COFFEE & BARISTA
The origins of our coffee
Behind every cup served at Carrera Café is a journey. From the sunny slopes of Ethiopia to the expert hands of our baristas at Petit-Champlain, every bean has a story to tell.
The selection of origins
From bean to cup
It all starts with the choice of origins. We select our beans for their character, complexity, and ability to reveal something different in each preparation.
An impeccable espresso is not made at the machine. It is chosen long before, on the high plateaus where the coffee tree takes its time to ripen. Our selection favors lots from small producers, family cooperatives, terroirs that have something to say.
At Carrera Café, coffee is Italian in spirit and global in its sources. Like the Scuderia that races circuits worldwide to bring victory to Maranello, we travel origins to bring excellence to Petit-Champlain.
Ethiopia
Yirgacheffe
Floral notes, bergamot, and citrus. A finesse that expresses perfectly in filter or latte.
Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Chocolate, hazelnut, sweetness. The reassuring base of our house espresso blend.
Colombia
Huila
Silky body, caramel, and red fruits. Remarkable versatility in cappuccino or flat white.
Guatemala
Antigua
Chocolate complexity, spicy notes. Character and depth for lovers of intense espresso.
The coffee terroir
Altitude, soil, microclimates
Like a fine wine, coffee carries the imprint of its birthplace. The soil, altitude, and rainfall define the bean long before our hands touch it.
Altitude, the first secret of taste
The higher the coffee tree grows, the slower it ripens. This slowness is a blessing. The bean concentrates its sugars, develops complex organic acids, and builds an aromatic density impossible to reproduce at low altitude. Our Ethiopian and Colombian origins all grow between 1,500 and 2,000 meters.
Varieties: the DNA of the bean
Bourbon, Typica, Geisha, Caturra. Each variety has a distinct aromatic profile. We favor low-yield arabica varieties, those that sacrifice quantity to offer an exceptional cup.
Processing: washed or natural
The post-harvest processing method changes everything. Washed coffees offer a bright acidity and aromatic clarity. Naturals, dried with their cherry, bring a fruity, almost candied sweetness. We work with both, depending on the season and preparation.
◆ Did you know
Coffee is the second most traded raw material in the world after oil. Yet most consumers only know the brand on the packaging. Knowing the origin of your coffee is a way to connect with the work of thousands of producers who live from this extraordinary fruit.
Artisanal roasting
The art of revealing the bean
Roasting is the bridge between the terroir and the cup. It’s a meticulous process where heat, time, and intuition transform a green bean into something extraordinary.
The green bean
Before heat, the green bean is dense, grassy, without aromas. It’s the raw material. Its quality at this stage determines the aromatic ceiling of the final cup.
Drying and temperature rise
The bean first loses its moisture. The temperature rises gradually. Every degree counts. Too fast and the bean burns on the surface before being cooked through. Too slow and it loses its characteristics.
The first crack
Around 200°C, the bean expands and cracks. This is the first crack, an acoustic signal the roaster recognizes by ear. Sugars caramelize. Acids transform. The coffee begins to exist.
The roaster’s decision
After the first crack, every second counts. Stopping the roast early gives a more acidic and floral profile. Continuing to the second crack brings roundness and intensity. This is the roaster’s signature.
Cooling and resting
After roasting, the bean must cool quickly to stop the Maillard reaction. Then it rests. The degassing of trapped CO2 lasts 48 to 72 hours. A bean that is too fresh produces a poor cup. Patience is a virtue.
★ Roaster’s tip
A light roast preserves the acidity and freshness of the terroir. A darker roast amplifies chocolate notes and roundness. Neither is superior to the other; they simply serve different moments of the day.
Barista expertise
From the machine to the cup
The bean can be perfect, the roasting impeccable. If the extraction fails, the cup is worthless. The barista is the last link, the most visible one, who turns the promise into reality.
The grind, key to extraction
The fineness of the grind determines the extraction speed. Too fine and the coffee is over-extracted, becoming bitter and astringent. Too coarse and it is under-extracted, remaining acidic and hollow. Our baristas adjust the grinder every morning, sometimes several times an hour depending on the ambient humidity. It’s a precision job, almost mechanical, in the best sense of the word.
Water: between 90 and 96°C
Water that is too hot burns the coffee and amplifies bitterness. Too cold, it does not extract enough aromatic compounds. The ideal range oscillates between 90 and 96°C depending on origin and roast. Our machines maintain this temperature to a tenth of a degree.
Tamping and pressure
25 to 30 seconds of extraction. 9 bars of pressure. Uniform tamping at 15 kg of force. These parameters are not whims: they are the result of decades of Italian experimentation. Our baristas master them with the rigor of a pit stop mechanic.
■ The barista's pit stop
Before each service, our baristas do their "starting grid checks": grinder set, temperature stabilized, water jet adjusted, cold milk checked. Like a racing stable, preparatory rigor is what allows excellence in the heat of action.
What you will find at Carrera
Our coffee menu
Whether served alone, lightened with frothed milk, or poured over ice, our coffee carries all the work described above. Each preparation is a different interpretation of the same exceptional bean.
The signature espresso
House blend, medium-strong roast. Notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut, and a slight hint of dried fruit. Dense body, golden crema. The starting point of everything we serve.
The summer iced latte
Double espresso poured over ice, cold whole milk. Light, refreshing, without compromising on intensity. The perfect drink to explore Petit-Champlain in the warm season.
The cappuccino
One third espresso, one third heated milk, one third creamy foam. The classic balance, mastered as it should be. Served in our signature ceramic cup.
■ The perfect espresso
Want to know everything about the art of espresso? We detailed our method in a complete article. Temperature, pressure, crema: everything that makes a cup memorable. Read the article →
Come taste our origins
Every cup tells a journey. Come hear it at Carrera Café, in the historic heart of Petit-Champlain, where coffee is an art and every service, a grand prize.
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