Alexander Mills

Golden hour is 2:45pm on a Wednesday in this house. I needed something to break up my afternoon so I pulled a shot. The finished product is as much of a reward as the process. The brewing was enough to recharge my afternoon, the drink is just a bonus. 20g in/40g out in 28s... (5 second prewet phase included) See more

I love milk, but milk doesn't love me. It's been a turbulent relationship between the two of us for most of my life, but my naturopath at @winhealth (hey Dr. Laura ) says it's finally time that we call it quits. So here I am, doing the thing I never thought I'd do, drinking alternative m*lks. I've got nothing against milk alternatives fundamentally, but I just . Not only that, but I love how it textures when steam is introduced.... I've tried just about every dairy substitute under the sun, and I've finally found the one I'm going to use at home * from @earthsowncanada Here's what I love about it: it stands up to steam well and produces the type of microfoam you'd expect from full fat dairy. The mouthfeel could fool anyone. when adding heat it seems super stable and doesn't fall apart like other alternatives it tastes great, and by that I mean it doesn't taste like very much at all. I prefer for the coffee to be the star of the show, and this m*lk is neutral enough to let the coffee shine. it's Canadian! If you're not Canadian you might not care about that kind of thing, but I do. it's Organic! Sometimes it's tough to know what that even means, but in this case it means that these oats are free from synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, man-made fertilizers and genetically-modified organisms. You know, the stuff our bodies don't generally like. in addition to all these things it's also gluten free, vegan friendly, nut free, and soy free. Nice! My favourite thing about it though? You can get it in the grocery store. Sure, there are plenty of great milk alternatives that you're likely familiar with in a café setting but access to them is often reserved for baristas and not for you! I know you're brewing more coffee at home than you ever have, and now you have access to everything you need to brew it well. If you're still reading, here's a gold star for you But I want to know - what's your favourite milk alternative? See more

Coffee as a commodity is just that - something to be consumed. Coffee as a community is more like art - a story to be told through many different expressions. Art by @departmentofbrewology

We never would have dreamt that we'd be growing and raising a child through a global pandemic. The last year hasn't played out the way any of us thought it would, and the two (three) of us are no exception. Lots of cancelled plans, virtual only showers, solo midwife appointments, and a closed border that has kept us from seeing Rebecca's family for over a year. It would be easy to lament bringing a child into the world at a time like this, but we're just not going to do ...that. There are no "good old days" or greater times to be alive, there is only this day and I'm deeply convinced that you, me, and this baby were designed for this particular moment. I believe that each turbulent moment we're living through right now can be met with an equal grace that we contain within ourselves. So yeah, we're not going to lament bringing this baby into 2021 but instead we're going to try rejoicing that he was made for this particular moment in time. And I think the same is true about you. See more

´` `´ I don't always look too closely at my coffee beans before I dose them into my grinder to be pulverized but today idk I just couldn't stop looking at them so I took a picture and here it is. I felt like I could see a story or something? The multiple hands from the multiple people that gathered each one of these seeds to bring to a washing station. Now they're just...here. In my hands. Crazy.

If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times - the Aeropress is the most versatile brewer on my bar. It gets most of its love around here in the summer though, as I love brewing it over ice. If you have one, I want to know - ? If you're just getting started with it (or you're looking to switch up your recipe) here's a simple recipe to try next time you brew:... Coffee: 16g (medium/fine) Water: 250g (210F or 99C) Orientation: Inverted Filters: Two paper filters rinse paper filters in cap pour a 30g bloom and stir thoroughly until all coffee is saturated at 0:30 pour to your target weight of 250g and give your coffee one stir cap and gently press until all air is removed at 2:00 flip and press steadily for 30s swirl, serve, and enjoy! See more