Australia Sojourn

I recently arrived home from a two week holiday in Western Australia, it was wonderful to say the least and I had the opportunity to experience things I had only dreamt about.   A completely eye opening — and very important aspect– was the coffee culture of Australia, so different from what we are accustomed to in the states.

The Australian caffeine buzz stems from the Italians who created a wave of coffee culture throughout the 6 states…and 2 territories. Most coffee is brewed in a percolator and home drip coffee brewers are almost unheard of.  Every restaurant, cafe, or convenience store serves espresso and the menu is quite a bit different than what we are accustomed to in the U.S.

First off, at breakfast the first morning, I simply asked for just black coffee (little hassle first thing in the morning … just need some caffeine).  The waitress gave me a look as if I had asked for something extremely out of the ordinary.  I quickly learned how to order a coffee.

Typical Menu

Long Black = xx shot americano

Flat White = approximately 10 oz. latte with about an inch of foam

Short Mac = xx shot espresso with just a few ounces steamed milk

Tall Mac = a “topped up” short mac, meaning they add a few more ounces of steamed milk

And of course, the most popular way to have your coffee is straight espresso.  Flavors are sometimes offered (only vanilla, hazelnut…) but not very popular.

This photo is from a small cafe in Fremantle, owned by a hilarious Italian couple,  short mac on the right, tall mac on the left.

Among the hundreds of wineries we did come across a coffee roaster in Margaret River (about 176 miles south of Perth).  Yahava Coffee Works imports beans from around the world as well as from a farm in Byron Bay, NSW.  Yahava is owned by great people with baristas who serve up a great coffee, followed up with a lot of friendly humor.

After an amazing trip, it’s back to reality for me…