Tassimo

If you're tired of the same old drinks, break out of the rut with a creative latte. This month's recipe is perfect for the adventurous latte lovers out there.

Ingredients
- 3 shots of espresso
- 6 oz of milk
- ½ oz of Monin Dark Chocolate Syrup
- ½ oz of Monin Caramel Syrup
- ¼ oz of Monin Hazelnut Syrup
- Ice

Preparation
In a tall 16oz glass, combine the espresso, syrup and milk. Stir the contents and add ice. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired, and enjoy!

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, may the luck...and drinks, of the Irish be with you. Given the upcoming festivities, now is as good a time as any to take a look at the history of one of the most (in)famous, drinks in the world—the Irish Coffee.

In true Celtic fashion, think Leprechauns and pots of gold, the origins of the Irish Coffee begins with a local folklore...Legend has it that the drink was invented in a cafe at the now-defunct Foynes Airport. In 1943, on a particularly nasty winter evening, a flight bound for Botwood, Newfoundland made the critical decision to return to Foynes after several hours in the air. Consider that 1943 was during WWII and commercial air travel was really in its infancy—think well-heeled men and women on a flying-boat voyage. The circumstances of the diverted flight were trying at best and left passengers a little bit more than peeved.

Upon making the decision to head back to Foynes, the captain reportedly sent a Morse-code message to the control tower, alerting ground operations personnel of the impending return. At the terminal, preparations were made to welcome back the crew and passengers. I know, you're skeptical already; but keep in mind, this was the 1940s...flying was a glitzy affair.

Back to the regularly scheduled story...Head chef Joe Sheridan of the airport restaurant was hastily asked to make something to warm the passengers and lift their spirits. He decided to...well...add a little spirit to their drinks. After all what could keep you warmer and happier than a hot coffee and some good old Irish whiskey? As the night progressed and everybody had been served, one of the passengers approached Sheridan to thank him for the hospitality. Making small talk, the passenger asked if Brazilian coffee had been used to prepare the drink...To which Sheridan responded "No, that was Irish Coffee." The rest is history.

From that night forward, Irish Coffee was served to all passengers going through Foynes Airport. The tradition continues to this day; dignitaries arriving at Shannon Airport are still welcomed with a warm cup of Irish Coffee. Want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style? Try this authentic Irish Coffee Recipe:

Joe Sheridan's Original Irish Coffee

• 30ml Irish Whiskey
• Freshly brewed coffee
• 2 teaspooons of  sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh whipping cream or double cream

Preparation
Preheat an Irish Coffee Mug using hot water. Try our Stout, Classic or Pedestal version of the mug. Pour freshly brewed coffee into the mug; add sugar and whiskey. Top with cream.

One of the many perks of working for a coffee company is that we get to drink an unlimited supply of coffee as well as use a wide variety of coffee equipment. I recently had the opportunity of bringing home one of the Bosch Tassimo machines. Single serve machines such as these become popular during the “back to school season”. Being that it is early August, now is as good of time as any to brush up on my single serve knowledge. The Bosch Tassimo machines were quite popular over the winter. I expect this trend to continue during the 2010 back to school season.

There are three aspects of the Bosch Tassimo machines that I have found to be unique. First is just the sheer variety of the capsules, called T-Discs that can be used with these machines. You can brew coffee, espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolate, and tea without having to change anything. There are various flavored coffees, multiple types of milk based drinks, and a variety of teas available. T-Discs produced from many popular coffee manufactures are available as well.

The second unique feature of the Bosch Tassimo machines is how the coffee is brewed. Most coffee companies have recommended brew temperatures, brew times, and brew pressures for their coffee. Each T-Disc has a bar code on it that tells the brewer the exact temperature, pressure and brew time based on manufactures recommendations. I have found the coffee produced from these brewers to very close to the coffee I would receive when I went to a coffee shop producing the same brand of coffee.

Along with the large variety of T-Discs and the bar code brewing technology, the most notable feature of the Bosch Tassimo is its ease of use and speed. You can have a cup of hot coffee in your hands within a minute of turning the machine on. All you do is activate the machine, pop in a T-Disc, hit brew and the machine does everything else within minutes.

I definitely would recommend these brewers for people that need coffee in a pinch. While beverage quality is good, I still prefer fresh espresso or coffee out of a traditional machine. All in all, I think these machines do a great job and serve the purpose of both speed and convenience.

Darren Ruffell

Sales Manager