At the risk of seeming coffee-obsessed (too late?), I’d like to introduce the latest brewing machine to perk me up: the Kyoto slow-dripper. Building on principles of distillation and a ritualized mindset towards food and drink, the Japanese created an intense coffee filtration process which lasts anywhere from 12 to 20 hours per batch. The typical slow-dripper filters one drop every two seconds. The result of this agonizingly long wait is an intense, concentrated brew with layers of flavor and a strong caffeine kick.
So what is it about distillation that produces such a powerful result? The act of distillation refines and refines, getting closer to the pure essence of a substance as impurities are filtered out. The result of this single-minded focus could be viewed as the pure heart of whatever substance has survived this labor intensive process.
While the buzz you’d get from a strong cuppa joe or a swig of bathtub gin are different from the buzz you get from participating in product development (or not?), there is a common thread. At times, following the development of an eagerly awaited product on Quirky feels like watching each precious drop of coffee or moonshine collect, waiting for the day when the process is complete. Whenever we complete a new product though, hallelujah! We know we’ve captured the essence of something great.
