The Gibraltar is a beverage that has always been surrounded by an air of mystery and romance. Looking up from your table and seeing another customer drinking from a small glass, looking as suave as James Bond sipping on a martini. You look up towards the menu but you only see the usual list of traditional italian names. "What is this drink?" You are about to find out.
Discovery
I credit my introduction to the Gibraltar to Parlour Coffee in Tyson’s hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba. I had wandered in looking for a macchiato and was asked by the friendly barista if I would be alright with a Gibraltar instead. As I curiously awaited my beverage I couldn’t help but wonder what the difference was between this new beverage and the macchiato I was familiar with (future post to come). From the moment I first sipped from the small, thick-bottomed glass my life was forever changed.
Origin
The Gibraltar originated at Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco, California. Legend says (as does their book, "The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee") that one of the baristas brought a box of 4.5oz Gibraltar branded bar glasses to be used for cuppings. Incidentally the glasses were too small for cupping but were excellent for evaluating the crema on espresso. The staff served several drop-in customers cortado-like beverages in these glasses and the Gibraltar was born. Even though it never appeared on the menu it had caused enough of a stir to become a cult classic in the coffee world.
Execution
By Blue Bottle, the Gibraltar is served cooler than most milk-based drinks and the milk is steamed more thinly as it is intended to be quaffed immediately. Parlour chose the Gibraltar for its social attributes. Parlour’s founder, Nils Vik, stated that he liked the way that people held it like a cocktail and socialized instead of sitting alone at a table with a pretentious cup and saucer.
Personal Favourite
The Gibraltar has become my favourite espresso-based beverage for these exact reasons. It is much easier to evaluate the crema of your espresso in a glass rather than an opaque ceramic. Visual evaluation of milk density is also helped by the glass vessel. From the top, a cortado, a cappuccino and a flat-white are almost impossible to tell apart (a post on milk density is forthcoming). The Gibraltar is special to me for reasons other than the practical. It was the signature drink of my wedding last september. My wife and I chose it for its social drinkability and it was a hit!
Cheers!
Jordon
Jordon