The Stir
Some people put something sweet (Sugar, Sweetner, Honey etc) into their cup before the espresso is poured in and others pour it on top. We like to put in on top so that we can see how long the Crema will hold up...but this is really personal preference.
My personal belief is, if you’re going to drink espresso, then drink espresso. Some people put so much "stuff" into their espresso that they don’t even know what it’s supposed to taste like. For example, my wife likes to have a little bit of espresso with her Agave Honey…ha ha. Now, all jokes aside, if you do prefer to put something into your espresso, the trick is in the stir! Let’s take a lesson from a great business that has perfected the art of the hamburger - McDonald’s. The reason why a McDonald’s hamburger tastes so good is because they have perfected the maximum flavour in every bite. For example, the next time you take a look at a Big Mac, notice how the cheese squares are positioned. The corners of the cheese always align with the centers of the adjacent cheese. This is no accident, they strategically placed the cheese this way so that you get a maximum flavour in every bite.
Now applying this lesson to espresso, when you stir your espresso after putting in your "something sweet", give it a good stir. This will ensure that every sip will taste as good as the first one.
We have a system in stirring and here it is: 5 times clock-wise, 5 times counter clock-wise, 5 times bringing what’s at the bottom of the cup to the top, and finally five times clock-wise again.
Guaranteed you’ve mixed that espresso to perfection!!
