There are a lot of methods to take pleasure in specialty espresso and mess around with flavour notion, starting from utilizing different-shaped cups to even aerating espresso. However a tasting flight may be thought of the “final” expertise.

Widespread within the wine and craft beer industries too, tasting menus or flights enable clients to pattern a collection of espresso drinks – together with espresso, filter, and milk-based drinks. 

Baristas may have the liberty to be as inventive as they need with these menu choices. Serving totally different processing strategies, origins, and varieties is usually a distinctive technique to showcase the total spectrum of flavour and mouthfeel.

In order more and more uncommon and unique coffees develop into extra well-liked, tasting flights might be a great tool for cafés and roasters to introduce extra folks to specialty espresso.

To seek out out extra, I spoke to Reef Bessette, co-founder of The Espresso Motion, and Amy Chow, Advertising and marketing Officer at Transferring Espresso.

You might also like our article on how totally different formed cups have an effect on espresso flavour.

What are the several types of espresso flights?

A tasting flight is an idea that not all espresso shoppers will probably be acquainted with. Within the wine and craft beer industries, nonetheless, tasting menus have develop into more and more well-liked lately. 

Bartenders or sommeliers sometimes serve three to 5 small samples of varied beers and wines on the similar time. This enables clients to expertise totally different flavours, evaluate sensory profiles (i.e. a Chardonnay and a Pinot Grigio, or an IPA and a Gose), and be taught extra about beer and wine making.

Though espresso flights are way more area of interest, a small however rising variety of specialty cafés and roasters are together with them on their menus – particularly companies which promote extra premium and unique coffees.

Reef Bessette is a co-founder of The Espresso Motion, a espresso store and lab in San Francisco, California. He’s additionally the 2023 Espresso Masters NYC Champion and US Barista Championship finalist.

“Until you’re employed in a café or have a powerful dwelling bar arrange, most individuals hardly ever have the chance to style and evaluate totally different coffees in a single sitting,” he says. “Tasting flights present clients with that chance. We serve espresso in sample-sized glasses for a snug, at-your-own-pace tasting expertise.”

There are a number of kinds of espresso flights, together with:

• Espresso – normally with totally different origins, varieties, or processing strategies
• Filter or pour over – just like espresso flights, used to showcase variations between numerous origins, varieties, and processing strategies  
• Brewing technique – a selected espresso ready in three alternative ways, akin to espresso, pour over, and small milk-based drink (e.g. piccolo or cortado)
• Roast profile – typically starting from gentle to darkish to reveal how roast degree can change espresso flavour
• Cup or vessel – permits clients to expertise how the form or materials of ingesting vessels can affect flavour and aroma notion

How can baristas serve tasting flights?

Tasting flights might be one of the vital inventive methods for baristas to showcase the range of flavours and aromas in espresso. However for espresso outlets enthusiastic about including flights to their menus, a bit of little bit of steerage can go a good distance.

Reef tells me his workforce serves a filter espresso flight, in addition to one espresso ready in three alternative ways: filter, espresso, and piccolo.

“We serve three coffees in 4oz (118ml) glasses,” he says. “Clients can select in the event that they need to expertise how totally different brew strategies have an effect on the flavour of a single espresso or to style how wildly totally different coffees might be even with the identical brew technique.”

Amy Chow is the Advertising and marketing Officer at Transferring Espresso, a roaster and tasting lab in Vancouver BC, Canada. She explains that Transferring Espresso affords single origin espresso, pour over, and cappuccino flights (which incorporates two cappuccinos and a filter espresso), a single origin espresso 3 ways (espresso, filter, and piccolo), and the Figgjo Oslo cup set filter flight. 

These three distinct cups are Tulipan (cone-shaped), Splitt (huge mouth), and Åpen (basic U-shape), and are among the first commercially-available ingesting vessels particularly designed to spotlight totally different traits of espresso. For instance, the Tulipan cups might be paired with coffees which have decrease acidity ranges, whereas the Splitt cups are used for coffees with intense fruity and floral aromas and brighter acidities. The Åpen cups, in the meantime, pair properly with coffees which have fruity traits and medium-intense acidities

“Clients can select their desired flight format and coffees, or they will go for an ‘omakase’ model expertise,” Amy says. “Omakase” is a Japanese phrase used when ordering in eating places that largely interprets to “I’ll go away it as much as you” in English – indicating that the client needs the chef to decide on their dishes.

Ought to they be served a sure method?

There aren’t any particular guidelines for espresso flights, so espresso outlets can take their very own distinctive method to serving them that’s in step with their values and branding.

“To reinforce the flavour expertise, we serve all of our flights with no cream and sugar, and most with no milk,” Amy says. “We additionally present info playing cards with tasting notes.”

Reef, then again, emphasises that accounting for shopper preferences can also be vital: “Espresso is such a private expertise, so whereas we do suggest tasting filter espresso black, or ingesting piccolos made with cow’s milk, we additionally supply a aspect of cream, sugar, and different milk upon request.”

He provides that guiding clients – particularly those that are newer to specialty espresso – can be useful.

“When ordering one thing like a flight, clients are normally open to suggestions and new experiences, however if you’d like your visitors to have the most effective likelihood of really having fun with it, you typically must bridge the hole to make the expertise extra comfy,” he explains. “Not everybody will drink gentle roast experimental course of espresso, and that’s okay.

“Whereas we additionally suggest tasting espresso after it’s cooled to expertise totally different flavours, we imagine everybody ought to serve or expertise flights in their very own method – no order and no guidelines,” he continues.

Will tasting flights develop into extra well-liked in specialty espresso?

With an ever-growing vary of brew strategies, new processing strategies, and “rediscovered” varieties – in addition to a much bigger emphasis on enhancing the client expertise – tasting flights are certain to stay well-liked amongst espresso lovers. However will we ever see them actually take off in specialty espresso?

“I see increasingly flights or tasting experiences popping up on a regular basis within the espresso trade,” Reef says. “There’s little doubt they’re extremely popular, and I imagine curiosity in these sorts of choices will solely develop sooner or later. 

“If we have a look at different industries like craft beer and wine bars, tasting flights have been a staple on menus for years and proceed to achieve reputation,” he provides.

Amy agrees, saying: “With our imaginative and prescient of ‘Transferring Specialty Espresso Ahead’, we intention to broaden folks’s understanding of what specialty espresso really embodies. Our tasting flights function one of the vital efficient means to attain this purpose.”

Tasting flights are a easy but efficient method for baristas to showcase simply how various and thrilling specialty espresso is. Though they might not swimsuit each buyer’s wants, including espresso flights to a menu might be each a novel promoting level and a great tool to introduce extra folks to specialty espresso.

If espresso outlets or roasters determine to incorporate tasting menus as a part of their choices, creativity is key. In flip, they will present a one-of-a-kind expertise to their clients and encourage others to be taught extra about espresso.

Loved this? Then learn our article on how aeration can enhance espresso flavour.

Picture credit: Transferring Espresso

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