Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

How one Melbourne cafe aims to get customers to appreciate coffee like wine

Only black coffee is served, with no milk or sugar. Bad news for latte lovers or cappuccino cravers, but a haven for bean purists

MELBOURNE — If you are an avid caffeine hound, you are probably familiar with the ins and outs of the so-called Third Wave Coffee Movement, where the emphasis is on single-origin beans, direct trade, small batch roasting, and techniques that bring out coffee’s complex bouquet of flavours, such as AeroPress, siphon, Pour Over and clover methods.

The movement kicked off globally in the early noughties, with Melbourne being one of the cities at the forefront of this crusade. Could there be a Fourth Wave? No one can quite agree on what it entails, or whether it even exists. However, on a recent trip to Melbourne, the answer might have revealed itself in Aunty Peg’s, a speciality coffee joint established in late 2014 in the uber-hip suburb of Collingwood.

There, in a cavernous two-storey converted warehouse, coffee is served at a 12-seater bar. As with other speciality roasters, different varietals from the various coffee-growing regions of the world are showcased. Occasionally, the menu might focus on different processing techniques, where the same varietal is offered three ways: naturally processed, washed or honey-washed.

The key difference? Only black coffee is served, with no milk or sugar. Bad news for latte lovers or cappuccino cravers, but a haven for bean purists. And the brew comes in clear glasses, not ceramic cups, like wine. Tasting notes are also provided on the counter.

“Aunty Peg’s is really different from a normal coffee bar,” said barista Jacky, who goes by one name. “The way it’s laid out is more like a wine bar rather than a cafe.”

Nolan Hirte, owner and founder of Aunty Peg’s (it is named after his grandmother), explains that the wine-inspired presentation and cellar door-style bar makes sense for a beverage as complex as coffee.

“Coffee has 800-plus chemical compounds. Wine has 220. There’s far more going on (with coffee). One of the reasons you don’t see that is that it’s often a dark roast, and it’s hidden with milk and sugar. But when you leave the inherent character there, you get a lot more out of it,” said the coffee emissary, who also owns popular brunch venue Proud Mary in Collingwood and single-origin-focused Stagger Lee’s in adjacent Fitzroy.

By serving only black coffee that’s light-roasted, Hirte hopes to wean customers off milk and sugar, and to get them to relish the brew in its purest form. Aunty Peg’s is also an educational outlet: it offers barista courses and cupping sessions on the second level. Most importantly, it encourages interaction between patron and purveyor.

“The idea is that if you’re up for it, you can talk to your barista and engage with us behind the bar, which is something you don’t get at many cafes,” says Jacky. The open-plan setup invites intrepid brew lovers to explore the facility, giving them a chance to observe the beans being sorted, roasted and bagged by hand — behind-the-scenes activities that are typically off-limits to customers.

Added Hirte: “(Aunty Peg’s) is a great way to show people what we do — we’re not just a cafe, there’s more to it. Education is the fundamental thing here.”

But whether Aunty Peg’s is spearheading the Fourth Wave is another matter altogether. “People are trying to pin down what the Fourth Wave is, but I don’t think anyone’s got anything yet,” admitted Hirte. “We’re always finding ways to push the industry, and there’s no end to it. There’s plenty of room to do better.”

 

Three cafes in Melbourne for a perfect cuppa:

1. Aunty Peg’s

Sister to Proud Mary, this two-storey space is a roasting house, coffee bar, events space, retail shop, bakery and barista training centre all in one. It serves only black coffee so latte lovers will have to seek their cuppa elsewhere.

Where: 200 Wellington St, Collingwood, VIC 3066, Australia

Tel: +61 3 9417 1333

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Aunty-Pegs-1412050642419998

 

2. Rustica

A canteen-style bistro in the CBD noted for its toothsome pastries, artisan bread and speciality coffee made using top-of-the-line Mahlkonig grinders.

Where: 33 Guildford Ln, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

Tel: +61 3 9642 2203

Website: www.rusticacanteen.com

 

3. Short Stop

Opened by Anthony Ivy, one of Melbourne’s top baristas. Ironically, serves coffee from Market Lane, which is renowned for their light roasts. Also sells flavoured donuts made onsite.

Where: 12 Sutherland St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

Tel: +61 3 0730 1730

Website: https://www.short-stop.com.au

 

 

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.