Hand Drip Coffee at The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel

The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel at Bonifacio High Street The Fort has always been known to dish out unprecedented line of desserts that everybody loves. Just recently, creative minds behind The Cake Club opened its door to the wonderful world of Hand Drip Coffee, also known as the Pour Over Drip method in coffee brewing.

Alongside teas and wines, The Cake Club is also known for serving different coffee variants that go perfectly well with their desserts. Yet, it was only recently that they started doing the manual pour over method in the belief that coffee tasted way better when done in a traditional way.

True enough, with the years of drinking coffee, the afternoon I spent at The Cake Club to taste different variants of hand drip coffees, I realized that it does have a difference. The flavors are more pronounced, and the fact that you know that it took extra effort to come up with a cup of Joe also helps.

In a nutshell, hand drip coffee is a highly effective hand-crafted method of brewing coffee. No intimidating machines required just minimal equipment and lots of passion for making a perfect cup.

The traditional process of hand drip coffee brewing may look relatively simple, albeit slow as shown to our group. Yet, deeper understanding of different variants of coffee and the consumer's preferred flavor profile is a must nonetheless. After all, as with any food, great coffee entails certain respect in preparation.

Essentially, the hand drip process involves choosing one's preferred coffee ground variant, filtering the coffee by pouring over boiling water to the ground coffee, saturating the coffee grounds with water and allowing it to bloom, letting it drip into a cup, and serving it immediately.

Hand drip process may not be the fastest way to brew coffee. However, this method provides the liberty to control and adjust proportion of coffee to water as well as the steeping time while in the process. This method is also said to be the purest and cleanest way.

The process of letting the coffee ground bloom in the water is important as it helps in extracting the true flavor of the coffee. The water that saturates and slowly seeps through the coffee ground contains not just the oil of the coffee but the essences as well.

The quality of coffee ground that one uses in this method plays a vital role in producing a great cup of coffee. The Cake Club is very particular in that respect. Currently, there are eight coffee variants available at The Cake Club. Each of these variants suggests different flavor profile.

Sumibi ~ The Cake Club's premium House Japanese Blend with a distinct, strong a full-bodied flavor.

Kageboshi ~ A mild yet rich blend with a subtle sweetness, a result of combining coffee fruits with coffee beans in the roasting process.

Summer Solstice Blend ~ A rich blend of premium beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala and El Salvador, with a unique and fruity flavor with a hint of ripe cherries, zesty lime and mild floral tones.

Kunga Maitu Kenya ~ A light and delicate blend combining mild fruity notes with a clean flavor.

El Diablo Dark Roast ~ A blend of select beans from Latin America with a caramelized sweetness and low acidity, releasing a subtle chocolate note with a hint of molasses and malted barley.

Matalapa El Salvador ~ A balanced blend with a soft peachy medium body, a delicate sweetness and creaminess with a hint of baked apples.

Bella Donovan ~ A rich blend of African and Indonesian beans and an ideal introduction to specialty coffee with mild citrusy and fruity hints.

Decaf Noir ~ A mildly flavored blend made from African and central American beans with flavorful and nutty notes.

Of all the eight variants we've tried, it was the El Diablo Dark Roasts that my palate favored well. The subtle chocolate note and its innate hint of sweetness works for me. The rest of the bunch however are all good on its own.

These hand drip coffees can be enjoyed as is or one may opt for the coffee concoctions, both hot and cold that The Cake Club also serve. Dark Roast Mocha, Hazelnut Latte, and White Chocolate Latte were the ones I have tried during the visit. I ended up savoring the cup of White Chocolate Mocha because it was so good and really comforting.

Hand drip coffee selections can be enjoyed after a hearty meal at The Cake Club but I suggest pairing it with their wide variety of desserts. New cakes were also recently introduced such as Wild Pistachio Dome, Double Baked Cheesecake, Delice Chocolat, and Tropical Fruit Charlotte. Joining this band of new babies are the new flavors of The Cake Club's macarons; Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Raspberry, and Lemon.

With different coffee shops sprouting all over Manila, those who are offering the traditional hand drip method of brewing coffee is not as plenty. Hence, should you visit Bonifacio High Street to grab a cup of coffee or to have a really good gastronomical experience, I suggest you drop by The Cake Club. Not only they offer great tasting food and desserts, their hand drip coffee variants are also worth the try.