Blue Bottle Coffee Brews It Best

Blue Bottle isn’t new. I’ve been enjoying the Bay Area purveyor’s coffee for years. But ever since hearing about its first store on the East Coast in Brooklyn’s hipper-than-hip Williamsburg earlier this year, I’ve been jonesing to get there. Owner James Freeman is obsessed with how his coffee is prepared, so the beans are only available through his stores, although Blue Bottle does sell to restaurants.

What especially intrigued me about this store was the introduction of Japanese slow-drip coffeemakers to make iced coffee. But there they were, behind a glass wall, slowly dripping 88 drops of water per minute. For coffee aficionados, this is sure to be an experience like no other.

I decided to try the Kyoto-style iced coffee, and it truly is a tasty brew. The nuances of the bean are so crystal clear and expressive: first, a powerful hit of chocolate, then an essence of coffee beans and a texture unlike most brewed coffee. Now, I love my macchiato, don’t get me wrong, but this surpassed any espresso or siphoned or brewed coffee I’ve had before.

Still, perfect coffee notwithstanding, because I’m obsessed, I have a suggestion: For all the trouble Blue Bottle goes through using these expensive machines to produce such extraordinary results, they should invest in a Kold-Draft ice machine. Kold-Draft uses an exclusive, state-of-the-art “upside-down” horizontal evaporator, which makes cubes that are larger and melt slower. Slower-melting cubes means less dilution.
Anyway, just an idea. Even without fancy ice cubes, there is nothing diluted about a cup of Kyoto iced coffee at Blue Bottle. 260 Berry St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn (other locations listed on the Website)