WELL DONE JOSH RUSSELL - CUP COFFEE - WEST END

IF YOU READ THIS BLOG YOU'LL KNOW I'VE BEEN MIGHTILY IMPRESSED BY THE COFFEE, SERVICE, VIBE, ETHOS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL AT CUP (RUSSELL ST WEST END)

OWNER, JOSH RUSSELL, HAS JUST BEEN NAMED BARISTA OF THE YEAR IN THE LATEST QLD WINE AND FOOD AWARDS (COURIER MAIL)

"You can't help but be impressed by the intensity of the coffee-making brigade at Cup Coffee, and they don't come any more focussed than owner Josh Russell. Cup Coffee has been open for less than a year but it's already a by-word for caffeine excellence. The beans which are roasted in-house on a Probat L5 are traceable to specific farms and 10 percent of coffee sales help children in coffee growing countries. The team holds regular public coffee tastings or cuppings, helping educate Brisbane's coffee community."

Cup Coffee, 85 Russell St, West End; Ph 3846 3746

EVO

THIS LITTLE SLIVER OF CAFFEINE WONDERMENT WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY MARTIN HOOD OF BELLE PROPERTY SOUTH BRISBANE. (IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FABULOUSLY GENTLE AND WARM REAL ESTATE AGENT WITH AWARD WINNING RESULTS MARTIN COMES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

EVO SITS IN A SPACE ONCE OCCUPIED BY A GARAGE.  NOT A CAR WORKSHOP BUT WHERE YOU MIGHT PARK A CAR.  YES, IT'S THAT SMALL!  EVO IS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM YERONGA STATE SCHOOL.  THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE YUMMY MUMMIES AND EVO IS OBVIOUSLY NO ACCIDENT

I WAS ASKED HOW I'D LIKE MY ICED COFFEE (EITHER FRAPPE STYLE OF SIMPLY OVER ICE).  I OPTED FOR THE 2ND CHOICE.  THE COFFEE WAS STRONG AND TASTY.  IT WAS A SIMPLE ICED COFFEE WITH NO DISTRACTIONS.  IT GAVE ME A MUCH NEEDED BOOST ON A RAINY GREY DAY.  

PLEASE TRY EVO.  THEIR HOME MADE SANDWICHES AND CAKES ARE WORTH ADDING TO YOUR COFFEE ORDER.

Rating - 7.5

Evo - School Rd Yeronga

FIRST POUR - THE ALTERNATIVE

FIRST POUR - THE SHOWROOM FOR VENEZIANO CAFFE RATED VERY HIGHLY IN MY RECENT REVIEW OF THEIR COLD DRIP FILTERED ICED COFFEE.

THIS TIME I RETURNED TO TRY THEIR ICED COFFEE FRAPPE BUT WAS SADLY DISAPPOINTED.

THE ICE (CRUSHED THROUGH THE PROCESS) REALLY WATERED DOWN WHAT I KNOW IS GOOD COFFEE. THE MILK WAS PRETTY SOULESS AND I GUESS THERE WAS ICE CREAM THERE BUT IT WAS LOST IN THE ICY MESS.

SIGH! BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ICED COFFEE (SEE PREVIOUS REVIEW)

Rating - 5

THE BIRDS NEST

OPEN ONLY 2 WEEKS NOW WE DISCOVERED THIS HOLE-IN-THE-WALL CAFE ON ONE OF OUR POWER WALKS DOWN MONTAGUE ROAD (JUST NEAR THE JOYNT)WHAT CAUGHT OUR EYE WAS THE TINY SIZE OF THIS CAFE AND THE COLLECTABLES INSIDE AND OUT.

THIS GUY IS PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS COFFEE AND BELIEVES AN I.C. SHOULD HAVE ICE IN IT. I DUNNO - THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THAT ONE!
I DID ENJOY THIS ICED COFFEE - IT'S DONE VERY MUCH THE SAME AS ALOT OF ICED COFFEES IN BRISBANE. THE FLAVOUR AND STRENGTH WERE PERFECT.
I'VE INCLUDED SOME PICS OF HIS COUNTER TREATS - WE DIDN'T SAMPLE - AND BOY WERE THEY HARD TO RESIST! MAYBE NEXT TIME.
Rating - 7

FIRST POUR - IS FIRST CLASS!

I'VE JUST READ "THE ELEMENT" BY KEN ROBINSON. THE ELEMENT IS WERE NATURAL TALENT MEETS PERSONAL PASSION. WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE AT THE ELEMENT THEY FEEL MOST THEMSELVES AND ACHIEVE AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVELS.

AND THE PEOPLE AT FIRST POUR HAVE CERTAINLY FOUND THEIR ELEMENT!
THIS WAS A CAFE AND ICED COFFEE EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER IN BRISBANE.

WE MET SIMON FROM THIS CAFE/SHOWROOM FOR VENEZIANO COFFEE. I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THE TIME HE SPENT WITH US AND THE PASSION UNDERLYING THIS CUSTOMER APPROACH. HE DID THIS NOT BECAUSE WE WERE HOLDERS OF THE WALLET BUT BECAUSE HE TRULY BELIEVES IN WHAT HE IS DOING AND WHAT HIS COMPANY IS ACHIEVING.

THIS PLACE OOZES PASSION AND PROFESSIONALIM.

WE CHOSE THE COLD DRIP ICE COFFEE. (see apparatus pictured)

AS SIMON SAYS (HA HA!) THIS IS HOW COLD COFFEE SHOULD BE MADE - WITH COLD WATER DRIPPING THROUGH THE BEANS - ONE DRIP EVERY SECOND - TO PRODUCE AN AUTHENTIC ICED COFFEE.

IT COMES ACCOMPANIED BY A JUG OF MILK - AND NEXT TIME I WON'T ADD THE MILK - IT WAS GORGEOUS JUST ON IT'S OWN. YES THERE WAS ICE - BUT IN THIS FORM IT SEEMED RIGHT. THIS IS AN ICED COFFEE WITH INTEGRITY.

369 MONTAGUE RD WEST END

Rating - 9