What Makes a Great Cup of Joe?

For many, a hot, steaming cup of coffee can provide the perfect brain-buzz to get the day rocking. If caffeine is the kick in the pants you need, any old coffee should do, right? Not so, says Marie-Ève Laroche, owner of Pikolo Espresso Bar in Rainbow, located 6 kilometres (3.73 miles) north of Whistler Village. At Pikolo, the process of making your coffee has been carefully nurtured from crop to cup, to give you the perfect coffee to suit your taste and mood.

Whether you need a quick espresso before a run, a large Americano as you hit the road, or a creamy latté as you relax and catch up with friends, Pikolo has an extensive coffee menu and will help create the ideal brew — just for you. Their well-trained baristas are experts at knowing the right ratios of milk and water to set the intensity, and how to precisely monitor the extraction for time, temperature and pressure.

Pikolo’s quality coffees are created long before the beans hit the grinder, however. Laroche works closely with specialty roasters such as Phil & Sebastian and Heart Roasters to access multiple origins and the most superior, freshest crops. Each coffee has a unique terroir, influenced by its origin and the local soil, climate and altitude. “Some coffees are rounder, with more chocolatey notes, or creamier, and others are on the fruity side, with a bit more acidity coming out,” says Laroche. “It really depends on what you like and how exotic you want to get.”

604-962-1110 | pikoloespresso.com