Worldwide CAFES

Carly (Cherry Love Cupping Subscription ): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #90

Tanya — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

1. Introduce yourself: Who are you, where are you from, where do you work, and what’s your job?

Hi, I’m Carly! I grew up near Sacramento, California, but spent most of my coffee career in the SF Bay Area, working on Blue Bottle’s sourcing team for about five years. Two years ago, my husband and I decided to move to Europe, choosing the Netherlands simply because it felt like the right place for us. It was the first time I moved somewhere just because I wanted to live there, not for work or school, and it’s been an amazing decision.

During our transition, I did some consulting and fun educational content creation, but I knew I wanted to create an experience that made coffee education more approachable and fun. That’s how my business, Cherry Love, came to life. It’s an educational cupping subscription filled with mystery coffees, sensory activities, and insights from expert guest educators.

2. When and why did coffee become important to you?

My love for coffee began during a college trip to Uganda, where I met a family starting their coffee farm. They asked me to bring their green samples back to the U.S., so I carried their sample around to roasters in LA and, not knowing anything about the coffee industry, even called the FDA to try to figure out how to import it myself. That journey led me to my first cupping at Handsome Coffee Roasters (later acquired by Blue Bottle). I was quite excited about sourcing, and the impact the specialty coffee market can have on producers. Soon after, I left my job in adoption casework to dive into coffee full-time.

3. Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Definitely, that coffee from Uganda!

4. What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I love that each Cherry Love box is like a sensory playground. It’s exciting to curate coffees and themes that highlight important industry topics while making comparative cupping approachable and fun! Brainstorming ideas, collaborating with talented people, and seeing it all come together in a product that people enjoy at home is incredible. It still feels surreal that I created this little box that people love and enjoy.

5. What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Since cupping is my comfort zone, I usually tend to keep things pretty simple with a Kalita Wave pour-over, trying to achieve a similar brew ratio. Otherwise, I like to go for an extraction method that really brings out whatever that particular coffee has to offer.

6. Which is the best coffee you’ve ever tasted?

When I started on the sourcing team at Blue Bottle, we worked with some absolutely incredible coffees from Yemen through Mokhtar Alkhanshali at Port of Mokha. It’s tough to pinpoint one coffee as the best I’ve ever tried, but my memory of those coffees is still so strong. They were tropical, incredibly sweet, punchy, and really unlike anything else we were working with at that time. There was a lot of effort put into that coffee release, and it made headlines for being the “$15 cup of coffee,” which, at the time, seemed wild to people. I have really fond memories of being a part of that release.

7. Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I feel a close connection to coffees from Burundi because they’re delicious and sort of a miracle, considering how complex and tricky it is to export coffee from Burundi due to its political turmoil and logistical challenges. I had the chance to visit in 2019, and we visited the first-ever women-owned washing station in the country while they were just starting to depulp their first few batches of coffee cherries. They were singing, dancing, and celebrating, and it was such a magical moment to witness!

8. Suggest a roastery to check out (not one you work at or use at work).

Definitely check out Paso Paso if you haven’t already. They’re a farmer-owned roastery in Hannover, run by Bram De Hoog, who has a lot of experience in green coffee. I think this business model really challenges the status quo and gives producers active oversight in the way it’s roasted and sold, which is something I think the roasting market could use a lot more of.

9. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned while working in the business?

Ask questions and stay open-minded to change when presented with new information! Also, if you’re thinking about doing something or starting something, don’t spend too much time weighing your options and debating it or worrying about how it might not work or how it might feel silly at first. Just do it!

10. How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think the next decade will bring a lot of research and attention to more climate-resistant species than Arabica. I think it’ll be important to stay open-minded to new varieties, species, and processing methods that aren’t the super sparkly, high-acidity, perfectly clean washed coffees buyers love today. We’re already seeing the effects of climate change in coffee, especially in weather patterns, so I think it’ll cause a lot of turbulence in the market, and it’ll be interesting to see where things stand in 10 years.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I do think we’ll stay here in Europe, and I would love to grow Cherry Love into the go-to way for people to learn about coffee at home. I’d also love a storefront someday to host events and have a fun gathering place for people!

12. Any last words? Any tips or suggestions for someone wanting to start this path?

Taste coffees side by side any chance you get. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most coffee people are kind and quite generous with their knowledge! 😊

Masa Nakashima Mel Coffee Roasters: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #89

Tanya — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am Masa from Mel Coffee Roasters. I am involved in judging, roasting, brewing, quality control, and cupping as part of my job. I used to live in Melbourne and worked with the Rumble Coffee Roasters’ team. I learned how to make espresso and coffee with milk there and was inspired by their work in 2010.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I stumbled into the coffee industry in Melbourne, where there were many specialty coffee roasters focusing on their craft, whether it was light roasting or serving specific types of coffee. I was impressed by their professionalism and dedication, as well as the fact that something as simple as coffee could have such diverse flavors. This inspired me to explore the coffee world further, and over time, it became a passion of mine.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I remember having a latte at Brother Baba Budan in Melbourne and being surprised by it's depth of flavor. That experience marked the beginning of my journey into the coffee industry.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I enjoy starting my day with light, simple food and water to prepare my palate for cupping sessions and focus on the coffee that will ultimately impact our customers.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

While I used to prefer brewing methods that emphasized gentle flavors and low bitterness, I’ve recently adapted to trends in coffee competitions and consumer preferences. We now use a ratio closer to 1:15 to appeal to more coffee lovers and make the flavors, acidity, viscosity, and overall structure of the coffee more accessible.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I ever tasted was a Colombia Mikava Carbonic Maceration Natural Geisha from Santuario. It had remarkable flavors of ripe mango, lychee, ripe peach, and orange blossom, along with a rich viscosity supported by caramel and nutty notes.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I particularly favor Kenyan coffee, especially the SL34 variety, for its cleanliness, high acidity, and compatibility with our Probat roasting machine. Our customers also love Kenyan coffee, making it a consistent favorite in our shops.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you work at/use at work).

Taster’s Coffee in Taiwan

Fluid Collective in Singapore

Rumble Coffee Roasters in Melbourne

9- What’s the most important thing you’ve learned while working in the business?

Effective communication with staff is crucial. Good communication leads to positive outcomes in various aspects, including the taste of the coffee, workflow efficiency, customer interaction, and ultimately, positive reviews and customer retention.

10- How is your work and the specialty coffee world coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, we continue to prioritize providing excellent hospitality. Adapting to new circumstances, maintaining hygiene standards, and ensuring customer and staff safety are essential aspects of our operations.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I anticipate significant changes in the specialty coffee scene, with a greater emphasis on lighter roasts, diverse flavor profiles, and increased consumer knowledge about coffee origins and processing methods. This growth presents opportunities for roasters and the coffee industry as a whole.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I aspire to have deepened my knowledge and passion for coffee, contributing positively to the coffee community and fostering happiness among coffee lovers, baristas, and colleagues.

13- Any last words? Any tips or suggestions you want to share with someone who wants to start this path?

My suggestion for those starting in the coffee industry is to immerse yourself fully in learning and experiencing different aspects of coffee. Stay curious, seek out mentorship, and never stop exploring and experimenting with coffee.

@melcoffeeroasters

Daniel Kurnianto ( BOSeTAMPER ): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #88

Tanya — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s

your job.

My name is Daniel Kurnianto. I am originally from Indonesia, one of the world's leading

producers of coffee. I live in Boston area, MA, USA since 2005. I am currently inventing a coffee espresso tool called BOSeTAMPER, the World’s first Automatic Handheld Espresso Tamper. Also working on the other 2 secret projects around the espresso tool as well.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I have loved espresso drinks since I moved to USA, buy them from local coffee shop from speciality shops. About 4 years ago pickup the espresso hobby with simple espresso machine and hand grinder. Until now, I have a nice Bezzera espresso e61 machine with valve control, nice EK43 grinder and Bullet roaster. Those end up giving birth of BOSeTAMPER product development.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes… it was hot americano coffee (espresso base) from a specialty coffee shop near downtown Boston. The aroma was amazing, the taste was tasty. Perfect drink. I later asked the barista, it was a Costa Rica single origin bean.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Easy answer… that is the time when I make my own ice latte before driving to the

office.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Espresso. Starting with the smells when you grind the beans… the smells is so energizing for me. Then extracting, man…. the aroma is very good while your face is basically above the group’s head… then obviously drink it, all just very nice feeling.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Well, every fresh roast bean are great as they have their own profile. I do mostly espresso drink only. At this moment, I am enjoying ice latte from my own roasting of Sweet Maria's Liquid Amber Espresso Blend on medium roast level. I love their Ethiopia beans for americano, the fruity aroma are maximum which very pleasant for me.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I like try and explore different kind of origins and blend, my journey is just started. I do enjoy Costarica as their boldness. I love Ethiopia for the aroma.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I love Goodbrotherscoffee (Liquid Amber). They use hot-air roaster that reduce the

smoky aroma, which I appreciate. Another one but hard to get on smaller bag is Josuma.com/malabar-gold. The boldness for espresso is just fit well on my taste bud.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Having a good trusty supplier you can count on is the most important in my start up

business. It is a truely partnership, just juga seller and buyer. As things happened, late, quality, cost, all of those require the right suppliers to have around. 10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Timewise, BOSeTAMPER product development during the pandemic is well fit. Meaning, at that time, I need a limited interaction with anyone, so it was not a problem for me.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I believe more people would able to enjoy and appreciate higher quality coffee to consume, both from home or from a cafe. Higher quality coffee came from specialty coffee players (roaster, cafes and afficinados). So yeah… the future is bigger and brighter.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I will keep inventing new tools in coffee industry that solve barista and coffee drinker around the world. New interesting unique product that set some stories.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

To the inventors out there, please don’t give up. Inventing and Commercializing coffee

device/tools does costly both time and money but you need to keep going. Coffee is a big market that need new invention along the way.

Bosetamper

Wojciech Rzytki ( Coffeelab ): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #87

Tanya — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work, and what’s your job?

I’m Wojciech Rzytki, head of coffee at Coffeelab, a Polish roastery based in Warsaw. My main job is selecting green beans and profiling coffees.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

It’s hard to give a straightforward answer, as there was no particular moment. It just clicked in the right place at the right moment. Like with first love, you have no idea when it happens, but when it does, you go wholeheartedly. In my case, I guess it was somewhere around the point when I'd begun to roast coffee and took responsibility for green grain selection.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than "just a cup of coffee"?

I’d go with the first roast of my life; it tasted like a cupboard and ashtray but motivated me to keep pushing forward, work harder, and be genuinely better.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

For someone who works next to loud machinery, this may sound odd, but peace and quiet. On the other hand, long-term relationships established with producers are of the utmost value, just like the relationship with Valentin from the Gasharu plantation in Rwanda, whose coffees are synonyms of quality and how the business is supposed to work.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Clever, definitely, because of its simplicity, functionality, and accessibility.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I’m not the type who had the best coffee of his life. There are too many good coffees, each unique in its way. But I always admire clean coffees, especially the good old-fashioned washed coffees.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

So far, Colombians were my first to go, but this year, Brazil has taken the lead thanks to their funky fermentation style that suits their coffees so well. The other reason is that this country has been recognised as having a typical chocolaty and nutty flavour. Nowadays, it’s not so much of a truth, is it?

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Runty Roasters: Consistency in the best possible form, and I do not only mean the quality of work, which is of the highest standards, but his constant improvement, from the bullet roaster up to this point, is beyond my imagination.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’ve realised that almost all errors can be repaired and that nothing is finite.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

No comment.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

3 things:

1. The relationship between coffee roasters and farmers will be even more bonded.

2. Funky fermentations will reach a certain end, timeless washed coffees will have their comeback, and history will reach a closed circle.

3. Decaf robusta’s coming out.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hm… For sure, in business still. To be more precise... somewhere around a few pallets of green coffee, probably facing 120 kg bad boy. Or, at least, at Kenya’s beach somewhere near Mombasa port.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

“Be patient, young Padawan.” Believe in yourself and have loads of self-confidence because you're the only one holding yourself back from success.

Jack O'Connor: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #86

Tanya — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I’m Jack! Originally from the vibrant city of Bristol, England, I moved to the Netherlands last year, and now call Eindhoven home. By day, I'm delving into the world of coffee as a roastery assistant. My passion project, Brews and Beats, blends specialty coffee with curated albums for an immersive experience.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

My journey into the world of coffee began around 3 years ago while working at a cafe in Bristol. As I learned the art of crafting coffee, I got hooked, leading me to explore the behind-the-scenes at the roastery I now work at.

In the creation of Brews and Beats, I am able to combine my love for coffee with my other great passion: music.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Working in a mid-tier coffee joint, I had a skewed notion of what coffee could be. I ordered my first cup of coffee at a higher quality coffee place, expecting the usual, but that sip hit different – it was like a flavour party in my mouth. Trying a proper cup elsewhere was like awakening from a coffee coma, sparking a mission for the good stuff!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Embarking on each morning's Brews and Beats journey brings the thrill of pairing specialty coffee with meticulously chosen albums. Crafting unique coffee-music pairings, researching roasteries, and interacting with passionate individuals at the roastery make it a delightful exploration.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My preferred brewing method is the French press. While it might not always be associated with the precision of other brewing methods, the French press allows for a more immersive and hands-on experience. It creates a robust cup that captures the nuanced flavours of specialty coffee, providing a rich and full-bodied taste profile. The simplicity of the process, coupled with the ability to control variables like steeping time, empowers me to tailor each brew to perfection.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The most unforgettable coffee experience I've had was at a cafe in Bristol, operated by passionate coffee enthusiasts. One of their coffees that stood out to me was a washed bean from Ecuador, which I believe was sourced from none other than Manhattan Coffee Roasters in Rotterdam. The tasting notes of grape soda and lemon created a symphony of flavours that showcased the exquisite craftsmanship involved in both sourcing and roasting.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Ethiopia, especially Yirgacheffe, captivates me with its low acidity, bright complexity, and medley of fruity and floral notes that culminate in a clean and memorable finish.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I highly recommend checking out Redemption Roasters based in the UK. What sets them apart is not just their delicious coffee but also their unique approach. Situated within the walls of Prison The Mount, they are on a mission to rehabilitate inmates by providing them with valuable skills in barista training, coffee production, and roasting.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

One valuable lesson I've embraced is the delicate balance between passion and precision. Whether it's perfecting the art of roasting beans or curating the ideal music pairing for Brews and Beats, I've come to appreciate the necessity of both meticulous technique and genuine enthusiasm.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Despite challenges, the coffee industry has adapted to new safety measures, shifted online, and found creative ways to stay connected with our coffee community. For Brews and Beats, these times may have even boosted demand, as people learned the importance of enjoying themselves and investing in their hobbies.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Looking ahead ten years, I see an even more dynamic and inclusive specialty coffee scene, with technology enhancing exploration and accessibility, increased emphasis on sustainability and ethical sourcing and a thriving global coffee community.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In a decade, I picture myself as the proud owner of a charming cafe, a crossroads of music and excellent coffee. I see Brews and Beats thriving as a platform, connecting coffee and music enthusiasts globally, creating unique and immersive experiences.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Find what you love and figure out how to make it your daily gig. Learn, adapt, and enjoy the ride. Turning your passions into a job brings a unique kind of joy. Have fun, and cheers to making your daily grind something you truly love!

Celeste Wong (The Girl in the Café): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #85

Tanya — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I run a website and blog about coffee, lifestyle and travel, called The Girl in the Café. I also produce films, create content, consult cafes and brands on marketing strategies, test a lot of top line coffee equipment and have my own brand of TGITC coffee beans which I collaborate closely with a Roaster in London (Code.194 coffee ) supplying cafes, homes, production companies and offices in the UK.

I have recently made Lisbon my base from London but originally came to this side of the world from NZ, via Melbourne Australia, where I’ve been in the specialty coffee industry for well over 15 years as a barista in some of the world's top artisan cafes, and was named one of London’s top 5 baristas in the Financial Times and featured in various prestigious media.

I have since developed a business that I’m still exploring that encompasses everything I love which is Film/media, people and of course coffee!

2- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Gosh, I can’t decide between espresso and pourover. For me brewing espresso is nostalgic and I love the whole process because it takes me right to the heart of my cafe days. I feel like it's playtime for me. It’s fun and I get in a zone.

But I love both the method and the result of a pourover coffee too. It’s slow, romantic and thoughtful - two very different brews for two different moods.

3- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Distinguishing importance in business versus personal life can be challenging, especially when they are closely intertwined and especially if your life revolves around coffee! People and relationships are crucial in any work environment and I believe can be achieved by emphasising qualities like reliability, kindness, consistency, and hard work. Another lesson I’ve learned is that while you can't please everyone, appreciate and nurture the ones who do support and follow you.

4- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

The last 10-15 years have evolved exponentially so have been very exciting and I think it will continue to do so. However influences from technology and the effects of world events like the covid pandemic, war, genocide, political confusion and economic instability will lead to major social shifts that will inevitably affect the specialty coffee scene. Do I think the specialty coffee scene will get stronger? Absolutely. But do I know how genuine and authentic the scene and the people within it will be?

No. I hope that as long as we have a mix of genuine people with experience, knowledge and insight who are willing to be involved and share at a fundamental level that will drive positive energy into the industry both socially and commercially. I hope we don’t loose people along the way due to the ‘scene’ becoming too “noisy” or overwhelming. As long as coffee continues to be an important and meaningful part in our everyday lives, in 10 years everything will be ok.

5- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully in a rustic but modern country house by the sea, enjoying the morning sun while sipping coffee, not worrying about the state of the world….

Discovering Sydney's Rich Culinary Heritage: A Journey Through Sydney Arcades and Specialty Coffee Cafes

Penelope Barker and Andrew Chung — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Discovering Sydney's Rich Culinary Heritage: A Journey Through Sydney Arcades and Specialty Coffee Cafes

Written by Penelope Barker and Andrew Chung

Photography by Andrew Chung

In the heart of Sydney CBD, where modernity meets history, lies a treasure trove of culinary gems nestled within the city's iconic arcades. BestCafeDesigns invites you on an enchanting exploration of "Discovering Sydney's Rich Culinary Heritage: A Journey Through Sydney Arcades and Specialty Coffee Cafes," a visual journey of Sydney arcade experience that celebrates the fusion of heritage architecture and specialty coffee culture. Sydney's arcades, with their rich historical features, serve as the picturesque backdrop for a curated selection of specialty cafes that not only pay homage to the city's past but also redefine the contemporary coffee experience.

Sydney arcades are not just passageways; they are living monuments to the city's architectural legacy. BestCafeDesigns.com delves into cafes in storied Sydney arcades at “The Strand Arcade”, “Queen Victoria Building”, “Sydney GPO”, and “Substation 164”, adorned with timeless features that transport visitors to a bygone era.

Strand arcade cafe, Gumption Coffee is a tranquil respite from the city rush / Sydney arcade

The elegant and upmarket Strand Arcade in Sydney has long been home to boutique and artisan businesses so it made perfect sense, then, for Coffee Alchemy, the famed Marrickville café and coffee roaster, to expand its business and open another site, Gumption by Coffee Alchemy, within The Strand’s historical walls.

Coffee is king at Gumption Coffee, with the small space a popular stop-off for those on their way to work or looking for a moment of escape from desk life. Here you’ll find coffee, and only coffee. But what coffee it is!

Co-owner Hazel de los Reyes has brought the same Gumption creative spirit from Coffee Alchemy roastery and cafe in the inner-west suburb of Marrickville to the Strand Arcade in Sydney’s CBD with Gumption, serving coffees for the morning commute through the city.

Hazel has a lifelong passion for coffee, first encouraged growing on her grandmother’s farm in the Philippines where her family picked cherries from the single coffee tree, dried and roasted them themselves. She was a seasoned coffee drinker from a young age and developed a passion to perfect the perfect brew.

“Passion doesn’t necessarily make you an artisan,” she says. “I think it’s more about mastery and skill. It’s about developing your own craft to produce something wonderful, and when you are curious about something, you can eventually achieve that outcome.”

Qvb Cafe / Metropole Qvb / Arcades in Sydney

Nestled within the historical ground floor of the Queen Victoria Building (QVB), Metropole Café is recognised as a hallmark Sydney arcades cafe destination. QVB was designed by George McRae, built in 1898 as a monument to the long reigning monarch, and replacing the original Sydney markets.

Architectural Splendor:

Metropole Café seamlessly integrates into the architectural splendor of the QVB, where ornate detailing, soaring arches, and the signature stained glass windows create an enchanting ambiance. As a kiosk cafe, the design pays homage to the historical significance of the QVB while adding a touch of modern elegance. As patrons indulge in artisanal coffees and delectable pastries, they do so surrounded by the timeless charm of Sydney's architectural heritage.

Culinary Excellence:

Beyond its architectural significance, Metropole Café at QVB has become a haven for discerning food enthusiasts. The café's menu is a carefully curated symphony of flavors, offering decedent pastries, snacks and fresh handcrafted sandwiches sure to satisfy your hunger alongside expertly brewed coffee. Whether it's a leisurely brunch or a quick coffee break, patrons find themselves immersed in a culinary experience that marries tradition with innovation, echoing the spirit of the QVB itself.

Cultural Hub Amidst History:

Metropole Café doesn't just serve coffee; it is a cultural hub within the living history of the QVB. From hosting cultural events to providing a serene respite for locals and tourists alike, the café is a dynamic thread woven into the rich fabric of Sydney's heritage. As visitors sip their coffee amidst the echoes of the past, they become part of a narrative that transcends time, embracing the heritage significance of both Metropole Café and the QVB arcade.

One of the coolest arcades at 1 Martin Place Cafe / Sydney GPO / Two Penny Blue

Tucked away within the historic confines of the Sydney GPO Sydney arcade at Martin Place, 2 Penny Blue emerges as a delightful hole-in-the-wall café, offering a quaint escape from the bustling energy of the city. This hidden gem, nestled in the heart of one of Sydney's most iconic locations, brings a touch of charm to the vibrant Martin Place precinct, creating a haven for coffee enthusiasts and seekers of culinary respite.

The General Post Office (GPO) is a heritage-listed landmark building designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet in 1866, composed primarily of local Sydney sandstone, mined in Pyrmont.

Intimate Ambiance:

2 Penny Blue invites patrons into an intimate and inviting space, a stark contrast to the grandeur of Martin Place. With its modest size and unassuming facade, this café captures the essence of a hole-in-the-wall establishment. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeates the air, and the cozy interior provides a haven for those seeking a moment of tranquility amidst the urban hustle. It's a place where locals and passersby alike can find solace in the simple pleasure of a well-brewed cup of coffee.

Culinary Craftsmanship:

Beyond its unassuming façade, 2 Penny Blue surprises with its commitment to culinary craftsmanship. From artisanal coffee blends to a delectable array of pastries and light bites, the café delivers a sensory journey that transcends its compact size. The dedication to quality resonates in every sip and bite, making it a go-to spot for those who appreciate the marriage of simplicity and culinary excellence within the historic Sydney GPO arcade.

Historic Backdrop:

The Sydney GPO arcade, with its rich history dating back to the 19th century, serves as the perfect backdrop for 2 Penny Blue. The café, nestled within this significant heritage site, becomes a microcosm of the blending of old-world charm and modern urban living. As patrons enjoy their coffee against the backdrop of the historic arcade, 2 Penny Blue stands as a testament to the harmonious coexistence of Sydney's past and present, making it a must-visit destination for those seeking a unique and charming café experience.

Substation 164 / Well Foods Kitchen Cafe

Nestled within the historic Substation 164, Well Foods Kitchen Cafe, designed by fjcstudio, emerges as a culinary haven that seamlessly integrates contemporary gastronomy with the industrial charm of its heritage setting. The café, housed within this repurposed space, is a testament to the artful balance struck by fjcstudio, preserving the heritage of the Substation while introducing a modern culinary experience.

Heritage Integration:

The Substation 164, with its rich history dating back to its days as an operational electrical substation, becomes a captivating canvas for fjcstudio's architectural ingenuity. Well Foods Kitchen Cafe harmoniously integrates into the heritage backdrop, preserving the essence of the original structure. The cafe's design pays homage to the industrial legacy of the Substation, offering patrons a unique dining experience that unfolds against the backdrop of exposed brickwork, weathered concrete, and the inherent character of the historic space.

Exposed Steelwork and Original Timber:

At Well Foods Kitchen Cafe, the industrial aesthetic is elevated through the thoughtful incorporation of exposed steelwork and original timber elements. These architectural features not only serve as nods to the Substation's industrial past but also contribute to the café's distinctive ambiance. The juxtaposition of sleek steel against the warmth of original timber creates a visual tapestry that captures the essence of both the historic site and the contemporary culinary vision of the café.

Viewing Platforms into Machine Hall:

One of the highlights of the Well Foods Kitchen Cafe's design by fjcstudio is the strategic placement of viewing platforms made of curved conical frameless glazing with layered fritting, that provide glimpses into the Substation's Machine Hall. These platforms offer patrons a unique and immersive experience, allowing them to witness the historic machinery and architectural details that define the Substation's heritage. It's a subtle yet powerful gesture that connects diners with the site's industrial history, creating an enriched dining atmosphere that goes beyond the culinary offerings to tell a visual story of the space's evolution. Well Foods Kitchen Cafe, within Substation 164, stands as a testament to the successful marriage of heritage preservation and modern culinary innovation, creating a space where the past and present coalesce seamlessly.

Author Bio of Arcades in Sydney

Andrew Chung is an architect, photographer, website designer, coffee drinker and founder of bestcafedesigns.com based in Sydney. The site charts the growth of global cafe culture and collaborates with over 40 architects, photographers and writers.

Jeff Foster (Bush Hill Coffee Co): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #84

Tanya — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi! My name is Jeff Foster. I am from Archdale, NC. I founded Bush Hill Coffee Co. as a passion project to bring coffee and music together for a different kind of experience. I am a coffee roaster and an artist, so this is an extension of the passions I love. My coffees feature “album cover” artwork that’s inspired by music groups I love and I select the coffees to fit the vibe of the art.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I’ve been into coffee for almost 30 years, the majority of that time as a consumer and then right at the end of 2019, I decided to get into coffee roasting to better appreciate what I was enjoying from specialty coffee roasters and also to save money roasting myself. Since becoming a roaster, I’ve learned so much about specialty coffee and the opportunities we have to share the stories of the growers, educate people on why specialty coffee is an experience and promote the hospitality of that experience as the last part of that journey that started at the coffee farms.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I want to say it was about 15 years ago, I experienced Ethiopia Harrar from Krankies Coffee in Winston-Salem, NC. That was the first time I vividly recall tasting blueberries in the cup. After that, I was hooked on local roasters and seeking out coffee experiences like that.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I’m going to answer this in a different way as I do not have a physical store and focus instead on pop ups and events. My focus is on 1:1 engagements with people. The thing I love most is in creating an experience that meets people where they are (most are usually new to specialty coffee) and making that memorable. My pop ups touch on all five senses - Sight: I’ve got banners of my music-inspired coffee artwork up all over my pop up as well as education like the Coffee Flavor Wheel, Smell: I bring ground samples of featured coffees that people can check out, Touch:

I have green coffee samples to let people to pick and up and experience it before roasting (this is always surprising, especially when they smell it and doesn’t smell like a cup of coffee lol), Taste: Always giving out samples and talking to people about what they are experiencing in the cup and Sound: My pop ups have music going of all the bands that inspire the coffees - everything from Rolling Stones to Rage Against The Machine and in between. It’s a lot of fun and it engages people in a unique way because coffee and music are very personal choices people make to experience and love.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour Overs! There’s so many different ways to brew them and the methods as well. I’m a big fan of the Hario V60 01 and the Orea V3. I also love the Aeropress as well for immersion brewing. I love the science behind pour overs and all the variables that impact the outcomes - the coffee, the water quality, the grind, the coffee to water ratios, the dosing, the water temperature, the pouring recipe. It’s so much fun to experiment and analyze with a refractometer as well.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

That’s a hard question to answer because there are so many incredible coffees to choose from and my answer always seems to change. If I have to answer this today, I guess I’ll have to say Letty Bermudez from Manhattan Coffee Roasters - Colombia Gesha Double Fermentation Thermal Shock. I had over the summer - wow!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Colombia. I continue to be amazed at the innovation and variety (from traditional to experimental) that’s being produced there from the likes of growers like Sebastian Ramirez, Rodrigo Sanchez, Elkin Guzman and others. I love what I like to describe as ‘experiential’ coffees, those experiences where the producers use processes to bring out something new in coffee that you may not have experienced before such as co-ferments and thermal shock processes. These producers are artists themselves for the creativity they have in developing these incredible coffees that take you to new places in taste.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Black & White Coffee Roasters in Raleigh, NC. They are a major influence on me as a roaster with the way they roast and present an experience with the coffees they offer. Their creativity in blending with The Future series is a lot of fun with releases like Grape Soda. I love everything they do and most importantly, Black & White are great people who build coffee community.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Coffee community. There’s a lot of great people in the business who are willing to share knowledge and help you. I also try to return the favor anytime I can.

You do you. Find out what your style and composition is and most importantly your own groove as a coffee roaster. Finding your identity is what makes you stand out.

Be a student. The floor is low to roast and make good coffee better than what’s sold in grocery stores or chains but it’s a never ending journey of learning and humility to roast and make exceptional coffees. There’s always something you can learn and there’s always people who can make you better if you’re willing and open to constructive feedback.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I can’t say that I’ve really been affected by COVID in regards to my pop ups as I started those well past the time where COVID tended to keep people out of direct contact with others. That said, I think it’s reached a point now that just like the flu, each person has to make their own personal choices as to what’s best for themselves in how they decide to protect themselves.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see so much opportunity for specialty coffee, specifically around education and hospitality. Just like a craft brewery delivers an experience, there’s so much more that can be done to properly introduce people to the world of specialty coffee. That starts with education and meeting people where they are. It means developing people in coffee to become comfortable and confident in what they are representing and growing them as well as coffee professionals. People want to experience something, we have to be the guides and the storytellers to do that.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Enjoying the ride I’m on now as a coffee roaster and artist, continue to meet and be part of the coffee community, grow in my skills. This is my passion project. I love what I do with all of it and my number one objective is to have fun and let it take on adventures and hopefully bring some joy to people along with the sharing my creativity.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t be afraid to take the leap of faith if you feel this is a path you want to start on. Whether you’re doing a passion project like I am or wanting to launch a business, if you have the drive and the will, you can find a way to find a way. Be yourself and lean on others in the coffee community to help you grow.

Lloyd Meadows (Tortoise Espresso): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #83

Tanya — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job?

My name is Lloyd Meadows, I live and grew up in Castlemaine; a regional town in central Victoria, about an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne. I own and run a little specialty coffee shop called Tortoise Espresso, that I opened almost 4 years ago.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I started working in coffee when I was 14; I was able to get work at a local market stall before I was ‘technically’ allowed to. From here I started obsessing over latte art, watching countless videos on Instagram, waiting for the weekend to try out new patterns and improve on the ones I knew. Amidst the latte art videos, I began watching other coffee and espresso videos – people weighing doses, talking about acidity & different varieties of coffee.

Keep in mind this is a market stall in a country town – I don’t think I had even heard the term ‘dialing in’ before. When I was offered a little office kitchenette to run as a coffee window, my obsession grew even further. I can remember binge watching all of Chris Baca’s vlogs, watching his journey opening a coffee shop and delving myself deeper into the world of specialty coffee – and what that really meant.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I went down to a pop-up in Melbourne run by Sub-Zero Coffee, who specialized in buying world class coffees and individually dosing & freezing them, meaning they could amass a menu of over 50 coffees, that could be ordered and served on demand. There, I had six of the most incredible coffee’s I had ever tried.

I remember the first milk-based coffee just tasting like a strawberry milkshake, and the second tasting like passionfruit, but it was the ‘Symmetry’ espresso, produced by Jamison Savage in Panama, and roasted by Ona coffee, that stood out to me the most. I think I have bought a bag of the same profile from every harvest since.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

After going to this Sub-Zero pop-up, I knew that frozen coffee, and having a menu of different coffees was something I wanted to bring back to my coffee shop. At the time of writing this, we have 60 different coffees on our menu, and maybe 20 or so more coffees floating around in the bottom of our freezer. It means every day when I get into work, I can have whatever coffee I feel like. Crazy, infused, yeast-inoculated milk coffees from Colombia? Super bright, acidic, Scandi-roasted espressos? Clean, washed, 90+ scoring Panamanian geisha? I’m like a kid in a lolly shop when I open the coffee freezer, and it never ceases to excite me.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Impossible question, that’s like asking me who my favorite child is! However, I will just say that milk-based espresso coffees are criminally underrated in the specialty coffee industry.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Again, an extremely hard question to answer. I do remember one morning when I was working at Abacus Bar & Kitchen in Melbourne, Kirk Pearson (of Sub-Zero Coffee fame) made me a milk coffee using that same ‘Symmetry’ profile from Finca Deborah in Panama, which was pretty spectacular. The geisha from this year’s harvest from Finca Takesi in Bolivia, roasted by Seven Seeds was also absolutely mind blowing!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I am really enjoying coffees from Colombia at the moment. The plethora of coffee varieties grown there, combined with the innovations in processing make for some very exciting lots of coffees. Rodrigo Sanchez at Finca Monteblanco, Jairo Arcilla at Santa Monica, and Diego Bermudez at Finca El Paraiso are some names that stand out to me in particular.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Tim Adams Specialty Coffee based in Queensland, Australia, and Zest Coffee Roasters here in Melbourne are two roasteries I’m really enjoying currently.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I think I’ve learnt how important passion and excitement are in coffee. I worked at another place in Melbourne, and a bunch of us joined the crew to help bring on a frozen coffee menu, which we were all really excited about and it was a lot of fun to start. But it was a really hard place to implement a specialty service like that, and people were really unreceptive.

I think we all got a bit burnt out after only a few months. However with my own smaller place, it’s really easy to adapt the business to keep up with my passions and interests. I know this isn’t always an easy thing to do, but finding parts of coffee that really interest and excite you, and working on those is a great way to stay motivated and happy in your work.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Part of our business ethos is about slowing down, hence the name ‘Tortoise’, and as a part of that, we don’t offer any disposable takeaway cups – and encourage people to stop and sit down to enjoy their coffee. I think this was the biggest hit that the business took, having to change some of our core values to get around restrictions. I think we’re starting to see a shift back now but for a while people were still really hesitant to bring keep cups or drink from dine in cups.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I hope to see it as that – much more of a specialty experience and less of a commodity product. I would love to see people’s perception of coffee to be more like it is with wine now. More focus and emphasis on producers, varietal, and fermentation. I really hope that there’s less of a divide between the producer and the consumer, and that people will take time to honour and respect all the work through the supply chain.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully running a coffee shop just like what I talked about above. I hope to see Tortoise Espresso continue evolving and changing with me based on where my passions lie. I’m also hoping to start competing in barista competitions, so maybe me in 10 years will have a trophy or two!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Get into water chemistry! I’m only just brushing the surface of how different water – and their mineral compositions affect the flavour of coffee, but it’s absolutely blowing my mind, and it’s really exciting. It’s the quickest and easiest way to make your coffee taste better! Try to stay passionate about coffee – it’s such an easy industry to get burnt out in, but there are always new things to learn and get excited about.

Von&Vonnie: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #82

Tanya — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Von: Hey! My name is Morgan von Mantripp (the Von of Von and Vonnie). I’m from Wales, which is a small country in the United Kingdom. Right now, Yvonne and I are working on setting up our own coffee roastery and café in Porto, Portugal. I have worked within the coffee industry and community in a variety of roles, most recently at SO Coffee Roasters.

Vonnie: Hi! My name is Yvonne (the sweet version is „vonnie“) and I grew up in a small town near Hamburg, Germany. Right now, my job is working on our new project called „von&vonnie“, which will be a cafe and microroastery in Porto, opening (hopefully) in November.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Von: I think this question is twofold for me, throughout my time at university coffee was very important to me functionally, I would often go to the library and pull late night sessions and would drink coffee as a means to stay productive – I would say coffee was very important to me here. However, at this point in my life coffee wasn’t something I necessarily saw as my career path. It wasn’t until I met Yvonne that I realised that coffee was something I really wanted to pursue as a profession, we visited a few coffee farms together as well as countless coffee shops and I became enamored by the minutia of the dedicated processes of production, roasting, brewing and tasting coffee. This is when coffee became important to me beyond the scope of functionality.

Vonnie: I always enjoyed coffee a lot, but I mean – who doesn‘t. The time where I really realised how important a good cup of coffee is to me, was, when I travelled through south-east-asia. My daily goal was literally to find the best cup of coffee wherever I was. On this journey I also had the opportunity to try lots of different traditional ways of drinking coffees and visited farms, which made me even more interested in the world of coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Von: Clearly, as generic as it may sound it was a Washed Kenyan. I remember always being a bit daunted by flavor descriptors because I never felt like I could taste them, I thought all coffee tasted the same and that people were slightly exaggerating what they could taste. However, this coffee completely changed my perspective, I remember it tasting exactly like blackcurrant squash, with complete clarity – a real eye opener for me. This is something I think is really important to the coffees we will select at Von and Vonnie Roastery, we will ensure that we have coffees that have clear flavour notes, clarity in coffee is one of the most important components to me.

Vonnie: This is so hard to say…but one cup I clearly remember was back in 2019. A Colombian ‘thermal shock’ Geisha from Diego Bermudez (of course), roasted by Public Coffee Roasters in Hamburg. It was the first time I tasted something so clearly exceptional – could have literally been tinned peaches. For the first time I believed there are actually more flavour notes in coffee than „coffee“.

4- What’s your favourite thing about going to work in the morning?

Von: Funnily enough, leading on from the following question I really love cupping and tasting coffee, I weirdly don’t drink that much coffee outside of cuppings or dialing in recipes. I really love when I can wake up and immerse myself in a sensory experience, it is such a great meditative way to start the day. If you are not completely present you will notice because you can’t taste the coffee’s as clearly, it’s a reminder for me to stay in the moment.

Vonnie: I say it as it is: My first coffee. But beyond that, as my role at von&vonnie will be mainly the baker, I am very excited to create yummy goodies, perfectly paired to the coffees we‘ll serve. I feel very privileged to have the freedom of creativity and the opportunity to try everyday something new and immerse myself fully into the whole notes of flavours, in coffee as well as in the baked goods we‘ll serve.

5- What’s your favourite brewing method and why?

Von: Pourover, I really love conical brewers, my go-to is usually the CAFEC Flower Dripper, I love the amazing flavor clarity this brewer presents and paired with their range of filter papers I can really dial in my recipe to get the best out of my beans. This is why at Von and Vonnie we will be exclusively using the Flower Dripper for our pourover option.

Vonnie: I absolutely love the Flair espresso machine! Every morning it’s the first thing I use and the whole process turned to such a routine for me. I actually enjoy the manual part and I love that I can take it with me to all my travels – especially in my holidays I love to enjoy coffee! I think it’s just so cool to brew the espresso on a big rock by the river, which also brings a lot more mindfulness and joy to the whole experience.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Von: Tough question! There’s one that comes to mind immediately and it’s a batch brew that I had from Prolog CPH. It was a washed Ethiopian, but I don’t know anymore than that. I had it to takeaway and wanted something quick for the walk through the city, I had always wanted to go to Denmark and this was my first day there so I was excited to get walking through the city. However, I remember taking a sip from this coffee and being truly astonished by the bright bergamot notes, the clarity was unlike anything I had ever tasted. The memory of this coffee is truly intertwined with my magical feelings towards being in such a wonderful city, and that surely helps the memory of the drink itself. I would love to have that coffee again, I just can’t find anything quite as good!

Vonnie: As a flat white with oat-milk is normally my go-to drink, I do have one very outstanding memory, which is more about the whole drink than just the coffee itself: It was at Public Space in Amsterdam and apart from the coffee, if I remember right it was a natural Kenyan, very tasty, full of berries and a beautiful body, their house-made oat-milk was the best I‘ve ever tried! Which I found very impressive, as actually most oat-milks on the open market are awful to drink with coffee – regardless if „Barista“ or not. So for me personally, this cup was perfect, cosy and so yummy, that I still crave it every now and then!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favour coffee from? Why?

Von: Ethiopia, I really love the consistency of the coffees from here. I’m really into florality in coffee, as well as citric, stone fruit and high clarity. I also really enjoy the delicacy of the flavours, again if you’re not paying attention maybe you’re going to miss some of what this coffee has to offer. The more you pay attention – the better it tastes!

Vonnie: Normally, I enjoy different coffees in filter than in espresso. For filter I love very bright and citric coffees, which is often an Ethiopian or Colombian. In espresso I prefer berry notes, a full body and it can have a little bit of milk-chocolate, so I often tend to like coffees from Kenya and Costa Rica. BUT, all in all, I want to try to be as open minded as possible and don‘t like being stuck in flavour descriptions or origins.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Von: Like I said earlier, I don’t consume a massive amount of coffee anymore, so when I do I want it to be something really exceptional. I really love Rose Coffee Roasters for this reason, you can trust that everything you’re going to get from them is exceptional and roasted with the upmost care, carefully and fairly sourced. I highly recommend checking them out as a way to treat yourself (you deserve it!)

Vonnie: There are many amazing roasteries out there, but I would like to use my opportunity to promote something which is most important to me: A small roastery from Hamburg, called „The Coffee Board“, is owned by Nadine, who owns her own coffee farm in Kenya, pays her workers fairly, trades directly to Hamburg and roasts by herself. Beyond that, all her coffees are great; I just recently enjoyed one of hers. She surely is a big inspiration for me, also when it comes to support and speak about women in coffee, as there is still a lot of unfairness like in a lot of industries.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Von: I love what I do. I love making, tasting, roasting, and everything coffee. Every aspect of working in the coffee industry makes me happy. I always strive to do more coffee stuff even outside of working hours such as events. We spend so much time working, it takes up a majority of our lives – so why not spend it doing something we love? This is what I have learnt. I can do what I love for work.

Vonnie: That there are a lot of opinions out there and that‘s okay – my opinion is still valuable. Working in a lot of different coffee shops I always struggled with the different ways of doing .things and found it hard to find my own. I tried more to please my co-workers, which stopped me in developing and trusting my own skills. Also, something I really don‘t like is pretentiousness when it comes to coffee. The more you know about coffee, the better. But being humble about it is key. That‘s why von&vonnie won‘t be a place of pretentiousness at all, it will be an open and welcoming space with exceptional coffee for everybody – regardless your knowledge or your status inside the coffee community.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Von: You know, had you asked me this question two weeks ago I would have laughed it off and said something like “COVID is over, why are you still asking this?” However, last week I got COVID again (karma). I think it is something we still have to be very considerate about, taking the appropriate procedures in cupping protocol and general hygiene to ensure that we are taking care.

Vonnie: Nowadays, I see COVID as a reminder to appreciate the small things in life – such as sitting in a cafe enjoying my drink. Anyway, I think we still shouldn‘t take this for granted and be prepared for future challenges which might not be a pandemic again, more likely extreme weather situations due to climate change.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Von: There has been an astronomical growth in the presence of specialty coffee in the past years, with most new places offering some form of specialty coffee. However, specialty coffee doesn’t necessarily mean all that much, there is no consideration of environmental, ethical or economic factors behind the coffee. I think that in the next 10 years there will be a much greater prevalence in the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, fair wages and economics within the industry – or at least I hope so!

Vonnie: In the past years specialty coffee was equal to „great“ coffee, now I feel like this is not the case anymore as more and more cafes are serving specialty coffee, but potentially not with the care and knowledge it requires. So how do we know where to find really good coffee? I think in the future we will treat specialty coffee even more as a luxury good (anyway, also because of climate change) and serve it more as an experience, in really high class cafes which separate from all the other countless cafes. I also hope that more factors become more important to the consumers such as sustainability, traceability and fair wages for every single worker.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Von: There’s certainly exciting times ahead, we have just launched Von and Vonnie which is our coffee brand that will be a roastery, coffee shop and online store. We aim to be a location that will host a range of events, educational courses, talks and more. I aim to be there. Right in the epicenter of everything Von and Vonnie. Roasting coffee, talking about coffee, giving courses, enjoying myself. This project is my dream, and I hope in ten years I will still be living my dream.

Vonnie: 10 years feels like a lifetime to me! Anyways, I hope in the meantime we accomplished everything we wish for „von&vonnie“ right now, which is mainly creating a loving open space for coffee enthusiasts, lovers and beginners to educate and inform about specialty coffee as well as consuming it. I have a lot more wishes which are too many to write down here, but to sum it up: I mainly hope I can be proud of what we‘ve did – not just for us personal, also for the sake of our planet, the community and our customers, who will define us.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Von: Pay attention. Not just to others but to yourself. You are the best coach you could ask for especially within this industry. Pay attention to what you like and dislike, what you are doing when you are brewing, from the most minuscule difference in your brew such as the way you fold your paper filter – these details make a world of difference.

Vonnie: Without Morgan, I wouldn‘t believe in myself as much as I do now. If there is anything you would like to do in life but you think you are not good enough or not worth it – you probably are. Everybody (including me) has so many doubts, most of us just pretend not to. „Fake it till you make it“ is my way of getting over my own doubts, as all we need is confidence and trust in ourselves. The road ahead will include a lot of learning, but that’s the exciting part of it – for now, let’s fake it till we make it.

Daniele Ricci: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #81

Tanya — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I'm Daniele Ricci, 2023 World Barista Champion Runner-Up, I'm 25 and I was born in Italy, but I live in Switzerland, where I moved after two years in Amsterdam. I'm currently working as head-barista and responsible for quality check for MAME Specialty Coffee, in Zurich, as well as trainer and R&D consultant for a few companies all over the world.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important when I approached coffee competitions when I was 16 years old. I started realizing how deep the coffee world is and how much knowledge I could explore by studying and researching.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes! It was actually my very first competition coffee, a Catuai & Caturra from Cafè de Eleta, in Panama. Malt, hibiscus and orange: I remember it as it was yesterday.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Definitely getting to how coffees taste on that specific day, seeing if and how they have changed from the day before. But also meeting so many coffee enthusiastics.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

It really depends on the moment of the day. At home, I usually make filter coffee, while at work I prefer brewing espresso shots. Personally, my personal brewing method is espresso, probably because I’ve been making it since day one, but it really depends.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

This is a very difficult question. I have my top-5, but they’re all very different so I can not really say which one is the best. By heart, I’d probably say the one I used in the Italian Barista Championship 2020, that gave me the opportunity to win my first national championship: a Washed Carbonic Macerated Catucai 2SL from Hacienda La Florida, Ecuador. But also a Panama Gesha from Finca Auromar, that I used in 2018. There are so many…

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

If I had to choose one country to drink coffee from for the rest of my life, I’d probably go with coffees from Panama. The heritage they have with soil and microclimate there is just unique. Definitely my favourite producing country, even though lately Colombia has been crazy.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

There are so many good coffee roasteries nowadays. My recommendation goes to Taste Coffee & More, in Treviso (Italy).

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Probably the respect towards everyone working in the coffee industry, as well as the respect towards coffee itself. Now I’m much more aware of the work that’s behind a simple cup of coffee and that’s the greatest challenge for me to share.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new

challenges for hospitality?

Now it got back to “pre-pandemic” times, but Covid restrictions were a true challenge for everyone, especially in the hospitality. Though, I believe that coffee has gained some importance during lockdowns, because people had time to read and talk about its quality and because it was one of the few options for people to meet.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Grown from now, more focused on sustainability, surely with many people working in the industry and probably with more jobs required. I hope there will be more specialty coffee shops. I can’t wait to see how it will be in 10 years.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I will be in the coffee industry for sure, perhaps with my own roastery and/or coffee shops. I would love to travel more and to get to know more people around the world, more farms and different approaches about coffee production.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

Coffee industry is tough but it’s worth the time and the passion you’re investing in it. Big things need time, don’t give up.

Matt López (FVC Gallery): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #80

Tanya — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Matt López. I currently live in Walla Walla, Washington though I was born in Albuquerque NM and have roots in Northern California.

I am part owner of FVC Gallery (+frequent visitor café) with my wife Lonna López. At he moment I do a bit of everything–barista, retailer, curator, event coordinator etc. In addition to a café, we rotate art exhibitions, host performance and film screenings as well as sell new and vintage clothing, house plants and home goods.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

In my teens and early 20’s I lived in Santa Cruz, California and had access to a lot of good (90’s good that is!) coffee. When I first moved to New York City in 2002, good coffee was hard to find. I realized that I had taken coffee for granted and it was then that it became really important to me (shout out to Café Grumpy though for being an exception!).

Good coffee(well sourced/roasted/prepared) is a luxury that should never be taken for granted!

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I think first experiencing early Blue Bottle Coffee (Oakland, California) in the mid-late 00’s was a revelation–getting to taste distinctly good coffee in many variations and from many different origins felt very special, and all in a beautiful and elevated environment. I learned a lot during the early Blue Bottle days, and really fell in love with single-origin pour over coffee.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I often say that FVC Gallery is a creative space–it is meant to engage the senses, inspire creative exploration and dialog. I am an artist first and foremost and to me hosting people in our space is a creative act. Everyone who comes in our door, from retired folks to workers to college students to tourists, contribute to this creative space and because of that they are part of the “artwork” that is FVC Gallery.

My favorite thing about going to work in the morning is preparing for and hosting guests. You never know who’s going to come in your doors and I love all the unexpected interactions and conversations! This form of human connection, most often fueled by good coffee or tea, is so important to who we are and how we creatively contribute to the world. It is a true honor to host people at FVC and to help weave together the fabric of community and creative dialog.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Though I rarely do it, my absolute favorite brewing method is Japanese-style flannel filter pour over. It is an extremely tedious and finicky brew method that often has strange recipes that include lower water temperature, super slow pours, older post roast-date coffee and higher coffee-to-water ratios.

It is difficult but when done correctly a flannel-filter coffee is sublime and worth all the effort! It produces a cup that is truly unique and unlike any I’ve had–a super smooth and sweet coffee that has a viscous/velvety body and mouth feel, with a depth of flavor that just goes on and on…A wonderful and memorable experience!

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Hmmm…too many! One that stands out in my memory was a natural processed Columbian coffee from Manhattan Roasters in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I think that at the time that I tried it, I had never tasted a coffee quite like it–super sweet and Jam-like fruity but very balanced and just a joy to drink. To me drinking this coffee compared on every level to having a delicious and complex glass of wine.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

This may be stereotypical but I tend to really love coffees from Columbia. There is quite often a depth and intensity of flavor that is sweet and earthy, pronounced and balanced. Colombian coffees are often my go to when trying coffee from new roasters.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

We’re so lucky in the Pacific Northwest to have so many fantastic coffee roasters on so many different levels!

Two micro-roasters not in the PNW that I love are Flowerchild Coffee in Oakland, California and Luminous Coffee in Las Vegas, Nevada.

They both offer extremely unique and delicious coffees in kind of different styles. On the one hand, Flowerchild sources outstanding coffees and perfectly roasts them to highlight clarity of flavor and the unique terroir of the coffee’s origin.

Luminous on the other hand are really pushing things forward with producer/ roaster relationships and unique processing methods on the growers side–Koji spore and fruit ferments that when properly roasted produce coffees that are just bonkers good and have to be tried! Plus Luminous Coffee’s packaging (gorgeously printed boxes like chinese take out with an instant coffee, Third wave water pack and fortune cookie) and weekly drop purchasing structure is so unique and cool.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I think that while sourcing and properly preparing consistently good coffee is super important, creating a unique space, vibe and overall hospitality is equally important. At FVC we’re lucky to have a naturally lit space where our tropical plants that not only grow beautifully well but also contribute to the healthy air-quality and over all lush and sensious environment. Adding on to that, Lonna creates, mixes and hand pours organic candles made with 100% essential oil fragrances. The different candle scents are meant to combine with the air quality of plant life and the smell of coffee to create an ambiance and enhance the experience of visitors. Good coffee can now be easily purchased and made at home, but having a cup of coffee or tea in a unique and engaging space is still an experience that we and others value.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new

challenges for hospitality?

We have only been open just over a year now and luckily opened post Covid-19 craziness. I think that while there is definitely a focus on respecting people’s different comfort levels with comingling, there is also hunger and a need to gather together, to connect and to consciously cultivate a healthy community. The extreme isolation and circumstances around the pandemic highlighted this need for humans and for that we

should be thankful. We get inspiration from human connection everyday!

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

In 10 years the climate of our planet will no doubt be different and will present challenges to the coffee scene on all levels. It is more commonly acknowledged now that current coffee cultivars grown in specific countries will most likely not be possible. I think it will be super interesting to see how we adapt to these changes–how previously ignored coffee varietals might hold potential, how different experimental processing techniques can aid in producing good coffees.

We live in a wine producing region of Washington that is still experimenting and continuing to grow; coffee production is very similar in some respects and perhaps the industries can learn from each other in the future. Also on a cafe/hospitality level, coffee prepared with other ingredients, like roasted chicory or cardamom, can help make lesser quality coffees more interesting. Let us not forget that the espresso machine was invented in part to help make a mediocre coffee more interesting and delicious!

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Where will the world be in 10 years?! In 10 years I will most likely be existing and creating in one way or another. Nothing is certain but the possibilities are infinite!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

For people interested in working in coffee or creating a café, I have these

thoughts to keep in mind:

● Though coffee is now fairly common, and especially now that the specialty coffee scene is flourishing in small town communities and across the planet, I think it is very important to acknowledge and remember that coffee is a luxury product and that we are lucky to have it. Please keep this in mind when working with coffee or cafe service–it is a special gift from our planet that may not always exist and should not be taken for granted.

● Coffee is a delicious drug that can be a creative facilitator and help drive the imagination, thought and innovation.

● A good café is a social space that engages the senses and encourages human connection, creative dialog and community building.

● Hosting people in a space is a creative act. As a host, you are an artist and the social experience of hosting is an “artwork”. As a host it is important to keep your intentions grounded and pure.

Aurore Ceretta: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #79

Tanya — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am Aurore Ceretta, originally from the south of France and this year’s Cup Tasters Champion of Germany. I left my hometown of Toulouse in 2009 to study German literature and history. Instead of following this path, however, I moved to Freiburg, Germany, to open a café with my husband Philip Weller in 2013. Freiburg is his hometown and the home to our two beautiful kids. We opened our beloved Café Marcel in 2014, just two months after the birth of our first child. It is a small kiosk-style coffee shop in a park in the heart of Freiburg.

To keep traditions alive, we opened our very own roastery Günter Coffee Roasters in 2018, just two months after – you guessed it – our second child was born. Philips brother Mats joined the founder’s team after his work and travels to third wave coffee Mecca New Zealand. As you can imagine, there’s no simple answer to the question about what my job is. One thing is certain, though: I always choose the best timing when it comes to big decisions in my private and professional life – haha!

2 - When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always played a role in my life. I had my first sip of coffee when I was about 5 years old. My mother would always go for an espresso at a nearby café and I was the lucky kid to sugar it for her and take the first sip. I was her personal cup taster, basically. Thinking back to that, it’s probably why I like the discipline so much. It really grew on me over the years. Since then, cafés always fascinated me and I wanted to open my own. However, in our society as a whole, this is usually not considered something worth working towards, nor is it something you learn in school, so I didn’t follow this idea for a while.

All that changed during my studies in 2010 when I went to Berlin for an Erasmus exchange. I met Philip, had my first experiences with specialty coffee, and nudged him to try it as well. Just like me, he was hooked. It was time to dream about my own café again and we began to make plans.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes! It was during my first ever coffee cupping in Berlin at Chapter One Coffee. Back then I was still a newbie and couldn’t taste much difference between the cups. Back then, I had no idea what a coffee cupping was. Still, there was one cup where I noticed a slightly fruitier taste. That marked the first time coffee became “more than coffee” to me. I loved it!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

At the roastery, I like when my day begins with quality control cuppings, which we do weekly to ensure a consistent coffee experience for our customers.

When I’m at Café Marcel I enjoy the smell of freshly ground filter coffee that spreads through the kiosk from our EK43 in the morning.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

In the past years I became a little bit bored about espresso, or milk beverages. Nowadays, I enjoy my coffee as a V60 or Kalita wave pour over most of the time. I like to be able to easily control so many brewing parameters and it’s a calming ritual.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I tasted so many great, remarkable coffees that it would be heresy to pick one as the best. It’s simply impossible to compare so many different styles and flavors. A coffee that stayed in mind, however, was a cup I had at the 2016 Berlin Coffee Festival. Stefanos Dimitrios was hosting a ninety-plus cupping event. Back then, fermentation was still kind of a new thing in the scene and some of the coffees must’ve gone wild during processing. A lot of them were just way too much, nearly undrinkable. I still had a great experience and many of the coffees that were on the table that day still live in my head because I never experienced something like them ever before.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I really like African coffees from Rwanda and Burundi, or floral, tea-like washed Ethiopian coffees. That doesn’t mean I won’t try or enjoy coffees from any other country, though. All countries in the coffee belt have some gems that taste great and are worthwhile. That’s why, in our roastery, we always try to offer coffees from various countries.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Yes, gladly! Here are some recommendations: R.D. Coffee by Dénes Rajmond and Seekind in Germany, Ojo de Café by Debora and Cristian in Switzerland, as well as Minifundi, and Astère Coffee in the south of France.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

If you start to dig, you are soon amazed and shook by the vastness and complexity that comes to light. With coffee, it’s no different. It’s really awesome to constantly discover new things, even after working with coffee for many years. For me, the most important thing is the human connection. It has to feel right and natural. It has to feel good. If it doesn’t, even the thing you care about the most soon becomes stale and despicable.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Covid changed a lot for hospitality. Although everything seems to be normal now, the last years created a huge gap. Many people working in hospitality were forced to look for work elsewhere and the industry is still struggling to find qualified personnel because of it. We had a small café at our roastery as well that we had to close. Now, we only open once a week to sell our coffee and help our customers with their questions around coffee. It wasn’t an easy decision. There are positive sides to this as well, though. We have more time to focus on the roastery and its development now and we finally have the weekends for ourselves again. It’s very important to always look forward and focus on the positives.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

My default is to be quite the sceptic person and I’m always figuring out what the worst scenario might be. Typical overthinker problems, I guess. There are a lot of things that could go wrong with specialty coffee, especially now that it is getting more and more popular. I really hope that the ideals of third wave coffee are upheld by the coffee community, as well as the customers. As a professional cup taster, I hope for more coffea species and varieties to taste, to experience new flavors, and that there is more research conducted about quality and flavors. In the food industry, uniformity, looks and resilience often dominate over flavor, variety and taste. I hope that, similarly to New Zealand and Australia, coffee quality and specialty coffee become the norm in 10 years. It’s unbelievable how much bad coffee is still around.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to keep pushing for the World Cup Tasters Championship. This year it wasn’t meant to be but I want to try again and again. Other than that, I haven’t made any plans yet. Maybe I’ll be back in the south of France, maybe I’ll be in Berlin, maybe in Freiburg. Who knows? One thing is for sure: I’ll still enjoy great coffee!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Working in the specialty coffee industry is fulfilling to me, and there is so much to discover. However, opening a café or a roastery shouldn’t be romanticized. Sure, you might be drinking great coffees every day and roast some beans to perfection, but not most of the time. Being an independent entrepreneur is much more than just doing what you want because you’re the boss. It’s lots of work. Hard, tedious work. Work that requires patience, resilience and courage.

There’s challenges every other week that seem insuperable at first sight, especially when starting out, and rewards are scarce. Those challenges will keep you awake at night. It takes a lot of dedication and sweat to build a successful business. I think it’s worth it but it’s not for everyone and that’s okay.

GünterCoffeeRoasters

Holger Lente: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #78

Tanya — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hello, my name is Holger Lente and my home base is in Munich Germany. However, I’ve been working for US companies for the past 10 years. In terms of work related to coffee I have been doing the full circle of brewing techniques. I started with my heavily espresso based coffeeshop business in Germany running 5 stores from 2002-2013. This was a highly rewarding time but also exhausting on the same level. I decided to sell the business and accepted a position with Espresso Supply Inc. based out Seattle, Washington.

I was looking after the European launch of the Bonavita brand focusing on pour over primarily. My journey took me to Toddy LLC based in Denver, Colorado in 2019 which completes the puzzle as it gives me the opportunity to learn about cold water extraction every day. Since I am an SCA AST I am involved in education internally and externally but within my role of Director of Brand Development I also focus on strategic partnerships and collaborations.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always been an important part of my life. Having said that specialty coffee has probably been the shortest episode. When I was working in IT for a UK tour operator I observed the rapid growth of the third wave mainstream coffee shops such as Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Coffee Republic, etc. Working abroad made me spent a lot of time in coffee shops and I loved spending time there. At some point I came to the conclusion this is something I want to do for living – just with better coffee. So I started my own coffee shop company.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Well, there were certainly a couple of instances. The first one in my professional career was my first proper pulled shot of espresso after a five days training (approx. 200 pulled shots) at the LaSpaziale Training Center in Switzerland in 2001. It was an average Italian commodity roast but it was very balanced sweet, fruity, bitter with a nice crema. Maybe it was just because I made it myself ;-)

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Well, the great thing is, that I don’t have to go to work every morning J. I also got a very short commute from my bed to my desk… Being a remote worker gives me lot of freedom and flexibility how I handle my work load. At least when I work from home. I am lucky enough structure my day according to my personal needs and to the needs of my family. The flip side is that I do a ton of travel, trade shows, events, customer sites, Toddy HQ visits, etc. But it works for me.

I’ve never been a nine to five kinda guy… I prefer to be measured on results rather than hours I put in. In general, having the opportunity to work with one of the most emotional products – coffee – and being part of this fantastic industry is my motivation.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour over and cold brew are among my favorites. I usually like to brew the same coffee hot and cold. It can be a real eye opener if you then compare them side by side…

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I was afraid you were gonna ask that question. Thanks for that ;-) I am honestly struggling to answer this question. It feels like asking me which of my two kids I like best. What I am saying is, that I am so privileged to get to work with the best growers and roasters globally which all produce fantastic coffees. Also, coffees turn out differently depending on the brewing method. I drank some coffees which I did not enjoy as a “HOT BREW” but when I tried them as a cold brew they were fantastic.

There is also that part of subjectiveness and that moment in time. We know the impact of emotions on sensory perception. A great example is drinking a very average (or even cheap and nasty tetra pack) Sangria in Spain in a nice place with friends can be a great sensory experience. Drinking the same Sangria on miserable day in a bad place on your own is horrible.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

This is another question which is not easy to answer. As a trained chef, barkeeper, barista and huge foodie I enjoy the variety and different choices. I might have different preferences at different times. As we all know the origin is only one part of the story, processing, roasting and preparation play an equally important role in flavor development. However my go to regions where I’d likely never say no to are Ethiopia, Panama and Columbia.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I don’t really know where to start… One of the perks of my job is that I get to work with the very best roasters all over the world. The most recent gems I found are Cycle Roasters from Lübeck Germany and GEMI (FKA Kallas Coffee ) from Leipzig Germany.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I am in coffee for almost 25 years now and I am learning new things every day. I am convinced and excited that this will probably never stop. Coffee is not just “A” product, for me. Even more so it is about the people, the cultures and the story behind the physical product. I learned that coffee is all about relationships and that it is important to have a constant dialog with everyone in the chain from seed to cup.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I think when the pandemic hit it was the weirdest thing ever for all of us. It felt that the whole world went into hibernation for a couple of weeks. After everyone realized that this thing is going to stick around for a quite a while people worked really hard to adjust to the circumstances to their best ability. Unfortunately many businesses in this fragile industry did not make it. If you take the key element of socializing out of the hospitality game it becomes very challenging.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

The specialty coffee scene is an ever changing industry. It has gone through many phases and waves. Specialty coffee is constantly threatened by various external factors. Two of the main factors seem to be climate change and struggling economies. I believe that there will always be specialty coffee. I trust that we will see a lot more of the more unknown wild coffee species and gene editing in breeding processes.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still in the industry. I am hoping to spend many more years working with coffee in one way or the other. There is so much more to learn and so much experience to pass on…

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

To reference the Barista League Code of Conduct: “Don’t be an asshole”. The industry is small and everyone knows each other. It’s not that easy to make a living out of it, but is it extremely rewarding. Before you start make good coffee friends (like Tanya & Endri), do coffee travel and research as much as you can and take advise especially from people who learned things the hard way.

Mikey Rinaldo: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #77

Tanya — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Mikey Rinaldo. I was born in Indonesia, but currently live in Chicago, USA. I am the roaster/founder of New Math Coffee, a roastery focused on Asian producers.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Probably around 2011-2012. When I was a graduate student, I often hung out and did my school work at a newly opened specialty cafe. I didn’t even drink coffee then. One of the baristas eventually taught me how to brew coffee manually, which kickstarted my long term fascination with it.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Like many people who got into coffee during the 2010s, it was a blueberry-forward natural process Ethiopia that gave me the aha moment. It was an Ethiopian Ardi roasted by Anthology Coffee in Detroit.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The quiet, modest deliciousness of the first cup. I find the first daily coffee often most enjoyable since that’s when my body craves caffeine, but often in a half-asleep brewing ritual. It makes me think of this line by the American environmentalist Aldo Leopold: “The coffee pot, from its first soft gurgle, underclaims the virtues of what simmers within.”

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I prefer anything with a paper filter for drip. By default, at home I’ve just been using my beat-up metal V60 for so long now.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Oof I prefer not to answer this : ) In all earnestness, I’ve had many outstanding and memorable cups, some due to taste, others due to circumstances or people I shared them with.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

Not currently. I say this because I see quite a few farmers and roasters from various producing countries redefining the taste profiles we usually consider typical of those regions. So my taste runs pretty catholic these days and I want to keep an open attitude to different regions/flavor profiles.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Most recently, I’ve been liking Silverbird from Minneapolis. It’s the roastery started by Tony Querio, former longtime roaster of Spyhouse Coffee, another Minneapolis-based roastery. This year I also got to travel to Vietnam. I was really digging 96B roastery in Ho Chi Minh City as well as Cafe Le J’ in Dalat. I love the work they both do with different Robusta farmers planting and processing newly developed cultivars.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That it’s super humbling and important to have a hospitality mindset. A cafe owner/manager can curate the types of coffees or syrup flavors you offer. But it’s become especially important to me never to belittle or begrudge a customer for requesting sugary, milky drinks.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I was fortunate that my roastery started during the pandemic as a mostly online-only business. So I did not have a cafe lease.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I don’t know if I can predict the scene per se, but I personally would love to see specialty roasters and consumers being much more open to finding quality in other coffee species besides Arabica

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Tough question. I may still be involved in coffee, but I’m also at peace with the possibility that I may be done with it by then.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

The one advice I would give to those wanting to pursue coffee—one I wish I had received myself—is to not let your passion for it be exploited by employers, particularly when it comes to compensation. I’ve also worked at enough places and seen enough cafes/roasteries that have “cool” branding but poor workplace culture and communication.

@Mikey Rinaldo

Nikolai Fürst: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #76

Tanya — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: Who are you, where are you from, where do you work, and what's your job?

Hello, I am Nikolai Fürst. I grew up in Germany, but since 2015, I have been living in Colombia. My company is called Desarrolladores de Café (coffee developers), and it's based in Medellín. We are involved in various coffee-related activities, but our main focus is on coffee education in areas such as coffee roasting, cup tasting, production, and barista training. Additionally, we engage in coffee roasting, quality management, and export. As the founder, my role is to ensure smooth operations and set the company's priorities.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has played a significant role in my life. As a cultural and social anthropologist, during an exchange program in Bogotá, I met my mentor and good friend Eduardo Esquivel. He is also an anthropologist and owned a coffee shop. He once told me, "Working with coffee is like a micro-revolution. You don't change the whole world at once, but you can change many small worlds immediately." This statement shaped my path in the specialty coffee industry from the very beginning. I decided to become a coffee developer who works with friends, rather than following the traditional approach of a colonial coffee hunter.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than "just a cup of coffee"?

There have been many instances. My first active encounter with specialty coffee was probably at a coffee shop in Vienna called Caffè Couture. They had two espresso grinders since 2010: one traditional and one unique. The latter caught my attention. Sometimes it offered fruity, bright, and sparkling flavors, while other times it presented floral, tea-like, and delicate characteristics. On occasion, it even showcased bold, fermented, intense, and alcoholic notes. I appreciated the idea of constantly experiencing different coffee flavors right from the start.

4- What's your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Everyone loves coffee, but when you combine its practical energy-boost with the realization that you are actively contributing to well-being and making a difference, it becomes truly rewarding. I enjoy witnessing the growth of Desarrolladores de Café and collaborating with our network of friends, all working together.

5- What's your favorite brewing method and why?

My favorite brewing method is El Pelador. It is the signature method of Desarrolladores de Café. I have a preference for coffees with character. If a coffee is floral, it should taste like flower water. If it is fruity, I want it to feel like a juice. El Pelador accentuates the unique characteristics of each coffee and is simply perfect for light roasts.

6- Which is the best coffee you have ever tasted?

Narrowing it down to a single coffee is impossible for me. We currently work with 15 farmers, and each one produces coffee with a distinct flavor profile. Generally, I deeply enjoy floral and delicate coffees, as well as juicy and fruity cups. One of my favorite varieties is Typica.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Obviously, Colombia! However, I also enjoy coffee from Kenya, Ethiopia, and other South American and African countries. I appreciate the clean, fruity, and floral characteristics of these origins. Although Colombia offers tremendous diversity, you can easily find coffees that resemble those from any other producing country! From floral to fruity, spicy to bold, the range of possibilities is vast.

8- Recommend a roastery for us to check out (not the one you work at or use at work).

Kaffeewerkstatt Kucha, Günter Coffee Roasters, Cycle Roasters, Mókuska Caffè, P14, Kaffeemacher, Substance, Coffeepirates, and many more!

9- What's the most important thing you've learned while working in the business?

The specialty coffee industry is evolving rapidly, and every day presents new learning opportunities. The community is amazing, and you feel at home in any corner of the world where specialty coffee thrives. Our own business network is built on transparency, ethics, and trust. We are delighted to share a common goal with our clients: the well-being of our allied farmers.

10- How is your work and the specialty coffee world coping with Covid and the new challenges for the hospitality industry?

I believe we are gradually overcoming the challenges posed by Covid, but its impact on the industry and the world as a whole has been significant from a socio-economic perspective.

11- How do you envision the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Ideally, we will move beyond the colonial style of trading, where coffee is bought cheaply and sold as expensively as possible. I hope that all specialty coffee will be valued enough to provide a sustainable livelihood for everyone involved, from farmers to coffee brands, rather than mere survival for the producers.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, we hope to establish our online coffee school, significantly increase transparent coffee exports, and make a positive impact on farmers in different parts of the world.

13- Any final words? Any tips or suggestions you would like to share with someone interested in pursuing this path?

I invite everyone to reconsider how we perceive coffee. Amidst numerous crises, our industry, driven by social impact, has the power to improve well-being. Let's engage with coffee traders and producers and explore how we can mutually benefit from one another. Let's all be part of this micro-revolution.

@Nikolai Fürst

Ben Miller: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #75

Tanya — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Ben Miller, I am originally from the US and am currently located in Lisbon, Portugal. I am exploring some independent projects, but until December I had been working for 6 months in Papua New Guinea as Operations Manager and Quality Control for Sucafina and for the year before that filling the same role for a company in Timor Leste.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Well, I would say it first became important to me during my university years! It was, however, in 2014 when coffee become more than a caffeine delivery system. I had just walked away from a previous career and had moved to Vietnam to shake up my life. There I met a businessman who wanted to open a roastery/café and offered me a job managing the coffee aspect of the business. It sounded better than teaching English or tending bar, so I took it as a short term plan and am still running with it 9 years later.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

There are probably others, but during my Q Certification, we got to try some of the Yeman coffee that Mokhtar Alkhanshali had smuggled out of Yemen, along with the story of the risks he took and danger he had been in to get that coffee into the US. It gave me a different perspective on something I had always taken for granted as ubiquitous and made me realize that coffee comes with a story.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Meeting and talking to new people and learning from them. I’ve had the good fortune in my coffee career to have done everything from planting nurseries to brewing coffee for customers in cafes. From the people growing coffee to the people consuming coffee, everyone brings their own viewpoint. For such a simple beverage, it comes with millions of stories.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

While this has a tendency to fluctuate, I’d say most frequently it is pour overs. I like the V60 for more than one person and the Phoenix 70 for a single cup. I find it is the cleanest, simplest way to find what a coffee has to offer.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Oiff, how to answer? As I am not sure I could determine the “best”, I’ll list the coffee that most recently blew me away. It was the Asnakech Ethiopian Cup of Excellence #38 from Black and White. It was such an nuanced, complex coffee that I found myself thinking about it hours after finishing the cup. I tried to order a second bag the day after I received it and it was already sold out!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

This again tends to shift periodically, but these days I just want clean washed Columbians. This is largely due to a backlash from burning out on anaerobic fermentations and carbonic macerations and other weird trends over Covid. Now, I am looking for pure, perfectly done “traditional” coffees.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Only one?!? In the US I lean most frequently on Black and White out of Raleigh, NC, in Europe, I’m a huge fan of White Label out of Amsterdam and in Asia, take a trip to the outskirts of Da Lat and visit Josh and Rolan at K’ho coffee where they grow, process and roast their own coffee.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Just how many people are involved in getting you that morning cup. Until I started working in coffee, I never gave a thought to how far that coffee had traveled, how many steps it had gone through and how many opportunities there were for it to go wrong. Every cup of coffee represents the hard work of innumerable people.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new

challenges for hospitality?

In January of 2020 I went to Timor Leste for the first time and agreed to take a job there. I was told it would be 6-8 weeks before they were ready to get started and I could spend that period in the US and take care of anything I needed to before moving to a remote island. Then Covid hit and 6-8 weeks turned into almost 18 months before I was finally able to make my way there. I think in the specialty coffee world in general, there was a shift towards home brewing and making better coffee for one’s self, though I think that shift is starting to recede a bit. My hope would be that the

interest in home brewing remains, while reestablishing the social nature of the café scene.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think the next decade will see great challenges coping with climate change. Unpredictable weather patterns will cause the whole industry to rethink the approach to a whole range of variables. Whether that is new, more resilient varieties, higher elevation growing or some other combination tactics, this will be the new reality. I do think that, at a consumer level, we will see a higher demand for high quality coffee, stemming from new generations who grow up with the ready availability of specialty coffee.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’m currently trying to swing the pendulum of my career back towards roasting. After spending most of the last decade changing locations (often continents) almost yearly, I would like to find a role to settle into and dig my teeth into. Whether this is an established roastery or my own business, I would hope in ten years to have settled into something more permanent than the last ten.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

Take chances. Most of my career has been made by saying yes to opportunities and putting myself in positions others are hesitant to accept. That’s led to finding myself in some fairly out there scenarios, but also some pretty amazing stories and a whole bunch of fabulous, interesting people. Coffee is an industry that, in my experience, rewards taking chances. Some of the best experiences in my life and career have come from pushing past my comfort zone.

Justin Piercy: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #74

Tanya — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I'm Justin Piercy - husband and dad first, coffee person second! I'm based out of Ontario, Canada, about an hour north of Toronto and besides running my coffee pages, I also do freelance digital communications and marketing consulting together with my wife Sarah. We love putting more fuel behind people doing good things in the world!

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

For me coffee was a slow evolution from caffeine fix to a deep appreciation for the many gifts that a cup of coffee gives - sensory, economic impact and personal connection! In that sense coffee became more and more important to me over a series of small moments. I still remember learning about direct trade for the first time over a decade ago from a great local roaster in Toronto and realizing that my cup of coffee could have an impact, positive or negative, on a totally different continent. Before that It was just a drink.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Absolutely yes. The first was when someone brought back to me some coffee roasted at Origin from Antigua, Guatemala - I still remember the name of the roastery, "Farnandos". I brewed it up in a french press and it was heads and shoulders above the starbucks I was buying. That was the first one for me.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I've just shifted to focusing on coffee full time, so this is very much a time of everything feeling new. Right now, going to work feels like playing and I hope to hang onto that feeling! And of course... Enjoying great cups all day is mandatory!

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Man, this is a hard one but I'm going to have to go with espresso. I love how there are so many layers to its preparation, but at the same time it's extremely fast. Sarah and I ALWAYS start our days with a round of americanos. But, on most days I enjoy several brewing methods between espresso, pour overs, batch and aeropress.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

This is a really hard one because I genuinely enjoy a huge spectrum of coffees from nutty Brazillians to crazy double anaerobics, but but I might actually give top spot to a decaf. It was a one time run by Luna Coffee of pink and yellow bourbon EA Decaf. I do manage anxiety and decaf is a huge part of my coffee routine. Everything from Luna is excellent, but this coffee was the best decaf I have ever had, hands down.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

I'm literally all over the map on this one. Panama ranks up there but there is a huge spectrum and variety that comes out of Colombia.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Pilot Coffee in Toronto is doing incredible work with their direct trade partners. Not only do they have an impressive menu of both blends and single origins, but core to what they do is partnering with producers at origin over the long term. I love this because it not only leads to better cups after many years of working with farmers on the same crop, but you also get to see the fruit of their reinvestment in those producers.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I'm in a bit of a unique perspective because up until this month I've kinda been a consumer rather than being directly "in the business". I will say that on the whole, "coffee trumps equipment" is probably the most important thing I would say to new people. Make your coffee the first upgrade. Not only will everything get better after that, but it's also better for farmers and the planet.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Covid was really hard on a lot of businesses. I think the upside of this is that people were forced to think innovatively and creatively about what they uniquely bring to the table. One other upside is many more people started making coffee at home and while this was a negative for cafes in the short term, I think it will prove to be a positive thing for specialty coffee overall in the long term.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think climate change will force a lot of creativity and innovation at origin with farming. I believe and hope that this will translate into a positive thing for both consumers and producers! Rather than seeing farms "die" in specific areas, I'm hopeful that new farming techniques, varietals and processing methods will be develpped that could translate into even better cups.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully I will continue to enjoy great coffee with my family!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don't sweat the details. Start with great coffee and make the most of the equipment you have - enjoy every cup, you never get to the "end" so find the enjoyment of the process and try to leave the world a better place than you found it with your consumer decisions:)

Mikolaj Pociecha: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #73

Tanya — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Mikolaj Pociecha. I was born in the harbour city of Gdansk, Poland and raised on the north-west coast of Ireland. For the past few years I have lived in Tübingen, southern Germany and just this weekend I relocated to Amsterdam. Here I have joined the Back To Black team as Head Roaster. Apart from that I write on topics related to the coffee industry. My most recent book was about reimagining Canephora in context of specialty coffee. I sometimes also consult roasters and importers on roasting this particular species.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became a big part of my everyday while in University (2016). Going to cafes was a pleasant part of days otherwise spent in lecture halls. Studying in Dublin provided plenty of opportunities to encounter people very passionate about coffee. I have fond memories of visiting 3fe and Kaph whose teams always shared insights into whatever coffee I was drinking that day. Those experiences made me very curious about the process as well as, at the time, a subconscious drive to improve my sensory skills.

While finishing my degree I already took barista courses that led to part time jobs at first to full time passion after finishing my degree. This period of time solidified my relationship with the community and desire to be a part of something bigger. I would argue, regardless of my feelings at the time, that coffee didn’t become truly important to me until I found my purpose in its landscape. That happened about 3 years ago when I started tasting Canephora and realised that skills I have developed in roasting can be used to reintroduce our industry’s severely underrepresented side.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

That was at the Tim Wendelboe espresso bar in Oslo. I had an espresso made with a washed lot from the Caballero family in Honduras. It was a very beautiful experience. Not only were the beans produced, roasted and brewed to a very high standard but the surroundings and communication of the barista made sure I would never forget it.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

A couple of things. First, people. I have been extremely fortunate to work with really lovely people throughout my journey. Being able to be inspired by their energy and bouncing it back and forth is precious. When I go to work I am happy to be spending time in their presence.

Second is the work itself. I like what I do and I know it's a good day if I have learned something new or improved something, even slightly. It's very satisfying once you learn to enjoy the process.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Any pour-over method brings me great joy. It combines flexibility with certain limitations and the necessity of slowing down. I also admire the functionality of design with brewers used for this method, whether its a V60, Kalita or a more modern invention like the Orea. I think it's all very clever.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I don’t know if the best but definitely most memorable coffees I’ve tasted have been by the Frinsa Collective in Indonesia, West Java. The ones I have tried were always roasted by Friedhats in Amsterdam. They have presented the coffee in a way that didn’t need explaining. Outstanding.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

Vietnam and Ethiopia. Vietnam because it is a big coffee producer who is systematically underrepresented and pushed away from specialty coffee. Coffee I have tried from there has been very special. Many producers there are also leading the innovation in regards to cultivating and processing Canephora.

Ethiopia because of the history, rich coffee culture and some of the most unique flavour profiles found around the world. Coffees from Ethiopia remind me of my responsibility to be aware of the past and the ongoing injustice across the chain.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

My current favourite is Sweven by Aga and Jimmy from Bristol. Both very accomplished coffee professionals who compose a very interesting and unique sensory experience through their portfolio.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Being kind, humble and knowing your purpose. Without knowing why you work in coffee, without a compass that points you in a certain direction, you end up doing it for reasons that are not worth it. There are a lot of lost people in our industry that label their purpose with convincing words but whose work contributes nothing positive. You can always tell because the work speaks for itself. The lesson from that is finding your path, surrounding yourself with people who know theirs and always being open to learn and experience new things.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

That’s a question I struggle to answer every time because I didn’t pay any attention, or I am simply repressing the impact this time had/has. I took the extra time I was given to focus on projects I normally didn’t have time for, like writing books. One thing the pandemic did highlight for me and all of the coffee industry (I hope) was the lack of concern roasters and green buyers in the global north have for their partners in producing countries. Very unsettling.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Purely because of the climate crisis and raising prices I see a lot of Canephora and other robust species spread across the market. Hopefully it will lead to more diversity in terms of origins and species being available to consumers. I don’t know what trends or beverages will be popular. I would like to see less Eurocentric influence and more cultural exchange.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In a place I can call home surrounded by people who I can share my happiness and passion with and they with me. Ideally I am still roasting coffee and putting together memorable experiences for others.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

If you want to start on this path then I want to wish you a happy journey. It can be so beautiful and the people you will meet are one of a kind. Always stay true to your values and find pleasure in tasks that bring you closer to your goals. Coffee, like any work, requires you to spend a lot of time doing things that need to be done. Its a lot easier to find the love and passion for the things you want to do if you enjoy the everyday tasks too.

Chris Calkins (Gotham Coffee Roasters): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #72

Tanya — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hello I'm Chris Calkins I'm the owner and CEO of Gotham Coffee Roasters in New York City. Gotham is a 10 year old specialty roaster based in Brooklyn, with a retail shop in the Flatiron district of Manhattan.

Before Gotham I co-founded Spinelli Coffee, with a chain of stores in San Francisco. Before that I worked with la Marzocco and Starbucks. I’ve been doing this for a long time.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I've been in the coffee business and coffee’s been a serious part of my life since I was hired by Starbucks in 1978 to run their wholesale restaurant division. I was also involved in opening their 4th and 5th store in Seattle. So, you might say coffee spend integral in my life for a long time.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

The first cup of coffee that I remember wasn't specialty coffee but it hit that spot that a great cup of coffee does. Coffee is very personal and even a mediocre cup of coffee can seem like a great cup to the person that drinks it.

My first great cup was during a sailing trip on Long Island Sound with my family, I was 15. We were about an hour from shore when a storm with Gale force winds came from nowhere, in the process of pulling the sails down and rocking out the storm I got soaking wet without a change of clothes.

My mother handed me a towel and something hot in a cup it was the coffee that I will always remember. It hit the spot and I’ve been drinking coffee ever since.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Silly question, That first cup of coffee.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I can't say that I really have a favorite. I float around to see how specific coffees taste brewed in specific ways I tend to use my Chemex pot frequently but lately I've gone very old school with the melita drip filter that I use when I travel because it's plastic and it doesn't break. Not very high tech but with good coffee it works fine

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The most memorable cup of coffee was 40 years ago and it was a Jamaica Blue Mountain. I've been disappointed with Blue Mountain since then but for some reason this cup blew the top of my head off.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

It's difficult to narrow down an origin because there's so much variety from one origin but I would say Ethiopia.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I would just say support your local coffee house just like you would support your local bar so much of coffee is about the experience and the camaraderie. There's great coffee all over the world.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Listen to your own voice, be flexible and willing to change course if necessary.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

COVID has been very difficult it seems as if everyone in my company has and sick, there were financial strains, I managed to keep the company open and keep everybody employed even when sales dropped off. But as of today May 2023 COVID is still here but has calmed down and we are operating at pre pandemic levels. and grateful that we survived.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

It's hard to say but 40 years ago when I got started there were only a few dozen people in the US that really understood and knew how to buy how to roast specialty coffee. That number is now in the 10’s of thousands. So, one would assume that the growth will just continue exponentially.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Your guess is as good as mine, I’m 74 years old!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

The coffee business like any business it's hard work. Don't start anything if you don't believe in it fully and if you do put in the time and effort and realize you only fail when you quit. try to find joy in the process.

@Chris Calkins

Steve Moloney (The Barista League): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #71

Tanya — Tue, 23 May 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Steve Moloney, i am the founder and CEO of The Barista League as well as Ordna Event Agency – the company that produces The Barista League. I was originally born in Australia but live and work in Gothenburg, Sweden.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I’ve always loved coffee, but before moving to Sweden i worked mostly in restaurants and bars and coffee was mostly just the drink i needed to make it to Uni on time. After i moved to Sweden in 2012 and couldnt get a job in my old career of production management for music and theatre festivals, i found a job in a little cafe and quickly fell down the rabbit hole of specialty coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Ive had a lot of these experiences, the first might have been in the roastery of Love Coffee in Sweden getting to taste their fresh crop ethiopian coffees and them just popping off the cupping table tasting of fruit loops, sherbet, lemon and just thinking – this is totally unlike the coffee i know.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Getting to do so many different tasks and work with so many amazing people around the world. We are super lucky to have carved out this little niche of work in the coffee world where we get to travel, produce events, competitions, game shows and festivals and basically just plan crazy events that we havent seen before in the coffee industry.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Im pretty lazy so gotta go with batch brew. When properly dialled in and in a very clean thermos – this can beat any brew method any day of the week.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I am lucky enough to have competed in some world comps and gotten to taste some crazy coffee from some very talented producers and baristas. One that comes to mind was Yoshi’s competition coffee from the Seoul WBC in 2017 – i think it was a Finca Deborah washed Gesha. I dont really drink espresso any more so i think that is a pretty nice ‘last espresso’.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

Washed Ethiopia – hard to beat.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Morgon Coffee Roasters (Gothenburg)

Swerl (Falkenberg, Sweden)

Solberg & Hansen (Oslo)

Blip (Kansas City)

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There have been so so many things. Something we talk about all the time is to know WHY you do something. It’s so often, especially with marketing activities or events, where you’re standing there just thinking – why is this here and who is it for? Who made the decision to do it this way? Ive found that this often stems from people not knowing what they want and why they want it – if you know that it’s much easier to stay on track and hit your targets.

You can extrapolate that for a barista competition or a cafe design or even the choice of which coffee you serve – know why you want to do something and then make the decision of how to get there.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Covid was a very tough time for us – we had to cancel all of our events, which was tough and it was a pretty sketchy two or so years. Luckily it feels like we are mostly out of it and in the recovery stage. I can say though that we learnt a lot of hard lessons and came out a stronger company at the end of it.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Hopefully bigger but also more mature. Basically, i would love to see more recognition and compensation for the knowledge and skill that specialty coffee professionals build up – from a talented barista to photographers, event planners, and social media managers – often times you get paid as a barista and expected to also manage a staff or take photos for free or run a social media account on the side. In any other business, this is not only a full-time paid position but something that agencies charge exuberant amounts for.

I would love to see more appreciation and the appropriate compensation for these skills and talents both for the traditional coffee production career path as well as supporting roles.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

No idea. Probably in Sweden, probably still dreaming up crazy event ideas and hopefully able to spend more time and energy on projects that have social and environmental missions over marketing or financial goals.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be nice and make friends with everyone – the industry is very very small and your network (big, small, local or global) is something that can never be replaced by a super-automatic machine or AI generated social media bots.

Kat Melheim: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #70

Tanya — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Kat Melheim - roaster, barista, coffee writer, artist, publisher, content creator… I do many things in the coffee industry these days! I’ve spent most of my coffee life in Denver, but currently live in Raleigh, NC, where I work for Black & White Coffee Roasters. I’m also the founder/editor of Coffee People Zine, a publication that celebrates the creativity of the coffee community!

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I first started in coffee around 2013. My background and education was in Social Work, so I did that for a few years after college and ended up burning out. I needed a non-emotional job, so I worked as a barista in a local bistro. It wasn’t long before the relationships with my customers and other coffee people in town drew me further into the specialty industry.

Not to mention the endless learning and opportunities for worldwide travel available within coffee. As I continued working as a barista and manager, coffee became important to me in a way that proved more than just a beverage or a jolt of caffeine. It was the community that really changed the trajectory of my life and brought me deeper into the industry.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

For me, there wasn’t just one cup of coffee that sparked an “ah-ha” moment. It was more the people that drew me in. However, one time around 2014 I got a shot of a natural Ethiopian coffee at Amethyst Coffee Co. in Denver (roasted by Commonwealth Coffee Roasters, RIP) that blew my mind. It was so juicy, fruity, and full of flavor - more than any coffee I’d had up to that point.

I asked the barista to pull me another shot and unfortunately she couldn’t hit it the same way again. That experience definitely piqued my interest and made me want to dissect the variables that go into coffee, from the farm/processing through to roasting and brewing. I was working at a coffee shop at the time, but they didn’t focus too much on coffee’s flavor. After this I wanted to learn more about how to make coffee taste so great.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Walking into the roastery early in the morning just feels nice. It’s a bit calming (because I know how to do my job well) but it’s also kind of unknown (because each day our roast volumes are different). It’s the perfect blend of novelty and familiarity. Plus I love my coworkers, so we have a good time.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My favorite brewing method changes with my mood and the reason I’m making coffee. If I’m brewing at home I cycle between the Origami Brewer and a Kalita Wave. Though I also love an AeroPress for versatility and punch. But an espresso machine is also just lovely. I don’t have one at home, so it’s a treat when I go out and grab myself some spro.

I’ll add that I recently went on a family vacation with 15 family members and I brought along my Breville Precision brewer and it was a hit! It brews great coffee for many people and keeps it hot for hours. So, yeah. It totally depends!

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I don’t know how to answer that! I’ve had plenty of delicious coffees, and I’ve enjoyed plenty of sub-par coffees that maybe weren’t the height of flavor but were served well or I drank them in good company so the experience was great. However, I’ll say that I’m a huge fan of washed Ethiopians. I feel like my pendulum is swinging back away from the fun, funky, fermented coffees and toward the delicate, clean, and balanced stuff. At least for the moment.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Every country has their thing, has something great to offer. But since you asked, I’ve been really enjoying Mexican coffees. I went to Mexico City in 2020 before the pandemic, and there were so many specialty shops that focused on only serving Mexican-produced coffee.

I thought that was really cool. Also, as I live in the United States, the transportation burden from Mexico to the US is lower than for many other states. As we talk more about creating a sustainable and eco-friendly industry, I think we could pay more attention to bringing in coffees from countries closer to where its being consumed.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Check out Radical Roasters in Bristol, UK. Owner/roaster Cat is an awesome person, and I had the opportunity to hang with her a bit this past summer. 10/10 would recommend her coffee and hospitality :)

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Wow, that’s a big one. I’m still learning for sure, but there’s the basic “I know how to properly steam milk, how to roast different coffees, how to taste things.” Then there’s the interpersonal/social lessons; new global understandings; and learning about my own strengths, limits, boundaries, etc. I don’t think I could specifically describe the “most important things” I’ve learned while in coffee… there’s just so much, and a lot that I’m still processing and teasing out what lessons to take away. Constantly learning.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Personally, it’s been tough being self-employed and an independent freelancer for most of COVID. In late 2019 I quit my secure job in order to grow Coffee People Zine from a side project into an income-generating business. Unfortunately that didn’t work out as my sponsorships dried up overnight and sales flatlined. So I jumped back into the roasting world at the end of 2021, and have been trying to balance both roles - roasting and editing/running the zine.

It’s difficult to find the right mix, and I constantly feel like I don’t have enough time to do everything. But I also feel like I can’t let up on any of my projects or responsibilities. So, coping? Yes. By trying to do too much and keeping myself busy! haha

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

There’s only one thing I can say, which is that I have NO IDEA what the specialty scene will look like in 10 years. With advancements in technology, changes in culture, and as the climate warms, I don’t even know where to start! A swinging pendulum between experimentation, followed by decided “best practices” in fermentation/processing? More automation in the roasting and brewing spaces?

More science-backed research into sensory evaluation? Roasteries being bought out by bigger and bigger companies? Or more and more roasters opening their own small businesses? Cafés in the MetaVerse? It’s endless, and I have no clue where it’ll go.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

At a café in the MetaVerse? Haha - no no. That’s a really good question (and one my therapist recently asked me). I’m still figuring that out. I would love to be traveling the world in some capacity, creating things that resonate with other people, healthy and active and feeling energized by whatever it is I’m doing on a daily basis. Other than that, I’m open!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

There are many ways to get into specialty coffee, and they’re all legit. Whether you get a job as a barista, start as an at-home enthusiast, or just love checking out new coffee shops, there’s no one “right” way to be in the specialty coffee industry. Chase your curiosity. Explore your interests. See where that leads. And have fun! It doesn’t have to be all serious all the time.

Alving Cheng: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #69

Tanya — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hello my name is Alvin, I live in Hong Kong. I’m self-employed and also do freelance marketing among other things. Many people call me a social media influencer, although I consider myself to be more than that. I’m a passionate coffee enthusiast fortunate to have built a good reputation based on honesty and directness. I also have a strong global network of coffee friends from varying fields, and the ability to help connect these people using my unique relationships.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I believe it was back in 2008 when I first heard the term “specialty coffee” which got me very curious and interested. Before that, coffee was just another beverage for me.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Wow it’s been many years, but I believe it was an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that truly opened my mind and palate back then. Up until now, I always make sure to have a bag or two on regular rotation. I love their jasmine florals, sweet and bright citrus notes and juicy light body.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Being self-employed, my work schedule is quite flexible. This allows me more time to discover about different coffees and processes, producers, roasters and brewing methods. Choosing which coffee and brew method each morning is always a fun challenge.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My long time favourite is the Aeropress for its versatility and ease of use. I’ve brewed with the Aeropress in planes, trains and outdoors. I also competed twice in our Hong Kong Aeropress championships before. As much as I love the Aeropress, I do constantly rotate between different brew methods to try to unlock more from my coffees. Some of the brewers I’ve been enjoying as well are Kōno, MK Dripper, Orea and Tricolate.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

That’s a difficult question… I’ve had many mind blowing coffees over the years it’s hard to pinpoint just one or two. Perhaps may I say this instead, many of the amazing coffees that’s really impressed me have been from Panama. To be more precise, the Gesha / Geisha variety grown and produced in Panama are some of the best coffees I’ve had. What makes these coffees even more special to me are the personal relationships that I have with some of these wonderful producers.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

As I have mentioned above, Panama has some amazingly good coffees produced by talented and passionate producers. They are blessed with fertile volcanic soil, high altitudes and great micro-climates. The biggest and most important coffee event in the country each year is the famed Best of Panama competition. Winning coffees have consistently set record prices at this coveted competition.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Tim Wendelboe. They are one of my favourite Nordic roasters who I truly admire, for their ethos and consistently good coffees.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

A good and honest relationship in any business is very important to have. Building a strong relationship takes time and trust from both parties.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Covid has definitely affected many around the globe. I am fortunate to not have been affected as much since I’m self-employed and have various work interests. I do miss the way it was before Covid, the freedom and less worries about catching something nasty. I think the industry will be fine since most countries have now relaxed or even scrapped restrictions. Better days ahead!

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think the specialty coffee scene will continue to evolve and improve in terms of farm level all the way to consumer level. However, I hope the trend for overly processed coffees will end by then so that more focus on variety, origin and terroir characteristics return.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully I’ll be happily travelling and visiting my producer friends in Panama, Colombia, Ethiopia, etc Travelling to origin is on my bucket list.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Stay honest and be yourself. Do the things you love, enjoy the moment and try to make a positive impact to make a lasting impression on others.

Michalina Sujewicz: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #68

Tanya — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

hi! My name is Michalina Sujewicz, I am originally from Poland but have been living in New Zealand for last 9 years. I have been working in hospitality almost my entire life, with strong focus on coffee in the last 5 years. For the most part of my coffee career I have been a barista, however from last year I have stared working more independently: some days a week I am a coffee consultant and a trainer, some days I work for international company called Opal Coffee: green bean importer.

And if I have some time left (usually not much :P) I create a content for my small coffee YouTube channel and Instagram page called Coffee_that_gives_a_puck , where I try to demystify specialty coffee, make it more fun and more accessible for everyone. That way hopefully it will become more approachable for non-coffee geeks.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I don’t remember any particular moment when I saw something coffee related and said:”Yes, this is what I want to do in my life”. I think it was more of a journey very much related to moving to NZ – a result of being surrounded with people passionate about coffee and their work and me wanting to first match their skills and knowledge, to be good at my job.

Being a freshly hired foreigner in a country so far away from home makes you care and work twice as hard to catch up with everyone so I was often doing some research at home too. Once I started to learn more and more I was slowly getting more and more interested in new aspects of coffee and next thing I know I competed in National Barista Champs and have my coffee You Tube channel:D

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, I actually do! Over a six years ago my best friend Magdalena got married. We both have been already living overseas at that time, but we both flew to Poland for that occasion. I was her maid of honor (very good day that was <3). After the wedding she gave me a present, as a thank you: in the box I found a bag of specialty coffee roasted in Wrocław. At this stage I was only getting started with my coffee journey and that was my first specialty coffee roasted in Poland that I had a chance to drink.

The beans were from Brazil, tasted very much like a hazelnut chocolate. I still have this bag and always will. It was definitely NOT just a cup of coffee :)

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Thanks to the variety of my tasks I like the fact that every day looks different. At Opal we joke that we make plans in the morning only to throw them through the window the next minute :) I am still pretty new to this part of the coffee chain, but I can already see how much is going on and how unpredictable the day can be.

I also learn a lot about green beans, that is the most exciting part. On the other hand, when I teach people about coffee, I get super excited with their progress. Sharing coffee knowledge was always something I enjoyed doing. Even when I worked as a head barista, I loved having someone new at the team, just so we could explore why the coffee can be so cool together :)

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I don’t have my favorite method. It really deepens on the beans I have access to at the particular moment and my mood. If I have more time to relax with coffee, I tend to choose some pour over method, slowly watching the coffee dripping into the server and then sipping the brew in peace. If I don’t have the luxury to do so, I go for an espresso shots.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I say: “This was the best coffee I have ever tried!” pretty often recently :D There are so many options to choose from and each bag of coffee can be unique in their own way that it is hard to choose one now. If I could maybe choose the most recent best brew I had it will be the Chinese coffee roasted by Manta Ray Coffee Roasters from Melbourne. I drunk that coffee at Brisbane’s coffee shop called Seeds & Soul and the whole experience was amazing! The way how the coffee was explained, served, the taste of it – I loved every part of the visit :)

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I go through phases :P At the moment I am a big fun of modern Indonesian coffees. For many years Indonesian beans were treated as an average blending coffee at best. What they do with their coffee nowadays is very interesting though. Applying experimental processing methods to the coffees and being more aware on how to increase their product quality took Indonesia to another level in coffee production and I think it’s just a matter of time until it becomes a big competition to the most popular coffee origins.

Taking the challenges that coffee industry faces in terms of climate change, Indonesia may be a good place to search for amazing beans, when in some other areas growing coffee won’t be this easy anymore.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I will recommend my favorite coffee roasters from New Zealand then – Vanguard Coffee Co. They are based in Dunedin, South Island. I have NEVER had a disappointing coffee from them.I love how progressive they are and yet still are very approachable and care about everybody’s coffee experience – no matter the level of their knowledge.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That the coffee is an ever changing product and so its industry, and that it is impossible to learn everything about it. There will be always something new to taste, new research, new approach, new challenge, new discovery. It’s also important to find your role in the industry I think, path you wanna go through. Working in coffee can be challenging at moments so coming back to the question: “why do I want to keep on doing it?” and finding the answer is crucial for staying motivated.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new
challenges for hospitality?

New Zealand hospitality got hit pretty seriously with no tourist coming into the country for 2 years, as many places relies on travelers visiting their businesses. There were many restrictions put in public spaces so it was definitely a rough time, many places still experiences its results. Hopefully now with the boarders being opened again NZ hospitality will thrive again :)

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Firstly, Robusta will be concerned as a great substitute for Arabica – seeing today’s trends and a need for Robusta being the coffee that specialty industry is more and more interested in, in 10 years it will be playing equally important role as Arabica today. Secondly, and I more HOPE for this rather than think it will happen by then for sure, there will be much more coffee consumers making aware choices and reaching for a coffee with more traceability than commodity coffees can offer at the moment.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Haha, everbody’s favorite question ;) I don’t make plans this far into the future. Going back to what I said earlier, coffee is an ever changing subject and I like to keep my eyes open for different opportunities it may give me each and every year. I enjoy where I am with coffee at the moment - life brought me here thanks to bit of luck, coincidences and many small decisions I made in the past: sometime less, sometimes more spontaneous ones. Never has ever been really planned ;) In saying it though, I know for sure that I would like to be able to keep on contribute to the coffee community in some way.

That is the role I’ve chosen in this industry and it brings me so much joy that I doubt that I will ever loose motivation ;) I have recently had a pleasure to judge in NZ Barista Championship and that is something I know I want to again for sure – going somewhere into that direction seems pretty exciting. Although whether I will be also training people, or participating in some research that will help improving farmers’ lives, or I will have my own little coffee shop and make my customers’ day better by serving tasty espressos? We all shall see :)

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

I don’t think I am the right person to give anyone any tips as I feel like the more I work with coffee the more there is for me to learn, but maybe that is actually the best thing I can say: never be afraid of what you don’t know. As long as you are passionate, willing to learn and to accept that this is an on-going process, you will find the right people to help you grow and good places to connect with like minded coffee freaks :)

And never be ashamed of your interest in coffee! Many people won’t share your opinion about beans NOT being JUST a coffee (most likely only until you make them a good one ;)) but specialty coffee NEEDS more geeks to as a whole community, work on changing coffee’s future for better and bringing more regular coffee drinkers into the specialty side of the industry.

Peace and coffee,

Rodolfo Ruffatti Batlle: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #67

Tanya — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Rodolfo Ruffatti Batlle, I was born in El Salvador and grew up in different parts of the world. I'm a coffee producer and I also run an importing company based in Berlin, Productor Coffee, which helps distribute my coffee as well as coffees produced by my friends.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Both my parents' families have a long history producing and exporting coffee (6 generations) and I grew up seeing a very commercial model of coffee, with my dad trading coffee in the commodity market. I was not interested at all in that rollercoaster, buy, sell, buy sell.

In my 20s, I was living in Rome and I tried to connect with coffee roasters there, but I just ran into commercial operations that didn't seem interested in connecting to the source. I remember asking one roaster what he was roasting and he answered, "I roast whatever the boss tells me to roast". I tried to find out where the coffee came from but it seemed he didn't know or didn't want to share the information.

In 2010, I went to Berlin and the specialty coffee scene was already getting started there. I found it so motivating to see the importance they gave to coffee producers, putting the producers' names on the coffee bags, and people talking about the importance of sourcing and connecting with producers. Seeing that this new world existed, where quality was appreciated and the producer was valued, encouraged me to get into coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

It was a Sidamo Natural from Bonanza. I bought a V60 and brewed it at home and the floral, fruity notes got to me, showed me the possibilities and complexities a coffee could have.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Hanging out with clients and becoming their friends and also going to my farm and seeing the different varieties as they grow.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I do cupping style in a big whisky tumbler. I think you can be much more consistent with cupping style as you remove the human/hand pour variations. Coffee is guaranteed to be always well extracted if you get the grind/coffee:water ratio correctly. And I like to use a big whisky glass as it holds the heat and you have a good quantity of coffee to drink, which allows you to discover a coffee, taste it as it opens up slowly over a long time, so you can really enjoy the evolution of a coffee cup.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

There is no best coffee. But the most satisfactory coffee for me was Juana's Kenya variety from 2014. It was the first year I was back in El Salvador doing my own processing, I was trying to do naturals and the first ever natural I did, I did it on the patio and didn't move the cherries enough because I was worried about depulping them, so I got a very pulpy, heavy cup that disappointed me. So I changed a few things for Juana's Kenya which was my second ever attempt at making a natural.

I put it on raised beds and this lady named Candy, I put her in charge of drying and asked her to massage the cherries gently, move them around a lot.

I had been searching for the highest elevation coffee on the Santa Ana volcano and found Juana Salvadora's farm at the top of one of the roads near the crater and she had this exotic variety that locals called Kenya, after some rich farmer had brought the seeds from Africa.

We did an accidental maceration (some people call this anaerobic) by leaving the cherries in the bag for 1 day, this transmits more fruit aromas to the cup. The coffee came into our family mill late at night, we put it on the raised beds and the next day Candy started drying it. Rubens Gardelli chose this coffee for his Italian Brewers Cup and won! He then took it to the World Finals in Rimini and won 2nd Place in the World.

The barista from the sponsor roastery won 1st, they supplied the compulsory coffee, so they got to choose 2 coffees, everyone else 1, which is a bit strange that the sponsor can compete, but in any case, for me Rubens was our champion. It was great to be in Italy and have an Italian barista reach such a high spot in a filter competition, it was great to be a part of something new. And that coffee was so juicy, I loved just holding it in the vessel and smelling it.

It was definitely a beautiful experience for me. Before this, I had been selling coffee to importers, who did not want to tell me which roasters ended up buying my coffee. So, the first year making naturals, giving it to a barista who gets 2nd Place in the World, it made the coffee taste beautiful and motivated me to start my importing company.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Well, I'm a coffee producer from El Salvador, so what can I say?

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Hard question because roasters are my clients! I think I'm a good sample roaster, so I would invite you to come cup with me, some samples that I've roasted. It's pretty special to cup in the producing country, roasting all these different samples, same variety, same process, different days, such subtle differences.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

You don't need to be everything for everyone, it's better to find a small group of people who believe in you and support you and be the best you can be for them.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new
challenges for hospitality?

People are addicted to coffee so Covid didn't stop that. In Europe, it seems cafes got goverment support and that helped them cope, so that's good. In El Sal, unfortunately, some cafes did not survive, so we lost a bit of the local scene. Now things seem to be getting back to normal, people will still keep drinking coffee and as this economy turns more freelancer focused, it seems the coffee shop has become the center of the world.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Climate change and rising costs are making it very difficult to be a coffee farmer. I am not sure I will still be farming coffee by then. I want to, but it's very hard with rising costs and all the challenges from climate change. I accept the challenge, but I see some very difficult years coming.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

There's a joke I heard...want to make God laugh? Tell God your plans. Who knows where life will take me. Hopefully, I'll have a family but who knows. Concerning coffee, I will try to keep producing coffee and hopefully develop some extra ways of selling my coffee, for example gelato.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

We only have so many days on this Earth, so really listen to yourself and figure out what you'd like to do with your time and pursue that. There will be difficult days for sure but being in coffee surely beats sitting in an office all day. That's one of the things that's great about specialty coffee, you meet all these special people who didn't fit into the usual corporate job life.

Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #66

Tanya — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

● Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We are Santiago and Victor Gamboa, two out of three of the founders behind Hermanos Colombian Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery based in London. Through our shops, we sell single-origin Colombian coffee with a focus on showcasing the diversity and complexity that can be found in beans from our home country.

As we grow, we’re always looking for ways to contribute to healthy and sustainable relationships in the coffee sector that benefit not just the coffee drinker, but also the farmer, who we put at the centre of everything that we do.

We decided to open our first coffee shop alongside co-founder Adnan Millwala in Walthamstow in 2018. Fast-forward 4 years and we now run 9 shops across London and ship our beans across the United Kingdom. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve done and love the reception we’ve had from both our customers but also our loyal online subscription base.

● When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always been important to us, but it wasn’t until we moved from Colombia to the UK that we began to see it as our future. We deeply missed Colombian culture (including the coffee!) after a few years of living in England, and knew that we had to bring some elements of our upbringing over into our new lives. Ourselves and Adnan taught ourselves the art of roasting and brewing, and eventually made the decision to put all our time and energy into something we both really love.

● What are your earliest memories of coffee?

One of the earliest and most lasting memories we have of coffee is simply waking up to the smell of it being brewed by our first thing in the morning. Countless times we’d wander into the kitchen to be welcomed by its rich distinct aroma. But this isn’t unusual in Colombia, everybody drinks coffee (including the children!), so from a young age we were very well acquainted with the delicious smell.

● What is your favourite thing about going to work in the morning?

No two days are the same at Hermanos, and that is what makes it such a fantastic job. We like to have a very hands-on approach to running the business, which means that our days consist of visiting the shops, tasting and deciding which new beans to stock, roasting and packaging up orders, and so on. However, if we had to whittle it down and choose one thing that we love the most about going to work in the morning, it would have to be the privilege of getting to see so many people each day discover a love for Colombian coffee.

When starting Hermanos, all we wanted to do was show the UK how wonderful coffee from our country is and how different it can be to what many people think of as classic Colombian profiles, so really every day is filled with proud moments, thanks to our customers.

● What is your favourite brewing method and why?

Santiago: My favourite way to brew coffee is with a V60, because it really draws out all of the amazing flavours from a coffee. It requires a little practice and time, but the quality of the coffee that you get from using a drip method is unrivalled. Victor: Similar to Santiago, my favourite way to brew coffee is using a V60 or Chemex. It just makes drinking a coffee feel like an occasion, and does justice to the beans.

● What is the best coffee that you have ever tasted?

Without a doubt, the best coffee we have ever sampled recently is our Queen Gesha bean. With notes of blueberry jam, white peach, rose, and dark chocolate, it tastes and smells exquisite. It is a really special coffee, and definitely one to bring out if you want to impress people. We know the farmers of this Gesha well, Elias and Shady Bayter, who run the El Vergel farm in Tolima, Colombia.

The brothers started experimenting with their coffee by creating and using new technologies that improve the quality of their farming processes, therefore also improving their income and the livelihood of their family and farm.

● In your opinion, what makes Colombian coffee so special?

It’s difficult to sum up what makes Colombian coffee so special to us and many others, but we’ll try! For one, the various microclimates and terrain of Colombia are perfect for producing coffee - with vast tropical rainforests, mountainous altitudes, good cloud coverage and rainfall, and high levels of humidity, it makes for some of the best specialty Arabica beans out there and the fact that beans can differ so much in profile and notes depending on the where farms are located and the methods they use is such an exciting thing for any coffee lover.

● What are the most important lessons that you’ve learnt whilst working in the specialty coffee industry?

There are always lessons to be learned and mistakes to be made when working in the specialty coffee industry, but one of the most important things we’ve been taught is to always pay respect and give credit to the farmers producing our beans. Their expertise and passion is second to none, and it is a privilege to learn from their intimate knowledge of their farms and beans

Driss @ Bloom Coffee: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #65

Tanya — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Driss from Marrakech, where I work as a roaster at Bloom Coffee

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

It all happened around 2018, when I first tried a cup coffee where I noticed that there was something really different: my first thought, was that that coffee was really weird, because it wasn’t what I was used to. But I suddenly became really interested in it, wanting to know more because it was really love at first sight.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

One day, I went to visit my friend at his place, and he gave me my first V60: it was very different because espresso is the real king in Morocco. I finished the cup only because I didn’t want to embarrass my friend, not necessarily because I liked it. He asked what I thought and I said that it wasn’t what I was used to, but I definitely wanted to know more. After this, he made me an espresso using specialty coffee beans.

I tasted this and thought, wow, this is special. While I was drinking this espresso my friend started to explain what makes this coffee special, and I began to really love it.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Work is a piece of my life and it’s where my friends are. I’m excited to go and create with them while drinking a good cup of coffee.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

For sure Espresso, because it has high extraction and I enjoy the concentration. Plus, I’m Moroccan and we all love espresso!

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Maybe I’ll be not so original, but to me a good cup of Ethiopia Yrgacheffe is just ureal.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Honduras because it makes a great espresso: it’s chocolaty, sweet and smooth. Plus, we have a great relationship with the farmers there, and this is just an amazing thing.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Ocibreni is a good friend of ours: they are quite new, but growing steadily.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

For sure I’ve learned many things that are crucial for my job: working on consistency in quality, focusing while roasting, tracking systems. Plus, communication and good service are the key to do a good work.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It was really hard in the beginning, because most of our clients were closed. But then we were able to focus more on our individual customers. People started to reveal themselves more, because they weren’t going to cafes to drink coffee: instead we were able to create a community of home consumers that started to grow steadily. We learned that there is always an open door to walk through, if your patient and focused.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I’ve only been in the industry for 4 years now, but I can tell you that the specialty coffee scene is really just started here in Morocco… so in 10 years I see a huge impact on the society, here.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope to have a better understanding of coffee. I want to be running my own café in my own neighborhood, building a nice community around the café. Once a week, I want to be helping to educate the community about coffee with cuppings, trainings, and seminars. I would also love to begin a training center to give young people the skills they need to be successful in coffee.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Consistency and focus are the key. Be humble, and learn the true meaning from every word and every sentence. The most important thing is to have patience and joy as you serve others.

Ryan Woldt: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #64

Tanya — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work, and what’s your job.

I’m Ryan Woldt. I’m originally from Wisconsin (USA) but have moved around quite a bit. For the past ten years, I’ve been in Southern California.

I started the Roast! West Coast and Coffee Smarter podcasts that focus on telling the stories of coffee people—roasters, scientists, baristas, cafe owners, farmers, etcetera—and sharing coffee education that enables listeners to brew a better cup of coffee at home or better appreciate their coffee drinking experiences.

I also write. The podcasts are accompanied by a free and paid newsletter. I write about coffee and alcoholic beverages for the local newspapers. I’ve also published several novels, including the Eli and Jane series, which features some great coffee-drinking scenes.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to open a coffee and beer bar, but I didn’t know anything about coffee. I backed out of the deal. It really bothered me that part of the reason I decided not to do the deal was my lack of knowledge. I asked my friend, Chris O’Brien, a truly brilliant coffee mind, if he would teach me.

He agreed that if I helped him at Coffee Cycle, his new coffee shop, he would teach me. I worked there as a barista part-time in the mornings—before going to my full-time job—learning about coffee. Along the way, I stopped being mad at myself about the deal, and I realized how lucky I was to find this thing I loved.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I remember the very first cup of coffee I ever drank. I was nearing my 30th birthday. My cousin and friend Dylan told me I needed to learn how to drink coffee as an adult. He took me to Star Lounge in Chicago, Illinois, where they serve Dark Matter Coffee.

I decided I needed to ask the baristas for advice because I had no idea what to order. The conversation went something like this.

Me: What would you drink if you were drinking your first cup of coffee?

Barista: You mean your first cup today?

Me: No. I mean, ever.

He looked at me with a bit of shock on his face, but then he got really excited. Within a few moments, there were a half dozen baristas arguing over what I should order. None of them agreed. They all had different favorites, but they did agree on one thing. Whatever I drank, I should drink it black (without cream or sugar) so I could taste all the flavors the coffee offered.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Today for Roast! West Coast, I got to chat with an icon in the coffee roasting industry, connect with you—a coffee professional across the world, connect with an innovative packaging company in my hometown, and I was able to get outside between the dark clouds for a bicycle ride. Seven seasons in, and I still really love working on this podcast because I get to hear and share inspiring stories from inspiring people.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I’m partial to the French press. It’s simple to brew. I love the design of the brewer, and I think it offers up a rich flavor profile. I also associate it with some really enjoyable coffee experiences from when I first moved to Southern California. One of my favorite coffee shops, Zumbar Coffee & Tea, offers a French press, and I’d often order one while working on business ideas.

6-Which is the best coffee you have ever tasted?

No comment! I’ve had a lot of great coffee from cafes and coffee roasters from all over the world. It would be impossible to choose the best.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I’ve always been partial to coffee from Sumatra (Indonesia). The coffees I’ve enjoyed from the region are often balanced with low acidity, and I find them to be particularly rich and chocolaty. If given a choice, it is what I order on a new menu.

Recently, I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee from Colombia and Guatemala and really enjoying them. I think our tastes change throughout our life. I try not to get too attached to a style or region. I’ll generally ask a barista what their favorite coffee is and if they have any suggestions before I order.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you are working at/you use at work).

I’m connected to a lot of great roasters through the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast and I recommend that any Coffee Insurrection followers check them out. As for a roaster that I don’t have any connections to, I’d suggest checking out Ruby Coffee Roasters in Central Wisconsin. They consistently roast great coffees, and every experience I’ve had at their cafe has been fantastic.

9-What are the most important things you’ve learned while working in the business?

Some coffee is good. Some are bad. Sometimes bad coffee is good! Taste is subjective. What is important to me is how coffee connects people. By drinking and supporting craft coffee, I’m a part of a network of human beings around the world that impact each other. My experience in the coffee and hospitality industry continually reinforces to me that we’re connected to others. I take that knowledge with me in everything I do.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world is coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I left my job revitalizing struggling restaurants only a few months before the coronavirus shut down the world. Hospitality work is incredibly rewarding but also very stressful. I needed to take some time off.

I started the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast because I was both passionate about coffee and looking for an opportunity to connect with other humans without actually going out in the world. It worked. I’ve met and interviewed nearly 75 coffee professionals over the past few years and have been able to explore my love for coffee at work. I’ve also been able to create a more flexible schedule which leaves more time for traveling with my Wife, writing books, and drinking more coffee.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think the demand for craft coffee is only growing exponentially, and the coffee consumer is gradually getting more educated, creating more appreciation for coffee. That is good for coffee shops, craft farmers, and roasters in the short term.

That growth is worldwide. Long term, that growth will put a strain on the farmers who are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. I don’t know if farmers will be able to keep up with demand. I’m guessing that coffee will become more of a luxury and there will be growing pains as the consumer adjusts.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Who knows? Ten years ago, I never would have guessed that I would be where I am today! I just hope that I’m still able to pursue the opportunities afforded me and that my Wife and I are healthy. If I can write, we can travel, and drink a little bit of coffee along the way, I’ll be pretty happy.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that wants to start this path?

The best coffee for you is the coffee you like. I believe that to be true, but I also think it is important to remember that our purchasing choices and our engagement with products as consumers impact others. In coffee, that is particularly true. So, buy good coffee!

And if you want to learn more about coffee, listen to the Coffee Smarter podcast. If you want to be inspired by coffee people from around the world, listen to the Roast! West Coast coffee podcast.

Swerl Coffee: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #63

Tanya — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We are Daniel from Falkenberg, Sweden and Beatriz from Lisbon, Portugal. We run our own coffee-roastery Swerl Coffee Roasters and rolling coffee-bar in the summer time. Daniel is full-time at the roastery, while Beatriz runs the coffee-bar and helps out at the roastery.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important to us around seven years ago when we first met, and knew directly we wanted to start our own business together. Since the beginning we realised coffee would be a big part of it. The combination of so much complexity around coffee, so much to learn plus the friendly and nerdy vibe in the community made us to thrive really well.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Both of us had our “aha” moment when traveling together in New Zealand. The first coffee-shop that we visited the second day we were there, had their roastery in-house and we got to be part of the process while drinking a coffee from Rwanda that tasted like nothing we’ve ever tried before. We got so into it that our vineyard visits got cancelled and the whole trip was instead about visiting the best coffee shops and roasteries.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Neither of us are directly morning people so the drive to the roastery/ coffee-shop knowing that we have lots of great coffee just waiting for us makes our day.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour-over is definitely our favourite brewing method. We’ve been really enjoying our Origami dripper with the Origami paper, gives a clean and juicy cup. When we are on the road we usually bring our Delter Press to get a similar experience.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

We had a coffee from Colombia, grown and processed by Diego Bermudez and roasted by Manhattan Coffee Roasters in Rotterdam that still lingers in our mouths.

Tasted like lemon curd pie.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

There is nothing that beats a great Kenyan coffee in the summer. The fresh crops usually arrive to us in just in time before summer kicks in which makes the juicy deep black currant sensation a great sign for summer is here.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Where to start? Manhattan Coffee Roasters, Man VS Machine and Koppi are a few that instantly pops up in our mind.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

To be open minded, generous and have fun. Coffee can be very complicated and serious but it always possible to also make it playful and rewarding.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Our coffee-bar is only open during summer time and has solely outside sittings, so we have been lucky to have no direct loss in business.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

We really hope that the specialty coffee survives the environmental impact. We probably will see more resistant hybrids and new process methods that make it more sustainable for producers. The community and interest around specialty will definitely until then grow stronger.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

We will be here, in the same location doing our coffee thing. We aim to have a tighter relationship with the producers and our customers, to be able to make greater positive impact for the community around us and the industry as a whole.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be serious but not too serious, we all have to start somewhere so just start. Keep quality in mind but focus on having fun and don't be too self-critical.

Luis Enrique (The Gay Barista): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #62

Tanya — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what's your job.

Hi, Luis Enrique here! a.k.a. The Gay Barista in the coffee world. I'm a former finance professional from Mexico City who, after ten years of hiding behind an Excel sheet, decided to take an unexpected turn and pursuit his passion for coffee.

In 2021 I quit my 9-to-5 job and started my coffee brand, The Gay Barista, as a way to provide representation for the gay folks who love specialty coffee. The project evolved from the initial conception, and now that the covid restrictions have eased, I've been able to come up with regular meet-ups for LGBTQ+ coffee professionals in Mexico City.

I also freelance for coffee and LGBTQ+ brands with content marketing and social media management.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I've always looked up to my grandfather since I was a child. I always saw him drinking a very, very black coffee on the weekends when we went to have brunch together, and at age ten, I started drinking (bad) coffee. But I loved how it made me feel! I felt older my age and more mature.

Some years later, I discovered specialty coffee after my father passed away. Somehow, every new great coffee I drank connected me to him and to those tremendous first sips we shared, even if the coffee beans were roasted in a way I wouldn't dare to drink right now.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than "just a cup of coffee"?

That's a great question! Yes, of course I remembered it. It was actually the first specialty coffee I had in my life. The place was Passmar, a turquoise coffee bar amidst flower bouquets, bare chicken, and towers of colorful fruits inside a market in Mexico City.

I still remember that coffee from Veracruz.

There were many "first times" during that visit: my first specialty coffee, the first time I perceived acidity in coffee and my first time tasting a manual-drip coffee.

4- What's your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Nowadays that I'm working from home most of the days, I enjoy making that first coffee and knowing that it is actually for myself!

When working as a barista during college, I always took the early-morning shifts and the satisfaction I had of setting everything up before the first customer arrived: still dark, listening to my music espresso in hand, that's something I wish I can experience once again.

5- What's your favorite brewing method and why?

That's tough. I love Aeropress for its versatility, but I'm a design lover, that's why if I had to pick one brewing method, it would definitely be the Chemex; the pleasure you get from only looking at it and how the different coffee hues are perceived through its shape it's just hypnotizing.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Perci. A Ninety Plus coffee that was a game-changer as the first natural processed Gesha from Panama. I gave it to myself as a birthday gift, and the floral intensity made me cry, literally.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I try not to favor coffee from their origin only. I find it limiting. I prefer to lean towards specific cupping profiles that sometimes match a region; for example, blackcurrant, blueberries, and blackberries are my favorites.

I've found that it's easier to capture them from Kenyan coffees.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Café Estelar. A roaster from Guadalajara, Mexico that plays a crucial role in curating the national coffee. They were the first to brand specialty coffee in Mexico as something modern and cool, and not just exclusive.

9- What's the most important things you've learnt while working in the business?

There's much work to do to get the whole coffee chain in Mexico to benefit from what they do; right now, only the roasters profit from the coffee activity.

Baristas in Mexico are forced to see their job as a side-gig; they can't make a living from it, making it harder to professionalize coffee work.

Ironically, barista shifts in Mexico are the longest I've seen, coffee shops start at 7, or 8 am and finish at 10 pm.

The coffee shop culture and the LGBTQ+ community are closely linked; they offered us a safe space outside the regular nightclub scene where we can gather.

Having more spaces like these when we can be ourselves is vital for those who are not party animals.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Household coffee consumption increased last year as the new normal restrictions forced coffee shops to reduce schedules, that helped my brand during its launching. Fortunately, things are getting a lot better this year; I see many digital nomads from other countries coming to Mexico City and becoming regular customers at coffee shops working in their laptops with a coffee in hand. It's the only place where I see a waiting line as something favorable.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Hopefully, I expect to see a more diverse and inclusive specialty coffee scene. I'll put my hands to work to make an impact and stop relating specialty coffee with luxury and exclusivity. We need to eliminate all the bluff and stop stereotyping people for the way they like or drink coffee, even if it's not specialty.

For countries where coffee consumption is still low, we need to foment all types of coffee consumption; as it happened to me, any coffee can led you to specialty coffee!

I also hope we see more diversity regarding origins! There are a lot of great coffees to be discovered in places you might not think there were.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Owning a coffee shop in Mexico City; an lgbtq+ space that is a mix between a club and a coffee bar, developing my brand, and having finished some formal studies in coffee, probably a Q grading license.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Building a brand will not happen from one day to another, but try to find your niche, your values, and what you can offer that no one else can and stick to it!

And remember: Making it in the coffee world requires patience but the connections you make along the way are worth the wait!

Luis Enrique Delgado Pardiñas

34 years old
Mexico City

Antony Watson (Olisipo Coffee): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #61

Tanya — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Antony Watson, originally hailing from the UK but ‘Brexited the Brexit’ to co-found a coffee roastery – Olisipo Coffee Roasters – along with Sofia Goncalves in Lisboa, Portugal, six years-ago.

I am the Head Roaster at Olisipo and oversee QC and green bean sourcing – although, to be fair, we are only a small team of two so am involved in all day-to-day aspects of the roastery.

I also enjoy the practice of science education/communication and have been privileged to collaborate with leading scientific experts at ZHAW (Zurich University, Switzerland) on the development of their online, distance learning Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence over recent years.

I have also collaborated with coffee consultancies such as Coffee Mind (based in Copenhagen, Denmark) and the SCA on coffee science research publications and also covering Sustainability issues affecting the global coffee value chain.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

From an early age, coffee has always been an important part of my life. My earliest memory of drinking coffee was from a hot thermos flask that my grandparents would prepare before we went on a day out or holidays to Snowdonia, Wales. My first grinder was an old wooden German hand mill and I was immediately hooked from the invigorating aroma of freshly ground coffee filling the room.

Fast forward many moons and decided to embark for new horizons after pursuing a varied career in journalism and communications. I was lucky enough to be paid to leave my job in international cultural relations and bought a touring bike.

The idea was to combine my passion for cycling, travelling, and coffee.

So, what better way than cycle to the ‘birthplace of coffee’? Although had no real understanding of where this was until I researched it… only to discover I was going to embark on a two-wheeled odyssey to Ethiopia.

Just before Christmas 2010, I started on my coffee-fueled field trip and took the boat to Spain before cycling through southern Europe and eventually arriving in Lebanon during the Arab Spring in 2011 before taking a flight to Ethiopia – just in time for the coffee cherry harvest.

Of course, this experience opened my eyes and tastebuds to the kaleidoscope world of coffee and cultire - which was to ultimately change the course of many aspects of my life from a personal, professional, and of course, sensory perspective!

[Ed: to read more about the field trip, Antony’s blog “Bean on a Bike” is just a click away.]

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Tough question. I have many moments where it was more than just a ‘cup of coffee’ but one of the enduring moments was in Ethiopia. The dawn was just breaking and I had emerged from my tent where I had just set camp on the grounds of a wet washing station to the west of the Rift Valley, near Jimma, amongst the shade canopy tress underwhic wild heirloom coffee shrubs thrive.

It was a very special moment to savour such a sweet, complex, flavoursome coffee in the fashion of a ceremonial Ethiopian coffee ritual. I felt truly humbled by the opportunity to taste coffee that had been grown, cultivated, harvested, processed, roasted, ground, brewed and finally served with a simple breakfast of corn, honey and salt – all within a few kilometers of the very spot that I was enjoying this wonderfully invigorating black elixir.

Not only because it holds such a sacred place in Abyssinian / Ethiopian culture but we were also simultaneously strengthening human bonds before we set out on a long day ahead sorting and turning the parchment coffee as it dried under the intense African sun – often involving lots of song, laughter and of course more coffee!

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I have to say that I am very lucky to not regard my time in the roastery as ‘work’. It is a labour of love; often surprising, always challenging, sometimes maddening when a batch doesn’t go according to plan, but always enriching in the sense that I get to learn something new – or even paradigm shifting - every single day.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love the coffee cupping protocol for its simplicity and for the fact that it’s one of the most gentle, consistent way to brew a coffee – especially for sensory evaluation purposes.

However, my go-to brew method at home or on the road would be the Moka Pot for its ingenuity of invention, portability, and ability to brew an intense, flavoursome extraction that never fails to tickle the taste buds! I also enjoy experimenting with other brew methods such as V60 and Kalita, but love to brew coffee using the Siphon for its theatricality of preparation, and for the resulting clarity in the cup.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I find this a truly hard question to answer. The sensory enjoyment of a cup of coffee is always so relative and closely tied with many influencing factors such as a sense of time, place, people, emotional state, atmosphere, even down to the shape, feel and colour of the vessel that you are drinking from.

So in this sense, I can only say that I have many memorable moments that can define the ‘best’ coffee I had ever tasted in that specific moment. In this regard, coffee is the precursor to flavour and one which is the ‘gift that forever keep on giving’.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

As above… but coffee from Ethiopia will always have a special place in my heart for the reasons I explained earlier☺

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Please check out Mission Works Coffee in London. They have a great team and their head roaster, Edgaras Jüska, is roasting some amazing coffees that never fail to express the diversity of aroma and taste that this agricultural marvel has to truly offer.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Stay humble, respect the many hands (indirectly or directly) that have touched the coffee, keep an open mind, always ask questions…. and never give up.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The hit from Covid has been particularly hard for the entire value chain – particularly for the producers who ultimately carry most of the risk of all the actors. However, from a hospitality perspective, we have to adapt to changes that are often outside of our control. We have to keep evolving.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 year?

In my opinion, the challenges to so-called ‘specialty’ coffee are many – especially at origin. From a sustainability perspective, coffee is indeed in crisis and time is running out if we are to increase the genetic diversity and ultimately profitability for coffee producers worldwide.

From climate breakdown, to the threats posed by pest, diseases and water scarcity, to the socio-economic challenges of encouraging the next generation of coffee producers, to supply chain shocks and the volatile speculatory economics of the futures markets; we all collectively have a big hill to climb – and we can all play our role in this.

From a roasting perspective, I think we will probably see a much greater offer as new roasters contribute to a proliferating and growing third – or even fourth wave movement – as we collectively seek to grow the market and take the challenge to the big commercial roasters. We will also see interesting and innovative new brew methods, and ways of coffee extraction. The limits are boundless!

We will probably see high-quality coffee becoming more of a luxury as supply/demand economics take hold which means that ultimately, coffee consumers will have to pay more. But wherever we are in the value chain, we have all responsibility to communicate this to the consumer in a transparent and authentic way so that the true share of value that a cup of coffee comprises is understood and fully appreciated.

However, I remain hopeful that niche markets such as ‘specialty coffee’ can help to move the dial across the board to achieve a critical mass of conscious consumer solidarity where it concerns greater fairness, transparency, traceability, trade justice and ultimately a memorable tasting experience in the cup.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ask me in ten years☺

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Stay true to your primary motivation and passion. The world of coffee has many entry points so be focused on you mission and your perseverance will eventually pay off. I can’t sugar coat things and say it has been an easy ride either but I wouldn’t change / trade my ongoing journey into coffee for the world. In the end, coffee is connector of people and communities. And during these extreme times, I believe that we need coffee and its potential for positive social change more than ever.

Amilka Lee: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #60

Tanya — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Amilka, born in Cuba in 1974 and raised in Spain. I work for my own company, Coffee Lovers Roasters, focused on coffee sales, coffee training and consulting for other companies in the industry.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

Since I was 16 years old I have worked in Hospitality. In the year 2000 I opened my first coffee shop that was working until 2010, my coffee supplier at that time invited me to participate in a course to improve my skills because my coffee sales were very large, about 15 kilos per week, which Bearing in mind that at that time I used 7g per dose of a blend that was 80% natural arabica and washed with 10% robusta, that is about 2,000 coffees per week. So, I learned more about coffee and qualities and decided to change the blend to 100% washed arabica and in a few weeks sales increased to 25 kilos per week just by learning a little about coffee and putting more love and care.

That was the moment when I decided to continue learning and in 2016, after a lot of training, I changed my professional path towards training. Later, as a natural evolution, I learned about roasting and in 2018 the creation of my company.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Of course! It was in an espresso tasting, new origins came to my supplier, where I had to decide on a second coffee origin for my cafeteria. This time, I wanted a single origin, not a blend. At that time in Spain the profile of the cup that was liked was chocolate, nutty and sweet, but in the tasting there was an Ethiopia from the Sidamo region that left me impressed with its aroma of flowers and bergamot, sweet and with a medium and bright acidity. . Without a doubt, that moment was a before and after. From then until today I think that Ethiopian coffees are the best and most surprising, they never disappoint.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

When I work as a barista, it's about starting the day by having everything ready for my customers and making their day as well as that of my co-workers. When I work as a trainer, it is about trying to ignite the spark of coffee and inspire my students to grow in the world of coffee and when I work as an advisor it is about sharing everything I have learned from the industry over the years.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

The one I like the least is the Mokapot, because it is the one that is always used at home, but my favorites at home are V60 and Kalita when I go out to work in the morning. When I have more time I use moccamaster.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Without a doubt, Panama Geisha from the Hartmann Estate, pure apricot!

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

DR Congo coffees more specifically from North Kivu.

Why?

Personality and character.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I suggest Reykjavík Roasters in Iceland, for its style of roasting and its philosophy within the world of specialty coffee.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That there is no finish line. Once you've immersed yourself in specialty coffee, each door you open leads you to another.

Also that I am only a tool to highlight the work of the farm.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

For my company, the situation with covid has been an economic challenge, but also the driving force to make the leap to work more closely with the farms.

The new challenges that the world situation puts before us is that coffee as a commodity product must have more transparency about what the producer is paid and the costs derived from transport.

I want to believe that the consumer cares more and more about where they spend their money and that some of the money spent goes back to their community or to improving the lives of the people where the goods are produced.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

If we don't screw it up with an unjustified price and baristas without passion or training...I think the 10-year plan is promising, as long as we share knowledge with the consumer. To pay more for a product, it must be accompanied by information that justifies it.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Roasting coffee for my small cafeteria and my retail customers somewhere near the sea.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Like I said before, there is no finish line...

It doesn’t matter what you like to do, there is for sure a place in the coffee industry.

Andrea Pettinari: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #59

Tanya — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi there, my name’s Andrea Pettinari from Cagliari on the Italian island of Sardinia in Italy. I am Head of Coffee at Caffè dell’Arte Specialty Coffee, a specialty cafè and roastery focused on developing the culture of high quality coffee.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee is what I do everyday. I started working in this business because my parents in-law needed someone to cover a position in the cafe and it was love at first… bean!

Being a perfectionist, I soon realized that my job as a barista couldn’t be just extracting espressos and pouring cappuccinos. There had to be more and I was determined in becoming the best version of my barista self.

My wife and I both love to travel, and it was during one of our trips that I met Jessica Sartiani who got me to try my first specialty coffee. From that day on, I decided to dedicate my energy in promoting the high quality coffee culture and the importance of the coffee supply chain.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Of course I do! It was an anaerobic coffee from Finca El Diamante, Costa Rica, brewed on the Aeropress. Like an apple pie: I could feel dough, apple and cinnamon.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Knowing I’m not going to do something I hate or I’m not 100% committed to. I see everyday as an opportunity to spread the word about specialty coffee, both to locals and international customers.

And hey, when I enter the cafe I have to dial in all of my espressos, so I can drink a lot of coffee!

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My personal preference goes to V60. I like the way you can get a clean cup and work on different pouring styles, both with paper and metal filters.

But when it comes to my everyday job, espresso is my weapon of choice. The espresso machine is the tool I use to convey the message to the average Italian customer. I serve something that is already well known, but with different beans, and this is how I made many people switch from “regular” espresso to specialty coffee (not only espresso!).

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Well, it’s quite hard to state which one was the best. I’ve had many great coffees, so I think I’m going to follow my heart with the coffee that emotioned me the most.

It was experimental lot from Colombia, a lot that Felipe Restrepo processed with a natural experimental fermentation. It touched me so much because it was the first coffee I had the opportunity to discuss how it was processed with the farmer himself.

We had a very long video call, when I received the coffee bag and I sampled it… wow, everything went crazy. All of the words Felipe said to me came to life and I was able to feel the agricultural process behind that lot.

It was wild, it tasted like wine must, cherries and dark chocolate. I loved it because it was an embodiment of the way I like to work with farmers.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Colombia, hands down. It’s the country where all the farmers I know personally live. It was the country that gave me the chance to become a roaster, the way I wanted to be, and I also think that its quality coffee scene is growing well. There are lots of young farmers there that are doing a great job.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Well, we serve our own roasted coffees in the cafe but I obviously can’t suggest that! I can’t choose a single roaster, so I’ll give you three roasteries: His Majesty The Coffee, Harmony Coffee Roasters, Kickback Coffee.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The importance of hospitality. I see many baristas that focus so much on techniques, science, competitions, being socially recognized by the “community” for having top level equipment… and they often forget what our job is made of: hospitality.

You can be the best barista in the whole galaxy but if you don’t commit yourself to hospitality, you won’t go far.

We work with people, both on the farmers’ side and on the final customers’ side. If we put ourselves in a position that scares the customer, or even worse, make that customer think we don’t care about him/her… oh dear, it's time for another job.

Being a competitor; being a videomaker; being an Instagram personality - those are all different jobs. A barista works in hospitality and he’s the first element of the coffee revolution.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

As everyone else, we had to adapt to things. During the initial period of the pandemic everything was new and scary, so we decided to take a breath and think about how we could try and turn this event into an opportunity.

It was hard to keep people distant enough from each other and sell high volumes of take away coffee (in Italy it's not a thing).

Since then, I've noticed customers allowing themselves to stay longer inside cafes, which is usual in Italy where the coffee culture is to drink an espresso at the counter and leave within two minutes.

I feel that people now want to dedicate more time to themselves, even inside cafes, and we try to help them spend some quality time by suggesting a V60 or another filter coffee instead of their usual espresso, possibly even paired with pancakes for breakfast.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see it going well, in Italy as well. I hope the future will bring more attention to the farmers and the environment, things that I consider paramount for the real coffee revolution. I’d like to see baristas spend more time telling the story of the coffee they’re serving, using the flavors as a tool to bring more and more people into this world and contributing to a better coffee market.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Probably on this same neverending path. I see myself being happy, chasing a dream and giving my absolute best to make a difference.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be brave, follow your dreams and be generous. This may sound obvious, but pick each one of these three things I mentioned and apply them to a job in specialty coffee - they get a whole new meaning.

Adhi Jusuf-Beaneka Specialty: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #58

Tanya — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I’m Adhi Jusuf. Currently, I live in San Francisco Bay Area, California. I have work in IT field for more than 20 years. I also work alongside with Bryan Theonardo who is a SCA certified barista, Q grader and master roaster. We co-founded Beaneka Specialty Coffee and Roastery in 2019.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

During our trip to Indonesia, we met the coffee farmers in Toraja – Sulawesi. We were astonished that the price gap between the farmers and the consumers in the US was so large. From there, we did some research to find the reason. Other than the logistic cost, the biggest chunk was taken by the large distributor who controlled the majority of supply to the US market. We decided to do our small part in bringing more equality in other words, to shift the balance toward the farmers in this complex trade.

By paying more and support our farmers colleague, we feel that we can do our part in this “fight”. We also realized that if we “give” more money, the impact wouldn’t be as tangible as when we provide support in other ways. From partially funding after school education for the farmers children, funding education and training for better farming, to facilitate export from Indonesia – we did what we could do in our limited way.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

This moment was when we did a coffee cupping to a 17 year old coffee farmer’s daughter after we found out that she never even tasted her own coffee. For her, the coffee that the family produced was only to be sold to the co-op while she drank “local”/dark roasted blend from the market. That day, high on caffeine at 1 am, I realized that coffee is not just a hot beverage. Coffee can connect different worlds, a conduit to make the world a little more equal.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I enjoy the serenity and the time I have with myself to “check” whether I am still on course with my goal.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I enjoy Indonesian Tubruk. With its simplicity and pureness, tubruk method is the original way of Indonesian drinks coffee. Why do we have to drink coffee in latte or … worse… caramel “macchiato”? The place where coffee grows has the experience and in a way, understand best how coffee should be treated.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Coffee, like life, changes all the time. The surroundings, the meaning, the feeling during the time you drink coffee all affects the experience.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I favor Indonesian coffee due to my connection to the land. My connection to the farmers and more importantly, to my goal to make a difference for the Indonesian coffee farmers.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Zocalo Coffee

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The power of a few distributors and the established channels for coffee is very hard to compete with.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I wish I know how to manage the rising transportation costs that we experience now. While the supply is there, the logistic of bringing the coffee here is quite difficult. With cost quadrupled in the past 3 years, we are faced with difficult challenges.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

With global warming affecting the coffee production, coffee will only increase in price making it more valuable. High elevation coffee will be the holly grail while the big farm similar to banana plantation will take over the supply.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully in 10 years, I will have achieved some of my goals in “uplifting the origin” mission statement of Beaneka Coffee.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t…..

David Stefanik: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #57

Tanya — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi my name is David, I am from Slovakia but I have worked in England for the last 4 years: here I have had various positions - from being a barista, trough being head barista and before I left I also worked as manager of the last coffee shop I worked at. I recently moved to Netherlands, where I am gonna work as barista at the coffee shop in Amsterdam.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

This is a good question. It could be almost 8 years now, when I realized that there are way more coffee than what I could get in my hometown. There is unfortunately still NO specialty coffee shop in my hometown. That is the reason why I moved to the capital Bratislava, and started working in a specialty coffee shop where I realized there so much into a cup of coffee then what I was thinking before.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I do (kind of) it was a coffee roasted by Green Plantation, a specialty coffee roastery from Slovakia, and I had it in the coffee shop I started working at in Bratislava. I think it was Costa Rica, but I would lie if I say that I’m 100% sure :D

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I’m enjoying the whole process from waking up, traveling to work with my music on and finally arriving and turning everything on, dialing in and enjoying my first cup of the day.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

It has to be V60. I really enjoy how simple it is to brew on it, it was here for ages and it will be even longer. Nothing fancy, just a good old brewer.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

DEFINITELY Ethiopia Yirgacheffe from Foundation Coffee Roasters. That’s the coffee I have stuck in my head and I will miss it forever :D

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Ethiopia, I love fruity, acidic and funky coffees and light roasted Ethiopian coffee is just my cup of coffee.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I would say to check Good Times Coffee Roasters and Sweet Beans Coffee. They are both Roasters from Slovakia, Bratislava. Always roasting great stuff and worth checking them out.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Most important, hmmm... probably that there are so many baristas with so many opinions, but that if your is different, it doesn’t mean its wrong. Everyone is different and that is what makes the coffee scene so amazing.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It was definitely challenging to start with but, for example, I worked the whole pandemic even if it was just take outs and people really enjoyed the fact they could have at least something that felt kinda normal. But luckily now it’s all good, and world is coming back to senses (talking covid).

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 ?

There are so many new things coming out on weekly basis so it is really hard to tell how it could be in 10 years time, but hopefully the Specialty coffee scene will be more appreciated and better paid because lets be honest…. It could and should be better.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Probably having my own coffee shop hopefully somewhere by the beach. Or Mental Health institute, there is nothing between.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Internet is full of baristas that are dying to share their knowledge with people that are willing to listen. And keep trying, no one was a professional overnight. Love Yall

Instagram: @bayreesta

Ben Morrow: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #56

Tanya — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Ben Morrow and I’m the co-founder of Manhattan coffee roasters, which is a small specialty coffee roastery based in Rotterdam, NL. I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia. Besides being one of the founders I’m in charge of green sourcing, producer partnerships and the head roaster of the company as well.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Probably around ’06-‘07, at that point I was working in a café doing FOH service and thought that coffee was a part of the business I found really interesting. I liked the idea of making espresso for customers and it looked like a skill that would both be a lot of fun and interesting.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yeah I don’t think I’ll forget that. The first time I thought “wow, why isn’t everyone drinking this” was a milk drink at the east Brunswick project in 2007. It was a Brazilian single that pretty much made the milk taste like candy floss. I was blown away with how sweet it was.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Probably that I get to roast coffee from farmers that I love working with the way that I like it, and that we have customers that love it as much as me. It doesn’t get much better than that.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Probably V60 because I use it so much at home. I’d like to think that our roasts are consistent enough that once you’ve got a recipe down you can use the same grind repeatedly (which I do) with almost the exact same result in the cup.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Jeez, there’s been many that have definitely been up there since I started in coffee so I’m going top four.

2011 Don Pache natural geisha, Panama

2015 Cerro Azul Café Granja washed Geisha, Colombia

2020 Letty Bermudez thermal shock anaerobic washed geisha, Colombia

2022 Janson X 959 Los Alpes natural geisha, Panama

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I try not to pick favorites, wherever our partners at origin are is the where we like to work ;)

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Right now I’m really liking the coffee selection and roasting coming from Ripsnorter in Rotterdam which is also a really small roastery here.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Probably that if you’re not good at something learn about it and ask a professional to help you build what you need. Asking the right question to the right person is one of the most useful skills you could have in coffee.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The pandemic has been challenging to everyone in different ways, for us when it hit hard our clients basically were forced to close a lot of their shops so that means we’re not going to be selling any coffee. Right now the green coffee supply chain and café staffing are probably the most critical problems that people are going to be facing this year I think.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Probably a combination of exclusive and expensive hyper café’s with vintage freezer vaults of 90+ coffee’s and regular café’s which all the coffee is made by a semi-robotic system.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’m not sure exactly, hopefully working more in the field on coffee with the people that grow it, maybe even having a share of a plantation too. Whatever it is, it will involve coffee in some way haha.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Probably start asking about it, you have access to every coffee professional in the world directly through Instagram or another social platform. Whatever it is you want help with the community it there to help you with it.

Pro tips for education

Lance Hedrick for equipment (youtube)

Barista Hustle for general coffee reading (www.baristahustle.com)

Scott Rao roasting Instagram @scottrao

Lucia Solis coffee farming @lluciasolis

Paolo Scimone: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #55

Tanya — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Paolo Scimone, coffee roaster (and owner of His Majesty the Coffee), trainer and consultant. I’m travelling all over the World doing consultancy for various roastery, from the smallest to the biggest. I born in Monza (Italy) but now living in London.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important to me once I was in UK in 2005 for studying English, I found a job as simple barista (it was before Third Wave arrived in Europe)

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, it was an Ethiopia Sidamo washed…that coffee switched on a spark in my mind

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I’m not working…this is my passion ;-)

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love Kalita wave because the result is very clean and delicate, comparing with other methods

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Can I please mention 3 of them? Panama Geisha Hartmann 2018, one of the first anaerobic with 20 days of fermentation, I provided this coffee to Alessandro Galtieri for the World Brewers Cup Championship and got the 3^rd place!!! The other 2 are from Ethiopia and Yemen. The first one was an Yirgacheffe Washed and the second one a Mocca variety, natural.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

Ethiopia? Who said Ethiopia? Well, this is my personal ranking: 1^st Ethiopia, 2^nd Ethiopia, 3^rd Ethiopia. Why? Because, like Freddy Mercury was saying: “It’s a kind of magic!”

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I respect a lot Friedhats from Netherland

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Open your mind and never stop to learn… don’t be focus only on specialty coffees: the world production is so big that you can learn a lot from anyone.

10- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

In 10 years we’re going to see a thinning of the gap between specialty and commercial scene, it will help to improve the general quality on the market. It happened also with wine and beer during last years.

11- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Retired in Wales, with a nice house on the cliffs

12- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be passionate, is the only way to work without becoming tired.

@paoloscimone

Alvin of 20grams Coffee Roastery: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #54

Tanya — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hello, my name is Alvin and I’m the owner of 20grams Coffee Roastery in Singapore. I’ve been in the coffee industry for 8 years and a large part of my day-to-day job is being a head roaster and green coffee buyer for the roastery.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

There’s so much in coffee that’s yet to be discovered. It’s a lovely community.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Sensory memories are very strong, and I’ll never forget an espresso I had from DROP Coffee in Stockholm, Sweden many years ago that Joanna Alm roasted. It tasted blood orange and fresh lavender. I had never tasted an espresso that was so creamy and sweet while being so intensely floral.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I have always loved the time in the morning. It’s peaceful before the madness of the day begins. The roastery is 10 minutes away from my apartment so I spend my days there roasting, production cupping and QC, communicating with farmers and exporters.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I have been working with our ‘modified’ version of the classic Kalita Wave for a while. I enjoy using it as it provides us with the most stable and consistent brew.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

A filter coffee I had from Muttley & Jack’s Coffee Roaster in Rindo, Sweden that Jack Ryan roasted. He taught me a lot and most importantly he gave me an opportunity to experience Nordic style of roasting.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I like Kenyans. Unique, diverse and bursting flavours.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I’d say Muttley & Jack’s Coffee Roaster is my favorite. And also Tim Wendelboe (I still remember going down almost every day when I lived in an apartment @ Helgesens gate 1 and drink coffee at his shop).

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

One of the most exciting things for me being a coffee roaster is the opportunity to connect with many people from different parts of the world, such as coffee producers and being able to roast so many varieties. For me, it’s this endless ability to continue learning and experiencing new things.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I think it's affected us in a few different ways. We sell coffees to cafes in Singapore and also around the world, with restrictions and lockdowns, it was difficult for us. I feel that now we're back on track. There are a lot of coffee-shops and cafes that have it a lot worse than we do.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see the demand for traceable and sustainable coffees from producers have driven significant changes in the coffee industry.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I will be doing the same things I am doing now. Working with long-term producers, being able to positively affect other peoples lives, creating sustainable living and just enjoying what I am doing.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Having a passion for coffee is a must!

Erin Hunt: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #53

Tanya — Wed, 25 May 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Erin Hunt I am from Jacksonville Florida, and I am the creative director for Finca Bonaguía.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became especially important to me when I went to Honduras to meet my fiancés family a few years ago. I had never had an experience that was so intimate with coffee and the coffee community. It is a life changing experience that anyone involved in coffee industry ( or coffee lovers ) should experience.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I grew up in a household that enjoyed coffee and remember my Mother always grinding beans and picking her favorite types of whole beans etc, but the first time I really tapped into that specialty coffee experience was on a Giron family farm. They processed and roasted a batch right from the farm.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The views. The drive and walking Bonaguía, feeling the temperatures change as you go further up into the mountain. The air becomes sweet and you start to see the dirt roads line with cliffs and coffee… it’s really special. When you go early in the morning, the dew is still dripping on the coffee cherry and the light from the filtered sun twinkles on the branches. You hear the symphony of the Oropendolas… it’s pretty special.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why? I like a good French press.

I think it’s because that’s how my Mother made a good cup of coffee.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Giron coffees of course!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from?

I go back and forth from Honduras to Ethiopia Why? Well, I like to test what’s being produced out in the world and also flavor profiles of different regions are preferred on certain occasions for me. Sometimes I want something more fruity, sometimes I want something more earthy / nutty..

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I suggest Sequential Coffee and Paco’s in the US. They’re both local here in Florida. For Honduras - check out Spirit Animal. They’re really great with origin coffee relationships and female led farms, etc!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

It is about relationships. Working and understanding the people who put their heart and soul into their farms. It’s been interesting to learn about the people picking coffee and what life looks like for folks on the mountain. It really changed my perspective on a lot of things about the industry. I believe that some things should change so we can extend more opportunities to the folks at origin, because without them - where would the coffee come from?

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I think it’s certainly evolved in terms of safety measures to ensure that everyone is healthy and can perform while we get through this. While we do not have a lot of outside traffic in terms of hospitality, we maintain that visitors of the farm are safe and cautious etc.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I would hope that it continues to be of interest in the market and more doors open up for us and our peers and that we can show more of what happens at origin. I really do believe that a lot of roasters and people in the coffee community want to lift up those folks at ground level and make sure that they can make a good living doing what they do. It’s an interesting time for farmers and the folks who pick coffee during harvest time.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Growing the farm, working on creative aspects of Bonaguia, hitting milestones in the Giron coffee business’s, and helping the coffee community in the mountains of Honduras.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Visit a farm, get to know the people, learn from the elders who have a lot of information to offer, slow down and enjoy the sounds of the mountain. Hang out with like minded folks who want to hit goals. Be open and be prepared to grind!

Rafael Motta Maggion: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #52

Tanya — Thu, 19 May 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job

I am Rafael Motta Maggion, was born in 1984 – in Sao Paulo, Brazil. My work comprehends investment funds in Brazil, but in 2017 I have entered the world of gastronomy as a hobby by doing a beer sommelier course. One thing led to another and eventually I got to know specialty coffee (I did not drink coffee at all, because it felt really bitter to me) and fell in love with it.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

By the moment I tasted the first sip of specialty coffee, it became important. I wanted to know more so I have formed me as a barista and roasters (basic skills) and at the same moment, myself and Bianca, my girlfriend, were moving to Barcelona, and when here, begun to start having trouble in finding all the spots. So we created the map of BARCELONA COFFEE GUIDE!

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Definitely! A Brazilian origin that tasted sooo good! The taste remained in my mouth for such a long time, and it was so sweet and pleasant! From that moment on – I never drank anything except specialty coffee.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The routes of specialty coffee that I use to do here in Barcelona, and also when outside town! To do the whole networking is something I have always loved: talking to people – laughing – sipping coffee, of course.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Espresso! I have learned that an espresso is a magnifying glass of the quality of the coffee and the extraction. The body of the extraction for me is great. As I do the specialty coffee guide, in Barcelona, and now expanding to the world, it is a very fast way to evaluate the quality of the coffee shop and roaster.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Tough question! Maybe an espresso of competition in CAFEZAL MILANO. I was beginning to make the guide and did not have that experience on cupping coffee, but in my memory it was definitely great. And if I remain in doubt, I can always go back there to taste another sip.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Another tough question. But I am very interested in coffees from Burundi, that use to be very pleasant. But now with technology, and better ways of production, all the origins have amazing coffees.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Go look two micro roasters of Barcelona that I love: JALEO COFFEE ROASTERS and HARMONY COFFEE ROASTERS. They are very artisanal and do they roast to perfection with a lot of love to specialty coffee.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Relationship with people takes a long time to be built. Our project began small but with constancy. Step by step we could build a great community and data base to help even more the specialty coffee lover.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I guess the worst phase has gone. But here in Barcelona, that relies a lot on tourism, the suffering was high! I guess one of the main lessons is this: built a local audience of your business. Built strong and short on costs businesses, so when something unexpected happens, it is easier to adjust.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

The same way as craft beer in California. Achieving great participation in the market, getting a lot of space from commercial coffee, and following the trend of sustainability.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Drinking great coffee, and having our webs as reference in the specialty coffee market. Our idea is to facilitate the life of the specialty coffee lover the most possible. To make the transition and the circulation in the specialty coffee market as smooth as possible.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you want to share with someone that want to start this path?

People tend to underestimate what you can do in a year, but overestimate what you can do in a day. Be constant when starting a new project. Time and effort do not have sex appeal, but is the only guaranteed way to success!

Wendelien van Bunnik: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #51

Tanya — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Wendelien van Bunnik, 33, and I live in Utrecht, the Netherlands with my husband, 4 year old daughter and cat. I’ve been in specialty coffee for about 13 years now. I am an independent coffee trainer, coach and consultant; a company that I have started after becoming Dutch Barista Champion, Dutch Aeropress Champion and World Aeropress Champion in 2019. Before that I had been working as the Head of Education & Training at a specialty coffee roastery here in The Netherlands for almost 10 years.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

When I was in my third year of college – I studied English Language – I discovered a tiny coffee place close to my Uni where they only did take away coffees. Every morning before class I’d go there and get a double espresso, and the barista would offer me a choice between the two blends of the day. This espresso was probably the first coffee that I actually enjoyed drinking, even though I’ve been drinking coffee since I was 15. I ended up working at that place, it was my first barista job and I haven’t looked back since.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I don’t remember a specific cup, but I do remember the time when I actually started to distinguish flavors between different coffees, which was when I was working my second job as a barista. We had a lot of different origins there, and I pretty quickly started to prefer the Kenyan and Ethiopian coffee we had there.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

With my business, I’m trying to reach as much people that are looking for coffee knowledge, but don’t feel like they belong in the specialty coffee scene yet. Sometimes, our industry can seem quite exclusive and highbrow, which can cause people to feel like they need to be of a certain skill or knowledge level to be allowed to take part. I know this from personal experience. My favourite thing about my work is when I get messages or DM’s of people saying that I make them feel safe enough to ask questions. And I love answering them too! I absolutely love sharing my knowledge with people and watch them improve and grow.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Not surprisingly: the Aeropress. Mainly because it’s an ‘idiotproof’ brewing method, and delivers great coffee every single time. But also because it’s the perfect marriage between percolation and immersion brewing, and last but not least it’s fun to brew with (even the cleaning part is fun, popping that spent puck).

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

That must have been the cup of coffee that I got served when I was at Finca Santa Clara, in Antigua, Guatemala. Not because it was the highest quality cup ever, but because it was something magical to drink coffee at the farm where it was grown, with the people that produced it. I still get goosebumps when I think about that moment!

Pic @Zsuzsa Zicho

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

When I get the option, I’ll usually go for Ethiopia or Kenya. The brightness, fruitiness and variation in flavours keep surprising me!

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

There are so many great ones here in The Netherlands. Two of my favourites right now are Manhattan Coffee Roasters and Keen Coffee. They buy incredible microlots and roast them really, really well. And they’re nice people, too!

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That there is no one in the industry that has all the answers. Yes, some people may be around for longer, or read or experimented longer and therefore know more. But the more you learn, the more questions you’ll get. And that’s the reason I love it so much! I’m happy to know I’ll get to keep learning and teaching new things for the years to come.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

As much as the pandemic is hurting our industry in so many different ways, I think it’s great to see that it has caused a rise in enthusiastic home brewers. Because of the lockdowns and working from home, a lot of people have taken an interest in how to drink better coffee. It has also forced us to find more connections and knowledge online, which I love. Through the internet, I can reach a lot more people then I can offline! It’s also made me realize how much I have taken many things for granted, like being able to go to my favourite coffee bar for a coffee and a chat. When Covid just hit, I was still working as bar manager, and I really missed serving my regular customers. They kept coming for take away coffee though, which was heart warming to see.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I really hope that in 10 years, the specialty coffee bubble has expanded. By being less highbrow and more open and inclusive, I hope we will gain the trust of a larger majority of consumers that will actually impact the coffee chain in a positive manner making it more sustainable and fair.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully I will have contributed a bit to our scene, by reaching as many people as I can that are willing to learn about coffee. To do that, I’d like to compete at the World Barista Championship at least one more time. The championships are great way to push yourself to the limit and help you grow in so many ways. And this helps gain the confidence you need to make a difference in the world.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

If you are like me, and there’s always a little part of you that’s insecure about if you belong in the specialty coffee industry, I’d like to say to you: you do belong here. You don’t have to have a certain amount of knowledge, experience or skill to be part of the coffee community. At least, not in mine. Ask all your questions, especially the stupid ones. That’s not only how you learn, but there will always be someone that’s grateful for asking the question they’re to scared to ask. Be brave, and surround yourself with coffee people that make you feel better, not worse.

Jordi Mestre: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #50

Tanya — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s

your job.

My name is Jordi Mestre, I am from Barcelona, I work at Nomad Coffee, company I founded a few years ago back in London, when I was serving coffee on street food markets.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

When living in London, I was amazed by the coffee shops that were opening in my area. They were super cozy, with plenty of creative cool people and the coffees where actually well-presented and tasted pretty good too!

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Of course, I do, I’ll always remember. It was on really shitty rainy day; I got my bike and before work I headed to Giddy-up coffee cart by Old Street. I remember they used to discard one or two coffees before they got the recipe right. When I finally got my espresso it blew my mind, that cup of creamy floral drink did not taste like coffee at all.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I like riding my bike to work and sometimes I ride with my girlfriend too. Once I get to the roastery I like that our offices have massive windows and that my desk is so pretty, clear and empty of stuff. And I love seeing the Nomads at work a lot.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Batch brew, we have a sage Precision Brewer at the roastery and it is the most used machine of all times, it makes such good coffee…

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Difficult question, but I can tell you which coffee has been amazing for 5 years on a row, Burundi Gahahe, it’s a very NOMAD coffee, and each year is just gets better, is the juiciest Burundi coffee we’ve ever had and I ever tasted.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Kenya, I probably fall in love with Kenyan coffees and my early days in the coffee industry, they are something very special, that it obvious. 4 years ago, I finally made it to Kenya, fall in love even more with one farm, Faith State. That year we couldn’t get any coffee from Celia the owner, but since then we’ve been able to get her coffee and the last two years, we bought all her production, she does a fantastic job.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Orbita Coffee, it’s a great project run by Claudia and Jorge, they both work at El Magnifico and started their own roastery brand featuring very very special lots.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That business can be done differently, always. Business is a consequence of doing what we like. When I first started Nomad coffee as a cart and even when I opened the first shop in Barcelona, they were the anti-business business, I did not make any money at all, but I was doing the things I wanted to do, and I could afford to get myself some food and rent a room.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

We are a small business; hence we are flexible and easy to redirect our focus. During the strong Covid days we were focused on the online experience and sales. The new challenges of hospitality? I do believe that the specialty coffee shops were a few steps ahead the standard hospitality anyway. We are now back to what we used to do, but now the consumer seems to be more up for a good cup of coffee and some good service.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Much for transparent and fair. Also, I would like the specialty coffee shop not to be a parallel coffee scene but something we call coffee, because it becomes the quality standard of the local cafes.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Getting my nose into the wine industry, we are a wine producer country and region, I would so like to know more about it.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

You can contribute a lot to make this industry even better.

selvalifecoffee@gmail.com

Jon Allen: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #49

Tanya — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work, and what’s your job.

I’m Jon Allen, and I am the Co-Owner & Founder of Onyx Coffee Lab in Northwest Arkansas. Day to day, my job entails operating in a number of different roles, but my primary focus is typically centered on serving as the Executive Director of Onyx, the Head of Business Development and Cafe Design, and as a Green Buyer sourcing coffees and developing relationships with our producing partners around the world.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

My entry into the world of coffee was becoming a barista in high school at the same coffee shop as my now wife and partner, Andrea. In 2008 we had the opportunity to purchase the cafe where we both worked, and we really came to love and appreciate the community and the culture of coffee. As we became more and more involved in the industry and as our ties to the coffee community grew, I realized I had actually become pretty obsessed with coffee and that it was something I wanted to apply myself to learning about and taking seriously, both for the benefit of our cafe and to satisfy my own desire to learn and pursue excellence.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

My love of coffee wasn’t born from any single moment or experience, but rather from a long maturation of interest and exploration. Not long after we acquired that first cafe (which was still operating under its original name), we opened a second location and began doing much more volume. From 2008 to 2010, our cafes were using coffee purchased from a local roaster, but as we expanded our operations I became interested in learning to roast coffee myself in an effort to improve the quality and consistency of the coffee we were serving.

I began noticing differences in the taste of the coffees based on roast settings and realized that we could control and improve this aspect of our customers’ experience by sourcing great coffee and consistently roasting it in ways that maximize and clarify its flavor. Gaining this perspective helped awaken in me a love for coffee as a beverage. That love led us to launch the Onyx Coffee Lab brand in 2012, rebranding our cafes and expanding our operations to include wholesale. We now have the opportunity to source, roast, brew, and distribute some of the world’s best coffees to people all over the world.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The most rewarding part of going to work is getting to engage with the team we have built at Onyx — a team of people who are deeply passionate about what they do and who are committed to always improving and helping us push Onyx forward towards greater excellence. Being able to do that in partnership with Andrea each day is really rewarding.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My honest favorite is batch brew because of its accessibility, but I also enjoy using a chemex. I love the symmetry of the chemex vessel, and I enjoy how its thick paper filter leads to a clean, crisp cup of coffee.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I’ve had the privilege of tasting some truly incredible coffees. It would be impossible for me to pick one out as the best. My favorites are washed coffees from Colombia and Ethiopia. I’m particularly drawn to pink bourbon, pacamara, gesha, and typica varieties.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I love Colombian and Ethiopian coffees for a variety of reasons. I enjoy the flavor profiles in coffee from those countries, and I’ve built some great relationships with coffee producers there.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I love what Fidel & Co is doing out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Fidel & Co is a cafe that was started by Fidel Samour, an Arkansas roaster, and Jorge Raul Rivera, the owner of the Finca Santa Rosa coffee farm in El Salvador. I love what they stand for, and they are putting out some seriously great coffees. The partnership of a producer and a roaster embodies what I see as 4th Wave Coffee, and I hope to see more collaborations like this going forward.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learned while working in the business?

I’ve learned so much working in this industry, but one of the greatest lessons I’ve taken away from my time in this business so far is the importance of remaining authentic and striving to have a clear vision for each aspect of what we do. We operate from a place of clearly understood values and commitments, and those determine how we go about everything we do — the way we plan and operate our cafes, the way we treat our staff, the kind of coffees we purchase, the flavor profiles we pursue, and so much more.

We aim to keep everything holistic and aimed towards the same place, with the same ethos and the same dedication to quality, to give us a strong foundation for everything we do.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

As was the case for so many businesses, the emergence of the pandemic forced us to pivot and rethink numerous aspects of our day to day operations and how we served our customers. I have a fresh perspective and sense of gratitude that we survived and are now thriving due to some of the changes we executed during the early months of Covid. When the majority of cafes across the country closed down, it had a huge impact on us because of the role wholesale plays in our business. We were able to pivot quickly and leaned hard into direct to consumer sales and subscriptions.

We place a high priority on being agile and making sure systems and operations can pivot quickly if and when it is needed. Covid exposed a lot of vulnerable areas and forced us to address things that needed to be changed and updated. In the end, I’m glad we were forced to look at things the way we did, because it made us better.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I believe the specialty coffee industry is going to continue growing quickly, but in ways that are different from what we’ve seen over the past decade. I think the effort that has gone into educating consumers has paid off, and that consumers are going to become more and more knowledgeable and interested in specialty coffee. With the increasing adoption of at-home specialty coffee brewing (both filter and espresso), I believe some of the best baristas and coffee professionals will be people making coffee at home.

My hope for Onyx is that it will be the top choice of coffee for coffee enthusiasts both at home and at their favorite cafes.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

If I’m lucky, in 10 years you will find me doing the same things I am doing now –– growing and running this business with Andrea, dreaming and aiming for excellence with our talented team, and working with long-term producing partners in an effort to offer the greatest coffees on earth to people all over the world.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Stay kind and stay humble. It’s never worth it to burn a bridge over money or pride.

Dillon Mancuso: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #48

Tanya — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I’m Dillon and I’m from Williamsburg, VA. I'm 19 years old and I'm an aspiring coffee shop owner with a dream. The startup cafe "Carpe Noctem Cafe" is founded by me, with a dream of bringing communities together over the simplest thing, a cup of coffee. Currently, (and unfortunately) I work at everyone’s favorite corporate franchise, Starbucks. I work as a barista, and I am looking to open up my own Specialty coffee shop as soon as possible, but there's a lot that goes into play with that.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important to me when I realized what it can do, for not just one person, but a community. My journey started in Florida, around age 9 or 10. A local coffee shop was being built and it was amazing to see how rapidly a steady, growing, healthy community surrounded it.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

The first cup of coffee I had with significance, was the local coffee shop in Florida I described. It wasn't that watery "cup of joe" we had at home. It was made with effort and kindness, all in a cup. That kickstarted my ambitions to open my own shop.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

My favorite thing about going to work, is having the ability to do what I love, even though it's quite restricted because it's Starbucks, I still can find efforts in small things like latte art in customers cups, or putting extra effort into a drink when we're in a rush. The little things are important, that's what makes the cup taste so much better.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I'm pretty sure I speak for many people when I say this, pour overs are the best. I use my origami dripper the most for them. Having the ability to create my own recipe and manipulate how I want my coffee to taste at any point in the process is awesome. But it's also the whole process which makes it my favorite. From getting your dose, grinding, pouring, it's therapeutic and I don’t think I could go without it frankly.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Some of the best beans I've ever had, come from Onyx Coffee Lab. For me, their Kenya Pea berry beans were too good to be true. Even someone who knows nothing about coffee could see how exquisite the aroma, the taste, the notes, the smell, everything about these beans. So for me, I have been a loyal customer of Onyx Coffee Lab. However, I'm always open to find more fair trade roasters and sellers. But the "roast and ship same day" is a big thing for me. Fresh coffee is absolutely prime, no matter what.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I tend to love more fruity, floral coffees, as I think they provide an amazing experience. Therefore, I tend to learn more towards Kenyan and Ethiopian beans much, much more.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Well as I mentioned before, Onyx Coffee Lab will always be my #1 recommendation, they have beans for those just wanting to start learning, and those who are considered experts. Not only that, the coffee's always fresh, and that's a big, big thing.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Customer service is important, but nothing thrives truly without community. Sure a company may be financially profitable, but what's it worth if you're not impacting anyone around you in a good way. A truly successful business, works with its community to help for the better.

10- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see it growing and flourishing, people are starting to care more about carbon footprints, and ethical processes. Which means fair trade coffee will see more light, and corporate stale coffee will not. Coffee brings people together, and we'll always need that.

11- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself with my family owning Carpe Noctem Cafe, bringing the community together to provide specialty coffee. I see us making a true difference in the world by starting small. Carpe Noctem Cafe, see's itself flourishing not into a corporate business, but a community run business.

12- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone?

Follow your dreams. Cliché, sure. But really. Everyone's tired of 9-5 jobs, because they rarely make true impact on society. As a society, we need to start pushing more for true, ethical, fair jobs. Where people can follow their passions and help others to grow in theirs. We only accomplish this through others help.

João Marques Vilar: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #47

Tanya — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 11:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am João, from Porto, Portugal, I am a co-founder at SO Coffee Roasters, where I do a little bit of everything – just not barista because the guys won’t let me do it. Mostly, I work as a roaster.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I think coffee became important to me back when I was at the university. Back then it was more of a waking up tool: we are talking about commercial coffee, mostly bitter and strong. Highly caffeinated!

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

So, when I moved abroad to New York and was desperately looking for my Portuguese-style “caffeine fix” and I couldn’t find it. In the US the coffee culture is different, there’s no espresso culture and most coffee shops work with batch brew. I tried Starbucks and found a drink called red-eye - batch brew plus an espresso shot. I wasn’t happy. That took me online and I found Mud Coffee, Cafe Abraco, and 9th Street Espresso in my neighborhood, that’s probably where I had my first decent coffee.
Afterwards, I found "La Colombe" and "Brooklyn Roasting Company" in Dumbo, Brooklyn, where I moved later.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I think it depends on my mood that day. But I do enjoy going to work in the morning.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Right now, I am really enjoying the “April Brewer”, Patrick Rolf´s creation. It extracts a super vibrant and clear coffee.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Probably, the coffee Lisa Zancanella, one of SO Coffee Roasters' co-founders, took to the Italian brewer's cup in 2020, a Castillo varietal, from Cauca, Colombia.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

No favors. Each coffee gets an opportunity to surprise me regardless of its origin. I think having a prejudice toward coffee origins can inadvertently stop us from exploring new aromas and flavors.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I suggest the classic Scandinavian roasters, it’s my thing, but there’s a lot happening and there’s plenty new brilliant roasters from different parts of the world. I wouldn’t dare to name any because surely, I would leave out someone.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

What matters the most: people, product, process. In this exact order.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

In the old days, 500 years ago, Portuguese navigators left the harbors without knowing where they were going. They knew there was something but they didn’t know what, where, or how. It’s where we are in coffee and hospitality. We don’t know what, where or how the future is. If we have this clear and can find quick ways to adapt, we should be fine.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see the quality coffee production growing, however, seems like the market is fluctuating a bit. Let´s see how coffee prices develop, how the consumers react, and let´s see how we, as a community, face the challenges. This being said and looking at recent times, I do not dare to make any sort of prediction. All I can say is that we won´t budge on the quality of our cup.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Traveling. Lots of traveling and still in the coffee industry.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

First, have fun. Enjoy yourself and be happy while at work. Then, if you want to be serious about coffee, study, read, do courses, develop your sensorial skills. Coffee is a fascinating world but requires time and dedication.

Qinyi and Ludo: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #46

Tanya — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We are Qinyi (from China) and Ludo (from Belgium), the founders of Naga Coffee. We live in Rixensart a small town in the heart of Belgium. We are just two of us, so we wear and share many hats.

Ludo: I am 43 years old. I am an art director and a photographer. My role at Naga is of course the image (packaging, logo, photo,…) but also the selection of coffees from our various importers and the establishment of a roasting profile with our chief roaster, Kris.

Qinyi: I am 34 years old. I am an accountant. I mainly take care of accounts, orders and prospecting. I also take care of our e-shop with the help of our web master Flavien.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Ludo: I have started drinking coffee quite late in my life, when I was around 30 years old, following my job in a café in Soho (London). But it became really important when I started traveling in Japan. Contrary to what one might think, Japan (and most Asian countries) is a big consumer of coffee. And when the Japanese do something, they do it perfectly.

Qinyi: When I met Ludo 5 years ago :)

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Ludo: For most of us, we grew up with commodity coffee. The first time I discovered there was more to "grandmother's coffee" was in Japan almost 10 years ago. A place like only them can design, with several origins on the menu including a coffee from the Himalayas. Since that day I have been curious and passionate about coffee.

Qinyi: 5 years ago, when we went to Shanghai, I had the pleasure of drinking and seeing a siphon method coffee. I was dazzled both visually and tastefully.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

To start the day whit a good coffee ^^

And of course improve our knowledge about coffee.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

We are particularly lovers of slow coffee (pour over). Thanks to this method, the flavors of coffee are sublimated and each temperature tells us an other story. Every day we drink our coffee with Origami and Kalita wave filter.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

This question is really difficult :)

We drank so many incredible coffees that it would be impossible to choose just one. And for good reason, an unforgettable coffee will depend not only on the time of day but also on the place and the people with whom you share it.

However, we have a wonderful memory of having tasted a V60 from a Natural Chiang Mai (SL28 x Caturra) at Garegaron café found by chance in the heights of Chiang Rai in Thailand with my cousin and his wife. Exceptional.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Without hesitation Thailand, which we fell in love with 2 years ago, and especially the north, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The relationship of Thai people with specialty coffee is incredible. There are café everywhere and each one more magnificent than the other. Naga was born after our trip to introduce those specialty coffees and put a spotlight on the cultivators from Tropical Asia countries. Driven by the desire to introduce fans to different, authentic coffees with refined aromas.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Again, it's hard to pick just one. But we really like the work and the quality of the coffees from Tane Roasters (Bel), Gust Coffee Roasters (Bel) or Cafes Muda (Fr) . In addition Kris (Tane), Tanguy (Gust) and Dajo (Muda) are really nice, passionate and generous.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That entrepreneurship is difficult. Especially in Belgium. Very few people know about specialty coffee and even fewer of Asian origin. We hope that with passion and patience we will manage to convince and win the hearts of people.

Commodity coffee is increasingly communicating with specialty coffee codes and it is important to explain the difference and why specialty coffee is better and more expensive. For this you have to be honest and transparent, communicate the slightest information such as the producer, the origin, the year of harvest, the score... all the information that the commodity coffee will not be able (or will not dare) to communicate.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

We are new to the specialty coffee world. Naga exists because of (or thanks to) Covid so we cannot compare it with the before. However, in view of the situation, we wanted to start with an e-shop and multiply partnerships instead of investing in a physical location. But we think that in a way, the lockdown and telework have allowed people to rediscover the pleasure of brewing a good cup of coffee.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

In our opinion, the Specialty coffee will keep increasing and probably specialty Robusta will take an important place soon. But what we are afraid about is the consequence of global warming in the next 10 or 15 years. Coffee require a lot of water and soon we might face a shortage.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

To be honest we are very carpe diem :)

By December at the latest, we see ourselves returning to Asia to meet our coffee farmers. Of course our dream would be that in 10 years we have our own coffee shop where people can come and taste our coffees, but also discover other treasures from Asia.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

You have to be passionate, patient, hardworking and well supported. Despite this, do not be afraid of failure because it will also allow you to learn. Be honest. Be yourself. Be Specialty coffee.

Joe Molloy: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #45

Tanya — Sat, 05 Mar 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Joe Molloy from Rumble Coffee Roasters in Melbourne. I co-own the business and look after sales and marketing. I’ve been in coffee for over twenty years with many of those spent as a barista and owner/operator of cafes, espresso bar and coffee carts.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I started making coffee at a kebab shop in Wellington, New Zealand in 1998. The owner let me make coffee for him and myself every day until I was good enough to serve to customers. It took months! Coffee was just taking off in New Zealand and it fascinated me.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I was working for one of Wellington’s first specialty coffee companies (shoutout to Fuel Espresso) and of my workmates made me an espresso that I still remember. It was balanced and sweet and completely delicious. I had only just started drinking black coffee and this shot opened my eyes to the possibilities.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The first long espresso of my day when I get to the roastery is always a joy. Then I get to talk to people about coffee and cafes all day and help them to set them up. It’s an amazing job.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love the simplicity and ease of the Aeropress. You almost can’t make a bad coffee with them and I’ve given one to all of my family.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I remember the first time I had an Ethiopian Yirgcheffe Natural and it blew me away. It was the classic fruit bomb that all baristas fall in love with.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

If I had to choose only one (and I’d be upset about being constrained) it would be Colombia. The breadth and depth of Colombian coffee is phenomenal. They’ve always produced delicious, clean, juicy washed coffees which I love but are now branching out into excellent natural and other processes. If you had to, you could only drink coffee from Colombia and still have a wide range of profiles and flavours.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I love the coffee from Market Lane here in Melbourne. They buy fantastic, ethically traded coffees and roast them perfectly.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Keep learning and you’ll keep enjoying what you do. When the learning stops, your enjoyment of the job is not far behind.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The last two years have been the most challenging I can remember but also some of the most exciting. Guiding your business through a challenge like a pandemic and seeing it survive and then thrive is rewarding.

We’ve done our best to help our wholesale cafe partners get through the ups and downs. Here in Melbourne, we spent many months in lockdown and for many people, the highlight of their day was getting a coffee on their daily walk. This led to an increased appreciation for small businesses and what they bring to our communities.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

The quality of coffee keeps getting better and I hope we can see more of the benefits flow down the supply chain to the growers.

On the cafe side, I see a huge wave of automation coming to take many of the repetitive tasks away from the barista, leaving them more time to focus on the customer and the coffee. Don’t feel threatened by machines but welcome how they can help us improve.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still in coffee, hopefully travelling to see more of the coffee-growing world.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that wants to start this path?

I had a realization about five years into my coffee career that it actually could be a career and I could follow wherever my interests led me within the world of coffee. That took me from the coffee machine to cafe management to roasting and now running and growing our wholesale coffee business. There are so many different opportunities available in the coffee industry but you often need to forge your own path. Follow your interests, keep learning and drinking delicious coffee.

Era of We meets the Estates

Tanya — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:58:00 GMT

After our last piece about Era of We and how can roasters be part of it, we’ve received a lot of mail asking “And what about the rest? I’m a farmer, I own a coffee estate… how can I be part of it? What’s in it for me?”

Well, let’s start from the beginning.

Nowadays, the coffee industry poses many challenges for coffee producers and estates:

- There’s a low-value add in producing countries driving commoditization of coffee trade and only a fraction of value stays in producing countries.

- There’s a limited, or non-existent, go-to-market knowledge and barriers to attracting end-customers: many estates and farms lack the necessary capabilities and financial resources to create market reach and sell coffee under their own brands.

- Last but not least, sadly a lion’s share of farmers are operating at a loss, leading to limited investment in modernization of operations and threatening long-term sustainability of production.

Here’s where Era of We wants to change things: its purpose, for what concerns estates & farmers, is basically to support them with go-to-market initiatives, helping estates sell their own brands.

Era Of We wants to rebalance the coffee supply chain and this all begins with farmers. They recognize that farmers are the foundation of the coffee industry- without farmers growing the coffee, there would be nothing to sell and nothing to drink. That’s why helping farmers to make their businesses profitable and sustainable is key to the future of coffee. In addition, by empowering farmers to innovate, they also help the environment while improving the quality of coffee. In the end, a farmer-first approach is the change we need.

As an estate on the Era of We platform, you’ll never be without support. The following are just some of the Era of We benefits:

- Era of We will set out to increase the value of the coffee estate by helping estates create ownable brands based on distinct traits present in the coffee they produce.

- Let farmers set the prices of their own products, unlike the current system that relies heavily on commodity exchange market to determine price.

- Bring farmers closer to both roasters and end-customers

- Remote sensing data

- Era of We will provide communication services that include AI-enhanced chat services that will allow users across more than 100 languages to communicate without barriers.

- The Coffee Lab, an educational Q&A-based platform for stakeholders in the supply chain to learn, share vital information, enhance skills and discuss best practices – all with a focus on enabling the growth of businesses and the industry at large.

Era of We sees the coffee industry evolving in a manner parallel to that of the wine industry – where consumers seek out the coffee of specific estates for their characteristics, pedigree and process.

The biggest benefit for estates that we see is that Era Of We provides an all-in-one platform for estates that will help them streamline their business operations, coordinate easily with their partners, and promote their brand in a global market.

The digital transformation initiatives offered by Era Of We help estates to grow their online PR, increase their brand credibility, deepen their expertise, and improve their sales. By empowering farmers with these tools and capabilities, Era Of We can raise the value of coffee as a whole and give value back to farmers. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Head over to https://www.eraofwe.com/ if you want to know more!

Mustafa and Jihad: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #44

Tanya — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We are Mustafa and Jihad the founders of Mokha Bunn Canada and part of the amazing coffee community. We are originally from Yemen and decided to share its treasure with the whole world. Yemen is the birthplace of coffee and was the only marketplace from the 15th century through the early 18th that exported coffee worldwide from Al-Mokha seaport where the famous Mocha drink was named after.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee is part of our culture, and the smell of fresh coffee is part of our childhood great memories. We used to share quality time back in Yemen with our family and friends while roasting and preparing coffee for everyone.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Jihad: This was the first cup of coffee I had in my life which was made with love by my aunt. She has her own special way to prepare the fresh roasted coffee in Ibrik then mix it with fresh milk. That cup of coffee is unforgettable!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

We both always discuss how we feel super special because of these tiny, delicious beans that we are lucky enough to offer to the whole world. We are so blessed to be able to introduce this precious side of Yemen and let the people enjoy such unique coffee.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

We enjoy all brewing methods, but the Ibrik is our favorite. It gives us the sweet and delicious cup we need.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Jihad: Well, I said “This is my best coffee” many times recently but I can say that our Haimi is always giving me a different experience! I love the mix between strawberry freshness and chocolate sweetness it has.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Jihad: For me Yemen is my absolute favorite. I couldn’t find the sweetness that I find in Yemeni beans in any other origin. And this was my big motivator to team up with Mokha Bunn here in Canada.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Rabbit Hole Roasters, Ambros Coffee, and Carbonic Coffee. They are all great roasteries who know what they do.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Specialty coffee is more than importing and roasting coffee beans. It has a direct impact on everyone in the supply chain starting from the heroes at the farm to the end consumer. Also, perfection is never achievable by one person as teamwork is the key.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

We started Mokha Bunn Canada during Covid so we knew that we should be very patient when it comes to the outcomes. Covid has changed everything in an unexpected way, and this could be very tough on us without the local support we got.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Mustafa: When I compare today with 5 years ago (when I started) I can say that specialty coffee will be more popular as people are learning and loving the quality and the story behind it.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Being able to help more farmers in Yemen to be more productive and get a better life. Also, helping the people worldwide to have easy access to the Yemeni specialty coffee.

13- Any last word? Any tips or suggestions you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t give up and be patient! We hear it a lot, but we need to believe it especially during this hard time that we are going through since 2020.

Fi O’Brien: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #43

Tanya — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Fi O’Brien, Head of Brand / Creative Director and Co Founder of Girls Who Grind Coffee. I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia, but now living in Frome, Somerset, UK.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always been a massive part of my life - partly from growing up in Melbourne, where coffee and coffee culture is intrinsically intertwined with our day to day life. Going to cafes was something I always loved to do, whether it was to catch up with friends over a coffee, escape the world or to gawk over the beautiful interiors. When I opened my first cafe back in 2000 it opened up the door to delving deep into coffee culture and I haven’t looked back since.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Probably a cliché but my first natural process coffee had me questioning everything I had ever known or understood about coffee.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Creative freedom is a big one for me personally. I’m not very good working for others so know I can come to work and create something that is also making a difference is something you can’t beat! Also knowing we have endless supply of incredible coffee to drink all day is most definitely a bonus!

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Got to be V60, love the nuances you can extract from different processing methods with simple recipe changes.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Eeep that’s a tough one! But it’s a toss up between a stunning Natural Process, Chinese coffee from Xingang Farm, Yunnan or a Thermal Shock process Colombian from Yenni Esperanza, both absolute mind benders!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Oh all of them to be honest! I find it incredible and exciting that coffee from the same origin can be so varied in flavour profile. Saying that I do love a juicy Kenyan!

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you are working at/you use at work).

Since we are in the business of celebrating women in coffee I would love for you all to check out Noni Coffee Roasters, Stroud, UK - owned and run by an incredible one-woman-band.

9- What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt while working in the business?

So many things, to be honest. The importance of focusing on your own business and not what everyone else is doing - it’s hard to keep those blinkers on at times but a really important part of staying on your own journey and creating the things that are important to you. That it is ok to make mistakes, you learn from them all! And how awe-inspiring female producers are, their strength and determination to create change is unbeatable.

10- How is your work and the specialty coffee world coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

For GWGC there wasn’t too much change to be honest. We had our online store well established. There was obviously a sway from wholesale sales to online retail sales due to customers drinking at home rather than at the cafes but we were able to adapt to that fairly quickly. Our biggest challenges are actually shipping delays due to Brexit mostly!

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Well, hopefully with a lot more equity and diversity if we have anything to do with it!

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Such a hard thing to look forward to, I feel like Covid has made it really difficult to plan ahead and see beyond the week you’re in. I’d love to say with GWGC growing exponentially with a huge team of legends working towards the greater good. We have such big plans for GWGC including having concept stores/cafes in major cities so seeing that come into fruition would be great!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I’d say my best bit of advice would be to wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to brand and ethos. Truly believe what you stand for and everything else will follows.

Fredrik Zetterberg: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #42

Tanya — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 12:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Fredrik and I´m from Västerås, Sweden. I work at Löfbergs Kafferosteri with the Era of We platform. My role as a business development manager means mostly that I drink, talk and think about coffee all day long!

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

I first started working in 2014 and my first real job was as a barista in a café in Västerås. When I was young I loved the Swedish fika, which as a kid mostly means eating pastry and other sweet stuff while the adults drink coffee. Who am I kidding, I still love it. Who doesn’t? Anyway, that’s why I started in the industry in the first place. And as an adult you couldn´t have fika without a coffee, right?! In the beginning there were a lot of vanilla lattes as well as mocha.

Also, I was amazed by latte-art and spend a lot of hours practicing and enjoying the craft. But it wasn´t until 2016 that I got into the specialty coffee scene and I started getting really nerdy. Buying too many expensive coffee-related products with a salary that wasn’t too good… Then coffee become something of a passion and hobby and have been since.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I cannot recall the first time but I do have a couple of “aha” moments. One of them was at Tim Wendelboe in Oslo when I was enjoying a Gesha for the first time. It was such a full-bodied and sweet coffee, unlike anything I experienced at the time! And of course, when I was young and hadn’t gotten into coffee yet and wanted a really large cup of coffee so I ordered a DUBBLE espresso. You can imagine my surprise and disappointment when I got the smallest cup of all. But now espresso is one of my favorites!

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Coffee and the people around it!

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour-over V60/Kalita Wave followed closely by espresso! Pour-over is just so simple yet so advanced. It’s the perfect small-break therapy when working, and the perfect waking-up routine during weekends with your loved ones.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

An Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

My favorite right now is Ethiopia. Love the fruitiness as well as the floral notes. So many complex flavours in a cup; also, it makes really good pour-over as well as espresso. So versatile! And Ethiopia is just compelling as a coffee country, high altitude, shade grown trees and storytelling going back to the beginning of coffee history.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Brandywine Coffee Roasters are very creative! Here in Sweden I suggest to check out Balck Coffee.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’ve learned so many things, it’s hard to pinpoint one. And I’m definitely still learning! But maybe to be curious and respectful of the people behind your cup: farmers, roasters, baristas and many more. Its not to be taken for granted. You can empower them by trying to get to know who’s behind the coffee in the cup you´re sipping from – ask your local barista about your favorite cup.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

A lot changed quickly from live to digital landscape. This created a lot of new ways of working which gave way to new revenue streams. I think a lot of consumers started buying more coffee online, as well as ordering food and drinks with delivery. The businesses then needed to be very responsive and go where the consumer goes, and that’s what I have been trying to do as well.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think it will continue to expand and lure in more devoted coffee lovers. Specialty Coffee is already all about the consumers experience and I think it will continue down that path. The consumer will demand more unique and more exciting experiences in the journey from bean to cup. Combined with a digital era I think a lot of the experiences will be enhanced using digital solutions.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Though one. Hopefully surrounded by good people with a job I love. Very much like today, but maybe with a more international focus on the whole specialty coffee market.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be curious, always!

Jens Reuter: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #41

Tanya — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 21:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hey there, my name is Jens. I am living in a small town close to Sankt Peter Ording in Germany. And this is also where I am working - in my woodshop based in our home close to the coast.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always been important to me in terms of getting used to having a cup of coffee everyday, but it became interesting to me in my late twenties, when I realized how much more there is to discover. The incredible amount of varieties you can enjoy coffee is simply amazing.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Oh absolutely! There were actually two moments. The first one was in Italy on top of the Basilica di San Pietro. To my complete surprise they served espresso on the top of the basilica, and it was amazing. Simple, pure, good. I absolutely felt in love with the Italian way of enjoying espresso. And the other one was in Costa Rica: we ordered a “cup of coffee” for breakfast, and it was so weird and different.

The way it was brewed, the taste… I never realized before that this could be a way you could even serve coffee. But, it was amazing, so I finally was completely into it - the endless varieties of enjoying coffee.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Its probably the fact that all the products I am making are 100% handmade and unique. This is something really rare nowadays, and my customer appreciate this so much and this is exactly what makes me so happy. I love to work with those broken skateboards, its just such a cool and individual sport and lifestyle. Bringing this together with coffee (which is even just as special) and having people appreciating my work – perfect match I would say.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I honestly couldn’t say. It varies from time to time. But I can say for sure that I love those coffees the most that I’m brewing outside in nature when we’re on trips. Brewing and enjoying a good cup of coffee in a beautiful scenery – that is for sure the best brewing method for me.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

There have been so many terrific coffees I’ve tasted so far, so it’s really hard for me to say which one was the best. But I do have one recommendation, a friend of mine recently gave it to me, the company is called Talormade, they are located in Oslo and it was some really really good coffee, that absolutely stayed in my mind.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

It might be boring for you guys now, but I seriously couldn’t tell.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Of course I do use a lot of coffees from different roasterys from time to time, but if you ask for a name of the roastery that I appreciate the most, it’s definitely Supremo. They are my daily coffee suppliers and I basically love all of the coffees the offer. And not just the taste, also the story behind it is great.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There is nothing better then quality, passion and respect. When those 3 things come together – you find great products as well as great people all at once.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It has been unbelievably tough for a lot of people, especially the ones working in the hospitality. Worrying about health plus the way you’re earning money, having both in danger is a lot on someone’s plate. I am absolutely impressed by the passion behind the scenes and how so many people got back on their feet. This really impressed me.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I could imagine that it will grow even bigger than it is already now: with all the passion in this scene, there is probably a lot more to come.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

To be honest, I’d be blessed if I could still work the same way I am working right now.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Just get started and be open minded to all the different ways to enjoy a wonderful coffee. Enjoy coffee just as much as enjoying life itself.

@Skateboard Creator

Era of We The Coffee Lab (An Insight)

Tanya — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 09:58:00 GMT

In one of the latest posts about Era of We, we briefly mentioned The Coffee Lab as the perfect tool for anyone curious about coffee: basically, is an educational Q&A-based platform for stakeholders in the supply chain to learn, share vital information, enhance skills and discuss best practices – all with a focus on enabling the growth of businesses and the industry at large.

In simple terms, The Coffee Lab is the perfect platform for everyone involved to both share and learn. Each stakeholder on The Coffee Lab gets the chance to promote their brand or talk about their views by contributing articles, recipes, and answering or asking questions. This facilitates open discussion and communication, fostering trust between the different people involved in the coffee world. Roasters, cafes, and restaurants get a platform to directly interact with consumers and other partners, building trust and learning about customers first-hand.

On the other side, consumers and coffee afficionados will find the space to express their views, talk about their experiences, and learn more about coffee. It’s a win-win for everyone!

But what are the key features of The Coffee Lab?

What can you really do, once you decide that you want to be part of the community, and finally register to Era of We?

What follows is just a quick recap of the different parts of The Coffee Lab.

Q+A Forum

This is an open forum, in which you can ask any kind of questions regarding coffee. From recipes to different varietals, from brewing methods to how is the work in a farm… there’s nothing you cannot ask in the forum!

Plus, here you can read also other users questions, and the answers given both by coffee experts and simply coffee lovers.

And obviously, here you can also answer any question, sharing a piece of your knowledge with users that will read it from every corner of the world.

Brewing Guides

You’ve got the perfect recipe for the Espresso Martini? Or maybe a nice new way to use your AeroPress? You want everyone to know the joys Vietnamese or Mexican coffee? This is the perfect part where to share your recipe with everyone while, at the same time, take inspiration on what to brew next. This is also a great place for businesses to gather information on what coffee drinkers want to brew and consume.

Posts

This is the main part of The Coffee Lab, and for sure the largest in scope. Here you can talk basically about everything coffee-related- whether it’s about your own business, treands in the coffee industry, tips and tricks, coffee culture, and much more.

You simply need to choose a topic that interests you, and write about it.

From “How to freeze coffee beans” to “What is the Wush Wush”, from “The different type of coffee processing” to “Is coffee good for your health?”, here you can talk – and obviously read other’s posts already published – about everything. A major part of the posts here are also about the estates, roasters, and cafes on the platform

(https://www.eraofwe.com/coffee-lab/en/articles/mountain-to-mountain-enhancing), where their vision is highlighted and they get the opportunity to share their story and brand mission with the community.

Translation

What if you want to collaborate to The Coffee Lab, but you don’t know what to talk about? Or maybe you want to write in a language other than English?

Well, there are many other ways to help, first of all helping with the translations.

Yes, you heard it right. One of the most ambitious ideas behind The Coffee Lab is its accessibility, especially for languages.

If you want to help the community, simply pick an article (or a recipe, or a question) that you like, and translate it into your language so more people can read it! And more, be published under your name, helping you to empower your image / company image in the coffee community.

Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Classes & Videos

This is an upcoming feature in The Coffee Lab which will showcase unique classes and educative videos by established coffee experts.

This will for sure become one of the key tools of The Coffee Lab, helping everyone to deepen their own coffee-related knowledge.

Promoting your business

Through The Coffee Lab, people and businesses can also promote themselves to the coffee community; both through direct posts about themselves, but also simply just sharing their own knowledge.

The Coffee Lab can be a strong contributor for both producers and roasters by enabling them to define their brand voice through content surrounding coffee culture, trends, best practices, daily, issues, etc. The Coffee Lab supports content in 8 different languages and gives you the opportunity to chat with the writers and users in +100 languages with an automatically translation thanks our AI function , get to know them, and become potential partners. For consumers, they can learn from experts while participating and curating coffee trends from around the world.

All these are the reasons why The Coffee Lab is definitely one of the coolest tools of the whole Era of We platform, the one that will help you getting in contact with potential buyers, sellers, or simply with new players in the community, from all around the world.

Tom Hopkinson: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #40

Tanya — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 21:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s

your job.

I'm Tom, a freelance coffee trainer, writer, and consultant. I'm from Bristol, in the West of England, but established my career in London. These days, I'm working while travelling: currently taking the very scenic route to Mexico, via Chamonix. My main job is writing and researching for Barista Hustle where I write the blog and some of the training courses, as well as developing their apps. Working with BH has been an amazing experience as I get to dig deep into all aspects of coffee science, from the physics of percolation to the genetic origin of arabica.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I take great pleasure in telling people that the first coffee I enjoyed drinking was a Bailey's ice cream latte. I only really got interested in coffee much later, when I got my first cup of specialty coffee at a market stall in London. The person who made me that coffee was Jem Challender, who went on to be my boss twice: first as the co-owner of Prufrock in London, and now as the Dean of Studies at Barista Hustle.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

My ideas about what a cup of coffee can taste like are still expanding, and I hope that never stops. A few stick out in my mind: A pretty wild natural Ethiopian from Square Mile called Jirmiwachu that tasted like strawberries and star anise was maybe the first time I really 'got' the idea of flavour notes. A few years later, Dave Regan won the Irish brewer's cup with Graciano Cruz's amazing natural Geisha, which was just pure mango pulp. More recently, Five Elephant's Eugenoides, which barely tastes like coffee at all.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I'm not really a morning person, I have to say. I tend to get excited about an idea late at night and do much of my best work at three in the morning. So If I'm working in the morning it's usually because I'm working with other people, giving training, or behind a bar - and being able to connect with so many different kinds of people is probably the best thing about being in the industry

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I like a plastic V60. Cheap and indestructible. I'm generally sceptical of grand claims that one brewer is any better than another

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Oma natural, from Gesha Village. When we bought this, we cupped it against a wonderful clean, sweet, natural Ethiopian from our regular range - and it made it taste like dirt in comparison. I've never had an experience quite like it.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Ethiopia, always. Coffee is happiest where it grows wild, and it shows. And the work the people there put into growing and processing is incredible. Ethiopian coffee should be many times more expensive than it is: When you look at the wild prices paid for geishas and 'anaerobic' coffees from other parts of the world, you realise what a privilege it is to be drinking it.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

One you (probably) haven't heard of: Moody Coffee in Chamonix, which is where I am right now. They're making some lovely coffee in a place where you wouldn't expect to find it, and there's nothing like a good cup of coffee with a view of Mont Blanc. Recently I've also been really impressed by Sey, in Brooklyn.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Idealism is important, but it's no good to anyone if it doesn't make money.

This sounds cynical, but I started out in coffee by starting a business and failing spectacularly, and I will never forget those lessons. I also came to understand that the same principle applies, in different ways, to not-for-profits just as much as global megacorporations, and to the smallest farm just as much as the biggest exporter.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new
challenges for hospitality?

It has been a tough couple of years for nearly everyone. For me, I'm really happy to finally be doing in-person training again, but a lot more of my work is online now and will probably stay that way. Customers have mostly adapted - one of the good things about working in the industry is that people always want a coffee, so we're less hurt by economic downturns.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I'm most excited by the prospect of technology transforming the way coffee is traded or traced along the value chain, and by new varieties that can bridge the gap between quality and productivity. I also hope that people will be prepared to pay a lot more for their coffee

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Coffee has taken me on a winding path through different parts of the industry, but I still dream of standing behind an espresso machine on a little cart, bashing out coffees for people queuing in the rain and making their day a little brighter. If my knees are still up to it by then...maybe that's where you'll find me.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I don't know if I can give general career advice, but I'm always happy to help someone that reaches out. But I will say this: I spent many unhappy years in my previous career thinking that the next promotion would finally be the one that made it all worth it - but none of them ever made me as happy as being knee-deep in dirty dishes did. That's how I know I'm in the right industry for me.

Lars Aaen Thøgersen: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #39

Tanya — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 21:00:00 GMT

1 - Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Lars Aaen Thøgersen. I am a coffee addict with a sincere commitment to lead coffee into a new and more sustainable direction. This is what my work as chief innovation and circular transformation officer at Löfbergs Group is all about.

2 - When and why did coffee become important to you?

In the late 90’s I got attracted by the Italian style of coffee. It was a real eye opener to me.

3 - Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I’ve had this feeling many times during life and my professional career. First, it was that feeling of enjoyment from experiencing that coffee could take many new formats. The third wave in coffee brought many new learnings into my life and for many years the barista was a real hero to me. Later, I got much deeper involved in the business side of coffee and I got to understand the industrial parameters and how we should strive to change these.

4 - What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Going to work means working for change. This is my favorite thing. I have daily routines and I enjoy brewing my first cup of coffee when entering the office. But the real value lies in the fact that, together with our fantastic team, I am able to initiate and implement real change that benefits many people.

5 - What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I do not have one favorite method. I enjoy the variety. Coffee is a rich and complex world.

6 - Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

My best coffee ever, is every coffee I enjoyied in good company. Taste is really a variable for me. I appreciate the fruity but also complex character in some of the East African coffees, but over time I have repeatedly experienced the feeling that "this coffee must be the best I have tasted". Most often, it is related to the context in which the coffee is served, the company you are in, and also many other factors. Coffee is a social thing to me.

7 - Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

No, not really. But if I really have to pinpoint particular ones I probably would aim for the traditional Kenyan varieties SL28 and SL34. Over time, these have become more difficult to get your hands on, especially because they are very fragile varieties that are sensitive to changes in climate and all major coffee diseases. The cup quality can be exceptional.

8 - Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

At a field trip to Colombia I was checking out the Pergamino Café based in Medellin. They roast and grow their own coffees and work with small producers across Colombia. I really enjoyed the coffees there.

9 - What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That coffee is fragile and we need to take good care of it. We cannot just expect that coffee in good qualities will exist in just 10-20 years. With such a scarce resource in our hands, it is almost scandalous that we have not yet succeeded in a more circular use of coffee. When we brew and drink coffee, we use less than 1% of the coffee's total nutritional potential. It is not good enough, and we must focus on improving it.

There are plenty of opportunities in the circular transition, and this applies to all actors in the coffee supply chain.

10 - How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The pandemic has hit ourselves and actors across the value chain hard and fast. Many are struggling to survive and the industry must pull together to rebuild in a more sustainable way. I do see some potential lights at the end of the tunnel, and one of these is the coffee world's embrace of the digital transformation. We need new digital platforms that can bind the many players closer together, speed up smart farming etc.

11 - How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

The specialty coffee scene will become more industrial. We will see specialty coffees in new and larger distribution formats, and also the public will become more familiar with the people who grow our coffees.

12 - Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would love to be part of a wide embracing community working for circular solutions in the world of coffee. To experience the movement as it grow, and to feel the real benefits from this new way of doing things.

13 - Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Check out circularcoffeecommunity and sign up on eraofwe.com. There is a lot of information to obtain and you even get the opportunity to create your own relationships with coffee farmers and other actors across the coffee supply chain.

Daniel Horbat: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #38

Tanya — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 21:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Daniel Horbat and I am the 2019 World Cup Taster Champion. I am also the founder of Sumo Coffee Roasters, a small roastery based in Dublin, Ireland, where I also work daily as head roaster... and everything in between.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I think coffee become important for me when I’ve been introduced to specialty coffee because it is when I discovered my love for sensory.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Absolutely, it was the moment I’ve fallen in love with coffee and decided to enter the specialty coffee scene and make a career out of it! I think it was an Ethiopian coffee. I remember being shocked, and couldn’t understand how floral and fruity notes can be present in a cup of coffee. It was definitely a turning point in my life :)

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I think my favourite thing about going to work in the morning has to be the fact that I get to do what I love every day, not because it is a job, but because it is my passion. I have only love for the industry and a huge desire to help people understand the story behind the bean and how hard farmers work in order for us to experience a great cup of coffee, and this is what gets me out of bed every morning.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My favourite brewing method is a pour over using my Gem Series, because of the full control on extraction, flow rate as well as thermostability offered.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I have ever tasted has to be Kule from Ninety Plus. When I first tried this, it took me back to my childhood and the rosehip tea my grandma used to brew for me. Then the freshness and sweetness of the watermelon hit me and I knew I had to bring this to the roastery and share it with everyone. This is such a unique coffee, a coffee experience that you need to have it once in a while, and I am not saying this only because we will launch it soon… believe me, once you’ll try it you’ll understand it for yourself.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Colombia - because it is the land of diversity and because it also holds a special place in my heart; my first coffee farm experience was in Colombia.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Paga Microroastery from Thailand! Their coffee offering is insane and the quality is bang on! Definitely, you need to check them out!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The most important thing I learned while I visited my first coffee farm, when I understood that there’s more behind a coffee bean than I ever thought about: the hard work those people at the origin are putting into it, the sweats, the love and passion, the loyalty to the craft. Since then, I look different to a cup of coffee and I wish more people had the opportunity to learn this by themselves.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

To be honest, I wouldn’t know how to answer this fairly as we opened the roastery in the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown and I can’t compare it with what it was before - we adapted at what it is now and we took a chance here, I know! From what I noticed, I think the consumers are ordering now straight from the website more compared with before, which is a plus for us with an increase in revenue, but at the same time, everything gotten worst at the origin with fewer workforces available for harvest and increased production prices and longer transit times once the coffee afloat.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Evolving towards home brewing.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself in a middle of a “coffee campus”, a destination for amazing coffee in Ireland, that we build around Sumo; with a few coffee shops opened under our umbrella, an academy and of course the roastery.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Never give up and be patient! It might be hard at the beginning, and sometimes you’ll think you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you have the passion keep going... the success will come when you’ll be ready.

Malin Helgman: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #37

Tanya — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 21:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am Malin Helgman, coffee lover who dream about becoming a coffee geek. In the last two months, I have 100 % focus on Löfbergs engagement on the Era of We platform. We are the first roaster onboard, and I am managing our part of the platform together with my fantastic team.

My roots are from Värmland, and I have been living in several cities in Sweden. Which I love, because I have friends to take a cup of coffee together with, in almost every city I visit.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee started to become important to me when I was a little kid, visiting my grandparents. Everyday, at 11 am and 3 pm, they had a cup of coffee. Since I thought this was very cozy, I started to join their tradition when I was 4 years old during my visits. I received a cup of coffee with a lot of milk and sugar, while they were having a traditionally black cup of coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Some years ago, I had a cup of Geisha coffee: this was the day I started to understand more about coffee and how different processes and varieties affects the taste of the cup you are drinking. But during the last year, I think I have started to experience this even further. To drink a cup of coffee from an estate where you know the farmer, is a totally new experience for me. And thanks to Era of We, everyone has the possibility to experience the same as I do every day now more.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

For me it is important to work with something meaningful, and to make the coffee industry more sustainable, what would be more meaningful than that? Coffee is so important for so many people and businesses, and to be able to help people increase their coffee experience meanwhile we improve the whole coffee industry, is what I love with my job.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love the hand brewing methods and the taste of a cup of coffee brewed in a V60 is fantastic. It is so clean.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I think it is Sudam Rume from Ama Estate in Brazil, the taste is so unique from the previous cup of coffee I have tasted.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

The notes of blackcurrant in a coffee from Kenya is really something I appreciate because when I taste it, I always start to think about my grandmother and the blackcurrant juice she made for me when I was a child. But in general, I am not a fan of a specific origin, I rather like the possibility to taste different coffees every day.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Blue Bottle in California is an interesting roastery.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There are a lot of exciting things to learn about coffee, and you will never be able to know everything, but in the coffee industry there is a lot of people with enormous knowledge who welcome you to learn even more.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The only positive thing with covid is that we have been challenged to do things in totally new ways, and we have been forced to be more digital. We have started to do business in new ways but also learned to create relationships in new ways. Thanks to this, it is normal for me to build relationships and do business with new people online.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think more and more people will start to understand that coffee have 2-3 times more tastes than wine, and if we could take the specialty coffee through the same journey in the coming years as wine, I think it would be fantastic.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In my dreams, I see myself as a true coffee geek.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

If you want to learn more about coffee, sign up on www.eraofwe.com . You will get access to a lot of information about coffee, you will be able to create relationships with the farmers who have grown your coffee and you could ask questions to coffee experts.

Andrew: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #36

Tanya — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 22:29:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hello, I’m Andrew, I was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia and have been living in Italy for over 10 years. I built and manage Specialty Coffee Italy, a website dedicated to helping people discover the best coffee roasters and cafes in Italy. It's a project I do in my spare time as my day-to-day job is managing digital technology solutions for a humanitarian organisation.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Growing up in Australia, quality coffee was always part of my social fabric, meeting friends out for a flat white on the weekends. Coffee began to become more important to me when I started working as a barista, where I became more familiar with different styles of coffee. Since leaving Australia and moving to southern Europe coffee has really become ingrained in my daily life.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

It was a high altitude, washed Columbian from an Australian roastery. As a filter coffee it was super sweet, had a sparkling acidity with an elegant body. It really set me down the path of filter coffee and experimenting with different specialty coffees for home brewing.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I really love to read emails and messages of appreciation for the project. It's always nice to hear from people about having discovered a new Italian specialty coffee roastery they loved or a new cafe they found while on their holiday. These messages of encouragement are very satisfying, like a funny one I received the other month that was simply "Thank you for existing". People seem to appreciate the project for its carefully selected listing of only the highest quality Italian roasters and cafes.

As I'm also a data geek with a background in digital communications, I like to analyse the daily user traffic to the project and plan how I can make it even more useful for the future.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

At the moment I'm really loving my Hario Switch as it gives the ability to combine percolation and immersion brewing methods. I've always loved brewing with a V60 as it gives a lot of control and variety, and the Hario Switch allows for even more room for experimentation.

I brew using different variations of the Hario Switch every morning, changing depending on the beans I'm using. If the beans work better with a little more body then I'll immerse them, if not then I'll use the Hario Switch as a standard V60. I really love the flexibility this device offers. Every morning I then take my brewed coffee down into a beautiful square in the centre of Rome to drink it, surrounded by the history, sounds and sights of the city waking up.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

As my tastes and coffee preferences have changed over the years, I prefer not to get tied down to a single memory of a mythical coffee from my past. However, in recent memory I had an excellent coffee experience while on holiday in Bologna with my family and friends at Aroma cafe. The coffee was a natural Bourbon from El Salvador roasted by His Majesty the Coffee and it was brewed by Alessandro Galtieri, a champion Italian brewer. We drank it outside under the porticoes and I had a chance to introduce an Italian friend to specialty coffee, which he loved.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Kenya, in particular the Nyeri and Kirinyaga regions. There's something very special about the high altitude and volcanic soils that the smallholder farmers grow their coffee plants on.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

The list of micro roasteries in the “Buy specialty coffee” section on Specialty Coffee Italy has a complete list of those I’d happily recommend to anyone looking for great coffee.

If I had to choose a few then I'd start by recommending D612 Coffee Roasters in Florence. It's a fantastic roastery and Lucian Trapanese manages to bring out some incredible flavours from his lightly roasted beans. There’s also Bugan Coffee Lab in Bergamo, a roastery with a wide range of beautifully roasted coffees. For someone looking for great everyday specialty coffees, or taking their first steps into quality coffee, it's hard to go past La Sosta Specialty Coffee near Florence, another excellent roastery with lovely beans.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There can be a huge difference between the specialty coffee you buy and what's written on the label, advertised or what you're led to believe on social media. Anyone can throw a bag of 80-point green beans into a roasting machine and claim that it's "specialty coffee". In the same light, any cafe can take a bag of well roasted coffee and say they are serving you a "specialty coffee". The truth is that not every roaster or barista has the experience or equipment needed to deliver coffee at a high-quality level.

One of the most important things I've learnt is to remain objective, no matter how nice or well-intended someone might be in their specialty coffee business.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Thanks to the Specialty Coffee Italy project I've got access to online data and can monitor the progress of the sector within Italy. What I've seen recently is a substantial bounce back and even increased interest in specialty coffee compared to pre-covid, for both international tourists and local Italians.

COVID was a huge wake-up call for the Italian specialty coffee sector in terms of digital presence and strategy. For those with their finger on the pulse, their use of online has become a more important avenue for their business and will continue to grow over time.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

My prediction for the specialty coffee scene in Italy is very positive over the next decade. While remaining a niche, there will continue to be a slow, gradual increase in the number of dedicated specialty coffee cafes throughout Italy. Milan will have the biggest growth and become a prominent figure as the specialty capital in Italy.

I think there will be a lot of growth in specialty coffee in quality food locations like gourmet bottegas, patisseries and restaurants, where coffee isn't the main business but it's an addition to their core offering.

My hope is that the hard work done by the Italian specialty coffee roasters and cafe owners will gain even more recognition outside of the country. It'd be great if, in the next 10 years, there would be a unique, Italian specialty coffee style that then becomes a global trend. I know that Italians have the creativity, passion and drive to do it.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I'll still be an avid specialty coffee drinker in search of quality cafes and roasters. I can't see myself making the professional jump into the coffee sector and will likely still be working in the humanitarian area.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Do your best to support your local, independent specialty coffee businesses - they are the future of the sector. And if you haven't already, try Italian specialty coffee, there are plenty of fantastic roasters and great cafes in this wonderful nation!

Our Caffeinated Road Trip 3 - Aroma Specialty Coffee

Tanya — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 18:01:00 GMT

The specialty coffee scene in still new in Italy, right? And it’s just in the latest years that coffee shops started to open up, especially in smaller towns, right?

Nope, totally wrong!

Right in these days is the 20th anniversary of Aroma, a tiny, cozy specialty coffee shop right in the middle of the medieval center in Bologna.

Hidden among a maze of porticos and narrow streets, Aroma is a true gem: owned by Alessandro Galtieri (former Italian Brewing Champion and 3rd at the World Brewers Champion 2019 in Boston) and by Cristina, his historical partner (even in life), they actually have a proper espresso menu… and they’ve got it since 2001!

One of the funny things we remember most about our days of specialty coffee lovers in Bologna, was the mixed crowd we could actually spot while drinking an amazing V60 in one of the comfy, little tables inside Aroma.

Imagine the scene.

Two old ladies, wearing a fancy fur coat, sit at the corner table, gossiping about who knows what. They’re drinking one of the yummy sweet treats made in Aroma: maybe is a shot of espresso topped with homemade zabaione (and if you don’t know what it is, you should definitely give it a try… just heaven soaked in calories!), or maybe is something else… but for sure it’s delicious.

At the bar, a young lawyer all dressed up in his elegant black suit, choose his favorite double espresso from the list. He doesn’t sit, he just stays at the bar to drink it while chatting with Alessandro, and even if it’s properly dressed and his hair are properly combed, you cannot hold back a smile when you spot the tattoos peeking out from under the shirt sleeve.

For sure, this guy has got some nice stories to tell.

At the bigger table near the door, sits a family coming from somewhere in the north. Tall, blond, good looking-viking style. Yep, definitely from somewhere up north. They order croissants and chocolate-brioche for the kids, two giants hot chocolate with whipped cream; a double shot flat white for dad and a generous scrumptious latte for mum. For sure, they know a couple of things about coffee, and before leaving they cannot avoid to congrats Alessandro and Cristina for the coffee… and for knowing how to speak English!

An old, local old man (“umarell”, they call them around here) come inside and order simply “Un caffè”, a coffee, and drinks it silently at the bar.

A young couple, obviously madly in love, sits at a table sharing a slice of cake.

Ah… love.

We sit at the table closer to the bar, to have our share of chat with the lovely owners, and at that point that’s only one table free.

Two girls from Japan come in the shop and sit in the last available table. They’re shy, and even a little bit embarrassed by their little English.

But the English is not so bad in the end.

“Are you Alessandro-San?” they ask “When we decided to visit Bologna, we knew that this was going to be the place we didn’t want to miss! Can we have two V60s, please?”

And that’s it.

An average afternoon spent at Aroma, a melting pot of new and old friends, tourists and locals, specialty coffee and sweet treats.

Coffee Roasters and Era of We: Connecting the Dots

Tanya — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 11:51:00 GMT

We’ve already talked about Era of We a couple of times, and maybe that’s why one of our roaster friends wrote us a mail basically asking “A lot of nice words, but what’s in it for me? How can I join them? What are going to be my benefits if I become part of Era of We?”

Good questions, aren’t they?

We took a deeper look into the project, and we discovered a little bit more about the benefits for coffee roasters that decide to join Era of We.

First of all, it’s good to clarify that there’s no distinction here: Era of We is suitable for both roasters and micro-roasters, both veterans in the specialty coffee world and also those new to the community.

When we talk about a coffee roaster, we consider a brand that roasts more than 100,000 lbs. (45,359 kg) per year, whereas a micro-roaster roasts less than that amount. This distinction is important, because micro-roasters may not have the volume to meet purchasing minimums from importers, resulting in inaccessibility to some desirable producer offerings: that’s one of the keys factor that micro-roasters interested in Era of We, should keep in mind.

Why?

Because for all roasters (and maybe even more for micro-roasters), the Era of We platform will unlock a range of new business opportunities through direct access to relationship building with outstanding, yet relatively unknown, coffee estates from around the world. The platform is a one-stop-shop to understand ongoing coffee estate and consumer trends, product innovations and prices, and bringing all of that information together to help develop and grow new opportunities.

Too often, roasters are not capable of dreaming big. The usual thought is “I’m already in contact with the coffee farmers, I’m already in the market… why should I do something bigger, something different?”

While, the thought should be “How can I do something different, something bigger?”

And these are the key features that roasters will find joining Era of We: here they will have the opportunity to digitalize the sales (onboarding clients to experience services as well as e-Commerce offerings, while at the same time focusing on subscription-based sales), to grown their content marketing strategy and to improve the access to consumers through digital tools.

Basically Era of We will help roasters to source not only coffee but also data, stories (to share with customers) and much more without even leaving the office; will help build relationships between roasters and producers and foster loyalty with an increased switching cost. All of it, removing language barriers with the Era of We real time translation.

“Era of We will be groundbreaking for coffee roasters looking to bolster their competitive edge, it will be the perfect supplement to every roaster’s current model. The Era of We platform and community will open new doors to find compelling coffee varieties from around the globe that will boost current business and grow more connections.”, states the website, and it’s quite an amazing prospective, if you think about it.

Nowadays, roasters and their clients are constantly on the lookout for new and exciting coffee estates and products to enhance their own brands and give consumers the best possible experience – unique, delicious coffee with a traceable story.

For what we understood on the Era of We website, that’s one of the coolest opportunities that roasters will find when they join this project. They’re going to find new business opportunities through direct access to exceptional estates around the world as a complement to the relationships they already have in place.

This is really important: in today’s crowded direct-to-consumer space, Era of We provides roasters and their clients access to new products that allows them to build more niche and noteworthy coffee experiences for their customers, which validates their own menu pricing.

Because often, when we drink a good cup of coffee we want more: we want to know what’s behind it, we want to know the whole story. And the more compelling the coffee story (from bean to brew), the more invested the consumer and the more money they’re willing to spend. Connecting roasters with farmers will benefit both – and of course, the end user – with a high-quality product.

Promising, isn’t it? But how can roasters join? It’s pretty simple: they can gain access to a customized suite of Era of We services and capabilities via monthly subscription. Visit https://www.eraofwe.com/ and sign up with a click!

Todd Purse: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #35

Tanya — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 21:00:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My Names Todd Purse, I’m the head creative/ Illustrator at Brandywine Coffee roasters in Wilmington Delaware

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee was mainly something consumed at dinners late nights after local shows for a lot of my life. Ally, my partner and now wife, worked as a Barista and manager at a local coffee shop and that was probably the first time I starting getting more into it. This also lead to my work at Brandywine which is super important to me!

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Totally, it was an Ethiopia Natural from Sweet Bloom that had tasting notes of Strawberry pop tarts and when I tasted the strawberries in the cup I knew there was something special to it all!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Probably that I don’t have to leave the house, haha. I start my day around 4am before the kids get up(plus I think there something magical about that time of day) drawing and making coffee in the kitchen. I have a studio in the garage where I’ll work until round 6:30/ 7, when Teddy (my 4yr old) gets up. Those few hours are my most creative time of the day even if it’s not the most productive it feels great to just live in imagination land for a little while.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Kalita wave, probably cause it’s what I learned first and I find the most easy to get a consistently tasty cup.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

This is a super tough question having drank so many amazing coffees over the the last 6 years. I think the first lot of the mandarin washed processed coffees from La Chiquita. It was fermented with dehydrated mandarins and tasted liked straight oranges. It was a fun reminder of how creative coffee can be!

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I think it shifts all the time, I tend to default to saying Kenyan coffee cause it’s just become a personal favorite and tend to have such a big sweetness to em. But you can get gems from anywhere it seems.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Abracadabra in VT! Clint and the crew are the best, super tasty coffee from super groovy folx!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Be kind and keep it fun! On all ends it seems to just be best practice to be nice and try to keep things fun.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Brandywine doesn’t have any cafes so we really haven’t felt many changes on that side internally. But I’m bout really the best to speak to that since I’m mainly just drawing silly things for the bags. Haha

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

That’s a big one! Just thinking of the date 2031 blows my mind. I have hopes it’ll be in a good place and continue in the path of inclusiveness, kindness, and imagination. The coffee scene is filled with amazing caring and creative people, although it’s nothing is perfect it’s that’s combo that keeps me hopefully for all things in the future.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Being a dad, a husband, and drawing silly things for coffee packaging… maybe packaging where the characters come to life abs interact with our coffee friends!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

As silly and cliche as it sounds just be nice and be sincere. Find people who are doing what ya wanna do and try to connect. Fail and fail again until it doesn’t matter and then it’ll all happen.

Daniel Riou: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #34

Tanya — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 21:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Daniel Riou, I’m from Lisbon Portugal, I’ve been working in the coffee business since 2011. I have a degree in Marketing and Advertising but by working in the family company, I’ve always been interested and very close to every stage of the process.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee was already important for me without even being aware of its importance. Coffee roasting is our family business and before I got in love with the coffee world, I was already working on it helping the company and family since an early age.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

The first time I got in touch with specialty coffee was back in 2014 after a trade show in UK. We started working in a new project where we would develop the brand and the roasting for a new coffee shop that wanted to use direct trade coffee’s and 100% arabica coffees. At this point we felt that the market for coffee in EU was changing (for the better) and we started learning, doing SCA courses, working directly with farmers and learning how to roast the coffee lighter and enhancing its natural characteristic’s… since then we have learned and improved so much, and we feel that the coffee business as never been so interesting as today.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Mornings are not always fun for me, unless I’m leaving my daughter at school… Monday mornings are the worst. A good cup of coffee will help going through the week.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love the v60, it’s been my favorite for a while. I just think you get a brighter and cleaner coffee. I love the acidity of the coffee’s and I think this method favors it. Every morning I do a V60 and for me it’s the one where I can really understand the complexity of the coffee’s I’m drinking.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

It’s hard to say, I’ve had so many good coffee’s… probably a Panamian geisha from Graciano Cruz. I’m a big fan of Ethiopian coffee’s, always been. But today you can find amazing coffees from any region. It’s crazy…

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Ethiopia. Just because of the history behind and the Ethiopians coffee profile. I think that Ethiopian coffees are naturally good. For me simple is good and that is what you get with Ethiopian coffees. There is no need for “anaerobic controlled fermentations” and crazy processes. If we talk about espresso, I will choose Brazilian coffees. I love a sweet, round and very balanced espresso coffee. And Brazil can offer that and much more.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I’ve had the chance to visit the roastery and taste the coffees from La Cabra in Denmark. They always have a good range of coffees and I love the brand. It was a big pleasure to see how they work and their roasting approach. If we want to go to a more “exclusive” approach, I recommend the micro roastery from Alexander Ruas Standout coffees from Sweden. They only source and roast coffees that are used in Barista or Brewers cup competitions, they have an amazing 100g subscription where you can taste the best coffee’s in the world from farms like @cafegranjalaesperanza, @ninetypluscoffee, @graciano.cruz and @geishavillage in Ethiopia.

Some of these lots are less than 10 kg and therefore are very rare and unique.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’m still learning.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It’s been very challenging, not easy, we feel that we will take a while to recover from this year and a half. However, the coffee business is growing, and people seek quality and transparency. We think that there are new opportunities for who, like us, want to “make coffee better”.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think it will grow so much that you will get to a point like Australia where it’s just “coffee”. Specialty coffee will be the “new normal”…wouldn’t that be just great?!

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully doing what I do today… opening coffee shops for Buraca Coffee Roasters and developing private labels and projects for coffee professionals.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t be lazy, aim to the stars and work with passion. Repeat the day after… never give up!

Anna Nordström: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #33

Tanya — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 21:00:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am Anna Nordström, and most of all I am a passionate coffee lover, from Sweden.

I work for the coffee roasters Löfbergs since 1998. I have already held different job positions in the company, from purchasing departments to my current job: to provide specialty coffee education through trainings. Currently, I’m also part of a new amazing project called Era of We, that aims to re-shape the future of coffee, while bringing happiness to the community.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

It was in a Fika moment – break, chat with friends. Fika it’s one of the first worlds that you learn in Swedish: it’s a play around the coffee words in Swedish, and basically it means a break with friends, around a cup of coffee and it’s an essential part of the Swedish coffee culture.

If you don’t do you are a bit odd. Here, drink coffee is almost a must to fit in the society, and for many people it’s the reason why they start to drink (and enjoy) coffee in the first place.

When I was attending university, I started to really enjoying coffee; but the passion for coffee started coincided with the beginning of my career at Löfbergs. At that time I was in the purchasing department, and part of my job was the quality control of coffee: one of the main part of my job involved cupping… you can imagine why this is the moment when I really discover my passion for coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Thinking about it, I realize that my fist cup that was more than “just a cup of coffee” didn’t actually involved a cup of specialty coffee. I was in Italy, back then, seated outside a coffee shop. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the baristas were quite good looking… the coffee was good, topped with some nice foamy warm milk on the top.

So what I remember is more the moment than the coffee itself: it was a Fika – a coffee moment that I will never forget!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The smell of coffee! But, of course, also the people, the sharing of knowledge, the trips and all that’s constantly new, different almost every day: new crops, new taste profiles, new adventures. I am always changing, traveling and learning. Before Covid, I used to travel a lot to visit customers and others Löfbergs roasters; to do trainings and to attend coffee events. And all of this, is going to come back soon, I’m sure of it.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I would for sure say that I love filter coffee, and lately my choice of dripper is always the Clever dripper or Kalita. It gives you a very round and balanced taste, what I really love to find in a cup. Always paired with paper filters, that give you a clean taste and a recipe that’s always easy to replicate.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Easy: Ethiopian Guji , South of Ethiopia… an heirloom from Ethiopia that was simply amazing.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

They all have their best season, and for sure I prefer the coffee that is a fresh crop, and I’m always waiting for the fresh coffee that’s on the boat. Plus, it also depend by the time of the day: usually I prefer in the morning softer notes, more chocolaty; while in the afternoons I look for something more fruity. And after a meal, I often look for a coffee with a nice, round body.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

In Sweden, Da Matteo and Drop Coffee, and La Cabra in Denmark… they’re all really nice.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That the more I learn, the less I know: it’s a constant learning. and I’ve gained a great respect for the work in the field.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

New cupping routines, the whole training had mode to more online. Less travels.

In the whole industry, became a change. A.

Luckily in Sweden we were among the few countries that never had a lock-down, so we were able to still open the coffee shops but many customers were furloughed or worked from home, and that’s wahy the sales was very affected anyway. What really changed was the whole coffee industry, that basically had (at least for the past year) to switch to an “online” mode. There was an increase in the e-commerce, training and classes were held online; there were less travels, no coffee festivals, new cupping routines… everything completely different.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think that it will be more developed, becoming a more important part in the coffee industry. In my opinion, in only a few years, it will happen what already happened with wine: a boom of the specialty coffee industry (that has already become a mature business), and the whole coffee industry will become more differentiated.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself in a sunny coffee farm. I would love to go to Colombia, so why not?!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I’ve got just some few suggestion, simples but to me really important. Be curious, try, and never stop learning. Test yourself and your knowledge a lot, enjoy cupping and blind-test. A lot of people are just replicating what authorities are saying. Don’t do it: get your own opinion. Dare. Think different.

It’s like what happens with food: you can prepare something in many different ways and, as long as you have a good product to start with, you’ll have a good result.

Leonardo Santetti: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #32

Tanya — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 09:42:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Ciao, I’m Leonardo Santetti and I came from Florence, Tuscany. I’m currently working as a Designer, R&D and coffee consultant for Eureka Grinders as well as teaching Brewing and Green Coffee for the SCA. Parallel to this, I’ve developed some coffee related projects in the past few years, including the most recent one: The Italian Specialty Coffee Guide.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I’ve started as a regular barista back in school as a way to earn some money in my weekends. Then in 2013 a specialty coffee school opened in Scandicci nearby where I live, and was at that time that coffee became a central part of my life. I’ve started volunteering there, eventually making assistance, attending classes and helping in any way possible. Little by little I started collaborating with different realities as barista, designer, teacher and so on, achieving the coffee diploma while finishing my university and increasing the work in coffee and my approach to this field in the last 8 years.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yup, I was attending a sensory class and I had the typical “mind explosion” when you finally got something that you “know” but you never really absorbed inside as a true reality. So I thought something like: “Woa, I really would like to keep going and working in a scene where I can touch, taste and feel something like this on a daily base, something that makes me happy!”.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

To be able to contribute, in my little own, in making something good for people, helpful and related to Design and Coffee, my two main fields and passions that are almost completely blended so far.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I honestly love to brew coffee, it’s a peculiarity of the coffee world that I really appreciate and that help me relaxing sometimes, it’s like a ritual, almost close to the tea ceremony, in a way. I like V60 as it’s simple and intuitive, a tool not too much expensive and also cool in the design, although the Chemex is aesthetically very pleasant as well.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Difficult to answer as there are really many good ones around, and often you find yourself tasting a better one. But for sure I remember a stunning Panama Geisha (surprise eh) from Aunty Peg’s in Melbourne, as well as the very recent explosion of eugenioides that I’ve got the chance to try during WCC in Milan 2021: it’s for real a next level coffee.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

This question can have many answers according to why I would choose a country of origin: If it’s for a particular variety or cultivar, average coffee taste profile, economic, affection and so on. The first that comes to my mind anyway would be Honduras, maybe because it’s a combination of the possible variables just mentioned before, as well as because I’ve got the chance to be in this stunning place and to empathize with the people and the realities there.

8- Suggest us a rostery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Oh, well, if I suggest one then I would feel guilty because I could have suggest others or I didn’t suggest more:) So, instead of saying an Italian one (otherwise some Italian fellows would have prefer to suggest their) I would like to propose to you Backstage Coffee (Vilnius, Lithuania), a great company with which I had the honor of collaborate when I used to live in Vilnius. They are good people, cool, and great coffee roasters and passionate people.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That you have to remain yourself, keep spreading genteelness and kindness but at the same time you have to grow, be hardened in the character, and to don’t trust everyone.

Many people, and not only in coffee, can be fake, sneaky or traitors, so you have to beware a bit. But at the same time there are luckily many good hearted people as well, so we have to keep seeing the positivity everywhere.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Under the economic point of view it can mean: survive mood. This historical time give not much room to expand or grow, but often just to maintain and resist. So there can be a cut somewhere, hoping not in the quality, but this can change according to the reality. Meanwhile, for the hospitality point of view, it can also mean creativity, or reinventing themselves. But we have to keep in mind that people are already becoming tired of this social distancing condition, so it’s also true that it can either result in less people going to public cafes, as well as the opposite: an escape solution for a couple of hour from office and home, that in these time can be seen as a limitation.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Growing a lot, until a certain point (it cannot and have not to grow more than 10% of the whole sector, it’s unreal and unsustainable). And at the same time not in the 100% meaning of specialty/high quality coffee, at least not in Italy. What I would like to say with this statement is that the meaning and perception of the words “Specialty Coffee” and “High quality Coffee” (how I prefer to call it), are very different in Italy from the world perception. A long topic that I would like to explain more in another occasion but overall it means that the quality of coffee will increase also in Italy, as well as the share of specialty, but not only into 80+ crops.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope to be able to continue working in the field of the specialty/high quality coffees, most of all to have my own studio of design in the coffee field at 360°, an idea for which I’m currently work on. Then who knows, the fields in the coffee industry are different, but this can be a possibility that I would like to achieve. :)

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be patient, especially at the beginning, choose wisely your mentors, protect your character and sensibility understanding that there are plenty of fake person in this world as well as “only appearance” oriented people. Then keep going on, never stop at the first difficulty, the fruits of your seeding will arrive when you’ll aspect them less (feels like a cliché, but is true). Last but not least, cultivate your passion and love for this stunning raw material and the community, do to others what you want others do to you and always keep smiling and being gentle.

Btw, if you are reading this article while passing by Florence, you can drop me a message if you want. In case I’ll be around and it would be nice to share some coffee talks.

Instagram link - Leonardo Santetti

Instagram link - The Italian Specialty Coffee Guide

Tommaso Bongini: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #31

Tanya — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 09:42:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Tommaso Bongini, mostly know as Tom. I’m 33 and from Florence. I belong to a family of roasters: our family business, Caffè Mokarico, started in 1936 and actually I’m the fourth generation bringing the business on. I’m in charge for quality control, both on green and roasted coffee and I manage the Chinese market. Beside this, in 2018 I started my own brand, Gearbox Coffee Roasters, dealing only with specialty coffees. And when I say specialty I don’t like to talk about points or roasting degree. I mainly focus on the story behind the coffee I’m buying.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

My approach with coffee has been silent. In 2014 I was in Brussels working for a satellite agency of the European Commission, dealing with natural gas. Interesting but boring. I had the opportunity to move to London to work with the team of La Marzocco UK. There, I firstly met the specialty coffee world and the quality aspect that was a little bit forgotten in Italy at that time. There I got triggered.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Perfectly. Still in London, I was in charge to create a network within all the baristas in London. I went to an event which was basically a cupping (followed by pizza&beers): it was my first cupping and my first time slurping a Gesha. It was a washed one, super bright, elegant and clean. A coffee that nowadays would be considered as normal, compared to these funky processes are approaching the market. Pure love.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Since you are working on your own and for yourself, the best thing of going to work everyday is to know that you are building your own future.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Despite thinking about Italy the first thing that comes to mind is the espresso, I definitely prefer the filter coffee. Specially using the new brewing device called “Bravo”.

This one has been invented by a great friend of mine, Francesca, and I helped Her developing the Bravo since the very first prototype. It’s a device that improve some critical features of the classical dripper, such as the oxygenation and the cooling down part. It’s quite complex to use, but also funny because allows you to play with many variables. Definitely recommended it to a coffee nerd!

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Still doesn’t exists. All coffees are good, even the one with tons of defects. In my opinion saying that a coffee is better than one other is not constructive at all.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Not at all. I don’t like even in this case, to prefer one country to another. When I buy a coffee, the first thing I look at it is the emotion that the cup can give me, don’t minding about origin, variety, process or price.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Bugan from Bergamo. I literally love them. Not only because they roast amazing coffees, but also because they created a super team composed by great people.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Never get satisfied of your results. Never consider yourself as the best one, or even as one of the best.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Since I started Gearbox in 2018, I didn’t see a big difference with the Covid. In 2020 I roasted more than 2019 and 2021 has already overtook the total amount of 2020. Surely the pandemic pushed a lot the e-commerce which is, nowadays, a fundamental tool for a specialty coffee roaster.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Honestly….I hope that this trend won’t grow that much, otherwise we would lose the control on the quality. For every specialty coffee consumer, there will always be a commercial coffee consumer. It’s like the wine or the beer or whatever you want: a better quality product is cool, but cannot be accepted (and understood) by the majority of the population.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I am already in the board of the CEO of my family business, but honestly I’d like to imagine myself in 10 years still roasting and working in the warehouse. I’m not done to be sat on a chair, behind a desk!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Follow your idea, and don’t get contaminated by other’s thought.

Sophie Moreau & David Lalonde: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #30

Tanya — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 09:42:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We are Sophie and David, co-founders of Rabbit Hole Roasters – so you guess it, we work at RHR! We are pretty small, 3 employees including ourselves, so we wear many hats!

Sophie takes care of the whole production, shipping and logistics, all of our graphic designs/photos, website and the administrative.

David is the master taster and does all the green buying and logistics, coffee roasting, social media, wholesale and communications.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Sophie: After university, I travelled for a year wondering what I wanted to do with my life. I always wanted to have my own business and really enjoyed hanging out and connecting with different people in cafés around the World. That’s when I decided that one day, I would have my own shop and be my own boss.

David: I’ve been a barista, wholesale manager and trainer for other roasters and learned a ton. But coffee truly became important to me when I had the chance to get into green coffee buying. I really wanted to create a different type of coffee company, one that would focus on origin and farmers equality, and it’s from that idea that RH started to take form.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Sophie: I was in Sydney and across the street from our hostel there was a coffee cart in an old remodeled airstream they served the best cappuccino I ever had! That was my first interaction with specialty coffee and I was hooked!

David: This will be a pretty boring story ;-) I had a natural Ethiopian that tasted like blueberry and I simply couldn’t believe it! This immediately got my attention and

2 months later I quit my job as a waiter and restaurant manager to be a barista.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Sophie: Opening the roastery. I love those first quiet 5 mins where I can walk in and settle in slowly. I longed for having our own space for so long so having an office and roastery is really a dream.

David: What gets me going is the notion that we can have an impact with our small business. Roasting and promoting coffees that were ethically bought is tasty, but also rewarding. Developing projects that could positively impact farmers and communities at origins is also what I love the most about Rabbit Hole.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Sophie: Can I say instant? Haha just kidding ;) I really like the Origami/V60, I find it ease and soothing. No fuss, just brewing a good clean cup of coffee. I recently started experimenting with the Aeropress and I am also liking this brewer a lot so let’s see if I switch.

David: The origami is my favorite dripper for sure. I love the aesthetic, but I love how round and sweet it makes coffee. I also have a thing with the Ibrik, but I am not the best at using it. I’ll keep practising though, because a well done Ibrik is something very special.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Sophie: I love a nice round and sweet coffee. I love decaf since I am very sensitive to caffeine. But I must say our Shoondhisa coffee from Ethiopia is quite something!

David: That’s an impossible question to answer haha! But recently, I had an absolutely killer Yemeni coffee from Qima’s Alchemy collection that we will soon have on our menu. And I’d say that 4-5 coffees in my top 10 were from Yemen.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Sophie: I love coffees from Mexico, I can find everything I want – from classic chocolatey notes to a crazy honey gesha and they have the best decaf ;)

David: It’s the eternal battle between Mexico and Yemen for me. Yemen is just so unique and distinct and I love those coffees so much. But Mexico offers such a wide range of profiles. For uniqueness, Yemen; for everyday coffee and decaf, Mexico!

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Sophie: I love La Cabra and everything they do from a marketing branding point of view and the coffees. More local, I would recommend Bows for everything they stand for.

David: I second everything Sophie just said. I will add Drumroaster to the mix as their ethos are beyond reproach, and also Mokha Bunn because they only roast Yemeni coffees!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Sophie: Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Especially when you are trying to build a conscious business. We want our business to do good, have an impact on people and change the industry. This won’t happen overnight, but I believe that if we stick to our vision and take no shortcut, we will make a difference.

David: That coffee is subjective and that we need to expand what the word specialty means. We need more specialty coffee drinkers worldwide, and to let those people in, we have to gatekeep less and welcome different types of coffee in the industry, notably darker roasted coffees. Specialty is about farmers and equality before tasting notes.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Sophie: Covid definitely changed our business overnight, but we were lucky enough through it all. We always wanted to focus more online and reach more people to get them to join in on specialty coffee. Covid forced us to shift our business focus from wholesale to consumer. People were home and needed coffee, who can blame them! We saw a surge in our online traffic and this helped us reach a new consumer type and raise awareness about specialty coffee. They also became super interested in the quality of the coffee, how to brew better coffee and supporting local businesses.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Sophie: I am hopeful it will be more inclusive, that we will see more women roasters and women roastery owners. I also hope more and more people will join us in our quest beyond coffee for a more equitable and sustainable future.

David: I hope that in 10 years, coffee will be treated more like we do other products such as wine and craft beer. We have no problem paying 11$ for a special beer, but coffee is still expected to be cheap AND tasty. My big hope is to decolonize people’s coffee mentality.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Sophie: I hope we will have built a great business that’s different and unique in its own way and that more people have joined us in our journey beyond coffee.

David: I hope to have long lasting relationships with importers and farmers across the globe, and also hope I can be considered an honest, vocal roaster that is truly doing the work that is needed to change the industry. Also maybe owning a cafe and writing a coffee book.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you want to share with someone that want to start this path?

Sophie: Remember to pace yourself, choose something you are really passionate about, do your research and then go for it. It will be a lot of hard work but you can do anything you put your mind to.

David: I often get lost in coffee and I obsess over everything. I often forget to just enjoy a cup. So, if you are a coffee professional, take that time to be a consumer from time to time.

Era of We – idea, concept and The Coffee Lab

Tanya — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 09:02:00 GMT

Last month, we briefly introduced “Era of We”, a Swedish company with a simple, but at the same time really important, purpose: to shape the future of coffee and bring happiness to the community.

After that post, many of you wrote us eager to know more, so we started digging a little bit into the company, into who’s behind it, into who started the project and into who’s already collaborating with it.

So, who started the project?

Martin Löfberg is the man behind all of it, he’s the guy that helped develop the Era of We concept with a simple goal in mind: to protect the future of coffee. Coffee run in his veins for generations (he comes from a family of roasters), and its during his years spent travelling the world, meeting farmers and visiting plantations, that he came up with the idea of Era of We.

The purpose of the project? To disrupt the supply chain and move the industry to a balanced and more income-sustainable model for the growers, to secure the long-term future of coffee production.

Era of We is still a brand new project, but it can already rely on passionate partners, from all over the world. It was launched with a selected group of estates from eight different producing countries, and its platform is now available to every stakeholder in the coffee supply chain who meet the necessary criteria.

It’s important to point out that Era of We it’s an inclusive project: they (exactly like us) want to create a community. No farmer or roaster is too small too join Era of We… really everyone can be part of it.

Pretty simple, isn’t it?

And for us, this is what is really interesting about Era of We.

It’s the simple belief that a collaborative environment can enact positive change.

It’s a simple idea that warmly welcomes the participation of anyone who embraces a vision to build a transparent and equitable coffee community.

It’s a simple idea that can bring amazing changes along this old, imbalanced coffee supply chain that we all know.

If you want to know more, have a look at their website, especially at The Coffee Lab: here lays the key behind the collaborative environment that’s helping Era of We to build something different.

The Coffee Lab is an educational Q&A-based platform for stakeholders in the supply chain to learn, share vital information, enhance skills and discuss best practices – all with a focus on enabling the growth of businesses and the industry at large.

Here everyone can ask and answer coffee-related questions, here coffee experts share their knowledge through posts, suggestions and recipes.

Can you imagine the potential of this idea?

The Coffee Lab is the perfect platform for everyone involved to both share and learn.

Farmers can promote their brands telling the story of their Estate and the way that they produce their coffee.

Roasters can share their vision and their knowledge (an adding value for many final customers interested in buy beans from someone that knows what he’s talking about), while looking for the perfect beans from their favorite country of origin.

Baristas (maybe in search of a better position or of a new job opportunity) can promote their own knowledge, increasing their “barista persona”, showing Coffee Shops owner how knowledgeable (and geek!) they are.

And there’s more: this section, in the future, will also hosts unique classes and educative videos by established coffee experts… what better way to keep learning while doing something good for the coffee community?

Nükhet Çubukçular: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #29

Tanya — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 07:48:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and whats your job.

I'm Nukhet, from Turkey. I have been a roasting assistant until the pandemic started and after a long time as a barista, I have been working from home for a while.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

As I have said before in podcast and interviews, I started my research thanks to my old cafe owner, who gave me a chance. Before him, I always felt like a bad sheep: it was the same at school, walking in the streets… basically everywhere. Before I was just collecting bad experiences such as being excluded and being unemployed, mostly because my family is Christian in a Muslim country, and because my way of expressing myself is tattooed. And then, when I started to work in the coffee shop, I noticed the effort baristas put in their workflow, and this became so important to me, that I decided to pursue that profession. But why exactly coffee matters to me? Coffee is a fruit picked by hands, under difficult conditions, with hard works and aching bones from the farmers… and working as barista I realized that I was serving coffee to an elite group that simply could wake up, go to a shop and enjoy their “specialty” life. That’s when I understood that who grow coffee was more important to me than coffee. For me it was impossible not to fall in love, seeing the real workers in farms, the real workforce behind this hypnotic drink that’s black as my soul... And still, every time I sip a cup of coffee I can almost feel in it every soul that helped me enjoy my coffee ritual.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than just a cup of coffee?

I remember it as if it happened yesterday. I was working at a roastery with my friend, and I was helping the owner to prepare a Turkish coffee for the cezve ibrik championships, and we got Finca Las Margaritas from Rigoberto Herrera Valle Del Cauca Gesha. And we started to roasted it with different profiles, cupping it, and brewing it with the cezve … but the moment I still remember clearly is when I grinded that coffee!!! My mind exploded and I said “I don't know nothing about coffee. I need to drink more different coffee, always.”

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

When I was a barista, starting the morning shift in silence, preparing for the day, was the best thing of all. Now I make designs, working internationally, and often I related with people that live in different time zone, so finally I can sleep in the morning now (:

5-Whats your favorite brewing method and why?

I really love the Origami dripper: the cup is usually sweet, with a lovely balanced acidity, and I still learning after two years using it. And then, there’s the Orea, my favorite for two months now, and İ still get excited before every brew. Even when I see it in my kitchen, my heart goes beating fast: it's small, it's immortal and it's fast; and if you brew careful, you can brew a large dose with fine grind and no agitation in the end.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Working from home, in a country that is not so rich… well, I have to sadly say that some days I don't have much coffee to choose from. But luckily I’ve got my friends, and they have never let me down since Covid started. But I love to say that the best coffee is the next coffee that will be in your cup. And apart from this, I cannot really choose just one coffee…. I had so many amazing experiences! Let’s talk about the Rabbit Hole’s Robusta beans, for example… it's just so interesting. The Robusta tree is strong and before tasting it, I’ve always asked everyone “What's you opinion about specialty Robusta?” and then Rabbit Hole did it!!! And it was the best roast profile I’ve ever tasted.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Mocha Mattari, from Yemen, is for me “the specialty coffee” for cezve and pour over. But I’ve found so many amazing different coffees from Colombia; and Ethiopia is always my best friend; and Mexican barrel aged is so delicious… And you know what? I really can't pick. If a coffee is clean and fresh, with a balanced acidity and a nice mouth feels… well, it can be one of my favorites too.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

İ have to say I can't recommend so many roastery from Turkey. İ can say Probador Colectiva, William's Roastery and Fam Coffee Family are the best for me. Plus Petra Roasting Co. and Boxx Coffee Roasters. These are the ones I wanna buy coffee from, every time I’ve got the money.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There is a lot of poser ignorance, and often people used coffee for fame... but with time, I’ve learn to simply erase them from my life. Usually, I try to accept people in every way they are: we are just human and we are the same. But coffee it's not a race. People work hard for real coffee. And these posers don't do any charity or give back for what they get, and this is what makes me mad. But I’ve also met a lot of great human beings, really hard workers, full of knowledge and joy, people that most of all enjoy to share with the community… So this is what basically I’ve learned from working in the coffee business: someone see it as a business, and someone see it as a lifestyle.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

In Turkey all the restaurants and cafes were closed for 14 months, so things were (and still are) very hard. İ couldn't find any job long time, and that’s when I started to turn bad thing into good things, starting to draw and make my art. So for me now everything is in a way kind of balanced.. For what concerns the coffee shops, when they opened some months ago, a lot of people didn't follow rules, they didn’t wear mask… but on the other hand, when they wear it we can't see smile on worker's face, and this is some kind of border I feel nowadays around cafes in my country.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I really can't imagine what is going to happen. Two years ago someone said to me “You gonna drink cascara cocktail at home” and I couldn’t believe it. And climate changes is going bad I think, but maybe the specialty Robusta, that is stronger and more affordable, will help us. I love science fiction movie a lot, so this is why I can't imagine what's going on one minute later in our world. We are just hanging in darkness and everything can happen. Everytime.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope I’ll be in Germany or in USA, working at a roastery together with quality people; and in the meantime I hope I’ll keep drawing... but who knows. Covid taught me that making any kind of plans in our life's is just not real. I’ll go with the flow, making the best of what is gonna happen. I’m sure that my everyday hard work will take me to the next step…

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be yourself is hard. I'm 33 and last time I was looking my life, I was 22. İ was start this coffee business as a runner, just take dirty dishes to kitchen. And so İ started to work, and to study hard, and I became a barista… and then I became a roaster assistant, and now I draw everywhere in the coffee community. I know that sometime people read some articles, and they think they know everything but it's not real. And if you just started your career as a barista, knowledge will not grow in a minute. So be calm. Listen to professional coffee people, but in the same time make your own research and use it with your own brain. And if you can donate where the coffee comes even 1$ for sustainable coffee life, believe me: people will be happy, and they will work harder everyday.

Martin Löfberg: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #28

Tanya — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 07:48:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I´m Martin Löfberg, a passionated coffee lover and Chair of Era of We. I live in Sweden, one of the most coffee thirsty nations in the world, but I also travel a lot in countries where coffee is farmed.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I was born into it as the 4th generation coffee roaster, so I sort of have coffee in my veins. I have spent the last decade plus working with coffee farmers across the major coffee producing nations in South and Central America, East Africa and Asia. Getting to meet and have direct contact with thousands of farmers raise my interest day by day.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I believe it was in my early 20s. A sunny, cold day on a snowy mountain, far far up north Sweden. The coffee was boiled in a kettle over an open fire, a kind of ceremonial moment. As we gathered around the fire and looked out over wide horizons the coffee aromas and taste completed a fantastic moment. It wouldn´t have been the same without that cup.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Not knowing how the day will look like, except having the opportunity to cup 300 cups every day from more than 20-countries throughout the year being part of the purchasing team at Löfbergs Group, the first coffee roaster on Era of We.

5 - What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Boiled in a kettle over open fire in nature is for sure one, where all senses and taste impressions blend into an outstanding experience. Or filter brew, always a perfect choice that brings out the aromas and taste in a good way.

6 - Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

As impossible to answer as “which of your children do you love the most?” I would say that every coffee country and region have its pearls.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Like I said, my experience is that every country and region have its pearls. One advice is to look a bit extra for the countries that do it’s outmost to preserve the richness of flavours, performing vast variety of processes and that strive for perfection and improvements. High density beans from high elevations are usually a safe area.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Tough to pick one but walking down memory lane I would raise Cafeteo in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, as personal favourite. Meraki in Santa Rosa, Honduras, is another one which also left me completely satisfied.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Probably that coffee is the strongest link to Mother Nature and the importance of long healthy relationships. And that the coffee industry faces some real challenges that we must solve together. One is the imbalance in the supply chain, and the current pricing mechanism, which makes it difficult for farmers to break even on the cost of production, leaving many struggling to survive. This is one thing we address in Era of We to create new value propositions that can better serve and empower estates.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

At Löfbergs, we source all coffee directly from the producing countries and spend a lot of time travelling all the way to the farmer. This latter has not been possible during the pandemic, but technology enablers is coming strong enhancing the experience and possibilities to stay connected.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I am sure stronger relationships between farmers and consumers will be a distinct path, as well as stronger collaborations between likeminded entities that address global issues like climate change by thinking more circular.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I´m still a passionated coffee lover exploring the vast spectrum of coffee from all around the world. Hopefully I will have the chance to join the 10th anniversary of Era of We, celebrating the platform benefited farmers, consumers as well as all other members of the coffee supply chain.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Check out the coffee lab on Era of We, a good hang out. And keep demanding to know more about your favourite cup. Transparency and high-quality products from healthier brands is the future of coffee.

Davide Spinelli: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #27

Tanya — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 10:34:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

“Welcome judges, I am Davide, and this is my time”. Sorry, it just comes naturally to me to start like this! I was born in Cagliari, but in recent years, also for work, I have been traveling around Italy and often abroad as well. I am a nomadic consultant and trainer, but also a barrista and Brand Ambassador of IMS filters and E & B-lab.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

As in a natural process, coffee has come through a long journey that began as a bartender and sommelier. Coffee crept into my life slowly. I didn't even drink it until I was 25. Then, changing the shift in a bar overnight, I started to know him, and to study him. Thanks to my studies, I understood why I didn't like it and this meant that I let myself be enchanted by its many nuances. I would say that coffee has been my focus for about 10 years.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

There are two moments in which I thought that. The first when I was still a coffee “rookie”, and the second at the beginning of my new life as a barista. The first time: after years in a bar where I was “subjected” to coffees and advices of colleagues, I decided to take a course and tasted an espresso, made by the trainer, a 100% Arabica blend. There I said "I like this".

The second time: I was at one of the first London Coffee Festivals and I tasted a double espresso, a Tanzania-El Salvador blend, so clean that I could distinctly feel Pineapple, Coconut, Banana and chocolate (I didn't have great sensory experiences) and I thought "These hints cannot be so clear and brilliant in an espresso, they certainly cheated with flavorings ”.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Difficult to answer, no day is the same as another. Surely one of my favorite moments is when I prepare the room for courses, or to receive people. I am a perfectionist and I don't want to leave anything to chance. This allows me to prepare everything in the best possible way and to have time to enjoy my first coffee, alone, with my music. Then enjoy my second coffee with colleagues or guests who arrive to start the day.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Complex choice. It depends on the mood and where I am. At home, for example, Clever or Chemex after lunch. Espresso and mokapot if I’m together with friends and family. When I have new coffees, Kalita Wave and then Aeropress to gut them in every facet. But it is not so much the method itself, but what that coffee is "asking" me… and I don't feel like saying no!

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

There are two best coffees, and I explain the contradiction. Without doubt the first best coffee is the one that Rubens Gardelli brought to the 2014 World Cup. It was an El Salvador, a true nano lot, just 50kg. We prepared for weeks and tasted it anyway. Simply spectacular, simple, clean but complex. I still have his flavors in mind. The second best coffee is the one I'll still have to drink.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I am used to constantly changing, eager to try anything. But when I'm relaxing, and I can choose, I choose either Ethiopia or Kenya. Especially if I know they are clean coffees, I love their light and persistent aromatic notes.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

It is difficult for me to point out just one. There are so many, and for all tastes. Light, Omniroast, medium, dark, the choices always depend on what I want at that moment. For my courses I always try to use coffees from different roasters, because I always like to try something new. Indeed, I would be curious to be able to taste something from Portugal, any suggestions?

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I have learned a lot over the years thanks to coffee. But above all, I have learned to overcome some of my limits. How to get involved, learn to talk about myself (it is still very difficult for me) and that everyone cannot be trusted. In addition to this, I learned that coffee is a commodity with a huge impact on everyone's life and that we are a drop in the sea, but we can do a lot and give a lot to improve and improve ourselves. I learned that passion is needed, but precision and professionalism are also needed. For the rest, I learned that, in the end, we just talk about water and coffee, and I really like talking and sharing knowledge regarding them. I learned that by being around a cup of coffee, you make good friendships and have fun chatter.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Life is not static but constantly evolving. The same is true for work and for the specialty coffee. Covid has represented and represents a brake and new challenges for hospitality. The turning point between the Neanderthal Barista and the Sapiens Barista? Maybe I'm exaggerating, but the pandemic was a bolt from the blue for our calm and peaceful lives. A little storm in our quiet lake. Beyond the tragic impact on our lives and our loved ones, we must evolve and adapt to survive and then live. We have adapted to the new distances (one of the very few positive things, restaurateurs don't want it), to the new rules. The most attentive have already created new protocols to prevent problems caused by future pandemics and to avoid having to close their businesses. As for my work, as it is increasingly difficult to travel abroad (like visiting plantations in different countries of origin), I had to adapt, but I believe that human contact during courses and consultancy is still essential. What we do is not only provide information and services, but also create a relationship of trust with customers.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Surely it will have grown up: it is impossible to think otherwise. "Less but good" is now the leitmotif of modern man, whether we are talking about flour, beer, oil, wine... Or so I like to think, otherwise I would have already changed jobs! I firmly believe in a growth in the professional figure of the barista, and I am increasingly convinced that whoever gets there first will have the better of future competitors. But above all I hope that the business takes into account the quality of life of the workers and that the end customer understands the value of the coffee and what they will taste.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself halfway to my goals.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I can suggest what I would suggest for any other route. Have fun, make it what you want to do. Never feel like you have arrived, because you would fall into starvation and presumption. Chat and share, you will find many people who will talk, but often you will find some who will listen and teach you. Study, because training will keep you going. Don't settle for a few hours course or a colorful book. Try, compare, discuss, we are not alone in the world. Having doubts is a great start, but don't get overwhelmed by fears, only those who work are wrong. The ingredients are two and they are simple, water and coffee. You will decide its thousand facets according to your taste.

#followyourtaste

Mahsa Niyayesh: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #26

Tanya — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 09:10:00 GMT

1_ Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I'm Mahsa Niyayesh from Iran and Tehran; I'm the founder of the Women's Association of coffee in Iran, and now I'm the director.

2_When and why did coffee become important to you?

I worked in a series of great chains as a barista girl, something beyond the coffee world.

3_ Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, it was a long time ago, when I was preparing coffee for customers, and they said “This cup is more than a cup of coffee”. At that moment I realized that coffee can be so much more.

4_ What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I come to my office every morning and read amazing stories of other women that work in the coffee world here in Iran. We support them, sharing the wonderful stories of these powerful women, so they always win.

5_ What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I 've always said that syphon is the best coffee: for me it’s simply delicious.

6_ Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I've ever had was the one made by the hands of my best friends, and it always is. Everytime.

7_ Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I like to travel to the farmers’ countries, they work with the women of the farm, and each has a great deal to say, I’ve always admired these women and I’m eager to meet every one of them.

8_ Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

There are lots of roasters in Iran that I can tell you, Girifin and Harpag among the others. They work with experts, and I know them well.

9_ What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The most important thing I've learned in my work and my business is that the women's activity in the coffee worlds is really important; because often men think mostly about income-making, while often women love their job, and they work with the goal of preparing something beautiful and perfect.

10_ How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality ?

For a long time, coffee shops closed and restaurants shut down, and the unions set up a variety of notifications, such as the prohibition of movement and closure of the business, but we are trying to get out of this crisis. Often businesses became online, and that’s why I’m pretty sure we would see each other online.

11_ How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I can see something really beautiful happening to specialty coffee in 10 years: new discoveries, new flavors… It's going to be wonderful.

12_ Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope that in the next 10 years I’ll have travelled to all the coffee plantations and collected a lot of information. I'm always searching for new things to learn, especially, because the coffee world doesn't end.

13_ Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I tell all the people who start this way “Don’t let any barrier block your goals. We're in Iran and we don't have coffee plantations, but we have tea plantations. We have internal problems and we have not left the disease behind yet, but we continue to work with coffee”. Plus, remember to always keep yourself in sync with the expertise in the world. Go on and be strong.

Everyone, meet Era of We

Tanya — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:19:00 GMT

Everyone, meet Era of We: an Introduction

If you’re following us for a while, it should be clear now that we consider ourselves rebels. We try to stand against any kind of injustice, against exploitation of the poorest by the richest, against inequalities of any kind, and we try to stand for the environment and for sustainability.

That’s why when we accidentally stumbled into Era of We, we instantly fell in love.

We’re going to talk quite a lot about it in the next months and we’re pretty sure the rest of the specialty coffee community will also do the same.

But let’s start at the beginning.

Who is Era of We?

Era of We is a company based in Sweden, officially launched on June 21st 2021. Its purpose is pretty simple: to shape the future of coffee and bring happiness to the community.

What is it all about?

Era of We is focused on connecting the world’s largest coffee community, with the final purpose being transforming the economics of the supply chain for good. They want to create a movement driven by a community that cares deeply about where coffee comes from, that believes in the product quality, and that’s ready to fight for the future of coffee to ensure it is sustainable, profitable and has longevity (for farmers, consumers and everyone in-between).

Sounds pretty cool, isn’t it?

What really appeals us is that the purpose of Era of We is simply to create a balance where everything is not.

Because let’s face it: as it stands now, there is an imbalance in the supply chain, and the current pricing mechanism is controlled by external factors, which makes it difficult for farmers to break even on the cost of production, leaving many struggling to survive.

And this doesn’t seem right, not at all.

And that’s not the only reason why Era of We got us instantly.

The focus on the community seems really genuine, and you can get this just having a look at the website.

First, how cool is the idea behind the Coffee Lab section of the website?

From what we understood, The Coffee Lab is an educational Q&A-based platform for everyone involved in the project (but also for everyone simply interested in learning something more) to learn, share vital information, enhance skills, and discuss best practices – all with a focus on enabling the growth of businesses and the industry at large.

And there’s also a Chat function that can help everyone to communicate directly with one another, no matter where anyone is in the world, with the goal to share, discuss, learn and grow from each other.

Having said that, we’re going to dig some more into Era of We in the coming months, so keep following us to know more!

Kyle Magyar: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #25

Tanya — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 09:50:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, my name is Kyle Magyar. I am originally from the United States, born in Wisconsin. I currently live in Helsinki, Finland, where I work as a Barista and Trainer at

Kaffa Roastery.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

It became motivation to me in my transition to moving to Finland in 2015. While I had to wait for my residence permit and exploring cafes, I often daydreamed in how I could help change peoples bad habits or a new profound perspective in drinking better quality coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Of course, it feels like a walk down memory lane. In 2010, when I was living in New York, Stumptown Coffee had to be my pivotal staple, while visiting their flagship shop in Midtown located in the Ace Hotel. It was right when I first moved and my taste buds had exploded. Still to this day I remain curious in my exploration.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Depending on my mood in the morning, is what I will listen to on my commute to work, potentially then into the shop.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Hand brew pour-over coffee, either 01 Kalita or 02 plastic V60, the whole process of it is systematic and therapeutic. It is also about experimenting with the different variables to the end result. Taste, share and how it could be better.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I have ever tasted was brewed by Odd-Steinar himself, Semeon Abay Maker Series from Ninety Plus, it was a natural Ethiopian roasted by Supreme Roastworks in Oslo, Norway, who won 2015 World Barista Champion. I tasted black currant, butter-caramel-honey mouthfeel, dark chocolate notes with lemon citrus acidity.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I like Kenyans, for obvious reasons if you ask any enthusiast (complexity). I also like Colombians. As of latest: full-bodied, bright and vivid acidity, intense aromas, sweet notes of citric fruits.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Samples Coffee and One Day Coffee Co, both Roman and Kaapo are good friends of mine. I am always happy to support your local, an appreciation to those that are doing their upmost for the community and the culture!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

It may not sound like a life skill, but being a good customer is just as important as being a good server. As soon as you’ve worked in the industry, you find you have a whole new appreciation for others just like you.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

“By adapting to survive!” It was just three of us working the bar for six days a week to keep the shop open. The rest of the company had voluntarily been laid off, working one day a week remotely. In result of it, we have been selling more retail coffee bags than ever. By letting customers back in just before summer, our total drink count instantly doubled from when it was only take away. To me the hardest part in which I get the most satisfaction from, is the customer interaction aspect. Safety does have its own restrictions.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

A continuous talk and further exploration on climate change. Carbon neutral emissions. The importance of sustainability and ethics when consumers are more in tune and knowledgable in paying for higher quality products.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

The opportunity of doing something on my own.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

To stay humble and always be kind.

Come and follow my journey on Instagram @kyle.magyar

Evelyn Solis & Doug Hewitt: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #24

Tanya — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 09:50:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

E: My name is Evelyn Solis. I am from Guatemala. I work at 1951 Coffee Company as the Lead Barista.

D: My name is Doug Hewitt. I am originally from Tennessee and I work at 1951 Coffee as the Chief Executive Officer.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

E: Haha hard question. I don’t know. I grew up in a place with coffee around me. Everywhere I can see coffee. I didn’t know coffee was important outside of my country. It is important to me because I want coffee to be recognized around the world because the cultivators, as we call them in Guatemala, do such hard work. When I came to the United States, I saw many cafes and it was so expensive here. They even have coffee from Guatemala and they said it was good quality. I then understood that inside of Guatemala the coffee seemed to have little value, but here it was so expensive. Then I knew that growing coffee was important to people all around the world. In my country coffee was just everywhere, but it's not the same in other places.

D: After I completed grad school in 2011, I was looking for a job in refugee resettlement. Agencies weren’t hiring at the time so I got a volunteer gig working with the IRC. In the meantime I needed a job. I had a few friends working at a coffee consulting company called Boot Coffee Consulting. They had a project they were working on and needed someone to roast and begin a wholesale program for a coffee coming out of Ethiopia. They taught me how to roast coffee and I began to work finding distribution channels in the Bay Area. I would often roast coffee while many of the other consulting classes would be taking place. I had been a barista before, but this opened me up to the world of specialty coffee here in the Bay Area.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

E: I had never in my life had an espresso drink. In my country we just have brewed coffee. When I tried espresso drinks… I didn’t even know iced drinks existed. Yeah so when I had my first espresso drinks, it was a latte in the 1951 Coffee training program. It was too bitter for me because I was used to drinking coffee with sugar. But then my life changed because I started taking my coffee drinks without sugar. I didn’t realize how good it could be. Well except for caramel lattes I still think those are the best.

D: I remember the first time I really enjoyed a cup of coffee wasn’t long after moving to the Bay Area in 2007. I was with some friends in San Francisco. I had been a coffee drinker for a while and was even working as a barista at Starbucks. That day we were exploring the Mission District and stepped into Ritual Coffee on Valencia. I got one of the single origin pour overs and loved it. It was probably the first time I had enjoyed a cup of coffee with no cream or sugar.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

E: Everything! I don't know, every morning I wake up really excited to work because I love making coffee and interacting with customers but what I like the most is dialing in the espresso. I can see how the espresso changes even with just 1 second. It is important for me to have a good shot of espresso in the morning. Customers go to a cafe because of that taste, not just the customer service. If the coffee isn't good customers won't come back. This week when I was dialing the espresso, a customer came and ordered an espresso right away. She was watching me dial the espresso. I really wanted to be sure they got a good cup. She started asking me questions about what I was doing and was so surprised by the detailed process I was going through to make her an espresso. She was quite impressed and that made me so happy.

D: Each day when I open the cafe the first thing I do, even before turning on the lights, is prepare the batch brew. I walk in and begin grinding the coffee. The fragrance of the coffee from grinding and the aroma once the brew begins is almost as good as the first few tastes. It can feel hectic to get everything prepared on time, but the smell of coffee filling the cafe calms me down and helps me ease into the morning before the first rush of customers pours in around 9:00am.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

E: Making an espresso!

D: I really enjoy the siphon. It might seem pretentious as it certainly is not the most practical way of making a cup of coffee and it doesn’t necessarily make the best cup of coffee. However, when I brew with a siphon it brings out the kid in me that can imagine myself as a chemist in a lab creating some wonderful concoction. It's fun to share it with friends and family that are just as enamored with the process as I am.

6- Which is the best coffee you have ever tasted?

E: The best coffee? Of course 1951 Coffee haha. I once made a latte in the cafe. The espresso was not too bitter or sour. The milk was exactly right. And that perfect point was like an explosion for me.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

E: Of course my country: Guatemala. The place where I lived, Huehuetenango, has the best quality of coffee. The climate is amazing. The altitude is perfect. My dad worked in coffee and was a taster there. So he had to do coffee cupping. He told me the best coffee in Guatemala was from where we live. It makes me feel so happy to be recognized in this way. Even here in the cafe the coffee we serve is from where I lived in Guatemala.

D: Learning to roast and spending a year roasting Ethiopian coffees has given me passion for coffees from that region of the world. Roasting a coffee and sampling it through the entire process, mapping out the changes, and then tasting it afterwards really engrains the flavor profile in you.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

E: Red Bay Coffee in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. They have really good coffee and the space is amazing.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

E: Aye yai yai I don't know if I can answer that question. Working in coffee has opened doors for me. Knowing something about coffee can help me to get a job anywhere. Even if you are not from where coffee grows. You will be able to learn about the taste, the quality, where coffee comes from. Everyone can drink coffee but many people just taste “normal coffee”, but I have learned to taste the unique flavors.

D: If you supervise or manage baristas, empower them to succeed. Give them genuine say in how things are run. That doesn’t mean opening up every decision to the whole team, but allowing your team to have influence over how the cafe operates and especially as it pertains to efficiencies in their jobs or how they serve customers. I see my job in leading our cafe as a role in which I empower our team to serve the customers well. If I do that correctly then our team will be able to do that with joy and confidence knowing that I have their backs. This means I must continually create the opportunity for people to provide feedback and have the willingness to listen.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

E: Many customers don't feel comfortable enough for others to make their coffee. They don't know if we are vaccinated or not. Some customers expect things to be normal like putting milk in their coffee or sugar, but we have to do that for them to protect others. There are some people that dont want to come back to the cafes because of this.

D: The coffee industry is both individually vulnerable and collectively resilient. Individual cafes have struggled significantly during the pandemic and many smaller companies have closed. However, the need and desire for coffee has continued and will continue. Conveniences, often more easily created by larger companies, have become a part of the norm for consumers. Pre-ordering online, delivery, and selling beans for home brewing have become more endemic. Our diversity in cafes has always been our strength in the industry and I hope that both the consumers and even larger companies will strive to intentionally sustain the smaller companies through this time.

11- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

E: I want to be an important exporter of coffee--creating my own business. It is hard to think that far ahead. If I have an opportunity to be alive for that time, I want to create my own business. I have started my own coffee farm and I want to continue that work and become an exporter. In the future, if I can, I want to have my own cafe too.

D: I hope that 1951 Coffee will be able to inspire others to join us in this work in other cities in the United States. Currently refugees are resettled in cities across the country that also have thriving coffee scenes. It will only be possible through partnership both in the refugee resettlement sector and with companies that have a larger national footprint.

Ken Braz: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #23

Tanya — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 08:25:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Ken, originally from Luxembourg and living in Berlin since 2015 (with a small break of 7 months) . I am currently working on starting up my own company called August 63. August 63 is a specialty coffee roastery which focuses on making good coffee easier accessible to people, who are normally used to drinking commercial coffee. August 63 is going to be a roastery and a mobile coffee bar, which gives me the opportunity to serve my coffee on local markets, cultural - and corporate events.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee got my attention the first time, when I moved to Berlin. Before Berlin, during my time at high school in Luxembourg I was used to drinking shitty pad coffee or coffee from the vending machine. During my university, we had a course about social businesses and NGO’s. During that powerpoint presentation, our teacher showed us a slide about coffee start up, which didn’t only sell their own roasted coffee, but were also building water fountains and helping setting up education centers in coffee origins. I was so curious about that start up that I immediately ordered coffee from them and tried it.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

The coffee I orderd from that online shop I just talked about, was that first coffee I had, that was more than “just a cup of coffee” - a washed ethiopian from Guji which had this amazing floral and tea-ish notes, something that I never had before. Me and my taste buds immediately fell in love !

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Since I’m building up my own company at the moment, every morning is super exciting and I have so much motivation and good mood in order to create something amazing! I love being around people, talk with them about their lives and help them understand coffee better. The coffee scene is so fascinating, because I meet a lot of interesting people, coming from all parts of the world and having a different story - but somehow we all connect with each other because of this beautiful product called coffee.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Personally, I don’t really have a favorite brewing method - let’s say I have phases, where I have one particular brewing tool I use every day. Right now, for a couple of weeks, I brew my coffee with a moccamaster. I live with my girlfriend, her sister and her boyfriend and it’s just so convenient to brew bigger batches all together.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Such a difficult question - I think it was a chicho gayo from Panama from the famous finca hartmann. I roasted that coffee myself and it was such an amazing experience, because I was new to the coffee roasting game and I managed to properly roast that very complex coffee and it just made me so happy! :D

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I’d say Kenya - a very clean washed coffee from Kenya can be so refreshing and interesting! It’s difficult to find really good kenyan coffees which don’t taste like tomatoes, BUT once you have a clean cup, I love it more than any other origin.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Rozali Coffee - David is such a nice guy, experimenting with a lot of interesting coffees & different fermentation processes. Rozali is still one of the newcomers in the coffee game, but they really show how special coffee can taste!

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Apart from the complexity of the whole coffee craft, I have to say that it is - dealing with people. Dealing with your bosses, your colleagues and your guests. You really have to be very patient and understanding AND you gotta be very stress resistant, because weekend shifts can be quite exhausting! haha

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

During the first lockdown in march, the situation for me was alright.- I still had my job but work was slow and people were very tense when they entered the shop. There was this insecurity and far, that you could get infected, even though I have to say that my bosses took all the precautions in order to keep us safe. I was very down, when the German brewers cup was cancelled/postponed, because I’ve been training a lot the months before, but yeah. During the next lockdown in november, this changed - together with my gf, her sister and her boyfriend, we decided to move to Mallorca, to a small house in the nature and to escape the “big city pandemic vibes” - So we moved there in february and I started working on becoming self employed with my own company. That’s when I started writing a business plan, getting coaching and worked on becoming a better coffee roaster and person. Now we’re back in Berlin and I’m about to launch a crowdfunding campaign in order to get August 63 to be launched! With the crowdfunding campaign, I need support for the crowd in order to gather the financial support for the mobile coffee bar I am planning to do and to buy the best green coffee.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I am very optimistic that in 10 years more people, who are now drinking commercial coffee, have switched to higher quality and more sustainable coffee. So I am sure that the specialty coffee industry will grow bigger and become the “new normal”. I think that right now more and more people are becoming more aware of what they are consuming - their clothes, their food and their drinks. With us, baristas, roasters or coffee people in general, we can help people get educated about coffee and show them that coffee doesn’t only have to taste bitter and roasty.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years, I still see myself working with coffee. Hopefully August 63 will be very well established in the world of coffee and that I can help more and more people to get fascinated about the best product in the world!

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Just go for it - Always keep your eyes and ears, learn a lot and never think that you learnt enough! Coffee is so complex and it’s a very vivid product. From year to year, there’s new developments, there are new fermentation processes, new technologies and new coffee beverages. It’s an exciting trip and once you decide to go for it, you just don’t want to go back to bad coffee anymore! ;)

Alessandro Zengiaro: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #22

Tanya — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 12:25:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hey guys, I’m Alessandro and I’m from Italy, Turin to be specific. Beautiful city, you should go. I begun my coffee life 7 years ago when my family, a friend and me took over a coffee business to create a Bistrot in Turin, which still keeps on going, called Trebì. There started my coffee journey: 4 years in there and then I decided to make a step forward into, not just coffee, but Specialty Coffee: so 2 years as Barista at Orso – Laboratorio Caffè. Now, I’m one of those Italians abroad as I’m living in London since two year and a half, when I started a new chapter on my coffee career. The cherry on top of my experience happened just a few days ago, when I won the UK Latte Art Championship. About my job? I am currently working with Assembly Coffee, a Brixton-based roastery and I am what is called Technical Lead. What am I actually doing? Mainly, fixing broken stuff. I take care of our technical workshop, maintenance of customer’s equipment and ours, I do install for new opening, I manage our spare parts stock… and more… lots of things! And I really do love it, it’s teaching me so much about all the technology behind the equipment I used for years and never quite understood, fully.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Well, I guess back in 2014, when it became my business. Before that, the only coffee I was drinking was the one from the automatic machine in the office. It was not only a beverage… it was simply an excuse to take a five-minutes break from several financial excel sheets.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Same year, 2014, when together with a friend of mine, we did a training in Costadoro Caffe with Fabio Verona before start running our own coffee shop. As neither this friend of mine or me knew anything about coffee we decide to do a 5-day training to do things right. That was the moment where, for the first time, someone showed me what there was behind that cup of coffee. From that moment on I never drank anymore “just a cup of coffee”.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

If I have to pick one, possibly the most important one are the people I work with: those people has been a kind of family in this two complex years... With them usually your days start with one big hug from each of your colleagues (there are not handshake involved usually), often with some great coffee (when you got time) and some chit chat (even if you have no time). Not a bad way to start your day, even an early Monday. Oh, yes… also I’m working with one of my best mates. So, yes. People is what makes me happy to go to work in the morning.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I’d say V60. Never been disappointed, never broke one (important skill, I think, for a daily device), and is the one I definitely used more. I don’t think there is a perfect brewer so I stick with my immortal V60 for my daily brew and I leave the other toys for weekend experiment.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I couldn’t tell… but I remember the one who hit me more: was during one edition of the Milan Coffee Festival and was Alessandro Galtieri’s competition coffee brewed (and Roasted) by Paolo Scimone’s His Majesty The Coffee. That coffee was the first time I have ever tasted a world level competition coffee. It was an amazing experience and a very helpful lesson about how incredible can taste coffee when you know what you are doing.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Ethiopia. No doubt. I can’t say no to a washed Ethiopian coffee.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Lately I’ve been really enjoying coffee from Manhattan Coffee Roaster.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Don’t know, I keep on doing the same mistakes… Possibly I haven’t learnt anything.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

What’s Covid?

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I will see it from a 40-year-old guy’s prospective: hope there will be a good decaf to brew with my V60. (I’m quite sure that V60 will still be the same V60 I’m talking about in the question n.5)

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ideally sitting on a beach, sipping beers and complaining about how sunny has been that day. More likely still wandering around the coffee industry and probably in ten years I’ll be back in Italy…

Still not sure the way though. And, to be honest, in this moment I can’t see anything happen after the 18th of June…

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Comfortable shoes. You will never know enough. Keep of learn as much as you can from people around you: sharing moment with people with your same passion is your best way to grow. Make good plans and of course try to stick to them… “I’ll see what happen” it’s rarely a good idea! (who knows me best would say I’m a bit too much of that though…)

…and the biggest piece of advice is: Do not be a dick, please!✌

Will Wells: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #21

Tanya — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 12:25:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Will Wells, I am the Head Roaster and Owner of the Artery Community Roasters. I was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, but still a rather small town feel, government city where specialty coffee is still a relatively new concept.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

I worked as a barista in college, but it wasn’t particularly good coffee, and definitely wasn’t ethical. So the love affair did not start there, but the habit of drinking it nonstop certainly did. It was not until years later that I really fell in love with coffee and the stories behind it. It was during a conversation with a taxi driver who was from Ethiopia whom I had become friends with after many late night drives home, as I was working a night shift as a young public servant during the H1N1 pandemic (there seems to be a link with pandemics and my coffee adventure). He told me about the traditional method of home-roasting coffee in Ethiopia, in a frying pan, often for guests (coffee is after all just as social as it is therapeutic!). So I started sourcing green beans wherever I could, roasting them in a frying pan to very mixed result (mostly inconsistent, DARK roasts with charcoal bits). But more often than not, it was still a decent cup, especially when compared to some of the options within walking distance to my house. I then upgraded machines to the point of roasting small-batch roasts in my garage for friends and charity events. It was at a particular charity event I had started, Jessie Jam (a 2 on 2 basketball tournament in honour of my friend Jessie, who I had met through my volunteering and had passed a few years before), where my coffee was really selling well at the charity auction where the light bulb had gone off. I had for years wanted to open a social enterprise coffee shop that exclusively hired people with disabilities, but also was dreading the idea of working behind an espresso bar (and asking others to) as it’s not an easy job. And my passion realty was in roasting coffee, not necessarily serving it. So at that moment I realized the roaster, not a coffee shop, was the way forward in my dream of fusing my love coffee, with my love of volunteering and advocating for the disabled community.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I wish I had a romantic tale of being in some far-off locale and discovering some heirloom variety while sitting on a pier or something, but that is not the case. While I of course loving sitting in the cafes of Paris, sipping ‘melanges’ in Vienna, or drinking doubles on the beaches of the Canary Islands (areas I used to visit often as have family there), the truth is, the coffee is bad, or at least, the stuff found at the touristy joints and mainstream spots (I’m sure on future trips I’ll find some specialty spots to change my tune). Dark roast Robusta blends are just not my idea of a good coffee. It was at a coffee shop in Ottawa, must have been ten or more years ago, that I first had a cup of coffee that was light and bright, and the sensation of the acids had me hooked. So I started buying from more specialty roasters, which back then were not as easy to find as today, and eventually just started roasting my own once I was able to buy more green varieties.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Days at the Roastery are honestly the most fun I have ever had at a job (and I used to be a tennis pro in Miami!). I have so much passion for the advocacy work we do, and the coffee we roast, that even on the days where we have a mountain of orders to fulfil and bins of coffee roast, I still can’t stop smiling. Roasting coffee, and operating a social enterprise, while a lot of work, are simply the most rewarding and enjoyable work I have ever done. I almost feel guilty that something that is meant to be for the benefit of others, still feels sooo good! I also get to work with my incredible team, and they are what keeps this business going, in so many different ways.

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I used to be all about that spro, but now I really am all about pour overs. While I do tend to go through various cycles, I just find that quality light roasts just shine with pour overs. I also find that pour over forces me to stop what I’m doing, and just focus on one task, and a task I find very relaxing (unlike spro, which I find can often be a trying exercise in patience). I also find pour overs allow me to drink different coffees throughout the day, versus say spro, where I would dial something in and then stick to it for a day or two. I also like the control over different variables that pour overs provide (much like spro) and also enjoy using different drippers and seeing the range of results they provide.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Really hard question, as I’ve had so many with varying profiles. I’ve had some really incredible and memorable Geshas from Panama, as was fortunate enough to spend a good chunk of time there. So I guess they still tend to be the coffees that I think of the most, or rather, that I compare all other unique varietals too. But really there are just so many coffees I haven’t had, and think the exercise of finding the best would just border on the totally impossible. Not to mention I find that my mood/location/time of day/what I’m eating will also really influence how I enjoy a coffee.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Not really. I love so many different coffees from different origins, and they really all have their place. Most of the producers we work with are third generation farms from San Agustin, Colombia so I have a lot of respect and love for them, and their coffees are some of my favourites. The same goes for the farmers we work with in Guatemala who form the Café Colis Resistencia movement (Indigenous Xinka farmers who are defending their lands against a Canadian headquartered silver mind). And we work with Baho Coffee who operate the Fuji Washing Station, and are very ethical in how they treat the farmers they work with, many of which are micro farms run by widowed and single women. So definitely biased, as we work with these three areas and their single producers, but I think the missions behind the coffees are just as important, if not more so, than how they taste in the cup. But we are lucky in that all of those coffees are delicious.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one your working at/you use at work).

I’ll shoutout a couple. Bowxarrows are really big inspirations for us, as they put their advocacy work ahead of their roasting, but their coffee is also exceptional. And two local roasters in Ottawa who have amazing coffee AND ethics are Lulo Coffee and Mighty Valley Roasters.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Work with people you trust and respect, from wholesale to your suppliers. We really put relationships and ethics before every decision we make, and so far it has served us well. For instance, our coffee is supplied by Semilla Coffee, who are coffee advocates as much as they are importers. They allow us to work directly with producers, and also drive ethical business practices throughout everything they do. And they have the best coffee. They are the only person we source coffee through, and the trust we have put in the relationship has served us well. And there are a million and one other things I have learned about this business that I could write a book on (not a good book as I still know very little, but a book nonetheless!). Also one thing I’d quickly add is that running your business with ethics as the focus is hard. It’s easier to just take those shortcuts. But nothing worth doing is easy.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

For us, COVID has presented both an opportunity and a challenge. It gave me the extra time (no more commuting!, and odd sleep cycles) to start this business, not to mention an increased demand for specialty coffee given everyone is buying a Breville and missing their coffee shops. But at the same time, because of the COVID restrictions and the extra precautions we were taking to keep our staff, many of which with underlying health conditions, we have had to deal with less staff allowed on site, cancel plans for pop ups etc. But we are managing and feel bad for the other businesses that aren’t going to come out of this COVID created recession.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

It’s such a varied scene depending on where you are. Generally, on the global scale I really hope that retail prices for coffees increase, and that the difference goes directly into the pockets of producers, not roasters or the corporations trying to manipulate coffee trading/importing. Without naming names, some of the worst corporations in the world still control the trade, and put poorly processed, cheap, and unethical coffees into little plastic pods and call it quality. And I think that isn’t just something done by the large corporations, but even many specialty roasters calling themselves third wave, still could greatly improve their sourcing and the ethics that drive them. Like why do the majority of successful roasters still not invest in better, more environmentally friendly packaging? While business is a balance, I still think that balance skews too much to the profit side and not the ethical one. But I have hope, and our small roastery and many others like us, will do everything within our power to play a role in the right way forward.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I really hope right here, just in a bigger space with more staff. I can’t imagine doing anything else as a job ten years from now. I love roasting coffee. I love selling coffee in support of the employment of people with disabilities. I love running a small business that tries to give back. That being said, it’s hard work and long hours, and I hope ten years from now I still have the energy to be a part of this. But my goal is to create a business that doesn’t require me to be successful, something I can step back from and hand over to staff to run the day to day. That takes time, but I think ten years from now we will get there, as we have amazing staff, we have the support of the community, and we have an amazing product. And the big goal by then will be for us to have full-time staff, paid actual living wages and with full benefits. And all people living with disabilities. I have faith it will all work out.

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I think many people have dreams or ideas, and they think they are just that, dreams and ideas. I guess I would just say you never know when they can become a reality. That with the right mix of privilege, effort, and also, luck, the stars align and maybe you have an opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted to. Just f*cking do it. You only live one. Some things work out, some things don’t, so just don’t risk the whole biscuit and see what happens. I say this from a very privileged place, so know that not everyone has the same opportunities as me to take such a risk. But if you have an opportunity, or an idea and the resources/conviction to back it, just go for it. It’s better to have tried and failed than to never know. I would also say whatever venture you are taking on, especially in the coffee industry, make sure that ethics drive every facet, and honestly question every decision you make. You will make mistakes, and need to be accountable for them in order to do better next time.

Coffee Subscription I The Right Roast

Tanya — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 10:10:00 GMT

A short foreword, before starting.

Until a while ago, we always bought our specialty coffee directly from the roasters, one “big” order at a time, every time a different roaster. Or, even better, we bought beans travelling (and let’s be honest… we really hope to get back to do it pretty soon!)

We never had the idea to buy from one of the many coffee subscription, until recently.

Building our small Coffee Insurrection project, we started to focus always more on the community behind the specialty coffee scene, and we started to consider that, while trying some of these subscriptions, maybe we can help even more the community.

After all, often is a way of knowing new roasters (maybe from far away), discover new countries of origins, be part of something different.

And that’s why we decide to try, one subscription at a time.

We decided to start this adventure with the “Taster Set” of The Right Roast.

We had followed Tim & Aiko (the couple behind The Right Roast) for a while, and we were really curious about their Coffee Club.

Not only for the coffee, but also for the experience.

But first thing first: why choose the August subscription?

Because it was the “Asia Edition”, and it included coffees from China and Thailand (both countries completely new for us) and from Indonesia (already tried various times, but we still remember that awesome Natural Bali from the Kintamani region tried so long ago).

Plus, we never tried any of the roasters included in the box…

A perfect start, what do you think?

Except that we didn’t consider the extremely long and extremely complicate delivery services here in Portugal, that left us waiting for the box for so long… but in the end, we finally managed to put our hands on the box, and we eagerly unpacked it.

The Taster Set (22£) is a thin long box, white and stylish, and it includes:

- the four bags of coffee (50grams each),

- a super colored cool sticker (with the motto Light Roast is the Right Roast)

- an Aeropress Champion Recipe

- an “introductory” card that resume the reasons behind the current edition

- a tasting card (to use during the live cupping session, that we’ve sadly missed because at that time our box was still “prisoner” of the Portuguese mail service)

- a nice message from Tim and Aiko

The coffee bags are numbered, but (having anyway already missed the live cupping) we obviously decided to start drinking the coffee… just the way we wanted.

#4 Chiang Rai, from Thailand, roasted in Belgium by Naga Coffee (a roaster specialized in specialty coffee from Asia) was our starting point. As I already said it was our first coffee from Thailand ever, a natural microlot processed. As always we extracted it with our “classic” Aeropress recipe and the resulting cup was super sweet, with tropical fruits flavors and a hint of spices coming out while the coffee started to cool down a little bit.

#1 Buntu Ledo, from Sulawesi (Indonesia) roasted in Amsterdam by Lot 61 and #3 Blaufaya, from Java (again, Indonesia) roasted in Barcelona by SlowMov were our second step. We were curious to compare the two coffees from Indonesia, and being the two of us and having two Aeropress… why not?! Buntu Ledo, a honey process, produced a cup with predominant notes of tropical fruits, a tiny bit of spice, and the characteristic honey-processed sweetness. On the other hand, Blaufaya (an anaerobic fermentation with 4-6 days in bags with water, followed by the drying in African beds), gave the cup an extreme sweetness, with a creamy mouthfeel and floral notes. As usually, Endri and me choose as “the favorite” a different coffee. The sweetness of the Blaufaya got his vote, while the tropical notes of the Buntu Ledo got mine.

#2 Last but not least, we (figuratively speaking) went to South Yunnan (China) thanks to the beans roasted by Common Coffee (Edinburgh). The guys at Common Coffee divide their coffees in four categories, depending on the “style” of the roasting: strong, sweet, bright and complex. This China is a complex one for sure: just a rollercoaster of flavors, that delight you without losing is “simplicity”.

Final thought?

For sure we really enjoy our first coffee subscriptions. All coffees were light roast (as we tend to prefer), we discovered four new roasters we never tried before, the 50 grams bags were always a little bit more than 50 grams (perfect for three cups each bags, following our “normal” recipe), the coffee flavours were quite different from each other so we could drink something different every day.

Talking about “extras”, all the videos in the website are really interesting and, even if we couldn’t attend the live cupping session (and again, not for The Right Roast’s fault but just for a delivery problem… that can happens every time, with every coffee), we could check the video later online, learning a lot more about these amazing coffees.

If you wanna know more about The Right Roast, and their new Taster Sets, check their website

https://therightroast.com/coffeeclub/

And enjoy it like we did!

Jessica Sartiani: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #20

Tanya — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:06:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Jessica Sartiani, born and raised in Florence. I work as a Head Barista at Melaleuca Bistrot, I’m also a barista trainer (Barista Hustle coach) and I collaborate with a few companies like DM Italia, Anfim and Cimbali.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

The first time that I visited a Coffee Roaster, I realised that I didn’t know anything about coffee,in that period I was working as a Barista in the morning and as a Bartender in the night, I felt like I was in a crossroad: Coffee or Mixology? Then a local roaster was hiring for a trainee barista and I left my work as a Hotel bar manager, I was peckish of coffee knowledge. The salary was lower but I was really curious and enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn more about coffee ,a sensation that money isn't able to give you.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I can remember my first London Coffee Festival in 2012, I can’t mention only a single cup of coffee because all the coffees that I tasted were surrounded by the vibes of the coffee community that was something really new for me. I remember a cupping of different coffees from Colombia, it was a surprise for me that a single country could have so many different cup profiles. For the first time I heard Baristas talking about coffee producers and all the efforts that was behind every single cup, I understood that the barista was the last figure of an incredible chain and that we, the baristas, got the opportunity to spread all this efforts with the final consumer.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I like to get out of the house and jump on my bike, arrive at the coffee shop, set the grinder, taste the coffee and taste how it changed from the day before. It is the feeling that reminds you how much coffee is alive.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Pour overs and immersion methods, I love to enjoy the ritual of a pour over. I can taste the coffee in a full immersion experience, it’s amazing how much you can play with this brewing method, it’s fun to explore every single parameter and test how it can change the result in a cup.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Ahh... all the time someone asked me this question, I felt like a mother that had to answer the question “Which of your children do you prefer?” All the coffees have a story behind, a lot of experimentation, some failed and some outcome. That’s why all coffees deserve respect. I’m really passionate about my job, and I cannot avoid my heart and soul to be involved while I answer this question… that’s why I cannot miss to mention the coffee that I bought for my first Italian Brewers Cup, DUROMINA from Ethiopia. In that period was a pretty new project in an Ethiopian area that usually was known for the low quality of the coffee, Jimma. In 2010, more than 100 local coffee farmers banded together to form Duromina that means “To improve our lives”, with technical support, business advice and access to finance, the members acquired and installed a wet mill and began processing fully washed coffee for the first time. “To improve our lives” this quote is so powerful that it is impossible for me to forget it.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I prefer African coffees because I love the acidity and the complexity in the cup. Last year I was surprised to taste some Rwandan and Ethiopian natural coffees that were really clean and sweet. The balance in the cup is essential, especially if we think about the market where you serve the coffees, here in Italy, for the traditional market, serve a coffee with an high acidity can be a big challenge but I realised that if you find a coffee with a pleasant medium acidity and with a high sweetness, even and inexpert palate can appreciate a specialty coffee cup. When the customer comes back to the shop and asks for a Rwandan espresso is always a great satisfaction, a step for the growth of the quality here in Italy.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you are working at/you use at work).

There are some roasters that are certain for me, two of them are Coffee Collective and Nomad.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The importance of people and empathy. We can’t transmit the story behind the cup with arrogance, even in a team work, the real goal is when all the team is at the same level, there’s no space for competition, if we work together we are stronger.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

My work as a Barista was really challenging last year, an important part of the Italian specialty coffee scene is communication and guiding the clients while they’re drinking the coffee. With the takeaway mode, it is difficult to replicate this experience in a paper cup also because they are not allowed to drink it inside the shop. But there’s a huge increase in home consumption. At the beginning of the lockdown I delivered some coffee, that was an occasion to talk about the coffee that they bought, suggesting the best way to extract the coffee at home. My job as a trainer instead, changed by moving a high percentage online and reducing a lot of the “onlife” courses. But there’s a pro when we think about training for companies. Before the pandemic situation the classes were more crowded, now, to follow the protocol, the classes are reduced, this can give the chance to increase the quality of the course and get more focused on every single student.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I believe in the new generation. In this Era we can get a lot of information, thanks to technology, the web can be a great weapon if used well. After many years the role of the barista has been evaluated and this is important for all the coffee chain because if baristas highlighted the characteristics of the cup profile, baristas can also talk about the problems that the country of origins are facing, like climate change, the unfair price and social/political situation. We don’t have to forget that we can be messengers of consciousness.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope to always be in love with my job.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Be hungry for knowledge, respect all the coffee you serve (to costumers and yourself). Be kind and gentle, the world needs empathy.

Evelyn Joun: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #19

Tanya — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 20:06:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Evelyn Joun and am excited to have this opportunity to represent our Intelligentsia Venice team and coffee bar. I am a retail manager of Intelligentsia, overseeing our Venice and Hollywood location out here in sunny CA.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important to me when I walked into my first specialty coffee shop, Copa Vida in Pasadena. When I learned about their story and what made them and their coffee different, I was hooked. I wanted to know anything and everything about specialty coffee and now it has already been 10 years in the making. It is humbling to realize that there is still so much to learn and just how deep specialty coffee and more specifically the direct trade model runs.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

The first cup of coffee that I had that was more than ‘just a cup of coffee’ was at Copa Vida. I don’t remember the origin, but I ordered a black coffee and sat down and took my first sip and knew there was something more to that cup of coffee. Little did I know just how much and deep the story of the cup of coffee went.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

My favorite thing about going to work in the morning is dialing in coffee. The morning rituals of opening a coffee bar, brewing coffees and making sure they are to spec and represented to the best of our abilities is what gets me going in the morning. To this day, it is my favorite part of my job.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

My current favorite brewing method at home is the French press and at work it is hands down espresso.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I ever tasted was in November of 2020 and it was the Bolivia Finca Takesi Geisha from Intelligentsia. Michael Sheridan, who is our Director of Sourcing and Shared Value and our green coffee buyer for Bolivia, describes the coffee as the ‘world’s most elegant cultivar from the world’s highest farm’. Th sweetness of the coffee was insane, the fruit flavors literally sang in my mouth and the floral aromatics brought a coffee experience that changed you for the better.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

A country of origin that I tend to favor coffee from, at this moment in time, would be Rwanda. I may be a little biased here, but recently we had an opportunity to speak with one of our direct trade partners, Furaha Umwizeye Teuscher, who is the founder and chairperson of Kivubelt Coffee Ltd in Rwanda. When asked about what Furaha wanted the world to know about Rwandan coffee, Furaha said that it is the ultimate farm to table coffee, a boutique coffee that doesn’t use machines but from start to finish is done right through the meticulous and deeply caring hands of people who live and breathe quality. I have such a deep respect for Rwandan coffee in that it’s very much a hands on approach and carries the philosophy that quality coffee takes time and care. Don’t even get me on the social and economic impact of Rwandan coffee.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

A roastery to check out would be a micro roastery based in Brooklyn, New York, SEY COFFEE.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The most important things we learned while working in the business is that there is a reason why specialty coffee is growing, having lasting impact, and is standing the test of time. It makes us think differently about coffee, food, and people. It makes us challenge the way we do things and takes great intention to do things right, with care, it may be ‘slower’ but it sets the tone to a life not just lived, but lived well.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I feel like Intelligentsia and the specialty coffee world coped with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality the best we possibly can and could have, when looking back to all that we have been through. They were and are unprecedented times and it took a lot of grit, teamwork, creativity and ultimately people taking care of people. Coffee brought us together and we were able to explore new sides of the business, reflect and reevaluate the way we do coffee and business.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I see the specialty coffee scene 10 years from now filled with a lot of innovation in terms of technology, processes and brewing methods of coffee. But at the same time, I see us being grounded in the simplicity of coffee and return to the roots of coffee. In which we, out here in the West, will have access to how people who grow coffee around the world enjoy their coffee. I want to see the origin stories of the coffees we drink everyday come alive and connect us in ways we have yet to see.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I see myself still in specialty coffee. Whether that is still in the retail side of the business or as a green coffee buyer looking at spreadsheets and going on origin trips, all I know is that it will have something to do with coffee.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Specialty coffee is an industry and philosophy that focuses on quality coffee and people. The people piece plays a big role starting from baristas brewing a morning cup to the farmers in the fields of coffee cherries. There is much to learn and opportunity is out there. My tip would be to be curious, stay consistent, and make the moves as the field and arena of specialty coffee is ripe for the picking.

Dario Fociani: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #18

Tanya — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 21:51:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and whats your job.

My name is Dario Fociani, I am 35 years old and I was born in Rome. I do work in "Faro - Caffè Specialty" as owner, co-founder, marketing and social planner and as barista but in september I will switch full time to our new brand "Aliena - Coffee Roasters" as owner and roasting manager. Of course I will still work in Faro sometimes, but from september 2021 I will focus on the new project. One of my business partner will keep staying in the cafe and anyway, we did a good training to the guys who work there, so nothing will change as quality.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

My first experience with coffee was in Melbourne, where I found out that coffee wasn't the beverage that everyone thought to be in Italy. I had already experience in hospitality as waiter and when I saw how great could have been to work with coffee I did all my best to train myself and get hired. In Australia I wasn't really good enough to work full time, so it was just a start, then I moved to London and there it started my real wonderful barista experience. It became very important because I saw a community worldwide of people moved by the same passions and I loved the atmosphere of café and the work at the machine. It just was very natural for me to keep doing it.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than just a cup of coffee?

My first experience with something that was more than a cup of coffee was in Melbourne, in 2010. A Barista saw me interested and I think because I was italian and usually italian people didn't like it, seeing me keen, he really enjoyed giving me many information on what I was drinking, it was a coffee from Costa Rica, but I don't remember the name of the farm. In the street I was, at "Carlisle Street" in Balaclava, there were many cafes, and that kind of attention for breakfast made me in love. I have to admit I got amused probably from the mood, the ambient and the feeling about the cafes and coffee shop and then from coffee itself.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I have to admit it, I am not a morning person, I started to work in coffee in Australia, then I went to London and eventually I moved to Berlin and I always tried to get shift starting from 10am or 11am. Over there coffee is all day matter, so it wasn't a big problem. Before I was a waiter and a barman, I used to stop working at 2am and my body get used to that routine, I usually go to sleep very late at night, and before 9 am I am not really myself, I barely speak. Now that I am a little bit older, I am finally enjoying to wake up earlier and go to bed before midnight, it is a new feeling. Not that bad. But I honestly prefer to do my things not too early :)

5-Whats your favorite brewing method and why?

My favourite brewing method depends a bit from day to day. Sometimes I really need a double espresso, sometimes a v60. I am quite used to those two tho'. Those are the only methods I drink. V60 when I need something tasty, complex with long finish. Espresso when I need a big shake and I want something more sharper that gives me a kick for the day.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I drank so many coffees, it is very hard to choose, but if I have to, I will choose two coffees that gives me great memories: a 2015 washed ethiopian Nano Challa roasted by The Barn, basically an apricot juice and a 2017 natural ethiopian Nensebo roasted by Rubens Gardelli. I will never forget those two. Never.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

So I believe that Ethiopia, Kenya and Panama are the countries that gave me more good feelings so far... But I really concentrate on the farm and I believe everyone working good, with a great agricolture job and with good climate and terroir conditions, can do an amazing coffee. So I don't focus too much on the country, maybe with the time, I still have lots to learn, I will focus more on the areas and the local zones. I have been a barista for all this time and I have been concentrate on the modus operandi and on the extraction more than anything else. Hopefully with the new project, roasting, I will learn more about coffees and their origins.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

There are so many good roasters out there, that it is not easy to choose. I like a lot Three marks, Gardelli Specialty Coffees, His Majesty the Coffee, Friedhats Coffee, April Coffee, Five Elephant, The Barn, Casino Mocca and La Cabra Coffee. But who doesn't?

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The most important thing I have learned is to aim customers able to understand your product. At the start I wanted to convince everyone that Specialty was better than commodity coffee, but I learned that not everyone is ready to switch, not everyone is interested to switch, not everyone has the mental ability to switch, and not just in coffee. So you need to reach people that already are supposed and prepared to like you, and if some people don't like you it's fine, it's normal, it would be crazy weird if it wasn't like that. World is crazy complex and various but there are many people and many customers in the market looking and fitting perfectly your product. You need to give the best to them and slowly other people will follow.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Well, it is not really coping, it is more floating until this terrible storm will finish. We can't do much against a pandemic, we made some structural change to fight it but the hit has been tough. 2020 was our fourth year, the one where we were seeing finally the results of our first three years of tough work, and it was all gone like that. But we learned a lot from Covid, we learned things we wouldn't have understood otherwise and we concentrate on it, on the experience we made. The rest will come, we'll wait, we'll see.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I don't know. There are really too many variables to talk about the next ten years. I don't know what will happen in September honestly. We plan 6 months in 6 months, we do right choices and bad choices, right choices makes us happy and we keep along with them, bad choices we try to learn the lesson and to change it as fast as possible. Nothing else.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I can say that I hope in 10 years to be a good roaster, visiting coffee countries, traveling and working in a well set and ethical orienthed food company, but as I said before, it is too hard to see ourself in this moment of blurriness. I hope that a progressist vision of the world would spread more than the conservative and narrow mind oriented one and to be part of this wave and to be wiser than today and to be optimistic like I have always been, with many targets, many plans, many ideas and no useless stress.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don't struggle too much, life unfolds most of the time like a binary path, follow the good vibes, surf the waves, if a door is closed keep it closed, if a door is open, go in.

Jose Lopez Lazaro: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #17

Tanya — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 21:51:00 GMT

1. Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Jose (Josh) Lopez, born and raised in the south of Spain. I’m currently working at NKORA Coffee, Barnet branch as the head of coffee and barista. My job consists of contacting roasters and farmers to decide what is the best option to have as a guest each time at the shop, set standards, maintenance of the equipment and creating recipes as well as training the staff so the quality of the produce is top.

2. When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee has always been a part of my life, as wherever I’ve worked, I had to use a coffee machine. But I discovered specialty coffee when I first started on my first barista role here in London. I discovered how coffee can change someone’s day for better or for worse… How beautiful a simple delicious cup of coffee can be with the precise work and dedication and obviously, passion.

3. Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Actually I don’t know if it was the first or not… but I do remember that my mom used to make moka pot for herself all the time and as a child I used to love the aroma of the coffee at all the stages of the brew… since the bag was opened to when it was brewing on the stove… So when I moved out, one of my first purchases for my flat, was this lovely tiny moka pot… and curious as I am, I read about how to proper brew one, and so I did. The whole smell covered all the air in the house and transformed that house into my new home. That was the very first time coffee made me happy in every way. And so I continued that path with intentions of making everyone feel the same way when they enter a coffee shop and have a first sip of that beautiful thing that is coffee.

4. What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Everything. Literally there is not a single thing I don’t like about my job. When I come in and get the shop ready, is like a ritual to me. I put on my music, lights are off, is just me… Dialing in, the smell of coffee and the pastries, I pour one or two coffees and practice my latte art a bit more, drink a coffee just on my own with my music… and then, the excitement of waiting for people to come in maybe even for the first time and discover their favorite coffee spot and have a nice conversation with people that is counting on me and my team to start their day the right way. What’s not to love?

5. What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Easy one! Aeropress. How versatile it is, the many possibilities, flavors, recipes, all the fun you can have with an Aeropress you can’t have it with any other method. It is cheap, easy to use, easy to clean and just fun. Have had several chats with Aeropress lovers including my beloved Wendelien van Bunnik (2019 World Aeropress Champion) and they just make me fall in love with it even more every time.

6. Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

For me this is like asking someone if they love their dad or their mom more… Can’t quite put my finger on it! Although, I’d say I’ve had some really good ones… This amazing Costa Rican, La Pastora Natural, Carlos Montero from PLOT, An incredible super tasty Colombian from Saint Espresso that had incredible super unusual aromas and taste and also love a nice flat white made with Pelicano Coffee Roasters at Brighton made with their amazing house espresso. But again, can’t put my finger on just one.

7. Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Well, to be honest, I’m one of those who don’t think coffee origin will determinate flavor as much as process or even roasting will… It is true that some origins like Ethiopia and Costa Rica as well as Peru tend to be included on my list of coffees I’ve drank and loved… But I wouldn’t buy a coffee based on the origin. What I can say is that I tend to like central or south American coffees…

8. Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I would surely say Pelicano Coffee. They are so incredibly good at what they do. Also, Colombian Coffee Company have some of the most amazing Colombian beans there are. But mainly, what I would recommend, is to go to independent roasters. Ask them about what they do and give them a try. We all know big roasters and we know they’re good, but there are amazing people doing amazing things and they all will make your day better with a good coffee and a good chat.

9. What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’ve been in hospitality for over a decade and in coffee for almost 4, and I’d say the most important thing I’ve learnt is that there’s always new things to learn and to be modest with what you think you know. Doesn’t matter how good you are and how much you know or how talented you can be… Even the most unexperienced baby barista can show you something you didn’t know. Sometimes you have to open your eyes and ears and shut your mouth, because learning is a non-stop process we all go through 24/7 and is not about who is right or wrong, but about sharing information and learning from each others.

10. How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Mainly I think the loss of some shop has been massive, even getting to the point of closing in some of them… Myself, I had 4 different jobs in 2020 due to Covid19 and it’s been the hardest time of my life, as it probably has been for many other people… But I managed to overcome and came out of that misery stronger than ever, as many businesses have. I think for many people and shop owners and staff it has been times to do long thinking and to develop projects that they did not have time or reason to work on. Now with the no-seating thing and the no-traveling, many people have been “forced” to discover local cafes and they have started to appreciate what good coffee really means and tastes like. I think we need to stay positive and see the bright side of things as difficult as it can be sometimes, and if we have been able to overcome this, there isn’t many things we won’t be able to do now!

11. How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

This question could take me ages to answer… but I’ll try to sum up. I think specialty coffee has already evolved and grown massively in the past 3 or 4 years. So many new specialty coffee shops, roasteries, processes and even a recently discovered chance of harvesting a different type of beans – the Stenophylla variety. VERY EXCITING. Specialty coffee will become the new ‘modern cuisine’, being the trend for people who what to experiment new flavors and sensations through drinking different types of origins, roasts, varieties, processes of the good old coffee. Even some diets only allow you to drink coffee only if it’s specialty. In 10 years, specialty coffee will be at the same level than Starbucks and Costa are now, I even dare to say that big commodity coffee chains will start using high quality coffee in a few years time from now.

12. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well, this is where I can get all egocentric and megalomaniac. I have been working hard and I still do, trying to learn at least a new thing every day and practicing what I already know when I get the chance. I would love to at least have my own shop / roastery. I would love to have written a book about coffee and I would love to have the certainty that I’ve helped people to follow the same path I did, have inspired people and last and most important, being able to look back 10 years and being able to say “I did it”.

13. Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I can only say go for it. Do it. This is the best job in the world if you truly are passionate. Living the dream is not about having money in the bank, the best equipment, a luxurious workplace… sometimes is about sitting in a stock room eating quickly a packed lunch cause “you’re saving up for a new pouring kettle” and watching a Hoffmann’s video on YouTube on how to brew the perfect batch brew. Living the dream can be anything, as long as you are passionate about what you do. So, do it. And something I’ve learnt in the many years I’ve work on this… is that the most important thing in the world, is to go home knowing that you’ve done a really good fucking job...

Chiara Bergonzi: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #16

Tanya — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 20:06:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I am Chiara Bergonzi, I am 36 years old, and my story in the world of coffee began in my café, a classic bar that I have held for 4 years in Piacenza. After the bar was sold, I went to manage a boulangerie of about 800 square meters, housed in an old furnace. For those years, it was a very innovative project (at least in the Piacenza area): a French boulangerie, fast but quality catering, two world champions at my side (pastry and bakery), interior design in an era in which (mostly) bars still had the counter so high as to almost hide the customer ... It was a really nice project, opened by a friend of mine, an entrepreneur from Biella together with a French partner, and there I learned to work in a very dynamic way, managing a large number of employees (also for what concerns the practical and administrative side). Right there, I met by chance Luigi Lupi, who at the time was working at the Musetti Roasting Company as a trainer. Luigi is one of the founders of Latte Art, a great connoisseur of the world of coffee and thanks to him at that time I started attending training courses that covered various aspects of the coffee world. Coffee grinding, how to make a proper cappuccino, Latte Art ... a tight training that, after two years, made Luigi invite me to an SCA competition (which at the time was held in Carrara). I was certainly very happy with his invitation, but it was still something totally new, and different. Before opening the bar, in fact, I was studying to become a professional dancer (career set aside when I realized that being professional in that field was another thing) and at that point I found myself instead in a stimulating world, but that at the same time I looked with skepticism. After all, I was only 25 at the time, and in a sense I looked at everything around me almost snubbing it. I was wondering “Are these people really here to make coffee and cappuccino competitions?”; I didn't understand what there was to judge (and Luigi was one of the judges!). However when I arrived there, full of doubts, I found myself catapulted into a very fascinating world. I remember that I was in the audience, and I heard my neighbors say "That's Francesco Sanapo!" with great enthusiasm, and I was just asking myself “Who is he?”, “What’s the reason for all this emotion?”; but it was enough for me to watch a few competitions, savoring their tension and emotion, to really understand. At the end of the day of the Coffee Competitions, after seeing them all, I was spellbound. And then came the Latte Art competitions, with Andrea Antonelli (whom I still didn’t know, 2011 Latte Art Champion with various titles behind him) who, at that time when making a four-leaf tulip was already considered like something extraordinary, competed blindfolded! It was love at first sight. Back home I confessed to Luigi that I had found my "vocation": I wanted to do Latte Art. After a first moment in which Luigi tried to advise me against it (after all, I already had a good job, a nice salary and a small child, and Luigi thought that maybe I was a little underestimating the difficulty of this career), he fully supported me. At the time Luigi and Andrea Lattuada were the top of Italian Latte Art with whom I could train, but Luigi advised me to go "further". A great friend of his, Chihiro Yokoyama (owner of the Bar del Sole in Tokyo), was a true champion of Latte Art and so I quit my job and left for Japan. I came back really excited about everything I had learned from Chihiro and his team, and so I nspent the next two years working in night clubs while training for competitions during the day. I won the Italian Latte Art Competitions from 2012 to 2014, and in that year I came second in the world. In that period I also deepened my coffee and specialty coffee knowledge (thanks to SCA) and, once finished the competition period, I started working as an international judge for all Latte Art competitions (in 2015), and in 2019 I became Head Judge at the international level of the entire Latte Art category. In the meantime I have also become Passionate Educator for SCA Europe, I have published two books (“Latte Art” and the brand new “Il Caffè” which covers the entire production chain). Today I am a trainer of all the SCA modules (except Green, which I will finish soon), a consultant for the whole Horeca world and co-founder, alongside the Mauro sisters, of Lot Zero (a micro-roastery that only roasts fine specialty coffees) . In addition, I do much more: brand-ambassadors for Alpro and Sage, and I deal with networks with an exclusive product at European level, managing a network of people. Basically I still live in Piacenza but I move a lot for work, and Milan is one of my operational bases (Lot Zero headquarters), plus I collaborate with a Brescia company called Pratello. Basically, I deal with various faces of entrepreneurship, globally (especially for what has to do with the Specialty Coffee world), and I am very active on social networks. Also, I trained Manuela Fensore, helping her arrive first at the World Latte Art Championships, and at that point I realized that I had really reached the top.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I didn't really start a love story with coffee, but I started it with Latte Art. For me it’s one of the most difficult disciplines that exist, even more difficult than barista competitions (considering the grueling training and maniacal precision when pouring into a cup). Yet for me it was love at first sight, and from there I deeply fell in love with the raw material, with coffee and with everything that lies behind it. Since 2011 there has been a love for Latte Art and a few years later that, I fell in love with everything else: the various extraction methods, the single origins… and everything else.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Honestly?

I just don't remember. Certainly Luigi Lupi (or someone else during the competitions) let me try it, but I honestly can't say anything more.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

For sure I’m a morning person, a "daytime" person, and for me there is nothing more true than the saying "The early bird catches the worm". The morning starts very early with a good coffee, and until last year I used to spend most of my days away from home. Only this year I began to really appreciate being at home, not only working remotely but also planning my schedule, making phone calls, and also reading a book. But what I like most about the morning is “

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I really like espresso but, if I have to be honest, my preference goes to espresso drinks with a milk base or, better still, with a vegetable drink base. And this preference of mine is not out of fashion: I have always drank vegetable substitutes, partly because of intolerances (which we all have a little, especially lactose) and partly because of being careful not to overdo it with sugars. But I must say that I like all the extraction methods: from the classic V60, to the French Press and the Moka Pot that I rediscovered (like many others) recently. At home I use a lot the Aeropress, the Moka Pot and the espresso machine, if I were in a coffee shop I would certainly ask for the classic V60. I love the clean cup of the V60 and Chemex, I love the Aeropress as a method, and using the Moka Pot at home drives me crazy; I use the Syphoon very little, in the summer I really like Cold Drip. The French Press, often snubbed, is actually very good if made with the right recipe and with an adequate coffee. However, when entering a coffee shop, I would definitely choose the V60, for its clean and light cup.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

There is really no coffee that I can say was "the best I have ever tasted". For sure I have tasted several very good Geishas, and in the World Barista championships you often taste many excellent and particular coffees, with specific flavors. It was certainly in those contexts that I tasted the best coffees, but I can't name a precise one. I re-evaluated Brazilian specialties a lot when I was in Brazil, for the World Cup. If I'm not mistaken, on that occasion Emi Fukahori, from MAME, won with a Brazilian specialty from Daterra.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

No, I don't have a real preference. Obviously there are the classics Ethiopia, Kenya, El Salvador… how not to love them! But I really like to taste and always discover something new. For example, I’m (like many of us) "anti-Robusta", in the good sense of the term (let's say as coming from the specialty-arabica world), and then I tasted a Brazilian Robusta from the Minas Geiras area, fermented in processing with some wine yeasts (therefore a desired "fake"), which associated with a 20% of three specialty arabicas has managed to produce an exceptional blend, truly never seen before. And it is for moments like this that I am always ready to taste and discover something new. Another example of novelty are the guys who did permaculture in Peru, and they sent us several coffees, all good, but one was truly exceptional: it was called Oconal and had truly unique flavors. And so we took it and proposed it, making it clear that even less "known" places like Peru can offer wonderful products. Or let's think of Luis Campos, father of anaerobic fermentations, who in addition to sending us the classic Costa Rica Anaerobics (with the cinnamon and ginger flavors that we all know) proposed an experimental thermal fermentation, at a higher controlled temperature, which (also in this case) revealed unexpected flavors.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Difficult, really ... it's a bit like asking for your favorite farm or coffee ... you can never get a complete panorama. For example, today I'll answer Paolo Scimone and his “His Majesty the Coffee”. Paolo is a person with whom I have found a great affinity not only for what concerns work but also personally, and whom I admire for how over time he has been able to maintain his ethics and his professionalism. In addition, he’s an Italian roaster, which has nothing to envy to foreign roasters. In fact, let's not forget that we are not "inferior" to anyone, simply abroad roasters like The Barn or Coffee Collective have had more fertile ground in which to grow, in which to become great raw material professionals. In Paolo. I find precisely this, associated with a great sense of professional and human ethics.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

There is not just one thing, but rather a set of things. The communicative gift is very important, and having an empathic side is essential ... you can be very good at what you do, but if you don't have empathy and you don't know how to communicate (with clients, students, the public, etc) it's all useless. In addition, what really enriched me was having known cultures all over the world, having somehow become a "child of the world". I have known new cultures, I have learned so much, I have traveled far and wide… and this has served to expand my horizons, and this is ultimately the most important thing. An open mind brings new ideas, brings more eclectic visions compared to those with a more closed mind.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Personally, as already mentioned, in this complex period I have dedicated myself to discovering other "ways" of working, much more digital and much more related to communication, using a lot Instagram and my image to communicate something. Linked to the specialty coffee world, I have certainly focused on online training, this is because I see a future, whether we like it or not, much more digital, linked to what will be artificial intelligence, to fast selling. Figures like "the coffee representative", still present in Italy, will be destined to disappear very soon, the delivery van will disappear, everything will be digitized. Then it will be important for companies to have a proper website, to be visible on the various marketplaces accessible, to spread specialty coffee more and more. In the end, that's all it is now, it's mathematical: the more you are on social media, the more views you have, the more people know and see you. That's all.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Looking at what has happened in the last ten years (2011-2021), a period that I have lived in full, we can realize what crazy changes happened. Changes inherent to culture, changes that brought large companies to take (at least in some way) the path of specialty coffee. Ten years ago there were already the first pioneers of specialty coffee in the Italian market, but they were often small places that, despite making excellent coffee, did not have any media strength (and by media I don't mean television but social media). Then thanks to SCA, thanks to the disclosure in other countries, thanks to some characters who have also become famous abroad, finally the Italian specialty scene has changed a bit. Thus came a second wave of pioneers of the Italian specialty (as I could have been 4-5 years ago), with much more media power. Francesco Sanapo was one of the first, followed by many, and now we can find some examples of specialty coffee in many cities from north to south. We are still very small, the specialty is still a niche market that is evolving. Now, among professionals, we already talk of the Fifth Wave, made up of scientific research and super-technological coffee shops, but we must consider that in reality we are still very attached to the classic figure of the 90s bar. However, I can tell you that in the next decade there will certainly be an expansion of the specialty world, and the small craftsman will be increasingly seen as a cool figure, while in the large roasters you will see the difference between those who will remain ignorant mimicking the small roaster but without succeeding; and those who, on the other hand, will study and succeed in providing a better commercial and specialty product. Because this is what we talk about with the specialty: something better, more controlled, more complete and interesting on a sensorial level. In the next decade this will happen: we will all go towards the best. This is one of the reasons why I am so happy to have co-founded Lot Zero together with the Mauro sisters: the trend will always be growing… we have also seen it in this long period of Covid. There has never been a decline, only ever growth.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

This is perhaps the most difficult question. I have always been far-sighted, looking forward without ever looking back. There is a phrase that I really like: it is said that a person's maximum intelligence is seen when in five minutes he can forget a negative episode from the past, immediately looking at what the future may be. For me the past serves as a lived experience, but which must absolutely not condition future choices, if not providing the point of view of rationality, trying not to repeat the mistakes already made. I hope that my work as a consultant, also linked to my image, will continue to grow; I will continue to train but as a goal (both in the specialty world and in the network) is to increasingly untie my time to money. I am a very creative and visionary person. What I want to do (and what I have always done) is to make my passion my business, drawing an economic benefit from what I do. I therefore definitely want to create passive income linked to my knowledge and my know-how, my consultancy, my strategies. And this applied in all sectors. For example by focusing more and more on digital platforms (which thanks to perfect SEO, the use of key words, etc ... can generate long-term profits), or with training days for professionals, or with the network that (if everything goes as it should) in five years it will be able to generate a passive income. At the moment I really work a lot, from eight in the morning to ten in the evening, but always with the entrepreneurial mind and not that of a simple worker. So I don't know what will happen ten years from now, but in the next five I want to generate more and more economic and living well-being for myself and those around me.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

The work in specialty coffee, as in any other area, is increasingly complicated because now the level has risen a lot. What really matters to me is the momentum, it's the specific moments. If I hadn't started ten years ago, with this precise path, today I would not be the Chiara Bergonzi I am today. I think it takes a strong and true passion in what you do (because in this way you are more focused and you do much more), you need a lot of determination and a lot of commitment, you need goals to be achieved directly and quickly. And as far as I'm concerned, you have to succeed in these goals at all costs, relying on the people who have succeeded before you in the same thing, and who have done it successfully. And this is the key to everything: to rely on those who have already succeeded, but who have really been successful, not on those who speak only without concluding anything. If you target the right people, the kind of path you want is much more likely to be able to do it for real. Passion, commitment, focus, sacrifice, goals, and always turning to competent and successful people who can guide you along the way. Nobody gives you anything, and we must consider that there is a huge difference between those who have passion and use the right strategies to make it a beautiful business; and those who have only the simple passion but do not use the correct strategies to put into practice what they want to do. Here, this is what I would like to suggest to all those guys who want to enter this wonderful world of coffee.

Sergio Godinho: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #15

Tanya — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 09:09:00 GMT

1_ Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Sergio Godinho, I am originally from Portugal (Lisbon), I am one of the owners of BUNA coffeeshop. I have the hard job of seating around our clients and enjoy coffee in their company. I also wait tables and clean the dishes when needed J.

2_ When and why did coffee become important to you?

I have more experience with coffee as a client than as a coffeeshop owner. At first, coffee become important to me as the way to start my day, taking the first 30 min of my day at a coffeeshop to organize my day, and later as a coffee owner, when I started to understand more about the behind the scenes i.e., equipment, brewing methods, etc.

3_ Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, at Gimme Coffee in New York, a while ago… I started exploring the coffee shop scene while living in NY for almost 15 years. I have done it all, tried everything from coffee cart black coffee, coffee refills at diners, Dunkin Donuts coffee, Starbucks, all the way through single origin fine coffee. It is important to be exposed to all types of coffees without prejudice. I had times in which a black coffee with milk from a street cart on a minus 10 degrees Celsius day, felt like the best coffee I haver had.

4_ What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Is the fact that everyday feels different! I never know who I am going to find out at the coffee shop, or what coffee did my co-workers decide to brew for the day.

5_ What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I like espresso-based coffee, but I also enjoy pour over coffee. I start my day with a double shot cappuccino followed by a double espresso, basically 4 shots!!! Then, before lunch time, if some filter coffee is left over, I go for it.

6_ Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I tasted great coffees that under specific moments tasted like the best coffee I ever drank. Hard to choose one, there are amazing coffees out there.

7_ Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I tend to favor Colombia and Ethiopia. They just mix well with milk-based drinks, as well as solo.

8_ Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Keen Coffee from the Netherlands.

9_ What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

You can have access and brew the best coffee in the world, but if you don’t care about people and the human side of the business, you have no future! A coffee shop is a place made for people that in turn like to drink coffee. Treat your staff like they are partners in your business, compensate your staff fairly, motivate and empower your staff, pay your suppliers on time, treat your clients like guests at your home, strip yourself from all the pretentious things about specialty coffee. Both coffee connoisseurs and first timers should feel comfortable ordering coffee, and free to drink their coffee the way they like it.

10_ How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Covid pandemic was a hard blow, and coffee world as well as other industries had to adjust, adapt, and reinvent themselves to survive. At BUNA, we worked hard to reinvent ourselves, and we managed to keep the doors (sometimes the window) open every day through the pandemic. It is amazing how can you still bond and interact with your clients even through the window take away service. Those 5-10 min that people could grab their cup of coffee during the peak of the pandemic, meant a lot to people, and I believe it played a role in people’s mental health by providing a brief social moment of the day in which people could get some interaction. Unfortunately, the wealth destruction due to Covid, will most likely result into some market consolidation. We all learn a lot when going through tough times that force us to rethink, improve and reinvent, therefore I’m sure that businesses that were able to endure the pandemic times, will come out of it stronger.

11_ How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

First, I believe coffee shops that care about coffee and serve great coffee, will drop the term “specialty” from their names. If you in fact are secure of yourself about serving great coffee, you won’t feel the need to adjectivize it as “specialty”. We will have either good coffee shops or just coffee shops.

12_ Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Creating jobs and coffee places in which people can enjoy coffee as well as interesting interactions.

13_ Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

People, Fairness, Honesty, Care.

Let's Talk About Ourselves....

Tanya — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 09:05:00 GMT

In the last month, we’ve been interview by the amazing team of Comunicaffè, an Italian online newspaper that cover everything coffee related (but that’s also about cocoa, sugar and tea). The interview is being published originally in Italian and then in English in the International page of Comunicaffè.

You can read here an extract from the Interview.

MILAN – Endri and Tanya, the creators of the online platform for the community of the international specialty Coffeeinsurrection, have a common past: for 17 years they have revolutionized their lives for a passion for quality coffee. Leaving their jobs in a pharmaceutical warehouse, they slowly began to follow their true vocation: he is a chef, she is a specialty barista. A professional path that has taken them far away, outside Italy, where this reality is seriously perceived behind the counter. First in Berlin, at The Barn, their trip collided with Covid. A pandemic that undoubtedly hit the horeca department, but which however served them as “the right moment” to build a website born to become a meeting point site for all specialty lovers. We talked about it directly with the creative couple.

[…]

They say: “Every time we visit a city we always inform ourselves in advance about the local specialty coffee scene and, although there are similar sites at least for what concerns European cities, we wanted something more “complete”, which not only listed places, but also provided some more information.

In finding ourselves choosing the cities to list, we just followed our hearts, starting from our favorites. Paris, New York, Berlin, Hawaii, and gradually many others. Right from the start we paid a special attention to Italy, trying to list as many places as possible, even in small towns or more remote areas.

[…]

We are still a small global reality, and it is important that we all understand that it is not a matter of “one vs. each other” to be (let’s say) the best in town, but it is more a question of “us vs. them”. The specialty coffee world is based upon an attention to the entire production chain, a care about sustainability and an attention to the individual; and in a way is against large multinationals, against the exploitation of people and territories, against bad quality coffee. And here comes into play our second goal: trying to make the specialty world known to as many people as possible, intriguing them and showing them that there is another way.

[…]

Same goes with the interviews, and the blog. We want to be a voice for all members of the community. We want to talk about coffee, about experiences. We want to tell stories. We want our website to become the voice of the community. Anyone who wants to contact us (proposing topics, asking us to review coffees, places and so on) and follow us, can easily do so through the Instagram Coffee Insurrection page, and through the homonymous page on other social networks.”

If you wanna read more, head to the English Translation

https://www.comunicaffe.com/coffeeinsurrection-a-reference-site-with-the-protagonists-of-the-specialty-also-in-italy/

or to the original Italian version.

https://www.comunicaffe.it/coffeeinsurrection-sito-specialty-endri-tanya-portogallo/

Lex Wenneker: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #14

Tanya — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 07:47:00 GMT

1_ Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Lex, I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I work at Friedhats Coffee as a coffee roaster and barista and packer and some more stuff. I do the green buying as well.

2_When and why did coffee become important to you?

It used to be important for me just to wake up. About 13 years ago it became important to me for the flavor of it. Around that time I started to become more interested in the process of making coffee and about a year later I knew that coffee would be a main thing in my life. I’m not really sure why but I just like everything surrounding coffee: The flavor, the machines used for making it, the origin, the people in coffee.

3_ Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

It was probably my first natural processed coffee. I was really amazed coffee could taste like fruit (: Changed everything.

4_ What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I guess that I really like what I’m doing. And if I don’t feel like doing it I can do something else. Also it’s very close to where I live so I don’t need to go there by car.

5_ What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Hard to say. Also changes from time to time. Overall I would probably go for the Aeropress as a allround brewing device. But at the moment I really like my espresso machine in the morning

6_ Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The one I used for the WBC in 2018. Colombia Cerro Azul Gesha XO from Las Margaritas. And close second is the Sudan Rume Natural from that same farm. Both very complex and powerfull coffee’s but at the same time super clean.

7_ Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I think Colombia because it’s just so diverse. I’ve had many different flavor profiles from Colombia. Also helps that my favorite farm is located in Colombia.

8_ Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Ripsnorter Coffee in Rotterdam. New kid on the block

9_ What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That planning will only get you so far. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith

10_ How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

We’re doing fine actually. Our café just does takeaway and that goes really well. The roastery was a bit quieter in the beginning, but has already picked up again. So we can’t complain luckily.

11_How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

We will be delivering coffee with drones out of the office, regular coffee will have been swapped out by avocado’s. Specialty coffee will not be special anymore. But, I see that as a good thing because that means we will all be drinking the coffee we now think is special. Which means we’re all drinking nice coffee. Unfortunately our roastery will no longer exist because Amsterdam will be under water by then.

12_ Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I will be somewhere in the mountains, either climbing or producing coffee.

13_ Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

I can definitely recommend it if it’s something you love doing. It’s hard work but that doesn’t matter if you like doing it. It’s very rewarding, in my opinion, to start your own business and take the thing you love and make it yours

Nicole Battefeld-Montgomery: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #13

Tanya — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 19:12:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Nicole Battefeld-Montgomery, I live in Berlin, work at Roeststaette Berlin and I make coffee. At work I am trying to be the creative and motivating part of the company that connects all aspects of coffee. From customer service to roasting, profiling, teaching and also selling equipment and coffee machines.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I can’t really put a date on it, I guess it is just something that I was naturally good and comfortable with and over the years I realized how much this job changed my life. I would say that I am obsessed with knowing as much as possible about the field of coffee for maybe 5-6 years and over the years I constantly pushed my boundaries. It’s like a really intense hobby. First you buy an espresso machine, then heaps of filter machines, then all the equipment that you can get your hands on until now when I just bought a home roaster. And this is just my free time! At work I am obviously involved in the topic all the time. It basically became my life and I am still not even close to knowing anything about coffee. I feel like it is a never ending search and so much information on it all the time and coffee evolves so quickly that it will not get boring.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

No, there are thousands of moments and each moment is relevant. Nowadays I get my hands on coffees that are so new and experimental that I have this feeling quite a lot. But my taste also had to develop. What I thought was amazing 5 years ago is probably not anywhere near as intense and exciting as the coffees I have tried in the past 3 weeks. And I still learn so much about tasting that some coffees amaze me differently every single day. The first time I smelled a coffee that was incredibly different, that’s a moment that I will not forget. It was a coffee from Colombia, El Paraiso, natural, smelled like Hubba Bubba bubblegum. I used it in my 2018 Barista Championship and won.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Seeing my regulars everyday, having the power to make someone's day beautiful simply by serving coffee and having a quick chat, dialling in and drinking the tasters to see where the coffee is at which day after roast, being able to work in my dream job.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I think I am very comfortable with the V60 because it’s the technique I know the longest and have brewed with the most. I find it very easy to control my flowrate and I get the cleanest results with it.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Finca Deborah/ Jamison Savage, Panama, Gesha-Interstellar And Hugh Kelly’s Barista competition coffee, yeast fermentation

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I am drawn to Ethiopian coffees. I don’t know why but I just absolutely love the coffees from there. I have experienced a new level of flavour with the Project Origin CM coffees from Guji/ Koke and their different fermentation profiles. Since then I am fangirl number one, I am just obsessed with these coffees.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

It’s definitely worth ordering from overseas at ONA in Canberra, Australia. Otherwise: One day coffee, MAME, Brewdogs, Friedhats.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Self Motivation is one of the hardest things to keep up. I really had to learn good customer service and how important it is to not just serve coffee but to create an experience. It is super important to train your staff constantly.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new

challenges for hospitality?

It is hard to say for the coffee industry because some roasteries are selling more coffee beans than ever. And machine sellers are also quite happy about last year's development. But I certainly think it is a huge crisis for coffee producing countries, as the demand from cafes and coffee shops, restaurants and hotels has dropped to the lowest since ever. The most challenging part was to be able to stay in business and to build up good working websites for the coffee shops to be able to still sell online. In Germany the Lockdown started at the start of November 2020 and will now slowly be lifted for outdoor setting with appointments and testing at the end of May. That is a long time to stay positive and to avoid depression for business owners! I feel that mental health is equally as important and challenging as fighting the extremely low green coffee prizes, due to less demand last year.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I hope that the world will realise that coffee is a valuable good, that should cost a minimum of 6 to 8 dollars/pound. I also hope that specialty coffee can secure more of the global market as at the moment specialty coffee only makes 5% of the world market. And I hope that one day coffee will be as appreciated as wine.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

As an educator and ambassador for coffee.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

If you want to open a cafe, please don’t just do it because it’s romantic and alternative and because you are sick of your old job. If you want to open a shop, don’t just open another coffee shop. Make a difference. Care about your product and not just about your furniture. Educate yourself on sourcing your products and communicate this to your customers. Be a gateway between specialty coffee and end consumer. Never talk down to your customers. Take them by the hand and show them other ways of how to choose, brew, drink coffee. Whatever you do, if you work in coffee, be passionate about it and be the difference. We need people that fascinate others to communicate how amazing the world of coffee is. It isn’t just a product. Coffee is art, live, culture, communication and so much more.

Davide Cobelli: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #12

Tanya — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 19:12:00 GMT

1_ Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I'm Davide and I live in Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet), I've been in the world of coffee for a decade as a consultant and trainer; in 2016 I opened the Coffee Training Academy and in 2019 the Artisan Roasting Garage Coffee Bros. In 2020 I became Italian Roasting Champion.

2_When and why did coffee become important to you?

From an early age I saw my father tinkering with a coffee machine (Baby Gaggia) at ome: I was less than 10 years old and I already felt that the scent of coffee attracted me. For me, coffee is a memory of home and family.

3_ Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes, it was at Stumptown in NYC; a cup of coffee from Ethiopia, a washed one. Coming back from that trip, I tried to make an Espresso at home and I realized that the coffee could be much more than only burnt and bitter. It all started from there.

4_ What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

I think that what I love most is waking up happy to go to work. I think it's a rivilege that everyone should feel. Do what you like and make it profitable and sustainable.

5_ What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I would say percolating paper extractions. The cleanliness and sensory transparency that allow coffee to express undoubtedly make me love these methods.

6_ Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The next one I drink! It will certainly be different from the previous one and the thing is exciting and never predictable.

7_ Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I love Ethiopia for the incredible variety and quality of coffee it gives us; I love Honduras for the people I met there, whom I call stepbrothers.

8_ Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I think it would be right to taste them all (or as many as possible), it is the only way to compare and be able to choose your favorite.

9_ What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

This sector has given me a lot, first of all the opportunity to travel all over the world, something that I would never have dreamed of until 10 years ago. Meeting people, sharing experiences, absorbing and discovering new cultures.

10_ How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new

challenges for hospitality?

It is a difficult period but we will get out of it by continuing to persevere in the pursuit of quality, there are no great compromises and I believe that being true to yourself is the winning weapon for the future.

11_How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

If I look back, I can see that we have come a long way in a few years. I hope that the future will always be centered on the quality and sustainability of the supply chain. On the right value, of things and people.

12_ Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I don't make such long-term predictions :)

13_ Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Believe in yourself and never give up.

Orkun Üstel: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #11

Tanya — Fri, 21 May 2021 11:47:00 GMT

1-Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hey, everyone! I’m Orkun. I’m Brewers Cup Champion of Turkey 2017 and 2020. Also, I have two other achievements in Brewers Cup of Turkey. I got the 2nd place at 2018 and I got the 3rd place at 2019. Currently, I am working at Kronotrop and I’m in charge of Q.C. of coffee bars and Barista Training. Also, I worked as a barista and production roaster in the past years at the same company.

2-When and why did coffee become important to you?

I’ve lefted the college because of my health issues. In that year (2013) I’ve met with Mokapot and French Press. =) I’ve started to make coffee to myself as a hobby. And then I was really impressed about the coffee scene because it has lots of equipment and techniques. In that time coffee was my only hobby and it helped me to overcome my health problems. So just in one year, coffee took a great part in my life.

3-Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

I don’t remember the first coffee I drank. But I remember the first specialty coffee that I drank the first time. Which is Indonesia Java Blavan. It tastes like brown sugar. It was the sweetest cup of coffee that I remember having.

4-What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Listening to New Wave of British Heavy Metal! It wakes me up and encourage me to start the new day. =)

5-What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Classic V60. =) because it helps me control the flow rate. It is very useful to get a tasty cup of coffee.

6-Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I drank a lot of coffees, including my own competition coffee, which tasted very good. That's why there isn't any single best coffee for me.

7-Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

There are a few origins that I tend to favor coffee from. Those are Colombia, Honduras, Kenya and Ethiopia. I really love complex, fruity coffees. And most of Specialty Coffees from Kenya and Ethiopia has higher acidity and complexity. Usually Colombia and Honduras’ coffees are well known for their sweet tastes and bodies, but also both origins produce lots of varieties and those coffees are quite complex. Because of that, I really love the coffees produced by those four countries.

8-Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I am suggesting Tim Wendelboe, Coffee Collective, Kaffa, April Coffee and Drop Coffee.

9-What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I’ve learned that is not important to work in a coffee company, but it is important to be in the coffee community and to share your experiences and knowledge with that community. You exist as much as you share in the coffee world, and this is the most important thing.

10-How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It’s not going well. Lots of baristas lost their jobs because of the unpaid vacations. Lots of cafes shut down. But the industry has lots of new home baristas now. And it’s helpful for the roasting business.

11-How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Today, usually everyone cares about to get funky experimental coffees but in ten years, I think most producers, importers and roasters will care about organic and biological coffee farming.

12-Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope that I will be working as a coffee hunter in some coffee origin. Hopefully in Colombia. =)

13-Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Always be open minded. There are no strict boundaries in coffee, only recommendations. Being open minded will help you to make new discoveries and get better tastes in a cup of coffee.

Jens Crabbé: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #10

Tanya — Sun, 02 May 2021 10:49:00 GMT

1. Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My Name is Jens Crabbé (30), I’m from Belgium and I’m the founder of MOK Specialty Coffee.

2. When and why did coffee become important to you?

In December 2012 I started MOK in the city centre of Leuven, as a 22y old guy, I had opened my own shop and roastery, this is when coffee really became important to me..

3. Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Hard to say actually, it was definitely in the Barista course I was following in 2011. Probably some Ethiopian coffee that was eye-opening.

4. What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Knowing that I can actually have good coffee at work.

5. What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

V60 02 with Sibarist filter, because these filter create a much faster flow, the V60 works more like an actual dripper and less like an immersion brewer, drip times are around 30% faster and create really vibrant cups with lots of clarity.

6. Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

This years Geisha from Felipe Contreras, Finca Gascon, Guatemala. Hard to say it’s actually the best but definitely in my top 5 and can’t wait to get it back in a couple of months.

7. Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

For the moment that is Colombia, partly because I went there on origin trip already. The plan for this year was Ethiopia but then Covid came. Maybe that planned trip might change my mind.

8. Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I really should try more other roasters myself, I’m actually really focused on our product and quality that I sometimes forget to enjoy other peoples quality. In Belgium I get along very well with the people from Caffenation, so let’s recommend those guys!

9. What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

Hospitality is everything.

10.How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

We are doing pretty good to be honest, it’s weird to say but 2020 was a good year for coffee sales, online orders went up a lot and people keep queueing for a good cup of coffee both at our shop and at our B2B customers.

11.How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

More automation, more single dose espresso grindes, too much added hoest and flavours to the coffee fermentation/processing. Sometimes I feel coffee is heading in the opposite direction of where wine is going.

12.Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Definitely not much bigger as a company than we are now, I still want to grow but quality and integrity are key. Maybe owning a small coffee farm to farm our own product?

13.Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

It’s fairly easy to become a good professional Barista, and the advantage you have is that not many people take the job serious enough to truly call themselves a professional. Grab this opportunity and remember that your own interest and motivation is the best teacher, don’t wait for other people to teach you. Trust and develop your own taste, dare to break away from rusted recipes and prejudices.

Federico Lucas Pezzetta (Coffee and Lucas): Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #9

Tanya — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 08:38:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Federico Lucas Pezzetta, but on social media I’m Coffee and Lucas! I’m from Roma but I work (Covid permitting) often away from home. I’m a photographer, social media consultant, content creator and filmaker.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee was always important to me: I don’t drink beer, and just lately I started to appreciate the world of wine, especially those wines that, on a gustatory level, remind me a lot the world of filter coffee. So, coffee is always been at my side.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Gedeb Asada, natural Ethiopia roasted by Gardelli. I remember the coffee, the place where I drank it, the barista. And I remember thinking “Wow, what am I drinking?”

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

As a freelancer, my time management is very variable. And this is not always a good thing! Sometimes I work until late night and I get up late in the morning (if I’ve got no appointments or special jobs that require my presence). Other times my day begins really early and it end sooner.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love filter coffee in any form, but if I have to choose I’ll go for sure with Chemex, V60 and Kalita.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

It’s hard to say. For sure, on an emotional level, I’m connected with Gedeb Asada (natural Ethiopia) for the reason I said before. And for sure I’m fond of the two editions of the project I did in collaboration with NeroScuro, “CoffeeAndJesse”, where we selected a carbonic macerated maragogype from Panama (Finca Hartmann) and lately an anaerobic fermented Ethiopia. Two amazing coffees. I was also lucky enough to taste so many astonishing coffees, some of them world famous, but also so many, let’s say “underdog” coffees that, in my humble opinion, have nothing to envy to coffees much more expensive.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I love coffees from Kenya for their consistency in time, and for their being so juicy. I really like natural Ethiopia and obviously a big portion of coffees that come from Panama are exceptional (even in the price…)

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I appreciate so many roasters and I’m sorry I cannot list all of them. So, to avoid making a ranking, I can tell you that I really appreciate the work done by NeroScuro (with whom I developed the project “CoffeeAndJesse”) and from abroad Hard Beans from Poland (we’re friends). But I’ve got a long list of roasters both from italy and from the rest of the world.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That I’m not willing to do everything.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

For sure a lot of people finally understood the potential of the online world. Someone already followed this path before, but Covid helped (or forced) people to open their eyes even just to avoid losing contact with their customers (even the potential ones) and tell them “Hey, I exist, I’m still here.” There’s still a lot of improvisation, but I think big steps have been made, and I think they won’t be undone after the end of these dark times.

11- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Talking about Italy, I hope much better than today. Three or four years ago, I was expecting a faster growth but then a number of different factors have meant that, between cafes opening and closing, the specialty coffee scene in Italy grew much less than it should have, I think. For sure Covid didn’t help, and not just in the coffee scene.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

After this year and a half of trouble in the pandemic world, I can difficulty see myself in 5 months, imagine in ten years! For sure I’ve got goals in my mind, but I’m always ready to be surprised by life. What I hope, is to still be able to do what I like even in ten years, and to still have by my side people I can count on.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

My suggestion is to learn a lot, study a lot, without “closing too much in self-referential contexts”, but to develop working (but not only) relationships healthy and sincere, proving yourself to be reliable. The world of photography and communication is very interesting and full of facets. Constantly evolving. You need to be open to evolutions, with a critical eye, but always open.

Where Are We Going

Tanya — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 21:10:00 GMT

Three months into our Coffee Insurrection project.

What’s new?

Winter has given way to a chill spring, and Covid-19 still strikes around the world, but things are hopefully starting to go better.

Coffee shops are slowly reopening; paper take-away cups will soon be just a bad dream and we’re finally gonna go back to drink coffee in its proper vessel.

A nice ceramic cup, maybe a trendy glass so similar to the one used for wine, or an old school rock glass.

But it doesn’t matter. What really matter is that, pretty soon, we’re gonna sit in our favorite café, or maybe in our next-new-favorite café, enjoying a flavorsome pour-over, a refreshing iced latte or a classic – but never, never burned – double espresso.

And we’re slowly gonna start travel again, visiting new places and new exciting coffee shops… and maybe even move somewhere else, who knows!

Life is full of opportunities and dreams, and you know what?

Baristas (and roasters, owners, and so on) never give up… the world is ours, and we’re gonna take it.

But what about Coffee Insurrection?

Where are we going?

The support and appreciation from people from kinda everywhere is huge, and we’re so grateful to everyone; so happy to be part of this “special” Specialty Coffee Community.

Yep, because for us our community is the key to everything, we are so many different individuals and everyone of us is special, and we all can do so much for the community.

That’s what’s behind our “Coffee Insurrection Heroes” series.

The same 13 questions to everyone, not only baristas and roasters but also founders, bloggers, small and big champions and everyone involved – even a little bit – in the Specialty Coffee world.

We love to ask the same questions to everyone because we love the idea of showing all the similarities and all the differences in our community.

We’re interviewing amazing human beings from around the world and – no spoiler here – you’ll find people from Canada, Belgium, Sweden… even from a place so far and so cool as Hawai’i.

But obviously there will be much more in our blog.

While listing places, we found so many cool realities we wanna talked about!

Like 1951 Coffee, a non-profit specialty coffee organization that promotes the well-being of the refugee community in the United States.

Or The Artery Community Roasters, a social enterprise where people living with disabilities are paid a living wage to roast and package specialty coffee.

And there are producers to talk about, and new projects, and coffees…

For instance, did you know that Kona coffee – the Hawaiian coffee so often overpriced and counterfeit – is today treat as a specialty coffee from a steadily growing number of farms and roasters?

And we’ll also continue with “Our Caffeinated Road Trip” series. We’ve got Intelligentsia Coffee (Venice Beach), Blue Bottle (Kyoto), Seniman Coffee (Ubud), Idobata Coffee Stand (Kamakura), and many more stops to talk about.

And then, there’s our database.

We’re gonna of course continue listing café and roaster from around the world.

Wellington, Amsterdam, Cape Town and Edinburgh are on the way, and many more are gonna come soon.

If you’ve got a city to suggest us, please do it!

The world is so full of specialty coffee that every time we have to choose a new town, it’s a big decision.

Last but not least, there are new things in our future.

A new super cool job, months far away from home… and this will hopefully bring us to visit new cafés and roasters, to meet old and new friends, to learn and discover something new every day.

And you will read about it pretty soon, it’s a promise.

We’ve still got so much more to explore together… the two of us, and all of you that so kindly supports and follows us.

Thanks so much for being part of the Coffee Insurrection Community.

Pics @Tanya

Elisa Urdich and Fabio Tiralongo: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #8

Tanya — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 08:38:00 GMT

1 - Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

We're Fabio and Elisa from Treviso. We are the owners of a specialty coffee shop in Treviso, Taste Coffee & More, and we are proudly baristas.

2 - When and why did coffee become important to you?

For Fabio coffee became important when he started to work as a barista. He was looking at his boss making a cappuccino and she did an amazing latte art. From that day Fabio started to study and improve his coffee knowledge. Elisa won a coffee course at Sigep 2014 and from that day coffee started to be one of the most important thing in her life.

3 - Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Fabio: Burundi Kibuye cup of excellence 2014 was an explosion of red berries and honey.

Elisa: Ethiopia Washed. the most classic washed Ethiopia, super citrus and peach, with an elegant tea like finish.

4 - What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

What we love about going to work every day is the fact that we are coffee lover, and so we love our job, we love what we do. Plus, we have the opportunity to share what we do with a lot of people every single day, and this is amazing.

5 - What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

We both love V60 brewing method because it is a kind of ritual process. For us, this method helps people connect with the world of coffee. Obviously, it's not an espresso, but it's super aromatic.

But, first of all, it's also a slow moment to share with friends or simply coffee lover.

6 - Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Fabio : Panama Gesha 90 Plus 'Lotus' hot fermentation 2019.

Elisa : Ecuador Finca La Florida Catucai 2SL (Winning Coffee Italian Brewers Cup 2019) - Bolivia Gesha Takesi 2018.

7 - Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Generally we fall in love with Ethiopian and Kenyan coffee. They're an explosion of aromas and flavours, and also for their nice and brilliant acidity.

8 - Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

We suggest you a micro-roastery called Peacocks, based in Milan.

9 - What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

How to run a business, taking care of the quality. You need a lot of passion and you need to try with all of you to communicate and share all the values around coffee, from the farm to the cup.

10 - How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

I think that if you have knowledge and expertise, you can continue to run your business, controlling better your incoming and especially your costs (always keeping fight for quality and sustainability of coffee world).

11 - How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

Specialty coffee in the world is increasing a lot. In 10 years we'll see more customers asking for high quality cup of coffee, with more awareness. Talking about Italy I hope to see at least 150 physical coffee shop where people will be able to drink, daily, amazing coffees.

12 - Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

We try to get better day by day, always studying, researching, knowing more and more about coffee world. We hope to reach our goals, be a kind of inspiration for Italy and, why not, expand ourself all around the world.

13 - Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don't be afraid, open coffee shops with a specifically idea and with all of your passion. Study, study, study and communicate as good as you served coffe.

Agnieszka Rojewska: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #7

Tanya — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 09:24:00 GMT

1. Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Agnieszka. I’m from Poland. Currently I work for Carimali as Head of coffee quality – I check our machines and together with RD team try to improve the performance of new products.

2. When and why did coffee become important to you?

It was around 2009 when I started to understand that coffee is more than just a bucket of milk with caramel syrup and it can taste great without additional stuff.

3. Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Not really sure exactly but I think it was natural Ethiopia or Kenya – both of them were a big thing to me.

4. What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

That I will drink my 500ml of coffee – and I keep all the gems in freezer in the office.

5. What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I like clever dripper because I don’t really need to focus of making it – so it is great for my mornings. The other thing I like is flat bed brewer like kalita 185 or April brewer – I enjoy how they influence the body of the cup.

6. Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

Hard to say – I hope it is still in front of me. For now, of course my WBC Ethiopian coffee the other one that I keep in my mind is Eugenoidis espresso from Wojtek Białczak during WBC 2019 in Boston.

7. Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I think Ethiopia and Colombia. They just always satisfy my need of complex coffee.

8. Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I would say Standout Coffee.

9. What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That there is nothing sure in this business – everything is constantly changing.

10. How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Mine work didn’t change a lot – as I mostly test machines. I just see that manufacturers of coffee machines have really hard time now, and coffee shops as well. Governments are not helping a lot, especially in Poland. And business owners are left for themselves.

11. How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think it will be much more automated and we will see a lot of new species and varietals in coffee shops.

12. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully in a peaceful place, with a dog, making coffee from time to time.

13. Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Coffee is not an easy career, but it really worth the effort.

Cover Pic @lucarinaldi

I’M NOT A BARISTA “The Brewing Guide Card Deck”

Tanya — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:58:00 GMT

Here at Coffee Insurrection, we’re all about the Specialty Coffee Community.

Obviously we love specialty coffee, it’s the behind all of it, but the love for our beloved community is pretty much at the same level.

We love to meet new people over coffee (even just virtually right now), talk about beans, recipes, stories, brewing methods and all those nerdy things we all love so much.

Connect this community is one of the reason why we started our project, and we love when we stumble upon a project that is so likeminded to what we believe in.

Today, while scrolling Instagram for news, we spot a post by our friend Łukasz Gałęcki regarding something called I’M NOT A BARISTA, a Kickstarter project about “The Brewing Guide Card Deck”.

Interesting, uh?

We couldn’t wait to read more about it, and what we found on the Kickstarter page was really interesting… as I said, something so similar to what we aim… another way to help tighten our community.

What’s all about?

First of all, we read about the guys behind the project.

I’M NOT A BARISTA is a not-for-profit company with the mission to empower coffee people behind the cup.

In a world increasingly dominated by technology and functioning virtually, human connection is more important than ever. Behind every cup of coffee there is a story, a group of people, and a process. The journey from bean to cup is a craft that deserves to be acknowledged. Each coffee represents an opportunity to appreciate, celebrate, and advocate for the enthusiasm which upholds this entire industry.

These are just some of the core values the team behind I’M NOT A BARISTA stand for.

This is already pretty nice per se, and their first project, “The Brewing Guide Card Deck” is something really important, in every moment and even more right now, after one year lived fighting the pandemic.

Their coffee stories are meant to put a spotlight on baristas, placing an emphasis on the human aspect in coffee and helping to raise awareness for the people that are an important part of this industry, but sometimes get overlooked.

Their project is a mission inspired by the community which seeks to then give back to the community. Baristas work tirelessly to provide us all with our daily caffeine fix. More often than not their long hours of hard physical work receives too low a pay and the true value of their efforts is rarely recognized. Furthermore, the pandemic has been greatly detrimental for baristas on a global scale. As specialty cafés have closed their doors, both the barista’s profession and livelihood have been taken away (and we behind Coffee Insurrection sadly know so much about it).

So, the guys behind the I’M NOT A BARISTA company ask themselves “what can we do to help?”

“The Brewing Guide - A Gift from the Global Coffee Community”, was their answer.

In a way similar to a cookbook that shares famous chefs’ recipes, the I’M NOT A BARISTA Brewing Guide is a collection of tested recipes for everyone that wants to level up its coffee experience, from coffee champions, experts, and really good home brewers from around the world, because anyone can brew and anyone deserves good coffee.

But this is not just about the brewing recipes – it’s about bridging with talented individuals around the world who share their knowledge and technique for better brews.

The goal of Micky Wang (the founder) and his team is to spread the love for drinking coffee around the world, and to empower baristas - those that are know by name and those they want to shine a light on.

How? This Brewing guide contains 55 cards in total, 48 recipe cards and 7 special cards. In the recipe card you can easily discover and enjoy 48 unique verified recipes from the comfort of your own kitchen or office. Each card represents so much more than a recipe: it is a vehicle for connection in these lonely times, represents a real coffee lover, or a barista champion who you can reach out to, whether because you want to learn from them, show gratitude for their work or simply bond over your shared passion for coffee. Nothing is more powerful than connection. The 48 recipe cards are based upon community verified and hand-selected major brewing methods: AeroPress, Pour-over, French Press, Moka pot.

To add more fun to the brewing experience, the team has also created an irresistible Spotify playlist (based on the recipe owners’ favorite brewing music) to enhance your brewing routine. 48 music recommendation from 48 coffee lovers like you. It absolutely changes the way your coffee tastes. Each recipe comes with a specific song track to recreate the exact experience.

And if this not enough to tackle your curiosity, take a look at the contributors barista!

For pour-over (not only V60, but also Melodrip and Lilydrip): Brandon O'Shea / Christos Klouvatos / Hrishikesh Mohite / Tanty Hartono / Ronaldo Hurtado / Josh Williams / Łukasz Gałęcki / Michal Boček / Renan Dantas / Sarah J. Hannaway / Siew Hui Ong / Tzanetos Dalletos / Ray Murakawa / Orkun Ustel / Zach Vasquez / Priscila Pinho

For Aeropress (both inverted and standard): Ronița Dragomir / Kiki / Alvin Cheng / Konstantinos Spanos / Fakhri Wiratama / Sulaiman Alalawi / Jared Dennison / Hafidz 'Ryuki / Nicole Battefeld-Montgomery / Tim Rogg / Paul Asquith / Pedro Martinez / Ricardo Saavedra / Wendelien van Bunnik / Smayah Uwajeneza / Naomi Carbin / Jessie Gao / Zarak Yusufzai

For the Moka Pot: Valentina Palange / Arquimedes Rondon / Davide Spinelli / Andrea Panizzardi / Frankie Breda / Pierpaolo Caperna

For the French Press: Vasileia Fanarioti / Alejandro Cardenas / Clarijs Rob / Lucia Ng / Andrea Ley / Karolina Gaizauskiene

And, last but not least, two special recipes from World Barista Champion for the clever dripper: Kyohei Tanaka / Berg Wu

To us, all of it seemed really interesting.

If you want to know more anout Micky and his team, to read about this cool project and to support it, head to their Kickstarter page, and enjoy!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iamnotabarista/the-im-not-a-barista-coffee-brewing-guide-card-deck

Alessandro Galtieri: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #6

Tanya — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:57:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Alessandro Galtieri, I live and work in Bologna (Italy) and since many years (since 2001) I’ve got a café dedicated to Specialty Coffee: it’s called Aroma. Aroma was an innovative project for the times, when in Italy specialty coffee was almost non-existent. I was already the owner of a “typical Italian bar”, where I used to serve also lunch and appetizers. When I met Cristina, my partner, I found in her an ally to turn the bar into a proper coffee shop, completely dedicated to coffee, to its culture and to the various extraction methods. So we prepared not only espresso, but we also used “Neapolitan” coffee maker, Ibrik and French Press.

I was Italian Brewers Cup Champion 2018 and 2019, I competed in the World Championships and in 2019 in Boston I ranked third. I have been AST since 2014, for the Barista and Brewing modules of the Coffee Skills program of the Specialty Coffee Association and I am also Content Creator, i.e. I participate in the creation of the Association's Brewing educational modules. Furthermore, I have written manuals compliant with the SCA educational program for baristas who wish to upgrade to a professional level: Basic and intermediate level barista, conforming to the official program of the SCA (“Abilità del Barista”, the basic level is translated and published in English with the title "The Barista Reference Book" in print and e-book format); for brewing I have also published a manual dedicated to alternative extraction techniques, ("Oltre l'espresso", which was a great success in Italy and which will soon be available in English).

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I started to work in a coffee shop in the ‘90s, and in 1994 I bought a café. At the time, the coffee was just “complementary” to the offer, because I used to serve also alcohol, sandwiches and so on… the typical offer of an Italian bar. However, I have always identified coffee as the main product of the bar, and that’s why I started asking about the quality of the product I was buying: I was curious, I wanted to know what was in the blend I was serving my customers. However, my enthusiasm was frustrated by the only response I got from the representatives: “the best arabicas” ... and I thought: but what are these best arabicas? We must realize that in those days getting news was really difficult; internet did not yet exist, there were no publications in bookstores, the only possible contact with the coffee industry were the representatives of the roasting companies who were very well prepared on prices, promotions, merchandising and loan for use, but knew nothing about coffee. In 1996, a new coffee roaster in Bologna began to propose a real list of blends of which he indicated composition and degree of selection: a truly futuristic thing for those times. He was the first to speak to me about coffee with competence.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Of course I remember it! It was a Sidamo, the first single-origin coffee I had ever tasted. For me it was an epiphany. I realized at that moment that I had hardly ever drank coffee and that no one else I knew had ever drank coffee either. That’s when I decided that I would dedicate my professional life to spreading the culture of quality coffee.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Over time the clientele of my coffee shop has become more and more prepared and demanding. With the most curious of them I have a dialogue on the coffees I propose, on their origins, on processing, roasting, preparation… in short, on all those aspects that in a commercial proposal are unknown and ignored. My greatest pleasure is to extract new coffees (or classic proposals that I keep choosing year after year) for them, in order to exchange opinions while looking for peculiar nuances and characteristics.

Sometimes customers bring friends to show them unexpected and surprising aspects of a product that is considered so well known as to be trivial. Interest often runs out there, but sometimes even these people are so impressed that they change their vision of a product that they did not consider or even disliked. When this happens, it’s extremely rewarding.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

Well, it depends on the moment. I like the plastic V60 and the ceramic Loveramics as conical drippers, the Lili dripper as a flat bottom, Clever and Aeropress as hybrids ... Oops! I did not mention espresso, maybe now they will withdraw my Italian passport;) No, don't worry I also like espresso; but at the moment the extraction methods I appreciate most are the gravity one and the infusion one. After all, I have also participated in some Brewers cup competitions that have given me great satisfaction so I am very fond of this style.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that for now the best coffee I have ever tasted is the one I brought into my competitions, precisely a Gesha with 20 days of anaerobic fermentation from the Hartmann family. It is a coffee that followed me in competitions both in 2018 and in 2019, a very special and unusual thing as in competitions we tend to use very fresh coffee. My experience, on the other hand, was the truly incredible quality level of that lot: perhaps this is the thing that struck me more than any other about this coffee. I still remember backstage in Boston 2019 before stepping onto the platform for the final, when Cristina and I tasted the coffee: it was simply stunning, a coffee harvested more than one year before, with very lively flavors of mango and pineapple, blood orange, orange blossom… really crazy. I have not yet found a coffee that has given me such realistic sensations of the presence of fruit and floral aromas, a bouquet of such complexity, but at the same time of such great cleanliness in the cup. I fervently hope to meet another one sooner or later, because tastes like these will stay with you forever.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I could simply answer Ethiopia but in my experience I have learned to respect all origins. I admit that I have some prejudice, but I’m ready to accept the lessons of humility that coffee gives from time to time. The "globalization" of post-harvest techniques, the increasing care to create more valuable and better-paid lots, it’s helping to increase quality, even in countries that in the past only offered commercial productions. We must never forget that what identifies a coffee as "Specialty" is ultimately the quality of the cup, not the origin or lineage.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Just one? No, come on, it would be too simplistic, I really don't know who to choose, the view is so interesting! No, I just don't tell you one!!! Ahahah.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That you’re never done. I am old, so I’ve now seen more than a generation of new roasters or baristas promoting a new way of making coffee, only to get trapped in those ways that in the meantime had been overtaken by the next generation. The world of specialty follows the Galilean method, there is no room for dogmas, you must always stay awake.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

The hospitality sector is suffering greatly. Those who already addressed the domestic market before the pandemic, especially online, had an excellent chance to maintain a good turnover. While those who changed their proposal during the pandemic are trying to grab a slice of that market, I have the impression that they have not achieved the desired results. The challenge for recovery will be won by those who are lucky enough to do business in those countries that have been more efficient in reducing the incidence of infections; with effective prevention first and then with total vaccination coverage. Lucky them; my business does not take place in one of those countries.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I believe that demand will continue to grow because we are still a long way from saturating this market. In particular, Asia will be the driving force. The offer will obviously try to meet demand but the effects of climate change are not encouraging - for the whole sector, not just for the specialty. I'm afraid there won't be enough for everyone :( The laws of the market will enforce their principles and prices will rise in proportion to the quality and rarity of the products available, putting a stop to the spread of specialty to almost all income brackets, like today… but perhaps this scenario is just my nightmare… now I’m going to drink a good cup of Yirgacheffe and I’ll overcome the pessimism :)

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope and I’m pretty sure that I’ll always be in this sector, I don't know in what role, because I believe a lot in the evolution of myself and in what I do and in the paths I take, but I sincerely believe that coffee will remain my vocation and the sector in which I will continue to express my professionalism.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Aim high, but with respect and humility.

Let's Talk About Something Different: Bevanda N°124

Tanya — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 21:45:00 GMT

Let’s talked about something different: Bevanda N°124

Thanks to the guys at Café 124, a specialty coffee place based in Milan (whose name comes from the historical Fiat 124 produced in 1983, that they use to deliver in town), we were able to try this “Bevanda N°124” (Beverage N°124), a coffee beverage similar to a cold brew, that comes in cute glass bottles. After reading about it while writing our website, we were really curious about it, and the team at Café 124 was kind enough to send a box full of bottles.

But what is it? Because is not a cold brew (is not written anywhere) and for sure is not a crappy soft drink made by coffee… so, what is it?

In the beginning, Bevanda N°124 was supposed to be a “regular” cold brew, but while brewing it, the team at Café 124 understood that for them brewing a normal cold brew was not economically sustainable. They had to wait 8-9 hours to get 20-30 liters of cold brew… not really what they were looking for.

That’s why they decided to do something different, something faster and more sustainable. They choose to reduce the extraction times by adding kinetic energy to the drink via a platform, and from there they were able to improve the extraction times from 8 hours to exactly 15 minutes. Subsequently the drink is microfiltered with natural cartons (the same ones used in wine) which help to eliminate all the remains of the coffee, and give a final product amber-colored, almost like a natural wine.

Pros and Cons of Bevanda N°124?

Pros: It has no added sugars or gasses, it’s diuretic because it’s made for the 95% of water, it can be drink cold (directly from the fridge but also on ice) and hot up to 70°C, it’s super nice to use (even at home) to prepare cocktails or soft drinks.

Cons: for sure it’s more delicate that a regular cold brew, but this can really help customers that usually drink just “commercial” coffee to appreciate something different, approaching the world of specialty coffee.

They produce Bevanda N°124 with different kind of specialty coffee beans: the one we tried was made with NDaroini AB from Kenya, roasted by Friedhats (Amsterdam), and was really sweet and balanced.

You can order it online from their website, or in Milano not only at the Café 124, but also at Tipografia Alimentare and Tondo Forno Artigiano.

Łukasz Gałęcki: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #5

Tanya — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 21:57:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

I’m Łukasz Gałęcki, I live in Warsaw, Poland. Since 3,5 years I work in Cophi Solutions as a Head Barista and Trainer. I also have the honour to be the Polish Ambassador of Alpro and Field Expert of Comandante.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Around 5 years ago I started to follow European Coffee Trip created by my friends Ales and Radek and got the idea to write a few cafe guides in the cities I was planning to visit. While meeting inspiring coffee people I got completely hooked and had to try the work behind the bar and since then it became my daily drive!

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

It would have to be an Ethiopian pour over made by now my friend Nihan, the owner of Rispetto Coffee in Ankara, Turkey. She put some much passion and heart into brewing. I could see how she glows why the coffee bloomed and we could start to feel the sweet aroma. All the issues, frustrations of the day suddenly disappeared and we could just enjoy the moment.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Making peoples day. I really feel like on a mission to brighten my guests’ mood and give them a bit of liquid sunshine. I also really love the fact that no day is the same. It might seem like routine work from the other side but if you do it right, it really isn’t!

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I love to experiment with brewing methods and gather/collect equipment. But if I would have to choose I would be making the decision between a 3-cup chemex and a V60. First one since I really love the ritual and aesthetic of brewing in a chemex and how it makes every coffee taste good. And V60 because it’s my universal way of quality check of beans and roasts. It exposed the truth about them and I can really know what’s going on.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I always struggle with this question since it’s like asking which of your kids do you love more. The best one is the one I choose to enjoy. And I think that’s the best attitude since coffee is organic and alive and you will probably never be able to drink the same cup again.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I love to flirt with a lot of origins but I tend to always come back to Colombia. I chose beans from this origin for my first Brewers Cup and kept choosing subconsciously beans from this country again and again. I love the complexity of Colombian beans and how the farmers care for the coffee and processing. I’m also very pleased to see way less of the colonial past in Colombia and more ethical and fair conditions for the amazing people who work on the farms.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Blend - a tiny roastery from a smalltown in Poland called Pszenno. It’s the only roastery from which I’ve never had bad coffee. The owner and roaster is a complete coffee lover. He puts so much passion and skills into his coffee. https://www.palarniablend.pl

Shokunin Coffee Collective - a beautiful project owned by the youngest coffee professional I’ve met few years ago. Jelle completely impressed me with his coffee knowledge and his educational sets blew my mind. Everyone was shocked when I chose him to roast coffee for my performance at Brewers Cup but I’ve never regretted it. Jelle created a beautiful coffee for me and shared all the knowledge about it with me. https://shokunin.coffee

Dear Judges - a project of my great friend and coffee sensei AST Janina Łaszkiewicz. She roasts competition grade coffees and brings them to people. While getting her beans you also get access to edutainment nights - online meetings when you can meet coffee producers and champions who competed with these amazing coffees. https://www.instagram.com/dearjudges.coffee/

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The good thing - coffee brings people together even in the hardest times. Especially now in the hectic pandemic times, coffee became a hobby or moment of “back to normal” for a lot of people and that’s amazing.

The bad thing - not everyone is fair and there are rotten fruit also in the coffee community. I also got to know about the colonial past of coffee and I’m still quite upset I personally can’t do more to increase the live standard of the people working on some plantations in the world.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

It’s definitely a constant “crisis management” situation. Especially in Poland when we can’t really get at all prepared for the new restrictions and changes. However it is a great ongoing test for our creativity and team spirit and so far I’m happy to report that Cophi Solutions passes this test very well. We didn't close for a single day since the beginning of pandemic. In the hardest, darkest days we took orders from guests via a walkie-talkie to avoid any direct contact with guests. It's been a rollercoaster yet we still hope that the worst is behind us and we look with great hope and optimism to the future.

11- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I’d love to see it way more tolerant, accessible and educational. With a focus not only on the most quality product but also sustainability and caring for the planet. Without extra boxes for coffee bags, plastic lids for cups and extra waste in cafes. Way more a friendly lifestyle than snobby hobby.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Working in coffee for sure. In the same role? For sure not however I think I will always have some connection to the bar. Fortunately the world of coffee is truly the world of endless possibilities and things you can do, skills you can gain. I would for sure love to understand coffee and the supply chain better and have more local or maybe even global influence on it.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t get down thinking that work with coffee is just a temporary job for students. It’s one of the most graceful and fortunately still artisan industries. You can truly feel the passion around you and connect with so many amazing people. Just open your eyes wide and let yourself get immersed.

Our Caffeinated Road Trip 2 - Hungry Bird Coffee Roaster Canngu Bali

Tanya — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:01:00 GMT

Figure this out.

Half a day spent on the beach enjoying the sun, enjoying life.

A couple of hours on a surfboard and the rest just chatting, swimming, walking with your toes in the sand.

And then you want coffee.

You crave for a cup of coffee.

It’s like 3pm and it’s been so long since your last cup of coffee that, you have to admit, was also pretty bad.

So you decide it’s time to go on a mission and check that specialty coffee roaster you read about online, that seemed so nice.

It’s not far from the beach, not even a mile, but walking a mile in Canngu, Bali, could be like teetering on the brink of the abyss.

Tons of cars and scooters crowd the main road, sidewalks are nowhere to be seen, and you have to walk in single file, hoping that your personal saint won’t look the other way.

You cannot even grab your boyfriend’s hand because you’re pretty sure it would mean sudden death.

And then you see the sign with a cute bird and a cup of coffee, and you read the name “Hungry Bird” and you know you made it, except…

Except you have to cross the street, and that’s bad, but you wanna do it, you need to do it… damn’ you can smell coffee from where you stand!

Your boyfriend grabs your hand and you run across the street, almost stunned by ceaseless car horns, dodging approaching vehicles, just praying to stay alive.

And then you succeed.

You’ve reached your final destination.

At that point you’re also starving. You grab the menu and look for a hearty snack: choco-banana pancakes for you, eggs benedict for him.

Then, it’s finally time to choose your coffee. The menu reads “Single origin coffee, seasonal. Your choice of Indonesian Coffee: Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi, Java”.

You ask for the daily offer and they tell you about their V60, a Kintamani Natural, harvested up on the Balinese’s mountains and roasted by the home team from “Hungry Bird”.

You’re pretty excited about it, because you were up on those mountains just a couple of days before, visiting farms, and you definitely wanna try it.

And now, it’s an emotional roller-coaster. Technically speaking, its (probably) not even a specialty coffee, or at least you cannot find its score anywhere, but who cares.

The coffee is awesome, one of the best you ever tried until that moment, and you’re pretty sure you’re gonna remind it for so long.

It’s quite unique, because you don’t often see natural process coffees from Bali, and it’s got a super creamy sweetness and a predominant berry flavour, with low acidity and a full, jammy body.

Plus, the food is nice and the atmosphere is friendly, and it takes you just a sip of coffee to understand this will be “your” place while in Canggu.

The place where to drink an awesome cup of coffee.

The place where to have a huge and yummy breakfast before jumping on your surfboard.

The place where to relax, and enjoy life.

Caroline Bell: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #4

Tanya — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 13:26:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s

your job.

Caroline Bell, Co-Founder and CEO of Café Grumpy in Brooklyn, NY.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Coffee became important to me during high-school. Back then, my friends and I used to spend hours hanging out at our local New Jersey diner taking over bottomless cups of

coffee. Back then it was more about the social aspect and less about the taste.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

Yes - it was when I first discovered fresh beans, a grinder and French press!

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Drinking coffee of course! Most days, I go to sleep looking forward to the first cup. Before the pandemic started, we would get espresso shots at our cafe (next door to our office and roastery) then head over to the roastery for a morning cupping. Since everything is still “to go” and we have limited the amount of people allowed inside the cafe at a time, we had to change our routines. Now, we batch brew at the roastery - a different coffee each morning and compare tasting notes. In the afternoons, we brew a few coffees on Chemex to share.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

When I am making coffee at home, I still like to use a French press. I don’t want to stand there with a timer and kettle watching the coffee bloom - I’d rather get some dishes done while the coffee brews itself!

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

To me, even just an okay cup of coffee can taste great in the right environment - just like great coffee can somehow taste bad if something doesn’t feel right. The best cups of coffee are always ones linked to memories of being with family, friends or just discovering a new coffee spot while traveling.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

I really feel attached to all of the coffees we roast - especially the coffee from farms I have been lucky enough to visit in person. As far as flavor profiles in general, it depends on the time of day. In the morning, I would probably select a washed coffee from Guatemala with a clean approachable profile that gets sweeter as it cools (because I drink coffee slowly). In the afternoon, maybe one of our selections from Honduras - like Las Mariposas.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I would check out Ritual Coffee in San Francisco - another woman-owned business that has also been around since 2005.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

As a hands-on business owner, the most important thing I have learned is to try to stay

as organized as possible and as healthy as possible. The work and stress are never-ending so you want to make sure you are able to keep up.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

This has been a huge challenge that we never expected would last this long. We ended up permanently closing one of our cafe locations and still have 3 that are temporarily closed, but we are hopeful that New York City’s office workers and tourists will come back soon and that small businesses will be able to survive.

In the coffee shops themselves, it has been very stressful for baristas, but thankfully, we are doing well with the vaccine roll-out here, so people are starting to feel a little more comfortable working in the service industry. I do think a lot about what coffee shops will look like in the future though - will people want to hang out, drink out of ceramic and chat to the person making their coffee? Or will the to go drinks,order ahead and get in and out as fast as possible vibe continue? It is a little sad actually as you spend years trying to build a place where people from the community can come and feel welcome and what is left right now is a place where you can’t really have much of a personal interaction. Will the commuters want to buy a coffee on their way to work if they have to wear masks on the subway?

11- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

It will depend on how we take care of each other and the environment.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I would like to be relaxing with a cup of coffee, reading a book with my dogs next to me.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Stay focused on quality and listen to your intuition.

Friedhats' Sampler Box

Tanya — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 10:05:00 GMT

8 March 2021 is not only the International Women’s Day, but also the date that Friedhats choose as the roasting day for their “Sampler Box” Vol. 2.

They were talking about it online in the weeks before, and reading about these amazing coffees I told Endri “Come on! We actually never tried a Gesha from Panama before… why don’t we do it?” Yep, you got it right.

Never tried a Panama Gesha before.

I know, it’s bad.

Plus, the other coffees seemed equally amazing so we decided to empty (even more) our wallets and buy the Sampler Box.

Let’s jump forward in time, about a week, when we finally receive the order. Three “regular” coffees (Indonesia, Kenya and Rwanda) and the “Super Special Sampler Box”, that’s simply so cool.

I mean take a look at the box itself: the big sparkling sticker with a cool dude (or a cool monkey? Difficult to say!), the five tiny plastic bottles (so similar to pill bottles), the small stickers inside, and all that yellow torn paper as a bed to let the bottles rest…

I mean it, it’s just so damn’ cool.

And then it’s time for the tasting.

From each bottle, a coffee each and one to share, simple as that.

In less than three days it’s all over, but guys, what a ride!

The five coffees were all amazing, with different flavors, different complexity and different bodies. It was hard deciding what was best, and this is our ranking, and it’s totally personal because all of them were awesome… it has all to do with what flavors, and which kind of body, and so on… we love in coffee. That’s it.

But let’s proceed.

#5 Colombia Las Margaritas Java Natural

Java is a variety that is growing towards superstar status. Originally taken from Ethiopia by the Dutch, planted in Indonesia, and named after the Island, it was first introduced in Central America around 2016. It's somewhat similar to the Gesha variety and also performs well at higher altitudes. And the taste is insane… In a good way! It's like drinking very sweet rum, except you're not getting drunk, you can still drive and your friends' jokes are still not really that funny. It comes with notes of rum raisin, cane sugar and dried fruits, and its body is really thick. The only reason why this is in the last position is that it was really too “rummy”… and we’re more into whiskey! Jokes aside, this was Endri #4 and my #5, but I’m writing the blog, so… #5 it is.

#4 Brazil Daterra Masterpieces Gesha D17 Anaerobic

Daterra is a pretty well-known farm, and usually their coffees are mild, smooth and sweet, but not really crazy. A couple of years ago they started making "Masterpieces” as they call it. Small lots, hand-picked (unusual for Brazil) and with experimental varieties and processing methods. This turned out pretty well. They even managed to win the World Brewers Cup in 2018. Every year they auction a range of masterpieces, and with a bit of luck the guys at Friedhats managed to secure a box of their favourite lot #D17, Anaerobic fermented Gesha from Brazil. This is really amazing for a coffee coming from Brazil, it still has the classical nutty notes, but here they’re together with some tropical fruits and a floral finish. It was Endri’s #5 and my #4, but again… I’m the one writing J

#3 Colombia Las Margaritas Sudan Rume Natural

Another year of Sudan Rume from Café Granja La Esperanza! This has been Lex's absolute favorite coffee since he first tasted it in 2015. "I remember this moment really well. I was cupping some coffee's for competition, and this coffee was just astonishing." he says, "The name of the farm was Las Margaritas and I had heard about them because they were experimenting with many different varieties on a single farm, which was super interesting because it allowed us to taste the influence

that variety had on the flavor of coffee. One of those varieties stood out. Sudan Rume." Five years later, the guys at Friedhats are still blown away by the extreme bright floral and herbal notes of the super clean natural coffee. Its notes are the ones you can find on a tropical cocktail, with hints of mint and a pleasant syrupy feeling in the mouth.

#2 Colombia Paraiso Experimental

Finca El Paraiso has got a name for producing some interesting coffees. It is located in Piendamò in the famous Cauca valley and run by Diego Bermudez and his family. This coffee is a Gesha variety, that is a good start for a flavorsome coffee, but this coffee is next level in flavor. They create this flavor with a two phase fermentation and "thermal shock" process. This is their process: First the coffee is washed with 'ozonized' water to reduce microbial load, then it is fermented aerobically for 60 hours at a temperature of 18 degrees. Next, it is de-pulped and then the second phase of fermentation begins - this time - anaerobic for 36 hours at 18 degrees. It is then washed, using thermal shock in order to "transfer and fix the secondary aromas developed in the fermentation phases of the culture medium". It is first washed at 35° C and then at 12° C. It is dried for 29 hours with a recirculating air of 35°C and a relative humidity of 25% until the bean comes down to between 10% and 11% humidity. It is bagged and stabilized for 15 days. All of that, makes this flavor and that is astonishing in many ways. It’s like drink a peach tea, the one I used to have when I was a kid. It’s really, really awesome.

#1 Panama Black Sheep Rocky Mountain Gesha Natural

This is the first coffee from Panama ever, for the guys at Friedhats (yep, not only for us!) It's not that they don't like Panama or anything. Lex even visited Panama early in his coffee-career. But for some reason Friedhats never had it. So here it is: their first Panamanian Coffee ever. And as you might know, Panama has everything in place to produce really good coffee. Beautiful farms, ideal climate, skilled farmers and lots of money. Plus, they have all the best varieties. Gesha was even rediscovered in Panama. All of this doesn't come cheap, but you know, you only live once. This coffee is from the Rocky Mountain farm owned by the famous Hartman family. The variety is Gesha which gives it heaps of florals and tropical fruit. The process is Natural with a bit of extended fermentation which contributes to the intensity of the fruit flavors. And yes, it was astonishing. The tropical fruits notes, like passion fruit, was so intense it fill your own mouth… and it smelled and tasted floral, and orangy… as I said, astonishing.

And that’s basically it.

It was a hell of a ride… and in a way, I can say that this is why we’re so much in love with specialty coffee.

Amazing flavors so different you can hardly imagine they come from a simple coffee bean, and that one bean so similar to the first one can have notes so different.

We had peach tea, rum, passion fruit, nutty, tropical mint cocktail, and much more.

Obviously is not affordable to drink this kinds of coffees daily, at least not for us, but it’s a really nice way to treat yourself nice once in a while, to let yourself (and your loved ones) know how special you are.

To the guys at Friedhats we can only say: thanks so much, it was really worth it.

Muhammad Fakhri: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #3

Tanya — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 10:54:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Fakhri Muhammad, many people called me Murad because of my account on Instagram (that’s my father’s name). I’m from Indonesia, East Borneo, Samarinda City. Honestly, I'm not working in the coffee industry, I'm just someone who loves to make a manual brew coffee, or what we usually called “homebrewer”. My job is actually as an assistant of a psychologist, but because of the corona pandemic, I decided to resign and now I help some friends who work in the coffee industry as mentors or trainers for manual brew coffee classes.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

I first got to know specialty coffee at the end of 2015. The thing that attracted me to coffee was the interaction. The interaction that I mean is the relationship that occurs between baristas and customers or fellow coffee enthusiasts. The interaction seems without limitation because there is always something to be discussed. The hospitality that exists in the coffee industry also makes me enjoy it.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

In early 2016, the Brewers Cup competition in Indonesia started for the first time. At that time I was not familiar with the competition. We know that when there is competition, there will be lots of great coffees that appear. I had the opportunity to try competition coffee from my favorite coffee shop, which's coffee from Panama (I forgot the coffee's name). When I tried it, I was confused, why does coffee taste like flowers and fruits? Since then I started to try various kinds of coffee.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

Before work, in the morning I always make coffee for myself and drink it while smoking a cigarette (like most Indonesians). But I do it all alone because I like to visualize or imagine the things I want to do in the future.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

The brewing method that I like is pour-over. There are two main drippers for me, V60 and Werkudara dripper (a flat bottom that I made and designed myself). Why V60? As we know, it can produce bright acidity and a pronounced flavor. Why flat bottom? Because this shape is able to produce a good sweetness and a good body. With both types of a dripper, I just need to adjust to the needs of the coffee. For example, if there is coffee that already has a high acidity intensity but does not have a body, then I will use a flat bottom, also if there is coffee whose acidity needs to be increased, then I will use V60.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I've ever tasted is Panama Geisha Anaerobic Natural from Finca Nuguo. That's coffee is my competition coffee when I won Indonesia Brewers Cup 2019. The flavor is so good and very complex.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Of course my beloved country: Indonesia!. Indonesian coffee has a great potential to become like a coffee from African and American. In this era, when all processors use anaerobic fermentation, Indonesian coffee has a very rapid increase in flavor. That's why I believe in two or four years, Indonesian coffee will able to compete in the world competition.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

Maybe, I will suggest my partner roastery from Jakarta, namely Onward Coffee Company.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

The most important thing in my opinion is the relationship between fields. Create collaboration, not competition. And also, respect the process.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Since I don't work as a barista and also don't have a coffee shop, I will answer it from the side of a customer. I see my coffee friends have made a lot of changes in the face of this pandemic. Many of my friends use e-commerce platforms to help with their sales, such as selling roasted beans or other menus. All of them are still opening their shops for dine-in, but with a visitor capacity of only 50% and the operational times is not to long like usual. All baristas work with the health protocol very strictly for making sure customers feel comfortable.

11- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

I think the next few years, specialty coffee will adapt to what commercial coffee is doing. Now we can see that many specialty coffee people make products such as commercial coffee. We can see a lot of canned coffee, capsule coffee, drip bag coffee, and so on. Does that look bad? No, it is a form of survival in this industry, and indeed innovation must be carried out continuously. But the most important thing that we must keep is hospitality.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to join the competition again until I become the world champ in the brewers cup. After that, I want to compete in barista championship because I want to make a history that a disability people can be a world barista champion. Then, I want to make a small coffee shop that the barista is just me (one man show), and in my coffee shop the customer can tell stories about their lives, their love, or maybe about their family. Why do I want to make a coffee shop like that? Because I'm a psychologist and maybe a good listener.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

For people who don't know me, I am a person with a disability, my right hand is only half, but I am proof that this industry is very open and friendly to anyone who wants to enter into it. Just do what you want, stay polite and humble, always learn because the coffee industry is always growing.

Coffee Insurrection Hero: Chapter #2 Ralf Rüller

Tanya — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 10:05:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

Hi, I’m Ralf, I’m German and I’m the founder and CEO of “The Barn Coffee Roasters” in Berlin.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Well, coffee was always important to me as a consumer, especially remembering my time back … well, if I dig deep, in my childhood I was waking up smelling coffee. My father was a postman and he got up really early and he drank quite a bit of coffee before he started his work. Later on, I worked in London and every morning I passed by my coffee shop and I had a fantastic Flat White before I started working. Then, of course, I started “The Barn” in 2010 and I got obsessed with coffee.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

My first “more than just a cup of coffee” I have to say was Tim Wendelboe’s Te-Ka-Ngu. A really, really nice coffee from Nyeri region in Kenya, and it was the first time I experienced like a mix of tomato soup and rhubarb with high sweetness. I’ll never forget that cup of coffee, it was absolutely amazing.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

The favorite thing about going to work in the morning? I love my job, I give everything, I work everyday for very long hours. Everywhere I talk about coffee, all the time I meet coffee people. They keep me energized, and I think the community in coffee is what keeps me pushing, and with community I always mean the community at source, on the farm, and the community in the cafés. I work with amazing people from more than 20 nationalities and it’s a great spirit at “The Barn”, I really love it, and we have amazing customers in the cafés. My favorite thing to do, for which I don’t have much time anymore, is really to be in a café on a Saturday and clear the dishes and talk to customers. I really enjoy the exchange of people enjoying my coffees, giving me feedbacks, and just sharing the moment of tasting the coffee is fantastic especially when you work at the farm and you know how much work is going into each coffee that we roast. And then the roast process, and everything around it. I’m just really blessed that I work with a product and with people that I really, really enjoy.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

I brew a V60 every morning, sometimes I go for the Aeropress, but I really do enjoy a V60. I really like clean coffee, and I like the 2-3 minutes of breathing in my coffee when I’m brewing it. It just get me excited about drinking it.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

The best coffee I ever tasted? Well, it’s hard to say… I feel like a father that has ten daughters, and I find them all beautiful. They’re all different, and I like them all for different reasons. So I can’t really say. I can’t.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

Origins? Same answer. We work so much with the farmers, and they’re elevating the coffees: they’re cleaner, we work with different styles, with different varietals, we try so many things. Wherever we engage, coffees are becoming better, I think that’s the most important thing as a roaster, to work with the farmers, and not many roasters are doing that. There’s a lot to do, it’s not all about just brewing it, and talking about it, you need to engage with the farmers and make the coffees better. I used to say Kenya, but there’s so much going on everywhere, and they’re all great.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I really love “The Barn” and what we’re doing… and I think it’s very unique, so it makes it really hard for me to recommend anything else. I’m sorry, there’s no humble way of saying this. Of course I appreciate many others, what they’re doing and trying to do, but I think everybody can push harder, to be honest. There’s so much to do in coffee and, again, we should never forget the farms work, and also buying great coffees, roasting them well, talking about them, sharing their stories… yeah, there’s a lot to do.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

I learn all the time. We all learn all the time. It’s such a big question… For sure, I’ve learnt that the whole chain is important, from start to finish, and if anything goes wrong along the way you can really mess up the products. The baristas are very, very important, because they’re the “last moment” of prepping the coffees and than handing them over to the customer, who’s then enjoying it, and then paying for the whole thing. So that’s a really important moment, but just as much as we need the farmers, and just as much I need the roasters. Everything needs to work, and we all need to work together.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

Oh my God, Covid… do we really need to talk about it? It’s a nightmare, of course, and I’ve just opened eight of ours ten shops, even though it’s economically not really viable. We’re a fairly little business, we need tourism, we need the offices, and we need people to sit in, and enjoy coffee and food. Now we have take away, and in winter time we were closed for three months because it was raining and snowing and no one was walking around, but I decided that I don’t want us to be stuck any longer, because I want to have life back, and I want to have baristas back at work, so we just do it and see what happens. It’s really not easy… it’s not easy for the farmers, we’ve got difficulties in picking the cherries, processing everything nicely… we had to reject a few coffees last year, we tightened our “green control”… luckily I’ve an amazing roast team, and we have great “green control” from start to finish, so that’s great. And I’m very thankful for “The Barn” community and all the customers that are buying our coffees and are supporting us. It’s really amazing to see the support from everyone, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to make it.

11- How do you the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

No one knows. What I saw in the last ten years, because I’m doing it for ten years, it’s maybe more interesting. You know, “The Barn” is fully focused on the product, that’s the most important thing, not the packaging. We have probably the most boring packaging in the industry and I’m quite proud of it, we don’t have a perfume box or things like that, or a flashy logo and marketing. It’s all about the product and the taste, and that, together with the people involved, it’s the most important thing. In the last few years we’ve seen more and more specialty coffees on Instagram, beautiful shops, roasteries popping up… but I really want them to push harder, to bring the quality up, to share farm stories, to focus on the products. I hope this trend of having a nice shop, put it on Instagram and so on, but with no training and no communication, will change. And I can also tell you that in Germany in the B2B side, the cafés are always asking for a specific price. They want the beans cheaper, and that’s really not specialty coffee. I think in specialty coffee we should never ask for a cheaper price. It should be a fair price. A price that the farmers have a good life with, and the roasters and everybody along the chain too. So, there’s still a lot to be done, and hopefully people will pushing up quality over the next ten years.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I don’t know… I mean, who knows? I enjoy what I’m doing, I go day by day, month by month, year by year. I really enjoy my work, and coffee… it gives me a lot of energy, so hopefully I’ll keep doing my job.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to

start this path?

My suggestion it’s always been the same, since the beginning. When I started in the “little barn” I was the barista, and people came in and they were looking at the interior, at what we were doing, and sometimes they wanted to copy what we were doing and I just said “look, my most important suggestion is that you need to go your own way, you need to find your own style, you need to learn a lot, you need to be authentic and truthful and humble and just engage with the product, present it well”. It’s an amazing product to be working with, I really enjoy being in specialty coffees and work with farmers, and work with my crew in Berlin. We have an amazing vibe and fantastic staff members, and the customers… it’s just really cool. I travel a lot, I think before Covid I was in 25 countries in 2019, and wherever I go people love our product, and it’s just an amazing connection. Especially nowadays, where people are looking for a meaning in life, is right in front of you. You can do so much in coffee… so just engage.

Pictures @pimrinkes

Read more about The Barn, Café Kranzler

Origami Dripper: Why All The Fuss?

Tanya — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:30:00 GMT

In the last months we saw popping out from almost every Instagram coffee related pic, an origami dripper.

At the beginning we just thought “Well, cool!” because let’s admit it, this dripper is cool for sure. It comes in bright and pastel colors and it’s extremely photogenic.

But there should be more, right? I mean, if coffee gurus from all the world are “playing” with this new kid in town, there must be a reason apart from its coolness.

So, let’s learn a little bit more about it.

This dripper is designed by the founder of Trunk coffee and Origami Japan, and produced by a Japanese manufacturer called, guess what, ORIGAMI, that designs equipment to support the “chasing of the ultimate cup of coffee”.

The name Origami (折り紙), as you probably already know, is Japanese: coming from ORI (folding) and G(K)AMI (paper) and is the Japanese Art of folding paper in delicate, often colorful pieces of art. It’s an integral part of the Japanese culture for centuries, so it was probably obvious that, sooner or later, someone decided to combine this art with the coffee brewing, nowadays so famous in Japan.

But let’s see more about the dripper itself. The design team worked with many baristas to come up with the perfect shape to achieve the ideal blooming and dripping time. 20 creases ensure that space is kept between the dripper and paper filter in order to ensure the smooth passage of hot water, creating the right air channels and aiding in extraction at various temperatures, and it became quite famous after it was used by Jia Ning Du (from China) to win the 2019 World Brewers Cup Championship. The shape of this dripper gives you a smooth control over the extraction and the brew time.

It comes in two different sizes, S and M (respectively suitable for 1-2 and 2-4 cup pour overs. It is made with Mino porcelain (over 400 years of manufacturing history, pottery has great heat conductivity) and is microwave and dish washer safe (while hand washing is recommended).

One thing really cool about this dripper is that it can be use with different shapes of filter paper. The S size is perfect with the Cone-shaped Origami or V60 paper (01), to enhance more acidity; or with the Makita Wave paper (155) for more body and sweetness.

To use the Origami you’ll need an holder ring (usually made of wood or plastic) that helps placing the dripper on the right position over the mug/server.

We actually haven’t tried it yet, but we’d like to try it ASAP. In the meantime we’ve found online so many recipes using the Origami.

If you’ve already got it, or if you’re just curious, take a look at the following links!

https://kurasu.kyoto/blogs/kurasu-journal/origami-dripper-brewing-recipe-how-we-do-it-at-kurasu

And enjoy.

https://youtu.be/WMPmZ9oXV6E

International Women's Day: AMACA Project

Tanya — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 23:45:00 GMT

Today is International Women’s Day,and in many ways things are always the same, both in the specialty coffee community and in the “real” world.

I cannot tell you real numbers, but for sure there are a lot more men than women involved in our business.

Farmers, producers, roasters, companies’ owners, even baristas… and what’s even worse is that a study by SCAA stated that “women comprised an average of 70 percent of the workforce in the fieldwork and harvesting roles”. That means planting, pruning, picking and processing. Nevertheless, women represent less than 1 percent of the world’s legal landowners. Many go unpaid or unrecognized, and not for lack of interested or passion for coffee. Often, governments still don’t recognize land ownership to women, and many banks won’t extend credits to women. Plus, many cooperatives won’t still recognize a woman as a member independent of a husband or a father.

Sad, isn’t it?

But, things are slowly (so slowly...) changing, and you can find small realities around the globe, entirely made by women.

Like this AMACA Project, made in Colombia.

AMACA means Asociación de Mujeres productoras Agropecuarias del Cauca, and it’s a group of women (yep, all women) coffee-producers located in El Tambo, Cauca, Southwest Colombia. It was formed in 1999 by 80 women from this region, and now they’re 140, all of them farm owners and heads of household. While they support their families via the cultivation and production of coffee, AMACA basically works as a platform to improve the production practices and to promote the access to the specialty coffee market.

In 2008, AMACA partnered with the ministry of agriculture, the governor of Cauca and the municipality of El Tambo to increase the production and quality of coffee on eighty members’ farms.

In 2010 the organization “Social Action” supplied 22 farms with new wet mills and processing tanks.

Today, 140 active members from three different villages across the El Tambo municipality make up AMACA. Their average farm size is one hectare (5000 coffee trees) per member, and while some farm is up to three hectares, many are less than one.

A premium is paid to AMACA above the value of the coffee itself to support their goals and aspirations as a group. Their most important goal is to improve the quality of life for their members (together with their families).

Right now, one of their most pressing needs is a warehouse space to properly receive, cup, manage and store their coffees.

AMACA is also an important local reality because these women were able to create a safe space from gender and domestic violence, for themselves and for other women and families.

That said, there’s still a long way to go, both for the AMACA group and for all the other women involved (in any way) in the specialty coffee world; and things are not gonna change anytime soon.

But, every time a woman is hired as barista, every time a woman open her own company, every time a woman raise and do something, is a small step toward a world more equal.

Support AMACA and support all others women reality.

If you want to read more:

https://vimeo.com/193405012

(AMACA interview)

https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/03/women-in-the-coffee-industry-what-you-should-know/

(Things you should know about women situation in the specialty coffee community.)

https://girlswhogrindcoffee.com/

(An all-female coffee roastery owned and run by Fi O’Brien and Casey LaLonde. An Aussie and an American, both now living in Frome, Somerset. Girls Who Grind Coffee are an all female small batch coffee roastery, sourcing specialty coffee from female producers and those who work to support them.)

https://strongwomenofcoffee.com/

(A nice Project about the women in this world, that often need to be “stronger” that their male counterparts.)

https://epicureandculture.com/female-coffee-roasters/

(Three inspiring female coffee roasters: Caballo Rojo Coffee, Little Waves Coffee, Brewpoint Coffee)

https://vimeo.com/193405012

Gian Zaniol: Coffee Insurrection Hero Chapter #1

Tanya — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 14:36:00 GMT

1- Introduce yourself: who are you, where are you from, where do you work and what’s your job.

My name is Gian, I’m originally from Treviso but basically from Venice, I’m based in Berlin as the Head Barista of Chapter One, in Kreutzberg, and I’ve made of coffee my choice of life.

2- When and why did coffee become important to you?

Ah… big question. There are two-three steps that pushed me in this direction. Firstly, my origins, because if you’re Italian, coffee is just “in your DNA”: I’ve got a lot of coffee memories related to my grandparents such as the smell of coffee in their house, and my grandpa giving me spoons of coffee just to try it. The second step was my breakfast when I was just a child, and it was always the yolk with sugar and coffee: a booster of energy based on coffee. And then I grew up in Italy, being just a “standard coffee consumer”, and it all changed when I moved to Berlin and I had the chance to try my first real specialty coffee. It was so unexpected and so different from anything I had before, that something just snapped in my brain: discovering the specialty coffees, the 100% arabica, I understood that there was so much more in a cup of coffee compared to what I thought until that moment. And the rest was just trying and trying, while discovering that it was a very complex world, with so many things to learn. So in the beginning I fell in love with something so new just for curiosity, but soon it turned into a passion, even because I love all jobs in which you are in contact with people, and when I find a new spot where I can put my “clown mood” into the job, it just become a kind of love story.

3- Do you remember the first coffee you had that was more than “just a cup of coffee”?

So, we’re talking about a serious coffee… well, it was December 2011, I was new in Berlin, struggling to find a job, kinda depressed after a month unemployed, and my girlfriend thought that maybe this “new specialty coffee thing” (that I never heard about before) could be something for me, so she dropped me in this specialty coffee place in Prenzlauer Berg (a Berlin neighborhood), and I tried a specialty coffee espresso for the first time and, I wanna be honest, my first thought was “What the Hell is this?”, basically because it was acidic, with a low body, and I couldn’t understand what was going on. And then, while it was cooling down, it became nice, and I decided that I wanted to learn more so I dropped my CV in that place and after a week I was hired. So, my very first specialty coffee was not a “wow” experience, because it can be that you have to train yourself to “appreciate” something so different, but I had the sudden feeling that there was so much more than bitterness in coffee, and it was like opening a door, and I started to work with curiosity to keep spying behind that door. And I can also tell you that it was an Ethiopia washed, and I said it was more a “shock” than a “wow”, it was an earthquake and it took me a while to deal with acidity in coffee, but I suddenly understood that there was more, that coffee could be something else. Plus, for the first time I discovered that the coffee was not just a bag of beans but there was the farm name, the process, the roasting date… it was really a first. I wanted to know more.

4- What’s your favorite thing about going to work in the morning?

My route to work… no I’m joking! I’m a “people person”, I really love to be in contact with people, to work at the counter… it gives me the courage to just face the world. I’ve got the feeling that when I’m behind the counter I’m the “king of the world!” (Gian laughs), something like that. I really love to make people happy, and my favorite day of work is Monday because I like to change the people’s mood. It’s all about be in contact with humans, share experiences, bring happiness with a cup of coffee. It’s like, you know, yesterday was my anniversary and this customer of mine knew about it, and baked me a cake… and when you know that you’ve touched people’s lives in this way it’s amazing. They’re not just people you serve, there’s more. For me, working humbly, with humanity, is the key factor to just have an happy life. And I don’t want to say the old bullshit that “if you love your work you’ll never work a day in your life”, because sometime a day feels like a month, but if you love what you do, it’s easy to just have a nice mood. Plus, I have the chance to drink a lot of great coffee, always different, seasonal. There are some days when it’s hard waking up, and you’re just sleepy, and it’s cold, and you arrive at work, and maybe you feel lazy, but then you take that Costa Rica, you take your time and brew the coffee, when the café is empty, no people around and just silence… I really love these moments, these ten minutes just for me before the opening. I normally seat in the middle of the café, drinking my coffee in silence, enjoying the quiet before the storm.

5- What’s your favorite brewing method and why?

After I’ve spent years trying as much methods as I could, I went back to the V60, I don’t wanna say that I’m kinda obsessed with it… but I’m kinda obsessed with it. I don’t know if it’s because during these years I’ve become more skilled with V60 than with other methods but the big hole in the center, the control you can have on extraction, its shape… it’s a method pretty easy, it deals with acidity very nicely. It doesn’t work very good with old coffees (it’s better to use a full immersion method), but once you have good water and a good brew technique, it’s pretty hard to screw a coffee with V60. It’s possible, but pretty hard. It’s a combo of what I like in the cups and the fact that it’s the most known and friendly method I have. It was the second method I approached too (the first was Aeropress), the one I’ve the longest relation with, we made together two National Championship and one World Championship… it’s my favorite for different reasons, from the heart, from the mind, but basically it’s because it’s able to produce consistent coffees with vibrant acidity and not very aggressive bodies.

6- Which is the best coffee you ever tasted?

I guess the best one I had was the coffee I used for the 2017 competition: it was NinetyPlus Ethiopia natural multilayer fermented, by Semeon Abay. There are people that tried my coffee back in ’17 and still ask for it. It was impressive because it was a fresh crop and probably it was one of the first times that I drank something that was so much in the “tropical fruit direction”. There was mango, watermelon, yellow kiwi… and it probably was the best coffee I had in my life, but you know, sometime I really enjoy also some standard natural Ethiopia, sometime I just need an easy coffee that just give me body and a nice aftertaste.

7- Is there a country of origin that you tend to favor coffee from? Why?

No, there isn’t, because you know, when I made my second National Championship I had some issues and in the end I was so surprise because I won the second place with a coffee from Congo, and it did so better than other coffees so much more expensive… What I mean with this example is that with the right choice of beans, with the right water and the right method, you can extract something amazing also from those not super popular origin countries. Plus, countries are evolving a lot. Just think about Colombia: 7 years ago it was not cool as it is nowadays (a personal opinion of course). Now you’ve got many coffees from Colombia, Costa Rica, Uganda ecc ecc...that are just outstanding. I can tell you that I really like Kenya for the acidity, and Colombia and Ethiopia, but choose a favorite is really hard.

8- Suggest us a roastery to check (not the one you working at/you use at work).

I can suggest you two nice places that are working good, with high quality. I’d go for Three Marks Coffee from Barcelona and Java from Warsaw.

9- What’s the most important things you’ve learnt while working in the business?

That is an never ending learning process. Every time you learn one thing, you’ve get a hundred more questions, and you’ve got to dig deeper. And that’s the coolest thing because I’m so scared of the feeling when I’ll arrive at the point I’ll think “Ok, I’ve arrived, that’s it”. That day scares me a lot, I love to just postpone that day as much as I can, day by day. Plus, just be relaxed, it’s the best way to work; be open mind, and what I like to say is that you can learn something from someone that started to work just yesterday. I’ve worked 27 years in hospitality, but I can still learn from fresh minds, maybe 17 years old kids, super young but with really good ideas, and you have to take them… take all the good ideas that comes from everybody and everywhere.

10- How your work and the specialty coffee world are coping with Covid and the new challenges for hospitality?

During this period we decide to stay open, with all drinks just to go, and considering that Germans have got a “to go culture”, it was not a big issue for many of them; and we like to describe ourselves as an unpretentious coffee shop, we are very relaxed, we love people to just be happy, enjoy the coffee and go out with a smile. You know, you can serve damn’ good coffee, but the customer service is always the key factor. You go nowhere if you don’t have this approach with your customers, and in a period like this when everyone have less money it’s even more important. I’ve got customers that used to come four-five times a day and now they come just one or two times, and one of the regulars moved to another district but he still comes to us, because he says “I prefer just walk and have one of your coffee, because I know you, and I wanna support you”. So with the job that we made in the years before Covid and the way we decided to face this period, with the best mood possible, trying to keep people as much safe as possible, it’s working. And even if in the beginning we probably seemed too obsessed with “safety”, with the growing of the pandemy people started to realize that we did that just for them, and they started to really appreciate it. So, if you’re clever enough to realize how to change your protocol for the time we’re living, and to let people know that your priority is their health, they will appreciate you a lot. That’s why we’re working every day better. Obviously we’re not in a great condition, because as everyone else right now we’ve got much more expenses, but it’s going good, and we also had this idea that if you take your own cup, you’ve got a 20 cents discount, because also the message we wanna give is that customers must understand that they have to be part of the solution. You must have your own cup, it’s much better for you, for the environment and for the taste, and we try to give you also a “money push”, so you can save some money, and it’s actually working. We stopped to do handbrew, just batch brew to be faster, but we didn’t change the quality of the coffee, and this is a thing that people noticed. We’ve got rules: just one by one in the coffee, only wearing a mask, only to go, they cannot stay in the shop or outside the café, they just have to go immediately, and it’s not easy now with -10°C, but it’s working.

11- How do you see the specialty coffee scene in 10 years?

What I like to say first is: we’re still just a drop in the ocean and I know that we are serving the best but sometimes I have the feeling that if we’re not gonna change the general mood, this snob mood that too many time is around the scene, in 10 year we’re still gonna be just a drop in the ocean. There’s no grow if we don’t understand that. People will understand us if we’ll invest time on explain them what’s going on, and we have also to find the most appealing way to bring them on our side. If I just say “no, there’s no sugar because my coffee is perfect” it’s wrong, I’m gonna say “look, I’ll give you two coffee. Try one with sugar, and one without, and tell me which one do you prefer”. To me this is the clever way. Or if someone ask for a cappuccino extra hot you cannot just say “no!”, but you can say “sure I’m gonna do it, but you have to know what’s going to happen to your cappuccino, so if it taste miserable it’s your bad”. And you know what is gonna happen next? Nine customers out of ten won’t ask for an extra hot cappuccino, no more. It’s just a clever way to approach customers. Sometimes you have to invest two-three minutes with a customer, trying to be humble, explaining easily, because often customers want to learn more. Avoid be snob, using super professional terms because they don’t give a shit. Because sometime people just want a coffee, and you can let them understand that is not “just a coffee”, but you have to do it in a friendly way. Also, every country is different: traditions, culture, approach to coffee… something can work in Germany but not in Italy, but the most important thing is the part that we play behind the counter, and we have to understand it, because just serving crazy good coffee, is not enough. Because we work with people, and people are made by feelings and not just by “taste”.

12- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well, in ten years I really hope to be still behind the counter, in my own café, maybe with a little roastery… something like 35square meters of happiness, me, myself and I. Something like that, I don’t have crazy plans, I just want a quiet life, where I can survive with my business, that’s it. But I don’t know exactly where I’ll be, in which country… that’s I cannot answer, but I’m pretty sure I’ll keep working with coffee.

13- Any last word? Any tip or suggestion you wanna share with someone that want to start this path?

Don’t forget that you can go far just if you’ve got lust for learning, and if you’re curious. What I mean with “being curious” is: listen to everybody, put everything in doubt, try the other way around, and try to just be “yourself” in what you do. Just because a world champion told you that “that’s the way to do it”, probably he’s right but you don’t have to believe it blindly. Just try, be curious, make errors, waste coffee… I know it’s bad, but it’s the best way you can develop something that is just on you. And when you are making something that is personal, you’re adding something to the cup of coffee. Is not just serving something, but you’re “putting yourself” in the cup. And be you. In my personal experience you can reach this point just through experiments: brew something that satisfy you first, and after that you can deal with others. That’s it. Don’t learn blindly from others, try to understand why, even because also many times when you have two ideas what happens is that in the process you develop a third one, a we may need that third one. Is something like frozen coffee: until seven years ago, if you talked about frozen beans you were just crazy, but look at it now… just because someone said “I wanna try to freeze it”. Let’s see what’s gonna happen in two years! That’s it. And just be humble, be humble because we just brew coffee, and it’s great, but just calm down.

Our Caffeinated Road Trip 1 - The Barn at Café Kranzler Berlin Germany

Tanya — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:49:00 GMT

Me and The Barn, we go back a long way.

It all started a bunch of years ago, when Berlin became “our place” for punk rock gigs.

After all, Berlin was already in our heart, after back in ’11 we saw there No Use for the last time, but I digress.

As if by coincidence, when we started travelling to Berlin once or twice a year (following Frank Turner, Dave Hause and many more), it was also the time when we fell in love with specialty coffee, so it was natural for us to check some of the nicest coffee shops in town, and The Barn was at the top of the list.

We use to reach the Little Barn early in the afternoon, choose a V60, sit outside and just relax and enjoy.

Enjoy the coffee, enjoy the sun.

Enjoy life.

And then a stroll around Mitte before grabbing a bite, and reaching the venue.

It was a simple life.

Fast-forward to spring 2019, when I flew to Berlin to have a trial for a barista job, guess where? Yep, at The Barn.

It all went smooth and a couple of months later I moved to Berlin, and started my job as a barista.

As the rest of the team, I started working in all different locations, until I accidentally had a shift at Café Kranzler.

Historical note: Cafè Kranzler is huge, famous and kinda historical. The branch in Charlottensburg opened in 1932, the current flat-roofed Kranzler-Eck building, with its distinct rotunda and red-white touched awnings, was erected in 1957/58, and back then, located as it was in West Berlin, it became a major tourist attraction of the Wirtschaftswunder era (the West German “boom” period right after WWII). It was the place where to go in the ‘50s, the place for the rich and famous, where to have a slice of Kuchen and a cup of “Caffecrema” after shopping.

In a way, it was “the place”.

So, it’s not difficult to understand why working at Café Kranzler was kinda awing: a mix of wonder and reverential respect.

After all, even after 70 years, customers were still looking for the “Old Café Kranzler”, and we were so different.

But at the same time the place itself, and working there, was just awesome.

The café sits only on the second floor, but in a way it feels like you’re on top of the world, standing above one of the coolest crossroads in town, with the bustling streets, the sparkling lights, the rich and the famous and tons of tourists shopping, or just strolling around.

The big terrace lets you soaking up the sun while you enjoy the view and drink a lovely V60 (and if it’s on the menu, go for the “Volcan Azul”, one of my favorites ever) just resting, chatting and fully enjoying your life.

Plus, working at Kranzler gave me the opportunity to witness all of it, feeling a bit like “part of the history”.

Wanna know my favorite moment?

Christmas time, for sure.

The Xmas market just around the corner, the Xmas lights along Ku’damm, the snow topped Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

And most of all the crowded café, bustling with joy.

How to forget it?

Cover Pic by @joannagarm0n

Know your Coffee: Chania & Oreti, Harries Estates, Kenya.

Tanya — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:46:00 GMT

In the central highlands of Kenya lies the coffee growing region of Kiambu, of which Thika is a subregion.

We are at the foothills of the Aberdare ridge and the soils are red and volcanic, and rich in organic matter.

Among some large coffee estates and much more small holders and their cooperative, lie the two sister estates of Chania and Oreti, both medium size, both managed by Boyce Harries.

Both estates border the Chania River, and are surrounded by 200 acres of indigenous plants and forest that encourage the birdlife and the wildlife.

The weather is warm and temperate, with two distinct rainfall seasons (and a lot of rain even in the rest of the year) and a daily temperature of 22 C to 28 C that produce two harvest seasons: the main crop between October and December and the early crop between May and July.

The harvesting is typical of the specialty coffee: only by hand and only the red ripe cherries. The processing is mostly “wet”, or “washed” with some really interesting exceptions.

There are 40 people as permanent labour force, but in the busiest periods up to 300 people are hired. Plus, Bryce Harries and his company are involved in supporting local projects such as education of underprivileged kids and helping the surrounding area to flourish.

After all, the involvement of the Harries in this area is ancient history. Allen Harries arrived in Kenya from South Africa in 1904 and established the Karamani Estate.

His son Ivan join him a couple of years later, and in 1926 they moved to Chania Estate.

20 years later Ivan’s son Peter joined his father after completing his studies in New Zealand: together with his wife Rowena, a “Kiwi”, he bought a piece of land 5 miles above Chania on the same ridge running down from the Aberdeen mountains.

They named it “Oreti” Estate, from a Maori word that means “a place of danger and raw beauty”.

In the beginning the estates hosted various crops but since Peter inherited both estates in the late ‘50s coffee became the main focus; and it continued this way this way for a couple of generations, until recent days when Bryce took over the running of bothers estates, with a focus toward the Specialty Coffee World.

Today, Chania Estate is made by 180 acres, while the Oreti Estate is much smaller, just 90 acres.

With both the estates, Bryce lately tried something quite new (in Kenya): having a natural processed coffee.

This is quite hard and challenging, because Kenya has not enough dry season after harvesting time, and usually the harvesting time is itself a rainy time.

To have a natural coffee, to dry the full cherry prior to depulp it, it requires 3 to 6 weeks in which the cherries lie in patios or raised bed in the sun, and this is not easy.

Plus, natural processing in Kenya requires also a change in the way of thinking of everyone involved in the coffee industry, but lately Bryce was able to finally obtain two different kind of natural coffees (both Chania and Oreti).

Currently, you can find Oreti (both natural and washed) roasted by different roasters around the globe, the following are just a (nice) bunch of them.

U.S.A.

White Tale Coffee (Oreti Washed)

Europe

La Cabra (Oreti Natural)

Australia

Darks Coffee Roasters (Oreti Washed)

Harries Coffee

Enjoy!

A Special(ty Coffee) Valentine's Day

Tanya — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:36:00 GMT

Three more days before Valentine’s Day, and maybe you haven’t yet figure out what will be the right present for your loved one.

Well, if she/he is not just in love with you but also with Specialty Coffee, here you’ll find some nice ideas…

(P.s.: this is just my personal suggestion, my wishlist… I’ve got some of these objects, and for some of them I’m still waiting for my boyfriend’s present… cross fingers for this Valentine’s Day!)

Comandante Grinder

Well, even if you’ve got only a slight interest in specialty coffee, you know for sure about Comandante. The “Grinder” with the capitol G. The specialty coffee barista wet dream. Made in Germany, crafted with the finest materials, is designed by and made for specialty coffee experts and connoisseurs. Its design is minimalist and captivating, and it comes in a bunch of different nuances. It’s reliable, it allows an even grinding of the coffee beans thanks to the burrs made of high-nitrogen stainless steel, and with his “click-system” is pretty easy to adjust the burrs for the perfect grind size for every recipe you wanna do.

And considering that you really need a nice Grinder to Brew an amazing specialty coffee also at home, this is the perfect present.

Really, the perfect one.

https://comandantegrinder.com/

Acaia Pearl Coffee Scale

If your loved one has got the grinder already, now it’s the right time to think about a scale, and not the “normal” scale you can find in any kitchen. This one, first product made by Acaia and now favored by top baristas and cafes around the world, is much more than just a scale. It’s also a timer, it has an auto-start mode and an auto-tare mode, it can be paired with apps on your phone to upgrade its firmware and to monitor your times and graph your pour, and it’s chargeable via USB.

https://acaia.co/

Chemex

If you want to give your gf/bf something really beautiful and artistic, something useful but also a true masterpiece which you can actually find in museums across the globe, go for the Chemex. This coffeemaker was invented in 1941 by the eccentric chemist Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, a dreamer that developed over 300 patents, whose focus was on making everyday objects more functional, attractive and enjoyable to use.

Designing the Chemex, he desired to not only make brewing the perfect cup simple, but also to have the vessel be a thing of beauty. Being a chemist, he studied and understood clearly the chemistry behind the extraction of flavor and caffeine from coffee beans.

For the Chemex design, he was inspired by the Bauhaus school of design and non-porous labware that would impart no flavor of its own. Using these elements he fashioned the hourglass shape that has now become an iconic part of American history: it has been recognized and awarded by both the scientific community as well as the art and design communities, and can be found in museums throughout the world (it’s included in the permanent collection at the MOMA, NYC)

chemexcoffeemaker.com

Aeropress

Going a little bit cheaper, but still keeping it really interesting, you’ll find the Aeropress. Also its story, is quite a story. The company that still produces the lovely Aeropress was founded in 1984 by Alan Adler, a renowned inventor and retired Stanford University engineering instructor, to manufacture and sell his revolutionary sporting goods inventions, including the Aerobie Pro flying ring, which set a Guinness World Record for the longest throw.

In 2004 Alan began studying the coffee brewing process and analyzing coffee maker designs in order to create a truly innovative device that would brew a superior cup of coffee. At a coffee industry trade show in November, 2005, Aerobie debuted its breakthrough AeroPress coffee maker. What it’s quite funny, is that for over a decade the company flourished selling both Aerobie flying rings and the Aeropress coffee maker! The Aeropress brews a rich and smooth cup of coffee (both “American” and “Espresso” style), with low acidity and no bitterness, and with no grit in cup. It’s easy to clean and ideal for kitchen and camping. Plus, in case your lover has already got an Aeropress, you can choose the Aeropress Go, the ideal travel companion: everything fits into a mug (included in the box).

https://aeropress.com/

Everything produced by Hario or Kinto

Hario and Kinto are two Japanese companies famous worldwide: the two brands are synonymous with “good quality coffee”, and they’re also so damn’ stylish.

You’ll find for sure something (or a lot of things, depending on your annual income…) to buy for your loved one.

V60s, travel tumblers, cold brew bottles, cups and jugs, scales and grinders.

Everything you’re looking for, really.

https://www.hario.co.uk/

https://kinto-europe.com/

A Coffee Subscription

Last but not least, let’s figure it: you’re gf/bf has got everything. Grinder, scale, V60, Aeropress, and so on.

Well, go for a coffee subscription.

Most of the roasters across the globe offer monthly subscriptions. The offer can be slightly different, but it usually include 2-4 bags of fresh roasted coffee (filter or espresso roast) to be dispatched to her/his place monthly. Every month something new, so your lover can drink every time something different, while keep remembering that you actually got her/him the subscription… pretty nice, uh?

Plus, you can pause or cancel the subscriptions at any time… you know, just in case.

Check our list of Roasters to find your favourite one!

Brewing Methods: an Intro

Tanya — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:56:00 GMT

BREWING METHODS: AN INTRO.

Welcome to the amazing world of brewing!
Yeah, you’ve got it right… brewing.
Brewing coffee, per se, simply means something like “pour hot water (but also cold water… damn’!) onto ground coffee beans, then allowing to brew.
So we’ve got Espresso Machine (the one they use in that nice Café down the road, but also the probably cheap home edition) and the Moka Pot (a.k.a. stove pot) and your basic Filter Coffee Machine (the one for the early morning, when you’re still so sleepy and the only thing you can actually do is put a scoop of coffee and press the right button).
These are the basics, the brewing methods you usually think about when you consider “Hey, let’s have a coffee!”
But… but, there’s so much more…
Never heard of Aeropress, V60, Chemex, Syphon and Ibrik? Never considered the chance to have something called Cold Brew?
Well, if that’s the case, welcome to the right place!
In the next months you’ll learn a lot of cool things regarding how to brew a really nice cup of coffee.
Fancy a little preview?
Let’s have a quick talk about COLD BREW.
We talked before about pouring hot water onto ground coffee, but you can actually put cold water onto the coffee and get something similar and yet so different.
Why? Considering that the hot water aids extraction a lot, if you use cold water you need to let it rest for a long time.
Really long, like 8-12 hours.
But time and heat give you two different results. Generally speaking, cold brews have a lot less acidity and they tend to be chocolaty, sweeter and even a little boozy (yep, similar flavor to alcohol, no side fx).
Interesting, uh?
And there’s a lot more to discover.

Stay put for the next episode.

Barista

Tanya — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 21:36:00 GMT

The Barista.

Since the beginning of time or, at least, since humans created saloon, cafè, pubs, bars and meeting places of this kind, we started to idealize the barista as someone whose basic duty, apart from serving us something to drink, is to be able to listen to us.
From the old far-west saloons to the night-clubs which enlighten the darkest nights in Hopper’s paintings; from the classical pubs right in the middle of Main Street, packed with old men playing cards, to the hipster cafeterias downtown New York… everyone who enters a place that serves coffee, cocktails or beverages, expect to find himself in front of someone willing to listen.
And usually, this happens.
Too often, however, we tend to forget that we’re talking with someone just like us, a poor human being that, like everyone else, is at the mercy of his feelings.
Problems, satisfactions, joys and sorrows stay with him in his daily life; he’s got hobbies and interests; maybe he’s in love, maybe he loves to travel…
He’s someone that, probably, just need one of his usual customers to ask him about his day, about the last book he read or about his favourite movie…
And if only we took a little time to do this, who knows how many interesting things we may find!
So, that’s how this sections was born: a series of short interviews to baristas from cafeterias all around the world, with some question about coffee and about being a barista, and some other curiosity that has nothing to do with it!
A string of friendly faces and questions with no apparent logic at all that, hopefully, will help us to understand better who a barista is and, most of all, that will teach us to stop to take him for granted.

So, like any other day, let’s go to have a chat with a barista… but please, this time, let him do the talking.

Intro: Insurrection | Revolution

Tanya — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 17:46:00 GMT

Insurrection:
“A violent uprising against an authority or government.”

Revolution:
“A forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system.”
“A dramatic and wide-reaching change in conditions, attitudes or operation.”
[from Oxford Dictionary, online edition]

In the beginning, there was coffee.

It was a beverage, just like everything else. It was used and abused to survive long working hours, cold nights in trenches, afternoons spent bending over books…

It was something anonymous, a beverage brewed with no care and no interest.

It was short and strong in Italy, longer and milder in the Anglo-Saxons countries, brewed in a thousand different ways all around the world.

It was worship and idolized, but in the meantime it was trashed and mistreated by unskilled baristas and unconcerned customers.

And then, something happened: a revolution, a proper insurrection against the old coffee habit.

They started to talk about Specialty Coffee, Filter Coffee, Small Independent Roasters, SCA, Third Wave Coffee…

It’s been said that this insurrection started more than 50 years ago, right in the time when Beatles first treaded the US boards for the first time…

It’s been said that, since back in the days, this revolutionary counterculture started to undermine the very foundations of the old idea of coffee, to bring a new idea about the opportunity offered by this amazing beverage.

It’s known for sure that, at the end of the last century, a handful of brave heroes decided that it was time to stop drinking shitty coffee, an horrible product of the industrial revolution; and that it was time to dismiss the unskilled baristas that knew nothing about the thousands of secrets hidden inside a small coffee bean.

They created the first artisan roasters and the first coffee shops run by skilled baristas, real coffee-nerds that knew more about coffee that about themselves. They sharpened old brewing methods and they created new ones. And then came the hipsters, the geeks, and the young artists that, with their laptop close to the heart, were looking just for a place where to create the next best thing. All of them, and many more, were finally starting to understand that coffee was a lot more compared to what they knew. Coffee had flavours and aromas… coffee had all that wine had, and probably even more.

It was the beginning of the Coffee Insurrection…

[to be continued…]