Weblog Sin Pies

By Charley Daniels

After making my near-daily stop at Peet’s this morning, I realized I’ve accidentally stumbled onto the perfect way to enjoy an iced americano from there, regardless of what day it is. You see, they alternate between three different blends for their espresso: Garuda, Major Dickason’s, and Espresso Forte.

Come with me, as I school yo ass in a very wordy and mostly boring manner on the perfect way to enjoy each type of espresso in iced americano form. At least one of you will find this informative.

Espresso Forte: If it’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday, chances are you’ll be served Espresso Forte at the bar. You can usually tell by looking at the sign that says “Today’s Espresso is…” or just ask the barista.

Espresso Forte is a signature blend from Peet’s — the first they created especially for espresso. Peet’s website claims Forte combines everything great about coffee of the Americas and the Indo-Pacific region. I agree that the Latin American characteristics are there: Forte is tangy, bright, and astringent. Personally, I prefer earthier coffees and leave tangy and astringent to the teas. That’s one of the reasons coffee of the Americas is usually my least favorite. Sorry, Juan Valdez.

So Forte is last on my list of Peet’s espresso, unfortunately, but it’s still better than the best espresso you’d get at most coffee places, so don’t get me wrong.

For the perfect Forte Iced Americano, I prefer a large double. The default for a large is three shots, so you save yourself a little money, and the extra water cuts the acidity and really balances out the drink.

Major Dickason’s: In most cases, at least in Southern California, the only day of the week you can get Major D’s at the bar is Thursday. For a lot of people, Peet’s begins and ends with this blend.

If I remember correctly (too lazy to look!), Major D’s is a mixture of coffees from all three major growing regions, so it produces quite a complex-tasting brew, particularly from a French press. As espresso, it’s also quite good. It’s more mellow than Forte, but it has an excellent sweet quality. For that reason, I like to order iced americanos on Thursdays as ristretto, or short-pull shots.

Ordering ristretto shots will not only impress the ladies and/or the dudes, it will guarantee an espresso beverage that has a fuller, sweeter flavor than standard shots provide. So if you’re ordering an iced americano from Peet’s on a Thursday (and let’s face it, who isn’t?), regardless of what size you get, order it ristretto and then give them a high-five and tell them Charley sent you.

Garuda: Tuesdays and Saturdays are my favorite days at Peet’s, because around here that’s when they serve Garuda at the espresso bar. Garuda is made from coffees of the Indonesian islands. The Indo-Pacific growing region produces coffees that some describe as earthy and nutty. That’s the way someone described me at one point, and I would’ve gone into more detail about that but this was sort of a half-assed joke. Peet’s single-origin New Guinea, a coffee of the Indo-Pacific, is my favorite for home brewing.

When you order an iced americano at Peet’s on Tuesday or Saturday, just stick a straw in it and leave a big tip. Easy.

By Charley Daniels

Karaoke tip: It’s all about the chorus. Seriously, no one knows the rest of the song. So when selecting tracks to master for your karaoking, pick something like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” which is a crowd-pleaser because it’s approximately 95% chorus.

Last night we went to one of those karaoke places where you get a private room. It was good times. I drank about 900 little cups of Hite (new slogan: “Makes you karaoke extreme!”). I don’t know what happened next.

Songs that played at times when a microphone was in my hand: “Sloop John B,” “Say It Ain’t So,” “Under Pressure” (I sing the David part, Isabelle sings the Freddie part), “Uptown Girl” (I’m not sure about this one, actually), “California Dreamin’” (I’m was the Mama to Robert’s Papa).

I’d tell you the name of the place if I remembered (now that I think about it I’m not sure I ever knew). Would I go back? Yes! Will I try to drink only 700 little cups of Hite next time? Yes — but no promises.