10 Things I Think About Running

10 Things I Think about Cork Coffee Weekend

1. Hipsters

Does going to Cork Coffee Weekend make you a hipster? John Meade was going so it probably does, seeing as he virtually lives in the Triskel.

2. Dress Code

Not sure I was appropriately dressed for the occasion, white Nike runners, tracksuit bottoms, a yellow Leevale jacket and a red Sevilla jersey did not exactly match the hipster dress code (or maybe it did). The camogie playing barista at Alchemy had a lovely red square peaked baseball hat which I felt might hipsterize my outfit. I asked her for one but she only had a black regular cap. Ian O'Leary was more than happy to accept the free gift. I ordered the red one off the internet later.

3. Alchemy

In Alchemy I learned that I've been making aeropress coffee all wrong. Who'd have thought that you're not actually supposed to follow the instructions. It's supposed to be inverted, 16g of fine ground coffee added then slowly filled with water. I also learned that Avonmore milk is the best.

4. Flat White/Cappuccino/Latte

Apparently in Alchemy all three are the same. This is very confusing. I ordered two just to check. It's true. It may also be true that in Italy its illegal to drink cappuccino after 11am. Cork Coffee Roasters do differentiate between Flat Whites and Cappuccinos, is this important? Perhaps. Coffee is very confusing.

5. Lovely Hurling

Baristas can play hurling on Barrack Street on their break. It helps if Ainle Ó is around.

6. Cork Coffee Roasters

Here I learned that Starbucks serve horrendous coffee. I already knew this, but much like Facebook it's nice to have your opinion reinforced. They had a lovely miniature coffee roaster setup outside the shop which reminded me too much of the machines at work.

7. Molten Toffee

Molten Toffee is the cockney slang for a coffee, it's also a ridiculously good coffee cocktail at Orso. Salted caramel, coffee and Tia Maria. What could possibly go wrong.

8. Orso

Orso put on the best show. Free cocktails, coffee and chocolate. Yuliyan should have his own TV show. He must be the only Bulgarian who can speak as gaeilge. Definitely the best Irish Coffee I've seen and tasted. Unfortunately I didn't win the free barista class.

9. Alchemy 2

Alchemy 2 (yes there are 2) had coffee tasting, I couldn't tell the difference between any of them which probably means I'm not a hipster. That or I'd had too much coffee.

10. Filter

Rather aptly the coffee journey ended at Filter just like all coffee. Filter is very small. There was no way all those people were going to fit inside. I slept very well.