Milfs are fuckin awesome.

So dude.

A few weeks ago, Teddie and I had to go to this xmas party for her work. I went solely for

1. free food

2. possibly free liquor (it was a White Elephant party and Tedd works with raging alcoholics)

3. My date was, quite possibly, THE hottest woman ever: A Fijian milf. Oh yes brother, they do exist. BEHOLD! SO MUCH HOTTNESS IN ONE PICTURE!

Some more beeeer fun.

Last night.

Nick "The Pepper" Minton: Newly returned.

Tav "Hefer" Byerhoff: Newly finished with school.

Bobby "Stallion" Mull: New haircut.

Teddie "The Squid" Cox: New job.

Ben "The Business" Lance: ... well, I'm just straight gangsta. Ya mark.

We celebrated all of this with some damn fine beer.

One the table was Rubicon's IPA, which is a fuckin delicious, pretty classic hoppy ale. Super tasty. Orvall's Trapist Ale, made by real monks! Nice cacao undertones wrapped with spicy blood orange. Shit. 

And for some reason, I can't upload more pics. So... go to my Flickr. There's a link to the right. Jawsome.

-Bza

Beer of the week 12-14

So, a big, enthusiastic congrats to my man Bobby "the Bobsicle" Mull, for giving me a few tasty beers, while his next batch of homebrew gets ready for consumption. This week, I have been enjoying a seasonal ale by Sierra Nevada. Its called "Harvest: 12th Release Wet Hop Ale."

 Apparently with this brew, they overnight shipped the hops, so they stay "wet", as in they aren't dried or baked or anything. This effects the flavour in a fairly wonderful way.

Its resoundingly well balanced, with a cardamon and corriandor apple pie body, with an extremely fine pear-cirtus sugar cane glaze on top. Because of the wet hops, I would definately classify this closer to a traditional IPA than an Ale, but who am I to complain? I fuckin love hops, and this beer has it in spades. Super smooth goin down. My ninja. In a few days, hopefully I can have something fun to report.

Ta ta.

-Bza

Ugh. The "overworked benji" blues

Fuckin A.

Pullin a ton of shifts and shots at the Temp this week. Talkin to the Big Kat about future work stuffs. I just want to say, to the few that read this, the blog won't be updated regularly until I can get my own computer, so probably around Jan.

shiiiiizzz.

Say, uh, say whaaaatt?

Tomorrow is bringing me some good shit.

Nick Minton, I'm fuckin talking to you.

My good buddy "Papa" Lucky is going to be cold chillin in the Temple basement lab, or as I have renamed it, "The Spank Bank". We'll be pulling some of his "Lucky's Chicarones" blend that he's doing for Old Soul. I'm pretty stoked.

Plus I'm goin to a tasting of Monday with Brad "the B.A.T." Terry, ... a tasting held by one Willem Boot.

Truck full of boners.

-Benza

Jambalaya rama!

Goddamn!

The lovely Lori and her friend Eric came over last night, and we had a killer evening. Homemade jambalaya and GDP. Dont get much more better than that! 

... unfortunately, all of the pictures are super blurry, because apparently, my motor function goes downhill after a few glasses of wine. BUT, some exciting news... NEW ESPRESSO TOMORROW!!!

Sweet Sassy Molassy, the Ethiopian Sidamo is hittin the streets hard tomorrow morning. You'll get a full fuggin review, including the shoe size of the guy that picked this batch (size 7).

-Bza

Holy fuckin shitballs.

Shitty, shitty balls.

And shitty chicken.

Anyways, whats going to be goin on over the next couple months goes like so:

1. I will be doing a weekly (most likely Fridays for now) where I review a coffee, and pretty much say how tasty it is. This feature will be called TWAT (totally, whorishly, awesome tastiness). Now, the Twat for this week will have to wait, but there are some delicious coffee's comin through.

2. Bi-weekly reviews of Sacramento fooderies, complete with pictures of me eating that food. Its going to be nummers, and that feature will be called "Ben and Tedd's _____ noche". The blank will be filled with things like "24 mexican drive through", "sushi explosion in my mouth", and "Bobby's homebrew beer extravaganza".

3. The "day in the life of a barista" feature is coming up shortly.

PLUS ORIGIN TRIP TO GUATEMALA! SUCK ON IT.

-the bza

Geez

Fuck man.

Only weekly posts? Hella lame. Anyway, family business, and way to much green later, I'm finally updating this shit.

Pretty much:

-All the new lot Guatemala Huehue FVH's are in, and its awesome. In Barefoot's booklet for the Guats, you'll find yours truly trying in vain to get his mitt on some vacuumed sealed Edlyna. Sweet damn.

-New Java Estate Jampit A1-X. Damn. Smoothest and cleanest Indo coffee I've had! Sexy! I wanna pull a shot of it then take my pants off.

And later tonight... The "Rootbeer Diaries" begin.

-Bza

ANTS IN YOUR LANCE

Here's some old pictures from this years CoffeeFest in Seattle! You know you can always go to the FLICKR account, but these are just priceless.

A. This was the pour that went over time by 2 sec at the Millrock. Motherfucker.

B. Tony and I looking like some straight up, gangsta ass, no nonsense, NorCal coffee slingin PIMPS, THATS RIGHT I SAID IT! 

Plus some Bonn Lair pics when I find em.

Happy Happy Birthday, now here's your F***IN CAKE!

Yes, oh yes.

Today it is my birthday.

Last night was some Bonn Fair goodness. (Pics to come)

Now I'm eating garlic bread, and thanking my girlfriends dad that we don't have to pay him back $1200 we borrowed from him to move, in a bizarre turn of events.

good.

good.

-benza

ps. hit me up on barista exchange. peace.

Its like a jungle sometimes

Man oh man.

Check it.

Tuesday, I spent all day hanging with the 'Footers down in San HO. Highlights include the new crop of Finca Vista Hermosa coffees, from Edwin Martinez' farm down in Guatemala. Vac sealed FVH and Edlyna?! THE PEABERRY IS BACK!?

Suffice to say, truck full of boners. 

Then an awesome cupping with new and 'old' crop coffee's. Kenya Peaberry might just be my new bitch, cuz that coffee, just might be, perfect. At least right now... yeah, I guess thats more correct. Really great butterscotch sweetness, off-setted with rum cake?! Count it!

After a really, truly, very, gnarly 3 FUCKIN HOUR commute back home, Teddford and I met some friends at Bon Lair. This got my thinking (plus, Pepper brought this up the other day), this blog has been all sprodown, and very little Sactown. So, I'm going to start reppin Sac a bit more, and will be revealing various good places to get burritos, a good beer, and maybe some peyote.

But only if we have time.

Coffee Review! 13-10-08

Ah yes. Some new crop coffee, from my boys down at Barefoot (west west, yall).

... Sorry, I had to do that.

Anyway, today was the day for the Ethiopian Sidamo Morodecofe. A very fine coffee, imo. Vanilla bean and subtle floral notes give way to enveloping tangerine and toasted cashews. Heavy milk chocolate bottom. Twas well balanced, extremely smooth (sun dried eth?!), with some awesome acidity. Tried it as both a french press and a spro, and works deliciously well in either prep. Jess is thinking of using this for competition, actually! I wouldn't second guess that, as this is so well balanced as a spro, it could do well on that score sheet.

More coffee tomorrow, plus some Barefoot craziness.

-Bza

Holy crazy week, Batman!

Yeah, yeah, this week was, as the french saying goes, "Le fuckin' nuts". Between regular shifts, a last minute catering gig (featuring a gorgeous Faema E-61 !), competition training (sig drinks galore!), and regular man duties, I completely lost track of posting the coffee reviews! But, I shall be doing that this week, along with two new features, "A day in the life of a barista", plus some photos from a field trip down to see the Barefoot crew on Tuesday!

Once again, a crazy week kicks off!

-Bza

Catching the kitchen on fire!!!

Well, the last week has been full of surprises!!!

First, I finally got my christmas card from my Dad.... yeah, way to go USPS. My fuckin ass.

Secondly, I started work on that sig drink this week. Oh man, the idea's are flowing out of me! You know by now I have chosen, and absolutely love, the Ethiopian Illili Harrar. (By the by, it is NOT a "moka", despsite rumors floating around. Bugs the hell outta me.) I'll be posting pictures of my culinary adventure shortly. Lets just say Harrar + Sabayon = crazy delicious!!!

Keep it real, and keep truckin.

-benza

Half week in review 9-24-08

Hey!

1. In preparation for competition, I have deemed my comp spro: Ethiopian Illili Daratu Harrar! This coffee is absolutely fantastic across the board in a variety of preparations, most notably (imo) as an espresso. Big blueberry and cherry notes atop a milk chocolate genache, with slight characteristics of Cinnamon and yogurt-like tartness. I have a few signature drink ideas underway, which I will be hammering out and experimenting with within the next 4-5 weeks, as to give plenty of time to practice that routine.

2. This years "Best of..." issue of Sacramento News and Review was just released, and Temple Coffee placed/won a few categories!

Best Coffeehouse

Best sober sipping spot

Best overall service (!)

Best restaurant architecture (3rd place)

Best casual ambiance (3rd place)

Needless to say, the entire staff is fairly stoked, and I couldn't be happier! To take "best overall service" over such establishments as Biba, Waterboy, etc, 4 star dining that are known for their immaculate service, is an honor and a fuggin half.

Thats all for now. Keep it real kiddos.

-the bza

oh hey!

new photos up on the flickr. long weekend with my Barefoot Crew!

faaawwwk

Well, my weekend in Seattle was a goddamn trip and a half.

Firstly, it took me 12 hours flying standby to get up there from Sac. Then my bag was lost... we're talking they had no record of me checking a bag. THEN, I get my bag back, only to find out my fucking laptop was ganked out of it. I know I shouldn't have checked my laptop, and I take full responsibility for that, but at the same time, someone went into my bag, left my $200 Italian loafers, iPod hookups, clothes, goodies, etc., and just took my laptop. They even left the AC wall adaptor for it! Fuckin jokes on them though, as the unit only holds about 20 mins worth of juice in the battery, so they know have a big grey paperweight. Cheap fucks.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was a blast! Got the meet Edwin Martinez, which was a trip! I'm actually planning on going down to the Finca Vista Hermosa farm in Huehuetenango within the next few months to check that shit out. Also got to meet a few cats that I have been told not to mention online, as its sort of taboo... but lets say some heavy hitters in the espresso machine world.

Thanks to everyone for showin Tony Serrano, Jared Foreman, Nick Minton, and myself a great time in Seattle, Olympia, Portland, Medford, and Ashland, and hopefully I can make it back up there before to long!

-The BZA

ah dammit

I published that last one before I was done!!

Also, Ill be taking way to many pictures when I'm up in the Emerald City. I'll be linking my Flickr account so you can keep track of the action!

NEWS 9-7-08

Thats right.

News coming from the Valley:

- We gots a new single o espresso down at Temple right now: Ethiopia Illili Daratu Harrar. This thing is kickin my d**k in the dirt right now! Big berry and cherry notes, combined with a yogurt-like tartness, poured over semi-sweet chocolate. In two words: The Business. Absolutely awesome, and right now its the forerunner for my competition espresso.

- I'll be up in Seattle from Thursday Sept 11 through Tuesday Sept 16, hanging out at CoffeeFest and competing in the Millrock Latte Art challenge. Gimme a ring if you wanna grab some grub and beers!