– by Steve Sheppard –
OK, I don’t often find myself in a position where I have to say ‘I stand corrected’ when it comes to topics related to coffee, but I am happy to report that I must. Coming back from the SCAA show in Seattle I was all excited about what was new, however, my enthusiasm was somewhat muted because Canadians are so relaxed when it comes to adopting new trends, and sometimes they take months to appear.
I am excited, perhaps highly caffeinated, to report that ‘Cold Draught Coffee’ is here in Victoria at a few select cafes in time for the upcoming hot summer. There are three cafés so far that I have discovered this incredibly fun and tasty cold coffee alternative at. In Victoria, Hey Happy Coffee on Johnson St. has a great version, as does Café Fantastico. On the Saanich Peninsula, Fresh Cup Roastery Café in Saanichton has a great version on tap and I really like that they’ve brewed the coffee double strength for a little more caffeine than the other ones I’ve tried, and added a small amount of honey to make it really smooth and very enjoyable black over ice.
What makes ‘Cold Draught Coffee’ unique is the nitrous gas that’s used to dispense the coffee from the keg. The nitrous gas mixes with the cold coffee, making for tight micro-bubbles that enhance the aroma of the coffee, but more importantly … creates a nice textured velvety-head similar to that of what you would see on the top of a pint of Guinness. Yes … I said Guinness, actually I think it tastes more chocolaty than Guinness!
The category of ‘Cold Draught Coffee’ will be to craft coffee roasters in Victoria, what the refillable ‘growler’ and the unique beers that local craft brewers offer have become. Based on the fact that there are already three cafés offering a great personalized version, I suspect that other craft roasters in Victoria will not be far behind.
Coffee lovers all over Victoria will soon be able to sit on a hot patio and drink some of the coolest coffees of all time. Soon, there will be ‘Café Crawls’ happening with busloads of overly caffeinated college students jumping from café to café chugging back sweetly caffeinated cold draught coffee. You need to try some soon on the next hot afternoon … Steve out.
