Page 44 - Tropic Magazine Issue 28

TROPIC • COFFEE

From beans to

baristas

CAFFIENE
Oliver James, the creative
brain behind Guyala Café and
Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters,
explains exactly why the coffee’s
so good in Cairns.

Cairns punches well above its
weight in the coffee arena.
With 85% of the country’s annual
coffee crop grown in the Tablelands,
we’re in one of the best places to
participate in the farm-to-cup coffee
experience and the full gamut of what This experience usually requires a
the industry has to offer. passport, an overseas flight and a few
We have more coffee roasteries per capita hours in a 4WD! How lucky are we with
than any other Australian city, and they’re these opportunities in our backyard? 1
a passionate and dynamic bunch! Alongside these coffee farms sits a vibrant
We also have dozens of brilliant cafes coffee roastery community which I’m For me, the art of roasting is these four
and baristas across the region serving proud to be a part of with my roastery elements; understanding the audience
outstanding coffee. The Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters. I want to serve coffee to, the careful
Coffee plantations Skybury and Jacques Other roasters include Billy’s Coffee, selection of green beans (the raw product
are both open to the public and offer White Whale Coffee Roasters, Sipping that goes into the roaster), a deep affinity
educational insights into the production Duck, Ransom Specialty Coffee Roasters with the roasting machine and its
and roasting of green coffee through and Cruze Coffee. We all know each thermal dynamics (to maintain precise
their farm tours. other and respect each other’s style and consistency between batches), and the
About a decade ago I worked with the contribution to the local coffee scene. physics and chemistry of cooking a food
Jacques family, taking their coffee to the Many of the plantations are also roasting product in terms of caramelisation and
Brisbane Barista Competition. But in their own beans on the farm, including Maillard reactions.
doing not so well in the contest, I doubled Skybury, Jacques and Crater Mountain. Lastly, and most clearly, we have a
down on my career as a World Barista Each roaster has a unique approach to brilliant cafe scene in Cairns.
Competition Judge and my resolve to the end product, roasting machinery and I’m proud to be a small part of this
roast my own coffee. style. Like chefs – each has a different thriving and ever-evolving community
More recently I’ve worked alongside the background, palate, experience and with a few cafes notched up and currently
McLaughlins at Skybury during their audience, and so the coffee from their operating two – Guyala Cafe and Newell
harvest, trialling some experimental respective roasteries is informed by these Street Cafe.
fermentation including anaerobic and attributes. It’s this diversity that makes There have been some trailblazing cafe
carbonic ferments. for a dynamic community. institutions like Caffiend, Mama Coco,

44 • Tropic • Issue 28