Non-alcoholic Drinks

[imref]

Now widely available in this area, including Giant (single 11.5oz cans, or 6-packs of same) and the place I work: the San Pellegrino line of Italian soft drinks. I've tried three thus far - Aranciata Rossa ('blood orange' but really quite tasty), Limonata (lemon with 16% pure lemon juice - simply explodes sour lemon when you first taste it but afterwards settles down quite nicely), Pompelmo (grapefruit - crisp and flavourful).

Not to be missed.

32 grams of sugar per can.  I'll pass.

[machpost]

Now widely available in this area, including Giant (single 11.5oz cans, or 6-packs of same) and the place I work: the San Pellegrino line of Italian soft drinks. I've tried three thus far - Aranciata Rossa ('blood orange' but really quite tasty), Limonata (lemon with 16% pure lemon juice - simply explodes sour lemon when you first taste it but afterwards settles down quite nicely), Pompelmo (grapefruit - crisp and flavourful).

Not to be missed.

I love their Chinotto soda. It's extremely bitter. It doesn't seem to be nearly as easy to find around here, though...

[Nathan]

Anyone ever use an aeropress to make coffee?

[blue911]

Anyone ever use an aeropress to make coffee?

It looks like a french press only it has a filter. People that use a french press swear by them.

[Nathan]

Similar process with the full immersion brewing, but slightly different as it has a filter like you mention, so you are meant to use a finer grind than for french press and a very short total time of immersion.  Something like 20 seconds of extraction and 30 seconds of plunging.  The fine grind and seal on the plunger also gives you a bit of pressure, they call it "espresso" but it's not really the same as the high pressure that an espresso machine puts out.  What you end up with is really concentrated so you can drink it like espresso or dilute with more hot water to make a sort of americano drink.

I already had my afternoon cup of french press, a decent cup of Brazilian Monte Carmelo, but I wanted to try this thing out so I got my boss to be a guinnea pig.  I used my Kyocera CM 50 (ordered along with the Aeropress) set to 2 notches (one step coarser than the finest it will go),some Ethiopian Harrar beans, 20 seconds immersion, but the plunge was very hard, and took me longer than directed.  He claimed it was really good so I don't know if the long time over extracted or not.  Next time I'm going to go to 3 steps from finest, which should be a bit finer than auto-drip grind.

[Natsinpwc]

I had my first cold brew ice coffee a couple weeks ago.  Was visiting daughter in Cincinnati and she had some from place around the corner from her. Liked it a lot so we got some to bring back but was wondering if anyone has recommendations around here and specifically in the Woodbridge (or fairfax) areas. I see a couple of companies listed in DC:  Junius and Growl.  Would like to avoid trekking into Dc if possible.

[Nathan]

Cold brew is pretty simple to make at home.  Coarse ground coffee, filtered water, let it sit overnight (12-24 hours), filter and then you can keep it in the fridge for a week or two.

[Natsinpwc]

Cold brew is pretty simple to make at home.  Coarse ground coffee, filtered water, let it sit overnight (12-24 hours), filter and then you can keep it in the fridge for a week or two.

Thanks.  I will give it a try.

[Nathan]

Just be sure to use good small batch roasted coffees, preferably from a local roaster and good water (filtered or bottled).  I don't think it would turn out with Folger's and chlorinated city water

If you really get into cold brew (you can even use the concentrate it makes with hot water for hot coffee), you might want to look into something like the Toddy, a cold brew device.  I think they're $35 or so, but no reason you can't make it with basically 0 special equipment.

[Natsinpwc]

Just be sure to use good small batch roasted coffees, preferably from a local roaster and good water (filtered or bottled).  I don't think it would turn out with Folger's and chlorinated city water

If you really get into cold brew (you can even use the concentrate it makes with hot water for hot coffee), you might want to look into something like the Toddy, a cold brew device.  I think they're $35 or so, but no reason you can't make it with basically 0 special equipment.

I assume I could make it in a press also then? 

[Nathan]

French press?  You'd still want to run it through a filter (regular paper coffee filters are fine) to remove all particulates IMO.  You could certainly brew it and "pre-filter" it with a French press though.

[imref]

I had my first cold brew ice coffee a couple weeks ago.  Was visiting daughter in Cincinnati and she had some from place around the corner from her. Liked it a lot so we got some to bring back but was wondering if anyone has recommendations around here and specifically in the Woodbridge (or fairfax) areas. I see a couple of companies listed in DC:  Junius and Growl.  Would like to avoid trekking into Dc if possible.

if you really want to do it right, make coffee ice cubes as well.  And use simple syrup rather than sugar if you want to sweeten it.

[GburgNatsFan]

And don't make the mistake of thinking you'll try it straight, to prove you're a man.

Good Lord, was that a mistake. so much caffeine, so quickly.

Cold brew is pretty simple to make at home.  Coarse ground coffee, filtered water, let it sit overnight (12-24 hours), filter and then you can keep it in the fridge for a week or two.

[Natsinpwc]

Cold brew is pretty simple to make at home.  Coarse ground coffee, filtered water, let it sit overnight (12-24 hours), filter and then you can keep it in the fridge for a week or two.

I did try this; didn't have any beans around so just used some coffee I had around.  Was probably not coarse enough and I didn't use enough coffee so came out a little weak but drinkable.  Making another batch today.  I also bought some beans so will try again later wit some better coffee I grind myself. 
Thanks for the tip.

[HalfSmokes]

In an effort to curb my pot a day habit, I've switched to French press- harder means I'll end up having less, hopefully,  the upside has been much less bitter coffee.

Also peat's on Richmond highway already closed, wtf

[Natsinpwc]

In an effort to curb my pot a day habit, I've switched to French press- harder means I'll end up having less, hopefully,  the upside has been much less bitter coffee.

Also peat's on Richmond highway already closed, wtf

I know what you mean.  I am not working so have no reason to stay awake but still like my coffee.  Have cut down though and also on diet coke.  Have a french press but usually just use the old mr. coffee.  Easier, faster, etc.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

In an effort to curb my pot a day habit, I've switched to French press- harder means I'll end up having less, hopefully,  the upside has been much less bitter coffee.

Also peat's on Richmond highway already closed, wtf

saw an article on this.  They did close a few of the initial locations but they plan to open a lot more in the core of the city, I think.

I know someone who has worked with Peet's a long time in Boston who also has ties to VA.  She said that the DC area stores are a new experimental format, which leads me to think there is some trial and error in the locations and mix of products.  For example, the stores I've seen in DC have a much smaller area for selling beans than do the ones in Boston.  I think they carry fewer varieties of beans in DC (I know they don't carry anywhere near the full variety of teas).  I think the space for merchandise is about the same.  Promos differ too.  My gripes in DC have been mostly about the lack of teas.

[HalfSmokes]

This one was supposed to be caribou (it was under sonstruction during the take over), I think the location wasn't really a peets type location (strip mall with GNC, hair cuttery, Verizon store, and pollo campero)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

It's funny.  I thought the Crystal City Caribou was a good location with all the offices, but that one was one that Peets closed as soon as they took over the locations in the area.  The guy who does Good Stuff burgers took it over for a pizza place (We the Pizza) that, to my disappointment, is pretty good.

[tomterp]

It's funny.  I thought the Crystal City Caribou was a good location with all the offices, but that one was one that Peets closed as soon as they took over the locations in the area.  The guy who does Good Stuff burgers took it over for a pizza place (We the Pizza) that, to my disappointment, is pretty good.

I think they closed ALL the Caribous in the area, didn't they?  They had just finished building a beautiful store on 123 in Vienna, it was barely open when Peets decided to rebrand all the DC area stores to Peets.  I presume this was to better leverage their marketing efforts (Peets, the official coffee of your Washington Nationals).  But what a shame, I bet they put $000,000's into the 123 store only to gut it and rebuild in the Peets way.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think they closed ALL the Caribous in the area, didn't they?  They had just finished building a beautiful store on 123 in Vienna, it was barely open when Peets decided to rebrand all the DC area stores to Peets.  I presume this was to better leverage their marketing efforts (Peets, the official coffee of your Washington Nationals).  But what a shame, I bet they put $000,000's into the 123 store only to gut it and rebuild in the Peets way.

well, both companies are owned by a German outfit now.  They decided Caribou would be the store name in the Midwest and Peets east of Ohio.  I don't know if they took the Peets name off its Chicago stores.

Today I sat in my favorite Peets location (destination  a couple of times a day when I go for walks when I'm visiting Dad) and tried to visualize the differences in the set up from the DC locations.  It is a lot bigger than say the Metro Center, E Street, or Shirlington locations, two of which they took over from Caribou.  I wonder about the limited tea and bean selection at the DC stores.  Exposing folks to the product is the best ad for the online sales.  Even if the goal now is to do more mail order, you need to show the product to generate orders.

[HalfSmokes]

If the goal is mail order, good luck, if you're going to take the leap to mail order, the extra step to better roasters at similar price points isn't very big

[comish4lif]

This one was supposed to be caribou (it was under sonstruction during the take over), I think the location wasn't really a peets type location (strip mall with GNC, hair cuttery, Verizon store, and pollo campero)

Holy smokes I move away and they put a Pollo Campero in there? At least my arteries will benefit from moving away...

[Slateman]

Figured I'd ask this here. Is there a vegan, non-alcoholic beer?

[HalfSmokes]

Figured I'd ask this here. Is there a vegan, non-alcoholic beer?

Water?