When we heard that Stir Coffee planned to open a location inside the soon-to-open (we hope) Good 2 Go Taco on Peavy Rd., our hearts jittered with girlish glee. Here’s why: Instead of having our espresso served to us by flunkies who burn the milk or serve over-roasted beans, the couple behind Stir, namely Rip Rowan and Vanessa Peters, believe in making espresso the old-country way, meaning under strict temperature controls and with an almost fanatical devotion to the practice of the pull. And don’t come here looking for drip coffee; you won’t find it. Stir plans to serve only espresso drinks, French press, and cold-brewed toddy coffee (word has it that toddy makes the best iced coffee you’ve ever tasted).
jump for Stir’s Coffee Manifesto…
Peters expounds via their website: “I spent years living in Italy, and spent part of my time there as a barista. Until recently, I couldn’t find espresso in the States that matched the flavor and intensity of the Italian espresso I loved; when I did find it, it was in New York or DC or San Francisco, but rarely in Texas. But a chance encounter with an incredible roaster in Austin led to Rip & I deciding to take the plunge and open our own espresso bar, and here we are.”
The couple plans to source their beans from Cuvee, a micro-roaster in Spicewood, TX, and Counter Culture roasters in North Carolina and to start pulling shots on December 1. Keep an eye tuned for notice of a grand-opening celebration.
In the meantime, ramp up your devotion by reading through Peters and Rowan’s Coffee Manifesto. It sure did the trick for us.
A Coffee Manifesto
Most espresso in the USA is made from over-roasted beans. Some people think that makes it “bold.” It isn’t “bold.” It’s just bad.
Your coffee shouldn’t be bitter when you drink it or leave an ashy taste behind. If your milk is textured properly in a cappuccino, you may not even need to add sugar.
Espresso drinks should never be hot enough to scald you. Milk should not be heated to 160 degrees. It burns away all of the flavor (really).
A traditional cappuccino is 6 ounces. We won’t sell you a 16 ounce cappuccino because it is impossible to offer in the correct coffee / milk ratio.
Drip coffee cannot be produced with optimal water temperature or pressure, so we prefer not to serve it. Instead, we offer French press coffee and Italian moka (traditional stovetop espresso), because we think it tastes better.
Pouring brewed coffee over ice waters it down. Cold-brewed toddy coffee is the absolute best choice for an iced coffee. It is also the most caffeinated coffee drink you can make (though we can cut it with water or milk to lessen the intensity if you prefer).
Our menu is short because we think those are the best drinks we can make for you. However, we are happy to make you anything you would like.
