Q & A with RBC NYC's Director Cora Lambert

New York’s not typically late in the game to anything.  But places like Seattle and Portland were setting trends in coffee before us.  Finally, New Yorkers are taking their coffee more seriously than ever.   There’s options far beyond Starbuck’s  nowadays, like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Cafe Grumpy.  But for hard-core coffee fanatics, none quite compare to RBC NYC in Tribeca, or more specifically, to its Slayer an$ 18,000 custom made espresso machine.   This high-tech piece of equipment needs a skilled operator, which is where Cora Lambert comes in. Lambert, the coffee director at RBC NYC, oversees the art of stellar coffee here.  She controls the brewing pressure of the Slayer to alter drinks’ flavor and body.  To coffee drinkers, that’s a big responsibility.  One of her most popular creations is the Vietnamese coffee, which is made with both sweetened condensed milk and textured steam milk.  It’s off the hook.

Lambert got her start in the barista business at a small, independent coffee shop in Illinois.  Just as importantly, she also worked with cocktails.  “Learning about cocktails helped train my palate for drinking coffee and vice versa,” Lambert said. “You’re using the same tasting wheel to achieve balance in your drinks.”  When she’s not working at RBC NYC, Lambert teaches amateur baristas the tricks of the trade in her free, brew-at-home workshops. 

Single/Married/Divorced?
Single

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
My first job was working as a barista for an independent cafe in Wheaton, Iliinois called Sally’s Coffee House. I have always favored independent businesses over chains and this is where I started drinking specialty coffee and learning about where it comes from. Sally’s also served as a venue for local artists, musicians, and writers. The focus on high quality coffee and community building made a lasting impression on me.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a photographer because both my grandfather and uncle were professionals. They would let me hang out in their darkroom and help print photographs. I loved watching the images appear in a tray of chemicals. I later graduated from the School of Visual Arts and now curate exhibitions for the Leslie/Lohman Gallery in SoHo.

You used to work with cocktails, so do you apply those studies to being a barista?
Absolutely! I think coffee and alcohol share many properties. Aside from the obvious culinary aspects, you are using the same tasting wheel to achieve balance in your drinks (sweet, sour, bitter, savory etc.). Learning about cocktails helped train my palate for drinking coffee and vice versa.

Where does RBC source its beans?
We have made a conscious decision to buy coffee from small batch roasters that are producing very high quality beans and using good purchasing practices. This can be likened to the culinary trend of traceability and understanding where a product comes from and how it was processed. For instance, we want to know if the coffee is from a single farm or from a co-operative, what the processing facilities are like, and how fresh the green coffee is. We feel that sustainable labor and environmental practices are better achieved through traceability and we are much more inclined to use a roaster that can give us detailed information about their coffees.

RBC has Manhattan’s only Slayer Espresso Machine, but what makes this equipment so cutting edge?
The Slayer is a first generation machine that puts pressure profiling and the ability to manipulate pressure when making espresso at the forefront of brewing technology. Industry standard machines have two settings, on and off. The Slayer has an additional setting which allows you to manually set a “pre-infusion” pressure, releasing the water at a slower rate and “steeping” the grounds. This gentle period of saturation helps the coffee expand and brings out additional body and flavor before increasing to full pressure.

Describe the process for making the signature Vietnamese Coffee?
Pour one ounce of sweetened condensed milk into an espresso cup. Pull a double shot of espresso over the condensed milk and spoon three tablespoons of velvety micro-foam, which is textured steamed milk, on top.

In your opinion, which country(ies) serve the best coffee?
I love all coffees and it changes yearly depending on the harvest. My personal favorites from 2010 came from Ethiopia, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Why do you think New Yorkers are becoming more interested in high-end gourmet coffee?
New York is a city that places great emphasis on food, and foodies also want to have great beverages. I think it has to do with the explosion of information that has become available on the Internet and the influx of highly specialized businesses.

What are the three most important tips that you want students to pick up in your brew-at-home workshops?
One: Avoid pre-grinding coffee. It’s always best to grind right before you make it. Two: Store coffee in airtight containers in a cool dark place (never in the freezer or left in sunlight). Three: Keep an eye on the roast date. It’s a perishable product and most coffees are intended to be consumed as close to the roast date as possible. Anything that is older than two weeks should be discarded.  (They offer free workshops, which you can sign up for on the newsletter at info@rbcnyc.com.)

Where’s your favorite place to get coffee in the city?
Café Grumpy in Greenpoint.

Do you ever go to Starbucks?
No.

What type of coffee maker do you use at home?
My set-up includes a Hario v60 with a flannel filter, which is eco-friendly and yields great body, and Hario Buono kettle.

RBC NYC
Address: 71 Worth St., nr. Church Street
Phone: (212) 226-1111