Latte Art

Today, I picked a few of my favorite latte art images! Latte art has become very popular over the last few years. Customers love getting lattes that have pretty designs. 

Latte art has become more popular since the 1980s and 1990s when David Schomer, owner of Schomer's Espresso Vivace in Seattle, came up with the rosette design. 

Latte art is made from free pouring and etching. I have never been able to do this, but I think it cool to share some pretty designs. If you would like more designs, look at this Pinterest board!

The Importance of Fair Trade

Hey everyone!

Today I am going to talk about Fair Trade and the importance of it. In order to understand the importance of Fair Trade, you first have to know what exactly Fair Trade is. According to Fair Trade USA, Fair Trade is 

"products were made with respect to people and planet. Our rigorous social, environmental and economic standards work to promote safe, healthy working conditions, protect the environment, enable transparency, and empower communities to build strong, thriving businesses. When you choose products with the Fair Trade label, your day-to-day purchases can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives."

I also thought that this video showed the impact of buying Fair Trade products.

 

Starbucks is a well-known coffee brand that uses Fair Trade coffee. I thought the video below showed how Starbucks implements Fair Trade into their business.

How to Make a Latte

For two years, I have worked at a coffee shop on campus making lattes for students and faculty. At first, it was tough to learn all the drinks, but after awhile it was a lot of fun! Recently, I had to leave due to another job opportunity, but I still love to make coffee.

Today, I am going to teach you how to make a latte on your home espresso machine! Really simple, just a few easy steps!

1. Put your grounds into your little espresso container (don't know what it is called)

2. Compress the grounds with tamper.

3. Lock the espresso container into place and press the button to get the espresso. 

4. Fill up your steamer about half way or so with milk. 

5. Steam the milk until the steamer is hot where you can almost barely touch it. 

6. Take a spoon and pull back the foam, while letting the steamed milk come out.

7. Leave a little dollop of foam on top.

There you go, now you have a great latte!

Did you know Tim Hortons Roasts in Rochester?

Probably not too many know Tim Hortons roasts their coffee beans in Rochester! Why Rochester you may ask? They say it was because of Tim Hortons growth in the US market and the proximity to Canada.

Tim Hortons does not release too much information about the plant. It is roasted by the wholesaler, Maidstone Coffee, located in Henrietta. They also have another roasting facility in Hamilton, Ontario for their Canadian stores. Between the two roasting facilities, Tim Hortons produces 75% of their coffee requirements.

Just a fun fact for your Saturday!

Review: Java's

Flat White Latte Art- Java's on Gibbs Street

Java's is one of my favorite places to get coffee! I have been going there for about 4 years. It is a great place because it reminds me of all the memories with my friends. In high school, my friends and I went to Java's to hangout and catchup. We always go back when they come home every break.

I love how RIT has Java's! When I first came to RIT, I didn't realize that it was on campus and I was so confused when I saw everyone with Java's signature cups. It made my semester when I found out that I could get it on campus. At the time, my favorite drink was a shot in the dark made with Pittsford Dairy chocolate milk, which is always delicious!

After I went to Java's more often, I tried many other drinks. I tried the Chaplin, which is two shots of espresso with vanilla and milk over ice, so good! Now it is my go to drink on a nice summer day. 

Honestly, if you have never been to Java's you really should! The atmosphere is relaxing and the coffee is always good. If you go to the one on Gibbs Street, you feel inspired by the Eastman School of Music and the Eastman Theater, which is always a great feeling! 

Chaplin before class-Java's at RIT

Espresso Truffles!

Hey everyone I am back again! Today I made espresso truffles! This is a two-part recipe- I had to make espresso powder to put in the espresso truffles!

Espresso Powder-recipe from Bright Eyed Baker

1. Preheat the oven to 175°.
2. Take used grounds and spread them out on an unlined pan. (I also didn't spray the pan).
3. Put them in the oven until cooked a little bit, I set mine for an hour.
4. Then take the cooked grounds and grind them into a fine powder.
5. Finally, make sure to put them in an airtight container for later!

 Espresso Truffles-recipe from Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 pound of semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 pound of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

 Directions

1.  In a saucepan, warm up the milk with the espresso powder, until just boiling. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until there are no clumps and add the vanilla. 
2. Transfer the mixture into a shallow bowl with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 4 hours. 
3. Once the four hours is over, take a melon baller or something to scoop the mixture into balls.(I used a tablespoon and rolled it quickly in my hands, a melon baller would have been helpful!)
4. Scoop the balls onto a cookie sheet, either lined with parchment paper or silicon sheets.
5. Put back in the fridge for 15 minutes. 
6. Then, roll the balls in cocoa powder and refrigerate until serving!

I hope you enjoyed my espresso truffle recipe! Until next time!

-Sarah 

September 2016 Playlist

 Hey everyone! Welcome to my first blog post! This blog is for my Social Media Marketing class. I plan on posting visits to different Rochester coffee shops, recipes with coffee and playlists!

Here is my first playlist to help you get in the coffee shop mood! I chose some of my favorite songs that I would like to listen to when I am drinking coffee or just doing homework!

Stay tuned for more posts! :)