Coffee & Crema | Blog

It's SERBC Time!

2010-02-05T22:11:00.003-05:00

It's already time for the Southeast Regional Barista Competition! For those of you not familiar with barista competitions, let me just say that they are one of the few times in a year when a barista wears a shirt with buttons. In a nutshell, each competitor has fifteen minutes to make 12 drinks, all the while acting professionally passionate about the drinks he's serving. Like NASCAR there is always a wreck of some sort to look forward to and, of course, there can be only one winner.

Having said that, it's also a lot of fun.

This year we have potentially three people heading to competition this year. Alex Medina, who you might otherwise known by his gang name, The Swan and Caleb Sherer, know simply as Um. If they make it in and there is still room later for me, then I will also go.

Otherwise the roster is already looking respectable with competitors from Volta, Octane and a few others I won't name because I don't know for a fact they're competing. But I do know that the superhero Lem Butler is on the sign-up sheet and that makes this perhaps the best SERBC ever.

You should try to make it out if possible but even if you can't there should be a live webcast of it somewhere. We'll post details as soon as we know them. Either way, show Alex and Caleb some encouragement when you see them.

February 19th-21st in the King Plow Arts Center is where all the fun will be taking place. You can find out more information here.

The Hoedown is Back!

2010-01-16T19:39:00.001-05:00

Art For January

2010-01-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Emily Clarke is coming to our walls in 2010 (is that 20-10 or two-thousand ten?) and the image above gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. We're really looking forward to having some of her work on the walls in January.

There will be an opening reception on Friday the 8th from 6-9 PM. Everyone is invited and there will even be music.

We look forward to you guys coming out and supporting local artists.

New Year's Hours

2009-12-30T08:41:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, nearly!

I just wanted to let everyone know that both shops will be closing at 6 PM New Year's Eve. Also, hours will return to normal on January 1st and beyond.

Toast Music to the New Year!

2009-12-27T21:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome in the New Year by coming to see Crazy Matt Kay perform some beautiful jazz this Friday evening at 7:30 PM. He's been performing every weekend now for the last month and is really bringing some great sound into our little space. He's definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet.

Then on Saturday, January 2nd come see Tim Keesee and Jacob Kuruvilla play some acoustic original songs (and a few choice acoustic covers). Also, Stephen Davis will open the evening with some of his own tunes. Things kick off at 7 PM.

Spend a cold winter evening enjoying some hot coffee and warm music.

Weekend Music

2009-12-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

Stop by this Friday and hear some Christmas tunes played and sung by locals, Jason and Joanna Bursch. With piano and voice they will sing the standards and maybe some new favorites. The music will start at 7 PM. Come and go as you can - we'd love to see you.

Then on Saturday evening come by to hear jazz guitarist Mathew Kay and some instrumental work from one of the area's rising musicians. He starts around 7 PM and we look forward to seeing you.

New Art For December

2009-11-30T11:33:00.002-05:00

Edith McBee Hardaway has gone up on the walls for the month of December. She describes her work as 'realistic abstract' and uses whatever is at hand to produce exciting textures and forms. You will find plastic wrap, tissues, sand, glass, oil paint, acrylics, charcoal and ink to get interesting results. Even ferns, leaves, tree bark, grass and other botanicals have found their way into her work. "If it sticks it stays," she says.

Her work will be up from now until the end of December so come by and check it out.

Matt Kay International Man of Jazz

2009-11-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know about one of the performers we're excited to be hosting at the Forest Park shop through the holidays. Matthew Kay is a well rounded guitarist who has been working for years to find a unique sound, along the way discovering the joy of jazz and classical music. You might have seen him playing on the streets of Greenville or recognize him from his teaching work at Greenville Guitar Academy but Coffee & Crema will be his first headlining gig. We hope this will prove to be a great platform for introducing audiences to members of the local jazz community, the sounds of classic low-key jazz and, of course, original music built around the idea of improvisation. His influences and set list include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Wes Montgomery, and Bach.

Starting the 27th you can catch him every Friday and Saturday night through the holidays, starting at 7 PM.

Thanksgiving Day Hours

2009-11-23T16:18:00.002-05:00

Our hours for this Thanksgiving are:

For Forest Park:
Wednesday 7 AM - 9 PM
Thursday Closed
Friday 7 AM - 9 PM (Jazz at 7 PM, don't forget!)

For The Mall:
Wednesday 10 AM - 8:30 PM
Thursday Closed
Friday 4 AM - 10 PM

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

The Jam Jammed!

2009-11-17T12:07:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am safely back from Charlotte and this weekend's Southeast Regional Jam. It took a tow truck but I'm back.

Seriously, a tow truck.

It was a great event and I wanted to congratulate all those people that sponsored and put it on. Especially Brady. you did a great job!

For anyone that wants to know more about what went down, educationally speaking, check out here. It should hopefully be updated with post-event details and maybe a picture or two.

And for the less formal latte art competition check out the Chemically Imbalanced blog. It was a great time, with fun and prizes for all. Speaking of which, Jason Dominy, I never got that raffle-DVD!

BTW: Thanks Greenville for twittering us into the #1 attraction in Greenville! You guys rock! But there are a bunch of other local establishments out there that need your support so go back to http://votegvl.com/viewAll.html and show them a little love too!

I'll talk to you soon!

The Southeast Regional Jam!

2009-11-11T21:49:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend in Charlotte is the Southeast Regional Jam. It's a series of workshops designed for anyone wanting to better understand coffee and how it produced on a professional level. There are classes on a variety of topics and I have been asked to talk about siphons and how to use them in a commercial environment. It should be an instructive class, should you want to attend. It starts at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Registration is required but if you have a hankerin' to learn about coffee definitely check out http://southeastregion.wordpress.com for more information.

There is also a barista competition Saturday evening, with a sundry of prizes, food and music. I hope to see some of you guys there and catch up on all things coffee!

The Hoedown and the Vote Up!

2009-11-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay but you can now see the best pours of October's Latte Art Hoedown at http://lattearthoedown.com. It really amazes me that people are finally getting over their nervousness and stepping up to throw down. We had a couple more first timers sign up to compete and one of them, a home junkie, said that since the milk didn't explode all over him this last time he'd compete every month now.

Too bad we won't be having any more competitions until the beginning of 2010. November and December are the holiday months and even if we have time to put on a Hoedown all the baristas around the city will probably be too busy to attend. At least that's the hope!

And one last note: If you are a twitterer you should go to http://votegvl.com/ and vote for your favorite places to eat and drink. The last time I looked Coffee & Crema was in striking distance of second place! It's pretty encouraging for such a small shop to have such great people supporting it and to everyone that has already voted I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And vote again! (There's nothing stopping you from voting multiple times, apparently.)

Obviously, Coffee & Crema wouldn't exist without its customers but it's the caliber of those customers that makes me so very very grateful.

Victoria Ferrer on the Walls for November

2009-11-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

The jellybeans have come off the walls and Victoria Ferrer has gone up. Her work is a photographic exploration of the stuff we discard. Called “The Beauty of Abandonment” this small collection of photos really brings color and vibrancy to a world we hardly pay attention to. Neither romantic nor 'edgy' Ferrer's work still manages to demonstrate a kind of craquelured vignette of lives that have passed on, through the objects they have used and thrown away.

You can see her work at the Forest park location through the month of November.

New Tea For the Holidays

2009-11-02T18:28:00.002-05:00

The time has come to update our loose leaf tea offerings and this holiday we are paring back a bit. The system we have used for nearly three years now of combining a dozen herbal components with black, green, red or white bases has worked well for us but a little confusingly for customers. There is such a thing as too much choice, it would seem.

Accordingly, we will be moving from our classic lineup of teas to an all-organic line of blended teas. Still loose-leaf, still delicious. But what will they be? Glad you asked:

Organic Roman Provence:
Rooibos blend
Fruity ripe berry notes balanced with mild lavender.

Organic Monk's Blend:
Black Tea blend
Light fruity grenadine lifts exotic caramel vanilla creating a unique heavenly flavor. Smooth and mellow finish.

Organic Lapsang Souchang:
Black Tea
A smooth crisp character with the remarkable heady aroma of a pine and oak wood fire. This tea is not a blend.

Organic Bancha:
Japanese Green
Fresh green flavor explodes in your mouth tempered with hints of sweet pear. This tea is not a blend.

Organic At The Waterfront:
Herbal Mint
Notes of fruit and a light spearmint finish.

The changeover will happen at our Forest Park location first and come to the Mall sometime after the holidays. Come by and let us know what you think.

Carmen Melton on Display

2009-09-28T17:39:00.001-05:00

We finally have new art on the walls! For those of you that were getting a little worn out with the bikes and flowers, rejoice. Carmen Melton has brought us dueling jelly beans and veritable forests of cabbage and, er, forests. The color is a welcome change too with lots of warm, rich color. Her work speaks for itself but if you'd like to know more about her and her work go here.

Carmen's work will be up for the month of October so come by and check it out while you can.

The September Hoedown

2009-09-25T07:50:00.002-05:00

Last night's hoedown went really well with great pours coming out of everyone. Congratulations to Alex, who has yet again won with a pour of stunning proportions. He takes home a bag of the famed Panama Esmeralda for his efforts (which he plans to at least try as an espresso, he's already said). You can see pictures of the competition and winning pour at http://lattearthoedown.com

After the competition our photographer mentioned that the shots he took for this competition are a lot better than the ones from even a few months ago. It seems that environment for latte art here in Greenville is starting to blossom, or rosetta, or whatever. Now that's great insofar as it goes but what it implies is even better: that the number of people taking a serious interest in coffee in the area is growing. Could Greenville have the beginnings of a revolution on its hands?

In other news, we are still taking pre-orders for the Panama Esmeralda. Eight-ounce bags are $34.95 and we can take the orders up until Monday afternoon. Tuesday (the 29th) they roast and We should have our lots by Wednesday. We'll also have a little Esmeralda available for pour-over and siphon brewing.

Latte Art Hoedown is Here Again!

2009-09-21T17:36:00.002-05:00

It's already time for this month's Latte Art Hoedown! Pull out your pours and bring a little attitude this Thursday evening for Greenville's grandest coffee competition. It'll be worth it when you hear the prize ...

Panama Esmeralda - one of the world's most expensive coffees, and certainly one of the most discussed. The winner of this week's Hoedown will get an eight ounce bag for their own enjoyment. You can swim in it like the ultra-rich swim in money or just drink the brew an ounce at a time. The choice is all yours. Because you're a winner.

And for the rest of us, we can pre-order eight ounce bags all this week for next Tuesday's delivery. (I've already got my order in, actually). The price per eight ounce bag is $34.95. This is probably the only order we'll be able to make for this particular coffee before it's gone so don't think too long. Stop by and get yours while you can!

Thursday night, 6:30 PM. That's a half hour later than we usually start so don't forget. It's Hoedown time!

That's Clever

2009-09-11T16:14:00.003-05:00

Just arrived in: The Clever Coffee Dripper. This is the newest (& therefore coolest) way of brewing coffee. It's like the pourover you've seen at our shop before with one little difference. These new brewers have a stopper at the bottom which opens when set on top of a cup.

That's why it's called clever!

They are in stock for purchase and we will also be brewing by the cup for you. So come in and give it a try. Initial results have been very promising (that means the coffee has tasted great).

And for this weekend only we'll be brewing small cups of Kenya Thunguri on the new brewer for the same price as our standard coffee, the Americano.

Chocolate Offering

2009-08-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

We are happy to announce that Coffee & Crema now offers Omanhene chocolate. This particular chocolate is shade-grown in Ghana, where it is fermented in banana leaves before being refined at a factory not far away. Because the workers are creating a complete product they make more money for their labors than if they were producing only raw material.

And Omanhene has been lauded as one of the finest cocoas in the world.

For the moment we are bringing in their natural cocoa powder and when the weather cools off a little we'll bring in some of the dark and milk chocolate bars as well.

In fact, we like their cocoa powder so much that have decided to start making our own chocolate sauce with it. Over the next couple of months we'll be working on the recipe but it's already in the Forest Park shop, so come by and give us some feedback.

Helping the Needy

2009-08-11T20:36:00.002-05:00

We just found out that one of the biggest coffee chains in the Greenville area has discontinued their rewards card program. We here at Coffee & Crema can understand why they might consider such an action. Other large chains don't offer a similar card. Cards are expensive. Customers lose them. Customers don't lose them.

And so, for those reasons, we support their decision to discontinue their rewards card program. It's sound business.

But our hearts also go out to the customers feeling unhappy about this change and we would like to support them too if we can. To that end, we welcome anyone with a Liquid Miles card to come in to either of our locations, buy a drink and get all their useless cards consolidated onto our card. We, of course, can't know how much credit you have on your Liquid Miles card but we can at least give you a stamp for each card you bring in. We'll do up to 11 at a time unless you're acting fishy!

So come in and get one final use out of what you thought was a useless piece of plastic.

Needless to say, this is a very limited time offer.

Tonight's Performances

2009-08-08T07:50:00.002-05:00

Tonight we have performing Matt Fassas & Haven Kelley. They'll be here at 7:30 PM and so should you. It will be fun!

Latte Art Hoedown Page Updated

2009-08-05T14:08:00.004-05:00

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that the Hoedown website has been updated.

Sorry about the delay.

Back to School Special

2009-08-04T18:58:00.001-05:00

OK, it has really nothing to do with school but it sounded great. Our special for the next week or so is a concoction too unwieldy to give a proper name. I'll give you the ingredients and you tell me what it might be called:

Rosemary
Thyme
Lemon
Blueberry

We steep, muddle, shake and pour everything into a big cup to make a refreshing summer cooler. Whatever we decide to call this drink, it won't last long. So come by and check it out before it's gone gone gone!

Catching up

2009-08-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

Sorry this post is coming so late after the Hoedown but our internet savant was (and still is) out of town to help with the competition. So pictures, when they finally post to LatteArtHoedown.com, will be a little less beautiful than usual. I'll let you know when that website has been updated.

Anyway, we had a really good time and raised money for Meals on Wheels. I happened to win this one again and that officially puts me out of my own competition. We're a small community and it's fun to get up and compete with friends but I really don't want to win. So from now on I'll just judge and help coordinate.

The Hoedown for August will take place on the 27th of the month and we hope to see everyone there.

In other news, the affogato is no longer available. Sorry.

I have some other stuff to post but don't want to wear you out with one giant spiel, so tomorrow maybe or the day after I'll tell you about some other interesting stuff happening here at the shop.

The Latte Art Hoedown is Finally Here!

2009-07-27T19:27:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to remind everyone that this Thursday is July's Latte Art Hoedown. People will be trekking here from across the globe to compete for fabulous prizes and eternal glory. So if you want to be a part of the history that is the Hoedown, you better make some plans to be here.

Alex, the Swan, is planning to compete this time and he's promised to pour something a little more manly than last time. A puppy maybe or a dandelion. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing if he can claim his second win or if there is someone out there ready to step up and take the crown.

Things start at 6 PM and should be finished by 8:30. So come by and check out what this latte art stuff is all about.

For rules on how the competition works and for the highlights of previous Hoedowns visit http://lattearthoedown.com