Favourite Coffees

Each member of The Coffee Bar Gang ™ has a preferred preparation method, recipe, and or type of coffee bean, that should be used in the preparation of their favourite coffee drink.

On this page we explore each characters preferences.

1 Angelique Dauxette’s Favourite Coffee

Skinny Latte

Angelique orders a Skinny Latte made with a single Espresso shot, skimmed milk, a dose of sugar free vanilla syrup, plus a little foam on top, served in an 8oz glass.

A regular latte is made with a single or double shot of Espresso, steamed full fat milk, and optional syrup. The ratio of Espresso to milk is usually 1:3 to 1:5, with a 12mm layer of foam on top.

Angelique prefers skinny latte, made her way, for the taste rather than to save calories.

2 Carlucci Bosco’s Favourite Coffee

Caffe Corretto

Carlucci enjoys a Corretto after a meal or as a ‘winter warmer’ on a cold day. Espresso Corretto is the Italian equivalent of a ‘corrected’ Espresso – corrected with a splash of grappa, sambuca, or brandy.

Prepare the Espresso using Arabica beans, medium roast for a fuller flavour. Make sure the crema covers the coffee evenly, serve the coffee and the liquor in complementary glasses, the spirit should be at room temperature. Pour in the grappa.

Salute!

3 Njeri Arusei’s Favourite Coffee

Caffè Breve

Njeri prefers her Breve made with ‘half & half’ using good quality, locally sourced, Arabica beans farmed on the slopes of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains.

Caffè Breve, also known as a Breve Latte, is an American variation of a Latte using steamed half and half (a 50:50 mix of milk and cream). Njeri acquired a taste for this preparation when she lived and studied Law in the USA.

The half & half base increases the amount of foam in the drink producing a smooth texture and rich flavour.

Njeri has close family connections with farmers from the Kagumoini Co-operative near Mount Kenya and buys her beans direct from them.

At her local cafe, the barista prepares a small Breve with two shots of espresso, she then steams the half & half up to 160 degrees. The Espresso is then poured slowly into the cup and a little foam added on top.

As a regular customer of long standing, Njeri is served her Breve Latte in her favourite mug kept specially for her behind the bar.

4 Rafiq Salam’s Favourite Coffee

Flat White

Raf’s favourite everyday coffee drink is a Flat White made with a double shot of Espresso using pure Arabica beans.

Use a single or double shot of espresso and adjust the quantity of milk accordingly. Texture full fat milk into a velvety smooth micro foam, it is important not to let the foam separate from the milk. The textured milk is then poured over the espresso and folded through the whole drink with no layer separation between the milk and the coffee. Serve in an 8-9 oz cup so it’s bigger than a Macchiato but smaller than a Latte.

Rafiq likes the Flat White combination of strong coffee flavour with the characteristic velvety smooth ‘mouth’.

Strong and yet smooth – very much like Raf himself?

5 Malena Labadie’s Favourite Coffee

Caffè Cubano (un cafecito)

Made with strong, aromatic, Cuban Coffee brewed over Demerara, natural brown sugar. This coffee is an exotic flavoursome ‘blockbuster’ typical of the island of Cuba.

Caffè Cubano Espresso, made Cuban style with a Cuban coffee such as La Llave. It has a higher concentration of caffeine than other drinks so it is served in tacitas (tiny cups) that vary in size between a thimble and a demitasse cup.
The barista first creates a light sugar foam, called espumita, by vigorously stirring the sugar and a small amount of coffee brew.
The brewed coffee is then added to the foam.
Seve as a single espresso shot, with a glass of water, after a meal, or for a drink with friends.

Malena appreciates the intensity of flavour, the high energy ‘buzz’ from the caffeine in her Caffè Cubano; most of all, however, she loves the way it connects to her Cuban roots – the ‘ritual’ nature of its preparation after a meal, the sharing with friends, the little toasts they make to each other and to the future.

For Malena, the essence of Cuban culture is right there, in the cup.

6 Max Hawser’s Favourite Coffee

Moccachino – Espresso style
Made with cocoa, full fat milk, turbinado sugar, and a strong dark roast Espresso coffee.

After a hard days climbing in the Dolomites Max likes to prepare his own Moccachino, so here is Max’s recipe for a generous ‘mug size’ serving.

Ingredients:

Method

Step 1 Combine the hot water, cocoa powder, sugar and salt, in the mug, stir into a smooth paste

Step 2 Brew an Espresso (enough to half fill the mug)

Step 3 Steam the milk (not too bubbly or frothy) for 15 seconds

Step 4 Add the milk to the chocolate paste in the mug, hold back some foam for the topping

Step 5 Slowly pour the Espresso into the cocoa mixture in the mug

Step 6 If required, this is the moment to add some flavoured syrup (Max prefers Monin Wild Strawberry)

Step 7 Carefully add the milk foam to top the drink

Step 8 Sprinkle a little powdered caramel, cinnamon, or Turbinado sugar over the foam.

Let the brew rest in the mug for a few moments to allow the flavours to settle, then, enjoy!

Well if that doesn’t help to fix a good nights sleep, then nothing else will!

7 Penelope ‘Pippa’ Fairchild’s Favourite Coffee

Cappuccino scuro – a dark Cappuccino, made with a little less milk, and a lot more foam.

Cappuccino scuro, how does it differ from a conventional Cappuccino?

The traditional way to prepare a Cappuccino is to use the method of ‘threes’: 1/3 Esppresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 milk foam.

The barista would usually pour the hot foamed milk over the Espresso shot to create a 2cm thick milk foam on the top of the drink.

Cappuccino scuro, known as Dry or Dark Cappuccino, however, is prepared in the usual way but with less milk according to individual taste.

Pippa will tell the barista how much milk to use according to her mood, time of day, and where she happens to be in the world.

This gives Pippa some control over the production process and the kind of taste she is looking for at that particular moment.

8 Kane Ridgemont’s Favourite Coffee

Americano, double Espresso made with premium Kona Coffee beans from the Kona Coast, Hawaii.

To make an Americano, prepare an espresso in the usual way (either a single or double shot) then add hot water according to taste (between 30 and 480 mls).

Adding more, or less, water varies the intense flavour, however, be sure to pour the hot water into the espresso i.e. the espresso is on the bottom.

Kane orders a double Americano (two shots of Espresso) made with Kona coffee from the Kona Coast, Hawaii, topped up with 6 fld ozs (180 mls) of hot water.

However, all of the local Baristas know exactly how Kane likes his coffee prepared, after all, he is a local legend!

9 Dr leila Lohai’s Favourite Coffee

Caffè Ristretto, a concentrated Espresso made with Moloka’i coffee beans from the Kualapu’u estates on the island of Molokai, Hawaii.

Ristretto (meaning ‘limited’ or ‘restricted’ in Italian) is a very strong, concentrated, Espresso made with a standard volume of coffee extracted into half the usual quantity of water.

Leila orders a double shot Espresso (14 – 18 grams of ground coffee) extracted into a demitasse (30 ml or 1 fl oz).

This produces a full-bodied, concentrated, thick syrupy coffee drink with plenty of flavour and very little bitterness.

10 Professor Juan Carlos’ Favourite Coffee

Caffè Macchiato, an Espresso based drink, made with Agustino Forest, a locally grown, single origin, Colombian Coffee.

Macchiato is Italian for ‘marked with’, so, Caffè Macchiato is an Espresso coffee ‘marked with’ milk foam, usually served in a small 2 oz cup.

Juan makes his own brew as follows:

Prepare a double shot of Espresso using Agustino Forest premium beans.

Steam the milk up to 155°, mix the milk and foam carefully, avoid making bubbles.

Pour a very small portion of milk foam ontop the Espresso in the cup, just enough to cover and protect the surface from the air.

11 Professor Eva Borg’s Favourite Coffee

Caffè Cortado, a single shot Espresso served with plenty of very hot milk.

A Caffè Cortado is usually prepared with a single shot of Espresso; milk is then added according to individual taste e.g. very hot, or cold, less or more.

Eva prefers her coffee served in a large 16 oz cup with plenty of hot milk, her local baristas know exactly how to set this up for her.

Back at home, however, Eva will prepare her own Cortado Spanish Style in her favourite glass beaker safely housed in a metal holder with an elaborately shaped supporting handle.

12 Dr Li Xyzi’s Favourite Coffee

When he’s working on a coding problem, Li enjoys a simple one-shot Espresso made with single origin, Old Brown Java premium coffee beans locally sourced from the Djampit estates in Eastern Java.

Kopi Java – Old Brown Java Coffee

‘Old Brown’ is an Indonesian ‘Aged’ Coffee originating from the old Dutch estates established on the east side of the island.

The beans are aged over a 3 to 5-year process in which they are exposed to the warm, moist, air during the rainy season.

This produces an intense flavour with virtually no acidity, a good heavy body, and a signature ‘sweetness’ in the mouth.

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