Feast Portland kicked off its packed Friday schedule of events with an A-list glimpse into the world of Portland specialty coffee. Bon Appetit Restaurant and Drinks Editor Andrew Knowlton and frequent BA contributor Oliver Strand handled hosting duties for a coffee brewing demo led by Liam Kenna and Jeremy Robillard, educators for Portland's Stumptown Coffee Roasters. A packed outdoor courtyard of Feast attendees was treated to a conversational, reverent, and at times self-deprecating introduction to the variety of coffee brewing methods employed by Stumptown at its five Portland cafes. Displayed like a tiny chemistry set on linen, these brewing methods were:
Openly acknowledging their coffee geekery up front, the Stumptown team walked the crowd through the individual eccentricities and demands of each of these brewing methods, repeatedly extolling the virtues of investing in a nice home coffee grinder, grinding beans fresh for each brew, and carefully weighing and dosing throughout the brewing process. Sounds excessive? Mr. Strand had the last word: "The idea of being this meticulous can be intimidating, but it takes the guesswork out of brewing great coffee."
The event closed with both hot and cold brewed Stumptown coffees on hand for the crowd, along with Feast-worthy espresso chocolate cake from Portland's own Bakeshop.