Perfect Preparation
The beauty of fine wine is revealed simply by opening and pouring the bottle. But the coffee beans you purchase are not ready to drink. In many ways, they are as far removed from brewed coffee as grapes are from a glass of wine. While wine service demands thoughtful selection and careful presentation, coffee brings the added requirement of preparation. The coffee preparer, or barista, is an integral partner in the transformation from bean to beverage.
The pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee is a responsibility I take very seriously. I believe we owe it to the farmers, roasters and blenders who labor to bring us this precious bean to unleash its finest aromas and flavors. Each preparation requires no less than 16 distinct variables, including grind, temperature and water ratio, all coming together with precision to achieve the best result. Like wine grapes, one coffee has the potential for many different expressions. For example, the same beans will give a dramatically different result when cold-brewed, which yields lower acidity, versus siphon brewing with its characteristically clean flavors. My mission is to assist people in perfecting their preferred preparation, resulting in coffee that rewards the coffee lover with alluring flavors of fruits, flowers or chocolate.
Illy has a long commitment to better coffee through better preparation. In fact, the coffee elixir we call espresso, the pinnacle of coffee preparation, is based upon a machine invented by Francesco Illy in 1935. Today, we uphold his passion with Università del Caffè, created to aid hospitality professionals and coffee lovers alike in improving their technique and reaching a greater appreciation of premium-quality coffee. Just as the well-studied sommelier must delve into the details of grapes and their ultimate manifestation as fine wine, illy shares our generations of knowledge to bring people to heightened awareness of their coffee.
America is in the midst of a coffee renaissance.
Coffee lovers now know that coffee comes from a fruit, a product of nature that through careful cultivation, blending and roasting can achieve complexity and balance. In my role of master barista, I aim to help everyone who desires to fulfill the illy dream of the perfect cup of coffee. When someone uses my advice to achieve this dream, it creates happiness — not just in coffee, but also in life. To confidently prepare a cup of illy is to make your own happiness.
— Giorgio Milos, Master Barista, illycaffé S.p.A
