crystal blue[print] persuasion.

Do you remember high school science? Specifically chemistry?

Does HONClBrIF sound familiar? PV=nRT? Stoichiometry?

Well, you might need to brush up on your high school chemistry notes before you go to Blueprint. If at this point you are having a miniature panic attack, don’t worry. KEEP READING. I am kidding (for the most part).

So, why did I bring up traumatic experiences from high school? Why did I rip off the Band-Aid on a forgotten wound? Rhetorically speaking, to keep you intrigued as to the point of it. Practically speaking, I thought of Mrs. Morrison and the tomfoolery that happened in that outdated chemistry lab when I was in high school.

Blueprint is an established coffee venue that has boiled down to production of coffee down to a science, a method, a cook (Breaking Bad fans, you will appreciate this place). Everything from the type of coffee they choose, to the glassware used, to the time are very calculated. I enter Blueprint having no idea what to expect. Located in the Loop, you expect a very urban, hip environment. I expected a place that was bustling, with a continuous stream of costumers entering and leaving. That was not the case. For a place in the Loop, it is relatively quiet, a solid place to study.

But in terms of their coffee production, a system exists that may not be messed with. You approach a counter that has incorporated with in it a waterspout, drains, a glass cleaner, and many other amenities. [Photo via American Classic]

At the counter, you are handed a clipboard that has descriptions of their assortment of coffee. The different blends are arranged by the country of origin. Quick rant: Outside of those extremely familiar with coffee, who knows the differences between Jamaican, Nicaraguan, Columbian, and Panamanian coffee? Certainly not me. After a condescenindig rant from the barista, who used words such as aroma, medium-body, and tannins, I finally settled on the El Pital, that originates from Columbia. It was brewed using a pour over method. Twenty-three grams of coffee were measured out and grinded on the spot. 370 grams of water was used via goose-necked vessel to brew the entire batch of coffee. The glass used to collect the coffee was an Erlenmeyer flask with a stopper to seal in the heat. I was served on a small metal tray with a small cup to pour into and enjoy.

This entire experience was a roller coaster. Like many in a chemistry class, I felt unprepared and inadequate at Blueprint Coffee. It was not their demeanor or the way the baristas interacted with the patrons. If anything, the environment beckons one to learn more about coffee. However, my experience has showed me how the ceiling of coffee knowledge/rhetoric/craft extends. There are individuals who spend their lives picking, roasting, and brewing coffee. Although I may never spend even a tenth of the time they spend researching and exploring, I have the utmost admiration and respect for those involved in this world, and I hope that at the end of this journey I would be a step closer to that ceiling.