Smorgasbord #41

Baristas, Beards, Paris is Burning

Jul 26, 2024

Hello friends, this is Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas—the fancy mixed nuts of newsletters.

I don’t know about you, but right now, the politics in the United States feels like a bizarre movie, and I’ve seen Mexican politics. I’ve never watched House of Cards, but now I’m very interested in watching it. It’s like a train wreck; I can’t stop watching it.

Luckily for us, the Olympic games start today! I’m excited to watch the track and field, gymnastics, diving, rowing, wrestling, and weightlifting events. I was surprised to see that breaking, skateboarding, and surfing are now in the Olympics; those feel more like the X Games, but hey, I’m sure it’ll be entertaining to watch.

Alright, let’s get on with it.

Baristas

My kids wake up very early, and I try my best to keep them quiet so Diana can get a bit more rest in the morning. I usually feed them their first breakfast while making my first cup of coffee. They get out of their pajamas, and at this point, they ask if they can watch TV, a request that I deny almost every day except maybe on weekends.

I usually have some LoFi on while they play with Legos or Magna Tiles in the living room, which is relaxing and offers some enjoyable background noise. However, I recently discovered a genre of YouTube videos in the POV category related to coffee. I love coffee, and these baristas thought of wearing a GoPro or something similar while they opened up shop or worked through the lunch rush.

A girl in London hand stamps cups before opening the store. Most of them calibrate their grinding machines to dispense the exact amount of coffee according to their recipe. Eighteen grams of coffee and a thirty-second extraction to produce forty grams of espresso seems average. As an engineer, I find this fascinating since they can optimize their tools to create flow.

Cappuccinos, lattes, and flat whites are the most popular drinks they make, with the occasional matcha latte or the rare purple matcha (made from purple tea leaves grown in Kenya, Africa). It is fun for me to see the different grinders, gadgets, espresso machines, and latte art these people can make.

Some of them get very creative with their designs, others go for classic ones, but all of them enthrall me. They take their craft seriously and want to produce the best cup of coffee they can every time so their patrons can enjoy a hot or cold beverage and go on with their day.

This takes me back to the ephemeral aspect of hospitality. When you cook a meal, make a cocktail, or a cup of coffee for someone with special care, the reward is in the recipient’s enjoyment. There is joy in serving others.

Beards

According to the internet, beards are makeup for men, and I have to say I agree with that statement. Some men look better with some facial hair than clean-shaven. I would include myself in that category. I’ve been sporting some facial hair since I could, and Diana told me early on in our relationship that I should always have some facial hair on me. Happy wife, happy life.

On the left is a picture of the last time I “shaved” my beard in August 2021; technically, I just took hair clippers to it, no razor. On the right is a picture of the longest I’ve let my beard grow, circa March 2022. As you can see, I have a baby face, so the beard helps with that. Not that it is a problem, but I like it better. Also, that was the last time I went down to a stubble. The stubble only looks good when I’m lighter.

Do I use my beard to hide my double chin? Absolutely. Do I use my beard to make my face look not as round? Also yes. Do other men nod when they see my beard in all its beard-balm glory as I pass them by? Sometimes. So, as you can see, it can be used as makeup for men.

However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I take pride in being a bearded man. To me, it is a sign of cultivating patience, European ancestry, and healthy testosterone levels. Some people may perceive me as intimidating, especially if I pair the long beard with a buzzcut, but I’m okay with that. Feeling comfortable in our own skin is a good thing, and there are many ways to achieve that. For me, it’s facial hair.

Paris is Burning

I was looking for a French-themed cocktail that wasn’t the French 75 or the Sidecar, and lucky for me, Leo Robitschek from the Nomad Hotel in NYC had me covered. The Paris is Burning is an intriguing split-base cocktail, meaning that if you put two ounces of booze in your cocktail, you’re putting one ounce of two booze in the shaking tin. It’s intriguing in that it combines gin, mezcal, wait for it, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and St. Germain. So, it’s kind of tiki, kind of tropical, but also smoky and herbal.

To make the Paris is Burning, you’ll need:

One (1) oz gin
One (1) oz mezcal
One (1) oz pineapple juice
.5 oz St. Germain
.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake. Strain into a chilled coupe, and enjoy.

I was surprised by the pineapple-mezcal combo in this cocktail. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it was a pleasant surprise. This cocktail has a nice mouthfeel, similar to a sour made with egg white, except the pineapple juice provides that nice froth. It is smoky, sweet, floral and bright. It felt like the gin was playing second fiddle, and I couldn’t taste it even though I used a mellow mezcal. I wonder if a French gin like Citadelle would provide a bit more oomph to this drink.

Overall, I think this is a good drink. I should partner with a mezcal producer in Oaxaca and promote the crap out of their product since, lately, I’ve been mixing a lot of mezcal cocktails. El Güel Mezcal, if you’re reading this, sponsor me. Cheers!

Peregrino is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Sobremesa

What Olympic events are you looking forward to?
What’s your favorite espresso-based drink?
What’s something that helps you feel more comfortable in your own skin?
Does the world need more mezcal cocktails?