How to Make a Black Pepper Espresso: The Barista's Guide

The combination of spice and coffee is ancient, rooted in Yemeni and Ethiopian traditions. Chemically, piperine rounds out espresso's bitterness, while the pepper's volatile terpenes (camphor, citrus) join the coffee's steam to create complex aromatics . A barista needs an espresso machine, a scale, and whole KPPA-certified Kampot peppercorns—never pre-ground pepper . The technique requires pulling an 18g dose to a 36g yield over 25-28 seconds. Crack 2 peppercorns into coarse fragments with the flat of a knife, place them on the crema immediately, and wait 10-15 seconds for the heat to volatilize the oils. This pairing can be modified into a Pepper Long Black, a Pepper Americano, or an Iced Pepper Espresso using fruity Red Kampot .+4