Hello Hive!
Ever since 
Today, after I took my daughter to her karate class, I somehow found myself locked out of our gate. The lock was jammed due to corrosion and was in dire need of WD-40. This is one of the struggles of living on an island so close to the sea.
With that, I drove back to Panagsama Beach to spend time reading blogs inside Smooth Cafe, a newly-renovated coffee shop that I have shared previously here.
I immediately asked the barista for a cold brew and to my luck, they have one available.
Cold Brew vs Iced Coffee
Cold Brew is prepared by soaking coffee grounds in room temperature water for a long time more than 12 to 24 hours, while Traditional Iced Coffee uses hot water to brew and release the flavors.
With Cold Brew, the less bitter and acidic compounds are extracted, thus unleashing the sweeter and subtle flavors of the coffee.
Most days, I'd keep to myself but I was feeling more social so I ended up interviewing Raymond, the barista on what makes their cold brew special.
He enthusiastically shared that they use equal parts of Arabica, Robusta, and Barako ground coffee steeped in water for 16 hours.
Nitro Cold Brew
They used to serve frothy Nitro Cold Brew.
"Nitro coffee -- cold brew coffee infused with nitrogen gas through a pressurized valve. -Thrillist - How Nitro Became the Hottest Thing in Cold Coffee"
I stepped behind the counter where he showed me their Nitro Coffee Valve and Nitrogen Gas. Unfortunately, they paused serving the velvety textured coffee at the moment due to difficulty in getting nitrogen gas from the city.
The one I tried today is a plain cold brew but I already felt its strength. The caffeine buzz was strong. I felt the urge to drink the glass of water next to it as a chaser. I was however energized immediately.
The pairing with the CacaoLab Bean to Bar Dark Chocolate piece was also perfect. Not sure if it was linked to the caffeine buzz but I was able to unlock our gate when I got home. 😁 Thank you for reading!
"I create spaces that tastefully marry function and aesthetics. I intend to immerse myself in beauty not only by tangible objects but also by the unseen." -
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, anything French, International Cuisine, and Architecture + Interior Design. Co-founder of Architecture + Design Community. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.