Welcome to the fourth installment of SprudgeTips, our series on practical instructions for everyday coffee life. We can take no credit for this one – it was developed by Ray Penrod at Portland’s esteemed CoffeeHouse NW. Mr. Penrod has solved the riddle of how to effectively drink espresso paired with sparkling water.

Turns out it’s kind of a choose-your-own-adventure type situation:

First sip the water to cleanse your palate, then take a sip of the espresso. In that first sip you’ll know whether or not it’s a “good” shot; you should use that moment to determine if the first sip promises a beautiful and lingering aftertaste. If it’s good, finish the sparkling water after your first espresso sip, then polish off the espresso and let its lovely finish take you on a 30 minute pleasure trip.

advert but first coffee cookbook now available

 

But if the first sip is “bad”, politely finish the shot right then and there, and use the remaining sparkling water to cleanse your palate.

Before you sound off about xenophobia or other cultural interpretations of espresso, yes, we know! There are many different ways to enjoy a shot, and no “correct” way. But for us…at this moment in the coffee world, this method is an enjoyable, evaluative way to drink espresso on the daily.

Try it and we think you’ll agree.

Past SprudgeTips:

SprudgeTip #1: Chemex Rinse Water Hack
SprudgeTip #2: Portafilter Bottle Opener
SprudgeTip #3: The Strada EP Steam Wand Steam Iron

Music is Cos-Ber-Zam – Ne Noya (Daphni Mix) available on SoundCloud. Special thanks to CoffeeHouse NW for serving us eight shots of espressos and eight waters to get the shots just right.ย 

 

New Rules of Coffee banner advertising an illustrated guide to the essential rules for enjoying coffee