August is National Coffee Month, so grab your favorite mug and pour a steaming hot cup of bean juice. In this episode, we'll be talking about the history of coffee and its influence on culture and cocktails. Brianna Pedro, bartender at Raleigh, North Carolina's own Killjoy, will be stopping by a little later to talk with us about her time as a barista, how it's different from serving up cocktails, and her secret weapons for dealing with difficult customers. But first, a word from our sponsor. Upgrade your cocktail game with Remedy Cocktail Company's handcrafted bitters. Order online at RemedyCocktailCompany.com and choose from over 20 flavors. Elevate your drink experience today. With August upon us, it's time to celebrate National Coffee Month and delve deep into the riveting tale of coffee, a tale that traverses continents and cultures, centuries and civilizations. Let's start at the very beginning. Ethiopian legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi who one day noticed that some of his flock had started to frolic, fueled with energy after consuming coffee cherries. He tried the berries for himself and thus the beginning of human fascination with the caffeinated little bean was upon us. By the 15th century, this wonder brew had journeyed across the Red Sea to the Yemeni district of Arabia. And by the 16th century, it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. The Sufi mystics of Yemen used coffee to keep themselves alert during their nighttime devotions. A little later, coffee houses, or Kaveh Kanae, began to appear in cities across the Near East. These bustling establishments were not just places to enjoy a cup of coffee, but they were also centers for socializing, watching performers, playing chess, and even hearing the latest news. The 17th century saw coffee make it splash into Europe, but it wasn't exactly love at first sip. Some people reacted with suspicion to this bitter invention of Satan. Clerics in Venice condemned coffee, prompting Pope Clement VIII to intervene. After tasting the beverage, he decided to baptize it, thus dispelling the rumors that coffee was the devil's drink. From there, coffee houses sprung up all across Europe, becoming hotbeds of intellectual discussion. Even Lloyd's of London, the famous insurance market, started as a coffee house. As the History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage notes, coffee served a crucial role in fostering a culture of enlightened thinking and conversation. The coffee houses of Europe, the penny universities, so-called because you could pay a penny for a cup of coffee and take in a wide-ranging and vast amount of knowledge and information, evolved into a powerful public sphere in America where democratic ideals and independent thinking were brewed alongside strong coffee. It was in the 18th century that coffee began its trek into the New World. Introduced in New York, then known as New Amsterdam, coffee's popularity began to grow, but it wasn't until the Boston Tea Party of 1773 that coffee became the preferred morning beverage as drinking tea became unpatriotic. The French Revolution and the American Revolution both brewed in coffee houses. The French Revolution even had its own café de foie where Camille Desmoulins roused his compatriots to action with a fiery speech. And speaking of revolutions, as the 19th century dawned, coffee was there, fueling the Industrial Revolution with its invigorating caffeine kick. Coffee's central role in American homes solidified during the Civil War, providing solace and energy to soldiers in the battlefield. The first wave of coffee had dawned, focusing on making coffee accessible to all, and brands like Folgers and Maxwell House hit the shelves, giving consumers the comfort of coffee in their own homes. The focus was less about the quality or origin of the beans and more about affordability and accessibility. Taste? Not a priority. If it was hot, dark, and could jumpstart your morning, it passed the test. It was also during the Civil War period that we find our first mention of coffee in a cocktail context. However, the ironically named coffee cocktail from Jerry Thomas' 1862 "Bartender's Guide" doesn't contain a drop of coffee. Instead, it uses port and brandy to mimic the color of the coffee. The Irish, never to be outdone in matters of liquor, were the first to craft a modern coffee cocktail. The renowned Irish coffee was conceived in the 1940s by Joe Sheridan, a chef in Foynes, County Limerick. Created to warm American passengers after a rough transatlantic flight, the smooth blend of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and its topping of cream quickly gained popularity. In Brussels, Belgian barman Gustav Topps crafted the Black Russian, a dark and mysterious concoction of vodka and coffee liqueur, along with its sister cocktail, the White Russian, which added cream to the mix, in 1949 at the Hotel Metropole. The American version of Irish coffee, which substituted local whiskey, gained popularity in San Francisco's Buena Vista Cafe in the 1950s. Fast forward to the 1960s, and here comes the second wave. We're no longer just waking up to coffee. We're savoring it. Coffee is now a lifestyle. Consumers start to show interest in where their coffee is sourced from, its quality, and how it's brewed. This is the era of the coffee shop boom, with brands like Starbucks and Pete's not just serving a cup of Joe, but an experience. It's about lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso shots. Coffee menus become more diverse, but the connection between consumer and coffee origin was still somewhat murky. The 1980s saw the birth of the Espresso Martini, the brainchild of legendary British bartender Dick Bradsell. The cocktail, originally dubbed as the Vodka Espresso, was concocted in response to a customer's request, purportedly supermodel Kate Moss, for a drink that would wake me up and then fuck me up. The Espresso Martini is now a staple in cocktail menus worldwide, a testament to the enduring allure of coffee and cocktails. We're currently riding the third wave, which began in the early 2000s, where coffee is not just a drink, but an art, a craft. The third wave is all about honoring the bean's journey from a specific soil under a particular climate to your cup. It's about cherishing each note, each aroma, the citrus tang, the caramel sweetness, the floral undertones. Consumers now appreciate the complexity of flavors in a cup of coffee, just like wine connoisseurs do with their vino. They give value to the coffee's origin, the farmer's work, the roasting process, and the unique flavors of different beans. Specialty coffee shops and roasters have emerged, placing emphasis on fair trade, organic methods, and direct trade practices. This wave brings the farm-to-cup concept, bridging the gap between coffee drinkers and growers. It's about appreciating the story behind each cup. The journey from the cherry on the coffee plant to the warm brew that kickstarts your day. It's in this third wave that one of my favorite modern classic coffee cocktails was created. The Revolver, a cocktail that spins together bourbon, coffee liqueur, and a touch of orange bitters, was created in 2004 by John Santor at Bruno's in San Francisco. Coffee's journey from Ethiopian plateaus to American palates, from coffee houses to cocktail houses, is a testament to its enduring appeal. As we celebrate National Coffee Month, we're not just toasting a drink. We're toasting history, culture, and the relentless human spirit of innovation. For this episode's challenge, our contestants will be seeing which of them can create the perfect cocktail that celebrates coffee and serves to refresh the drinker during these end-of-summer months. So stick around after the break and we'll sit down with our guest, Brianna Pedro, of Raleigh, North Carolina's Killjoy. A little later, we'll see how she fares when she has to go head-to-head with our AI contender. Will she claim victory or will her mug run dry? Stick around to find out. I want to take a moment and say thank you for listening so far. I'd love it if you'd connect with the podcast on social media. We're Drinking With Robots on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Threads. And we definitely appreciate your likes and follows. Make sure to hit the subscribe button on whatever platform you're listening to our podcast on so you don't miss any episodes. Also, check out DrinkingWithRobots.com while you're at it. All right, folks. Well, we're here today with Bri Pedro. She is a resident bartender at Killjoy in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bri, thanks for being here today. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. So, you know, today's topic is obviously, you know, all about coffee. And one of the things that we talked about earlier in the show was the history of coffee. And one of the things that I didn't realize until there's a great book called The History of the World in Six Glasses. Have you read that before? I have not. Okay. So I believe that everyone wants to put this on their reading list, so to speak, because it goes through things like tea, soda, beer, spirits, and coffee. And it's really great how it details the history of the impact of, you know, these different liquids that we consumed regularly on society. And that's where the one for coffee I thought was really interesting. I love coffee. I am an unabashed coffee slut. You and me both. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I drink mine black. I drink no sugar, no cream. You know, I am the easiest person when it comes to ordering coffee. You know, baristas always are like, and what else? I'm like, that's nothing. Yeah, that's it. That's all I want. But that and a cup. Here's money. We're done. With that said, I didn't really know a lot about the history of coffee as far as where did it come from. One of the stories that gets conveyed in this book is that in Ethiopia, a goat herder noticed his goats acting strange after eating the berries of a specific plant. And that is what led us to coffee. I love that. Yeah. He's like, why are they running so fast? Could you imagine being the first goat to have coffee? It's just like screaming. I love it. Like you said, so that was really interesting. The move of coffee then through the Middle East was another thing that wasn't really familiar with. But apparently it informed a lot of the we'll call the public sphere of meeting places, the idea of the coffee house being a place of discussion. And we see that kind of move up through Europe and then eventually to the United States in that kind of first wave of coffee. Right. Being an American, looking at the rise of popularity of coffee starting in the colonial period with the Boston Tea Party, cast overboard all that British tea and we'll be hardscrabble Americans drinking our coffee. It makes a huge cultural difference, I think. I think so. It's like a big staple in everybody's life, at least that I know. Especially in the industry, right? Yeah. I feel like I've never met a bartender who doesn't drink coffee. They always have their like iced Americano. Something. Kind of shaking every time you see them. That's it. Something at a minimum with caffeine. Right. Right. We needed to live, you know. Yes. You and I met, speaking of coffee, before you were actually slinging drinks. Yes. You were slinging coffee at Sir Walter Coffee. Yes. Here in North Carolina. I was slinging Spro instead. Oh, there you go. There you go. Now, was that your first barista experience there or had you been a barista elsewhere? Oh, no. I've been kind of in the coffee industry for about eight years now. I say now, but I'm now just doing cocktails, unfortunately. I miss the coffee so much. But no, I've worked at many little coffee shops, both like chains and local. And I love it. I think it's great. There's like an energy. You just can't really get anywhere else. I was going to say, I would imagine that it very much kind of follows the ebb and flow of people's day, right? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You learn all of your regular schedules. You know, like the peak times. And it's crazy. It's a lot like bartending. It's just, you know, at 6 a.m. I don't know that I would want to deal with 6 a.m. people. You know, a lot of them are too tired to give you that attitude. So I'm half asleep. They're half asleep. With that said, did you have any horror stories working those kind of jobs or pretty easy for the most part? I mean, I think clocking in at 530 is its own horror story. But that's probably the worst of it. I mean, every now and then you get a really, really angry person who's they're just not ready for their day. And you are now getting the brunt end of that. But did you ever write down the wrong name on purpose? Luckily, I never had to write names on cubs. I cannot do that to save my life. So we didn't have to have any really terrible things. But I have given decaf to people who I think deserve it. Oh, on purpose? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's- I love that. That's like a fun little thing is, oh, you're being terrible today? Well, you get decaf. That's such a passive-aggressive like, oh, here's your coffee. Right. You'll never know, but I know. You're much chavious. I never knew this side of you. I hide it well. Clearly, clearly. With a smile. Wait, how many times did you give me decaf? You'll never know. Oh, vicious. You were never one of those customers, though, which is really great. Well, I don't come in at 6 a.m. either. Correct. Yeah, you were more midday. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Usually, I'm well-tempered by a couple of cups of coffee of my own by the time I would see you at the coffee shop. Everything is kind of mellowed out by lunchtime. We're good by then. You've been strictly cocktails for a few years now, primarily at Killjoy. Yes. What do you see as the biggest difference making that pivot from being full-time coffee to full-time cocktails? What was the biggest thing for you? Was there anything that you were like, oh my God, I'd never thought about this or that? My sleep schedule. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That was rough. And even on my days off, I like to be in bed by like 8, 9. I like to go to sleep. And a lot of days, that's when my day starts at the bar. Right. So, it was a big shift for that. And I don't know, there's a lot of similarities, to be honest with you. A lot of it is the same, except I do have to monitor the amount of alcohol I give people. I can kind of freely give people coffee and tea all day long and not be too worried about them, but- Well, you just give them decaf, right? Right, yeah. Well, that's it. That's the secret. You need to keep a bottle of, was it Liar and stuff like that? Oh my God, yeah. Water. Alcohol-free. Yeah. Yeah. Have you tried any of those? I haven't. Oh, like alcohol-free spirits? Yeah. Yes. Actually, we did. In January, we were trying to do kind of like a more mocktail and more spirit-free forward menu for like dry January. Sure. So, we had a couple, like we had a tequila, we had a gin, I think we had a vodka as well, like spirit-free spirits. And we played around with those, which was kind of fun. So, I have a pet peeve with dry January. Now, like I said, if people choose not to consume spirits, you know, I'm 100% with them, that's great. You do you. You know, that's awesome. But I hate dry January. And it's very self-serving. My birthday is in January. Oh. And do you know how horrible it is to try and get people to go out in early January because they're full of holiday fatigue and throw on top of that, oh, no, I'm doing dry January. It's like, no, you're not. You're in it for a week and a half. Right. You're going to drink next week. Exactly. Just drink tonight with me, please. Just come on a break tonight and just go with me. Go have a cocktail. But every year, without fail, I'll have at least two or three friends that are like, oh, we'd love to come out. Yeah. But we're doing dry January. Yeah. I fully contend that if you want to have a dry month, it should be July. Oh, yeah. First of all, it rhymes. Who cares? Dry July. I mean, you're halfway done right there. But it's also the summertime. So you should be hydrating. Drink lots of water. I'm a firm believer of do not leave your house, July. Well, that's because we live in the South. Right. Yes. It's awful. Yeah. My one pick with North Carolina is the summers and how they never seem to end. Well, I was going to say, now you've lived here for quite a while. What, 15 years or so? Yes. Yeah. But you're not originally from North Carolina. Technically, no. Yeah. My dad was military, so we moved a bit. But I spent a lot of time in New Jersey. Okay. Where it's not so humid. You get snow. We get snow. And the winters start a little earlier. Yeah. So it's a trade-off, right? You're going to sweat in the summer. Right. But really, how often do you see snow here? Like every couple of years? Right. Right. We get some ice in March. Well, I was going to say, that's the one bad thing there. Going back to something you were talking about with your sleep schedule. Are you surprised that it took until the 1980s for someone to make the espresso martini? Yes. That seems kind of like, was it just the espresso martini or is it coffee and alcohol? Because I feel like people have been spiking their coffee forever. So this was something I found out. The quintessential coffee cocktail is an Irish coffee, right? Yeah. Apparently popularized in the 1940s for transatlantic flights. They want you to have that on a plane? Well, it was the 1940s. You could smoke on the plane, too. Right. I mean, you know, it was a different world. Probably doing all kinds of things on the plane. Well, like I said, it was a different time. In the 40s. But no, yeah. So apparently the classic, you know, Irish coffee was something that was popularized for those transatlantic flyers, you know, back in the day to kind of keep them awake and chill. So I feel like coffee and alcohol has the opposite effect. I feel like people are wired and people are mobile. Well, yeah. So you've got that stimulant in the caffeine and then the depressant in the alcohol. So, I mean, in theory, it should balance. But I don't think that's usually the case either. I agree with you. Right. But I do have to say one of my favorite little bits of lore is the creation of the espresso martini was supposedly attributed to a request by Kate Moss, who famously walked into a bar, told the bartender, give me something to wake me up and fuck me up. I will say I think a well-done espresso martini can achieve both of those goals. Should do both. Yes. But I will say that's also become like one of the most kind of it's almost that cocktail that I hate to see on a menu these days. Yeah, I agree. I think for me, one of the biggest complaints is when and this is totally my personal view. So anybody listen, don't hate me on this. But I like to be able to actually taste the coffee, you know, the espresso in an espresso martini. And I feel like oftentimes the espresso martini has fallen to, oh, here's a really sweet martini. It's more sugar than anything else. Or they're like, it's just Kahlua. Yeah. And I'm tired of it. Well, I will say my favorite coffee liqueur. Have you had Mr. Black? No, but I've heard good things. Oh, it is my all-time favorite coffee liqueur. It's Australian-based. I'm not a big vodka drinker. Right. But it is Arabica-infused vodka. It's one of the few coffee liqueurs that I've ever been exposed to where the nose and the palate match. Sometimes you'll have that like wonderful coffee aroma, but then overly sweet. It kind of tastes like a McDonald's iced coffee. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's kind of the problem with Kahlua, right? You get that like hint of coffeiness. Yeah. But when you actually taste it, it's like, oh, no, that's way too sweet. I don't like that. Sweet and somehow burnt. You're like, gross. The Mr. Black is one of my favorite little like sneak-ins for if I have it on tap for espresso martinis. Second is in Durham, North Carolina, Durham Distilling has a brand called Damn Fine. They probably make my second favorite coffee liqueur. If you've not tried that, I definitely recommend picking up a bottle. One of the ones that we have kept at the bar is the Van Gogh Espresso. It's an espresso flavored vodka. I believe they flavor it with espresso beans instead of it being like a coffee liqueur. It's lighter, in my opinion. And I think in a pinch, it makes a good substitute or something like that if you haven't tried it. I am not a bartender by any means, but I like easy-to-assemble cocktails for just hanging around the house. A quick and dirty espresso martini. We actually buy this like espresso concentrate from, I think it's a company called Chameleon. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So basically equal parts vodka, espresso concentrate, and Mr. Black. That sounds good. Just shake that. Yeah, maybe a little bit of simple syrup just to, you know, kind of take a little bit of the bite off. Yeah. Great. I could drink those until I was irresponsible. It's probably two, right? I mean, maybe three. Maybe three. All right. Part of the reason you're here, obviously, is kind of talk about, you know, coffee a little bit. But one of the things I want to make sure we get to talk about is the prompt and competition part. Yes. I don't know if you know this, but, you know, the whole reason we're doing this is August is National Coffee Month. I don't think coffee really needs its own month. It's much beloved by most everybody. But nonetheless, the prompt, essentially, I'm going to distill it down, was to create the ultimate coffee-based summer cocktail. We're looking for something that is refreshing, has the quintessential coffee-ness to it. We're looking for something that's going to stay nice and cold, bring the essence of summer, et cetera, et cetera. So, with that said, would you like to take a moment and tell us a little bit about the cocktail that you brought to the competition? Yeah. So, I call this 5 a.m. somewhere. I like it. And it is kind of my version of an espresso martini, one that I would actually like to make. I typically do not like making them behind the bar. They're not my favorite. But this one I like. And I did one and a half ounces of a coconut oil washed spiced rum, an ounce of a dark roast French pressed coffee, 0.75 ounces of a chai tea simple syrup. And I stirred that and then strained it into a Nick and Nora glass. And then on top of that, I wanted to layer a salted chai handshake and heavy cream. It was kind of a nod to my barista days. It's one of my favorite things on any coffee. And then on top of the heavy cream, a couple drops of a Angostura bitters that you drag through, make it look like little hearts, like on a latte. Well, I have to say, making this cocktail for the judge, I loved the composition of it. That handshaken cream on top, it very much evoked either the whipped cream from a decadent dessert coffee, or, you know, that idea of latte foam in the chai, I think was really nice. And I was actually a little surprised when I saw the pinch of salt. But, you know, we've talked about in the past, the fact that, you know, that salinity oftentimes is such a flavor enhancer that people don't think about. Yeah, yeah, I love it. And I love it in both coffee and cocktails. It really, it just kind of brings something out. Oh, absolutely. It's like a little extra step. Okay, so that's what you brought. Yes. The AI brought what it calls the sun-drenched barista. Oh, I like that. That's a cute name. Like I said, I don't know that the cocktails that ChatGPT gives forth are always 100% menu ready. But, man, they nail the naming sometimes. Yeah, yeah. The speck on this is two ounces of coffee-infused rum. Oh. So, I thought it was funny that both the AI and you went for rum inclusion on this coffee theme. One ounce of pineapple shrub. Okay. One ounce of fresh lime juice. Half an ounce of falernum. A cold brew coffee ice sphere, which I thought was kind of a nice touch. I do like that. Two dashes of Angostura bitters. A mint sprig. A lime wheel. And torched pineapple wedge for garnish. Wow. It was pretty impressive there. And then, to top it all off, a splash of champagne. Oh, bubbles. Yeah. It was like, I think it was very confused as to, is this coffee? Is this a mimosa? Right. I don't know what I'm doing. Right. It does sound very like coffee mimosa with the fruity and the bubbles. Right. Yeah. So, basically, you know, make your coffee-infused rum, make your pineapple shrub, do your ice spheres. Everything is, you know, shaken, pretty straightforward. Served in a rocks glass, topped off with that little bit of champagne. Okay. So, pretty straightforward. Yeah. Now, I will say this. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of shrubs. Really? And it's hard for me because I don't have an amazing palate by any means. And maybe it's because I have a limited palate in a lot of ways. When I have a shrub, what I get out of it mainly is just vinegar. I'm waiting for that. Like, I'm like, oh, there's no subtle hint of this. I'm like, that's vinegar. Yeah. And so, it's hard for me when it comes to cocktails like that. But, luckily, I'm not doing the scoring. Right. The judges. Right. So, with that said, we'll talk about the AI. Okay. Okay. You've listened to the show, you know, that we have three kind of buckets of points. We have taste, which is worth 50 points. Presentation, which is 30. And then originality, which is 20. So, for the AI, for taste, 38 points. For presentation, 25 points. And for originality, 17. Not bad. Respectable. That brings to 80 points. Okay. For your cocktail, taste, 40 points. Presentation, 28 points. Originality, 18 points. That puts your total at 86. So, congratulations. You have been victorious over our AI competitor. That feels good. I was going to say, it's one of those things where I'm like, but it can't know the true love of coffee. It cannot win. Don't put any love into this cocktail. So, I will say, I always enjoy reading the judge's notes. Yeah. For the AI, they had this to say. It was complex on the palate. However, the tartness of the shrub threatens to overwhelm the coffee flavors. Great nose and garnish. The first few sips were enjoyable, but the shrub overtook their palate as soon as they sipped further. For your cocktail. Excellent cocktail. And I will say, there was an immediate like, ooh, from the judge. I like the ooh. Yes. They did say, however, that you lost a few points as to whether it really fulfills the prompt because it was served up. Yes. It would warm very quickly in the summer heat. And while delicious, complex, and creamy, it isn't quite the refreshing sip that they would seek to save them from the summer heat. I know. You know, that was my struggle going back and forth when I was deciding what to make. I was like, this is, you know, I'm lacking in some of the refreshing elements here. However, if you drink this in the air conditioning, will it matter? So, it is hilarious because the judge's comment when all was said and done was, I would drink multiple of these in the air conditioning. Perfect. I like that. Well, congratulations on winning. You know, you have, you know, fought off our AI overlords for another episode. So, thank you for that. So, you've listened to a few episodes of the podcast. So, you probably have a good sense of what's coming up next. It's everybody's favorite segment. It's Don't Get Me Started. Right. So, just to recap for our listeners, we're going to take 30 seconds, give you a topic. You have to completely rail against it, which is so funny because I can't really, I'm torn as to whether I can really see you railing against anything. But then, after the, I used to give people decaf when they were a little testy. I'm like, oh, she could be malicious and mischievous. That is awesome. But, we're going to give you a topic. You're going to rail against it for 30 seconds. Normal disclaimer, you know, the views expressed herein are not the views of drinking with robots. They're not the view of Bree's employer. They're probably not even Bree's views. So, with that said, your topic, Bree, don't get me started on Starbucks haters. You know what? It's not that bad. Starbucks is not that bad. It's fine. It's not my favorite, but it's convenient. What other place can you go to a drive-thru at like 5 a.m.? You know what you're getting. It's always the same. The employees are half awake, which, you know, is fine. It's really not that bad. You're just being a snob. You probably secretly go get it anyways when you're running late. You can't always go to your favorite coffee shop. All right, all right. I won't make you defend Starbucks any more than that. It's the nicest thing I can say about it. Yeah, you're like, it's fine. It's not that bad. It's not the worst thing ever. I've had worse. Well, listen, I want to say thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule, coming and doing the show. Folks, if you haven't had a chance, I want to encourage you to get out to Killjoy here in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can see Bree, you can, if you talk to her nicely, she may not give you decaf in whatever cocktail she prepares for you if you choose to have a coffee cocktail. Bree, if people want to follow you, you have a social media they can check out. You can really just follow Killjoy Cocktail. There we go. Once again, I want to thank everybody for listening. And then, as always, you can find Drinking With Robots on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. We're Drinking With Robots on all of those. As always, drink well, be well. We look forward to talking to you on our next episode.