Cold Brew Coffee Made Simple

Last summer I started to make cold brew coffee at home. I found it to be incredibly easy and so much fun trying different types of coffee!

All you will need are the following items:

• Coffee

• Quart sized mason jar

• Coffee Grinder

• Nylon bag

The nylon bags are easy to find on Amazon and I am sure other stores. Nylon will do the best job of not allowing any coffee grinds to get into the cold brew.

The main thing with making cold brew is to use a courser grind for the coffee. For the quart sized mason jar, I use 1 cup of coffee.

Take the coffee and put it into the nylon bag and tie the bag. Now you will want to fill the jar with water. Good purified water will make better coffee than straight out of the tap. Seal up the mason jar and put into the refrigerator.

Typically, I allow at least 12 hours for the cold brew to sit before using it. The cold brew concentrate will be strong not only in flavor but also caffeine, so you will want to dilute it to your own desired strength.

Now it is time to enjoy! I like to make an iced latte especially with the coffee combination I used in this one:

• French Roast

• Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Roast

• Coconut Medium Roast

Happy cold brewing!

For the Love of Roasting

Josh keeps a close eye on each batch of coffee he roasts - Photo credit Normal Roasting

I have always loved a good cup a coffee, but probably never really appreciated everything that goes into that perfectly roasted bean. Over the past year, I have started to find those coffee shops that really care about the experience in the cup of coffee they provide. I have no problem bypassing the national chains when I can find a local coffee shop!

My first introduction to Normal Roasting Company coffee was through a coffee stout from Scratchtown Brewing Company in Ord, Nebraska. The Normal Breakfast Stout had such a wonderful coffee flavor that I had to find out more about the company that created this coffee.

I loved how they were building this amazing coffee shop in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Burwell is the home of Normal Roasting and the owners take it very seriously about producing the best coffee possible. A labor of love, Sara and her husband Josh believe in the connection that good coffee brings to people. Over the past eight years, they have worked hard at every blend of coffee they have created.

Sara and Josh having fun as they work together getting their coffee out the door - Photo credit Normal Roasting

One thing you know you will always get is the TLC that goes into each batch of coffee that gets roasted. No machine automation here, just a lot of hours carefully roasting and making sure each roast lives up to its expectations. That is one thing I really love about their coffees and I bet many others do also!

So how do you know how good your coffee really is?

You love the support of your community. You know the orders you are getting in. The big question is how would I rate with other coffee companies?

Normal Roasting - a Three time winner! Photo credit Normal Roasting

Normal Roasting this year participated in the fifth annual Golden Bean North America Roasting Competition. This is not a small competition. These are your top 500 roasters from the United States and Canada! I can’t imagine the nervous rush of energy when submitting your coffee to a competition like this!

There are 11 categories that blind-judged over a three-day period. I can see this being a lot of fun to judge! Normal Roasting submitted two of their most cherished coffees - Normal Espresso and the Loup River Blend. The results were bronze medals in three categories with two coffees. Normal Espresso took bronze in the espresso (a shot of espresso) and milk (latte = espresso + steamed milk) categories. Loup River Blend, a local favorite, took home a bronze in the pour over category.

What a great accomplishment!

Sara and Josh Holmquist with their beautiful family - photo by Clara Williams Photography

It is been amazing to see how Sara and Josh Holmquist have taken over the Normal Roasting that started in a garage in Normal, Illinois. Their passion for getting coffee out to coffee shops, churches, restaurants, and businesses who have their same value of amazing coffee and connecting people is really cool!

I love what they are doing and enjoy having their coffee at home! You too have the same opportunity no matter where you live of ordering the coffee from their website.

I highly recommend if you make it out to Burwell, Nebraska that you stop in and have a good visit with Sara and Josh - oh and tell them Joe says “Hi”.

To good coffee and conversations!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There's Signs

At JD’s Coffee Shop in Seward, Nebraska you will find a coffee shop with so many cool signs! Instantaneously, I was intrigued by JD’s as I opened the door and took in the decor.

One of the fun things about getting out and visiting different towns are these hidden gems like JD’s Coffee Shop. On this particular day, I was heading to Hastings for the “Do the Brew” beer festival and stopped in Seward on the way.

I loved the atmosphere of JD’s. There were people enjoying lunch, a group of teenagers playing cards, and others having a nice conversation. You could tell this was the kind of place that meant a lot to the community!

JD’s serves Canyon Coffee which is a favorite of mine out of Lincoln, Nebraska. I had a wonderful latte. The service was amazing! The barista and other staff members were very engaging. We talked about coffee and other things in the local area like Bottle Rocket Brewing.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend stopping in at JD’s Coffee Shop in Seward, Nebraska. I barely scratched the surface on all of the signs they have!

If you have other fun coffee signs that you would like to share, send me an email at joe@joejavastout.com

Stay Caffeinated my Friends!

Nitro Cold Brew

What a wonderful pour!

About a year ago, I became very interested in nitro coffee. I have always loved a good stout beer on nitro so where could I find the same type of experience but with coffee?

So why does nitrogen make a difference? Nitrogen is very small bubble as compared to carbon dioxide (CO2) which is used to carbonate soda and other beverages. Nitrogen provides a creamy, silky mouthfeel and can also enhance the flavor. Good bye coffee creamer!

I would say in the last couple of years, that nitro coffee has started to appear in coffee shops, bars, and taprooms. I think it is a great idea! There are times when you are out with friends and you just want some really good coffee and conversation.

The things that I look for in cold brew coffee and especially when it is infused with nitrogen are:

• Bold flavor

• Low acidity

• Smooth not bitter

So where might I find a nitro coffee like this? Well of course at Green Beans Coffee!

Recently I got the opportunity to sit down with John Sievers, who is the owner of Green Beans Coffee in Omaha, Nebraska. John is a retired Air Force veteran who spent 26 years serving our country. As part of a deployment to Jalalabad, Afghanistan in 2007, John was introduced to his first cup of Green Beans Coffee.

Remembering those that served… John is working toward putting a bronze statue memorial as you come into the cafe

Green Beans Coffee’s mission is “to make a genuine difference in every customer’s day offering a hand-crafted coffee experience. Wherever we serve, our heart’s in every cup”.

A mission John enjoyed as a consumer in the military and now as an owner. If you are not familiar with the story of Green Beans Coffee, then check out how Jason and Jon Araghi started the company and why they did it in on their website.

John and his wife Angela started the first Green Beans Coffee family-owned, standalone cafe in the United States almost 5 years ago. Today, Jason and Jon Araghi own most of the cafes on the military bases and airports. In the last year, several licensees have opened cafes around the United States.

Coming out of the military, John was still passionate to serve members in the military. The other part was having a place in the community where people could come enjoy that same great coffee that he did while serving his country.

The cafe opened serving coffee, baked items, and lunches. It has become a nice place to go with friends and family. I also enjoy all the charities like For One, For All that Green Beans Coffee supports.

So, I bet you were wondering if I would get back to the nitro coffee! About 2 years ago, John started investigating what was possible in terms of getting nitro coffee into the cafe. At that time, the main offering he could get was in keg form. While this was intriguing, the logistics and cost was a little more challenging that John had hoped.

Places like Starbuck’s and Dunkin’ Donuts had started trials in some markets and it seem to be popular. I know in talking with some different coffee shops in the Midwest, that it was an expansion area for their business.

It wasn’t until this last fall when John approached Green Beans Coffee again to see if anything had changed on what they could offer in terms of nitro coffee. There was a new offering and its name is Nitron.

Nitron is a nitro and cold brew system created by Bunn. The machine is specifically created for coffee. The calibration of the nitrogen and cold brew coffee in my opinion has a huge advantage over keg coffee. One of the things that Nitron strives for is a 3 minute cascading bubbling effect that you can see in the above slide show.

What makes this such great nitro coffee is the cold brew coffee that is used. The Mt. Tam Cold Brew that is used and has the following characteristics:

• Bean Type - Arabica

• Roast - Medium

• Region - Central and South America

• Caffeine - High

The coffee is extremely smooth and creamy when on nitro!

If you like a place that has great coffee and treats you like family, I highly recommend checking out the nitro coffee and other coffees at Green Beans Coffee at 6831 S 167th St in Omaha, Nebraska!

Night Train

It’s Not Normal How Good This Is - great slogan for Normal Roasting

I am continuing to explore coffee and finding roasters like Normal Roasting Company out of Burwell, Nebraska. Every new coffee for me is an opportunity to learn more about the differences in roasts and regions of the world.

Night Train is a nice bold coffee. Bold, dark roast coffees are definitely some of my favorites. The flavor is nutty with a ever so slight chocolaty bitterness in the middle. The finish is smooth and wonderful.

• Origin: Antigua region in Guatemala, volcanic soil

• Roast: dark

• Aroma: nutty, spicy

• Acidity: low

Antigua is in southern Guatemala

Antigua is a small town in southern Guatemala surrounded by volcanoes. Antigua is one of 7 different coffee regions in the country.

Antigua has some of the oldest coffee estates in Guatemala. The coffee plants appeared in the mid 1700’s but it wasn’t until the 1860’s were the beans from the plants began to get harvested to make coffee.

The altitude, moisture, and temperature make Guatemala a great place to grow coffee. Currently Guatemala ranks 10th in world in coffee production with over 50% of it going to the United States.

Clout Coffee - Feel the Power

Small unique batches signed by hand

I never knew coffee could be like this! As I take the first sip it is like being hugged by a comfortable leather couch. It almost seems so decadent that it is out of my league. Yet on the other hand, I want this coffee everyday!

So what am I talking about. Well it is a bourbon barrel aged coffee that has incredible aroma and flavor without the alcohol. A smooth, flavorful, medium roast that blends so well with the unique flavor of the bourbon used to create the coffee. I had to find out more about how this wonderful coffee came about.

I am definitely a curious person and through some friends combined with social media, I was able to catch up with Carole Sprunk. Carole is the owner of Clout Coffee and also Edge Magazine. A very busy person who enjoys coffee and bourbon. I can relate to the that!

Carole Sprunk, owner of Clout Coffee, Elkhorn, NE

In our conversation, I could tell Carole is a person who cares about high quality and making a product special. Carole takes the time to find the exact bourbon barrels from the distilleries that she likes. Each batch is aged in a different barrel from a different distillery which makes each one very unique. A couple examples include:

• Four Roses - Lawrenceburg, KY

• Brickway Brewery & Distillery - Omaha, NE

So the whole process is very intriguing that takes between 8 to 10 weeks for each batch. Needless to say this is not some artificial flavor sprayed onto the beans! After the beans have been aged then roasted with extreme care, you have a wonderful coffee.

I highly recommend checking out Clout Coffee - https://www.cloutcoffee.com. I think you will enjoy the experience of having a bourbon barrel aged coffee, especially one that is so well crafted as Clout Coffee!

You know I will need to add to my beer wish list - A Coffee Stout Made with Clout Coffee. Cheers!

Rwanda - Misozi Kopakaki

Just a couple of words before this first review. I am definitely a novice when it comes to reviewing coffee. But I love a good cup of coffee and how it adds to a great stout! So let’s get started. Comments always appreciated!

• Origin: Western Rwanda - mountains, volcanic soil

• Roast: light to medium

• Aroma: sweet, fruity

• Acidity: low

The flavor of this coffee is mild and crisp! For me I get a few tea like flavors throughout and some citrus flavor in the middle. This coffee was beautifully roasted.

The coffee comes from A Hill of Beans Coffee in Omaha, Nebraska. Have to love their slogan - Life is Too Short to Drink Bad Coffee. Check out their website and you can also find them on Facebook!

Rwanda in eastern Africa