Florence Fabricant, a nationally renown food writer and columnist who contributes regularly and frequently to the New York Times dining section, loves Gorilla Cold Brew. This is what she had to say about it:
We have just launched the first * shelf-stable * ready-to-drink * pure black * cold brewed coffee! The 11 oz. resealable screwtop tetrapak box is shelf-stable & it requires no refrigeration! Drink it straight from the box, pour it over ice or heat it up in a mug. Gorilla cold brew is a blend of rwanda kigeyo and brazil pedra roxa coffees.
Today we did a little experiment where we paired some of our favorite cheeses with one of our favorite coffees, Kintamani, Bali.
Here is what we found…
GABIETOU; RAW COW & SHEEP’S MILK; FRANCE
Cheese notes: hints of cashew and earth with a smooth, spreadable texture.
Paired with the Kintamani, Bali:
The strong strawberry aroma and big jam flavors create a well-rounded dessert pairing. It is a sophisticated cashew butter & jam sandwich. This Kintamani is my Beaujolais.
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GOUDA, L’AMUSE; RAW COW’S MILK; 2 YRS; HOLLAND
Cheese notes: nice orange zest punch up front & vanilla on the finish. The texture is dense and dry with protein crystals evenly throughout. The cheese offers a wonderful butterscotch note that is enhanced by the coffee.
Paired with the Kintamani, Bali:
Chocolate is in the forefront when this coffee and cheese meet. The butterscotch notes of this Gouda showcase more as toasted carmel. The combination of the orange & carmel (cheese) matched with strawberry & chocolate (coffee) just make this a lovely pairing. The two match so well that it does not challenge the palate. It is delicious but will not invoke a discussion beyond, “pass me some more, please”.
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ADELLEGER; RAW COW’S MILK; BAVARIA
Cheese notes: this cheese has a split personality. The core is sweet with hints of pineapple. The denser cheese near the rind has notes of truffle and earth.
Paired with the Kintamani, Bali:
This is like 2 cheeses in 1. The center of the Adelleger offers delicate refreshing notes of pineapple that pairs well with the strawberry notes of the Kintamani. The coffee lightens when paired with the core of the cheese and offers an almost refreshing experience.
The heavier notes of truffle and earth offered by the rind areas of the cheese brings out a perception of a heavy body to the coffee. The strawberry & jam blend well to create almost a sweet, creamy mushroom experience. Much heavier than the core of the cheese. This is a pairing for those who want to debate! One pairing with two distinct impressions. Very cool.
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GORGONZOLA “CREMIFACATO”; COW’S MILK: LOMBARDI, ITALY
Cheese notes: savory and “blue” this cheese is super creamy and dripping off the tip of my knife.
Paired with the Kintamani, Bali:
This cheese changes the most when paired with Kintamani. The coffee softens the sharpness of the cheese and creates a wonderful dessert. Amazing! The palate is brought from sharp, tart, and sour to sweet and creamy. This is an overall winner. The body of the coffee holds up to this stinky cheese. Perception: the cheese gets sweeter paired with the Bali.
Hope you find this helpful. Cheese and coffee and really fun to pair!
Let’s meet for coffee. You can hear that phrase 20 times a day everyday for the rest of your life. It’s what people do. They gather, meet, chat, disclose, reveal, ponder….over coffee. The phrase is perfectly open ended. The possibilities are limitless.
HOME ROASTING 101
Are you reading this over a cup of coffee? Not surprising. Coffee is just one of those universal beverages that bring people together. On Wednesday September 28th it did just that. Gorilla Coffee introduced 150 participants to the world of home roasting. 150 enthusiastic coffee lovers listened about the roasting process, while sipping beer, at the Brooklyn Brewery. Sitting on the edge of their seats while we gave an overview of drop temperature, ambient temperature, and the caramelization of sugars.
Our approach to home roasting: have fun.
With so many people enjoying coffee and experiencing so much of their life over coffee (think: births, proposals, weddings, interviews, holidays, etc.), it is not surprising that people want to know a little more about the “guest” that is always at these events. Here’s a little peek into the roasting.
Coffee roasting is available to anyone with time, source of heat, a vessel, green beans, and a little patience. The last element is tough. If you are going to embark on home roasting, do it for love. Use it as a time to explore your interest and feed your creative mind. Become a chef with the beans. You can make slight tweaks, through temperature and time variables, for each roast to draw out different flavors and really get to know all the nuances of the coffee you have chosen.
As we explained: you are going to love your roast regardless of what happens. It will be a coffee that you were involved with intimately.
We gave out 50, half-pound bags of green coffee. We wanted to get people started on this great adventure. The bags were nabbed up crazy quick. The excitement was palpable, and we have already been getting feedback with some of the results. Marty, a regular at Gorilla Coffee, came in Monday and showed us photos of his first roast. It took a little longer than expected, and he admittedly had his heat source too low, but the results were exactly as we had hoped and planned. With a grin from ear to ear, he said, “made the best cup of coffee I ever had”. He was happy and proud.
Mission accomplished.
Been taking pictures of some drinks at the store lately, and wanted to share them here. Espresso-a-Go-Go – CREMA (pictured above).
Macchiato
Latte
Organic Rooibos Tea Service
