Off Topic

We found this short video from the Science Channel that deconstructs one of our most popular entry-level burr grinders, from Breville. The narration and music are a little much, but the information is solid! Click on the image below to view it on the Science Channel website. It demonstrates how the burrs work to evenly crush the coffee beans, which is superior to blade grinders which simply chop them up into uneven pieces.

I just got back from Pigeon Toe Ceramics, the local Portland hive of ceramic artisans (Lisa and Lola, represent) that we’ve commissioned for the first Clive Coffee mug. These mugs are a subtle juxtaposition of modern and rustic, clean yet memorable, Amsterdam meets Portland, 1920′s brought to 2010. We put a lot of thought into the curve of the handle, the weight of the edge, and the texture of the glaze. We’ll have coffee mugs and macchiato cups. Here’s a sneak peak. Should be ready for shipment next week.

And in other news, here’s the salvage walnut wood we’ve found for our upcoming showroom in SE Portland. More info to come, obviously. Until then, Happy Friday!

Irish Coffee is a St. Patrick’s Day tradition that marries the warmth of good coffee with the Celtic spirit of Irish whiskey.

We’re normally purists around here. No cream or sugar. Just great, carefully roasted coffee that allows the innate characteristics to shine through. However, sometimes it’s okay to mix a little booze in with your coffee, as long as you can still taste the coffee. We have a few folks around here with Irish in their blood, so we went on a quest to find the best coffee for this honored drink. We coupled our current collection of twelve caffeinated coffees with two beloved Irish whiskeys, Jameson and Bushmills, and tried all twenty-four combinations in four preliminary rounds

Over the past weeks, we assembled a tasting panel with impressive credentials—a bartender, several professional coffee tasters, and multiple members of an Irish family–to help us judge the twenty-four combinations, methodically rating and narrowing down the selections. We finally found the perfect combination to recommend to you, for your Irish Coffee drinking pleasure, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

Our winning combination?

Brazil Organic Mogiana and Jameson. This combo won us over with its chocolaty and nutty attributes, creating such a pleasing cohesive smoothness that is both comforting and festive.  It’s a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in a cup.

But for those who say Jameson is too good to mix in a drink, you will be happy to know our close runner-up coupling is Papua New Guinea Kigabah and Bushmills; a well-rounded combination with hints of peaty earthiness. Nice fruit flavors develop as it cools.

The Perfect Irish Coffee Recipe:

1 shot Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 ¹/₂ teaspoons sugar
5 oz Brazil Organic Mogiana coffee
Heavy cream, whipped

Pour a shot of Jameson into a warm glass or mug (preferably one with shamrocks and a gold rim).

Add the 1 ½ t of sugar to dissolve in the whiskey.

Pour in hot coffee, leaving room.

Top with cool whipped cream.

Do not mix; just enjoy sipping the hot coffee through the cool cream. Let the flavors blend in your mouth and enjoy with an Irish toast from us to you!

Our friends are the best friends, loyal willing and able.
Now let’s get to drinking! All glasses off the table!

Sláinte!

See what we love about Portland! Be sure to click the expand button to watch it in full screen, high-def. Enjoy!

A comic that teaches 15 important facts about coffee. It’s not 100% accurate, but it’s still fun.

Who knew the man knew his coffee? His office ordered a Technivorm from us and had it delivered to the Rose Garden before his show on Friday, Sep 11th. Does that mean we can take credit for his presumably energetic performance?

If you’re the type to be persuaded by celebrity endorsements, consider this one to be of the purest sort. Upgrade yourself to a Technivorm.

It was a pleasant cafe, warm and clean and
friendly, and I hung up my old water-proof on the
coat rack to dry and put my worn and weathered
felt hat on the rack above the bench and ordered a
cafe au lait. The waiter brought it and I took out
a notebook from the pocket of the coat and a
pencil and started to write.

- Ernest Hemingway

Just opened – across the street from Clive Coffee, a new source for unproductive beverages and delightful small plates. Friendly people, large windows overlooking the river and skyline in the distance. Coudn’t ask for much more. The Dean’s Madness is a great drink of tequila or gin, muddled local blueberries, housemade tonic, and a squeeze of lime. The bartenders know their stuff, and they’ve put together a well curated selection of liquors, including lots of local booze made just up the street.  Check them out sometime.