Coffee – The ExhaustNotes Blog

A Clever Cup of Joe, Japanese Style

By Joe Berk

Here at ExNotes, we cover a lot of topics: Motorcycles, motorcycle touring, product reviews, concrete, guns, reloading, and more. And coffee. The thought occurs to me we’ve written a lot about coffee, from the primo Batdorf and Bronson beans provided by good buddy Ren to just about everything else. About now, you might be wondering: Where is this blog going?

Well, I was recently in Tokyo. I gave a class in Singapore and Sue and I thought as long as we had invested the 20+ hours to get there, we might as well stop in Japan on the way home (neither of us had ever visited Japan before). I’ll post a blog or two about the land of the rising sun in the coming days, but for now I wanted to talk about making coffee in our Tokyo hotel room. On these Asian trips, I’m usually up by 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. (there’s a 16 hour time difference between Japan and LA, and my biological clock doesn’t handle it well). They don’t serve coffee in the hotel lobbies over here, so you either make coffee in your hotel room or you don’t have coffee. For me, not having coffee has never been an option.

If you’ve read Riding China, you know that Gresh and I became experts at making coffee at places in China so remote they had to pipe in water and air. Our coffee was always prepared using instant Nescafe, which is almost a crime against nature for folks who enjoy a good cuppa Joe. Nescafe reminds me of that old engineering saying: Halitosis is better than no breath at all. But when it comes to making coffee in a hotel room, the Japanese had a better idea. It took me a while to dope it out and I finally had to read the instructions to do so. When I did, I realized: Clever people, these Japanese are. Take a look.

The water heater for making coffee. I thought the coffee bag would to into the white gizmo below the lid. I was trying to find a way to open it up. When I spotted the Phillips head screws securing it to the lid and I thought I needed a screwdriver, I realized I was on the wrong track. There are no English instructions anywhere on this pot.

The bag of coffee. How the hell does it fit into the coffee pot?

Ah, the flip side. No instructions in English, but there are pictures. I panicked initially when I couldn’t find the holding fixture the pictures show.

Could it be? A cardboard fixture built into the coffee bag?

Ah, these people are very, very clever. You heat the water in the pot, mount the coffee bag with its included cardboard mounting fixture in your cup, and pour the hot water over the coffee.

And it was a damn fine cup of coffee, too!

Gresh and I sure could have used this when we rode across China. Next time, I guess, if I can find a place to buy these coffee bags. And you know what? As soon as I wrote that last line, I remembered: Amazon is your friend. I did a search on drip bag coffee, and wow, here they are!

I couldn’t let a story about coffee get by without a commercial or two…the first one being for our book, A Cup O’ Joes. Have you picked up a copy yet?

And the second commercial…how about Riding China, from which you can learn all about how two die-hard coffee drinkers struggled across the Gobi Desert, the Tibetan Plateau, and more in China, the land where people don’t drink coffee?

Never let a blog get away:

Rev’d Up Coffee in Claremont, California

By Joe Berk

Wow, did I get lucky with this…a coffee and motorcycle spot just a few miles from home. It used to be that I had to ride all the way up Angeles Crest Highway to Newcomb’s so I could hang out at a motorcycle destination where like-minded people stopped for something to eat and to admire other motorcycles. Then Newcomb’s closed, a victim of the down economy and the pandemic. There was another cool spot Gresh and I spent an evening at in Chongqing, but the chances of me riding the Enfield across the Pacific to get there are slim. And then, I noticed Rev’d Up Coffee and Classics in Claremont. Claremont is the next town over from where I live. I’d seen Rev’d Up before, but I figured it was just another Gen X or Millennial (or whatever they’re calling themselves these day) Starbucks refugee trying to cash in on the coffee craze with a little moto mystique thrown in as sort of an artificial sweetener. Boy, was I ever wrong; there’s nothing artificial about Rev’d Up or its owner.

Steve Solis, motorcyclist and Rev’d Up proprietor, taking a break from Bike Night cooking duties.

Steve Solis is the guy who owns and runs Rev’d Up. He’s a good guy, a lifelong area resident, and a rider. Steve’s personal ride, a Sportster, is usually parked inside the restaurant seating area during normal business hours, but he brings it outside during bike night.

Steve’s personal ride – a Harley Sportster with an extended front end and apehangers.

The theme of Rev’d Up is bikes, classic cars, and hot rods. Steve has a couple of vintage bikes on display in the restaurant windows, and there are cool moto things throughout the dining and coffee sipping area.

A Honda Dream on display in one of the Rev’d Up windows.

Another vintage Honda on display at Rev’d Up.

Older motorcycle helmets. I wore one of the Peter Fonda Captain America helmets in the ’70s.

In keeping with the Rev’d Up theme, the menus are displayed on car hoods suspended from the ceiling. One is from a Camaro, the other is from a Datsun.

The breakfast and lunch menu. On Bike Nights, Steve is out front making Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwiches. They sure smelled good.

The coffee and other specialty drink menu. I have to try the Easy Rider.

I asked Steve what the best kept secret was. His answer? The Easy Rider espresso. He said it was his favorite drink. Next time I’ll try it.

The best part of any of these gatherings is always wandering around in the parking lot, taking in the bikes, and talking to the riders. There’s no set theme regarding the bikes. Harleys, choppers, Ducatis, KTMs, BMWs, Triumphs, and more. They were all there.

Check out the SU carb and the velocity stack on this Shovelhead chopper. Where does the rider’s leg go?

The Harley Panhead engine, one of the two best-looking Harley engines ever made. The other one is the EVO motor. Those Panhead valve covers are impressive.

Bike night is not all about choppers. The colors on this helmet and motorcycle stood out.

Another classic and beautiful motorcycle. The 748 was a later version of Ducati’s 916. They look good.

There are no better colors for a classic BMW boxer twin than gloss black with white pinstripes.

As we were leaving, this Triumph pulled into the parking lot. All marques are welcome at Rev’d Up. It’s a cool place.

Rev’d Up Coffee and Classics is located at 212 West Foothill Boulevard (that’s Route 66) in Claremont, California. It’s definitely worth a stop, and I’d say it’s a worthwhile place to take a ride. Maybe I’ll see you there. Look for the orange Enfield in the parking lot; if it’s there, I will be, too.

A Cup of Joe?

By Joe Berk

So where did the phrase “a cup of Joe” originate? For the book, that’s easy. Good buddy Marcus won the naming contest a few weeks ago with his suggested A Cup O’ Joes, which was the first suggestion to arrive in our Comments section and my immediate favorite. Yeah, that’s the commercial, and yeah, if you haven’t bought a copy already, please do so. But from where did the term “a cup of Joe” actually emanate?

There’s no conclusive answer, but like many things, there are lots of opinions (making it a near perfect topic for Internet musing, I suppose). Here are a few I found.

The Navy Angle

One hypothesis holds that “a cup of Joe” is based on a US Navy booze ban. Secretary of the Navy Josephus “Joe” Daniels prohibited alcohol on ships in 1914. After that edict, the strongest thing a sailor could drink on board a US Navy vessel was coffee. Angry sailors coined “a cup of Joe” to describe their coffee as a result.

The Big Jamoke?

Language historians think “a cup of Joe” didn’t enter the English language until around 1930. Linguists think the term came from an adaptation of the invented word “jamoke,” which was a combination of java and mocha. “Jamoke” may have become “Joe.” Eh, that seems a bit farfetched to me, but the term “jamoke” sounds kind of cool to me. I like it.

An Average Joe

A third hypothesis is that the word “Joe” means something common. You know, like “the average Joe” (understandably, not one of my favorite expressions). Because coffee is such a common man’s drink (a common woman’s drink, too, based on the long line of women I always see at any Starbuck’s ordering obscene $8 coffee-based concoctions), the expression “a cup of Joe” emerged. I don’t put much stock in this one, either.

So what’s the answer?

Beats me. Maybe good buddy and coffee empresario Ren of Batdorf & Bronson Coffee can weigh in with his opinion. Or maybe one of our other readers knows. Let’s hear what you think.

My take on all the above? “A cup of Joe” just seems to fit. I am not the sharpest matzo in the box when I wake up in the morning, and I need my coffee to sharpen my thinking. “A cup of Joe” is an expression that fits perfectly for me. I’m enjoying mine now.

Oh, one more thing…don’t forget to buy your own copy of A Cup O’ Joes! And don’t forget to click on the popup ads.

A Great Cup of Coffee

Good buddy Ren Doughty of Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters asked me what kind of coffee I like. Hmmm. Let me think about that.

I’ve ridden through the Andes in Colombia and I thought the coffee there was mediocre. Thanks to Juan Valdez (remember him?) all the good stuff goes to the U.S., my Colombian compadres Juan and Carlos told me.

Other than in big city five star hotels that cater to foreigners, the Chinese don’t drink coffee. Gresh and I really struggled with that riding across China and we made do with Gresh’s Nescafe stash on our entire 6,000-mile ride. Joe would get up early and make it for both of us, boiling the water twice and then sprinkling in the Nescafe. Nescafe is a last resort if you need coffee. Halitosis is better than no breath at all, I guess.

Singapore and Thailand had good coffee, about like we do. I enjoyed my coffee in those spots.

Italy had okay coffee. Espressos may have been born there. The Italians in Vatican City enjoy a good cup of coffee. I’ll get to that in a second.

Turkey had better than average coffee. They can tell your future by reading the coffee grounds left in your cup. (Turkey, by the way, is one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever visited.)

Baja has surprisingly good coffee, especially on a motorcycle ride. But then everything is better on a motorcycle ride in Baja.

When I was in Puerto Rico for the first time 30 years ago, the waiter asked if I wanted coffee with my breakfast. Nah, I said. He looked at me strangely. First time in Puerto Rico? Yeah, I said. You have to try the coffee, he said. It is the best in the world. Okay, I’ll play. He brought a cup over. It was quite good. Told you, he said, and then he asked when I flew in. Last night, I answered. Did you see the jet at the Mayaguez aeropuerto with funny markings? That’s a Vatican jet, he explained. Comes in twice a month for coffee. For the Pope. Up until a few days ago, I thought Puerto Rico had the best coffee in the world. I mean, who’s going to argue with the Pope?

But all that changed with my introduction this morning to Batdorf and Bronson coffee. It’s fitting. Today is my birthday.

My first taste of Batdorf and Bronson coffee came about in a most interesting way. Gresh has a lot of friends and one of them is cool guy, motojournalist, and coffee expert extraordinaire Ren Doughty. I knew the name from Cycle World magazine and Gobi Gresh’s Facebook posts.

Ren reached out and offered to send me a sample. You see, he’s with Batdorf and Bronson, and the man knows coffee. And motorcycles, too. That’s Ren and his wife you see above on their recent BMW-borne moto trip across America.

Ren asked what kind of coffee I preferred, how I prepared my coffee, and in which country I had most enjoyed coffee (hence the soliloquy above). He was dialing in my preferences, and two days later this arrived at my front door.

You might be wondering what the dancing goats thing is all about. Ren explained that, too. It seems coffee was discovered by an ancient shepherd who observed his goats eating berries and then excitedly jumping about (the berries were from a coffee plant). Dancing goats…get it? That’s how it all started. And that was a good thing. For now (and to close this blog) this old goat is going to have another cup of Batdorf and Bronson coffee and enjoy his birthday. Maybe I’ll dance about a bit, too.

Thanks, Ren. You made my day.

More product reviews are here.

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Product Review: Black Rifle Coffee

Good buddy Mike was in town for a few days, and what better way to spend it than on the range ringing the gongs that good buddy Duane built for me. We had a blast. We’ve known each other since the 7th grade. Mike and I joke about who’s the better shot, and after our session at the West End Gun Club, that’s still an open question. The man can shoot (and so can I).

Mike wanted to stop at a nearby 5-11 outlet to pick up a few clothing items, and while we were there he pointed out the Black Rifle coffee. If you read the blog you know that I’m not a member of the Mattel crowd and I have negative interest in so-called black rifles. In fact, the closest thing I have to a black rifle is my Ruger GSR (it’s what you see Mike ringing gongs with above). It has a green and black laminate stock that Ruger calls black laminate, so I guess maybe it could be called a black rifle. The GSR is a fine weapon, and Mike and I were both making the gongs sing with those big 173 grain full metal jacket .308 bullets.

But I diverge. This blog is about Black Rifle Coffee and the company that makes it.

In a word, Black Rifle Coffee is great. I wish we had it when we rode across China, but like they say, better late than never. You know, they don’t drink coffee in other than the big cities in China, and staying awake on the bike was a challenge for me on that ride. But here at home I start every day with a cup of black coffee (the only way to drink it), and Black Rifle Coffee was rings my gong well.

Black Rifle Coffee is veteran owned and a portion of the profits go to veterans’ groups, police, and other first responders. That’s a good thing. And Black Rifle Coffee is a U.S. company. Reading the labels tells me that the owners have a sense of humor, too. That’s good. Good coffee and a good sense of humor make the world more fun, I think.

It’s good stuff, and it became my coffee of choice as soon as I had my first taste. Give Black Rifle Coffee a try. You can thank me later.

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