Communist Rocket Fuel

Our Communist friends to the South may have stumbled horribly with their attempt at a "Workers' Utopia," but the Cubans got two things VERY right...Cigars and Coffee!

My first introduction to Cafe Cubano was in (where else?) Little Havana, also knows as Calle Ocho, in Miami. I had read an article about some of the fantastic cigar shops tucked away in this classic neighborhood and wanted to explore them for myself. I hopped in a cab and simply asked the driver to take me to a place on Calle Ocho where I could get a great cigar. He dropped me on the corner of 8th and 11th, the epicenter of boutique cigar manufacturing. One one corner was the El Credito factory where they make La Gloria Cubana. Just down the street was El Rey de los Habanas, home of Don Pepin Garcia, a heralded master of the leaf and maker of Tatuaje cigars, perhaps my favorite stick, ever (you're welcome for the plug Pete). Across the street was a little garishly yellow building that looked as if it had been painted by a road crew with some spare center-line stripe paint. The sign read El Titan de Bronze. Never heard of 'em. Naturally, this is where I started my journey.

Inside, I was greeted by the proprietor, Don Carlos Cobas. He offered me a sample cigar, got one for himself and we sat at a little table in the corner of his shop to enjoy them together. His wife came out from the back room and offered to get us some coffee. What she came back with was incredibly strong and super sweet, with a hint of bitterness. I ended up buying several boxes of cigars from these people and developed a habit for great Cuban Coffee that is still with me as I write this article. Several years later, I even went into a business with Carlos' Grandson, Willy and we all remain friends to this day.

Making Cuban Coffee is a simple but precise process. You start by buying the right coffee. I suggest Cafe La llave, Cafe Bustelo, Cafe Pilon, Coffee Aroma or Cafe Oquendo. You can also use any espresso roast coffee  and grind it to the consistency of talcum powder. If it is not ground this fine, you won't get the intense flavor. Espresso grind is not fine enough. You have to keep going from there until your little grinder is begging for mercy. In a demitasse, mix three heaping spoonfuls of sugar with a small spoonful of old coffee and mix until you get a syrupy liquid with few visible coffee grains. Make the coffee as you would espresso with as much coffee as will fit in your machine and only enough water to make one demitasse of coffee. Pour the hot coffee into the sugar mixture and stir slightly. Drink quickly and hang on.

If you ever find yourself in Miami, take the time to venture down to Calle Ocho. Look for the yellow building on 8th and 11th and introduce yourself to the family at El Titan de Bronze. You'll be greeted like long lost friends and you'll see why these guys are the pride of the neighborhood. And if they offer you coffee, accept it!

Bon Appetit!
~Tom