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Intelligentsia Coffee

  • Josh Tuck
  • Danielle Tuck

Published: May 09, 2012 | Tags: Chicago, Coffeeshops, Intelligentsia

In 2009 I thought my coffee fanaticism had reached it’s peak. I had an Aeropress, in my opinion the geekiest of all coffee gadgets, and a brand new burr grinder. Armed with beans from Old Crown Coffee Roasters, I obsessively tweaked the brewing process for each mug of coffee I made and analyzed the results. I felt like a chemist; only without the lab coat. However, while wasting time on the internet one day, I came across a video on Vimeo by The D4D that showed me I was nowhere near as serious about coffee as some people are.

“Espresso, Intelligentsia”

After watching this video, I realized my peak was merely a plateau. I was no longer at the end of my coffee journey, I was in the middle. Who knew there was so much to know about pulling a shot of espresso? Suddenly, my brewing method of turning the dial on my grinder one stop to the left, and microwaving a cup of water seemed downright paleolithic. I was fascinated by the barista’s knowledge and skill, and I wanted to learn everything I could about this coffee company called Intelligentsia. To my surprise, I learned they were based out of Chicago. I told Danielle that the next time we went, we had to stop in for an espresso and buy an espresso machine, of course. I got the espresso, but we’re still in negotiations on the espresso machine.

Worth The Wait

Intelligentsia Coffee - The intelligentsia star in the bottom of an espresso cup.

It was March of the following year before we made it back to Chicago. Our hotel was near an Intelligentsia and I was beside myself to try my first shot. Their space was unlike any other coffee shop I had ever been in; clean and open with basic chairs and tables. Local art hung on the walls and their merchandise and coffee were tastefully displayed along a side wall. Everything was “just so”; right down to the tiny red star silkscreened on the bottom of the espresso cups.

Intelligentsia Coffee - Inside the Intelligentsia in downtown Chicago.

The bar area was meticulously clean and humming with activity. I couldn’t believe they only served the core espresso-based drinks, a few teas, and some pastries. There wasn’t a triple mocha, half cafe, double tall, pumpkin spice type drink to be seen. The baristas were all very serious about coffee, but we never sensed holier-then-thou attitudes. They took great pride in their work and genuinely wanted each customer to have the best coffee possible. We took our order of an espresso and a cappuccino to their bar rail for our first sips.

Intelligentsia Coffee - The first espresso I ever tasted at Intelligentsia.

Underneath the foamy cap of my espresso was a syrupy shot that blended out from inky black to deep reddish brown. I remember it having only the slightest touch of bitterness at first, then tasting strongly of cocoa, before finishing with a faint hint of citrus. The bar was instantly raised. I had never tasted anything remotely this complex in a coffee cup before. From that first memorable shot, to this day, it is the standard by which all others are measured.

It’s A One Way Street

Since that visit, we now make regular stops at Intelligentsia whenever we are in Chicago. I also make it a habit to order an espresso when trying out a new coffee house for the first time, or when I’m at one of my favorite places in Fort Wayne. It’s a great judge of the barista’s grasp of the core skills needed to make espresso-based drinks. While some have a little work to do, many places do an extremely good job. Fort Wayne is blessed with a large number of people who take coffee roasting and brewing seriously, and that is unusual for a midwestern town our size without a Big 10 college.

Intelligentsia Coffee - Me staring at an espresso machine.

I used to think that these fanatical levels of devotion that Intelligentsia and other high-end coffee companies apply to brewing were ridiculous. However, I now see that what they are learning, and putting into practice, benefits us all. Customers gain an appreciation for how great coffee can be, they begin to expect a better product, and good baristas rise to the challenge. As for my own pursuit of creating the perfect espresso shot… I’ll have to wait until Danielle stops laughing uncontrollable at the mere mention of purchasing of an espresso machine. Until then, I’ll be obsessively grinding, measuring, and pressing mugs of coffee out of my trusty Aeropress.

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