Cold Brew Coffee

Coffee lovers all have their preferred brew techniques, some enjoy the process of plunging grounds in a French Press, while others like the simplicity of a drip machine. Regardless of your preferred method for making your beloved cup of joe, one thing that never changes is the enjoyment in the process and routine. When the warm weather makes itself known like it is here currently in the Northwest, iced coffee is my preferred fix. Most iced coffee drinkers are use to the method of preparing coffee normally and then placing it in the fridge to cool. However cold brewing makes a far superior cup of iced coffee and takes little more effort to achieve this. When coffee grounds are allowed to steep in cold water for a extended period of time the accustomed bitter taste and high acid content is significantly reduced, which makes this appealing to those with heartburn related issues. To cold brew coffee I use a old fashioned pickle jar combined with coffee and purified water. This is the process to which I use:

1. Fill pickle jar 1/3 the way with course ground coffee or about 8 ounces (use quality coffee grounds).
2. Pour purified water into the jar until full
3. Let sit for 5 to 6 minutes so the grounds will naturally fall to the bottom.
4. Place the lid on the jar, secure, and shake the container until the grounds have been fully incorporated.
5. Let the jar sit on a counter for a minimum of 14 hours and no more than 24 hours (Shake jar occasionally)
6. Use a strainer with cheese cloth resting on the inside to strain your coffee into a bowl.
7. Put coffee back into the same jar after it has been rinsed or use another air tight container.

-This coffee is concentrated when it finishes the brewing process, so a good ratio to follow 1 to 3 for normal     coffee or 1 to 2 for stronger coffee.
- For iced coffee I fill a glass with ice, fill the glass 1/3 with the coffee concentrate, add a splash of vanilla creamer, then fill the rest of the way with whole milk.
- The coffee concentrate can be used to make hot coffee as well just use the ratio's mentioned above and reheat. Example: 1 part coffee concentrate 2 parts water.
- Experiment with other types of roasts till you find something that you like, but the quality of the bean makes a big difference since more flavors that you normally don't notice will come out.
- Also if you want to add a unique flavor to your coffee try adding cardamom to your beans during the brewing process.

Most of all, enjoy your coffee however you please but give this a try if you want something new.
Eat, Drink, Explore, and be Happy for life is good.

Bourbon Talk

With winter's chill still in effect, most of us look for something to warm us up! If for some reason you don't happen to have a blanket on hand, may I suggest a glass of Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon. This little gem was something I came across a couple months ago but haven't revisited till now. It has a smooth charred oak barrel taste right off the bat, followed by a sweet vanilla caramel finish. The bourbon is viscous and allows the drinker to fully appreciate its development. If you happen to be looking for a cigar to try with this one I found the NUB Habano 460 was a fantastic complement. The fun thing about this bourbon is that each bottle tastes a little different from the last and that keeps me interested...As well as the $26 price tag.

Eat, drink, smoke, explore,and be happy, for life is good.