Day 2, ABC Training

I was a bit more with it this morning. I woke to the alarm, horizontal in bed. Boy I musta been a rollie-pollie in my sleep. A quick shower in the short stall and I was out the door about 7:30a. I don’t think the heat is working in my room. The room is warm, but it could use a little more heat in the deep hours of the night and I can’t seem to get it to activate. Letting the staff know, I took out my camera, bundled up a bit, and walked into yet another beautiful sunrise.

We have a Vancoover/Victoria father and son pair and I waited with them since we were early for the school and labs opening. Once everyone was in, a few of us made custom drinks, coffee was brewed in that real nice ultra bunn, and some breakfast treats were offered. We then settled and watched the Passion of the Harvest. A movie that won a platinum award in the Austin film festival a few years ago. This is a great movie that can really bring anyone up to speed of the real process of coffee from different areas of the world. Quite a piece of work and it would be nice to see this film aired on National Geographic, TLC, or Discovery.

After the film we were ready to go. Matt hit the lab running dialing in a grind he liked and was prying some really nice shots off the house [Nuova Simonelli](http://www.nuovasimonelli.com/espressocoffeemachines/home.aspx) gear. With a pretty good pacing Matt rocked through each style of of classic drink presentation. Macchiato, Con Pana, Cappuccino, and the modern Latte. Then variations were created with syrups and sauces. Following a basic ratio but finding a ratio you want is up to you and what your customer base can tolerate..er enjoy.

We got involved with a number of secondary products. Granita’s and brix units were first on the agenda. Very basic product, very good margin, and something I had not even thought of; evening alcoholic beverages. Niice. We pushed on to blender based drinks which can be as simple or as complicated as you want to build it. Take the powder manufacturers directions, or grab a base you like and build your own creations with your syrup manufacturers. There are quite a few blender options available and if you can get your hands on a few models, like an espresso machine, you can trust your decision more if you’ve had your hands on it.

We took lunch and split into a few groups of dining preferences. Then regathering for an afternoon of practice, practice, discussion, discussion. I got a little side time with Austin and he showed me his design chops. There were other people with their layout designs about so we got to see what a lot of sizes are looking like.

The day wore on. By 4p I was really starting to drag. Maybe a little palate burn, too much caffinee, too much logic and creativity, or all of the above. Most people took the night off from gatherings. A few small gatherings went out. I took a break then met up with Austin and Matt for a few hours of chatting and a simple dinner. Taking a cab back to the hotel I stared out the window and examined the evening city skyline giving pause.

-a