The Coffee Grinder » Espresso + Coffee

Café Americano

Alyssa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:40:19 +0000

Being a coffee shop, it may suit us well to write about coffee every now and then. Coffee itself is a very rich topic since there are so many variables – the plant, seed, roast, grind, brew, and presentation – that contribute to the end product.

We will keep it simple by focusing on a specific type of brew that is made by combining espresso and hot water – the Café Americano. Thought to have originated during WWII and named after American G.I.s fighting in Italy, the Americano was the soldier’s solution to finding a less concentrated cup of coffee in an Italian café. Today, the Americano is a popular espresso drink that provides an exceptional alternative to regular drip coffee.

The Americano is created by adding hot water to a single or double-shot of espresso. Not to be confused with a long black or café lungo, which is a drink made by allowing more water than usual to pass through the grounds, the Americano allows the customer to tailor the strength of the drink based on the number of shots of espresso and the amount of water added (typically 2 shots:8oz of water). This results in a smoother and often richer coffee than its bitter counterparts.

The key component to the Americano is espresso. Lucky for you, the Coffee Grinder’s premium Italian espresso makes our Americano’s some of the best around. Dare we say the best in the country? Yeah, it’s pretty darn good.

So the next time you visit the Coffee Grinder, or your local café for that matter, change up your routine and give the Americano a try. You may never go back.

She Would Have Liked our Espresso

Alyssa — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:18:37 +0000

We don’t know whether she was a coffee drinker (based on her accomplishments we are led but to one conclusion), but we do know Ida Lewis was something else. This native Newporter spent almost half her life living and working on Lime Rock on the southern side of Newport’s inner harbor, which was accessible only by rowboat at the time. During her tenure as caretaker then keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse, she was credited with saving 18 lives. Her heroism earned her national fame and recognition, and the lighthouse station was renamed in her honor – the only time that a lighthouse keeper has been so honored in American history. In 1928 the lighthouse became the club house for a yacht club, which also bears her name.

So check out her story, and the next time you find yourself at the Coffee Grinder you can pretend you see Ida Lewis rowing away in her wooden boat as she readies herself for another day of work. We’re pretty sure she’d be sipping espresso.

The Girls (at least two of them)

Alyssa — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:29:56 +0000

They look so happy!