TEN years ago I tried to order a doppio ristretto flat white in a capital city and was met with a blank, confused look from behind the espresso machine.
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Today any barista worth his or her portafilter should know what it is (a double shot of coffee extracted to about 35mm in 15 to 18 seconds) and how to make it.
Roy Morgan Research showed while coffee consumption had declined, from 10.5 cups to 9.2 cups a week in the past decade, cafe visits and home coffee-making machine ownership was on the rise.
That can be seen across the Border and North East, which is home to a host of fine coffee roasters and espresso bars.
“Customers have become more educated over the past 10 years, the advent of social media has certainly helped increase the education,” Matthew Sheridan, who owns and operates Coffee Mamma espresso bars in Albury and Wodonga, said.
“You can walk into an espresso bar like ours and have cold drip filter, siphon filter, or choose from a range of single origin coffees to put into an espresso.
“The education is at home too, people don’t drink as much instant coffee, that’s why it’s important the staff is educated to how customers are brewing at home and what characteristics they like.”
BBB owner Harry Valentine Perry said the scene was always evolving and there was no room to sit idle.
Mr Perry set up his roasting business 18 months ago, after a stint in marketing, and loved experimenting with the complex flavours to produce his roasts, which he sold wholesale through White Owl Coffee Roasters.
“It’s forever changing … I really want to immerse myself into it, learning as much as possible; knowing the full intricacies of the whole growing process,” he said.
Gone are the days of coffee shops selling the staple cappuccino in giant mugs where the shop was rated on its quantity rather than quality.
Coffee consumers have discerning palates and the risk of serving a “bad coffee” can quickly damage reputations through online word of mouth.
Geoffrey Schilg is a newcomer to the Border coffee scene.
Twelve months ago he and his brother Michael caught the roasting wave and established The Brothers Cup; they sell roasted coffee beans at farmers’ markets and also offer a pop-up retail store focusing on small batch speciality roasts.
“Coffee’s popularity complements the local rise of good food in the region,” Geoffrey Schilg said.
“It just keeps evolving as consumers become more discerning … people appreciate coffee is seasonal.”
