Fortuna Roaster Series: A Million Ways to Roast an Espresso
William Barton, Head Roaster | Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
There are about a million ways to pull an espresso shot, many of which are ideal while many more are not. Similarly, there are about a million ways to roast an espresso. Therefore, the amount of variables involved in a great shot of espresso is mind boggling: a million times a million is, like… a lot.
As the lead roaster at Fortuna, my goal is to unlock the very best elements of each component in our espresso to create a shot that is delicious on its own and stands up in any milk drink.
Two Ways to Approach Espresso
When roasters look at espresso blends, we typically come from one of two angles.
By testing each origin of our blend individually, we are able to see what characteristics might be brought to any of our signature espresso blends. After dialing in each individual ingredient, we begin the process of incorporating them together. Two of our espresso options, Sergio’s and Organic Sergio’s, have gone through this process extensively to become the best possible iterations offered by Fortuna.
For our Sergio’s classic espresso blend, we aim for a shot of espresso with heavy chocolate and nut flavors, a syrupy body and a bit of a bite to cut through milk drinks. If you haven’t given Sergio’s a try on its own, I highly recommend it.
Even though Sergio’s is a classic and customers across the country keep demanding more and more each week, we still work to continue perfecting it every day.
For our Organic Sergio’s, we look to incorporate the same flavor profile as our conventional Sergio’s while using 100% organic coffee.
We like to think of our Organic Sergio’s as being a bit like a pure bar of dark chocolate with a hint of citrus at the end. Though our Organic Sergio’s espresso blend is a touch lighter, it can still stand up beautifully in a latte or a mocha.
There are about a million ways to pull an espresso shot, many of which are ideal while many more are not. Similarly, there are about a million ways to roast an espresso. Therefore, the amount of variables involved in a great shot of espresso is mind boggling: a million times a million is, like… a lot.
As the lead roaster at Fortuna, my goal is to unlock the very best elements of each component in our espresso to create a shot that is delicious on its own and stands up in any milk drink.
Two Ways to Approach Espresso
When roasters look at espresso blends, we typically come from one of two angles.
- A specific flavor profile is in mind, and ingredients are found that will help achieve that goal.
- A set of ingredients act as the starting point, and the roaster blends those in the most palatable way.
By testing each origin of our blend individually, we are able to see what characteristics might be brought to any of our signature espresso blends. After dialing in each individual ingredient, we begin the process of incorporating them together. Two of our espresso options, Sergio’s and Organic Sergio’s, have gone through this process extensively to become the best possible iterations offered by Fortuna.
For our Sergio’s classic espresso blend, we aim for a shot of espresso with heavy chocolate and nut flavors, a syrupy body and a bit of a bite to cut through milk drinks. If you haven’t given Sergio’s a try on its own, I highly recommend it.
Even though Sergio’s is a classic and customers across the country keep demanding more and more each week, we still work to continue perfecting it every day.
For our Organic Sergio’s, we look to incorporate the same flavor profile as our conventional Sergio’s while using 100% organic coffee.
We like to think of our Organic Sergio’s as being a bit like a pure bar of dark chocolate with a hint of citrus at the end. Though our Organic Sergio’s espresso blend is a touch lighter, it can still stand up beautifully in a latte or a mocha.
Upcoming Blends
After returning this week from the 2019 SCA Expo in Boston, we’re excited to bring new knowledge and ideas to our espresso offerings. Fortunately, we won’t have to change much; our Sergio’s and Organic Sergio’s were major hits with attendees!
In preparation for the show, we were roasting and trying espresso shots like mad-people to further perfect our product. Before this, I didn’t know that both eyes could develop twitches at the same time. Now that we’re home and back in the lab, we’ll soon be bringing a new, deluxe Sergio’s with a unique, delicious taste. We hope you’re as excited as we are!
- William Barton
Roast Master
Fortuna Enterprises, LLC
