"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

For those of us who are passionate lovers of coffee, the dream of owning your own espresso bar is probably a pretty familiar one. Even if it’s more daydream than serious plan, it’s always fun to imagine how you could do things just that little bit better than your local.

For Ian Callahan, South Australia’s reigning barista champion, and Five Senses rep, the dream is about to become a reality. The upcoming opening of Bar 9, Ian’s espresso and brewed coffee bar, is the culmination of a six-year-old dream, and Ian admits that all his friends are heartily sick of hearing about it!

Ian is one of South Australia’s foremost coffee champions, and he has enviable credentials. He was the decisive winner of the 2008 SA Barista Championship, writes regularly for Bean Scene Magazine and is an active member of the Australasian Specialty Coffee Association.

Ian started off in the coffee industry around eight years ago, and while he says he started in humble surroundings, it didn’t take long for him to become fired up about what he was doing, seeking out improvements in his technique and working hard to deliver the best cup of coffee possible. His keen interest led him to undertake a heap of research — online, reading books, talking to industry professionals and roasters and, above all else, carrying out copious tastings of plenty of different coffees to learn just how good coffee could be. Ian has worked in some of SA’s most highly regarded restaurants, where he learnt plenty about flavour combinations.

It hasn’t been an entirely smooth path to success, however — Ian has endured a few setbacks along the way. He’s taken these in his stride, adopting a positive approach, counting these hitches as a “saving grace”, which have allowed him to learn some valuable lessons. This, he says, has ultimately led to his café being exactly what he wanted. He’s had the chance to learn how to do a multitude of different things and can boast that he has almost singlehandedly brought about the fulfilment of his dream.

And while Ian’s been able to try his hand at everything from interior design to the physical labour on site, his focus and desire has stayed centred on the coffee. Ian’s intention is for Bar 9 to showcase the very best coffees available. He has developed two custom blends, one designed for milk-based coffees, Bar 9 Wyte, and one especially for espresso and non-milk coffee. This blend, Bar 9 Blak, has been created to offer something a bit different in the cup — high finesse, clean flavours and a delicious, fruity finish. Alongside these two house blends, Bar 9 will be offering a variety of other high-end blends and single origins.

Ian has designed a culinary bar for Bar 9, where keen customers can sit and sip their coffees while chatting to the barista — perfect for coffee enthusiasts who like to pick the brains of the pros! The team of Bar 9 baristas will be kept busy brewing coffee through a variety of methods, possibilities that include siphon brewing, single cup pour-over, aeropress, plunger, viet-drip and Turkish brewed coffee. The coffee menu will also include some WBC competition-inspired signature drinks.

South Australia’s coffee enthusiasts are in for a real treat, so stay tuned for developments at Bar 9!

Bar 9 Espresso and Brewed Coffee Bar: 91 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood SA 5063