We’re 10 years serving up the perfect brew in Cork city...

THE striking electric blue of Filter’s façade is an image easy on the eyes for the coffee lovers of Cork city.

It’s standard to see queues of thirsty punters here, waiting for a cup of some of Cork’s finest and most expertly brewed coffee.

When ordering from their hatch, jars of different coffee beans, gadgets and gizmos can be seen on their shelves. The kind of paraphernalia you like to see from a little barista laboratory built from reclaimed wood.

Filter Espresso and Brew Bar are pioneers of the Cork speciality coffee scene, with owners Eoin MacCarthy and Alex O’Callahan opening their premises in 2012, and their 10th birthday falling in early December.

The premises is part of the listed George’s Quays, which is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture dating back to the late 1700s.

Filter feels embedded into Cork’s community of coffee lovers and it feels appropriate that their home is a listed building.

I caught up with Eoin for some insight into the operation.

Where did the inspiration for the design and aesthetic of the café come from?

The design and aesthetic of Filter would lean towards a reuse of materials. The bar is made up of old tables, doors, old wrought iron grates and sash windows. The shelves are made from scaffolding planks as is the main seating area.

We both have an interest in design and creating spaces that are cosy and inviting.

Our inspiration was dictated by the space, which is small, and the availability of materials.

Our budget at the time also played a big part, forcing us to get even more creative.

We used the same inspiration when designing our sister café, Wunderkaffee at Farren.

Can you pinpoint how you fell in love with coffee?

From giant Maxwell House jars at home in the eighties, equal parts sugar to coffee and a grand drop of bainne! Thanks mum and dad.

To my first real job in coffee – before most of my staff were born – in a coffee retailer on Pana.

But travelling in Australia in 2000 and seeing small, independent retailers in Sydney neighbourhoods creating communities through quality coffee. This had a big influence on me!

There are many points of time that resonate but these are the first.

What are the most important factors for serving quality coffee?

Service, engagement, knowledge of product and equipment.

What espresso machine do you use?

Eagle 1, 3 group, Victoria Arduino.

How do you choose your espresso blend and how often do you change it?

When we use a blend, most of them are seasonal, they change within themselves but stick to the same flavour profile. We then serve single origin coffee that changes weekly.

Can you explain why there are so many ways to filter coffee? And do they all taste the same?

Coffee has been around for a long time, and throughout time we have learned to treat it differently; from emersion brewing like the good old Cafetiere, to the paper filter methods that come in different shapes, sizes, and vessels. 

Some will taste similar to each other, but each will give you a different result, depending on how it is used.

What are your three best-selling drinks?

1. Americano 2. Cappuccino 3. Filter.

What’s the favoured drink amongst your team of baristas?

All short drinks to calibrate the coffees throughout the day, like espresso, piccolo, batch brew and hand brews.

Do you stock dairy alternatives and how popular are they?

We only stock oat and soya milk. Oat milk is very popular and would make up about a third of our drinks.

What’s an ideal barista to you?

Ideal baristas are good with people. Smiles, chats, and service are how a day plays out. 

Humour plays a huge part in being a good barista to me, along with skill on the espresso machine, which is essential.

Have you got any barista champions or latte art champions in your team?

No, not yet… the world stage at championship level is not easy. It takes a lot of commitment and skill to perform. We have annual Irish competitions though and hopefully we will put someone forward for it soon.

What’s your ideal morning café playlist to get the blood flowing and the punters happy?

I have a lot of playlists and I’m hugely into music, it has always been a point of conversation within Filter. It changes on a daily basis, so if you’re ever stuck for tunes, DM us @filter_espresso_and_brew_baron for what’s on today.

What’s your daily caffeine limit and do you have a cut-off hour?

It changes but, unfortunately, I don’t drink as much as I used to. We would sip espressos all day to taste and calibrate our coffees, we would also taste a lot of filtered coffees with customers too. There is no cut-off point.

How would you describe the spirit of your café?

We like to think that Filter’s spirit is quality, friendly, fun, and efficient.

One final word to your customers and the people of Cork city…

After almost 10 years, we have been humbled on a daily basis by the support of our customers and now our friends. Nice one, like!

You can find Filter Espresso and Brew Bar at 19 George’s Quay, Cork City.