Caffeine - August/September 2018

Summer is rolling on, and remarkably, we are gradually becoming accustomed to heat and sunshine here in the UK. And what better way to cool off than with an affogato, a uniquely simple and delicious coffee dessert. We sent our resident food specialist Safia Shakarchi out in search of great espresso and gelato combinations. What an assignment!
In this weather, you might be looking for an al fresco spot in which to enjoy a coffee. We travelled to cafés in some of London’s most beautiful green spaces to see if they could provide us with our favourite coffee.
After her stunning victory in Amsterdam, you could be sure we’d feature the new World Barista Champion Agnieszka Rojewska. She talked to us about what the award means to her, and the impact she hopes it will have on the fast-rising coffee scene in her homeland of Poland.
Agnieszka is far from the only expert in this issue. Our editor-at-large, Tim Ridley, addresses a problem that’s particularly tricky in summer: ice quality. He explains why it’s so important, and what the coffee industry can learn from the alcoholic drinks sector. We also meet David Jameson of Grumpy Mule, who’s behind some of the most innovative coffee around. Our tea columnist Don Mei explores the subject of gong fu, a style of tea brewing developed in China that’s designed to maximise the experience of drinking great tea. And after Joe Brayford’s amazing coffee cocktail in the last issue, we had to invite him back and he impressed us again – this time with a tea-based cocktail. Perfect for those warm summer evenings.