Community Corner
Drip Tips: Brew Better With CityGrounds Coffee Bar
CityGrounds coffee bar in Lincoln Park is holding a first-ever home brewer's class this Saturday, Feb. 22. Join a trained barista to learn sophisticated brewing methods geared toward beginners, as well as how to make the most of your drip coffee.
To CityGrounds owner Steve Chang, a fine coffee is like a fine wine.
"There are a lot of comparisons between coffee and wine," he said. "The flavors and notes are unique from region to region."
Coffee with roots in Guatemala often has a chocolate or caramel flavor, he said, while Ethiopian blends may have blueberry or lemon notes paired with a floral aroma.
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CityGrounds, 507 W. Dickens Ave., is a modern interpretation of the traditional European coffeehouses of Vienna and Paris. It offers blends from all over the world and Chang wants to share his craft. For the first time, the shop is offering a "Beginner's Home Brewing" course this Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m.
The $20 session—which includes lunch and a complimentary bag of coffee—will be taught by the shop's barista Katherine Hartline, Chang noted. Participants will learn how to make better drip coffee, as well as the more complicated Clever and Aeropress brewing methods.
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Water temperature, whether water is filtered, the quality of the coffee bean and how it is stored, as well as the type of the grinder used can all contribute to a coffee's taste, he said.
There are always things home brewers can do to improve the quality of their coffee, he ensures, but certain systems surely work better than others.
"I like coffee and the community that comes with coffee," Chang said, of deciding to open the cafe in February 2011. " … I want to educate customers."
After all, there is such a thing as good coffee—the kind that doesn't need any cream or sugar, he says.
"A typical chain, like Starbucks, doesn't serve quality coffee, even though that's pretty much people's perception," Chang said. "I'm not knocking them or anything … But it's like McDonald's. They don't represent high-quality hamburgers."
To join Saturday's session, sign up in person at CityGrounds or e-mail info@citygroundschicago.com.
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