It seems like many of the world's greatest cafes and restaurants are jammed into the worst nooks and crannies. And Alchemy Coffee is no exception. Located on the southwest corner of 19th and Massachusetts, it's easy to overlook unless you know where you are going. But believe me, it is worth navigation. Last week my friend Pat and I meet up there for a coffee date. Alchemy Coffee is an appropriate name, as the coffee here is pure gold for the palate.
The small counter at the front of the store is crowded with large homemade cookies in glass jars, action figures, and beakers filled with hot water. Behind all this ordered chaos, the owner and mountain-of-a-manager Ben pours and stirs the brown elixir into rotund porcelain mugs. His movements are careful, deliberate.
"I opened this place in March with the idea of serving pure, pour-over coffee" Ben says with a voice as gentle and measured as his technique. "I want people to experience the intimacy of coffee without all of these machines or creamers or syrups."
You won't be finding artisan espresso drinks or dried up drip coffee at Alchemy: these guys keep it simple. Of course, the cost of that simplicity is comparable to frou-frou espresso drinks, but it is nonetheless effective. The Pour Over I ordered was delicious: full bodied and fruit and strong enough to stand alone without milk (don't order creamer here, you'll just get looks). Since Alchemy has eliminated the espresso machine, there are only 7 different types from which to choose:
(I can only name 2, sorry)
The French Press.
Most people are already familiar with this style. The coffee is ground coarsely and near boiling water is poured over it. Ben says to wait 4 to 5 minutes before pushing the plunger down, thus separating the coffee from the grounds.
The Pour Over
It's a pretty simple method. Ben grinds the coffee medium-fine and places it into a basket with a filter. Then he pours near boiling water onto the grounds and waits lets it drip through into one his mugs.
Each cup of coffee is handled with meticulous care and deliberation. Ben selects pre-measured mason jars of freshly roasted coffee, grinds them, and then applies them to which over style of coffee that was ordered. Because of the time it takes to prepare each cup, the wait is a little longer than most coffee shops. But it is worth it. Next time you are on the intersection of 19th and Mass, make sure you get a cup of Alchemy with that tank of gas.
*not an actual review
