American roaster Blue Bottle Coffee has released First Espresso, the next in its series of limited-edition coffees. Drawing inspiration from 1950s cafe culture, the new blend and set takes drinkers on a journey through the defining period that popularised espresso.
“As we developed First Espresso, we wanted to resurrect a bygone era by weaving together the essence of the past with our contemporary understanding of coffee,” says Benjamin Brewer, Head of Global Innovation at Blue Bottle.
Inspired by the traditional Italian ristretto, First Espresso is a blend of Arabic and Robusta beans from Kenya and Ethiopia. The Blue Bottle team describe it as: “vibrant strawberry and earthy sandalwood undertones that complement the classically nutty flavour and crema found in Robusta-focused espresso of the past.”
“To create this blend, we paid particular attention to the crema which was so important to 1950s espresso and blended coffees from Ethiopia and Kenya to create complexity that wouldn’t have been in style during this time to offer a taste of espresso as it was enjoyed during this iconic period, with a modern twist,” says Brewer.
The blend is paired with a modern counterpart, Blue Bottle Coffee’s Hayes Valley Espresso, in the First Espresso Set. Crafted especially for the brand’s first café in 2012, the Hayes Valley Espresso continues to be the base of all espresso drinks served at its venues across the United States and Asia.
To further mark the launch of the limited-edition coffee, the roaster will release a two-part online course to help home brewers master the art of espresso making. The courses will be available on the Blue Bottle Coffee website from March 19.
