Last week, I stopped in to Brew, from South Philly Tap Room owner John Longacre, beer guy Joe Bedia and coffee guru Aaron Ultimo. The space (1900 S. 15th St., 215-339-5177), which will open this coming Friday, May 8 at 7 a.m., is a combo bottle shop and coffee house — while Bedia will be heading up the 500-plus-variety beer end of the bargain (liquor license still en route; it’s a less than a month out), Ultimo, formerly of D.C.’s Murky Coffee, will be in charge of all things caffeinated. He and his wife Elizabeth were kind enough to walk me through some of his offerings — all supplied by North Carolina’s Counter Culture roasters. I was a little extremely tweaked out by the time I left, but it was totally worth it.

If I somehow found myself on the board of trustees for a coffee museum, Ultimo would be my first choice for curator. The guy speaks about coffee eloquently and passionately while still managing to keep it clear and understandable for the less well-versed. Longacre linked up with him for this project through West Philly musician Denison Witmer, who met Ultimo awhile back while touring.

Brew (Ultimo Coffee when referring to this operation singularly) will work like this: Every morning until 11 a.m., the crew will serve coffee brewed in a Chemex. From 11 on, however, you’ll be treated to your choice of four artisanal coffees hand-brewed using Bee House pour-over drippers (see first pic). Ultimo says he prefers this technique (just $2-$3 a cup) to French press, as it lends a little more clarity to the coffee. Espresso, also acquired from Counter Culture, is pulled with a top-of-the-line La Marzocco machine. All the coffees and most of the gadgets here will be offered wholesale, as well.

“This menu is sourced specifically because it’s out of the ordinary, and it’s taste-specific,” explained Ultimo of his selections. They’re all very different, and each carries with it an intricate back story, from sourcing to climate to details on the real-life people who work to produce it.

Some brief notes on Ultimo’s four current handcrafted coffees:

- La Golondrina (Colombia): A “sugar browning” coffee, which basically means it has darker notes akin to caramel and chocolate. Slight acidity and bitterness to it, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

- Bwayi (Burundi): An “enzymatic” coffee, carrying more fruity aromas and flavors than your average. Notes of flowers and citrus. Burundi is not yet well-known for its coffee production, but it’s an up-and-coming player in Africa.

- Idido Misty Valley (Ethiopia): This is a unique one — the pre-brew grounds burst with the scent of berries, so you might be under the impression that it’s a flavored coffee. It’s not — using the ripest fruit from the coffee plant under strict and carefully regulated drying guidelines produces the fruity characteristics.

- Ariel Pajoy Microlot (Colombia): A lovely, balanced and subtly sweet coffee named after the farmer responsible for growing the beans. “Microlot” means this is a coffee roasted in extremely limited quantities, so get this while it’s still available.

A quick word on the eats approach, being headed up by Elizabeth — they plan on carrying croissants, babka and other bready-type things from Four Worlds Bakery; locally produced granola; yogurt; and a lineup of simple sandwiches (brie/honey/apple; goat cheese and jam).

One last thing — yes, they will have decaf.

First look at Brew/Ultimo Coffee

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Coffee, Openings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.