NewYorkFirst.com: Gimme! Coffee

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere.

New Yorkers have a near-mythical relationship with coffee, and as enthusiasts search for the ultimate cup, Gimme! Coffee has arrived in Brooklyn and serves espresso that New York Press calls "hands, shoulders, ears and skull above any cup of coffee we've ever tasted, anywhere."

Located under the bright red awning at 495 Lorimer Street, this spartan shop, a center for cultural exchange in the neighborhood, brews coffee and espresso that is unsurpassed in the thoroughly Starbucked city.

Twenty years ago, Gimme's master roaster John Gant decided to follow his passion, and he’s been roasting specialty coffee ever since. His sensory perception and roasting expertise are remarkable, and his sixth sense about coffee is magic.

If you can't get to Brooklyn, or to one of Gimme! Coffee's locations in upstate Ithaca, order online. Gimme! roasts daily and ships orders within 24 hours.

Signature Blends Sampler.
Includes three 1-pound bags of whole beans: Deep Disco (nightlife-inspired flavors boogie from cherry to chocolate, with a bit of tobacco and maple sweetness on the finish); French Roast (dark, thick-bodied with a border dispute between sweet and bitter); Leftist (a Northern Italian espresso blend with the finest varietals assembled to produce a rich and rounded shot with a lush middle, heavy, resilient crema and a deep aftertaste of chocolate and tobacco).

Organic Fair-Trade Sampler.
Includes three 1-pound bags of whole beans: Colombia (bright, opening into ethereal, citrusy perfume, with a finish like rich, old leather; dry but hefty); Bolivia (brilliant, bright and ridiculously rich, with taste as dizzying as the mountains it hails from); Piccolo Mondo (slightly darker espresso roast, poised and perfectly balanced, bold and full-bodied).

South American Sampler.
Includes three 1-pound bags of whole beans: Bolivia (brilliant, bright and ridiculously rich, with taste as dizzying as the mountains it hails from); Brazil (warm and earthy, with a pleasantly low acidity and a thick creamy finish); Colombia (bright, opening into ethereal, citrusy perfume, with a finish like rich, old leather; dry but hefty).

Darks Sampler.
Includes three 1-pound bags of whole beans: Java (dark and woody, mysterious and earthy, full-bodied without heaviness); Papua New Guinea (aroma of black licorice is unmistakable with a bright front end, sophisticated mellow middle, bitter and sweet at once); Sumatra (speaks of exotic wood smells, cedar, sandalwood, with a pungent loamy taste and a rolly-polly oiled finish that turns a corner out of the dark forest into tingly taste of junipers).

Brights Sampler.
Includes three 1-pound bags of whole beans: Ethiopia (aromas of honey and hay, tastes of apricot and molasses, expanding into ripe cherries, with a lingering finish of dark and oily port wine); Kenya (sweet and easily likened to figs, with notes of chocolate and a smooth, mild, and creamy finish); Mexico Medium (floral notes waft up out of the cup with chocolate and honey at the finish).

Modern Art After Dinner.
Enjoy your espresso with white stoneware Espresso Service inspired by Manhattan's Guggenheim Museum, cup-and-saucer sets that mimic the building's concentric rings, increasing in size with each level. Functional, stylish, and sturdy enough to use every day, these unique pieces add an eloquent presentation to the dinner table. (Cup is approx 2 3/8-inches high with a 2 1/4-inch diameter at widest point; saucer is approximately 5-inches in diameter).