The Coffee Dictionary: An A-Z of coffee, from growing & roasting to brewing & tasting

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The content is fascinating and informative - although at times I found myself wanting a little more, eg Just how much should you tamp the coffee in an espresso machine, medium pressure or really hard? Flat white: A style of coffee made with espresso and topped with flat steamed milk to a total size of 6oz. When it comes to their menu, there are no wrong choices, but a standout is the refreshing Matcha Bergamot Lemonade.

The true star of the show however, are the beans themselves — sourced and roasted by Sey coffee in Willamsburg. Due to this, it’s generally of a much higher quality with a stronger flavour profile as it’s not a blend of beans from varying locations and growing conditions. HIGH-GROWN Arabica coffee grown at altitudes of 3,000 feet and beyond is usually superior in taste quality to coffee grown downslope and is known as ‘high grown’. For us here at Alchemy, we would say yes, a little bit of acidity in coffee is a good thing, as long as it is balanced and doesn’t dominate.WASHED COFFEE A process that removes the skin and pulp from the bean while the coffee fruit is still fresh. That’s why we source all of our coffee beans from local roasteries to provide our community with the freshest cup in town.

Ristretto: A style of coffee where the espresso is pulled short with less water to produce a stronger more concentrated coffee. Each subject goes very nicely in depth but not to the point where it becomes long and boring to read. Varietal: There are many varieties of coffee plants, many have been cross bred over the years to create higher yields or to increase resilience to pests. First Crack: This is a stage in the roasting process where the pressure within the bean reaches it peak and cracks the bean (it sounds a lot like popcorn popping!Pour Over: A brewing method where hot water is poured over ground coffee beans held in a filter that is resting over a coffee cup or vessel. Having travelled the world studying the science and art of coffee, Maxwell co-authored Water For Coffee with Dr. Thomas likes to bring creative ingredients together from around the world, but especially from local organic suppliers for the freshest and best possible flavor.