Issue #4
Brought to you by Bean Bros.
Don’t snooooooooze. We’re so happy to partner with Adam and the team
from Awaken this month. Adam, tell us a little about yourself.
I started working with specialty coffee in 2014 in Budapest then i founded Awaken. Awaken is a quality-oriented Fine Coffee and Tea company. Our aim is to closely follow the latest trends in coffee and tea industry; we use the latest technology, best equipment possible to roast seasonal speciality coffees which stand out because of their unique characteristics. We carefully select and source some of the most exciting, fully organic teas from around the world and we believe in ethical sourcing, which means we only buy the highest quality specialty coffee for which the farmers get paid 5-10 times more than the actual market price. We source organic grown tea only. All our teas come from controlled, organic cultivation. This dispenses completely with the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. We believe in a constant pursue of perfection, keeping in mind that it can never be achieved. This mentality gives us the motivation to keep learning and evolving to provide consumers with an outstanding coffee and tea experience. For us, to be awaken is all about being aware. Having a special inter-
“We believe in a constant pursue of perfection, keeping in mind that it can never be achieved. This amentality gives us the motivation to keep learning and evolving to provide consumers with an outstanding coffee experience.”
est or experience in something and therefore knowing what is happening in that subject at the present time. Which in our case is coffee and tea. How did you get into specialty coffee? Who was your mentor? How did you reach this quality of roasting?
I got into specialty coffee as a home barista. At that time I did not really have a mentor. I was learning by myself from books like Scott Rao’s ‘The professional handbook of a barista’ and blog’s like Jimseven and Matt Perger’s Barista Hustle. I got into coffee so deeply that I decided to quit my well-paid job and start working in a famous specialty coffee shop in Budapest as an intern. As soon as one year later, in 2015,
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I started my own cafeteria called Ébresztő (translates as
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a “wake up call”), which is the current home of Awaken. In the meantime, I did several professional SCA coffee courses to further broaden my knowledge in coffee. What is your favourite brewing method and why? I like Hario V60 the most because that gives you the brightest, most transparent brews. Who do you look up to in the coffee world? Is there
anyone in particular who influenced your vision and approach?
I look up to Matt Perger, Scott Rao and of course my mentor, Patrik Rolf Karlsson. All of them developed my approach towards brewing and roasting coffee. What do you think about the third wave coffee
shops and the specialty coffee business in general? I think there is a gastro revolution in the entire food industry. Specialty coffee and coffee shops are part of it. I like the fact that more and more people are becoming aware of their consumption habits and are willing to pay for quality products such as specialty coffee. There is an increase in demand for good coffee. I believe that millions of tons of low quality coffee are sold in the world so the specialty industry should work together on getting a bigger share of that market. I don’t look at great coffee roasters as my competition. My competition is bad coffee. Unfortunately, I am not big enough to be able to look behind the supply chain. Yet I can see from articles and blogs that the industry is smart enough to appreciate the extraordinary work of farmers and puts more and more effort into sustainable farming solutions. What do you think is the biggest barrier for customers to get into specialty coffee?
I think the biggest barrier is the lack of knowledge about specialty coffee in general. I honestly believe that the future is a sustainable capsule solution that was started by Maxwell Colonna. I am a
Let’s brew. We find that the most delicious filter coffees are made using around 60 g coffee for 1 litre water, that is 1:16,7 brew ratio. For 1 person, this would be let’s say 18g coffee and 300ml water. Method: V60
Water: 94-97 degree Celsius · Rinse paper filter with hot water, · Use 18g freshly ground coffee · Pour double the amount of hot water · Stir as soon as you can within 10 sec · Slowly pour the rest of the water in a small circle in the centre of the filter and make sure no grounds remain dry. Aim for a total brewing time of 2:30 – 3 minutes.
Keep in mind that more than 98% of our filter coffee is water. It is crucial to use filtered, soft water for a superior quality extraction of coffee solids. Target TDS is 110-150mg/L.
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big fan of his work and ideas. That is the only way we can make specialty coffee a consumer-friendly product. I have been planning to come out with our own capsule range for a while now. I really hope we can still do that this year. If we speak about coffee shops, their biggest weakness is not being customer focused enough. The industry tends to forget about the most important fact that this is about hospitality in the first place and yes, then comes coffee. What is the next step for Awaken? My vision with Awaken is working with businesses which see value in serving high quality coffee and making specialty coffee consumer-friendly. The latter can be achieved through a Nespresso compatible but eco-friendly capsule range. We focus on three core values at Awaken: high-quality, consistency, strong customer service. The next step is finding long-term partnerships and the development of the capsule range. How did you come up with the name Awaken? As I’ve already mentioned, my coffee shop chain was called Ébresztő, a “wake up call” in English. Awaken is the second stage in all sense. Starting my own business really woke me up, it was the biggest decision and the most difficult time of my life as well. Putting it on an even higher level is Awaken. Now I am much more aware of what I want and what is my purpose in life. I am Awake now. Are you focusing on any specific regions? We aren’t focused on any specific regions. We strictly follow seasonality. I believe that the best coffee is fresh coffee. I hope there will be more regions coming! We have recently bought coffee from Peru, they are fairly new in specialty. What’s your vision in terms of flavour? Clarity, sweetness and balance. Article by @thomas_gresty
Sweet, sweet Africa. The Kamviu coffee factory is in Embu county in the
Ruiru 11 and Batian. After picking, ripe cherry is brought
livering to the factory are members of the Gakundu
goes processing to remove the skin and pulp –known as
central part of Kenya. The nearly 1000 farmers deFarmers Cooperative Society.
The county borders to Mount Kenya, one of the most well respected coffee growing regions in the world. The main harvest for Kamviu is from October through February. Varieties grown are typical for Kenya; SL28, SL34,
to the factory by smallholder farmers before it underthe wet processing method. The river Muriuriu is the primary water source for coffee processing at the factory. The factory is using a disc pulper with four separate discs to remove the skin and fruit from the inner parchment layer that is protecting the green coffee bean. After pulping, the coffee is fermented overnight to break down the sugars, traveling through channels to the soaking tank the coffee is carefully cleaned, soaked and spread out on the raised drying tables. Time on the drying tables depends on climate, ambient temperature and total production volume undergoing processing. Drying can take from 7 to 15 days in total. Frequent turning and sorting will happen during the drying stage. Wastewater is managed using soaking pits. The water used for processing the cherry will spend time in the pits to ensure that the nutrient rich water created during de-pulping will not be returned to the nearby water source without proper treatment. This additional step will cut down the risk of contamination, after adequate time for reabsorption the water will be recirculated. Currently Kamviu Factory is employing two soaking pits for this process.
Kamviu AA Kenya
Raspberry, lime, caramel Origin Kenya Location Embu Farm Smallholders Variety SL28, SL34 Altitude 1750 masl Proc. method Washed
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Aricha Ethiopia
Apricot, lavender, citrus Origin Ethiopia Location Yirgacheffe Farm Smallholders Variety Heirloom Altitude 1850-1880m Proc. method Washed
Aricha is the name of the washing station where this coffee is processed. Idido is the village, or kebele, where this coffee is grown and processed, in a microregion of Yirgacheffe.
of Arabica coffee, there is much to love about Ethiopia as a producing nation, including but not limited to the incredible diversity of flavor and character that exists among micro regions, specifically within the southwestern Gedeo Zone of Yirgacheffe within the region of Sidama -- areas whose names alone conjure thoughts of the finest coffees in the world. Coffee was literally made to thrive in the lush environment Yirgacheffe’s forests provide, developing nuanced floral characteristics, articulate sweetness and sparkling acidity. However, coffee has also adapted to the more arid climate of Harrar, in the northeast of the country; the varieties planted there have historically had more
Aricha is about 8 kilometers from the center of Yirgachef-
chocolatey, rich undertones. Processing, of course, also
fe Town. The coffee is picked ripe between November
plays a significant part in what makes Ethiopian coffees
and January, depulped within 12 hours, and washed
distinct -- both dis-
clean with spring water. The soils in this region are red-
tinctly Ethiopian, as
brown clay soil, about 1.5 meters deep.
well as distinct from one another, washed
Aside from its near-legendary status as the “birthplace”
or natural.
“After all coffee is about community and sharing moments�
Hungary, here I come. “Come to the World of Coffee 2017 in Budapest” it
read. I said yes to that banner the moment I saw it
and started planning my trip. Hungary, here I come. Days of tasting, talking and immersing myself into coffee in a city I haven’t been to before promised to be a blast. Here is how I experienced the first day. Entering the HungExpo premises meant being faced with the best problem a coffee lover can ever face: not knowing which coffee to try first as there were so many roasters from all over the world, big names, newcomers, retailers, sourcing companies, manufacturers and of course farmers, pretty much everyone working with coffee. The Bean Bros, Mikki and Viktor, and I drank and slurped our way through all regions and varieties, tasting filter coffees and espresso shots, checking gear and coffee swag, really having a great time Whenever contestants finished their round at the Brewers Cup, Latte Art, CupTasters or the other contests, loud applause could be heard throughout the whole exhibition hall, creating a cheerful atmosphere despite serious contests going on. A sense of a community respecting each other was hanging in the air. The essence of attending the World of Coffee was not collecting samples (as awesome as that is, no doubt) but talking to many interesting people, discussing coffees, catching up with familiar faces. After all, coffee is about community and sharing moments. Being able to participate in the cupping for the next Bean Bros box at the newly opened cafe Ebresztö with Adam from Awaken as well as a lovely group of people and hearing Adam passionately talk about his pick of the coffees and his roasting approach was truly the best way to end the coffee part of the day before heading out into the night with friends and new acquaintances. Article by @tbsnstpny
Inspiration in coffee. Hey Paul, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself
Well, My name is Paul Contreras. I live in Lemoore, California. A rural farming community in central California. I studied Fine Art Painting and Drawing at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I’m currently working part time as a barista at my local Starbucks. I’m a new dad to an awesome little one year old named Oliver. When I’m not serving coffee to the community you could usually find me painting or brainstorming new ways to
dad for my talent, he too is an amazing artist and a jack of all trades. Why coffee? I actually started drinking coffee at a young age. Maybe 12 or 13? It was something my grandma got me into. She would have a few cups every morning and would tell me she couldn’t start her day without it. I immediately loved the smell and taste even if it wasn’t the best of cof-
take my brand to the next level.
fees it still brought us together to enjoy every morning.
What do you do, for how long, and how did you get
to me and helps keeping alive those memories I have
started?
So for me, I guess you can say that coffee is very dear with my grandma. It was just fascinating to me how this drink, this plant, can bring people together.
Well I consider myself a freelance artist first, and barista second. I’ve been a barista for about four years and still look forward to going to work everyday. It’s not just the coffee but the way coffee brings the community together. As far as being an artist, like most artists I started drawing and doodling at a young age. I can thank my
Where do you get your inspiration from? I pull inspiration from my favorite music, my job as a barista, as well as traditional style tattooing, which my style is inspired by. I also take inspiration from other art-
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ists as well as what’s going on in the specialty coffee world, just to stay current with subject matter as well as to push myself to create something that hasn’t been seen or done yet. Who are some of your favorite artists? You might not think this from looking at my work, but some of my favorite artists are baroque period artists like Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens. I fell in love with this style in art school and am always amazed at the skill of these artist’s work. Are you also a tattoo artist? I am not a tattoo artist, but I love tattoos, haha! I get asked this a lot but I have no plans for going into that field. I do get asked a lot by followers if they can get a design tattooed, which is pretty cool and I am totally for it, as long as they ask permission and send a photo or two of the finished piece. What are you currently brewing? Currently enjoying Grim Coast Coffee Co. “Native Cult” over ice. One of my favorite companies based out of California.
Best coffee you can remember having? I’ve had the opportunity to taste a lot of great coffees over the last few months, so I can’t really choose one, because they are all great, so many roaster out there doing a killer job at roasting some great coffees. Why do you love coffee? I love the different tastes, and subtle notes you can pick up from each coffee. There are so many different unique profiles as well as aromas you can pick up on. But i would definitely have to say the taste and smell are what keeps me loving this stuff. What pieces of your work are you most proud of? I love all my work, so I can’t really choose one. But I am proud of how far I have come over the past two years since starting BrewSleepDraw. I love the direction I am at with my brand. I’m definitely starting to get more exposure and recognition for my work which is amazing. Article by @gram_f
Slurp, spit, repeat. I often get the question; how do you pick which ro-
Coffee, Drop Coffee, Prolog and now Awaken. And we’ll
bit on how we’ve set up our partnerships and what
projects out there to keep serving our Bean Bros. around
asters to partner with? So I thought I’d elaborate a makes us partner with a roaster.
When picking which roasters we’d like to partner with, we always start with samples, of course. We cup – slurp, spit, repeat. After this we ask ourselves three questions. Do they have something interesting to offer? This might be a small lot, something exclusive, maybe something from a lesser known region. Do they have a proven quality record? - we take a look at their history, can they deliver a quality that matches our standard - and if not - the third question we ask - Is it a new upcoming roaster, that might bring something different to the table?
keep pursuing the best and most interesting roaster the world the best Nordic-style coffee there is to offer. If you have ANY inputs or ideas for roasters we should look into, I would love to hear from you at mikki@beanbros.co or suggest it in the Let’s Talk Coffee Facebook Group where we can pick up the conversation. We have some great months lined up for you all, and I really can’t wait to hear your feedback on them as you continue brewing. Article by @moeglich
We try to keep a good balance, when it comes to introducing new roasters and keep it at 75% to 25% meaning 75% established and 25% new and upcoming roasters who can expand our roaster portfolio and help us discover something brand new. To give a few examples of this, back in December we partnered with world-known and high-quality focused roaster Tim Wendelboe and his team from Oslo. This resulted in very good coffees with great feedback from all of you. The following month we introduced Patrik Rolf and his new project - April Coffee. Equally interesting to Tim Wendelboe, but then a new guy on the block. Since then we’ve featured Gardelli, Talor & Jørgen, Good Life
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