There are probably only two good reasons to travel to Millwood: One is to visit the original Rocket Bakery, the other is to hit up Bottles, the beer and wine shop from the people behind the aforementioned spot.
Bottles is great, particularly after a recent renovation expanded the beer selection and gave better room for wine. Their selection is good. Great even. The beer has now been ordered by type ("stouts," "IPAs," etc.) and bombers (22oz bottles) and smaller bottels have been separated. This makes finding what you're looking for a lot simpler, seeing how there's a lot to go through.
And while most other places in town charge for beer and wine tastings, Bottles is all free. Some of the breweries they've had through so far include Deschutes and Stone. So, yeah, impressive stuff.
Bottles is great. We're fans, and so should you be. Head on over. Now!
It really can. In fact guides and articles have been written on the subject, many of them over thinking things. But really, take a step back and inhale deeply, and it will all seem a bit simpler.
First, keep in mind that service employees in Washington state are paid minimum wage (at the very least). Why is this important? In most other states service employees get paid a certain amount less than minimum wage, and thus need said tip to earn minimum wage. This is not the case in Washington state.
That shouldn't be a reason for you to be a heartless bastard, of course. Minimum wage in itself is not cool. But it also means a tip doesn't need to come automatically.
So what should you tip?
At a sit-down restaurant: For normal good service, tip between 18-20%. And if math is not your strong point, simply take 10% of the total (you know, by moving the decimal one spot to the left) and double it. Now, it is legal to go both up and down, and frankly, if the service stinks, then don't tip. Keep in mind, though, that "stinks" means "really really really really bad service." I can't think of the last time that happened to me. And if the food and service is stellar, hey, an extra 5% isn't going to kill you.
Barista: Tip if you're a regular and receive good drinks. A buck should suffice, two depending on how complicated your drink is. Although if you're getting five triple macchiato semi-chilled latte frappuccinos then you should obviously tip more. Round up to the nearest dollar for coffee shops you don't frequent if you feel the service was particularly good.
And again, if you don't receive good service -- not uncommon in many coffee shops around here -- don't tip.
Bartenders: Adding a buck is pretty common for beer and wine or straight pours, two for mixed drinks. Adding a bit more is fine if you're a regular or ordered a complicated drink.
Delivery: Anywhere between $3-$5 is standard, depending on how much food you have delivered.
Fast food: Would you tip at McDonald's? No? Think about it, do fast food employees work less than a barista? I mean, it's up to you; conventionally you wouldn't tip a fast food employee, but would it hurt that badly to throw a buck his or her way?
Yes, I know what you're thinking. Those west side bastards think anything in the 509 area code is all rodeos and tractors and skeleton farmers. Of course, Iron Horse isn't from the west side at all, they're located well within the 509 area code in Ellensburg. So get over yourself. It's not a big deal.
The 509 is a pale ale, basically a continuation of Iron Horse's Rodeo Pale Ale, and a pretty decent one at that. Average body and average head, and the nose reveals sweet malts.
This is an extremely smooth ale. There are hints of caramel and citric hops, and some lightly florally hops. The flavors are crisp and clean, and at 5% ABV I can see this being a good session beer. With the heavier ales usually consumed during fall, I think this one can serve as a good contrasting choice.
It might not be super exciting, and some might not like the label's implications, but whatever. I like it. Go pick a bottle up and feel good about not taking yourself too seriously.
Coffee. It's a sore subject here in the Inland Northwest where, even though we have great roasters like DOMA, people will often pick up their daily Starbucks. I mean, seriously. That's like the coffee equivalent of a Bud Clamato.
Anyway!
The whole coffee thing is complicated, and while I'm far from an expert on the subject, there are certain basics we all should know. Here are a few of them:
Beans and roaster matter. I mean, yes, starting with the basics, I know. Your personal preference might vary from mine on who is awesome and who is not -- hey, same goes for wine too -- but if you see the DOMA logo, you will most likely be safe. Often anything local is worth investigating, as our roasters are small -- "boutique" if you like -- and will take more of a personalized approach to their beans. Not much different from a craft brewer. That's not to say there aren't a fair share of duds around here either of course.
Pulling a great shot of espresso isn't as easy as you might think it is. There are multiple steps here, and unless you're pulling the shot yourself, you probably will have a hard time checking up on each and every one of them. A big one, however, is timing. If the shot is pulled for five seconds or thirty-five seconds, then you probably should get tea instead. The timing can vary, but around the 15-20 second mark tends to be good. Sadly many shots around these parts are pulled a lot faster, and that's not good. Update: DOMA tells us between 26-30 seconds is ideal for a shot, regardless of the coffee. While the Internets don't completely agree, we tend to trust DOMA in these kinds of matters.
Coffee art is lame. I mean, it's fine to do a small leaf or whatever, but the foam art shouldn't take longer than pulling the shot. I just want to drink the damn thing, not stare at it.
Being a snob isn't necessary. Oh, we all know the type. They claim to like their cappuccinos bone dry and their espressos straight. And hey, that might be your thing, and that's fine, but buy a cappuccino in Spain, and it will likely come wet (meaning with more milk in it) and Italians often dunk plenty of sugar in their espressos.
Overall, just be vigilante. Make sure you find a roaster and barrista you like, and you'll be good. You don't have to settle for mediocracy.
In fact, if you want a great comparison point, head up to Lindaman's. They pull some excellent espresso based drinks.
