Literally, Coffee Talk with The Gent

The Gent joins me with this episode all about our love of coffee and our coffee snobbery.

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Transcript

Carol: 0:16

Hello.

The Gent: 0:18

Hi everyone.

Carol: 0:20

This is Carol and this is the jet the jet and this is the Carroll remarks podcast. Welcome. It is Monday, Presidents Day, February 16. And can you hear the dryer go off the dryer? buzzer? I don't know if they can hear it or not. Anyway,

The Gent: 0:37

we had the excitement of home.

Unknown: 0:39

Yes, we had the day off today.

The Gent: 0:42

We got a lot done. No, we

Carol: 0:43

did not. It's a rarity for the jet to have a day off.

The Gent: 0:47

It is. Well, my whole plan of that was to get up and drink coffee, and make breakfast, and drink coffee and make dinner and drink coffee. And I've been successful in my plan.

Carol: 0:59

You have accomplished your daily goal for today. for the day. We were supposed to get a tuning kit, but then we canceled our trip due to potential weathered weather hazards, which we're glad we didn't go.

The Gent: 1:13

Yeah, kind of looked bad and looked. We were trying to usurp the weather and maybe come back to the south route. But it looks like everything in Mississippi got hit pretty hard. So we're probably glad we didn't go and I think they're gonna get more

Unknown: 1:27

later this bad

The Gent: 1:28

weather. So if we got stuck there on couldn't make it back out a Wednesday. They're supposed to get three to five to six more inches of snow on Thursday. And when we might have just gone broke over there or something.

Carol: 1:40

Yeah, it

The Gent: 1:41

wouldn't have been a good thing.

Carol: 1:41

No, not at all. All right. So we decided this is an impromptu little episode, put together here. And we're decided to talk about our love for coffee. Is that right?

The Gent: 1:53

Imagine that? Yep.

Carol: 1:54

So my question is for you. When did you realize that you loved coffee?

Unknown: 2:01

Okay, the

Carol: 2:02

follow up question to that too.

The Gent: 2:05

Well,

Unknown: 2:05

just when you realize you love coffee,

The Gent: 2:07

okay. There are phases to that though. There are different things about it. Okay. You know, I learned that I love coffee at a very young age, because, you know, I have to tell the background story of my parents and how they drank coffee and what their coffee was okay. Okay, you want the whole story?

Carol: 2:24

Okay. Let me go ahead and tell you my follow up question to your follow up question. So there's a difference. When did you realize you love coffee? And when did you realize you were a coffee snob?

The Gent: 2:34

Okay, there you go. So

Carol: 2:35

there you go.

The Gent: 2:36

love coffee. When did I love started? I realized I love coffee when I was a kid. My parents used to drink. They loved coffee. And it was kind of this this wow thing for me because the coffee that we dried would show up on our porch. My mom had it mailed to us.

Carol: 2:57

Oh, no, this Oh, yeah.

The Gent: 3:00

Many many, many, many years ago when my dad was going to school to lying down in New Orleans. They started drinking a coffee called French market coffee. Okay, it was um with a local product that was heavily that was a chicory based coffee. chicory based coffees aren't any stronger than regular coffees, but they the chicory makes it taste stronger, blacker and bitter or better. So you know, that was always a fascination that number one that this coffee would show up when my mom cracked her last her opened her last? Can she get a case of it? She cracked up in the last cat and next thing you know there was a case sitting on our porch. Well come to find out that

Carol: 3:47

this is before internet. Oh, yeah. Okay, come to

The Gent: 3:50

find out that when they were living in New Orleans, they started getting this coffee. They got hooked on it. And I think from New Orleans, they moved to I think they moved from neurons to Huntsville. It may have been new New Orleans to Virginia, then to Huntsville, but it may have been to Huntsville. But when they got to Huntsville, of course they couldn't find the coffee. So my mom being the researcher and secretary and all that she is went and started writing letters to the company and then finally found a guy in the company who said we will send you the coffee.

Carol: 4:23

Well,

The Gent: 4:24

so when she and he made it clear to her when you get to your last can send me a letter. I'll send you another case. Wow. And that would happen. Well, it got to the point where she would not even have to send the letter and the case would show up.

Unknown: 4:43

Well how did they pay him?

The Gent: 4:44

Well, they paid instead she said they sent her a bill and she sent her a check. Okay. Yeah, I mean, that was back in the day when you were trusting and wow,

Carol: 4:51

what year do you think this was?

The Gent: 4:53

That was back in the 1950s? Oh, yeah,

Carol: 4:56

you were born yet?

The Gent: 4:57

I don't know. I wasn't back. This is when this started. before me, I wasn't alive when they were going. This is long before that. And ironically now

Carol: 5:09

this went on for years and years and years.

The Gent: 5:12

All the way through. You know them Moving to Georgia moving to Little Rock and moving back to Huntsville. You know, she just sent them a letter. So we've moved out and they keep sending the coffee. Now, the funny thing about that is this gentleman who was in customer service or customer relations or whatever with the company, ended up becoming the chairman, CEO of the American Coffee Company.

Unknown: 5:37

Oh my,

The Gent: 5:38

which goes to show you if you're nice and you do your job, and you work hard, and you're thorough and you go an extra step, guess what happens?

Carol: 5:46

You get rewarded. And yeah,

The Gent: 5:48

instead of

Carol: 5:50

not getting political. No, no, no, no, this

The Gent: 5:53

coffee episode a coffee episode. Oh, absolutely. You know what, that's where I started. And then uniquely in that course, that's where I started my love for coffee. Because you know, would drink it and just, you know, of course, it was tasted great. And

Carol: 6:07

what was the worst age? You remember taking your first cup of coffee?

The Gent: 6:11

I can't tell you, but it was before I was 10. Okay. Yeah, absolutely.

Carol: 6:15

Well, you know, this is made me want to interview you on a weekly basis about any kind of thing because I did not know the story about you and your parents, and the coffee. And how long have we been married?

The Gent: 6:26

I'm an enigma.

Carol: 6:29

That is so cool, though. That story is great. I love it. So it was the name of the coffee,

The Gent: 6:33

the American Coffee Company and the coffee was called French market coffee and you can still find it in stores.

Unknown: 6:41

Can you find it in our stores here? Yeah, we've had it here. Okay. Yeah, you

The Gent: 6:45

got it. Well,

Carol: 6:45

then let's well now. Now tell the story about our coffee. Now.

The Gent: 6:50

There's another here getting to the when I found out I was a coffee snob. It was on our honeymoon. Oh, okay. We went we went we went over to Europe. And we went to Italy, and we cruise the Mediterranean. And we got coffee in several different places. And when we were in Istanbul when we got some coffee,

Carol: 7:15

yes.

The Gent: 7:16

And I thought it was just the best thing that ever hit. Yes. I thought oh my god, this is phenomenal. Yes. You know, a very dark agreed coffee that they served it with a with a bottle of water. Like you don't need water with this. You don't know me and of course, I got a mother's

Carol: 7:34

small, very small, very small cup. But

The Gent: 7:39

we found out you know, and of course now I was kind of a coffee illiterate thing. But you know, in America we say an espresso. Oh, that's a little short thing. A strong strong coffee. No, and Europe. That's a coffee. And espresso is coffee. But what it means is it's freshly made coffee. In Europe. They don't make coffee, put it in if that or something and they don't throw it. They brew a cup by cup for you. And that is an espresso. That's just a coffee. If you order a coffee, they give you an espresso because it means freshly made. Okay. So the coffee was much fresher. And it was much better. And I was like, wow, this is really good. So when we're leaving to come back home,

Carol: 8:30

you know, you sitting here telling us that story? Right? I can. I can taste that.

The Gent: 8:35

So good.

Carol: 8:36

And we're sitting here sipping coffee right now and you know, but I can taste that coffee from Europe. Absolutely. Go ahead.

The Gent: 8:43

So we, as we're leaving to come out of the hotel in Italy, in Italy, I remarked our driver hasn't shown up and because we had ordered to drive to the airport. He wasn't there. And of course you know where it's five 430 in the morning and, you know, we don't know how long it's gonna take to get the airport. We don't have costumes. You know, we're neophytes as far as this international travel goes. So I see this taxi cab sitting over in this dead straight this taxicab sitting over and I go over and I look in the door and go inside and there's this room filled up filled with people. It's a morning eatery. And they're all sitting there and he said, you know a cab. He said Yeah. He said, I said airport and he looked at me he held up his coffee said coffee. Like, yes, coffee, you know, but you know, come on, man. He said he so he reluctantly came and got us and took us to the airport. And we gave him a good tip. He was very appreciative. And you know, he bears you know, it's like, he's waving off money for coffee.

Carol: 9:45

Yes, absolutely.

The Gent: 9:48

So anyway,

Carol: 9:49

they're custom of just taking their time enjoying life and enjoying the coffee, enjoying the coffee not getting in a rush. The coffee was good. It was sitting exactly in an urn. Yes.

The Gent: 10:01

spoiling and stay light burning. And so we get on the airplane and I didn't want any coffee. I was like, No, I don't want any coffee. I don't want coffee. I'm gonna get a cup. When we get on the plane. I'll get a cup and get on the plane. So we get on the plane and I asked for a cup of coffee. I mean, I'm jonesing for this cup of coffee. And they give me a cup of coffee and I look at it. And basically I look to the bottom of the cup and I could see not only through the coffee, but I could see through the bottom of the cup down and read Delta. Like, I tasted, it was like, it was like, No, I can't do this, I cannot do it. So I put it down. And I was I was getting sick at the point at that point in time too. And I wanted some coffee and I just did that just didn't hit it. So anyway, when we got back to Alabama went to work and we had our coffee at work and it was one of the regular brands and it just tasted like crap. Yeah, and I thought you know something so we have this and friends of ours had told us about this place over here in Huntsville that has been in business for 47 years brew are doing their own roaster roasting his own coffees and all that stuff. And

Carol: 11:19

it didn't need I've lived here forever and didn't know it was there.

The Gent: 11:22

Yeah, very, very big place. You know, we all thought it was just a little bar, yeah, at a bar over there, but then closed it up. Right. And just to you know, roaster coffees and, and their teas and all that kind of stuff. So we started doing that. And at that point in time, it was kind of like, you know, if you've driven a if you've driven a Chevette all your life, you don't you really it's like oh, this is great car. And then you know, you hop in that BMW and it drives a linear like, Oh, this is something Yeah, well, then we start drinking the coffee klatch coffee.

Unknown: 12:00

Yes, it's called the coffee klatch in Huntsville, Alabama. And then after

The Gent: 12:04

that, you know, we run out every once in a while and go back and have to drink some of the other stuff. And it's like, can't do it. can't drink it. So at that point, I realized I was like coffee snob.

Carol: 12:16

Yes. And now we order our coffee online and have it delivered five pounds at

The Gent: 12:20

a time. You know, just

Carol: 12:22

what every like every two weeks is delivered to our front porch. Just

The Gent: 12:26

Yeah, it just depends. And, you know, and the funny thing now is we've been doing it for so long that if I have to call him up there, hey, Carrie, how are you doing? And like the other day when they were closed down for something? They called me and said, Hey, Carrie, listen, we're gonna be closed for a little while. We're gonna make sure if you needed some coffee. Yeah. Okay, yeah.

Carol: 12:49

Yeah, they're great, great people.

The Gent: 12:50

There are dealers.

Unknown: 12:51

Yeah, absolutely.

The Gent: 12:54

But at that point in time, you know, we realized I think we were I realized that that was it. I'm a snob.

Carol: 12:59

Now have you always drink your coffee? Black?

The Gent: 13:02

Absolutely.

Carol: 13:03

So you've never tried if it was small, maybe a creamer or

The Gent: 13:06

Well, you know, sometimes we'll put a creamer in there. Yeah, but I'm not a Cramer fan. Yeah. I've really never in my life been a person who likes sweets a lot. Although in my older age, I like a little bit better. But flavored coffees just kind of, you know, it's like, go to Starbucks and invite, you know, thinking their coffee Gods because, oh, they've got this wonderful, blah, blah, blah latte. mocha was like, wait a minute, you know, and I'll taste that and all I taste is sweet and salted

Unknown: 13:42

caramel. There's

The Gent: 13:43

no coffee in this. Why are you right? You know, just go get a knock, shake or get a box of hard candies. If you want something like that. Yeah. Yeah. If you want coffee, get coffee, but that's a that's always turned me off. Yeah, as far as

Carol: 13:57

I'm like it both like it always. But I drink my coffee black for the majority of the time, but sometimes every once a while. I like a little sugar free. flavored coffee. Yeah. But then I get hooked on it. And then I have to wean myself.

The Gent: 14:13

You like the sugar? I do. Yeah. And I

Carol: 14:15

do. And I hate to admit it, but I do like Starbucks coffee. I just don't drink it all the time, though. Mainly, I drink our coffee.

The Gent: 14:22

No, you know, and of course being the becoming what I call the coffee snob, of course now led to different coffee makers. Oh, yeah. And different coffees, countries of origin. All kinds of things like this and all of a sudden started realizing that you know, coffee is just not coffee coffee is there are a lot of different coffees that tastes a lot of different ways. And

Unknown: 14:52

different tones different.

The Gent: 14:54

Just It's amazing. The different you know, I thought coffee was just a coffee but Oh, it's you know, it's like drinking you know, red wine. Guess what red wines. There are a lot of different tastes or a lot of different tastes of whiskey. Pepsi and Coke are both cokes but they don't taste the same. Yeah. Rc you know, they all taste

Carol: 15:13

good. Yeah, that's good compare

The Gent: 15:14

and it's just amazing. The different ways that and then you go along the slant that same route with remember, one of our favorites at one point in time was what was our favorite coffee at one point?

Carol: 15:31

It's from coffee klatch? Right. Yeah. Toby's. Yeah.

The Gent: 15:33

Celebes Celebes Colossi, but it was from the Saloni Island, which is Celebes now. But that was where it's from. And we thought that was the greatest coffee we've ever had, and really enjoyed it. And then I remember going in and you know, ordering it one day. And grant, who is the guy who owns Cathcart said, Now that's a new batch. It's a different batch. So what what do you mean different? it as well, as, you know, it's a different coffee estate. You know, the beans that were grown on that when they didn't have a good thing. So we bought it from this is still from the country, but it's different. And it was a totally different coffee from the same country, but it was the just a different mountain or different farm, whatever, you know, whatever the case may be, what

Carol: 16:21

do you call a coffee? Coffee? A state seeds? Okay. Yeah.

The Gent: 16:25

So that was totally different. So all the different places, there's one coffee now that we're drinking, that has very, it's a very good coffee, but it's very fruity. has lots of blueberry, and it's also smooth, it's very smooth as well, but it's just the belly. Yeah, the valley. There was one other that we had to before that longer, that even had a stronger blueberry flavor to it. You're like, that's really weird. And is one of those ones where, you know, that's not the coffee I want to drink in the morning, but you drink in the afternoon. Wow, it's really good.

Carol: 17:00

My favorite is still the roast. So would you ever want to try to get a different coffee machine to where we make it daily? You know, fresh cup daily?

The Gent: 17:12

Well, here's the thing.

Carol: 17:13

I know, we do pour overs, which is really good to do you think there's a difference between pour overs and brewed coffee?

The Gent: 17:17

Well, depends on the brewer. Then on the coffee Brewer, I went and I started studying and reading all these little these Consumer Reports and all this kind of stuff and trying to find out, you know, well, first, you know, it's like, what makes the perfect cup of coffee and has like, well, you have to have your water at 180 degrees, brown, blah, blah, blah, you know, you got to do this and blah, blah, blah, and all these little things to it. Okay, well, that's pretty, pretty hyper specific on how you make the perfect cup of coffee. But what coffee makers make the best coffee? So I went and started reading and I found out that basically, the two coffee makers that I use are the ones that make the best cup of coffee. Well, yeah. Which was, Why exactly. I have one coffee pot that we use at work and that we travel with. Yes,

Carol: 18:13

yes, we do travel with our own

The Gent: 18:15

it is a Mr. Coffee for cup coffee maker. And they said that it comes as close as they found to any cup that make partner that makes the perfect cup of coffee. Like, okay, and then the one that we have in the kitchen. Is it a cuisine? It's a cute cuisiner Uh huh. And it's a 12 cup. Thermal?

Carol: 18:42

Yes. So a pot that says on a bourbon sit

The Gent: 18:45

on a burner, it's a thermal. And it makes they said, and that was really dark. That one ranked up there as one of the it's one it's

Carol: 18:53

not that expensive. And

The Gent: 18:55

here's the thing, they the little one cost for $27 $26 for that little cut for that little thing, though, is 1999. That's right. 1999 for the little bot, and $100 for the one which

Carol: 19:10

one we use in the kitchen was like 89, but close enough.

The Gent: 19:13

99 Yeah,

Unknown: 19:14

that makes some good coffee.

The Gent: 19:17

it you know, it destroys these 304 $100 coffee pots. And then, you know, the 12 $100 espresso makers. Now they might make a better, but again, you're making an espresso. It's not a drill. Right. And espresso machines are you know, that's a different world. Yeah, we're not talking about we're talking about drip coffee.

Carol: 19:39

And I wouldn't even know how to make an espresso. espresso machine. Well, I wouldn't know how to do it.

The Gent: 19:45

Yeah, probably. Yeah. The espresso things you know, you've got the little compact thing you pack the coffee, put it up there. And then the pressure from the steam comes through and hits it and it makes it it dribbles out and makes it so so it's a it's a high pressure, high pressure

Carol: 20:03

pour over pretty much,

The Gent: 20:05

pretty much but it goes you know it it makes me think well wait a minute. If 100 anyway, yeah. Long story short, you have to have a different grind for your coffee on that. And there's different. It goes into a little bit more, a little bit more, a little more than we really need a little more effort than we're gonna put into making a cup of coffee.

Carol: 20:35

Gotcha. Gotcha.

The Gent: 20:36

Yeah, that was pretty much how I got started. And now of course, you know, I go to work very, very early in the morning. I usually need to get up about four o'clock. Get in the shower, get out about 430 now I'm getting up at three o'clock in the morning so I can sit and drink coffee for an hour before I have to go. You know, regardless of I go to sleep at 11 o'clock,

Carol: 21:00

and then you also take a cup with you. Oh,

The Gent: 21:01

absolutely. And then I brew a pot when I get to work, so no, and then

Unknown: 21:05

we can sleep just fine at night, too. We don't have any problems like

The Gent: 21:10

whenever I told you want some more coffee I can look at

Carol: 21:16

but normally we don't have a triple cup sleeping. So I love coffee. Yeah. All right. Well, on that note, I guess we will end coffee Yes. Good. Coffee. Good. We are at 21 minutes that's a good that's a good that's a good time frame for a for an episode. Well, I

The Gent: 21:37

hope I didn't hog the episode.

Carol: 21:38

No you did not.

The Gent: 21:39

I hope all your fans enjoy it.

Carol: 21:41

You they will they probably enjoy you more than they do me. My all three of my listeners. They don't know what I know

The Gent: 21:48

about you.

Carol: 21:48

I think I'm gonna I think I'm going to start interviewing you and have a conversation with you. Because I didn't know that about your parents and getting the coffee and that's a neat story. I have lots of neat stories. All right, well, then we will continue with next time. Okay, sounds like Okay, you guys have a great week. See ya. Bye.