SMOKE BREAK #1018: A Short Film On The Delicious Subculture Of “Specialty Coffee”

A very good morning to you. Happy (first ever) Family Day! We hope you were able to sleep in a little, and suggest that you launch things with a long cup of the good stuff paired with this tasty Thrash Lab short Specialty Coffee: The Pursuit of Deliciousness. (hat tip)

TAKE ANOTHER BREAK

GOODS: Revolver Launches Homey Pop-Up Of Book Bundles And Coffee Paraphernalia

Revolver is located at 325 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC | 604-558-4444 | revolvercoffee.ca

The GOODS from Revolver Coffee

Vancouver, BC | We’ve built a Christmas pop-up dedicated to “Coffee At Home” next door to our space, and we did it all out of cardboard! Each product is displayed out of the box and a staff member will always be on hand to answer any questions or help you find exactly what works best for your own specific needs and wants. In addition to the coffee paraphernalia, we’ll be stocked with coffee’s best friend forever: books! Sons & Lovers has put together another collection of used book bundles, which will be available as well. Hours will (generally) be from 12-5:30 every day. Visits can also be made by appointment. Read more

DINER: Cambie’s Revolver Coffee To Double In Size After Securing New Spot Next Door

by Andrew Morrison | Over the weekend I met up with two of the Giannakos brothers (George and Chris) next door to their cafe, Revolver Coffee, at 325 Cambie. They’ve taken possession of the space that used to be Pennyblack (a tattoo parlour) and aim to use it as a retail shop over the holiday season. So if one of your loved ones digs the art of the perfect cup of coffee, pencil this place in as an essential browse. It will open up at some point later this week.

Once the New Year kicks in, they are going to completely renovate the space and connect it to Revolver in order to give the always packed coffee house twice as many seats and more retail stuff. Word is they’re talking to Craig Stanghetta to reprise his role as designer. Expect the finished expansion to open its doors to the public in the early Spring.

ALL ANTICIPATED OPENINGS

GOODS: 49th Parallel Cafe On Main Kicking Off Education And Event Series On Dec. 4th

49th Parallel Café has two locations in Vancouver: 2152 West 4th & 2902 Main St. | Learn more at 49thparallelroasters.com

The GOODS from 49th Parallel

Vancouver, BC | Tuesday, December 4th sees the kick-off of what will be a regular education and event series at the Main Street 49th Parallel Café. A free holiday event, “A Coffee Carol” will combine a lesson on single-cup preparation, a tasting of the new Holiday Celebration Blend, and discounts for holiday shopping. It starts at 6:30pm and is led by 49th Parallel’s Barista Trainer Kyle Straw and Green Coffee Buyer Mette-Marie Hansen. You’ll not only learn more about how to make a perfect cup using the Kalita brewing system and about how the company sources it’s beans, but the experts will also stick around to answer whatever questions you might have. Discounts will be offered on select retail items for those participating in the event, making it a good opportunity to check a few people off your Christmas list. Read more

GOODS: 49th Parallel Readies For Holidays, Set To Release Special Blend On Nov. 30th

49th Parallel Café has two locations in Vancouver: 2152 West 4th & 2902 Main St. | Learn more at 49thparallelroasters.com

The GOODS from 49th Parallel

Vancouver, BC | Handily side-stepping the problem of sizes without resorting to socks, a gift from 49th Parallel is guaranteed to fit the bill this holiday season. Shoppers can easily order online or pick up select items at cafes serving 49th Parallel coffee. Stock up on the roaster’s annual Holiday Celebration Blend which easily works as a stocking stuffer, a gift for your dinner party host, a present for your Uncle Joe, or wrapped under the tree for that unexpected Christmas guest. The company’s unique Coffee Subscription program keeps giving all year, while gift sets make holiday giving a breeze. Details after the leap… Read more

COOL THING WE WANT #363: Swigs From An Ol’ Stubby Of “Cold Brew” By Stumptown

Bummer that Revolver Coffee just stopped making their awesome Cold Brew coffee, right? And it won’t be back until the summer. But don’t spazz out just yet, because this bad boy buzz-slaker from Portland’s Stumptown has is now available at Vicino, Meat & Bread, The Salty Tongue and The Everything Café, and there was much (temporary) rejoicing.

EVERY COOL THING WE WANT

Smoke Break #921: A Short (Awesome) Film On Mid-Century Coffee House Life In London

The more things change, the more they et cetera. (via)

TAKE ANOTHER BREAK

Smoke Break #832: The Lovely Journey Of Your Caffeine Fix From Roasting To Saucer

Digging this with a cup of Stumptown from Everything Cafe on East Pender. The soundtrack - ”Welcome Home” by Radical Face – fits nice and square (via Laughing Squid).

How To Take Your Morning Brew To The Absurdly Highest Level

Methinks the joke’s on us.

Smoke Break #738: Shots Pulled Right & Gently @ Intelligentsia

I’d like to have the even-keeled, super-mellow Kyle Glanville make me a double the next time I’m in Venice, CA. Wouldn’t you? The guy’s demeanor makes me question if the beans he uses aren’t grown by faeries, consumed and shat out by unicorns and ground by forest elves high on mushrooms. Make it a triple.

The Okanagan Coffee Route

Now that I regularly drive the 1.5 hour journey from the Similkameen to Kelowna to teach my wine classes I have had to create a coffee route to keep me fueled along the way. One of the most important things for me in any place is to find out where to get the best latte. It’s easier said than done up here, but over the years in the Okanagan (and now Similkameen) a number of decent coffee houses have popped up in the towns along my new path.

The first stop as I head north is Penticton. There are now two very solid stops to be found. If you are heading up the hill towards the Naramata Bench, a visit to the Bench Market is essential for good coffee and panini (and you can pick up some Vij’s curry for dinner). The second stop in Penticton is a new entry, the Bellevue Cafe. This little spot on Main Street makes for a perfect break as you browse your way through the farmer’s market in the summer months, and with free wireless it is also a good stop en route from which you can send a few emails.

After jumping back in the car and heading north, you are probably just finishing one coffee as you roll into Summerland. The Beanery at the end of Main Street makes a pretty decent latte and I am visiting this place a lot more as the roadwork between Summerland and Peachland causes many unplanned delays.

By Peachland, you can drop into Bliss Bakery for a coffee or sandwich and kill some time by staring out over the lake, but it is the next stop that is probably the most exciting for me.

Now, in one of the many large strip malls that have popped up in Westbank, you can find the Okanagan’s first Caffe Artigiano. This is the now the best coffee in the Okanagan and a forced stop on any journey through the big-box storeland of Westbank. I was there on opening day a couple of weeks ago and was pleased to see the new staff just making latte after latte until they’d reached the expected perfection. It is nice to see such commitment to product quality.

The only challengers to the Artigiano crown are the two Bean Scene cafes in Kelowna (Bernard Ave and Ellis Street). The coffee they call the “Traditional Cappuccino” is actually a small, strong powerhouse with perfectly textured steamed milk and intense flavour. The Bean Scene food is very ordinary, but for coffee they were the first ones here who were really committed to training staff to make it properly.

I have yet to explore in-depth the caffeine scene of Okanagan Falls, Oliver and Osoyoos, or the north Okanagan around Vernon, but at least, for a good length of the Okanagan and Similkameen, we can be sure of finding a great cup of coffee now, another sign of the improving food scene in the Okanagan.

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Rhys Pender is a wine educator, freelance wine writer, wine judge and consultant to the industry. Visit his company Wine Plus+ online at www.wineplus.ca.