Come for Coffee, Leave a Little Smarter

Trabant’s Pioneer Square location, just two months old, has already emerged as a go-to for folks who want to learn a little more about coffee. Take brewed coffee, for instance – it’s not just “drip.” The coffee menu – which looks more like a wine menu than anything else – lists a selection of vertically priced coffees, complete with flavor notes. Baristas are happy to answer questions about what makes each coffee unique, so that you can choose the perfect cup for your tastes. Who would have thought coffee could have notes of honey and jasmine (Ethiopia Sidamo) or chocolate and walnuts (Guatemala La Perla)! Once you you’re your pick, your beans are ground fresh and brewed on the Clover, an $11,000 coffee brewer that works a bit like an automated French Press.

The shop offers monthly public tastings, as well as private tastings to the lucky winners of their weekly business card drawings. Last week, they conducted hands-on demonstrations of popular home brewing methods. Participants had the opportunity to taste the differences in brewing methods (French Press, Melitta, Chemex, and Vacuum Pot) and learn step-by-step how to use the brewing device of their choice. Perhaps the most impressive was the Vacuum Pot, which looks like something straight out of a high school chemistry class. As the water boils in the bottom chamber, pressure causes it to rise to a top chamber containing the coffee. Once it cools, the liquid – now a delicious cup of coffee – falls back to the bottom chamber, which now doubles as a carafe. The class culminated in customers jumping behind the counter to learn how to properly prepare espresso and steam milk, so they can make better lattes on their home espresso machines.

Due to the success of this class, and further demand from customers, Trabant will be offering demonstrations of home brewing equipment all day on Friday and Saturday. Coffee brewers, as well as freshly roasted coffee beans, are available for purchase at Trabant. They are great for entertaining, and make lovely gifts for the coffee aficionado on your list.

Home Coffee Brewing Demonstrations
All day, Friday December 21 and Saturday December 22
602 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA