Specialty Coffee Archives - Page 12 of 40 - The Curb Kaimuki

There are a lot of exciting things for 2019 incubating at the ole Sprudge Studios. Some, like the Sprudge Twenty, you’ve already seen. Some, like the Build-Outs of Summer, you’ve seen in the past and will see again very soon. Others, though, we aren’t yet ready to talk about in anything above a hushed tone.

But one thing we’re ready to shout about from the rooftops is our brand new initiative, the Sprudge Coffee Club. Each week, we’ll be working with different coffee brands to bring you discounts on products they are most excited about. And the best part is, joining the Sprudge Coffee Club is completely free.

At its core, the Sprudge Coffee Club is a commitment-free subscription service where you can come as go as you please. Here’s how it works: every Saturday in the Sprudge Newsletter, we’ll be announcing a new roaster along with a discount code that can be used to purchase the featured coffee from their website. If you like what you see, follow the link in the newsletter over to their webstore and make a purchase. If not, wait until next week.

And we’re kicking this Coffee Club part off right with our friends from Arkansas, Onyx Coffee Lab. You’ve by now heard that name a million times over, and with their strong national presence there’s a very good chance you’ve already tasted the excellence coming out of the NWA. But if you have been living under a rock (non-onyx category), consider this your chance to rectify that error at a deep discount. For our inaugural Sprudge Coffee Club, we’re happy to bring you 30% off—THREE. ZERO—their washed heirloom variety Ethiopia Agaro Family offering. Floral, black tea, peach, and cocoa, this is such a great wheelhouse profile of what washed coffees from Ethiopia can taste like, and it can be yours for pennies on the dollar.

You are by now champing at the bit to get your hands on the discount code. You can’t though; it’s reserved solely for our Newsletter subscribers. But fear not, you too can subscribe for $Free.99 by following this link. Not only will you get sweet deals, but you’ll be able to catch up on the best coffee news and frothy gossip you may have missed over the past week. It’s a win-win!

Ultimately, our goal with the Sprudge Coffee Club is to make the coffee world just a little bit smaller by incentivizing folks to step out of their comfort zone and try roasters they’re unfamiliar with. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be working with coffee companies big and small, micro- to nano- even, to bring you some truly cool stuff. And who knows, maybe there will be some coffee equipment sprinkled in there for good measure. The only way to find out, though, is to sign up for the Sprudge Newsletter.

Does your company want to be considered for the Sprudge Coffee Club? Drop us a line!

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image © Monkey Business/Adobe Stock

The post Introducing The Sprudge Coffee Club appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Few coffee packages give us the feeling of a sugar cereal box. When we got our hands on Counter Culture Coffee’s quarterly limited-release Field Trip, we poured over the illustrations, trivia, and whimsy like a child (or adult-child) eating Cookie Crisp before school (or after midnight). We spoke with the Lead Designer Amanda Hakanson-Stacy, who along with Lenora Yerkes created this delightful coffee box.

Why “Field Trip?”

We knew we wanted to create a coffee that highlighted our commitment to education and celebrated our training centers and our up-and-coming online education platform. We spent a lot of time brainstorming names and landed on Field Trip because it’s a fun way to talk about the coffee journey. Field Trip is a celebration of all of the knowledge sharing that happens from farm to cup.

Out in the field. (Photo courtesy Counter Culture Coffee)

Who designed the package?

I collaborated with one of our Sales and Account Managers from DC, Lenora Yerkes, to make this packaging. More information on Lenora and the inspiration here!

Tell us the design inspiration behind this package.

I’ve always admired Lenora’s dedication to her craft—she draws more than anyone I know—and really wanted to collaborate with her on a project. When we started talking about Field Trip, I couldn’t stop thinking about whimsical cartoons and I knew working with Lenora would be a great fit for this product.

Field Trip details.

Why are aesthetics in coffee packaging so important?

Aesthetics are important for all packaging. It’s what draws people to something sitting on a shelf. In a sea of many different coffees, it’s another way for our product to stand out. As a designer, I’m a firm believer in creating a connection between people and products through packaging design. I’m delighted by objects that I want to spend time looking at and displaying.

Field Trip backpack. (Photo courtesy Counter Culture Coffee)

There’s also a backpack—is this a part of the release?

It is! You can’t take a Field Trip without a backpack. Lenora drew the art that is on the backpack as well. There is also a limited edition mug.

This was a limited release. What’s next?

This coffee was one of our quarterly Limited Releases.

Spoiler alert—our next quarterly Limited Release is called Kaleidoscope. It is an Ethiopian and Kenyan blend that represents changing seasons, cold coffee, shifting perspectives, and some exciting new products in the works at Counter Culture. The first day to taste (and purchase!) this coffee will be during our Tasting at Ten on Friday, May 3, held at all Training Centers.

Thank you!

Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge.

The post Coffee Design: Counter Culture Coffee In Durham, North Carolina appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

The current price of coffee futures on the commodities market has, as of writing this, dipped just below the $.91 mark, bottoming out thus far today at 90.88 cents. It is sadly no longer news when the C price hits a new low; the only number that seems to be increasing is just exactly how long it is has been since the price of coffee was this low. Currently, that number sits at 13 years.

In response to this, some Brazilian farmers are refusing to sell their harvest until there is what Bloomberg calls a “price miracle.”

As the article notes, a record crop from the past season has helped usher in the historically low prices, and with a similar yield expected this year, hedge funds—the people who obviously should be in charge of making coffee valuations—are “wagering on further declines.” With the threat of even lower prices looming, Nelson Salvaterra of Rio de Janeiro’s Coffee New Selection tells Bloomberg that many farmers are “hoarding their beans” in hopes of a “miraculous” recovery in the C price.

The numbers back up Salvaterra’s claim. In March, green coffee exports dropped by 20%, to 2.6 million bags—roughly 156 million kilos or 343.2 million pounds—where it is expected to remain in April. The amount that was shipped, according to Salvaterra was only to “[cover] previously agreed upon contracts.”

In the short term, withholding coffee is “doing more harm than good.” Though the prices have increased due to the artificial shortage, it is setting the price higher for Brazilian coffee than that of other countries, further slowing the export rate. But for the farmers, the hope is that they can hold off on selling their crop until the price rebounds. But for this gambit to pay off, the C price of coffee will have to do something it hasn’t reliably done in a long time: it will have to increase.

Let’s hope their gamble pays off.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image © Adobe Stock/Paulo Vilela

The post Facing Historically Low Prices, Brazilian Farmers Aren’t Selling Their Crop appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Kazuhiro Nagasawa (Photo courtesy Kazuhiro Nagasawa)

Welcome to the Sprudge Twenty interviews presented by Pacific Barista Series! Read more about the Sprudge Twenty and see all of our interviews here.

Nominated by Mami Sakamoto

Kazuhiro Nagasawa is an entrepreneur and coffee professional based in Morioka City, some 300 miles from the city of Tokyo on the northern tip of Honshu. He is the owner/operator of his own eponymous small town coffee brand, Nagasawa Coffee, founded in 2012.

Here’s more on why Nagaswa Coffee is special from Mimi Sakamoto’s nominating essay:

“Let me explain a little bit about my hometown, the city of Morioka and its relationship with coffee. Coffee is loved by all generations here, and many families have their favorite coffee roasters and cafes. But what they call ‘coffee’ has traditionally meant a dark roasted, thick, strong tasting drink. When Nagasawa Coffee opened in 2012, their coffee selection had fruity, lighter, or sometimes unique tastes in addition to ‘traditional’ dark ones.

Mr. Nagasawa was not trying to follow ‘in-fashion’ coffee then. His coffee choices are not swayed by trends. Instead, he is cultivating his own world of coffee, traveling from Africa to Taiwan to keep his knowledge current, and expressing everything he’s learned here for the locals. I think this is how a barista in a small town can contribute to change and influence the world of coffee.”

Sprudge Media Network spoke with Nagasawa digitally from Morioka City.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

What issue in coffee do you care about most?

I care about the future of coffee cultivation, especially how it will be affected by global warming. Secondly, I am concerned about the worldwide rapidly growing demand for coffee, which may lead to an imbalance in supply.

What cause or element in coffee drives you?

In 2011, I encountered the Great East Japan Earthquake, the biggest earthquake that we had ever experienced.

The seacoast areas of Tohoku region, or the North East side of Japan where we live, had massive damage. From day one of the disasters, I couldn’t help thinking that I have to do something.

My desire became stronger day by day and about a month later, there I was, visiting from shelter to shelter of the seaside towns hit by the massive tsunami. Taking a whole day, I served so many people cups of coffee that I couldn’t count how many they were every day. The more I served, the more people became delighted, thankful for me with many smiles. Some of the victims even told me, “thank you very much for coming over to such a terrible disaster area,” and I was unexpectedly encouraged by those words.

During this activity, I strongly felt the magic and miracle power of coffee that made me think deeply about how good it was to be involved in the world of coffee. Unlike water or foods, we can live without coffee. However, at the moment you have a sip of coffee, a joy arises. Feeling healed, a calm space is born, and smiles overflow. That strange feeling that I had under that ultimate and devastating natural circumstance made me mad about coffee more than ever.

What issue in coffee do you think is critically overlooked?

The reality of coffee grower’s poverty.

What is the quality you like best about coffee?

Coffee can take us beyond countries, regions, languages, ethnic background, and religions. It provides us opportunities to share our common values. I believe it is a wonderful drink that connects people to people all over the world.

Did you experience a “god shot” or life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?

A long, long time ago, one day, I hiked up to the top of a mountain for snowboarding. It was a tremendously cold day, and I was almost freezing. Then, somebody poured a cup of hot coffee from a thermos for me. I vividly remember the scene and its unforgettably delicious taste of the coffee still now.

It was not that tasty as we could call “specialty,” it was precisely my life-changing moment that made me realize it all depends on the environment or situation; we could find any coffee to be the best coffee. I could say it was a very precious discovery for my career.

What is your idea of coffee happiness?

My idea of coffee happiness is: Coffee is always a side player, not takes a leading role but it still beside us when we need it. Coffee is always there when important decisions are made or brilliant inventions are found in history. I think what coffee happiness truly means is bringing to us our everyday life itself. No drama needed. Spending our daily lives with a cup of coffee is such a wonderful treat. Also, I would like to always be with coffee as a part of people’s ordinary lives.

If you could have any job in the coffee industry, what would it be and why?

I would be a coffee farmer and cultivate coffee from scratch all by myself. My town, Morioka, is very cold in winter, so it’s impossible to grow coffee here. So I have an aspiration to commit to producing coffee.

Who are your coffee heroes?

All the customers who come to my store, including the past and future visitors, are my heroes. Without any supports by all of them, we, Nagasawa Coffee, don’t exist.

If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

No doubt, it would be John Lennon. Although John and I are not the same age, we share the same birthday, and unilaterally I have admired him for many years. If this were to happen, for me to drink coffee with him, it would be amazing. However, to speak honestly, I would like to have a drink of something stronger than coffee if given the chance with John Lennon!

If you didn’t get bit by the coffee bug, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

I would be a professional snowboarder (if my age does not matter). I have quite a long career in snowboarding, and there are a lot of great places to go snowboarding with ideal snow conditions around my city.

Do you have any coffee mentors?

Nope. Nobody. I started my career in coffee by self-study and have kept it that way to the present.

What do you wish someone would’ve told you when you were first starting out in coffee?

When I first started in coffee, I knew nobody who was in the coffee industry then. I had to go very far to find my way. If I could have some advice from somebody, it would be much more comfortable. However, as much tough time as I been through, I now feel I am making good use of my past experiences.

Name three coffee apparatuses you’d take into space with you.

I would choose just one. AeroPress. I want to challenge pressing in weightless space.

Best song to brew coffee to?

Something by the artist French Kiwi Juice.

Look into the crystal ball—where do you see yourself in 20 years?

I can see I am on the southern island of Japan, and enjoying watching coffee cherries.

What’d you eat for breakfast this morning?

I had natto (fermented soybeans), white rice, grilled fish and miso soup. Quite a traditional Japanese breakfast.

When did you last drink coffee? What was it?

I would prefer to tell you when I drank coffee for the very first time, because I feel like my last coffee is always in the future. So, I think I was nine years old or so back then. My father brought coffee beans at a local coffee shop and brewed it in a siphon for me. I do not remember what coffee it was. Despite my father’s solemn and polite conduct, I could not understand the taste of the coffee at all. It has become a good memory of my late father.

Thank you. 

The Sprudge Twenty is presented by Pacific Barista Series. For a complete list of 2019 Sprudge Twenty honorees please visit sprudge.com/twenty

Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge. 

The post Kazuhiro Nagasawa: The Sprudge Twenty Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Is it “key” or “kway”? As of Monday, April 29th, it’s pronounced “Thou Mayest.” According to Startland News, two Kansas City coffee companies are joining forces with the just-announced acquisition of Quay Coffee by Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters.

The acquisition is part of an aggressive growth strategy by Thou Mayest. According to the article, the coffee roasting company will pull under its banner the three Quay cafes—all multi-roaster shops that will presumably switch to a single roaster model under the new ownership—as well as open a third location of their own, a 2,000-square-foot cafe inside collaborative space Collective Ex that has been dubbed “Thee Outpost.” The brand is jumping from two cafes to six almost overnight.

Thou Mayest co-owner Bo Nelson tells Starland News:

“You can expect the same attention to detail in our environment and product as well as the inclusive, creative community our service encourages,” Nelson said. “We love the product and community that Quay is known for. It was a natural association with our growth trajectory and there was great brand alignment. There’s more to come on that as we continue listening to what people want it to become, and we aren’t done yet. Growth is good and this is just our warmup.”

As part of the changeover, all Quay locations will be updated with “equipment modifications behind the bar,” more “health-conscious options,” and an uptick in alternative milk options. “There will be more plants, I can promise that much,” Nelson states, an allusion to the Family Tree Nursery owned by his family, home of another Thou Mayest outpost, Cafe Equinox.

Nelson also tells Starland News that Thou Mayest will retain all Quay employees, but some folks may see shifts in which location they work at as the two teams intermingle.

There are no details yet as to whether or not Quay will continue to operate under its original name or when a potential name change would occur. Though I think they should really lean into the common mispronunciation and go with “Thou Quayest,” but that’s just me, a person chronically incapable of not blurting out every bit of wordplay that pops into my head.

For more information on the acquisition, read the Starland News article here.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Thou Mayest

The post Kansas City’s Thou Mayest Acquires Quay Coffee appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Dusk settles onto the city and the light starts to fade. Several baristas slip one by one past a “Closed” sign and into Commissary Barber and Barista, arranging themselves at a corner table. Soon the surface of the table is littered with books, pens, paper, coffee cups, and dice.

“Everybody ready?”

“Let’s do it.”

“We let off on the deck of the Whistlepig, having just booked passage to begin the quest to find Mr. Thistlebelle’s lost wife, can I get a constitution check?”

The baristas reach for their dice and each roll one D20.

“Natural twenty+two.”

“I got a five+seven.”

“Ha!” “Seventeen+three!”

***

Indianapolis, Indiana is a coffee community with many events. But there is nothing quite like the monthly meeting of baristas who play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has been around since the ‘70s and is experiencing a recent upsurge in popularity around the country.

This group meets the third Monday of the month, either at coffee shops, or members’ houses. Known as Barista Bards, the group features a cast of four main characters and a rotating cast of guests.

The Dungeon Master takes a sip of her cappuccino and clears her throat:

“Alright, after dinner and a short rest, Taltos, you find yourself suddenly awake in the middle of the night.” She slowly looks around, pointing at one of the players.

“All around you is eerie quiet, none of the usual sounds of busy ship’s crew, and as you look out the window you notice a thick, viscous fog surrounding the boat.”

“What do you want to do?”

Taltos, a rogue wood elf with red hair and copper skin springs out of bed and nudges his companion, Thurk (pronounced hurk, silent T) a dwarf barbarian.

“Let’s go.”

Thurk rolls over—a difficulty, since he is as thick as he is tall—grunts, and goes back to sleep. Taltos gives up on the idea of getting Thurk out of bed and stealthily sneaks up onto deck, looking around apprehensively.

“All you see is the fog surrounding the ship, all you hear are waves lapping against the sides of the ship, UNTIL you see a crumpled shape near the wheel, do you want to go closer?”

Taltos tiptoes up to the figure, coming closer, he realizes that the skin is disfigured, the entire left side scalded beyond recognition. Taltos turns and runs to his employer’s cabin:

“Thistles, Thistles!”

“I need you!”

A rotund gnome wearing a nightdress and slippers clears his throat.

“Ahem” blinks slowly and says condescendingly.

“The name is THISTLEBELLE.”

Everyone around the table laughs, startling the barista at the counter counting money. The game breaks so the manager can check her close; this was, until only a few moments ago, a working specialty coffee bar. He gives her a thumbs up and heads back to the table.

“Thistlebelle snaps his fingers and his familiar, an orange fox, jumps on Thurk, sniffing, pawing, and poking his wet nose everywhere until Thurk wakes with a start ‘Garrrumph.’”

“No time for any of that,” Thistlebelle barks. “Let’s go!”

***

Much has been written about the cafe’s capacity for community building; it is a concept as old as the cafe itself. But the social component of a life spent in cafes burns no less brightly for those who make it their chosen career path. In Indianapolis, the strength of the coffee industry’s community has long been in League of Lattes, a monthly latte art throwdown series. But as the specialty coffee culture here has evolved, so have the ways in which coffee professionals connect to each other. The Indianapolis barista D&D group began last year with two baristas at Bee Coffee Roasters discussing past campaigns on a morning bar shift. As word spread, baristas from several shops expressed interest. There are now three separate campaigns combining baristas from smaller shops such as Bee Coffee and Commissary, alongside powerhouse shops like The Well and Provider (nominated for a Best New Cafe Sprudgie Award in 2018)

There are reasons so many coffee professionals are interested in D&D. Coffee culture often parallels nerd culture, with both communities built around unironic enthusiasm and pursuit of passion in niche interests. Specialty coffee as an industry is, in part, an exploration of the impact we can make through coffee in our world, reached through an emphasis on methodology and social interaction. While D&D is an exploration of fantasy worlds, players find success the same way, via social interaction and tactical methodology.

Both cultures reward geekery. Both cultures are increasingly inclusive. A female-identifying Dungeon Master—like a female-identifying roaster, cafe owner, or barista champion—used to be something unusual. Now it’s just part of the fun.

After grabbing a round of beers, the baristas turn back to the business at hand.

“Alright, you’ve woken up Thurk and Mr. Thistlebelle and the three of you are standing on the deck when you realize there is a disturbance in the air around you, a green glow illuminates the outlines of a vague shape.” The DM pulls out several miniatures and arranges them on the deck of a ship drawn on tracing paper.

“Roll initiative.” (Initiative determines the order of turns during combat.)

Several dice clack their way across the table top.

“Thistlebelle, you’re up first.”

“You see an arm-like shape detach itself from the smoke monster in front of you, as it swipes the air, you duck, but it catches the edge of your shoulder, tearing the fabric of your coat and raising welts.”

“I want to cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter.”

Thistlebelle turns to the creature with a wry smile on his face “How do you punish coffee?” He pauses. “You ground it!”

The entire table breaks into laughter and groans.

“Well, I am a coffee merchant.”

The DM rolls a wisdom save for the creature. “It’s a seven, they fall prone on the deck of the ship.”

Thurk: “Well at least that joke was good for something.”

Taltos and Thurk take their turns and one by one the rest of the miniatures disappear off the ship as they handily kill them off.

“Congratulations guys, you’ve won your first battle of the adventure.”

The baristas stretch, looking around the empty shop. Books, pens, and maps disappear into backpacks. Coffee cups clatter as the table is cleared.

“Same time next month?”

“Yep.”

One by one the baristas put their coats on and slip out the door into the night, leaving the shop silent and dark.

Joanna Thompson is a coffee professional based in Indianapolis. This is Joanna Thompson’s first feature for Sprudge.

Top image by Lara Antal.

The post Barista Bards: A Dungeons & Dragons League For The Indianapolis Coffee Community appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

What does it take to reach the upper echelons of coffee competition? Really good coffee and lots of practice are probably two things we can all agree are required, but beyond that it’s a bit of a black box for those of us who only count ourselves as spectators. In a new video series, April Coffee Roasters’ Patrik Rolf—fresh off his second place finish at the 2019 World Brewers Cup run in Boston—peels back the curtain to help demystify the coffee competition process by discussing, for better or worse, everything that went into his routine.

Available now on YouTube, Rolf—the best 2019 competitor not named Du Jianing—explores every facet of his run to the Finals round of the World Brewers Cup in a new 12-part video series. The near combined two-hour total run time of the mini-sodes includes topics like: practice, green coffee, roasting, compulsory coffee, the presentation, coaching, and the score sheets. Rolf also dedicates a video to each of his First Round and Finals Round “Open Services,” where the competitors give their 10-minute presentations on the coffee they brought with them. The video series is one of the most in-depth looks into coffee competition from the viewpoint of a single competitor.

The video series offers a unique insight into what competing looks like proffered by a competitor who went from second-to-last in the 2018 World Brewers Cup to second in 2019. For those looking to get into competing or perhaps looking for a way to take the next steps, these videos would be a good way to spend two hours in the offseason.

For more information, check out the Reflections by Patrik Rolf video series on YouTube.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

The post 2019 World Brewers Cup Runner-Up Discusses Competition In New Video Series appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

In a world of rapidly rising costs of operation and living, it can feel impossible to make ends meet as a cafe worker. From barista to manager, it’s rare to find a job that offers a living wage, especially before you factor in tips—and, often, it’s not due to stinginess, but razor-thin profit margins on the part of owners. As this pinch grows tighter on all sides, it can become progressively harder for cafes (especially small ones) to gain and retain talent. As wholesale trainers who spend their days training baristas, Counter Culture Coffee educators Jenna Gotthelf of New York City and Hana Kaneshige of Los Angeles want to explore these issues through asking questions and gathering data. Counter Culture’s next Prodev—a quarterly continuing educational series exploring a range of topics relevant to coffee professionals—titled “Baristatainability” will focus on the sustainability of the barista profession.

Leading up to the prodev on June 12, Gotthelf and Kaneshige will be using three surveys to collect data from current and former cafe workers at all levels. These surveys—one for baristas, one for managers and trainers, and one for program directors and owners—will be live until May 5th.

Hana Kaneshige (left) and Jenna Gotthelf.

The coffee industry spends a lot of time focusing on issues coffee producers face, and rightly so, but as Gotthelf and Kaneshige’s project points out, baristas, too, are a critical link in the supply chain. If they can’t afford to stay in their jobs, the whole chain suffers the consequences. I talked with Gotthelf and Kaneshige about the inspiration, goals, and hopes that underpin this project. Read on to learn more about Baristatainability.

Hey Jenna, hey Hana. How long have you both been in coffee?

Jenna Gotthelf: I’ve been working in coffee for eight years.

Hana Kaneshige: About nine years, but in specialty coffee for the last four or five.

What about your experience in coffee inspired you to choose this prodev topic?

HK: Jenna!

JG: Seven of my eight years in the coffee industry were working as a barista behind the bar. I love making coffee for people. The ritual and routine of working behind the bar is satisfying and fun, but it seems like it is a job that comes with an expiration date.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard “you can’t be a barista forever,” I would have enough money to be a barista forever. I watched my colleagues move on from the bar to different jobs in the industry—working in sales, as trainers/educators, as technicians, etc. I felt pressure to do the same, not just because my peers were doing it but because the quality of my life was suffering as a result. It is difficult to make a living wage as a barista.

Barista work is skilled labor. It takes time to hone in and cultivate those skills. We need to change the perception of being a barista from a job with an expiration date to a skilled career full of potential.

How does this topic relate to your jobs as educators for a wholesaler?

JG: We work with and train thousands of baristas a year from a diversity of coffee-serving businesses. We are responsible for inspiring new generations of coffee people. I think it is important to understand where people are coming from, whether it is a restaurant, a small boutique cafe, or a very busy coffee shop so we can deliver information in ways that makes people want to do their jobs.

HK: As a wholesaler, we primarily work with retailers—a large chunk of our time is spent training new hires. However, the most efficient cafes and operations seem to have staff members that have been around a long time, and who know the ins and outs of the business and how to make coffee. When business owners are asking how they can be more efficient or streamline the business, retention is huge—a well-trained employee is far more effective than two brand new employees. It’s helpful (and healthy) to have a mix of both, but workplaces that are able to retain all levels of employees seem to have the best work environment.

What are some of the main issues you see coffee professionals facing at the cafe level?

JG: A major issue I see is not being able to make a living wage or having to work well over 40 hours a week to live reasonably. Not having health insurance is another major issue. Working in a cafe is physical work. There is a lot of wear and tear. If folks aren’t able to take care of themselves because they don’t have access to healthcare, they can’t do their jobs.

HK: It’s a mix of things. For baristas, it’s the need to work multiple jobs or seek promotions to earn a living wage, or to move out of coffee entirely when they are ready for a “real” life (i.e. need health insurance, are looking to start a family, etc.). I’ve also seen baristas seeking promotions they didn’t necessarily want, but are looking for a higher level of benefits or wages.

For those in management, as well as baristas, burnout is very real—the pressure to work day in and day out with minimal days off and minimal opportunity for actual time off.

There seems to be a degree of disconnect between all levels of those working in cafes/owning cafes/managing programs that contributes to devaluing certain positions. Ultimately, baristas are the link between everything we stand for in coffee supply chains and the consumer. We need them to both enjoy their jobs and want to do their jobs.

What do you think needs to happen in the specialty coffee industry to make cafe positions sustainable?

HK: An assessment of wages (of course!) and how to empower staff members so they feel like they are part of something. Trust goes a long way, and fostering a solid and sustainable work environment (in my opinion) involves communication happening across all levels, and confidence that your manager can do your job just as well (if not better) than you can. People have different skill sets, we should reward and encourage that as we aim to be an actually inclusive industry.

JG: Baristas need to be able to make a living wage in healthy work environments without having to compromise.

Why do you feel that coffee workers outside of the cafe need to think about these issues?

HK: A good workplace is a good workplace. There are commonalities that can be applied across the board for those who enjoy (or don’t enjoy) their work environment.

It’s pretty costly to train new employees in anything from the ground up—any industry, coffee included, should be aware of that fact. Those who aren’t in the cafe still generally rely on those in cafes to showcase our product. Even with the rise of subscription services and direct-to-consumer outlets, a lot of people are still being introduced to specialty coffee through cafe, restaurant, or hotel environments. All of these environments have staff members.

JG: Baristas are the most public-facing part of the industry. They are the link between consumers and the rest of the coffee supply cycle. The cafe is a launching point for the coffee industry. If we can have healthy launching points, then we are on our way to a healthier industry.

What changes do you hope to see come out of this project?

JG: I hope to see a shift in the perception of the barista profession.

HK: I’m hoping to see more questions! Having reviewed a few surveys so far, I just want to gather more and more information. Ultimately, one of my goals is to see what makes people want to stay at their job, versus what makes people want to leave their job, and work toward developing a guide for a more sustainable workplace.

What is one thing you want people to take away from this project?

HK: That sustainability is multifaceted—it’s important to consider all aspects, whether it be where our coffee is coming from to how we operate our businesses.

JG: This project is a catalyst. It would rule to see this ProDev grow into other projects, spark conversations, and help with projects that are already happening.

If you currently work or have ever worked in a cafe, take the surveys here:

Baristas: https://forms.gle/TCX6GBtTqLsDDVeVA

Managers/Trainers: https://forms.gle/MyhixJKfa3umaZM68

Program Directors/Owners: https://forms.gle/UuPjwA2FzZD1fYhB9

RJ Joseph (@RJ_Sproseph) is a Sprudge staff writer, publisher of The Knockbox, and coffee professional based in the Bay Area. Read more RJ Joseph on Sprudge Media Network.

Disclosure: Counter Culture Coffee is an advertising partner on the Sprudge Media Network. 

The post Concerned About A Barista Living Wage? Take This Survey appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

Will Frith (Photo by Huynh Nguyen Tan Phat)

Welcome to the Sprudge Twenty interviews presented by Pacific Barista Series! Read more about the Sprudge Twenty and see all of our interviews here.

Nominated by Elizabeth Chai

Will Frith is a career coffee professional working to “change the way the world sees Vietnamese coffee.” Frith has roots in the American Pacific Northwest, working for companies including Batdorf & Bronson, Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, and Modbar. Today he is based in Ho Chi Minh City, where his work includes training and education for the city’s booming coffee scene, the development of his own concept cafe project, and a wide-reaching green coffee initiative built around introduction arabica varieties to a region traditionally known for robusta. Sprudge has covered Frith’s work in Vietnam since 2013, and we spoke with him digitally for this Sprudge Twenty interview, presented by Pacific Barista Series.

What issue in coffee do you care about most?

I care most about addressing the inequities throughout the supply chain—what people are paid for their work; access to information, resources, and community—and customer experience (also throughout the supply chain).

What cause or element in coffee drives you?

Caffeine and flavor are the elements in coffee that drive me! But seriously: fairness, developing potential, and sustainability.

What issue in coffee do you think is critically overlooked?

The fact that the people are the most important element, at every step, involved in producing the coffee experience for the consumer. It only takes one misstep, bad actor, or flippant comment to ruin the entire experience.

What is the quality you like best about coffee?

It brings people from many levels in society together. The enjoyment of good coffee (not limited to specialty or “third wave”) is something that anyone can access.

Did you experience a “god shot” or life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?

Coffee and my passion for it revealed itself slowly over the course of many smaller great experiences. I can’t really narrow it down to a single beverage or time. The people who supported me, provided guidance, and shared their experience all worked together to provide a long-term, ongoing series of revelations that continue to inspire and drive me.

What is your idea of coffee happiness?

A quiet, slow morning with a cool, light breeze and a great view. A warm cup of filter coffee, nothing too fancy. Could be something great, could be something mediocre, as long as the moment itself is great.

If you could have any job in the coffee industry, what would it be and why?

Coffee Idea Person, a job where people come to me with coffee problems and I help to solve them, and I have a team of people to design and produce any gadgetry that I think up. It would be sort of what I do already, without all the hardest stuff. I really like what I already do, I just wish it was easier sometimes.

Who are your coffee heroes?

Trish Rothgeb (Wrecking Ball), Carmel Laurino (Kalsada), Oliver Stormshak (Olympia Coffee), Andrea Allen (Onyx Coffee), and Fuadi Pitsuwan (Beanspire).

If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

My maternal grandparents, who passed away a few years ago. Before they died I hadn’t had a chance to master their language sufficiently to really get to know them. They both had incredible lives, lived through war, poverty, migration. They were rice farmers with a typically huge family in the Mekong delta. I really would just want to know what their lives were like, what kinds of things they thought about when they weren’t immediately concerned with survival.

If you didn’t get bit by the coffee bug, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

Renewable energy and water reclamation are two subjects that have really captured my attention, but I haven’t made the kind of time needed to really dive deep into those things. I find them just as compelling as I do coffee, and if I spend the rest of my life in the coffee industry, I know I’ll eventually learn more about them. But my interest in these things definitely came as result of working in coffee…

Do you have any coffee mentors?

My heroes are also sort of my mentors (whether they volunteered to be or not). The people I’ve had the most formal mentorship-like relationships with have been Oliver Stormshak (Olympia Coffee) and Quang Nhat Trang (La Viet)—but these have been sort of co-mentoring relationships as well.

What do you wish someone would’ve told you when you were first starting out in coffee?

I think people might have even told me, but I was too immature to listen: slow down, focus on one thing at a time, and don’t try to do everything all at once.

Name three coffee apparatuses you’d take into space with you.

A duffel bag full of tasty instant coffee, a way to make ice, and a way to heat water.

Best song to brew coffee to:

Silly Love Songs, by Wings.

Look into the crystal ball—where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Using my experience in coffee growing areas to help other coffee growing areas address climate change. I’ll know my way around robusta as well as I do arabica, and will have been able to apply that learning to the problem of the climate crisis. Also it would be really cool to figure out how to grow robusta that tastes really great in the United States, because in 20 years our time may be up as an industry focused on special, far-away coffees cultivated with cheap labor.

What’d you eat for breakfast this morning?

Coffee. I’ve been playing with intermittent fasting (intermittently), and today was a fasting day.

When did you last drink coffee?

This morning, about an hour ago.

What was it?

An arabica blend from “Uncle” Son, who grows, processes, and roasts coffee in Dalat. I made an iced pour-over.

Thank you. 

The Sprudge Twenty is presented by Pacific Barista Series. For a complete list of 2019 Sprudge Twenty honorees please visit sprudge.com/twenty

Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Zachary Carlsen on Sprudge. 

The post Will Frith: The Sprudge Twenty Interview appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News

There’s been a real boom of coffee confections to make their way to the pages of Sprudge over the past week. We’ve seen ice cream topped with coffee chaff and three different varieties of cold brew gummy bears. But it’s a new week and we’re turning a corner in our coverage, pivoting towards more hard-hitting, pressing concerns in the world off coffee. Today we’ll be focusing on [checks note] coffee licorice. Okay then.

But these candies are just some shitty Red Vines (that’s right, Red Vines are shitty. I’m not even sure they are candy at all) dipped in old, dusty espresso. This new coffee licorice combo dombo is a collaboration between two Danish powerhouses in their respective fields, Lakrids by Bülow and the Coffee Collective. They’ve combined forces to create Lakrids C: Coffee Kieni, a sweet licorice coated in a blend of milk chocolate and Kenya Kieni coffee.

For anyone familiar with Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective—and not one of the many, many So-and-So Coffee Collectives copping their moniker, of which this writer is one of the guilty thieves (though one of the earliest thieves, if that’s better somehow)—it isn’t much of a surprise to see them collaborating in this fashion. Maybe the licorice-ness of it is a surprise, but the Coffee Collective has a long history of using coffee as a component of some larger product, be it a coffee cheese, kaffeekombucha, coffee caramel, coffee beer, or a very tasty coffee liqueur.

And as with other collabs, this new Coffee Collective jammer exceeds expectations. Upon receiving a press-exclusive sampler, resident licorice aficionado and Associate Editor Liz Clayton found the confection to be, quote, “delicious.” Per Clayton, Lakrids C “starts with a coffee, cream, and sugar vibe and crunches down into lush, rich licorice. Nothing too strong and disagreeable for those black licorice haters out there.”

“There’s enough chocolate and sugar at the front that it wouldn’t need to be one of the world’s best coffees inside… but it’s always nice to know that it is.”

For those looking to get a lick of licorice, Lakrids C: Coffee Kieni is available for purchase via both the Lakrids by Bülow and Coffee Collective webstores (but the Coffee Collective has it for a few bucks cheaper).

It’s clear that coffee is the perfect accoutrement for all manner of sugar. What will be the next collab? Coffee cotton candy by Cat & Cloud? Coffee cheesecake by Coffee Manufactory x the Cheesecake Factory? Coffee Sweet Tarts made by who else but Sweet Bloom and Heart? I wouldn’t say no to any of them.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

All media via Lakrids by Bülow. 

The post Now Coffee Collective Is Making Coffee Licorice appeared first on Sprudge.

Source: Coffee News