Some Odyssey Drinks

(in progress)

Drip coffee

At Odyssey we brew one drip coffee at a time — full-flavored, classic. Always exciting and comfortable at the same time.

We don’t roast our own coffee but we collaborate with roasters who are committed to roasting with an eye toward eliciting the delicious flavors inherent in the beans themselves. That means there’s really no such thing as “light” or “dark” roasts. Instead, we focus on flavors: for example, chocolate, caramel, stone fruits, vanilla, baked pear, etc.

If you’re tinkering with drip recipes at home, start with a ratio of 15:1 water weight to coffee weight. Or you can use the formula 60 grams coffee weight to 1 Liter of water volume.

Photo credit: Hoffmann, *The World Atlas of Coffee*

espresso

At Odyssey we pull 1.5 oz. shots of espresso.

Always beautiful — never bitter, never sour. Delicious black because it’s chocolatey and citrusy at the same time. But it can also hold its own mixed with milk.

Espresso is a method of brewing coffee, not a roast style or flavor profile. You can pull espresso shots with any coffee.

The important thing to know is that at Odyssey espresso should be delicious in its own right. None of that old school burnt charcoal stuff.

When I visit a coffeehouse for the first time, I always order “an espresso in a demitasse.” That’s the best barometer of a shop’s quality, in my experience.

macchiato

Espresso with a dollop of steamed milk.

A traditional Italian beverage, the name “macchiato” comes from the idea of simply “marking” the espresso with some milk foam.

Lots of unnecessary confusion here. Ever since Starbucks started offering “macchiatos” that aren’t anything like the traditional version, shops like Odyssey have been kindly explaining to customers that we offer a “traditional macchiato.”

All good.

cappuccino

Espresso, steamed milk, and a rich layer of dense foam.

Let your cappuccino cool to lukewarm before enjoying it, and you’re in for an absolute treat. Some consider a well-made cappuccino the pinnacle of espresso drinks.

At Odyssey, we serve a more traditional, i.e., smaller, cappuccino: 8 oz. FYI, if the barista is steaming and frothing a cappuccino’s milk properly, latte art beyond an enchanting dot is not possible. So don’t expect hearts, tulips, and rosettas.

What it lacks in fancy latte art, it more than makes up for in sweet sweet creamy foam.

latte

Espresso, steamed milk, and a bit of foam.

Lattes are beautifully smooth, and the foam ought to be like thick silk.

At Odyssey, you can order an 8 oz., 12 oz., or 16 oz. latte. But don’t order a “latte” in Italy because they’ll hand you a glass of milk. Order a “caffe latte” instead.

The latte made latte art the glory and bane of the modern barista.