My name is Cindy, and I hail from Toronto, Canada. Born and raised with a pure passion for everything that Toronto has to offer. Growing up I never touched a cup of coffee, but the aroma given off of the coffeemaker would always perk my senses and make my head spin.
I went through my post-secondary career without relying on the java, but would never think of tasting the brew. After graduation my dear friend V started to work for the company that hails from Seattle. That was the pivotal moment where my coffee and espresso affinity just took off. I'd always drink it BLACK to taste the profile of the beans. My stomach adapted to the acidic, burnt taste and my palette was becoming prepped for what was in store.
As my whoreBUX saga continued, there became an emergence of independent coffee bars in my hood. If I could spend $2.00 on a grande, what's 25cents more for supporting the local shop.
That was 2005, fast-forward to 2010. Going from no caffeine to often was a dynamic shift, but trips to Hawaii's popular Coffee Country - KONA opened my eyes to the possibility of different tastes. On that same trip, I hopped over to Bali where I got to experience my first Indonesian Beans - Sulawesi then Sumatara and other darker profile beans.
As my passion for travelling grew, so did my quest to explore the local flavours that those regions could offer. Being a visitor to new places meant that we do our research before hand, either through travel guides (Lonely Planet has helped me in a lot of ways) or on the Internet. We "...sussed out the situation..." before we pack up our bags and traveled for the month.
My philosophy is to try what the locals do, eat, and drink. This has lead me to experience the European staple of espresso. Back in 2009 a ceremonial backpackers trip to Europe meant that the famous locations that we romanticize were on our agenda. London, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona, Nice... all had their unique coffee culture. It was simple to just go up to the bar and request a single or double shot and never really have a bad drink. It struck me as simple: Bring this standard back home... but with a twist.
ESPRESSO ADVENTURES - a concept that stemmed from what I was already doing with the EMT group. A group of like-minded thinkers would occasionally meet up to explore a new espresso location. It only made logical sense to UP that standard when my dear friend; twin A returned from the Hawaiian Islands. When we get together, we "do it up BIG".
EA meant testing out more than 3 locations on the same day, compare, make notes and catch-up on conversations. THIS concept of visiting coffeeshops was born on January 19th, 2010; and the rest has been shared in this blog with descriptions, photos and general experience of being so hopped up on that drug called caffeine.
As you follow the blog you'll grow with my tasting palette. I might like one type of bean one year, and switch gears in the following year. All views on this site stem from my experiences, and taste buds. Please take these reviews with a grain of salt and ask questions!
Here's to discovering more and more new types of coffees, single-origins and blends. Sip away!
