Oh my lanta. If you have a desire to try new ways of brewing coffee and appreciate a good old fashioned coffee tasting, siphon coffee at the All Chocolate Kitchen is for you. Credit goes to my sister for finding this treasure and initiating the phenomenal experience. Now, for those of you who are not aware as to the process of siphon coffee, do not fear, you are not alone. I had only heard rumors about this brewing process, much less taken part in it personally. Siphon coffee is a marriage between chemistry and coffee. It is a combination of french press and conventional brewing.

While the equipment can look like something out of hookah bar instead of a coffee house, siphon coffee is truly a unique process. Watching this experience was incredibly intriguing. I strongly encourage anyone who has the opportunity to view it, to do so and take notes.

Not only was it a joy to watch, but it was also one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. I have done numerous coffee tastings and have never enjoyed one as much as I did with siphoned coffee. At the All Chocolate Kitchen, they import only one roast of coffee directly from Rome, Italy. It is a dark roast, from what I understood, ranging in darkness between espresso and italian roast. It was fantastic. I normally take some cream and sugar in my normal, daily coffee, but this brew was the definition of perfection and I drank it all black. It had distinct and beautiful nutty notes with hints of cocoa that were brought out with accompanying chocolate covered nuts on our table.

The process of siphon coffee uses the heated water in the bottom beaker and then adds the top piece to act as a vacuum to suck the hot water up through the glass tube. It then mixes with the coffee grounds in the top chamber and is constantly stirred, agitating the grounds and exacting as much flavor as possible. Then, the coffee slowly leaks back into the bottom beaker, through a filter, and is ready to serve.

The entire experience is worth studying. I hope to gain my own siphon coffee equipment to experiment and enjoy. The event was worth repeating and I encourage you to try it too!

(yes, we were the nerds that wanted a picture with the equipment, but we embrace it. Thanks to the group for being such extraordinary people and a joy to spend coffee time with!)