Author: Alain Rosa

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Coffee and Junk Food Pairing:

A Culinary Adventure

As coffee lovers, we often find ourselves caught in a conundrum. On one hand, we want to savour the complexity and depth of our favourite specialty coffee. On the other hand, we want to indulge in the salty, sweet, and satisfying treats that make life worth living. But what happens when you pair the two? A culinary adventure to the dark side, that’s what.

So, what do you pair with a piping hot cup of coffee when you’re in the mood for junk food? Well, first of all, let’s just get one thing straight: we’re not talking about a kale salad and a green smoothie here. No, we’re talking about the real deal, the good stuff, the greasy, salty, and sugary treats that make life worth living.

Think about it. A rich and bold espresso shot paired with a warm, gooey donut. A smooth and creamy latte paired with a greasy slice of pepperoni pizza. It’s like two kids who were never meant to meet finally finding each other on the playground. And the result is pure magic.

Let’s start with the classic breakfast of champions: donuts. There’s nothing like a glazed donut to sweeten your day, and when paired with a rich and bold coffee. Millions of obese beat officers cannot be wrong. The sweetness of the donut contrasts perfectly with a bold Indian AA plantation coffee, creating a balance that will make your taste buds dance with joy.

Next up is a rich and velvety cappuccino paired with a warm, buttery croissant. The flaky, buttery layers of the croissant perfectly balance the creamy milk and bold espresso flavours. It’s like taking a trip to Paris but only cheaper.

And who could forget the classic pairing of a bold and intense espresso shot with a warm chocolate chip cookie? The sweetness of the chocolate and the bitter coffee flavours are like two old friends reuniting after many years apart. It’s a beautiful thing. We would suggest nice Colombian medium to dark roast for this one. We will save the juicy, light roasted Colombians for when we are snacking on hotdogs.

Next up, we have pizza. This might come as a surprise, but a slice of pizza and a cup of coffee are a match made in heaven. The salty and savoury flavours of the pizza are perfectly complemented by the smooth and creamy notes of a latte. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a slice of pepperoni pizza with a bold and syrupy Kenyan Nyeri drunk black of course. The bright acidity should cut through the cheesy fat and hopefully unblock some of your arteries.  

And let’s not forget about burgers. Whether you prefer your burgers topped with bacon, cheese, or both, a burger and coffee pairing is a must-try. For this one I would go big, frothy and full of rich full cream milk. A Freezoccino with fresh whipped cream piled on top should hit the spot. The juicy and flavourful burger will bring out the nutty and chocolatey notes from a high grown Guatemalan coffee, creating a flavour explosion in your mouth.

What would a burger be without fries? Probably just a burger-and-hold-the-fries. But add a shot of condensed milk to an espresso over ice cubes and you have SWEET VIETNAMESE ICED COFFEE WITH FRIES! Sounds kind of epic when I type it in bold letters. Traditional folks would say, wtf? But we say, use your Vietnamese robusta for this one. But maybe go no more than 50% with a blend of a nice Zambian coffee.  

For rainy afternoons in front of televised game, we suggest dark roasted Sumatran beans paired with a cold beer and a pack of unfiltered cigarettes. The smoky, earthy notes of the coffee are the perfect complement to the bitter, hoppy flavours of the beer and contrasts perfectly with the sweet sting of cancerous smoke

We’ve all been there. It’s a late night, you’ve got the munchies and you want something to satisfy both your sweet tooth and your caffeine craving. What do you reach for? A bag of chips and a can of soda? How pedestrian. The nutty and chocolatey notes of a Brazilian Minas Gerais coffee pair perfectly with a bucket of Rocky Road ice cream and a lonely night in front of a movie.

Think of it like a foodie’s version of “Bad Boys”. A sweet, nutty coffee plays the role of Will Smith, while a rich, creamy dessert is the Martin Lawrence of the pair. Together, shoot up your cholesterol, and arrest your heart.

So enjoy your coffee adventure, and remember even you may one day become an undercover Michelin food taster.

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To Freeze or Not to Freeze? The Coffee Freshness Question Answered!

Do you swear by freezing coffee? Or do you scoff at the idea of putting your beans in cold storage? Perhaps you’ve never done it before and are just wondering what all the fuss is about. We have the answers for you!

Should You Freeze Coffee?

It really is hard to give a clear yes or no answer to the ‘whether to freeze coffee’ conundrum.

On the one hand, if you are able to vacuum pack your coffee and remove every molecule of moisture possible before freezing, then it really could work to your advantage. The freshness will be locked in until you decide to defrost.

However, if moisture becomes trapped inside the container with your coffee it’s going to have a negative effect on the flavour. Ensuring that no dampness or condensation alters your coffee during the freezing process is key.

Whether you decide to freeze your coffee should be down to whether you really have to. Like if you want to keep a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime coffee bean in top condition for drinking in a few years time.

The main problem with freezing is that it will always have a slightly detrimental effect on your coffee beans, so it is only a good option when the alternative will have a worse result.

For the best flavour from your coffee bean, you want to brew it within a few weeks of roasting. Over time the flavourful oils in the beans that create great-tasting coffee will go stale, which results in a more bitter taste.

When Freezing Coffee is Good Idea

Here are a few different scenarios when you might want to freeze your coffee:

  • You got some limited edition coffee you absolutely love and are dreading the day you run out so want to keep some to relive the good times far into the future.
  • You have loads of coffee beans that you simply cannot consume quickly enough before they begin to get old and lose their flavour.
  • Freezing coffee beans in your thing. You love nothing more than getting up in the morning and fondling your fresh beans before packing them up for some time in sub-zero hibernation.

The Right Way to Freeze Coffee

If you think freezing coffee is the right choice then there are a few guidelines to follow:

  • Make sure you use airtight containers, like reusable bags, and leave as little air inside as possible.
  • Vacuum pack your coffee if you can.
  • Divide your coffee up into small amounts that you can that thaw and use within a week.
  • Once you have frozen the coffee, do not defrost and refreeze (this can cause condesation to form).

Cold Tip: Grinding after Freezing

When you grind a coffee bean that isn’t frozen you’re going to end up with grounds that are an optimal size, but also some are very small and some a bit too large. Grinding frozen coffee beans reduces this irregularity in the resulting coffee grounds, so you get a more even result and a slightly better brew!

When Freezing Coffee is a Bad Idea

Still not sure if you should freeze your coffee? Here are some examples of when not to do it:

  • You are a true coffee connoisseur and want to experience the taste of if your latest choice of beans at their absolute finest.
  • You have already ground your coffee. Now is the time to drink it, not to freeze it.
  • You want to store your coffee for a month or less. Just keep it in an airtight container, and put it on a shelf where it’ll stay dry and not exposed to strong light or heat.

What About the Fridge?

No way! A fridge will do nothing for the freshness of your coffee, in fact it’s likely to make it worse. Moisture will ruin the natural aroma of coffee and odours from other stuff in your fridge will be absorbed. Unless you want to flavour your coffee with some of last night’s leftover pizza, keep it out of the fridge.

But the Best Thing…

Just buy coffee when you need it! For the best tasting coffee drink it as close to roasting and grinding as possible. A great way to do this is to have a fresh supply of coffee at hand at all times. A Doubleshot coffee subscription can help with this, so you’re sent regular batches of freshly roasted coffee beans. Remember, life is too short for bad coffee!

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Warming Chai Recipes for the Winter Months 🥶 4 of the Best!

There’s no avoiding it, however much you’d like to. The dark days of winter are upon us 🥶  Once the sun goes down and the night creeps in, we need to do everything we can to stay snug and cosy. Which usually means wrapping yourself up in your duvet with a nice warm drink. Well, we don’t know much about duvets but when it comes to delicious hot beverages we’ve got plenty to say!

chai concentrate recipes

To help you get thorough the short days and cold nights, we’ve compiled a handpicked selection of our favourite warming drinks that you can make in a jiffy with our Artisanal Chai Concentrate. Just add a little bit of your time and a few extra ingredients for these tasty brews that’ll make you feel toasty inside and out.

So without further ado, check out all our warming chai recipes for the winter months below to see which one you’re going to try first!

(The ingredient amounts are for one, so if you’re making for guests just multiple by the number of people!)

Mexicali Hot Choccy

Warming Chai Recipes for the Winter Months

For a new take on the classic hot chocolate try this nifty little recipe for a chai-infused winter favourite that the kids will love too!

1. Grab your favourite mug
2. Drop in 3 large chunks of high-quality dark chocolate
3. Steam around 250ml of milk
4. Pour a little over the chocolate to melt it
5. Stir the milk and chocolate together
6. Add roughly 30ml of Doubleshot Chai Concentrate to the mix
7. Stir while topping up the mug with the rest of the steamed milk
9. Grate some dark chocolate over the top and serve!

Dirty Chai Latte

We love this one, because you get to mix our Chai Concentrate with your choice of Doubleshot Coffee, and they all go together so so well 🙂

1. Make an expresso with your favourite Doubleshot coffee
2. Pour it into a large mug
3. Add in a 30ml shot of Doubleshot Chai Concentrate
4. Heat up roughly 250ml of milk then add it to the mug
5. Mix throughly with a teaspoon of honey if you like it sweet!
6. Add some steamed milk to the top
7. Sprinkle on a little cinnamon powder and you’re all set :)

Cheeky Chai Eggnog

Warming Chai Recipes for the Winter Months

Why’s it cheeky? Well, you get to measure how much rum you decide to add, whether just one shot or maybe a triple! A nice brandy or bourbon works great too 😉

1. Crack open an egg and separate the white from the yolk
2. Beat the egg white in a mixing bowl until it’s fluffy
3. Heat up around 120ml of milk in a saucepan
4. Slowly pour the warm milk over the beaten egg white, stirring all the time
5. Put the mixed egg white and milk back into the saucepan
6. Heat until the mixture begins to thicken (do not allow to boil)
7. Take the saucepan off the hob
8. Add in 100ml of creamy custard and 60ml of Doubleshot Chai Concentrate 
9. Mix together with a shot or three of your chosen liquor
10. Pour into a mug and add a dusting of ground nutmeg to serve!

Chai Hot Toddy

If thick and creamy isn’t your thing that this hot and strong brew is sure to delight. You’ll be feeling toasty after a glass, we guarantee it!

1. Take a small saucepan, add 200ml of water, and bring it to the boil
2. Add some thin slices of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, and half a teaspoon of ground cardamon
3. After a few minutes bring the heat down and stir in 100ml of milk
4. Then add 60ml of Doubleshot Chai Concentrate and a tablespoon of honey
5. Stir on a light heat for a few minutes
6. Take off the heat and strain the mixture into a mug to remove the ginger and cinnamon
7. Pour in a shot of dark rum to finish, sip and enjoy!

So that’s it for our round up of warming chai recipes for the winter months, we hope you try them all and have as much fun drinking them as we did! And if you have come up with a crazy Chai concentrate concoction then we’d love to hear about it. Add it to the comments section below and we’ll give it a try 😄

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Make a Brew the Manly Way! A Guide to Cowboy Tea and Coffee 🤠

We’re blessed with a plethora of coffee and tea brewing contraptions now that it might seem scary to think about making a cuppa with diddly squat 😱 Relax, it’s not like this has never happened to anyone before!

In fact, coming up with ways to make coffee and tea with next to nothing isn’t so hard. Cowboys in the Wild West managed to do it, and today we’re looking at the inventive brewing methods they came up with.

For the average cowboy, tea and coffee is an essential pick-me-up to stay alert at night and to energise in the morning. At the very least they have a pot, water, and a fire. And something to brew up of course. Other things that come to hand can be used to help, but it really is all about doing it with the bare essentials.

Cowboy Tea – The Spinning Method

Our personal favourite here at Doubleshot is the spinning method. It’s definitely one for all you wannabe John Waynes out there. A method that requires skill, has an element of danger, and when pulled off right will deliver some real cowboy kudos. So here it is:

1. Place your pot of water over the campfire and wait for it to boil.
2. When boiled, take it off the fire and add your loose leaf tea.
3. Steep your tea leaves for up to five minutes (depending on the desired strength).
4. Hold the pot by the handle and stand up straight in a clear area. That shouldn’t be so hard to find in the wild west. Just watch out for the cacti.
5. With the pot held at arm's length, spin around in a circle.
6. Spin progressively faster while avoiding spilling the boiling tea (and the risk of third-degree burns).
7. The centrifugal force should then pin the leaves to the bottom of the pot, or you’ll get so dizzy you fall over, spill the tea, and fail (quite likely if you have the same degree of hand-eye coordination as us).

All clear? Great, now over to you!

Cowboy Coffee – The Stirring Method

You could try the spinning method to make coffee too if you like (in fact, do). Or you could give the stirring method a go. Besides from the obligatory pot, water, and coffee, the only other thing you need is a spoon. If you’re all out of spoons, you might have to improvise. A toothbrush handle could work quite nicely, or better yet, your soon-to-be-burnt finger is perfect! Here’s a rundown of what to do:

1. Boil your water in a pot over the fire.
2. Once boiled, let it stand for a minute before adding the coffee.
3. Stir it up!
4. Leave it alone! Just ignore the coffee and water for two minutes. Go throw some horseshoes or something!
5. Stir it up again!
6. Keep the pot perfectly still for two minutes so the coffee grounds sink to the bottom. If they float, you have done something seriously wrong!
7. Now carefully drink that fresh brew without agitating the grounds, or pour very gently into cups if you have them.
8. Don’t drink the last bit unless you want a mouth full of used coffee grounds.

It really doesn’t get much simpler than that!

More Ways to Brew Like a Cowboy

So, those are two of the most basic ways to make tea and coffee with minimal gear. But there are a couple of other ways you can try to improve your brew with items you may have handy.

If you’ve just fried a few eggs for breakfast you might want to give the eggshell method a go. Simply crush up those eggshells and mix them up with your ground coffee before adding to water. The eggshells will help to pull the coffee grounds down to the bottom of the pot and hold them there. Your coffee may have faint hints of egg, but what do you expect when making coffee out in the Wild West?

All out of eggshells? Maybe you packed one too many pairs of socks in your bag? If the answer is yes then you’re in luck! A clean sock works great as a makeshift brew bag.

Just put your ground coffee or tea leaves in the sock, and then dunk that sock in your pot of freshly boiled water. Leave it in there for five minutes and hey presto, no coffee sludge or tea bits in your cuppa! A dirty sock without any holes will work just as well, that is if you don’t mind some funky flavour in your morning brew and not the good kind.

That’s all we’ve got for you right now, but if you’ve been improvising with making tea and coffee then we want to hear from you! Add your cowboy-inspired methods in the comments below.

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Know Your Tea! Black, Green, White, Yellow… What’s The Difference?

What do you really know about tea? If you’ve ended up here then chances are your tea knowledge is lacking somewhat. We get it, you want to find out more about that lovely brew you enjoy sipping every day. What type of tea is it? Is it even tea at all? Rest assured, after reading this you’ll know your tea just as well as you know your coffee!

Tea or Tisane? It’s Not a Trick Question!

Let’s clear one thing up straight from the get-go. If a ‘tea’ is not made with actual leaves from the  Camellia sinensis plant, then technically it’s not a tea at all. “No way!” you might say, but it’s true. 

Nowadays the word tea is attached to all sorts of beverages, from a warm cup of chamomile to a bottle of iced hibiscus and vanilla. But these herbal and fruit infusions are exactly that, an infusion. And that’s where the word ‘tisane’ comes from, it’s French for infusion. Who knew such a fancy word could mean something so simple?

But enough of this pedantic examination. Who even says tisane anyway? Apart from the French of course. The way it is, everybody (including us at Doubleshot) use the word ‘tea’ to describe all sorts of crackpot and mind-blowing brews, so let’s stick with it! (If you have an issue with our use of the French language, please contact our French correspondent Monsieur Je ne parle pas Français for more information.)

Just How Many Types of Tea are Out There? Here’s Six to Start!

So, let’s move on to the different types of teas out there. Besides from the plethora of infusions (including your rooibos and yerba mate!), all teas begin life as the same humble leaf, painstakingly clipped from the very tips of the branches. Once these have been harvested from the Camellia sinensis plant, what happens next determines what type of tea it becomes. So without further ado, we’re going to look at the six main tea variants – GET EXCITED!!!

White Tea – Virgin Brew

The least processed of all the teas, white tea is simply left to dry after it has been picked from the plant. It has light and delicate taste when unchanged by any other flavours. A cup of white tea will also deliver the highest concentration of antioxidants to the drinker when compared to other tea types.

Just be careful not to guzzle it down all at once to grab those oh so delicious antioxidants. After some personal experience, rather wait for it to cool down a bit. Anyone have some good burnt tongue remedies?

Green Tea – Wellbeing Booster

The perennially popular green tea is highly regarded as a beverage packed full of health benefits. Once the tea leaves have been plucked they are quickly steamed or fired at a high temperature, then rolled or pressed. Many different subtle flavours are achieved with slight changes in this process.

Know your tea

If only your life were as grand as that of the humble green tea leaf. After a long day of some very productive photosynthesizing, being plucked and placed in a steam room and then a complementary massage. Life could not get better for this green guy. 

Oolong Tea – Caught in the Middle

Sitting in between green and black tea, oolong tea is often described as partially oxidised. But what does that mean? Well, for a start it’s not French, so you don’t have to revert back to Monsieur Je ne parle pas Français for any help with this one. In fact, this is actually more on the sciency side of things. Essentially, the leaves are bruised a little before being subjected to the heating process.

Know yoru tea

In other words, this tea is as nerdy as it gets! Just like your quintessential geeky nerd from school, who loves science and gets beaten and bruised on the daily, this tea is a geek reincarnated into the perfect beverage. There’s a whole spectrum of different oolong teas, with lighter and darker ones, ranging from floral to nutty tastes.

Black Tea – Your Classic Cuppa

If you’ve only ever tried one type of tea, chances are it is black tea. If this is the case, you really need to expand your horizons! This tea type is fully oxidised, so there’s no heating process like with green and oolong tea. The leaves are cut, rolled, and dried, a process that helps to draw out rich flavour, ranging from malty Assam to fruity Keemum.

Yellow Tea – The Golden One

Yellow tea has much in common with its green-coloured compadre. I mean if you look past the little bit of blue in his family tree from way back when, then they are basically the same!

Yellow Tea

The leaves are subjected to heat soon after being picked, but at a lower temperature and for a shorter time than green tea. The big difference is the wrapping. This involves the leaves being bundled up in a cloth or sometimes paper and left to ferment slightly before being dried. 

Pu-erh Tea – Aged Like a Fine Wine

Also called fermented tea or simply dark tea (but not to be confused with black tea), pu-erh tea is the result of a microbial fermentation process. And once again we’re back to the science! The tea leaves are steamed and packed together, then micro-organisms grow throughout the trapped moisture and react with chemicals within the tea. Fermenting can last anything from a few weeks to years depending on the desired taste!

And There’s Even More to Tea Than This…

We’ve just skimmed the surface of the wonderful world of tea here. In fact each one of these different types of tea deserves its very own write-up. But hopefully you know more now than you did five minutes ago when you arrived 😉

If you’re intrigued by what we do here at Doubleshot, check out our Brew Guides. It’s where we let our tea alchemist minds run wild and share the very best of our concoctions with like-minded people just like you!

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Brewing Up in the Great Outdoors – Portable Coffee Press Gear for When You’re On-The-Go

Just because you’re heading out into the middle of nowhere doesn’t mean you should forsake your favourite Doubleshot coffee carefully brewed to perfection. Oh no, that just wouldn’t do, so we’ve tested out all sorts of portable coffee press equipment to discover what works and what doesn’t.

Below you’ll find out a little more about some of the best out there, in our opinion anyway, but what do we know, we’re just a bunch of crazy coffee alchemists up to our eyeballs in coffee beans!

Stanley Classic French Press – The Tough Nut

If you absolutely, positively, must have the toughest portable coffee press on the planet, the Stanley Classic French Press is the one for you. This thing will take a beating, so it’s a great choice if you are camping out somewhere where a bear might try and snatch your coffee off you.

portable coffee presses

Constructed from 18/8 stainless steel, with vacuum insulation and a 470ml capacity, it’s not the lightest or largest portable coffee press on our list. However, the Stanley is unsurpassed when it comes to keeping the heat in. It’ll make sure that brew is nice and warm for up to 4 hours from the time of brewing! And if you want iced coffee this thing keeps it frosty for a whopping 20 hours 😮

Check out Camp and Climb for your Stanley Classic French Press

GSI Outdoors JavaPress – The Guzzler

How much coffee do you like to drink? If putting away around a litre of the stuff is your average daily intake, then look no further than the GSI Outdoors JavaPress. This truly is the big boy of portable coffee presses, with a capacity of just under 900ml. It’s light yet sturdy, and with nylon cosy wrapping around the container it’s got decent insulation too.

portable coffee presses

One particularly good feature is the silicone ring around the plunger to create a solid seal that keeps coffee groups trapped firmly at the bottom. An awesome all-rounder that works great for groups, but its size is sure to put some of you off, especially when you’re going on a solo adventure.

Head to the Ram Mountaineering Gear website for a GSI Outdoors JavaPress

AeroPress Go Complete Travel Coffee Maker – The Magic Maker

When it comes to the AeroPress, well, we’re a little biased here at Doubleshot. The truth is we love this incredible bit of kit. It’s such a simple idea and works so well that we believe once you’ve tried it you’ll never want to brew coffee any other way! If there had to be a downside, it would be that there’s a few more working parts to this coffee maker than the others in our list. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it at first.

portable coffee presses

However, no other coffee brewing equipment in this list can match the versatility of the AeroPress. You have full control over your grind size and water temperature, and slight alterations to plunging time and pressure can achieve nuanced changes in your brew. Whether you want a big mug of classic Americano coffee, a small strong espresso, or even a cold brew, the AeroPress can do it all.

Grab yourself an AeroPress Brewer from the Doubleshot Store

Zyliss Hot Mug – The Easy Peasy

Now, this is about as straightforward and no frills as a portable coffee press can get, and at a very reasonable price tag it’s worth noting. The Zyliss Hot Mug is basically a light plastic mug with a mesh filter plunger and handy lid to avoid any spillages. The mug is double insulated to keep that brew warmer for longer, but apart from that there really isn’t anything more to it.

portable coffee presses

What’s so great about it then? It certainly doesn’t have the ruggedness of the Stanley, the capacity of the GSI Outdoors JavaPress, or the customisability of the AeroPress. Perhaps the best thing about the Zyliss Hot Mug is that it just doesn’t care about being the best at anything, no, it’s just a portable coffee press for the everyman!

Pick yourself up a Zyliss Hot Mug from Takealot

Got a Better Idea?

So there you have it, whoever you are and whatever you like, one of these portable coffee presses is sure to be a good fit. And if they’re not? Then tell us what you’re using and why it’s so good in the comments below!

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We Have Got Enough Milks Now. Would Everyone Stop Milking Sh!t – Part 1

I have no doubt that lactose intolerance is a grave issue faced by thousands of you coffee lovers daily, but looking at the boom of alternative milk production over the past couple of years, I can say that your issue can officially take a backseat. Excuse the pun but holy cow! Have you seen the aisle of milk alternatives at your local grocery store? It’s even longer than the never-ending queues of cars waiting for a refill at your local petrol station before the petrol price goes up, yet again!

It seems as though every person in the health food industry is coming up with new tricks on how to take anything approximately the same size as a nut and squishing it into something that looks vaguely similar to the classic creamy cows milk we’ve come to love. Heck, we were even tricked in our youth to down a whole cup of cow juice with some steaming chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven. Oh, how times have changed.

It’s Not Just Cow’s Milk Anymore

Even the most mundane of coffee orders have now begun to puzzle the brightest of the coffee enthusiasts of our day and age. Take the classic cappuccino for instance. A beautifully simple fusion of sweet and acidic espresso cut with frothy, creamy milk – typically from a cow. Nowadays the business of ordering a coffee has become much more complex.

The classic question of whether you would like your milk hot or cold has taken on a new look with the advent of the mass production of alternative milks. Countless nuts and legumes have suddenly taken to the spotlight in the milk production industry. Ranging from the classic almond milk to something a little more exotic like macadamia nut milk or even hemp milk.

So, the question you should be examining very closely is whether you’d like your milk squeezed from a bean, from a pulse, from a grain, from an oat, from a nut, from a flack, from a seed, from a leaf or from a tree.

Milk Non Dairy

Starting with the Basics – Almond Milk

The problem with discussing milk alternatives in this blog post alone is that there are way too many to even name, let alone describe and talk about without boring you to death and causing a mass resurgence of the cow milk industry. So to keep things short and simple, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of many of your favourite milk alternatives, with some cheeky comments and hilarious prods to make it worth your while, in separate blog posts.

I hope you’re ready with a steaming cup of some Out of This World Coffee with a tad of almond milk because today we start with the basics!

Sorry to disappoint the animal loving hipsters and lactose intolerant sufferers who claim this concoction as their own, but almond milk was around way before the current almond milk bonanza. In fact, the almond tree was one of the first to be domesticated and trained in the art of producing almonds for our consumption. Its use can be traced back to Baghdadi recipes and we like to refer to them fondly as King Tut’s Nuts, considering they were found buried next to him in his eternal resting place. (Unlike his nuts though, these stayed un-shrivelled for centuries!) Additional recipes included French almond milk soup, some Icelandic almond milk yoghurt and even some fake eggs that only the English could have thought of as a ‘good idea’.

The Original Dairy Alternative

The big boom of almond milk occurred in the Middle Ages where it really gained traction and Europeans couldn’t stop drinking the stuff! It basically appears in every single recipe book from medieval Europe and was used as a fitting replacement for that old cows milk, which spoiled quickly leading to some rather unpleasant visits to the lavatory, and wasn’t allowed to be consumed during fasting periods such as Lent.

Considered to be one of the best alternative milks out there by thousands worldwide, today the market has returned the once beloved almond milk that captured the hearts of our ancestors.

The Way an Almond is Milked is Just Nuts!

Wonder where to milk your almond nuts no longer! With this handy dandy documentary, detailing the ins and outs of the Almond Milking Industry you’ll be able to distinguish between your male and female nuts in no time! But if you’re like us and don’t have the extra cash lying around to purchase your very own flock of gerbils, or better yet a tandem nut milker to get that fresh warm milk out of your nuts, we have a much easier solution which is almost as good as the real thing. All you need to do is follow the almond brick road:

1. Soak 1 cup of your freshly picked raw almonds in a bowl of cold water overnight.

2. Blend up your soaked almonds with 4 cups of water till creamy and smooth.

3. Strain through a nut-milk bag or a cheese-cloth into an airtight container to get rid of all the nasty bits.

4. Add in some fancy flavours for a bit of fun. We suggest some cinnamon and some maple syrup for a bit of sweetness.

5. Place in the fridge to chill and enjoy your freshly milked nuts!

Is the Humble Almond the Cow of the Future???

Now for the big question. How does it stack up against the classic cow juice?

It may surprise you that this popular nut isn’t as cracked up as it’s thought to be. Although you can create some smooth latte art for some flare, this milk has a tendency to curdle and make for a lumpy watery drink underneath. Another downside of almond milk is that the unsweetened versions can leave you with a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

The Final Judgement

Did you know that some almond milks are just 2% almonds! So despite all the health elements that almonds can provide like your dose of vitamin E and some other fancy vitamins and minerals to help you churn out your work day by day, the ugly truth is that it ain’t great. Not only are you gaining only a minuscule amount of nutrition but you’re also using a ton of water which could be used for much better things (LIKE MAKING COFFEE!)

So unless you are one who absolutely loves the flavour that almond milk adds to your life, we would suggest one of the other alternative milks that we will delve into in this series of posts to come…

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Coffee Date? No Wait, Date Coffee! ☕️

After a good date season, have you ever had tons and tons of date seeds sitting in the kitchen waiting to be thrown away? Neither have we, but this recipe will definitely peak your interest if you’re in the market for a caffeine-free alternative to kickstart your weekday morning.

As of 2004, 6.9 million tons of dates were processed, with a whopping 863,000 tons of date seeds produced. So the obvious question is what do we do with all this waste? Currently these byproducts are mostly used in animal feed with their potential for human health benefits lost and forgotten.

Did you know that within that syrupy sweet date flesh that we crave, hides a small jewel that has the potential to lower blood sugar levels, prevent heart disease and blood clots, encourage good gut bacteria growth, and prevent certain types of cancers? All while increasing your intelligence more and more with every sip.

So, enough about all the good stuff that comes with this new concoction, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and make a cup of date coffee for yourself!

The Date Coffee Manual:

1. Eat LOTS of dates! The collecting of date seeds can be a pain, but trust us, by the end of this experiment you’ll be forever in our debt. Between 8-10 seeds should be enough for a solid cup, so we suggest you get chewing right away!

2. Following that, a good soak in a nice hot bath overnight should get rid of all that sticky fruit surrounding the seeds. Be sure to get all that nasty stuff off with some water and a paper towel or it could ruin the roast

3. Now that your seeds are all swelled up and clean, you’ll need to leave them out to dry, just like what happened on your last date 😉

4. Here comes the fun part! If you’re fancy like us and have your own coffee roasting machine then congrats! You’ve won yourself a whole pat on the back. If not, don't stress. The process is basically the same, just be sure to give your seeds a good shake every couple of minutes when in the oven at about 170℃. A roasting time of around 30 minutes should be good but trust your gut on this one

5. Once again, you can give yourself another slap on the back if you have your own coffee grinder at home. This can work just as well if you use a food processor or even a pestle and mortar if you’re willing to put in the extra elbow grease (Not sure how that will affect the flavour, but anyway…)

6. And now, ladies and gentleman, the moment you have been waiting for, for all 2 minutes of reading time, we have finally reached the brewing stage! Whether you like your morning brew made via a drip filter, french press or Aeropress this interesting creation finds itself somewhere in the arena of tea with natural sweetness and even hints of coffee and mocha all in one cup.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s summarise:

  • Collect date seeds
  • Treat like normal coffee
  • Drink and enjoy

Remember to add some funk in with some cinnamon, ginger or even our artisanal chai concentrate to pump you up for another exhilarating day of trying to find something else to replace that buzz provided by your loving companion – your morning cuppa coffee.

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A Guide to Purim Festivities

Like many Jewish festivals, which are regularly distinguished by some prayer, a ton of food and a few l’chaims along the way, Purim is no different except for the fact that we place a little more emphasis on l’chaims and party vibes more than anything else. So for this year’s Purim festivities, we thought what better way to help you get into that purim spirit than creating some specialty cocktails for you to enjoy while trying to decipher between ‘arur Haman’ and ‘baruch Mordechai.’

If you’re not too familiar with the story, here’s a brief rundown on what happened all those years ago…

Needless to say, the Empire of Persia in the times of King Achashverosh was quite the raunchy place. After a hard pass by Queen Vashti to appear before the King in her birthday suit, the rather unhinged Achashverosh sets his lawyers on her tail and is now on the hunt for a new bride to replace Queen Vashti. (Try out our Iced Vash-Tea to get the same Achash, OY -VEY, my – rosh that she probably ENDURED whilst dealing with that guy)

After quite a while of searching and flaunting his crown jewels around the whole of Persia he catches feelings for a lovely young woman named Esther. Did we mention she’s Jewish. Anyways, Esther was the perfect wife material. Not only could she cook a killer kugel, but she was also raised by none other than the righteous Mordechai.

Seems like quite a nice story till now, right? WRONG! Not all is well in the kingdom – treachery is afoot. After some eavesdropping and tattle tailing by Mordechai, the King is saved from the clutches of death and Mordechai gains some brownie points with the King of Persia.

In other news, the vain and egocentric grand vizier Haman – who for some reason thought it was an acceptable fashion statement to wear a three-cornered hat – is sulking in his bedroom because Mordechai wouldn’t bow down to him, being the wise and courageous Mordechai we know and love.

Now, what better way to get rid of that one guy who wouldn’t bow down to Haman while roaming the streets of Persia? Well, we could come up with a few ways, but turns out in Haman’s mind a large genocide of all the Jews, of which Mordechai is a part, is sufficient in his eyes. And so, on a roll of the dice Haman decides that since his day planner is relatively free, the 14th of Adar will be the day he will get his revenge…

After a relatively short conversation consisting of:
Haman: “Can we kill all the Jews on the 14th of Adar please?”
Achashverosh: “OK”
Haman: “Yippee!”
And so it was sealed with some fancy ring only held by the King of Persia that this will be the day the genocide of the Jews will take place. Dun Dun Duuuuun!

As you may recall, Esther is Jewish but the King doesn’t know (turns out not all marriages are built on trust). As you can imagine, Esther is pretty anxious about this and decides this may be a good time to do a quick diet before all her people are killed and so doesn’t eat for three days straight. Following her fast, she visits the King unannounced and invites the King and Haman to a banquet – us Jews really do love our food. Meanwhile, Haman is getting quite enthusiastic for the massacre coming up and even builds some homemade gallows for his nemesis Mordechai.

Remembering the man who saved his life, Achashverosh commands Haman to parade Mordechai through the streets to honour him, which Haman very reluctantly agrees to. Seems like the perfect time to enjoy a MordeCHAI while being paraded through the streets, don’t you think?

At the end of the second feast Esther reveals her secret – she’s Jewish! And with that all of Haman’s dreams and fantasies go up in smoke. The King grants permission for the Jews to defend themselves against Haman’s evil men. Even Haman is hanged on the same homemade gallows especially designed for Mordechai. (Speaking of hanging Haman, shoot on over to our brew guides to see how you can receive a slightly less harsh punishment in the form of ‘Haman’s Hangover’ to enjoy during your Purim festivities). Jews seemed to have been much more athletic than Jews in our times because they managed to defend themselves and massacre all of Hamans supporters. Pretty impressive if you ask us.

This story does end happily ever after with Mordechai becoming the new honourable member in the King’s council as well as the survival of Jews in the Kingdom of Persia for a further couple hundred years. Additional benefits include hamantaschen with flavours ranging from the classic poppyseed and cheese to the exotic chocolate peanut butter and wild blueberry.

The absolute star of the show emerging from this festival has to be the Purim parties celebrated around the world and the new Purim Cocktails like our Iced Vash-Tea, MordeCHAI and Haman’s Hangover that will be sure to put you in the festive mood.

P.S. We have the perfect solution to your throbbing head and aching body after a long night out of Purim festivities. Just pour yourself a cup of our range of coffee blends and that should sort you out and have you firing on all cylinders for a productive day.

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Three Delectable Purim Cocktails for Celebrating in Style

How do you celebrate the mitzvah of drinking? With some Purim cocktails of course! We’ve crafted three delicious concoctions that pay homage to the characters of this special Jewish festival. After all, the 4th century rabbi Rava said it best when he exclaimed, “One must drink on Purim until that person cannot distinguish between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai.” And who are we to argue with that!

Purim Cocktail Recipes

ICED VASH – TEA

Purim Cocktail

For those of you who think that Queen Vashti was an icy b!tch like us, this drink is definitely the one for you. Filled with sweetness and leaving behind a frosty bite from our Mint & Lime Iced Tea, it’s paired with a generous amount of vodka to ensure this Purim will be one to write down in your own Megillah one day.

1. Pour 150ml of Mint & Lime Iced Tea into one of your fancy tall glasses

2. Add 60ml of vodka for a slight kick

3. For some sweetness add 15ml simple syrup

4. Top off with soda water and a squeeze of lemon juice

5. Garnish with a lemon slice & mint leaves. Dress to impress doesn't only apply to your Purim getup but your drinks as well!

6. Stir with ice and enjoy!

THE MORDECHAI

Purim Cocktail

This one is for the wise. Not only will you look very dapper sipping on this bad boy while sitting in your comfy leather chair in a robe and slippers, but your bravery shines through as well, with a double shot of gin to get the night rolling.

1. For this you’ll need 60ml of your favourite gin

2. 15ml of our chai concentrate

3. Shake and strain over ice

4. Garnish with a cinnamon stick & a slice of orange

HAMAN’S HANGOVER

Purim Cocktail

A mix that’s sure to get your rashanim (noisemakers) going. Not only does it have the Doubleshot coffee you’ve been craving but a generous dose of vodka is in there too, an added bonus to help celebrate your Purim party!

1. Add 60ml of freshly brewed coffee

2. Mix in 60ml of vodka, don’t be shy!

3. 20ml of our rich cacao SYRP

4. Shake like you’ve just heard Haman’s name

5. Strain into a martini glass

6. Garnish with coffee beans and a sprig of mint

And that’s it, you’re all set to mix up these Purim cocktail recipes, but if you have any of your own go ahead and school us. Add them to the comments below so we can try them out!