Short, Dark, and Strong – National Espresso Day

Europe is a culture always on the move. In the 1600’s, coffee was introduced to Europe, allowing people to stay up longer to get more done. After it was given the blessing of Pope Clement VIII, it spread like wildfire through the continent, allowing people to stay up longer, be sharper, and get even more done. It overtook beer as a breakfast drink in New York by the 1670’s, and just kept getting more and more popular. Things moved really fast for coffee. The only thing that was not moving fast for coffee was how it was made. There were some innovations, like the French press and the vacuum pot, but they could only make small quantities, taking upwards of ten minutes to make two cups. People had factories to build and continents to conquer, so there was a constant search to speed up the process. It was not until the beginning of the 20^th century, in the explosion of the Industrial Age, that coffee was put on the fast track.

Luigi Bezzera was one of the many people looking for a better way to get a cup of coffee. He created a machine that used steam power to force hot water at a high rate of speed through the coffee grinds, pulling out all of the best aspects of the coffee and doing it rapidly. It took the five minute long process of making coffee down to thirty seconds and the product tasted delicious. A machine to brew coffee for the masses was created in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo, but each cup was not created for individuals. Bezzera’s made a cup of coffee expressly and quickly for each individual. The patent was eventually bought by Desiderio Pavoni and then the machine mass produced, which helped to spread the popularity of this coffee concentrate, referred to as “espresso” (“fast” or “expressed” in Italian), throughout Italy. Eventually it conquered the European continent and went anywhere Italians travelled to. It was not just the speed at which espresso was made that boosted its popularity in Italy; if you wanted to sit down to drink your coffee, you paid an extra fee. Enjoying your coffee standing up made it a little cheaper, so you wanted to drink it a little faster. The espresso machine has gone through many refinements since it was first created. A piston pump was eventually added to force water through the coffee without depending on the boiler. This removed some of the burnt flavor from the espresso, since the water being forced through the grounds could be done at a cooler temperature. This was eventually replaced by an electric pump, which has created the modern espresso machine.

Espresso has a rich, deep flavor to it, much like you would expect when you compress an eight ounce cup of coffee into two ounces.  The cup of coffee, however, has more caffeine per serving. Espresso does not have a specific roast required, so you can make a dark or light roast coffee into an espresso. The beans are typically ground very fine; since the water is being forced through at a high rate of speed and you want to get the most flavor out of it. Espresso is also the foundation for a whole industry of beverages. American soldiers started to drink it while they were stationed in Europe during World War II, but added hot water to it do dilute the strong flavor, creating the Americano. Cappuccinos and lattes became popular because of the uniqueness of the foam on top of the cappuccino, and the American tradition of adding cream or milk to their coffee. If you want to add a little chocolate flavor to the mix, you can have a Mocha (also the name of the area coffee was rumored to be discovered). Most coffee chains also offer the ability to add espresso to a standard cup of coffee for a little extra kick, a red eye being one shot, and a black eye being two shots. The deep coffee flavor of espresso has also jumped into the world of cocktails as well.

When people think coffee flavor and liquor, Kahlua is what people reach for. It has been the go to coffee flavoring for drinks for decades. As the flavored vodka boom expanded, there were two companies in the early days that created enduring espresso vodkas: Three Olives Triple Shot Espresso and Van Gogh Double and Single Espresso.  Sminoff also has jumped into the mix with their Dark Roasted Espresso vodka, which also steps in with a 100 proof punch. Of course, if you want to make your own espresso vodka, there are simple ways to do that as well (via Bex Huff).

Equipment:

• Coarse ground espresso beans
• A 4 cup French Press for making coffee
• Good vodka (I will always recommend Buckeye)
• A funnel
• A glass bottle

Process:

1. Put a ½ cup of the espresso beans in the press.
2. Add three cups of vodka to the press.
3. Allow the mixture to sit for about fifteen minutes.
4. Press down the plunger to strain out the coffee grounds from the vodka.
5. Pour into the glass bottle for storage.

Now that you have a good, solid espresso vodka (store bought or homemade), here is the most popular recipe used for espresso vodka, the espresso martini.

Espresso Martini 1

1 oz. cold espresso
1.5 oz. vodka
.75 oz. coffee liqueur
.5 oz. white cream de cocoa

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Shake vigorously, and pour into a chilled martini glass. If you want to make it extra fancy, you can rim the glass with powdered chocolate.

Espresso Martini 2

1.5 oz. espresso vodka
1 oz. vanilla vodka or vanilla liqueur (Dr. McGillicuddy makes a fine one.)
1 oz. white cream de cocoa

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Shake vigorously, and pour into a chilled martini glass. If you want to make it extra fancy, you can rim the glass with powdered chocolate.

Espresso’s richness, versatility, and speed of making it has helped it become a staple to the coffee culture that has developed in the United States. It simmered as a novelty until chains like Starbucks helped it to cover the nation with its deep flavor and versatility. Our culture is not going to be moving any slower in the near future, so our need for a quick pick me will continue for a long time. However, we have found other ways to relax with this densely caffeinated drink. Where is the best place to hit before work to get a little espresso pick me up, or the best place to wind down with an espresso cocktail, in Dayton? Let us know in the comments! And however you enjoy your shot of joy to the mind, have a happy National Espresso Day! Cheers!