[February 2020] Barista Edition

ALL THAT HOTEL’s February item is the “Barista Edition.” Enjoy hotel-quality coffee in the comfort of your own home.

Even a cup of coffee feels different when you drink it in a hotel. Along with trendy cafes that have cool designs, hotel lounges also have their own glamorous mood. In addition to the mood, coffee served in a luxurious cup may taste that bit better.
In modern society, coffee becomes an important part of so many people’s lives. From instant coffee to capsule coffee, everyone enjoys coffee that can be easily accessed. Based on their own taste, some people also tend to choose the coffee beans they like, grind it themselves and enjoy drip coffee.
When there’s good quality coffee beans, anyone can drink great coffee at home. ALL THAT HOTEL’s February edition introduces hotel coffee to be enjoyed at home. The package is worth 240,000 won and includes two coffee cups and saucers, two spoons and two types of premium coffee beans selected by LOTTE HOTEL’s coffee and drink professionals.
※ ALL THAT HOTEL’s barista edition will be on sale for a limited time of one month, from Feb. 1 to 28.

Barista edition includes

Coffee Cup & Saucer (2 sets) + Coffee Spoon (2) + Coffee Beans (2 types) / PRICE 240,000 won(Including taxes)

※ ALL THAT HOTEL selections can only be purchased and delivered in Korea. Email: allthathotel@lotte.net, Customer Service: +82-2-759-7700, Customer Service Operating Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00~17:00(closed on weekends and holidays, closed between 12:00~13:30)

Coffee Cup & Saucer (2 sets)

[Coffee Cup & Saucer]
• Material: Ceramics
• Components: 2 Coffee Cups and 2 Saucers
• Manufacturer: Bernardaud(France)

“A tableware brand loved by the royal family”

At the lounge of SIGNIEL SEOUL, all the coffee is served in crockery from Bernardaud, a French pottery brand. Bernardaud was first established in 1863 in France and has been recognized as the crockery of choice for the royal family since the reign of Napoleon III. In addition to the master craftsmen, the sensible design of young designers has kept its reputation alive until now. The coffee cups and saucers used at the SIGNIEL SEOUL are white. The smooth textured cups and the striped saucers look great together.

Coffee Spoon (2)

[Coffee Spoon]
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Component: 2 Coffee Spoons
• Manufacturer: DEGRENNE(France)

“A work of art that shines on a coffee cup”

If you want everything to be perfect when you sit down to a coffee, make sure to have Maison Degrenne coffee spoons. Maison Degrenne is a French luxury cutlery brand that is hugely popular for its innovative ideas and passion. Maison DEGRENNE’s coffee spoon makes the coffee table brighter.

Coffee Beans (2 types)

[SIGNIEL 79]
• Food Type: Coffee
• Capacity per unit: 200g
• Raw material and content: Coffee beans 100%
• Manufacturer: LOTTE Food Cantata

[SIGNIEL 123]
• Food type: Coffee
• Capacity per unit: 200g
• Raw material and content: Coffee beans 100%
• Manufacturer: LOTTE Food Cantata

“A scent of coffee that spreads throughout the house”

SIGNIEL’s premium coffee beans were made by LOTTE HOTEL baristas and other experts. To create the best flavor of coffee, they focused on blending and roasting the beans. While SIGNIEL 79 has a soft feeling when it touches your lips and balances the flavor of coffee with the sweetness of plum, SIGNIEL 123 has the sweetness of caramel, the aroma of old wine and the acidity of apricot.

Interview

SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge’s head barista and manager Lee Seok-hyun

Manager Lee Seok-hyun

Lee Seok-hyun first started his career as a bartender and drink specialist 30 years ago. Currently, he is the president of the Korea Bartenders Association and has also been SIGNIEL SEOUL’s head barista. SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge is located on the 79th floor of the Lotte World Tower and is known as the lounge with the best views in Korea. Also, it has became even more popular for good coffee.

Q. As the head barista of top premium hotel, what kind of work do you do?
A. As a beverage master, I look over the SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge, get involved in drinks making and I’ve been training our employees. For example, when we’re creating a new signature cocktail or promoting special events relating to seasonal drinks, I’m in charge.

Q. What is the characteristic of hotel lounge that differentiates you guys from regular cafes?
A. A cafe is selling a culture. So service is just as important as the menu items. In terms of that, I guess our kind service, where our employees always smile at our customers, may be SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge’s characteristic.
Also, all of The Lounge’s employees have craftsman bartender licenses. Some of our employees also have first-level barista licenses, wine sommelier qualifications and tea sommelier qualifications. Our employees have a strong passion for drinks.
If you like tea, then SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge may be even more special. We have afternoon tea sets that include: five different pastries, three mini dishes, champaigne and a choise of 16 different teas. I highly recommend it.

Q. I’ve heard that you participated in the creation of the coffee beans being used at The Lounge. What did you guys focus on when making the coffee beans?
A. It may sound obvious, but we tried to make coffee that can only be tasted at SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge. Currently, the coffee beans at SIGNIEL SEOUL The Lounge are narrowed down to two - SIGNIEL 79 and SIGNIEL 123. To create the two coffee blends, we blended and roasted different kinds of beans. First, we have “Geisha,” a famous coffee bean from Panama that has fresh acidity from orange and grapefruit. “Costa Rica Tarrazu,” a certified coffee from the Costa Rica Rain Forest Alliance, which has a milky, creamy and sweet texture. Then, to express the best taste of espresso, we’ve blended various coffee beans and roasted them to find balance and body.
By doing so, SIGNIEL 79 has great balance and body. SIGNIEL 123 shows the characteristics of all seven coffee beans as it has a clean and soft body with a rich scent.

Q. How do you normally enjoy your coffee?
A. I drink about two to three cups of coffee a day and I enjoy basic drip coffee. After grinding 30 grams of coffee beans, I drip them about three to five times in 120mL of hot water. Then, I dilute them by about 10 times with 70 degrees Celsius water. In this process, the first coffee is the small molecule ingredient where it tastes savory and fresh, but the last coffee, which is the big molecules, tastes bitter. In the morning, I drink the small molecules of coffee for the fresh taste and at night, I drip coffee longer for a richer aftertaste.

SIGNIEL SEOUL’s The Lounge

Q. What would be the standard in terms of coffee beans to use at home?
A. More than anything, you need to choose fresh coffee beans that were roasted less than two weeks ago.

Q. If you were to give us a tip on making coffee at home, what would it be?
A. The water temperature is important. When you extract your coffee in low temperature water, it’ll have a sour and astringent taste. But if its too hot, the bitter and sharp taste will be much stronger. Depending on roasting, the temperature differs. The right temperature for light roasting would be 87 to 90 degrees Celsius, while medium roasting would be between 84 to 87 degrees Celsius and high roasting will require about 80 to 84 degrees Celsius of water temperature.

Q. What is your favorite coffee or cafe?
A. I really like Dadong Coffee’s hand drip coffee. I’ve been enjoying this place since I was in Myeong-dong in 2004. But if I can communicate with others while drinking my cup of coffee, then the space or time doesn’t really matter.

Q. If you were to recommend a coffee for February, what would it be?
A. I recommend Kenya Double A. It’s suited for winter as it has a strong body with fresh, sour and bitter tastes from the tropical fruit.

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February 2020	Editor:Kim Hyewon
Photographer:Park Sungyoung