how much water to add. The first time you use a pot, however, measure the water before pouring it and check its level against the markings to be sure they are correctly calibrated.

• Use the proper size pot for the number of cups you're making. For best results, the pot should be filled to at least three fourths of its capacity.

• Once the coffee has finished brewing, remove and discard the grounds to avoid excess bitterness.

• Serve coffee as soon as it's brewed. Don't make more than you expect to use. If it's not enough, you can always make another pot. Discard leftover coffee; reheated, it's not fit to drink.