Speaking of Coffee

I had a conversation with a barista at Stumptown today and found out that the espresso shots they pull are called Ristretto. That means restrict, I think, in italian. What it really means for coffee is what matters, though. A normal espresso shot has a lot of caffeine in it and is made with maybe 30ml of water. A ristretto uses 20-25ml of water, but the same amount of coffee grounds. And the duration of the pull is shorter. What this does is reduce the bitter taste of the coffee. A ristretto shot is sweeter and creamier. That's one of the reasons Stumptown coffee is so good. They also use the best beans, and have the world class espresso machine.