And when they do, the only thing to do is to press on.
The above picture is what the floor behind the counter looked like around 3:45 p.m. this afternoon. My friend, the coffee filter, decided to spit its lovely contents (grinds) not only over its edges and into the coffee urn, but also onto the brewing station and the floor. Frustrated by this faulty attempt at a pot of coffee, I asked Nicolette to start another as I rang up customers. However, when she pulled the basket out, 200 degree water and grinds spilled all over her hand, causing her to drop the basket to avoid further injury. Hence, the mess.
Barista life wasn’t all bad today, though, and I had a good first work day in nearly a week. A nasty bout of bronchitis forced my coffee loving self to stay in bed drinking water and taking Avelox instead of sipping lattes and munching apple fritters.
I had a few good conversations today, including ones with some of my favorite regulars (Carrie, Brandon, etc.) and one with a pleasant gentlemen who was on his way to Seattle to give a presentation about the “greenness” of Starbucks, which I thought was exciting.
As promised, here is all you ever needed or wanted to know about caramel macchiatos and white mochas!
This is a textbook caramel macchiato. It is the only drink we craft “upside down,” meaning the espresso is poured on top of the milk instead of the other way around.
To make one, begin with a little vanilla in your glass. Then, steam some milk and pour it in about two inches from the top of your glass. Add a quarter inch of foam (more or less to your preference) and add your espresso. Finish with a crosshatch pattern of caramel sauce and enjoy!
Meet Iced Venti White Mocha. He will be happy to be your taste buds’ friend if you would be so kind to follow this recipe:
Take some white mocha sauce (six pumps is standard for an iced venti) and add three shots of espresso. Mix the sauce with the espresso so when you take your first sip, you don’t get clumps of syrup overloading your senses (Hint: If you mix the espresso in while it’s still hot, it will blend much better with the syrup, making for a more well balanced drink). Add milk (any kind is fine) and ice. Top with some luscious whipped cream and enjoy!
Please forgive the lateness of this latest entry…I will be more on top of posting regularly from here on out, loyal coffee fanatics!
the many minute musings of a barista 
pshhhhhhhhhh THATS MY DRINK!!! – you guys should just start referring to it as the jessica
Haha, Jessica, yes indeed. Only you make the whipped cream feel bad every single day.
i really really really really doubt my sbucks in downtown chicago is making a proper caramel macchiato. it seems like a lotta work for a busy store during their 8am rush. i would like to taste one vs a vanilla latte with caramel sauce and see if i can taste the difference.