André Eiermann’s Observations of Australia (Part III)

By now you’ve probably seen a couple of our posts about André Eiermann’s rather wonderful discovery trips around the specialty coffee roasters and shops and Australia.

In case you haven’t, you really must go back to Part I first and then Part II before you read this one!

With André’s very kind permission, we’ve reproduced them here.

Be prepared for a beautiful journey through the Specialty Coffee Scene in Australia.

André Eiermann is a certified Q-Grader and is the 2017 Swiss Barista Champion.

His coffee travels have taken him all around the world, from his original home of Switzerland to his current residence in Australia, where he is the General Manager of Victoria Arduino Australia & New Zealand.

Here are the articles. Grab a coffee, sit back and be transported.

The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney

UNIQUE INTERIOR DESIGN & SUSTAINABILITY

My last coffee in Sydney took me to the iconic Grounds of Alexandria. I took a seat outside in the café and felt like being in a rainforest. I was surrounded by beautiful green plants and colorful flowers – everything just looked so beautifully lush. It was a bit like being in an enchanted forest where fairies serve you tasty breakfast and tasty coffee.

It was a bit like being in an enchanted forest where fairies serve you tasty breakfast and tasty coffee.

I went for the granola with yoghurt and ordered the Kenyan filter coffee from the Gatomboya washing station. Gatomboya is part of the Barichu Farmers Cooperative Society. The Barichu FCU services 4,000 smallholder coffee producers, and it is known for taking good care of its member producers and the nearby community. The Cooperative Society built a coffee shop on the factory grounds that services travellers on the nearby road. The income of this shop helps lower the overhead costs for the management of the cooperative and factories.

I truly enjoyed the lush interior design, my healthy breakfast, and the sustainable coffee choice.

Rumble Coffee Roasters, Melbourne

A perfectly extracted espresso is such a delight – especially when it is sustainably sourced.

It was on an early bright and sunny morning when we arrived in front of a bonafide brick warehouse conversion in Melbourne’s mighty west, at Rumble Coffee Roasters. According to their website, they stand for a total commitment to transparency, relaxed and experienced service, and delicious coffees to boot – quality, consistency, and a no-bullshit policy.

…they stand for a total commitment to transparency, relaxed and experienced service, and delicious coffees to boot – quality, consistency, and a no-bullshit policy.

Let’s start with transparency: the espresso blend consisted of two coffees, one from Colombia and the second one from Guatemala. On their website you can find the transparency information about pricing and additional information about the producers.

And what about the relaxed and experienced service: I love the cozy espresso bar on the first floor, right next to the roastery. It looks very authentic. The solid stone bench matches well the bright wooden walls, and I especially liked the two handmade wooden tables with the lush plants and the cute and informative brewing guides.

Although the barista was wearing a mask, I could see her smile through it. She pulled a delicious double espresso with a bright citric and malic acidity, elegant notes of citrus fruits, apples and pears and a full body. The aftertaste was balanced and sweet. A perfectly extracted espresso is such a delight.

Before leaving we grabbed another three coffee bags for later: Single origin espresso La Dante from Guatemala, single origin filter Victor Barrera from Colombia, and one more coffee: single origin espresso Colombian Popayan Sugarcane Decaf. When coffee is sustainable and tasty, it is always a good idea to stock some more and then keep it in a deep freezer. The freezer will make sure, that the beans will stay fresh to the very last sip.

Sammy Junior Coffee & Cocktail Bar, Sydney

Here we go! It took me 22 months to finally visit Martin Hudak’s place in Sydney. We first met at the World Cup Tasters Championship in 2018 in Brazil. Then I had the great pleasure to enjoy several of his outstanding drinks during at Sober in Shanghai back in 2019.

Unfortunately, Martin could not make it this time to his café. But three super friendly baristas gave me a warm welcome “BUONGIORNO!”. The two female and one male barista were all Italians, and I felt immediately home.

I enjoyed a tasty pain-aux-raisin while one barista was pulling my double espresso: Costa Rica. I enjoyed the bright acidity and the tropical fruit notes. After a big first sip, I could read “MAYBE IT IS TIME FOR A COCKTAIL?” That is cool. SAMMY JUNIOR wants to be your place for the last coffee and the first cocktail. Not today, as it was just 7 o’clock in the morning.

Sammy Junior wants to be your place for the last coffee and the first cocktail. Not today, as it was just 7 o’clock in the morning.

While having a great chat with the team, I got my flat white made with their house blend. The coffee cut nicely through the well textured milk, and I enjoyed myself to the fullest. Maybe Sammy is a great example of outstanding customer service. I have been treated very well and totally enjoyed my stay.

I cannot wait to return to Sammy Junior, meet Martin, and sip some tasty cocktails together. In addition, I absolutely want to read Martin’s new book: SPIRITUAL COFFEE! Thank you so much for this wonderful experience. I learnt a great lesson about customer service excellence.

Campos Coffee, Sydney

Is the future of specialty coffee automation?

Coffee is all about people, memorable encounters, and human relationships. John and I first met in 2019 in El Salvador during the Cup of Excellence / Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Inc. (ACE) competition. We connected well, and John invited me after the COE award ceremony to do a farm trip to see Emilio Lopez Diaz. It was an amazing experience to meet Emilio and I have learnt so much about modern coffee farming: the use of machines to prune the coffee trees and the latest innovation when it comes to post harvesting processing.

Is the future of specialty coffee automation?

John and I stayed in touch, and I promised him to come to Australia one day. Then came covid, but I finally made it to Sydney, and we had a great chat over a few tasty coffees. I visited the origin of Campos Coffee, where their story started with a roastery and an espresso bar.

The baristas were extremely friendly. They knew that I was coming and even greeted me by my first name. I enjoyed a juicy Kenyan filter coffee and a delicious cinnamon bun. While enjoying my morning treat, I watched the baristas moving swiftly behind the bar. I was amazed by the young female barista who kept texturing milk nonstop at the speed of light; one jug after another. Otherwise the team used several tools to speed up the workflow through automation: Marco SP9 filter coffee brewer, PuqPress, and Acaia Orion Bean Doser.

Thank you to the entire team for the amazing hospitality, the tasty coffees, and the delicious cinnamon bun.

Maker Coffee, Specialty Coffee Roasters, Melbourne

COMBINING SUSTAINABILITY, TRACEABILITY WITH INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Here we go, back to Melbourne! This time Brett and I visited John at Maker Coffee in his beautiful roastery and café at 47 North Street in Richmond. As much as I like social media to connect with the coffee community, meeting in person is so much better.

As much as I like social media to connect with the coffee community, meeting in person is so much better.

Maker Coffee is specialising in seasonal, unique coffee. They meticulously source coffee from around the globe to deliver and exceptional coffee experience. That’s why I went for an Ethiopian filter coffee first – Faysel Abdosh. Faysel has a small farm located in the village of Bombe in the Sidamo region. Traditionally coffees in Ethiopia are only traceable to the washing station. Meaning many small lots are mixed and bagged each day. In 2017 the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) allowed direct sale from individual washing stations. Meaning greater traceability to consumers and potential higher prices for producers like Faysel.

Afterwards I also enjoyed a flat white with a delicious Florentine cookie. You cannot imagine how tasty this combination was, sooooo yummy. The flat white was made with their house espresso blend – The Maven: This coffee is produced by the indigenous community, Nasa Wasx of Gaitania. Since 2014 the community has been able to certify all their coffee as organic.

I love the minimalistic industrial design of the roastery and café. I especially like the beautiful, lush plants and the cozy atmosphere. There was also plenty of space to enjoy your coffee outside. And once you visit, make sure you enjoy one of the sweet treats.

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