Up to now, most of the blogshave all been pet related. But as you know, there is a whole other side of Muttigans  - our coffee shop!

We pride ourselves in serving the best coffee around. Our roaster is out of Wilmington, NC and provides us with super fresh ethically sourced beans. Then we take those beans and transform them into some of the best lattes you will ever taste because we have a secret ingredient we infuse into every drink we serve. That secret ingredient?  It's called Love. 

Our petristas (they are a fantastic combination of pet specialists and baristas!) love coming up with new and yummy drinks and are proud of the technical skills they have honed while being a part of the Muttigans team. I recently asked a few of them to share some of their secrets with you on how to create a perfect cup of coffee at home. Here are the top 8 tips I got back from them:

1. Buy whole bean coffee
   If you want good coffee you need to start with a good bean. Make sure they are fresh as beans will lose their potency and flavor over time.
   At Muttigans we have our house blend, which is a medium roast Colombian coffee available in pound and half pound sizes. We also carry a delectable assortment of flavored coffee beans. We are always happy to grind them to your specifications!
2. Invest in a scale
   Accurately measuring your coffee makes a difference in the taste. Instead of  just guesstimating, get a small kitchen scale and weigh out the beas before grinding them.
   We're not math whizzes ( ok, maybe Josh is!) but we  would be happy to help you figure out how many ounces you need to brew the amount of coffee you normally make.
3. Don't grind all your beans at once
   Only grind as much as you plan to use at one time
4. Store the rest in a ceramic container
   Or a container that shields sunlight. Avoid freezing the beans as they may absorb moisture which affect the taste
5. Use filtered water
   When it comes to brewing coffee, water matters. We use filtered waer to make all our espresso based and brewed coffee drinks and we suggest you do the same!
6. Clean your coffeemaker often
   Coffee beans have oil. If you don't wash your coffee pot or clean your coffee maker, the oil will reamin and affect the taste of the next pot. At Muttigans, we clean our espresso machines daily to make sure the oils don't tamper with the flavor. 
7. You can flavor your coffee with spices
   One of our specialty drinks is the Lavender Honey Latte. While we won't reveal the ingredients for this latte ;). we can suggest stirring pieces of chocolate into your coffee or topping your coffee drink with whipped topping and ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
8. Steam your milk
   Did you know that you can steam your own milk at home? If lattes and cappuccinos are a morning must-have, we suggests buying an electric milk frother. Not interested in investing in additional coffee equipment? Here is a cool link that will show you how to get frothy milk from a microwave: 
   Best tip of all? Come by for a visit with us, take a breather and Paws and Enjoy Life! ™