"It must be pure as an angel,
Strong as love,
Black as the devil,
and strong as Hell"
Want to make the very best cup of coffee possible? You've got to start with a solid base. Luckily, the district is flush with great local roasteries. Say good bye to the chain swill and move on to something immeasurably better (and ultimately cheaper!)
It wakes me up, kicks my ass, makes me nicer, and it even helps me run: I freakin' love coffee! Last spring, when packing up the last of my essentials before the flight to the Ashram, I remember knowing full well that part of the experience was giving up caffeine. I also remember the fear. My beloved coffee! I was less worried about controlling my libido for a month than I was about my morning coffee.
After my stay at the ashram, I had completely kicked the coffee habit. I remained caffeine free for nearly 6 months upon my return, but here's the thing: I love coffee more than white woman love Oprah. I'm talkin' shakin' and cryin' kinda lovin'. It was only a matter of time before I returned to the dark, oily goodnesss.
Here we are, a year later, and I've just finished brewing my cup of High Mountain Blend from M.E. Swing's in Farragut. Located between 17th and 18th on G Street NW, Swing's has been roasting beans since 1916. Nary a burnt bean from Starbucks or Caribou can compare to a cup thats been hand crafted from beans purchased fresh, ground and then french pressed at home. The pagentry of the action, the ritual of it all! There is such pleasure and joy to be had in the art of crafting your own daily cup.
This is especially true when the beans have been roasted fresh locally. Beans start losing their quality after about the third day of roasting, explaining why (hopefully the whole bean) needs to be stored in a cool, dry, air tight space, ensuring that none of that familiar redolence is lost. Beans are stale in two weeks-- how long has that foldgers or even caribou bag been sitting there?
Because of the short shelf life, its a good idea to know how much coffee you drink (you don't want to over-purchase). Swing's sells bags by the pound and by the half pound (7 grams of bean to 6 ounces of water makes a good, full coffee). I tend to drink about a half a pound a week, sometimes closer to a whole pound. I also drink my coffee strong. Never ever over water your beans durring the steeping process-- instead, add water after so as not to take away from the extraction process.
Swing's doesn't roast its bean in the district any longer, instead taking care of that in Alexandria and bringing the beans here. Daily? Not quite, but they do get carried over to the store every two or three days. Lest you worry about that two week window at Swings, their coffee is rotated regularly so as not to sit on the shelf. The High Mountain Blend (a blend of light and medium-light beans) is going to be guranteeably fresh as is the Mesco Blend, seeing as how both are brewed in the cafe and happen to be the most popular. They run out fast, ensuring that there are always freshly roasted beans on hand. The aforementioned Mesco blend is kind of neat: it was patented in 1918 (M E Swing Company) and has been a staple in DC ever since.
Coffee arabica is believed to be the earliest cultivated coffee bean, and has been produced in Ethiopia and Yemen for over a thousand years. The Mesco blend is made with a variety of these arabica beans. Similar beans have also been grown in Sumatra since the 18th century, and if you want a nice full bodied coffee, a straight up Sumatran bean is a great way to go. Really, any Indonesian coffee (Sumatra or not) will help you get that full bodied flavor without a burnt finished.
In regards to the interior of the place, first glances are decieving. Initially appearing a bit small, once it starts filling up one notices that it isn't small so much as it is narrow. The line runs the length of the counter during particularly busy days, keeping space free for elbow room. There are barstools that face out to the road if you need a place to camp and work. Truthfully, I didn't spend as much time just hanging out as I'm sure others do simply because I'm always so excited to go home and try out my new beans.
The beans are key here, and the blends are excellent. I particularly like the light but full flavor of the High Mountain, but am often in the mood for a more "punch you in the face" sensation with my coffee. What ME Swing does very well is roast: which is good, because thats why I went!
ME Swing's
1702 G Street N.W.
(between N 17th St & N 18th St)
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 628-7601
