Trends brewing in the coffee capital

Melbourne is home to more than 2000 cafés – and some of the world’s best baristas. Caffeine connoisseurs can experience a wide variety of brew styles and sample the latest trends – including cold-drip, siphon, nitro and pour over. Some cafés are stripping back their menus, serving only black coffee and others embracing a range of boutique milk varieties. With new trends brewing all over town, choosing a favourite just got a whole lot more exciting. The challenge is stopping at just one cup.

Cold-dripCold-drip coffee is painstakingly prepared one drop at a time to produce a subtle taste, with low acidity and bitterness. Housed in a converted warehouse in South Melbourne, St Ali is one of the best places to try this brew. Back in central Melbourne, Krimper and Manchester Press are also top spots to taste it.

Nitro coffeeThe latest trend in cold coffee, Nitro coffee is brewed 500 litres at a time, then filtered and charged with nitrogen to enhance the bubbles. It is then poured into kegs, ready to serve over ice. Try it at Axil Coffee Roasters in Hawthorn or Aunty Peg’s in Collingwood.

Pour-overPour-over coffee is created via a gentle process of pouring hot water over coarsely ground coffee grains that are sitting in filter paper. It produces a light, subtle brew that is then chilled. Milk lovers can opt for an iced latte or an espresso shake served with vanilla ice cream. Assembly Coffee in Carlton is a great place to try pour-over coffee, as is Seven Seeds, also in Carlton; Dukes on Flinders Lane; and League of Honest Coffee in Exploration Lane.

SiphonThe production of Siphon coffee is quite theatrical; it is brewed using a hot water vacuum system. The team at Collingwood’s Proud Mary serves up a top notch siphon brew as does Plantation Café in Melbourne Central.

Simple menusSome on the scene are recognising a need to strip their menus back to basics. The leader of this trend is Patricia, hidden away on Little Bourke Street, where there are just three menu options: black, white and filter, and just one size to choose from. Reverting to the Italian tradition, this café has standing room only.

Back to black filter coffeeSome say that coffee without milk better highlights the taste of the coffee. Light style roasting gives the coffee a more tea like experience taking out the bitterness of the bean and allowing the full flavours of the origin of the bean to come through. Top Paddock and Kettle Black are leading this trend as well as Collingwood roasting house and sample brew bar Aunty Peg’s which serves only black coffee.

Boutique milkMeanwhile, latte lovers can rest assured that there are plenty of cafés offering an ever-increasing range of boutique milks including: milk sourced direct from the farm, soy, almond, and coconut and almond. League of Honest Coffee is a leader in this trend, as is Industry Beans in Fitzroy.

Coffee ToursThose who would like to know more about Melbourne’s thriving café culture can explore the city with one of several walking tours showcasing coffee. Melbourne Coffee Tour, run by barista judge and coffee connoisseur Maria Paoli, showcases the city’s cafés and provide information about popular brewing methods and Melbourne’s café culture history. Hidden Secrets Walking Tours also offers a Café Culture tour highlights Melbourne’s hidden away food and coffee scene, as does Walk Melbourne with its Coffee Tours.