Our new monthly columnist Tricia Fox is a lover of coffee. She owns her own coffee shop in Perth and shares some of her favourite festive brews with readers.
Shhhhh. It’s too early to mention the C-word…
I’m sure I won’t be the first to mention this, but please forgive me if I am: Christmas is coming.
The coffee world, mindful that the festive season is a challenge with which higher levels of caffeination can greatly assist, is already gearing up for the festivities.
Seasonal blends have hit the shelves in full force this month.
Darker roasts, more closely matching winter temperaments as they navigate pitch black mornings and fervent preparations for the “Big Day”.
Festive Mhor
Festive Mhor was the first seasonal blend out of the roastery for Mhor Coffee in its inaugural year. We were astonished by its popularity, particularly with super busy mums who were knocking down our door last Christmas Eve, demanding we sell them all remaining bags.
The Festive Mhor: From £8 mhor.coffee
Christmas blend
One of my festive favourites is a visit to The Bean Shop in Perth, which you can also order from online.
Its Christmas Blend changes every year but always delivers thanks to Lorna and John Bruce’s combined decades of exceptional coffee roasting knowledge.
Christmas is also to thank for kick-starting my coffee brewing experiments. Until I got my very first Aeropress, courtesy of Santa, I’d been a stalwart of the cafetiere.
This strange, plunging contraption, unwrapped on Christmas morning, promised the unthinkable: a cup of coffee without tiny bits of coffee grind floating around in my cup.
This was a genuine benefit indeed.
A relatively new brewing invention, the Aeropress has only been around since 2005 and I’ve had mine for at least a decade.
The Bean Shop Christmas Blend: From £6 thebeanshop.co.uk
Travel kits
It’s such a hit with coffee aficionados that many have their very own Aeropress travel kits. While I prefer to travel light, I do have an Aeropress set-up in the office, as well as at home.
When it comes to my daily dose of coffee, it’s all about the taste, and the Aeropress guarantees that in spades. There’s two methods of brewing: traditional and inverted.
The latter option is not for the faint hearted and generally prone to accidental spillage, but both methods offer a short period of steeping followed by a tiny degree of pressurised extraction.
The result is a rich, strong, black coffee, completely grain-free and delightfully smooth. While I do still regularly brew with a cafetiere (easier if it’s coffee for two), when it comes to solo coffee indulgence, the Aeropress is at the very top of my list. Quick to use, easy to clean, and delivers smooth delicious coffee each and every time. I love it.
The Aeropress and Aeropress to Go are available from The Bean Shop and Mhor Coffee. Prices start from £25.