Magical combinations on offer at Pour & Twist
When one thinks of flavour pairings, strawberry and coffee does not immediately spring to mind. And yet where the soft pink flavoured milk and hand-brewed coffee meet, something magical happens.
In a city of self-proclaimed coffee snobs, Pour & Twist is not your regular coffee shop. There’s no hiss and steam as a barista pours your coffee from behind a machine.
The snug, white brick building is home to Aoteaora’s only fully manual coffee brew bar, serving quality hand brewed speciality filter coffee where coffee drinkers are encouraged to take a more leisurely approach to their
Garrett St in the heart of Wellington’s hipster precinct, they use single origin beans from the best roasters in the country and a variety of brew methods.
Pour & Twist, which first opened in 2017, has been at its current site for six years. Owners Elaine Loh and Zuyi Woon, first fell in love with hand brew while living in down south where options were more limited, prompting them to experiment at home.
This hobby then turned into a business when they returned to Wellington, where many coffee shops had ditched hand brews, and realised there was a gap in the market.
“We love taking our time, being a bit more intentional,” Loh explains.
It starts with choosing the rights beans (single source to maximise the unique flavour profile), weighing them, choosing a brewing method, then rinsing the paper filter and getting the hot water ready, before grinding the beans and hand pouring. “For the coffee there’s nothing to hide. It’s just straight coffee and water,” Loh said. “So you’re actually tasting the origin. The coffee beans we use, they’re all single origin so they’re not blended.”
Both she and Woon enjoy Ethiopian origin
There’s no decaf or flat whites on offer. Soy, oat or almond milk alternatives are available for no extra charge though milk is not encouraged and is served on the side.
The pink coco I order is one of several specialities, including a taro coco, grey marble (activated charcoal powder, with maple cream and milk over ice), and a range of matcha drinks. “We make more matcha than coffee some days,” Loh says.
There are also Malaysian specialities like kopi (coffee with condensed milk) and teh tarik (“pulled tea” with condensed milk).
Loh seems to enjoy making the coffee almost as much as she enjoys drinking it. “It’s very therapeutic.”
A shelf on the wall showcases their collection of drippers – tools of the trade – and there are even some for sale for people to try their own hand brew at home.
– Love your barista? Know of a generous loyalty scheme, an excellent brew, a must-try bean or a steady price? As cafes do it tough The Post wants to hear from coffee drinkers and cafes alike, so we can spread the word about, quite simply, good coffee. Email news@thepost.co.nz.