drinkable reno tahoe
BASIC BREWING
PHOTOS BY SHEA EVANS
Follow these helpful tips from Matt Sewell, co-owner of Magpie Coffee Roasters in Reno, to achieve the perfect brew:
Water should be between 195 and 205 degrees F. (Water boils at about 204 or 205 degrees F in the Reno-Sparks area.)
Use a water-to-coffee ratio of 17:1. For 16 ounces of coffee, you’ll want to use about 1 ounce of ground coffee. Adjust this based on taste. Magpie baristas tend to use a 16 or 16½:1 ratio.
The best cup will come from freshly roasted coffee. Ideally, the coffee should be no more than two weeks from the roast date (some coffees taste great beyond this, and others do not). Check your coffee bag for a roast date.
Use a burr grinder whenever possible. The consistency of the grind from a burr grinder will result in a better cup of coffee.
Grind your coffee to a fineness that allows the brewing process to take 3½ minutes (give or take). Full immersion brewing (French Press, Clever drip, etc.) calls for a coarser grind due to the increased contact time for all coffee.
Start here and adjust to taste. Only adjust one parameter at a time, as minor adjustments can result in large changes in character and flavor in the cup. Cheers!
Chemex Coffee
(courtesy of Matt Sewell, co-owner of Magpie Coffee Roasters in Reno. Serves 2 to 4)
Invented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, the Chemex is one of the older and more aesthetically elegant brewing mechanisms around. The secret is the brewing mechanism is made simply from non-porous, borosilicate glass and fastened with a wooden collar and tie; it brews coffee without imparting any flavors of its own.
2.5 cups water, just off boil (about 205 degrees F)
2½ tablespoons medium-coarse freshly ground coffee
Preheat the Chemex coffeemaker with a little hot water just before brewing. Pour out this water before starting to brew. Pour the freshly ground coffee into the Chemex with filter, and add about 5 to 6½ tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 30 seconds. Add the remaining water slowly and evenly over the course of the next 1½ to 2 minutes (a kettle with a goose-neck spout helps with this). Once the brewing has slowed to a drip and most of the water has passed through the coffee, remove the filter and pour into your favorite mug.
Coffee Cocktail
(courtesy of Mark Hirose, co-owner of Magpie Coffee Roasters in Reno. Serves 1)
1 ounce Gosling’s dark rum
1 ounce cold, brewed coffee
1 ounce Dolin Blanc Vermouth
¼ ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
Thyme sprig
Lemon zest
Stir all of the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake, strain, and serve up in a cocktail glass garnished with a thyme sprig and lemon zest.
