Fresh Cup Magazine | October 2016 by Fresh Cup Magazine

October 2016

Roasting coffee in London’s Borough of Hackney.

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DARK ARTS COFFEE

Page 38

Chicago’s IPSENTO COFFEE Page 22

freshcup.com | November 2014

T H E M AGA Z I N E FO R S P E C I A LT Y C O F F E E & T E A P R O F E S S I O N A L S S I N C E 1 9 9 2

FEATURES October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine » Vol. 25 » No. 10

50 64 56 42 DO YOU KNOW PHILIP BROWN?

Owner of Perc Coffee in Savannah, Georgia. BY CORY ELDRIDGE

GOT PLANTS?

CREATIVES IN THE CAFÉ

THE FARM’S CAFÉ

CLOSER TO A LIVING WAGE

Cafés aren’t just expected to offer an alternative milk (or three) but to know how to make fantastic drinks from them.

Bringing art and music into your café is more than decoration and ambiance. BY SARA HODON

BY ELLIE BRADLEY & CORY ELDRIDGE

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

In Antigua, Guatemala, Finca Bella Vista not only has a café to serve its coffee but brings in baristas from consuming countries to help bolster their craft. BY GARRETT ODEN

Coffee farm laborers are the most vulnerable actors in the coffee supply chain. The next step is to guarantee them a living wage. BY MIGUEL ZAMORA

DEPARTMENTS October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine » Vol. 25 » No. 10

28 18

34 22

Honoring Michael Rubin; higher coffee education; coffee and climate change

Legacy Roasting: the Challenge and Reward by Luigi Di Ruocco

THE FILTER

BEHIND THE BAR Ipsento 606 Chicago by Cory Eldridge

THE WHOLE BEAN

NINE BAR Guiding Customers in the Sensory Realm by Teresa Pilarz

CAFÉ OUTFITTER Cupping Tools by Ellie Bradley 26

IN HOUSE Coffee Careers by Brian Helfrich 28

WHOLE LEAF Launching a Tea Program by Jennie Ripps 10

ORIGIN The Problem of Faulty Processing Equipment by Rachel Northrop

CAFÉ CROSSROADS Dark Arts Coffee & I Will Kill Again by Ellie Bradley

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12 FROM THE EDITOR

16 CONTRIBUTORS

MAKING A MARK

70 COUNTER INTELLIGENCE People and products

74 ADVERTISER INDEX

72 CALENDAR Trade shows and events

FROM THE EDITOR

Making a Mark

WELL, THIS IS IT, THIS IS MY LAST LETTER TO YOU AS THE editor of Fresh Cup. Please excuse a touch of nostalgia, and I promise I’ll tell you about the killer content we have in this issue. I’ve had such a blast working with so many talented and passionate coffee and tea pros over the past two and a half years, whether it’s through visits to their amazing shops, conversations at trade shows, hikes up mountainsides, cuppings at labs, or simply phone interviews. I’ve learned so much and been exposed to more worlds within coffee and tea than I ever expected. Being able to transform that knowledge into stories for you has been wonderful. I’ve done what I can to make Fresh Cup the best it can be for you, and one of my favorite additions to the magazine has been Behind the Bar. Telling the story of a café and showing the way it works through its bar layout was my favorite monthly task. When I reached out to Tim Taylor to showcase his new Ipsento café in Chicago, he told me the section had influenced the design of his bar. Turn to page 22 and check that thing out. The thought that anything I brought to the magazine helped, even minimally, in the creation of that magnificent bar is enough to make my month. OK, that’s enough sap. This issue is dope. It includes a gorgeous story by new contributor Garrett Oden about his visit to Antigua, Guatemala, where he didn’t just visit farms but worked in a café owned by a farm. It’s another sign that the poles of the coffee supply chain are growing closer. That’s on page 56. There’s still so much distance to cover though, as Miguel Zamora of UTZ lays out in his story, “Closer to a Living Wage,” on page 64. Rachel Northrop, our longtime contributor, shows how great beans can be ruined by bad equipment at mills in this month’s Origin column, while Brian Helfrich explains the value to café owners of making coffee jobs into careers for employees in In House. The great stories just go on. And they’ll continue to as Ellie Bradley, our associate editor, takes over and places her mark on this great magazine. I’m glad I got to make mine.

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ON THE COVER: Dark Arts Coffee Jamie Strachan is head of coffee at Dark Arts Coffee, roasting coffee in London’s Borough of Hackney.

Photo by Peanut Butter Vibes Photography

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TO P RIGHT P HOTO BY GAR RET OD EN

CORY ELDRIDGE, EDITOR

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FRESH CUP MAGAZINE THE MAGAZINE FOR SPECIALTY COFFEE & TEA PROFESSIONALS SINCE 1992

-FRESH CUP FOUNDERWARD BARBEE 1938-2006

-ADVERTISINGSales Manager MICHAEL HARRIS michael@freshcup.com

-FRESH CUP PUBLISHINGPublisher and President JAN WEIGEL jan@freshcup.com

Ad Coordinator DIANE HOWARD adtraffic@freshcup.com Marketing Coordinator ANNA SHELTON anna@freshcup.com

-EDITORIALEditor CORY ELDRIDGE cory@freshcup.com Associate Editor ELLIE BRADLEY ellie@freshcup.com

-CIRCULATIONCirculation Director ANNA SHELTON anna@freshcup.com

-ARTArt Director CYNTHIA MEADORS cynthia@freshcup.com

-ACCOUNTINGAccounting Manager DIANE HOWARD diane@freshcup.com

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD DAVID GRISWOLD Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers

ANUPA MUELLER Eco-Prima

CHUCK JONES Jones Coffee Roasters

BRAD PRICE Monin Gourmet Flavorings

JULIA LEACH Toddy

BRUCE RICHARDSON Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

COSIMO LIBARDO Toby’s Estate Coffee

MANISH SHAH Maya Tea Co.

BRUCE MILLETTO Bellissimo Coffee Advisors

LARRY WINKLER Torani

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Fresh Cup Magazine is distributed worldwide each month by post. Fresh Cup Magazine is available by subscription: price—one year U.S. $48, two years U.S. $68, one year Canada and Mexico $55, other countries $85 per year. Single issues—$5 each, plus shipping. (Checks must be drawn on a U.S.-affiliated bank.) Canada Post International Publications Mail Product-Sales Agreement No. 40025272. PLEASE ALLOW 6–8 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF FIRST ISSUE. Copyright ©2016 by Fresh Cup Publishing Company Inc. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ISSN: 1094-8228

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CONTRIBUTORS

BRIAN HELFRICH Those dreaded millennials are at it again—they’re bringing a fresh perspective to what it means to work in coffee. In this month’s In House, Brian Helfrich looks at how a new generation of baristas are making careers in coffee and how café owners can approach a mutual partnership with their young employees (page 26). Helfrich is the coowner of Summit Coffee in Davidson, North Carolina.

RACHEL NORTHROP Defects caused during processing can diminish the value of coffee. However, compared to problems like rust or climate change, incorporating preventive maintenance for processing equipment is much more feasible for producers. Rachel Northrop shows how simple efforts are making an impact at origin (Origin, page 34). Northrop is a sales rep with Ally Coffee’s specialty importing division and the author of When Coffee Speaks: Stories from and of Latin American Coffeepeople.

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GARRETT ODEN To bridge the gap between origin and consumers, some farms have started programs where they bring in baristas on exchange, allowing them the opportunity to tour farms and work in local cafés. Garrett Oden was one such barista, and details his journey to Antigua, Guatemala, in “The Farm’s Café,” on page 56. Oden is a barista at Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas.

TERESA PILARZ Teresa Pilarz is an SCAA educator and chief caffeinator at Espresso Elevado in Plymouth, Michigan. She shares some of her trainer expertise in this month’s Nine Bar where she discusses how baristas can bolster their sensory skills to better guide tasting experiences for customers (page 32). “Although consumers are increasingly coffee savvy, each specialty shop is like a unique culinary kingdom with its own set of rules.”

JENNIE RIPPS There are many ways to create a tea program at your café, but in the Whole Leaf on page 28 Jennie Ripps offers this rule of thumb: make sure to have three hot and two cold options. From there, the entirety of tea is open to you. Ripps is the founder of Brew Lab Tea and Owls Brew, both based in New York City.

LUIGI DI RUOCCO Mr. Espresso was founded by Carlo Di Ruocco in 1978. His family has followed in his footsteps, and being a legacy roaster has taught the company a lot about adapting to incorporate trends and customer needs over the decades. Luigi Di Ruocco shares some of what he’s learned being a part of a legacy roaster in this month’s Whole Bean on page 30. Luigi is the vice president of Mr. Espresso.

MIGUEL ZAMORA Miguel Zamora is the head of the Americas region at UTZ and has been involved in agriculture for over twenty years. At UTZ, Zamora supports coffee companies to build sustainability programs while overseeing UTZ efforts to make sustainable farming the norm in Latin America. He describes how certifications have improved working conditions in countries like Brazil in “Closer to a Living Wage,” on page 64.

The FILTER A Fine Blend of News and Notes

THE FRAPPE INNOVATOR: Michael Rubin with Fresh Cup publisher Jan Weigel in October 2015.

Honoring the Life of a Café Icon ast month Michael Rubin, the founder and owner of Cappuccine, passed away after a long-fought battle with cancer. Michael was a long time friend of the Fresh Cup family, a remarkable entrepreneur, and a compassionate human being. Cappuccine launched within a year of Fresh Cup, and Fresh Cup founder Ward Barbee noticed Michael’s talent and aptitude early on, naming Cappuccine best new product at the 1994 Coffee Fest Seattle. We dedicated a feature in our October 2015 issue to Michael, sharing tales of his troubled teenage years, the farm he inherited in the Midwest, and his journey into the world of coffee. We’ve excerpted a portion of that story here in tribute to Michael. He will be dearly missed.

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

It was 1991, and Rubin lived with a roommate who owned a coffee shop. One day, the roommate made Rubin a version of the blended iced drink

in just about every way it could be. The flavors were wrong and unbalanced. The texture was a combination of thin liquid and jagged chunks

Rubin says that when he was living on the streets he had to develop a keen sense for opportunities. “Life is like a scavenger hunt, and you go out and see niches that others don’t see.”

he served at his café. It was made with a cheap blender, just like they had at the shop, and the drink that sloshed out of the pitcher was awful

of ice. There was as much to chew on as drink. Rubin says that when he was living on the streets he had to develop a

keen sense for opportunities. “Life is like a scavenger hunt, and you go out and see niches that others don’t see,” he says. “When other people’s parents took care of everything, they didn’t see the world this way.” That skill had lain half-dormant for two decades, but now Rubin, forty-one years old and staring at a vanishing checking account, needed it again. Standing there in his apartment, holding a glass of something that people paid good money for even though it didn’t deliver what it promised—a blended, cool drink—he saw a niche. He had no experience in food but he knew the characteristics he wanted from the drink: cold, icy, creamy, and pourable. Icy might seem like a synonym for cold, but it’s about the texture and feeling of a blended drink. A soda may be the same temperature and volume as a slushy, but the latter feels colder and more substantial. His frappe, a name he adopted not from the Greek drink but from the Boston-area name (there pronounced frap) for a milkshake, wasn’t a slushy, though. The creaminess would set it apart and allow it to connect flavors, especially coffee, in new ways. Finally, if a barista had to dig every drink out of a pitcher no café owner would buy it, so it had to pour easily. For the flavors he should develop, he took inspiration from the coffee shops. “My sense of what Cappuccine’s frappe mixes should taste like lived in my imagination. Came from pure instinct,” he says. “I would go into coffeehouses sit down on a cozy couch have a latte, a vanilla latte, an Italian soda . . . then just sit back sniff, watch, and listen, sniff all the aromas floating about as specialty drinks were being prepared.” The formula slowly came together, and in 1992 Rubin took Cappuccine’s first two flavors—mocha and latte—to coffee shops he knew would lunge at the new product—but most just didn’t seem to get it. The business got some traction and picked up customers here and there, but mass adoption didn’t happen those first couple of years. Then, in 1994, Vitamix let him demo Cappuccine at their Coffee Fest Seattle booth. It was a massive venue at a critical moment in coffee. “That’s when the industry noticed us,” says Rubin. The next year, Starbucks launched the Frappuccino, and pushed the concept into mainstream adoption. Suddenly, independent coffee shops needed a product that could compete with the massive summertime draw offered by the rapidly expanding mega-chain. Cappuccine was there with a full line of mixes to offer. —Fresh Cup editors

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Higher Coffee Education

n the space of one week, the coffee industry went from having no dedicated coffee programs at American universities to boasting two. At the start of September, Texas A&M announced the creation of the Center for Coffee Research and Education, located in the school’s renowned Norman Borlaug institute of International Agriculture. Then UC Davis, which has gained recognition for its popular “The Design of Coffee” undergraduate course, opened the Coffee Center, which has its own facility near the school’s Robert Mondavi Institute. Leo Lombardini, the director of Texas A&M’s center, sees the two programs as offering a chance to address coffee’s longstanding neglect by researchers. “Coffee frequently is referred to as an orphan crop,” he says. “Those are crops that are very important for producers and consumers and have a decent market. In the case of coffee, it has a huge economic value, but if you look at the resources

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

that have been put in R and D, it’s very limited.” That’s driven in large part by where coffee has been grown—colonies and then developing countries— and where it’s consumed—imperial centers and then advanced countries. The two centers have distinct missions, splitting the world of coffee neatly between themselves. The Texas A&M program is an offshoot of the work done by World Coffee Research, which got its start at Texas A&M but has recently struck out on its own. The center’s work is focused on farming at origin, especially the improvement of coffee plants and farming practices. The UC Davis center, like its wine and beer research outfits, is focused on studying the consumable product. It has an experimental green bean storage facility, a cold-brew and packaging facility, cupping and analysis labs, and a water system that they hope will provide ten different formulations of water to every sink in the center.

In his introductory letter, William Ristenpart, the director of UC Davis’s center, sees this work as addressing another side of the orphan issue. He writes, “There are few academic programs in the nation that investigate or even discuss the science of roasting and brewing coffee. This is not because coffee is uninteresting scientifically—far from it!—but because traditionally there has been little federal or state support to investigate a commodity based on agriculture outside the United States.” Agriculture in the US has long relied on land-grant schools like UC Davis and Texas A&M to bolster and improve crops and growing practices. More recently, food programs have propelled the science and craft of many industries, from cheese to booze. The coffee industry now has the chance to bring some serious science from esteemed institutions to make it better. —Cory Eldridge

P HOTOS BY LEO LOM BARDINI

COFFEE RESEARCH: Leo Lombardini (pictured) will lead Texas A&M’s Center for Coffee Research and Education.

The Coffee and Climate Change Primer

new report lays out the impending effects of climate change in a brisk, brutal sixteen pages. It’s not fun reading, but it’s important. Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand commissioned the Climate Institute, an Australian based advocacy group, to produce the report, called A Brewing Storm. If you’ve been paying attention to climate change’s effects on coffee, this information will be familiar. But even if the document doesn’t provide anything new in terms of research, the compilation of the data and the accessibility of its presentation is a worthy effort. The baleful studies and white papers about the coming, and already arrived, ravages of climate change often have diminished impact because they come in as a constant drip. No one of them hits particularly hard. This short report lands like a haymaker. Just take these three points: • By 2050, 50 percent of current coffee country won’t be viable. • Tanzania’s coffee productivity per hectare has fallen by half as average temperatures have increased. • Coffee leaf rust and the berry borer beetle are creeping up latitudes and mountainsides as temperature increases expand their habitat. The report also lays out, starkly, how vulnerable coffee laborers and smallholders are. Even without the threat of climate change disrupting or destroying their livelihoods, coffee laborers are faced with the vagaries of the commodity market, the randomness of weather, the difficulty of just picking coffee, not to mention uncommon but real problems like modern slavery and wage exploitation. A smallholder whose farm suddenly can’t grow quality coffee or is overrun by borers doesn’t have many options for surviving major climate shifts, which are underway already. The report lays out what consumers can do to help (basically, buy the right coffees from companies with the right practices), but it leaves the call to action pretty vague for coffee companies. That’s a gap in the report. To make it clear: all the difficulties climate change is bringing to coffee country will hit coffee roasters and cafés too. —Cory Eldridge

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Sliding Identity: These cabinet doors slide to reveal cocktail accoutrements when bar service shifts to adult beverages in the afternoon.

Three Taps: The self-serve water station includes cold still water, roomtemperature still water, and sparkling water. The water, like all Ipsento’s consumed water, goes through an RO system.

Tea Time: Two Bunn H5X hot water towers power the tea program and fill the pour-over kettles.

Three For Slow: Baratza Forte grinders serve the slow bar’s rotating pour-over menu. The kettles are Diguo variable temperature goosenecks.

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

Espresso Peninsula: Two Slayer two-groups stand back-to-back at the center of the bar. Each is served by a Mahlkönig Peak with Ipsento’s Cascade blend, and one also has a decaf grinder. Both also have warm honey dispensers along with vanilla and cardamomrose syrup.

Dual Nitro: A rotating singleorigin and the Cascade blend are on nitro lines that connect to kegs in the basement.

Batch Brew: An EK 43 grinds beans for the Fetco 2152-XTS double brewer. Another Bunn water tower is for americanos.

Single Group: The pour-over bar includes a Modbar grouphead and Peak grinder hopped up with a singleorigin coffee. Customers headed to order pass this station first.

Donut Kitchen: In the small kitchen, mini-donuts are made from flour milled in the basement. Farside POS: The point-ofsale sits at the far end of the bar with a pastry display case.

Milk Taps: Each Slayer has four milk taps that dispense whole, skim, coconut, and a wholecoconut blend (for their Ipsento latte). “The milk on tap has in some ways been awesome, and in some ways a lot of work,” says owner Tim Taylor.

Beer: Ten taps fill out the center of the bar, with their lines running to the basement to join the cold-brew and milk in a fridge.

BEHIND the BAR Ipsento 606 Chicago

» by Cory Eldridge «

P HOTO BY TIM TAYLOR

PH OTO CO URTESY O F BOXCA R SO C IAL

Cocktail Wings: The two wings of the central bar are for cocktail service that starts at 4 p.m.

ore space, that’s what Tim Taylor wanted for his second Ipsento café in Chicago. The original café, a shop he purchased from a church that had inherited it from a parishioner, was defined, at least in its flow, by bottlenecks. The staff bottlenecked in the cramped bar. The customers bottlenecked at the milk-and-sugar station, and then bottlenecked on their way to the door. Taylor and his staff did what they could to streamline things, but it was a small café with a big clientele. There was only so much to be done. Taylor wouldn’t let that be the problem when he looked for a location for his second café. “I made sure we had a location with enough space to do what I wanted to do,” he says. Ipsento 606, named after a nearby park built on a repurposed elevated train track, has room, but it doesn’t feel airy, or like it has more room than it knows how to use. Taylor knows exactly how he wants to use his space, and he wants to use it in many ways. Customers entering the café first pass by a pourover bar that includes a single-group Modbar that produces a restricted menu of single-origin espresso drinks. “The slow-bar approach is not sustainable by itself, but it’s something I still want to have because there is a growing interest,” Taylor says. Most customers will not get a drink from here, instead walking to the far end of the bar where they can order drip coffee and a wider range of espresso and milk drinks. Even so, Taylor says, “We want them to see the craft.” As unusual as that setup is, even odder at first glance is the seemingly unused front section of the bar. With the espresso machines and batch brewers on the back counter, what’s the front counter for except seating? It’s a pair of cocktail bars with a row of ten beer taps between them, which extends service into the evening. There’s space behind the bar, space for customers coming, going, and staying. Most surprising of all, there’s space below, way below, down in the basement where lines connect the beer, milk, and even garbage cans to the bar. When you had to learn to make do in cramped quarters, you know how to use space when you get it.

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Café OUTFITTER: Cupping Tools Coffee cuppings aren’t just for roasters. The rigorous standards established for a cupping protocol help ensure objective scoring when assessing coffee quality. While you don’t necessarily need to score coffees in your café, regularly cupping coffee from your own shop and from other roasters develops your palate, enhances your ability to discuss various aspects of coffee, and provides a regular education opportunity for you and your staff. The SCAA has standards for how a cupping should be conducted, but there are some choices when it comes to equipment. To help get you started, here are some useful cupping tools.

1) WEIGH IT OUT SCAA cupping protocol specifies an optimum ratio of coffee to water (8.25 grams per 150 milliliters water). The Acaia Pearl scale reads to the tenth of a gram and even accounts for weight changes caused by evaporation. A bright display and ultrafast response time provide instant readings while an iPhone- and Android-compatible app optimizes functionality. acaia.com 2) HEATING THE WATER While there are many methods to heat water, few provide finite control, like the Digital Variable Temperature Gooseneck Kettle from Bonavita. SCAA protocol specifies water heated to 200ºF; this electric kettle adjusts in one-degree increments, offers real-time temperature display, and holds temperature up to sixty minutes. bonavitaworld.com

3) CUPPING VESSELS When it comes to cupping vessels, the choice of glass or porcelain is a matter of preference. The SCAA mandates that vessels be between 7 and 9 fluid ounces, with a top diameter between 3 and 3.5 inches. Visions Espresso offers these 7-ounce cupping glasses (left) in their arsenal of cupping equipment. For a break from taping numbers on the bottom of your glasses, try these color-coded, ceramic bowls from Acme (right). visionsespresso.com; eightouncecoffee.ca

4) THE SPOON The cupping spoon is perhaps the most coveted of all coffee cupping equipment. Many cuppers boast personalized utensils, but fancy spoons aren’t necessary. Espresso Supply offers a set of a dozen heavy-weight cupping spoons to help start your collection. Those ready to step up their slurp game can opt for a stainless-steel model, like this Revolution cupping spoon (pictured) from Visions Espresso. espressosupply.com; visionsespresso.com

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5) THE FUNNY BLUE TRAY The blue oval tray is the universal sign for “We’re cupping at this table.” Designed to easily transfer beans, the fluted edges distinguish cupping trays from other plastic containers. For green coffee evaluations, looking at the whole bean helps identify defects. espressoparts.com

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In HOUSE t was around this time last year, early fall 2015. I walked behind the bar at our flagship store, dressed in a gray suit because I was on my way to a board meeting for a foundation I serve. A frequent morning customer, a man no older than sixty, asked, “Do you have an interview for a real job today?” I was incensed. Does this man know all that Summit Coffee does? Is he aware of our roasting facility, and our multiple cafés? Does he have any idea what I do? My instinct was to fire back a part-witty, part-terse statement that really put him in his place. But I paused, handed him a coffee and side-of-mymouth chuckled with him, not at him, about his remark. What is a real job? Is it something with a career path? What is a career? Answers to these questions vary from person to person, obviously. But the consensus to these questions has changed wildly with generations. This customer, a now-retired baby boomer no doubt, was more likely to spend his years working for a small number of companies. There’s intrinsic value in showing up to work, hustling through nine-to-five’s one year at a time. Loyalty is a buzz word for baby boomers— earn your keep, wait your turn, and good things will happen. On the other side of the counter, however, is our staff of thirty-seven millennials. Millennials now represent the largest segment of the workforce, especially in service- or retail-related industries like coffee. Yet while a study from Deloitte shows 44 percent of millennials “would like to leave their current employers in the next two years,” consensus is that this generation is more likely to pick an employer that matches its personal values. So here’s the crossroads that I face as an employer: How do I justify investment in a workforce that’s inclined to see greener grass tomorrow and jump

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off the bus? And how can I grow this, or any, business without investing in the people who choose to work with our organization? I’ve found that the limited intersection for success lies in how you invest in people. Millennials want to develop skills. Millennials want a work-life balance. Millennials want not only to ask questions, but have those questions answered. Millennials want a company that shares a responsibility, both locally and globally, in caring how we source and how we produce. Millennials want businesses to focus more on people, less on profits. The barista as a part-time, temporary rest stop for people without drive, without college degrees, and without a plan for the future is quickly becoming a thing of the past. In the last three years alone, the type of applicant we’re seeing is staggeringly different. Really smart, really motivated men and women are choosing to work at places like Summit Coffee, and it’s my responsibility as an owner to make their employment as fulfilling as possible while they’re on our team. So how does that work? Trust and transparency. I refuse to make employment seem like a transactional business. I’m uncomfortable with the status quo of work being a paycheck for showing up on time and sober. When we agree to work together—and that is a very mutual agreement—we agree to trust each other. I trust that you want to work in coffee, with and around people, and in a fast-paced service environment. When we send you into three weeks of barista training, sitting through hours of classes on extraction and milk chemistry, you’re going to learn because you want to, not because you need to. And you trust that I hired you for your skills and your personality, not because your availability to work forty hours a week lines up with the shifts I need covered. You believe that your

skills are not only understood but valued in this company. You know that whenever it is you decide to leave for another job, you will look back on your time and really take something from it other than an hourly wage and good cash tips from the locals. When we wanted to make work more transparent and more of a partnership, we thought outside the time clock for some inspiration. First, I borrowed from Peregrine owner Ryan Jensen the idea of a transparent wage scale that he spoke about at the SCAA Convention in April. Let your staff know why they make what they make, and then give them checkpoints to get raises. If you’re a barista, and you know that a $1/hour raise is coming if you win a latte art throwdown or get a sig bev on the menu, there’s now a known value to going above-and-beyond. As an owner, it takes all the ambiguity out of raises and reviews. Secondly, we have all-staff dinners every month. I bring my family, and staff is encouraged to bring theirs. This is a people-powered business, and while we’re all hustling side-by-side for seven days a week, we also recognize that we all have lives outside of the café. We also implemented an employee bonus fund that can be used for three things: education, personal wellness, and community service. We often reward employees for thinking outside the box and doing more than what’s asked. In the end, whether that baby boomer who liked my suit knows that I consider coffee a career is irrelevant. I know that coffee is a career. Not just for me, but for dozens of folks on our staff who found a passion in this craft. So, business owners, let’s embrace the millennials and all of their beautiful drive for personal and social awareness. Millennials are no longer just the future; they’re the present. And we’re better off for it. Brian Helfrich is co-owner of Summit Coffee in Davidson, North Carolina.

P HOTO BY ANDREW NEEL

Coffee Careers » By Brian Helfrich

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The WHOLE LEAF thoughtful, well-crafted tea program can be the finishing touch—or core component—for your café, coffee shop, or restaurant. In my work consulting and creating tea programs, I often meet with owners and managers who know they want an excellent tea program, but struggle when it comes to development and implementation. Having unique flavors can be a real draw for customers, so it’s important to approach your tea program strategically. Taking the time to evaluate who you are as a business, the vision you

Customizing your tea program is more easily achieved with loose tea, and savvy tea drinkers know that loose tea is typically a better grade. have for your tea program, and what resources you can allocate to tea will help you devise a successful tea menu. The first step to building a tea program is reviewing your concept. Is your brand fast casual? Is it high end? Is there a deep focus on health and wellness or a specific culinary heritage? Reflecting on your concept will help you choose a selection of flavors that mesh with the pace of your business, as well as the needs of your customer base. The next step is determining how many teas you want in your program. Are you looking to have a robust offering of both hot and iced teas, or are you more comfortable with a very simple approach, such as three hot teas

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

and one iced tea? Again, knowing your concept and customer base can help you determine how big your menu should be. If your customers are just starting to learn about tea, pare down your offerings to keep it simple. For more coffee-and-tea-focused shops, consider how to incorporate unique teas and tisanes that will engage and excite your customers. The third major pillar of a tea program is the iced tea service. How much space you have in your shop will usually determine how iced tea is incorporated into the menu. For cafés with more real estate to offer to their tea program, I recommend iced tea on display. We’ve found that iced tea sales can as much as quadruple if iced tea is displayed. Bold flavors like ginger and a pop of color (like hibiscus) can also really drive traffic towards the tea station. Having a black tea as a staple on your iced tea display is always a great idea. Here’s a scenario to help illustrate how these steps can be applied to the retail setting. Take for example a highvolume café focused on quick service. We’d recommend a pared-down list of approachable flavors, including one stand-out iced tea (a great substitute for customers seeking healthier options). Because of the high-volume, using self-dispensed iced teas and hot teas in sachets make it easier for customers to grab and go. Here’s how that menu might look: HOT • Black: English breakfast or Earl Grey • Green: genmaicha or pan-fired green • Tisane: chamomile, peppermint, or something a little more unique like a chamomile-peppermint blend ICED • Black: peppermint black, citrus black, or lemongrass black • Bold “Stand-Out” Flavor: anything hibiscus or a fruit-forward green

This scenario won’t necessarily apply to every quick-service café, but it gives you an idea of how simple a successful tea program can be. People frequently ask how many teas should be on their menu, and my answer is always the same: at least three hot and two iced. For iced teas, starting with one black and one herbal selection will satisfy much of your customer base, but adding a third option with a more nuanced flavor—like a black tea blended with forest berries—adds dimension to your program. Also, be sure to offer at least one non-caffeinated tisane as both a hot and iced preparation. Another area where café owners and managers get stumped is choosing between loose tea and tea sachets— which is better? The answer to that question will again depend on your concept and your customers. Customizing your tea program is more easily achieved with loose tea, and savvy tea drinkers know that loose tea is typically a better grade. That being said, there are many excellent tea sachets on the market, and these can work well with a simple high-volume concept. Once you’ve weighed your options, training your staff on the new menu is essential for a successful launch. Many tea companies offer training and will provide the appropriate materials and brewing instructions to ensure the best preparation of their product. (This is also something to consider as you look into building your tea program, as the resources offered by companies vary widely.) One last thing to consider is developing a special tea blend for your shop. This can provide a unique drinking experience that customers can only get when they visit your café. There is a world of botanicals out there—whatever your concept, it is possible to find a tea blend that brings it to life. Jennie Ripps is the founder of Brew Lab Teas and Owl’s Brew.

PH OTO BY ÉTIENNEFAT/ FLIC KR

Launching a Tea Program » By Jennie Ripps

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The WHOLE BEAN Legacy Roasting: the Challenge and Reward » By Luigi Di Ruocco hen my father, Carlo Di Ruocco, moved our family to the Bay Area from Europe in the 1970s, he quickly realized there were few places he could find good espresso. In Italy, coffee is espresso. It is all people drink, every day and for a lifetime. Not the type of person to simply give up or endure without something that, to him, was so essential, he decided to do something about it. He would make his own. When he set out, he first wanted to create an espresso in California that would be an expression of the regional style found in his hometown of Salerno. Second, when he started roasting, he decided to employ the old-world, oak-wood fire method of roasting that he learned in his teenage years as an apprentice. Thus, the foundation of our company’s legacy was set very early on. At the time my father came to the US, there was a growing interest in Italian culture and products, so it was the perfect time to launch a coffee company built on a cherished Italian ritual. Espresso was new and our espresso was in alignment with what people were looking for, which was a well-balanced, medium-to-dark roast that was smooth and full of flavor. My father’s classically inspired, Italian espresso was in demand with Bay Area chefs like Alice Waters, Paul Bertolli, and Bradley Ogden, establishing a place for espresso at American dining tables. Through the 1980s and 90s, Mr. Espresso continued to expand, and we diversified our offerings with drip coffees and single-origin coffees, marking our DNA as a balance between Italy and the Bay Area. In fact, Mr. Espresso was an early adopter of fair trade and organic coffee. In 1999, we were roasting organic coffee for Chez

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CARLO DI RUOCCO roasting circa 1985.

Panisse. Along with other pioneers of this era, my father helped to set a new expectation for quality among American coffee drinkers.

interest in establishing fair prices and long-term viability for coffee growers drove a movement that emphasized ethical sourcing and the traceability of

Our experiences as a legacy roaster in a coffee world that is changing rapidly have confirmed that the foundation my father set was very durable.

Around this time, coffee prices had plummeted to all-time lows, and sustainability became an urgent need in the coffee industry, therefore a shared

coffees. One of the primary goals was to elevate the perception among consumers of value in a cup of coffee in order to return more profits back to farmers.

P HOTOS C O UR TESY OF M R. ESP RESSO

THE MR. ESPRESSO FAMILY: (from left) sister Laura Zambrano and her husband Alex Zambrano; mother MarieFrancoise and father Carlo Di Ruocco; brothers Luigi and John Di Ruocco.

A new wave of roaster-retailers emerged from this movement. They sparked a renewed interest in roasting coffees, mostly single-origin, lighter and reintroduced methods of preparing and serving coffee that gave particular attention to detail. These concepts were not new to the industry, but these new roasters vigorously brought them directly to consumers in the marketplace through practices like single-cup pour overs in cafés. While we saw how the industry was changing and were eager to adapt and update, we were slow to move, partly out of inertia and partially out of caution. As a wholesale roaster, we had built our business on addressing the needs of our clients. Lighter roasting and pour-over brewing, in particular, were areas that presented challenges. We had always believed roasting coffees lighter was an excellent way of appreciating fine, single-origin coffees, and in the early 2000s we had about six in our offerings, but our business was also built on variety— a single roast style would not satisfy the diverse needs of our customers. As light-roasted single-origins rose in popularity, our clients were interested in trying them but not always willing

to sacrifice consistency in price and flavor to follow the trend. W i t h p o u r - o v e r b re w i n g , w e watched several new roaster-retailers build their business on the preparation. It was impressive, and it provoked us to consider: to what extent should we incorporate this into our wholesale program? Would it be chasing a trend? Would it be better than what we offered our customers already? At the time, we knew what our benchmark brew standards were, which were achieved through highquality batch brewers, and we didn’t feel that we, or our clients, could beat them with pour-over methods consistently enough to systematically implement pour-over programs. The new companies who did innovate and build business on the above trends proved that they could be successful. In many ways, we were not able to capitalize on the growth that was emerging in this sector of the market because we focused on retaining our identity for the existing client base. That’s the challenge faced by a multi-generation company. However, it’s nice to see, as trends continue to evolve, customers are coming back to us, or new customers

are coming looking for more classic coffees and blends. Today, pour-overs continue to be part of the equation of appreciating fine coffee, but they’re not dominant the way they were as batch-brewing comes back into vogue. One of the rewards of being a legacy roaster, we’ve realized, is that we have the experience to evaluate trends and decide how to adopt or reject them. Our experiences as a legacy roaster in a coffee world that is changing rapidly have also helped confirm for us that we didn’t need to change our identity as a company—the foundation my father set proved very durable. While our areas of strength may have fallen out of fashion for a moment, through competition we’ve learned to become even better at what we do, as an allaround roaster and provider of coffee, service, and support to our clients. For us, the ultimate benchmark for implementing new things is whether or not it helps improve our quality. With this in mind, we’ve tried to stay focused on doing things our way, the best way we can do them. Luigi Di Ruocco is the vice president of Mr. Espresso.

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NINE BAR arista: Hi! How are you today? Guest: Oh, pretty good. I’ve never been here before. Barista: Welcome! What are you in the mood for? Guest: Well, I’m not sure. What do you recommend? Such a golden opportunity, this interaction that plays out daily in coffee shops across the land. The conversation could unfold any number of ways and, whether dealing with a brand new customer or a returning one—this moment is a chance to either draw the person in or make them want to turn and run. The barista must at once be the welcoming committee, company advocate, product expert, and a skilled listener who’s able to read people in order to gauge understanding and meet them where they are. Although consumers are increasingly coffee savvy, each specialty shop is like a unique culinary kingdom with its own set of rules. When embarking on a sensory journey, it’s best not to assume (a) that everyone wants an exhaustive tour, (b) that people will automatically like what you like or what is most popular, or (c) that they even understand what they’re ordering. You can be sure the guest is there for something delicious that matches their taste preferences, and it’s your job to help them along. Here are a few techniques baristas can develop to become more effective sensory guides: Give guests a lay of the land. Learning to provide a quick overview of your menu can help simplify options. Once you know what type of drink they want—a traditional espresso-based drink, something with flavor, brewed coffee—you can then offer more specific choices and descriptions. Step away from your own preferences. It doesn’t matter that you think drinks with Ecuadoran cocoa are the bomb or that nothing equals the wild berry and floral notes of the natural Ethiopia Sidama. Joe Customer 32

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may hate chocolate or prefer a nutty coffee with cream and sugar. Even if they ask, “What’s your favorite?”, I like to bring it back around with, “What do you usually enjoy?” Practice objective descriptions. As a sensory guide, think about taking customers on a flavor journey. When they ask, “What is it like?”, get away from responses like, “Oh, it’s really good!” or even worse, “It’s not my favorite.” Instead, move toward a straight-forward depiction focusing on the highlights. “Our lavender honey latte is a mildly sweet drink featuring local wildflower honey with a light floral taste,” or, “Our Uganda is an earthy coffee with molasses and cocoa notes roasted medium-dark.” There are also many ways baristas can become more confident in their sensory skills and more competent at guiding customers. Set up (blind) cuppings. Understanding SCAA cupping protocols is practical knowledge, but depending on your goals you can likely simplify your cupping routines (see page 24 for more on cupping tools). Setting up a panel of three to four coffees and challenging your fellow baristas to correctly identify them is super effective. This exercise helps you learn to recognize the qualities of each coffee and prepare to talk with customers. Keep it interesting by varying the theme of the cuppings—only light roasts, various washed coffees, or all African beans. Consider trading coffees with nearby shops or trusted colleagues so everyone expands their learning. If your shop roasts, ask about ordering some samples to gain exposure to origins not in your current lineup. For advanced practice, select several single-origin coffees and blend them with one constant. For example, you could use Mexico, Ethiopia, and Guatemala for the cupping, with Sumatra as the constant. Using 8.25 gram cups, you might blend 5.25 grams of the primary bean with only 3 grams of the

Sumatra. Cuppers can then challenge themselves to identify the origin along with the common addition. Seek sensory opportunities. Smell and taste everything! You should be familiar with all the drinks on your menu as well as your beans prepared using various brew methods. Consider periodic pastry pairings, and try tastings of chocolates, spices, or fruits so you can really focus on distinctions. Le Nez du Café or other aroma kits are also great learning tools. Triangulation brewings are quite fun and easy to set up. You just need two cups with the same coffee and one of a different origin. The challenge is to correctly identify the “odd man out.” The more similar the coffees, the tougher the exercise. Depending on how “science-y” you want to get, there are inexpensive super taster test kits with paper tasting strips that enable people to discover if they can detect various, often bitter, compounds. This helps you understand your own sensitivities, which are often genetically determined, and also drives home the point that others may experience tastes differently. Be a lifelong learner. Whether you’re currently taking classes or not, an academic approach to coffee helps promote continual learning and professionalism. Our industry is constantly evolving, especially when it comes to sensory topics. Become familiar with the new Sensory Lexicon and Flavor Wheel. Read trade publications and books on coffee. You could even start a book club and discuss with your coworkers! There are also applicable online resources including apps and how-to videos. Finally, keep the sensory realm accessible and encouraging for everyone. Things always taste better when people enjoy the experience! Teresa Pilarz is an SCAA specialized instructor and chief caffeinator at Espresso Elevado.

P HOTO BY PATR IC K TO MA SS O

Guiding Customers in the Sensory Realm » By Teresa Pilarz

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ORIGIN

Bitten by the Machine: The Problem of Faulty Processing Equipment » By Rachel Northrop

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[the inner part of] a bean, causing ferment or the entrance of mold.” When beans are flattened or mordido (Spanish for bitten) in processing, it creates an uneven surface, which may cause beans to dry too quickly, risking

Coffee in Durham, North Carolina. He sees pulper damage in coffees sourced from a variety of production environments. “It’s not just smallholders or smallholder cooperatives that struggle with pulper damage. There are

A malfunctioning depulper is a quick fix that immediately increases producers’ payouts—not by much, but every dollar counts. long-term quality. “Mechanical damage also threatens the overall output of the mill, affecting producers’ pockets,” says Navarro. Timothy Hill is the coffee buyer and quality manager for Counter Culture

very few washed coffees that are free of it,” Hill says. The challenge of reducing pulper damage in washed coffees concerns all growing regions and costs producers money they would earn for otherwise

PH OTO C OURTESY O F LA P OTENC IA NA

he first step in processing washed coffees is depulping: forcibly removing the coffee cherry skin (also called pulp) from the bean inside. After the pulp is removed from the underlying mucilage and parchment comes scrubbing, sometimes fermenting, then drying. Depulping is a necessary part of washed processing, but damage in this stage poses a threat to the coffee’s value. Depulping equipment typically consists of two metal pieces grinding against each other in order to squeeze the cherries through. Enrique Navarro of Microbeneficio Monte Copey in San Marcos, Tarrazú, Costa Rica, has spent the last seven years perfecting processing. “Parchment protects a bean,” Navarro says. “If that layer is damaged as early as depulping, then the bean will suffer in each subsequent stage. Mucilage can cling to

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PH OTO BY RAC HEL NORT HROP

healthy coffee. Beans with severe pulper damage will preclude a sample from evaluation by specialty roasters and a lot is devalued by any pulper defects. I first observed the potential destructiveness of pulpers on a farm growing commodity coffee outside of Ciudad Bolivar, Antioquia, Colombia. In this region, producers depulp and wash coffee, then sell it to co-ops or brokers in parchment. Producers are paid precisely for the quality of each lot of coffee they deliver based on a hulled sample hand-sorted to determine defect percentage. After watching coffees repeatedly docked based on defect count, I categorized the defects by insect damage, discolored or misshaped, and machine damage. Almost half the defects were flattened or pitted beans damaged by the depulper. This seemed shocking because the problem is comparatively solvable. Insect infestations, malnourished beans, blight, or insufficient drying times indicate systemic issues of adapting to larger environmental issues and strategizing overall farm management. In contrast, a malfunctioning depulper is a quick fix that immediately increases producers’ payouts—not by much, but every dollar counts. Farmers who use depulpers generally know how to maintain them, but troubleshooting mechanical equipment is a skill set separate from the rest of coffee cultivation, and it’s an area where many producers would benefit from support. Chalo Fernandez, a specialty coffee producer in Huila, Colombia, describes the complexity of the situation. “We do our best to keep all of our mechanical infrastructure operating smoothly by ourselves, but due to limited finances, limited experts with knowledge and experience who are busy and/or have to travel long distances to reach the farm, and poor mobile signal to reach these engineers or technicians, sometimes our problem solving is more reactive than proactive,” Fernandez says. Shifting to proactive equipment maintenance is the goal, one that is being achieved through one direct-trade partnership. Tim Trebilcock, of Trebilcock Coffee Roasters in Ajax, Ontario, is a toolsmith by trade and is leading the design of a carefully thought out preventive maintenance program. Trebilcock says the program will “help the farm run breakdown free, protect the integrity of the quality of the coffee, and can allow for annual maintenance budget to be accurately assessed.”

Not only does better functioning equipment mean producers can earn more from their coffee, it means spending less on emergency repairs. Fernandez explains, “We know how to grow coffee; that’s what we’ve done for years. But now we have new, more efficient mill technology to adapt to. Our roaster partners apply their specific expertise, making it a true exchange of skills and knowledge.” Since tools like welding torches and drills are also much cheaper in the US, Trebilcock and other roasters have sent containers of equipment to Fernandez’s farm. A belt drive might not be the most glamorous investment to showcase back at the coffee shop, but sometimes identifying and meeting simple needs is the most meaningful action.

over fifty percent pulper damage with a five-person panel unanimous score of 84 points.” Pulper damage is far from the gravest problem at origin and, to a degree, is unavoidable because beans vary widely in size. But preventative maintenance to avoid unnecessary losses from malfunctioning equipment is one improvement that’s becoming more accessible to producers and keeping more coffee as special as it should be, which is a win for everyone. Rachel Northrop is a regular contributor and a sales rep with Ally Coffee.

A belt drive might not be the most glamorous investment to showcase back at the coffee shop, but sometimes identifying and meeting simple needs is the most meaningful action. The preventive maintenance project began after a depulper at Fernandez’s farm caused belts to snap last harvest, halting processing for as much as a day at a time and threatening the quality of coffee that demands immediate processing. This and other hurdles occur long before coffee makes it to a cupping table. In the samples that specialty roasters evaluate, the most severely damaged beans have already been sorted out, and producers have silently taken the hit for that loss in coffee that might have been sold for a premium. From Hill’s perspective, the minor, inevitable pulper damage occurring in specialty coffee does not hugely impact quality. “Roasters can pay attention and calibrate to when it’s an issue and when it’s not,” Hill says. “We approved a coffee with

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Café CROSSROADS

Dark Arts Coffee and I Will Kill Again » Hackney, UK By Ellie Bradley » Photos by Peanut Butter Vibes Photography

BRADLEY MORRISON & JAMIE STRACHAN

A Diedrich IR-12 pumps out coffees with names like Stone Heart, Cult of Doom, Holy Mountain, Life After Death (their decaf selection), and Mother Tongue.

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o tattoos are required to pay a visit to Dark Arts Coffee Roasters, but you may be in the minority if your sleeves aren’t made of ink. Beards, flannel, tattoos, and gothic jewelry are aplenty inside the walls of the London roastery. Tucked in a railway arch in Hackney, one of London’s northeastern boroughs, the industrial neighborhood is a fitting backdrop for the motorcycles ridden by the staff and friends of the coffee roasters. The roastery décor is a mix of Americana and artifacts from motorcycle culture and retro horror films. “We decided we were just going to encapsulate this business in everything we like,” says managing director Bradley Morrison of the quirky, even spooky decor. He says they looked at the modern, clean aesthetic common among coffee roasters and realized it didn’t ring true to who they were. “We felt that if we tried to emulate or fall into the current formula of what a coffee roaster is supposed to look like, we’d come across being somewhat fraudulent,” Morrison says.

Dark Arts Coffee Roasters launched in 2014, after an auspicious meeting between Morrison and director Colin Mitchell at a motorcycle festival the year before. Morrison had been working as a barista and wasn’t loving the coffee served by the shop. Morrison resolved that he could do a better job. “I approached the owner and said, ‘If I can set up a roastery, will you change your supplier?’” he says. The owner agreed, and Dark Arts got the start they needed. A Diedrich IR-12 pumps out coffees with names like Stone Heart, Cult of Doom, Holy Mountain, Life After Death (their decaf selection), and Mother Tongue. Jamie Strachan, director of coffee, says there’s always a little wink to it. Each coffee bag sports a label claiming to “relieve fatigue,” and their house-made cold-brew is dubbed “Revenge: Best Served Cold.” Depending on the day of the week, the roastery doubles as Dark Arts’ office and production space, as well as their newly minted café, I Will Kill Again. (The café operates only on weekends, while the rest of the week is reserved for coffee production.)

The café is the brainchild of Talia Aitchison, who owns and manages the café. Morrison says Aitchison had the concept in her head for quite some time, inspired by difficulty she and Morrison faced looking for places to go out with friends that could accommodate various dietary restrictions. “Every time we’d ever want to go anywhere, there was nowhere that could cater to everyone. Literally nowhere,” Morrison says. “So we’d end up not going out to brunch and going and eating Vietnamese food.” During the process of shopping around for a space to lease, Aitchison and Morrison decided to open the café inside the roastery. “We looked at rents and they were high, then the roastery was growing and people kept dropping in,” Morrison says. Wanting to give visitors a place to enjoy their coffee, I Will Kill Again was built in the corner of the roastery, putting out a menu made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients using just three electric burners and occupying a space of roughly twenty square feet. “The café is something that’s completely taken everyone by surprise,” Morrison says.

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“We really thought it was just going to be mates turning up. We’re just getting absolutely smashed.” He says that people have really identified with what they’re doing, evidenced by the fact that the same crowd keeps showing up each weekend, and continues to grow rapidly. “After that third time or so, we were like, ‘What the hell did we just do?’” Morrison says, laughing. On any given weekend, you might find a group of freshly tattooed teenagers wandering the industrial area near the roastery, in search of a killer coffee and brunch pairing. “We’re in a service lane, off the beaten track,” Strachan says. “A lot of people struggle to find us.” Once the wandering herds are guided to the magical coffee and an enticing café menu, they’re in for a treat. The Dark Arts crew slings espresso on a two-group Synesso Synchro, offering filter coffee as a V60 pour-over or batch-

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brewed on a Technivorm. The tiny café bar also houses a Mahlkönig EK 43 and a Mythos One grinder, as well as a Marco hot water boiler. The menu at I Will Kill Again is predominantly vegan and vegetarian, and chef Rebecca Grace Lever makes many items in house, like the spicy chorizo sausage made from pinto beans. The café sources bread from Dusty Knuckles bakery in Dalston, and gets a lot of their fresh produce

from Brockman Farms in Kent, which also supplies their biodynamic eggs. Dishes on the menu include avocado smash toast with chipotle ratatouille; a chorizo bun with beetroot, sauerkraut, and baked onion rings; and smoked pancetta with goat curd and oven-blushed tomatoes. As much as the crew at Dark Arts and I Will Kill Again likes to have fun, they’re ultimately driven by their passion to produce quality products. The

company hopes to grow the family, and seeks to roast and supply the best coffee in Europe. “We can have a bit of a laugh and whatever, but ultimately we do really like what we do,” Morrison says. “I just want to be able to keep doing it and grow our business.”

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DO YOU KNOW Philip Brown? BY CORY ELDRIDGE

hilip Brown, the owner of Savannah, Georgia’s Perc Coffee, was in the coffee game for nine years before he ever picked up a trier and learned to roast coffee. Living in Athens, Georgia, and leading a touring band, he worked as a barista, then manager, and then as the general manager at a café. He then started a two-year apprenticeship as a roaster for the company, then moved into a regular roasting gig. “The moment I started roasting on the big roaster,” he says, “I knew this was what I wanted to do.” As much as he learned in the roastery, he’d learned a lot on the road too. While on tour through the first decade of the 2000s, he saw coffee changing. Going to cafés on the West Coast or in Chicago made him want to approach coffee differently, and it made him want to approach it on his own terms. “I wanted to bring what I saw on tour to the Southeast. I wanted to lead that charge,” he says. In 2010, with a Diedrich IR-12 and a heat sealer, a grinder, and a bike and backpack for deliveries he bought on eBay, he started Perc, choosing to base the new company out of a city with no experience with light-roasted, single-origin coffees. This interview has been edited for clarity and space. WHY SAVANNAH? YOU DIDN’T REALLY HAVE A CONNECTION THERE AND THE CITY HAD NO EXPERIENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF COFFEE.

PHOTO BY PETE M ARA

My wife and I looked at a bunch of places in the Southeast, we knew we wanted to stay in the Southeast. We looked at Nashville and Ashville, we looked at Charleston and we also looked at Atlanta. Out of all the places we looked, some of them already had some coffee and seemed like it would be a little bit harder to have an impact and others, I don’t know, just didn’t really speak to me. The local food scene was kind of hitting and people were excited about using quality ingredients, and that spoke to me as far as a place where I could make an immediate impact. I could be a part of something that was getting ready to happen in Savannah. YOU STARTED SELLING IN 2010, BUT YOU STARTED THE COMPANY ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE THAT. IT TAKES A LOT OF BOOTSTRAPPING TO PULL THAT OFF.

Yeah. I ended up finding a roaster, an IR-12, for like $7,000. My bike, I actually traded coffee for the bike, so

it didn’t cost me anything. The heat sealer was 150 bucks and the grinder was like 1,500 bucks. So I was able to get started pretty inexpensively. I found a space where they only wanted $400 a month, but I made a deal where I provided the landlord with coffee and we only paid $350 a month. It really took a lot of pressure off me so I could get down what I wanted to present before I ever took a sample out. I could get some graphic design done and get the brand seeming like something before I took out samples. Then I got a few accounts and it started rolling. It was just me, working six or seven days a week, and sometimes doing pop-ups in the evening. WHAT WAS IT LIKE PRESENTING COFFEE TO A TOWN AND SAYING, HEY, THIS ISN’T LIKE COFFEE YOU’VE HAD BEFORE?

It was certainly a challenge. And there’s still some challenges. At that time, I was so bought in and so excited about what I was doing and where coffee was going among the roasters that were inspiring me that I was really of the mind that lighter-roasted coffees and coffees that articulated the way that I was hoping to taste them were the only coffees that were, quote-unquote, good. Now I look at it much differently. Now I realize that there are people who will try coffees that are my absolute favorite and just not like them. I accepted that I was inspired to do something specific. My goal is to get people to go on that ride with me by being super cool about it. HOW DO YOU PRODUCE SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC AND EVEN RIGID WITHOUT COMING OFF AS SNOBBY?

I think one of the biggest problems in third-wave coffee is we put our baristas in a challenging position of presenting a product that is different from what customers are accustomed to, they need to be trained really well. They’ll need to have all the answers and give them while not messing up a pour-over, which can be tricky. I messed up a pour-over just the other week. Often, a barista is so bogged down, checking their scales, checking their times and making sure everything is just right, that they miss the customer. As many people will be excited to do business with somebody they think is cool as they will be to do business with somebody who they think is good at what they do. If we can bring those together, then we’ll have something special.

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more coffees, more processes, more roasting styles, more types of equipment, more ways to create great drinks. And there are more and more non-dairy milks to choose from.

October 2016 Âť Fresh Cup Magazine

P HOTO BY CYNT HIA MEAD OR S

pecialty coffee has been marked for years by the expansion of variety and options in just about every section of the industry. There are

Soy used to be the only regularly available option, and it was looked at askance by baristas and café owners. It was lucky if it had a regular place on the creamer counter. But now cafés aren’t just expected to offer an alternative milk (or three) but to know how to make fantastic drinks from them. With barista-focused plant-based milks, that’s easier to pull off than ever before. So let’s take a look at the options out there and how you can bring the right one (or three) into your shop.

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et’s dive in with a look at the alternative milks out there and some general notes on what to expect from each. This is by no means a comprehensive list of plant-based milks, but gives a profile of some of the nondairy options more commonly used in cafés. A visit to a health-food focused grocery will reveal milks made from hemp, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), oats, brazil nuts, and pea protein. We’ve kept the flavor and texture comments fairly minimal, since each option varies quite drastically by brand. Many options come with added sweetness or flavor, like vanilla, or have been formulated specifically for use by baristas, all which affect the texture and flavor characteristics of the milk.

SOY

COCONUT

HAZELNUT

ALMOND

• Process: dried soybeans soaked, then ground with water to create milk-like texture; other methods press the soybeans in filtered water to remove insoluble fiber

• Process: made from blending coconut meat and water, or diluting coconut cream

• Process: hazelnuts are gently roasted before grinding and blending with water

• Tasting notes: rich and aromatic, light sweetness, creamy

• Tasting notes: rich hazelnut, smoky, sweetly creamy

• Tasting notes: beany, slightly malty, light sweetness

• Available as barista blend? Yes

• Tidbit: popular as a pairing with mochas to mimic a beloved chocolate hazelnut spread

• Tidbit: has the tendency to curdle with acidic ingredients

• Process: almonds are soaked, then blended with water • Tasting notes: subtle almond nuttiness, malt, mildly sweet • Available as barista blend? Yes

• Available as barista blend? No

• Available as barista blend? Yes

CASHEW

MACADAMIA

RICE

• Process: made with a base of filtered water and cashews.

• Process: made with a base of filtered water and macadamias

• Process: made from blending pressed, milled rice with water

• Tasting notes: lightly nutty, toasted grain

• Tasting notes: bold nuttiness, malt, sweetly creamy

• Tasting notes: grainy, sweet

• Available as barista blend? No

• Tidbits: one of the most allergyfriendly plant-based milks

VISCOSITY SCALE CREAMY

MEDIAN VISCOSITY

THIN

Macadamia Cashew Soy Hazelnut Almond Pepita Hemp Coconut Brazil Nut Rice 46

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P HOTO S BY CYNTHIA MEA DOR S

• Available as barista blend? Yes

BARISTA ALTERNATIVE MILKS

ext to the explosion in variety and availability of alternative milks, the greatest change in the category over the past few years has been the introduction of non-dairy milks made to play well with coffee. When it comes to coffee and milk, there is a benchmark—dairy—and there are a few constant problems with alternative milks no matter the type when it comes to making, say, a latte. The first is that alternative milks separate in the cup, leaving what appears to be a curdled slick on the surface. Customers don’t end up with almond milk or soy milk, says Debra Kaminski at Pacific Natural Foods, “It’s soy chunks in coffee.” Second, alternative milks just don’t steam and stretch like dairy, not so much making foam as warm, separated alternative milk. If latte art can be poured at all, it usually won’t survive the handoff to the customer. These are what alternative milk makers call “performance issues,” and that means that, as Ted Robb of New Barn, which just released a coffee-focused almond milk, says, “If you’re not a dairy drinker, when you go to a coffeehouse, your experience is often suboptimal.” In 2013, Pacific released the first alternative milk that didn’t separate in coffee, steamed well, and was made, from the start, to taste great in coffee. Several options are available now, and the names of the products tell you who was in mind during production: Pacific’s multi-variety Barista Series, Califia’s Barista Blend Almondmilk, and New Barn’s Barista Almondmilk. When Kaminiski was working on Pacific’s almond entry at the start of their series, she took thirty variations of the recipe to baristas who put each variation through standard café steps, judging them on their performance, be it stability, foam, taste, and even temperature needed to stretch properly. Each formulation also had to be shelf-stable for a year. Robb went through a similar process, though New Barn’s fresh almond milk must be refrigerated and used pretty quick. To perform well, all barista alternative milks have additives, mainly stabilizers like gums or carrageenan. These make up fractions of fractions of a percent of the total makeup of the milk, but it’s possible customers hypervigilant about ingredient lists may have concerns. The vast majority, though, will see that rosetta set into microfoam and they’ll know they’re about to experience an alternative milk latte like none before.

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CREATIVE CUPPING

offee cuppings are used to score coffee and determine quality. When the coffee is hot, cuppers evaluate characteristics such as body, flavor, aftertaste, and balance. As the coffee cools, cuppers assess how well these characteristics work together. As the coffee grows even cooler, attributes like sweetness and uniformity are assessed. Green buyers rely on this process to identify defects and select coffees in line with their offerings. While the SCAA cupping protocol was developed for coffee, many of the principles and techniques used on the cupping table can be applied to plant-based milks. Whether you’re choosing new alternative milk options to bring in to your café, or you want to give your staff a better vocabulary to describe each milk option and how it pairs with your coffee, preparing a milk cupping provides tangential data to inform your non-dairy selections and pairings.

THINGS TO CONSIDER •

Cup your milks at different temperatures. Just as the characteristics of coffee change as it cools, milk will elicit different attributes at different temperatures. Taste your milks cold. Taste them hot. Taste them as they start to cool. See how different flavors come out and what your preferences are at each temperature. At the Coffee Fox in Savannah, Georgia, café manager Clay Ehmke says they found the non-dairy milks they used for steaming just didn’t taste great cold, so they brought in another variety for their iced drinks. “We keep two varieties of each almond, soy, and coconut,” he says.

•

Look at how the milks behave when steamed. Perfecting latte art with cow’s milk can be challenging enough, but take out the constituents of milk that facilitate steaming (like lactose, casein, and fat), and things can get a lot more challenging. Look at how each milk sample responds to aeration. Does it stretch like cow’s milk? Does the microfoam hold more than a few minutes? Slayer recently debuted their newest machine, the Slayer Steam, which promises to deliver better milk flavor and steam control. Marketing manager Sarah Dooley says that in testing alternative milks, they found steaming a little hotter yielded better flavor development. “We did notice that you have to steam it a little hotter to get the same results in development of flavor to standard milk,” Dooley says.

•

Consider your menu. Just as Ehmke noted their use of different milk brands for hot and cold beverages, how each milk will be used in the café environment may influence your decisions. Choose a few of your favorite plantbased milks and try them with the iced and hot versions of some of your coffee drinks, with your most popular house syrups, and with espresso. You may find specific varieties pair better with your syrup or coffee flavors, giving you knowledge to better guide customers through your menu.

•

Model the café environment. Most customers will drink their beverage slowly, whether they’re sitting in your shop or sipping on the go. Look at how steamed samples and beverage preparations behave over time. “The longer it sits, the bubbles go to the top and the heavy milk part goes to the bottom and the drink is no longer homogenized,” says Dooley. This can dramatically affect the flavor and texture of a beverage, and should be taken into consideration.

•

Shop around. Textures, aromas, consistency, and flavors will vary by brand, and even within a brand. Take Pacific’s soy offerings: vanilla, original, unsweetened, ultra, Barista Series—that’s just one milk, one brand. Look at what’s reasonable for you to source in your café and get a wide range of samples for your cupping.

•

Cup in stages. Considering the overwhelming number of choices for plant-based milks and how they can pair, don’t be paralyzed by the number of options. If you know you want to have almond milk as an offering, start there: devote a cupping just to almond milks and have your staff join you. Or, if you’ve narrowed down your choices, dedicate a tasting session to pairing contenders with popular items on your menu.

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PLAY CHEF

lant-based milks can also easily be made by hand with just a few simple tools. Ehmke will help the Coffee Fox open an all-vegan branch of their business this winter, dubbed the Fox & Fig. For nut milks, Ehmke recommends using a three-to-one ratio of water to nuts as a base for your milk, then diluting as needed. He uses a Vitamix and nut-milk bags to press his mixtures and yield a filtered product, finding success with less commonly found flavors like pepita, cashew, and hemp.

EMBRACE VARIETY

ith so many types of alternative milks out there (never mind all the different brands), it’s easy for the options to cramp up the selection process as you choose one. There’s a simple solution to this: don’t choose just one. A primary reason people choose non-dairy milk is because they can’t handle dairy. Nuts and soy present the same problems for some of your customers, so why have your alternative milk be no alternative at all for someone with an allergy? If you prefer an almond milk, keeping a non-nut alternative milk like hemp or rice under the counter ensures you have options for customers. If you serve multiple espressos, especially if you serve a single-origin, you likely have one you pair with milk and another you serve straight up. Why wouldn’t you want to match your espresso with the right alternative milk? Maybe the super fruity natural coffee you have doesn’t fit so well with your go-to cashew milk. It could be killer with coconut or hemp or rice. Maybe one milk tastes off when vanilla is added to a latte or another just shines in a mocha. Signature drinks with distinct flavors might find a better fit with one milk or even brand of milk than with others. Finally, there’s cold-brew. Debra Kaminski from Pacific Natural Foods said that during the two-year process of creating their almond Barista Series, they hit on a pretty good formula when they found out it didn’t work in cold-brew. That sent them back to the kitchen until they had a product that worked as well cold as it did hot. You have cold coffee, drip coffee, and espresso. One alternative milk might not cut it for them all.

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P HOTO BY NIC OLE SHANK S

October 2016 Â» Fresh Cup Magazine

DONKEY COFFEE & ESPRESSO: Hand-painted murals in the café stairwell depict some of the staff’s favorite album covers.

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aybe it’s the hum of tampers and milk pitchers rhythmically clanging behind the bar, or the soft, steady beat of alternative music in the background—whatever the intrigue, coffeehouses have long been a draw for creative customers. Some café owners have turned this relationship into a mutually beneficial partnership by offering their space to artists to share their work with the community. Whether offering wall space as a gallery, the floor space as a stage, or simply supporting the local arts community, these partnerships benefit the artist by giving them an opportunity to promote their work, drawing in new customers for the coffee shop. Many coffeehouses, especially those situated in a thriving business or cultural district, are already poised to form partnerships. In Annville, Pennsylvania, the close proximity of MJ’s

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Coffeehouse to the Lebanon Valley College campus has made it a natural extension of the school—MJ’s is just across the street from campus. Owner Skip Hicks is a longtime supporter of the college and local arts community and says MJ’s is a destination for artists looking to reach new audiences, including musicians, painters, and photographers. “They all generally come to us as referrals from other artists. It creates a domino effect so we really don’t have to go out and search for anyone,” he says. MJ’s is adjacent to the Allen Theatre, a cinema that shows an eclectic mix of first-run and classic films. Patrons of the theater who are coming into MJ’s to purchase refreshments can clearly see the art on display. Hicks explains that the coffeehouse is independent of the theater in that it has its own programming, but the two venues work together at times, as well.

In addition to the visual art, which the artists personally come in and hang on homasote boards, MJ’s has a packed calendar of musical performances, including a weekly jazz series, and a Coffeehouse Series—featuring a singer and guitarist—hosted four to five times per semester in partnership with the college. They’ve also hosted an open mic night on Mondays for the past twenty years. Most of the musicians are affiliated with the college, while visual artists are typically from the community. “I actually wish we could work more closely with the college to display more student work,” Hicks says. “We’ve done it a few times but not enough—there’s quite a bit of talent on campus.” As for compensation, Hicks says he doesn’t ask for a percentage of any visual works sold. “Our place creates an interesting environment and hopefully the artist will become

DEAD STO C K C O FFEE PH OTO S BY CYNTHIA M EAD ORS

DEADSTOCK COFFEE: Sports-related art adorns the walls and ceiling.

DEADSTOCK GUEST BOOK: Customers can leave their unique mark in a book of shoe designs (right).

better known.” Hicks says they purposely set out to create a space that was relatable and that could serve to highlight arts in the community. “The reputation spread—artists found out that they could display their work or showcase their talent at our venue. That was one of our goals from the beginning,” he says. Just over seventy miles east, Deja Brew has found its niche as an art café in the college town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Popular with students from neighboring Lehigh University, Deja Brew developed its connection to the local art community through owner Jeff Vaclavik. Vaclavik has a strong business presence in the artistically and culturally diverse neighborhood of South Bethlehem and is known for his affiliation with the SouthSide Film Festival. (The project launched from a partnership between a Deja Brew regular looking for venues to show his independent films and a local busi-

ness group—of which Vaclavik was a member—looking for new initiatives to support.) “It’s a different kind of art,” Vaclavik says of the films. “We’ve had thirteen festivals so far and

for their connection to the film festival. He says their goal is to not only promote the filmmakers but to bring more people to the South Side. The festival launched the Flash Your Pass program, distributing lanyard

My hope was to attract creatives but show that you can be creative in any kind of way. Our ‘guest book’ is a book of sneaker templates that people can draw in. have showed films from all over the world.” Vaclavik says that while Deja Brew displays some work by one of their employees, they’re best known

passes to any filmmaker attending the festival for discounts at local businesses and access to all of the films and parties.

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As the headquarters for the film festival, Deja Brew gets a lot of traffic by default. “You get some business out of it from people coming in to buy tickets. We make our space available and we have a reputation as a business that supports the arts. I think that as a coffeehouse, you’re kind of expected to be a little bit

For café owners, the desire to support and engage the local community often means finding creative ways to attract different segments of their customer base. When Ian Williams opened Deadstock Coffee in Portland, Oregon, in May of 2015, one of his goals was to partner with the corporate sector in some way. Portland

Donkey is one of the most heavily traveled places in the city of Athens, so artists’ work actually gets a lot more visibility here than it would in a gallery. funky, a little bit artistic,” he says. “People see that and appreciate it— they’ll stop in to ask what films are coming up. It definitely gets people in the door, and by the same token, we want people to visit the other businesses.”

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is home to a slew of global footwear giants, and Williams wanted to establish a unique working relationship with his big business colleagues at the footwear companies. “What I wanted to create was a place for everyone who works in

the footwear industry to meet and chill,” Williams says. “Portland has a whole lot of coffee going on, and I didn’t feel comfortable hanging out in any of the coffee places.” Williams wanted a place that wasn’t too uptight, hipster, or intimidating. “My hope was to attract creatives but show that you can be creative in any kind of way. Our ‘guest book’ is a book of sneaker templates that people can draw in. We approach the design thing differently—we like to say that anybody can be an artist.” Sneaker displays fill the walls of Deadstock, and Williams hopes to attract the participation of more companies as the shop grows. “We had a customer who had a bunch of vintage Michael Jordan posters from the 80s and 90s which we mounted on foam board, then we displayed the actual Jordan sneakers that were shown in the posters,” he says. Williams will launch monthly themed exhibits this fall, which started by approaching footwear company employees who nurture creative side projects outside of their corporate jobs. “Working with the companies is authenticating what we do,” he says.

DO NKEY C OFFEE PHOTO S BY NICO LE SHANK S

DONKEY COFFEE: Live performances drive connection to the community.

DONKEY COFFEE: Music-based art makes the perfect backdrop for this reading nook.

“We pride ourselves on people knowing Portland as the shoe capital, and we try to have genuine stories about the items we display.” While some cafés have taken initiative to serve as a hub for creativity in the community, other shop owners welcome artists making the initial connection. Kevin Oaks owns SoulFood Coffee House with his wife, Makia, in Redmond, Washington, where their gallery and performance space is booked through February 2017. The café has a few walls dedicated to local artwork; two to four artists rotate through each month, putting their work on display for a two-week period. Oaks says he and his wife are as committed to the creative side of the business as the coffee itself. “In order to bring in the artsy crowd, you have to understand that it’s a labor of love,” he says. “We’re both performers, and you have to understand that it’s a commitment—if you want to do it right, you want to provide a good space for the artist to play in.” SoulFood has links on their webpage for artists and musicians

to contact them directly, send clips of their work, and download an artist agreement. The café takes a 20 percent commission for any artwork sold. A piece will be marked once it’s purchased, then left on display for the duration of the show. “We pay a small stipend for the musicians,” he says. “Most of our shows are donation-suggested, not closed door, so they’re open to the public. We’re one of the only places around for live music, so we’re really known for that.” Bringing in local artists can also showcase the rich culture of a community. Working with diverse demographics has been a major driver for Donkey Coffee in Athens, Ohio, says Troy Gregorino, the shop’s booking manager. “Donkey is one of the most heavily traveled places in the city of Athens, so artists’ work actually gets a lot more visibility here than it would in a gallery,” he says. “It benefits the shop because it makes the walls look awesome and shows different aspects of the community, which is what Donkey is all about.” Gregorino says they recently hosted a collaborative show by an organiza-

tion that runs a visual arts program for adults with various developmental disabilities. “It was a very different show—a lot of color, a lot of whimsy,” he says. “It benefits the shop because it brought a lot of folks in. Some of our best shows have come from community-based organizational efforts. I like the fact that we have a really wide range of artists—total novices to seasoned professionals.” Donkey Coffee works on a commission model similar to SoulFood, where the shop keeps 20 percent of proceeds from sold work. The coffeehouse and artist relationship holds rich rewards for both parties. Gregorino sees the benefits extending into the community as well. “Arts and culture are our lifeblood. It invites community participation, engenders the idea of connectedness rather than a more sterile business approach, and it brings life to the place. It’s a very symbiotic relationship—we rely on each other in a lot of ways.” The coffee house could be called the place where art and commerce intersect, which means good business for everyone.

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BARISTA TO FARMER: Lance Neffendorf (left) and Garrett Oden (right) visit both the Bella Vista farm (left) and worked at the farm’s café (above) in Antigua, Guatemala.

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t was the density of coffee shops that surprised us most when we slipped out of our second-story apartment and onto the Saturday-morning streets of Antigua, Guatemala. Cafés of every caliber and style lined the streets in a concentration rarely rivaled in the world. From any spot within the ten-street-by-ten-street city center, you are likely to see a long

of us—Lance Neffendorf, the owner of Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas, and me, his faithful employee—were unsure what the day would contain. We knew we had been invited by Finca Bella Vista to stay in an apartment for a week in Antigua at their expense. We knew we would be working in the farm’s café in the city. We knew we would get to visit the farm one of the days of our trip. That was about it.

close weaving of impatient cars and pedestrians left us unsure who possessed the right-of-way. Despite only twenty-three thousand permanent residents, Antigua is a city of hustle and bustle. We arrived at Bella Vista Café and meekly entered, feeling very much like new employees. The barista saw us, smiled, pointed, and said in English, “Barista? Coffee barista?” “Yes. Si. Uh, no hablo Español.”

MOUNTAINTOP BACKDROP: Street of Antigua with Volcán de Agua in the background.

line of patrons of a refined coffee chain, a local roaster proudly claiming to serve 100 percent Guatemalan coffee, and a mom-and-pop shop with bags from American coffee roasters displayed like precious artifacts—all without turning your head. That was a surprise, but we expected surprises because the two

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The Bella Vista café was about a fifteen-minute walk from our apartment. Lance and I walked oddly close. The sidewalks were barely thick enough for a single file line. Windowsills poked into the walking space, and my shoulder got intimate with one when I dared to look across the street instead of straight forward. The

Her smile widened, as if she had anticipated what we would say, and she waved us behind the bar. It took us a few minutes, but we eventually learned each other’s names. Hers was Karina. I queued Google Translate on my phone. Of the three baristas on the Bella Vista café team, only Marleny knew any

MAKING DRINKS at the Bella Vista Café (left). Volcán Fuego release s a heart-s haped cloud of ash (right).

English. She is twenty-two years old, the mother of two, and works mornings and evenings. Hilda also raises two children and has the unfailing smile of a close friend. Karina is the lead barista, business-minded and clever. Lance and I alternated shifts after that first day. One of us would work six hours in the morning, and the other would work six hours in the evening. The morning brought a mood of excitement and hurry as undercaffeinated travelers and workers came in for their regular coffee. The afternoon saw fewer sales, and the occasional rain caused us all to take slower, deeper breaths. Alongside the baristas, Lance and I served customers, talked about coffee cultures of Texas and Guatemala, and delved into the mysteries of espresso extraction as much as our language barrier would allow. Before the end of my first shift, a pattern became clear: few Guatemalans came in for coffee each day. For the most part, the native Guatemalans were behind the counters of the multi-retail space that Bella Vista Café occupied. The baristas of the café, the cashier of the liquor store, and the computer saleswoman were the only locals we saw regularly. After a few days of talking about drink recipes, Spanish verb tenses, and daily commutes to the café, I finally asked the question that had been bugging me since earlier that morning: why aren’t there more Guatemalans drinking our coffee? Karina confirmed my suspicions that very few of the patrons were

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Antiguan. “We have some local clients,” Karina told me, “but most are foreigners, especially during high-season.”

ntigua’s cobblestone streets shook and swayed me as I rode toward Finca Bella Vista in the back of an old red truck. It was only nine in the morning, but beads of sweat trickled down my neck. Volcán Fuego released a heart-shaped cloud of ash far in the distance. I tried to take in the sheet metal homes of the villages, but my attention was seized away as tall estate walls gave

and cherries for the sake of generational preservation. This approach to species survival is largely responsible for the compelling flavors found in arabica beans. Though the harvest had ended and few cherries remained, the shrubs were unmistakable. Pictures don’t give justice to the hues of green coffee plants swaying in the breeze beneath tall trees that offer the understory and forest floor a gentle shade. Workers in the fields stumped and pruned the plants. Stacks of firewood lined the trails. Shirtless teenagers hauled large bags of coffee beans to and from the warehouse.

THE FORESTED Finca Bella Vista being pruned after harvest season.

way to the farms around Antigua and forests of coffee trees. Arabica coffee trees often look thin and scrawny compared to their robusta cousins. Fewer stalks and leaves condition them to invest more in their seeds

Sweat covered their skin. Tattered shoes held loosely to their feet. Melanie Herrera, a newer administrator of Finca Bella Vista and the organizer of our journey to Guatemala, halted the truck to greet each

worker we passed. Her generous smile and whimsical laugh were inspiring. As we walked through tall aisles of green coffee bags, a worker stopped us to ask her about her day and meet us. Then another, and another. In the old office building Melanie had arranged a cupping for us that featured coffees from a variety of farms and micro-lots in the area. Some were sweet and sugary; others were bright with citrus. All of them were good. “I didn’t know coffee could taste so wonderful until I came to Finca Bella Vista,” she told us as we strolled down a path in the coffee forest. “Before I got to cup our coffee for the first time, I only drank instant coffee like everyone else in Guatemala. Most Guatemalans cannot afford to buy good coffee, and the ones that can don’t know about it or are satisfied with the usual.”

Marleny poured the steamed milk into the cup and a symmetrical Christmas tree appeared. She looked up with wide eyes and a smile. Our practice together was paying off. The coffee plants were just as incredible as I imagined they would be, but it was the workers—the heat, their shoes, the labor—that I couldn’t get out of my mind on the drive back.

he gentle flow of foreigners looking for a glass of cold-brew and relief from the hovering sun brought life to the Bella Vista café. A New York couple asked for wine recommendations. A woman’s dog barked at the liquor store attendant as they walked to the third floor patio. A bearded man inquired about the mocha latte ingredients. The regulars would ask how Guatemala was treating us that particular day. Every day the response was the same: the sun is hot, but the coffee is delicious. I loaded the portafilter into the Aurelia II espresso machine. Droplets of espresso fell into the white ceramic cup; then a steady stream of brown and gold formed. Marleny poured the steamed milk into the cup and a symmetrical Christmas tree appeared. She looked up with wide eyes and a smile, and she

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A CUPPING included a variety of coffees from the area.

proudly passed the cappuccino over to the customer. Our practice together was paying off. During the time between customers, sometimes a gap of hours, we talked about latte art and coffee flavor notes. Lance wrote up a cleaning schedule for the espresso machine during one of his shifts, and our Chemex technique was somehow fascinating to the other baristas. Though learning about each other’s culture was insightful and the coffee talk entertaining, relying so heavily on Google Translate to communicate was dispiriting at times. Despite this, our relationships grew amid the poor translations and embarrassed laughs. “What did you feel,” I asked Karina one day, “when you heard you would be working with baristas from other nations?” After a few Spanish words I couldn’t understand, she asked Marleny to translate. “In the beginning I was nervous because I did not know much about coffee,” she said. “Now I have learned quite a bit. We learn a lot from the visiting baristas, and we feel at home when meeting them now.” “What’s Finca Bella Vista’s goal for this café in Antigua?” I asked. Karina spoke to Marleny, who said,“The idea is to introduce great

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

coffee from Finca Bella Vista to Guatemalans who wouldn’t get to taste it normally. The Guatemalan market will come to appreciate this level of quality.”

neat rows. The individual plants were thin and meek, but the foliage of the collective forest laced together, dense. Towering above the coffee shrubs stood thin, tall trees that formed a swaying canopy. The cool air was a welcomed change as we walked down endless rows of shrubbery while Herrera pointed out the differences between varieties of coffee plants. An unexpected odor resembling sour wine filled the air as we walked around the mill. The closer to the vegetable gardens we walked, the fouler the stench became. We rounded a corner and the source of our nasal misery was revealed: a fermenting pile of coffee cherries. “We reuse everything that we can,” Herrera explained. “Composting the cherries is a great way to grow red worms. Together, they make a great fertilizer.” She picked one of the worms off the pile and poked at it.

NURSERY of geisha and bourbon coffee plant varietal s.

he road to the next farm we visited cut a winding route, but was paved. Tall trees swayed in the wind and framed the arch and gate that opened onto Finca Retana. The wide double door opened and a thick forest appeared. Coffee plants stood in

“This is origin,” she said. “Dirt and low wages. This is origin.” I asked, “If there was one thing about origin that most people don’t understand, what would it be?” There was no hesitation from Herrera. “Most people don’t understand the role of the people at origin. When

you see pictures of coffee plants and farms and cuppings, what you miss is the human side.” Two men down the road piled large stacks of firewood into the bed of a truck. The farm manager guiding us through the mill wiped at his forehead with a handkerchief. “The baristas that visit are all surprised at the working and living conditions of laborers, even at the farms that are known to take better care of them,” Herrera said. “Many of the laborer’s kids that grow up on the farm will be laborers here when they grow up. Many of them won’t get to go to school for as long as they could in the city.” We rounded a corner and saw a large concrete patio dedicated to drying the coffee beans. Though it was barren, it was grand. “That’s why we created the Bella Vista café and the guest barista program, because we ultimately want to be able to provide our workers with a better life,” she said. “I would like, one day, to be able to open schools on all the farms in the region for the local kids. With more educated workers, I think we could produce better coffee and be able to provide higher wages. “To do all of this, we need to convince Guatemalans that they should be drinking better coffee, and bringing in baristas from other countries and cultures gives our baristas a unique chance to learn and grow. It all boils down to this: consumption creates labor and higher wages for people to have a living.” The trail back to the estate house and the truck was wide, but the wide cover of the shade-tree canopy defended us from a gentle rain. “I know everybody complains that coffee is so expensive around the world, but when you travel to origin and see the human side of things, you realize why the price needs to be higher,” Herrera said. The rain intensified, so we took our final pictures and said goodbye to the Finca Retana staff. As we left the shelter of the trees, the rain hit heavy and loud on the windshield. We passed more homes made of metal sheets and kids splashing in puddles, and Herrera’s humbling words replayed in my head: “Most people miss the human side.” Friendships are difficult to cultivate when you only know only twenty of the same words, but there’s something about coffee that enables relationships to blossom when they are unlikely. I searched for meaningful ways to say, “We will miss you,” and, “It was nice to get to know you.” But when we were dropped off in front of the café to say goodnight to our friends for the final time, all the translations left me.

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Coffee farm laborers are the most vulnerable actors in the coffee supply chain. They’re vulnerable to exploitation, dangerous working conditions, and the effects of poor wages. The coffee industry has long cared about improving workers’ lot. The next step is to guarantee them a living wage.

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RENILSON DE SOUZA travelled 600 miles to work at Ponto Alegre in the southern portion of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

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ork is scarce at this time of year back home,” says Renilson de Souza. This, he says, is why he traveled with his wife, children, mother, father, and brother to work on the coffee harvest at Ponto Alegre farm. It’s a journey that took the de Souza family from the north to the south of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil—a trek of 600 miles. Even at that distance, it’s certainly worth making the trip. “We always spend the winter months harvesting coffee,” explains thirty-one-year-old Renilson. “This is a very productive farm and we get paid for how much we harvest. We earn as much in three months here as we would in nine months on the minimum wage back home.” Working with handheld mechanical harvesting devices they can pick an average of 440 kilos of coffee cherries a day, which results in an income equivalent to thirty to forty US dollars. This is significantly more than a worker would make in many other coffee-producing countries. The family lives in a house on the farm, and the children go to school in the village. Renilson and his family are among the tens of millions of men, women, and children employed worldwide to harvest coffee. For the de Souzas, working in coffee provides a decent livelihood during the months of the harvest. That’s far from the reality for everyone. Let’s be clear: working on a coffee farm is tough, whether it’s in Brazil or any other country. It’s hard, physical work. Harvesting coffee means carrying heavy loads. Coffee grows best at high altitudes, usually on mountains, which means many workers around the world have to navigate steep, dangerous ground. The hours are long and the weather can be harsh. When the development agency Solidaridad surveyed farmworkers early this year on behalf of the

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

Sustainability Council of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, workers reported that the most dangerous and undesirable tasks are applying pesticides, which is often done without protective equipment, and shade management, for which workers must climb to great heights to manually remove branches with saws. If the working conditions themselves are difficult, in many coffeeproducing countries the terms of employment can be even worse. Often workers don’t have contracts, as they’re hired informally to avoid labor regulations and keep wages low. This also means they can’t access benefits like pensions, paid holidays, or insurance, which are set out in law by many

if they cross national borders. For example, workers in Nicaragua often migrate to neighboring countries like Costa Rica or Honduras in search of higher wages, and they sometimes enter on tourist visas, so they lose their legal right to work, which hurts their ability to seek redress for unlawful treatment. Often coffee farms are in very isolated locations, and many of the workers are a long way from home, so the farm provides housing. Among the many workers I have met and spoken with, poor-quality housing is one of the biggest issues they face. Often men, women, and children all live together in warehouse-like buildings with up to sixty people to a room.

A living wage is the amount needed for a decent standard of living based on local conditions and living costs. This amount is usually very different from the legal minimum wage. countries. Often it is only the male heads of household who are officially registered as employed, even though their wives and children also join them in the fields. Workers often find employment through labor brokers, and there can be issues with these middlemen taking excessive fees from workers’ wages. In coffee farming, extra labor is needed at certain times of year, and it’s usually seasonal workers who suffer the most. They’re more likely to be employed informally, and they tend to do more dangerous work, earn less, and face more discrimination. Like the de Souza family, many seasonal workers travel to find employment. This tends to put them in a more vulnerable position, particularly

In the worst cases, we’re talking about real modern slavery. A report recently published by Danwatch, an independent Danish media and research center, highlighted cases of human trafficking in Brazil: men, women, and children picking coffee without a contract and without being paid, while also building up debt to the plantation owner for food and transport. Some of these cases are closer to home than you might imagine. In 2012, the US Department of Labor cited a rash of farms for labor violations in Kona, Hawaii’s famed coffeeland. Farm owners were made to pay 150 pickers, some of them exploited migrant laborers. Even a labor broker was implicated. Worse, investigators found two fiveyear-old children picking cherries.

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THE FAMILY: Renilson’s brother Jonas (left) and his parents Luzita and Adão also travelled with him to work at the farm.

How can this still happen in this day and age? It’s a story as old as time, where those without money or power are vulnerable to exploitation. Certain groups of workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse: women, children, descendants of slaves, indigenous people, and migrant laborers.

t the consumer level, these issues are often obscure, but coffee drinkers want to know their coffee was ethically produced. Research shows that nine in ten of us now expect companies to do more than just make a profit. According to the National Coffee Drinking Trends 2016 report, sourcing from “farms that treat workers well” is one of the claims that most motivates US consumers to purchase a specific coffee. More and more, coffee companies large and small are taking action to meet this consumer demand. In addition, companies realize that improving sustainability can lead to a more

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

reliable and better-quality supply. For many, third party certification is the most reliable and simplest way to meet expectations about sustainability. Farmers follow a set of sustainability requirements that are aligned with the most important international conventions on labor practices; if they pass an audit they can sell their coffee as certified; the coffee is traced through the supply chain and roasters can talk to consumers about the sustainable origin of their coffee. More and more studies show the positive impact of certification. For example, at UTZ we recently commissioned a third-party study of UTZcertified farms in Brazil that found 70 percent of workers said they had directly seen the benefits of certification, with improved health and safety at work, and appropriate facilities such as canteens and lavatories cited as direct improvements. This came alongside wider benefits for the

farms, such as improved coffee quality, lower production costs, and significant local environmental improvements such as better soil quality. The recent Danwatch report found that the situation on certified farms is better, with significantly better conditions for workers. Vilson Luiz da Silva, head of Minas Gerais’s largest agricultural workers’ union, FETAEMG, is quoted in the report saying, “The certified plantations know that if they don’t observe the rules and ensure good working conditions, they will lose their next order. So certification does make a big difference.” For Renilson and his family, working on a certified farm has certainly made a difference. He says that Ponto Alegre offers better conditions than many other farms. “Staying at a certified farm has given us more comfort both for ourselves and for our children who can go to school nearby,” he says.

ompanies may be starting to take action through certification and other sustainable sourcing practices like direct trade, but what about the role of governments? Renilson and the rest of the de Souza family live and work in Brazil, the world’s biggest coffee producer by a long shot. In fact, so much coffee is grown in their state, Minas Gerais, that if it were a country it would top the list of producers. Brazil has a relatively strong legal framework with regard to workers’ rights. At least until 2013, when a serious economic downturn began, social conditions across the country have been consistently improving, thanks in large part to rising minimum wages and the expansion of social policies. Brazil has also led the way when it comes to national efforts to eradicate modern slavery. In 1995, the country officially recognized the existence of modern slavery and established a mobile inspection group within the Ministry of Labor and Employment. A new organization was launched in May 2014 to strengthen and expand implementation of the national Pact for the Eradication of Slave Labor, and it brings together organizations from across the country. However, in practice, even in Brazil there is still further work needed when it comes to implementation and enforcement of the stringent labor legislations. Within Brazil there are large disparities between regions and social groups. Workers in rural areas and in the northeast of the country tend to face the worst conditions. Indeed, this inconsistent (or in some cases nonexistent) enforcement of the law is found across the industry. All coffee-growing countries are signatories to the core International Labour Organization’s conventions, and their national laws do formally comply with these standards. The practices at farms are rather different, because of lack of resources, political will, or both.

In cases where enforcement is weak, certifications can play an important role. The study of UTZcertified farms in Brazil found that a certification program like UTZ can complement national law and contribute to a stronger culture of legal compliance. The study cites both farmers and government representatives who say the yearly certification audits by UTZ and others act is a strong incentive for farmers to comply with Brazilian laws and regulations. hat’s clear is that no single actor can work alone—to make real change we need to see farmers, companies, governments, and civil society all working together. Many of the challenges faced by farmers and workers have their root cause far beyond the farm gate. Take the issue of wages. It’s all very well and good to tell a farmer that he must pay his workers more, but how much would be enough? Why should he pay more when the other farms nearby don’t offer a better deal? On top of all that, how can he afford to pay more when the price he receives for his coffee is too low? A concept that is picking up pace to help answer these questions is the idea of a living wage, and it also offers a great opportunity for the sector to pull together to make a difference. A living wage is the amount needed for a decent standard of living based on local conditions and living costs. That covers food, housing, education, health, and a small provision for unexpected events. This amount is usually very different from the legal minimum wage. Six leading sustainability certification standards—UTZ along with Fairtrade International, Forest Stewardship Council, GoodWeave, Sustainable Agriculture Network/ Rainforest Alliance, and Social Accountability International—have come together to promote the concept of a living wage and jointly

address this global challenge. We have joined hands and created the Global Living Wage Coalition, which is taking the lead on building a global database of benchmarks for the living wage, using rigorous academic studies based on a clear methodology, that set out exactly how much a living wage would be in a specific region, based on local costs. One of the latest to be released is for Minas Gerais, where Renilson and his family work. It shows that the prevailing wage is the equivalent of 383 US dollars per month, whereas a living wage would be $477. The research has practical results. For example, within UTZ we have made it a requirement that farms make progress towards paying the living wage. Having a well-researched benchmark and local buy-in is essential to this process. But the research also has bigger implications. It’s about starting a dialogue with actors across the sector. If we know what a living wage would be, and a farmer shows that he cannot pay it with the income he receives, that realization has the potential to spark change in the supply chain. Workers have the information they need to negotiate; governments are challenged to set minimum wages based on the real cost of living; and companies can look at their own supply chains accordingly. In the end, change will come through the momentum that continues to build across the sector. There’s still a long way to go but we are seeing the companies who have the power to make a difference making major commitments. We are seeing civil society work tirelessly to expose poor practices. We are seeing a growing body of research on what a sustainable coffee sector would look like, and how much workers should actually be paid. The knowledge gap is beginning to close. That means we can say loud and clear: we know what a sustainable coffee sector would look like. Let’s make it happen.

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Counter INTELLIGENCE ALL THE LOVE FOR OLIVE TEA

TAKE A PEEK

Make way for Steep Echo, a Santa

The Mahlkönig Peak is getting a

Barbara-based company leading

makeover, and it’s coming in the

the way in a new category of herb-

form of matte-structured surface

al tea: tea made with olive leaves.

coating. The new structured coat-

Each beautifully designed package

ing will replace previous white and

holds twelve sachets of complex,

black versions featuring a smooth-

sophisticated flavor. Olive leaves

matte finish. The upgraded surface

are hand-harvested and dried us-

enhances the Peak’s unique grind-

ing timeless and organic practices, and offer similar

ing technology, innovative design elements, and

health benefits to olive oil. Available in five caffeine-

easy-to-use functionality. Mahlkönig collaborated

free blends. steepecho.com

with top baristas internationally to develop the new surface. mahlkoenig.com

COLD-BREW UNVEILED Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea launches a nitro cold-brew

Probat now exclusively supplies

coffee, offered on tap in Colo-

the global coffee industry with

rado. Seeking a better way

Tomra Nimbus, the free-fall laser

for their customers to enjoy

sorter, also referred to as the Pro-

iced coffee, VMCT co-found-

bat laser sort type LST. The LST

ers Craig Arseneau and Chris Chantler developed a

rejects deformed products and foreign objects with

highly specialized cold brew process, then charged

extremely high efficiency. Its high-resolution lasers

the coffee into five-gallon kegs under pressurized

enable a degree of object sorting that cannot be de-

nitrogen. The nitrogen charge highlights the coffee’s

tected by conventional sorters, such as determining

natural sweetness and yields a creamy, smooth fin-

rejections based on biological characteristics like

ish. vailcoffee.com

chlorophyll. probat.com

KNOW BRAINER

SORT IT OUT

AQUIEM FOR A DREAM Enjoy the benefits of healthful

JMR

fats to fuel your mind and me-

announces the arriv-

tabolism with Know Brainer,

al of Aquiem, water

the thinker’s creamer. Know

specially formulated

Brainer was designed for

for coffee brewing.

people seeking healthier creamer options for their

Aquiem was developed based on industry literature

coffee. The ketogenic creamer is a convenient por-

outlining the ideal composition of water that should

table pouch of MCT oil and organic grass-fed clari-

be used when brewing coffee. The purified water

fied butter, available in full-dairy, and casein- and

contains essential minerals to enhance coffee’s fla-

lactose-free flavors. Choose from French Vanilla, Ha-

vor, aroma, and consistency. Aquiem is currently

zelnut, Original, Vanilla Bean, and Mocha. myknow-

available in an eco-friendly, one-liter Tetra Pak car-

brainer.com

ton. aquiem.net

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

Enterprises

» People & Products «

NEW LOOK FOR OREGON CHAI

IT’S EIGHT O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE

Oregon Chai has a new

Eight O’Clock introduces three innovative

package design, and five

coffees to their Infusions line: Alert, Re-

flavors of the chai tea con-

lax, and a 100 percent Brazilian Breakfast

centrate will now display

blend. The Infusions line blends unique

Non-GMO Project Verified

ingredients with its treasured coffee to

seals. Kerry Foodservice recently unveiled the new

deliver an enhanced coffee experience.

package design, and announced that the Original,

Alert is gently blended with caffeine and guarana for

Caffeine Free, Slightly Sweet, Salted Caramel, and

a high-caffeine experience, and Relax is a decaffein-

Vanilla flavors will carry the non-GMO seal. The

ated blend that incorporates cuts of chamomile and

seal indicates all at-risk ingredients are properly

lavender for tranquil sipping. eightoclock.com

handled and below a 0.9 percent GMO threshold. oregonchai.com

TRULY REMARKABLE

GET FATT Café

owners

can save an average of 40 percent on their monthly credit card processing bills, thanks to subscription-based Fattmerchant. Seeking to provide a transparent business model free of hidden fees, the system focuses on unlimited payment processing at direct cost for a flat monthly membership and no contract. Services provided include mobile processing, a virtual terminal, online reporting and analytics, and multiple

In response to data showing that 40 million Americans reduce coffee intake due to stomach irritation caused by acid, trücup developed a low-acid coffee to be enjoyed all day long. Roasted from a premium blend of arabica beans, trücup uses a proprietary, natural process to remove acids that can irritate the stomach and create a bitter taste, leaving all the flavor, aroma, and caffeine. trucup.com

modes for customer service. fattmerchant.com

KNOWLEDGE IS ELEKTRA-FYING

VINTAGE VISIONS The La Marzocco GS series launched in 1970, and the company has reincorporated the design into their current GS series as a vintage-inspired model. The GS Series machines were the first to be equipped with dual boiler systems and saturated groups (where the GS comes from, gruppo saturo). The series smooths the path to luxury espresso

Elektra recently announced the launch of the Elektra Barista Academy, an educational lab designed to be a place for sharing ideas and experiences, and upgrading skills and knowledge. The academy celebrated their grand opening at the end of September with the Umami Barista Camp, a training event based on the modules of the SCAE Coffee Certificate System. elektrasrl.com

preparation with a preheating system, digital PID controller, and digital display. lamarzocco.com

Fresh Cup Magazine « freshcup.com

Trade Show & Events CALENDAR OCTOBER

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 1–2 NORTHWEST TEA FESTIVAL Seattle nwteafestival.com

OCTOBER 20–22 WORLD TEA & COFFEE EXPO Mumbai, India worldteacoffeeexpo.com

OCTOBER 6–9 ISTANBUL COFFEE FESTIVAL Istanbul istanbulcoffeefestival.com

OCTOBER 20–24 CHINA XIAMEN INTERNATIONAL TEA FAIR Xiamen, Fujian Province, China teafair.com.cn/en/

OCTOBER 13–16 LET’S TALK COFFEE Puerto Vallarta, Mexico letstalkcoffee.org

OCTOBER 26–28 NCA COFFEE SUMMIT Miami ncausa.org/coffee-summit-2016

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER 17–20 MOSCOW COFFEE & TEA EXPO Moscow expocoffeetea.ru/en

OCTOBER 20–22 TRIESTESPRESSO EXPO Trieste, Italy triestespresso.it

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

NOVEMBER 1 COFFEE ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE Toronto coffeeassoc.com

NOVEMBER 2–4 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE & TEA FESTIVAL Dubai, UAE coffeeteafest.com

» 2016-2017 Coffee & Tea Trade Shows, Classes & Competitions «

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 4–13 KONA COFFEE CULTURAL FESTIVAL Kona konacoffeefest.com

NOVEMBER 10–13 SEOUL INTERNATIONAL CAFÉ SHOW Seoul cafeshow.com

NOVEMBER 5–6 COFFEE & TEA FESTIVAL PHILLY Philadelphia coffeeandteafestival.com

NOVEMBER 13–15 HX: THE HOTEL EXPERIENCE ROOMS TO RESTAURANTS New York City thehotelexperience.us

DECEMBER NOVEMBER 8–10 NAMA COFFEE, TEA & WATER Nashville coffeeteaandwater.org

NOVEMBER 9-13 SINTERCAFE San Jose, Costa Rica www.sintercafe.com

NOVEMBER 10–12 WORLD COFFEE LEADERS FORUM Seoul wclforum.org

DECEMBER 20–23 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE & CHOCOLATE EXHIBITION Riyadh, Saudi Arabia coffeechoco-expo.com

JANUARY 2017

JANUARY 13-15 INDIA INTERNATIONAL TEA & COFFEE EXPO Kolkata, India teacoffeeexpo.in

Fresh Cup Magazine « freshcup.com

ADVERTISER Index Go to freshcup.com/resources and click on “Fresh Cup Advertisers” to view the Advertiser Index and the Websites listed below. ADVERTISER

CONTACT

ONLINE

Add a Scoop Supplement

415.382.6535

addascoop.com

Barista Pro Shop

866.PRO.LATTE (776.5288)

baristaproshop.com/ad/fresh

Big Train

800.BIG.TRAIN (244.8724)

bigtrain.com

Caffe D’Vita

800.200.5005

caffedvita.com

Califia Farms

844.237.4779

califiafarms.com

Cappuccine

800.511.3127

cappuccine.net

Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters

916.451.5181

chocolatefishcoffee.com

Coffee & Tea Festival

631.940.7290

coffeeandteafestival.com

Coffee Fest

800.232.0083

coffeefest.com

Descamex

844.472.8429

descamex.com

Ditting

810.367.7125

ditting.com

Fresh Cup Magazine

503.236.2587

freshcup.com

Ghirardelli Chocolate

800.877.9338

ghirardelli.com/maximo

Gosh That’s Good! Brand

888.848.GOSH (4674)

goshthatsgood.com

Holy Kakow

503.484.8316

holykakow.com

Huhtamaki / Impresso

800.244.6382

impressocup.com

Java Jacket

800.208.4128

javajacket.com

KitchenAid

800.541.6390

kitchenaid.com/

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6, 67

35, 61 75 5

countertop-appliances/coffee-products/

Malabar Gold Espresso

650.366.5453

malabargoldespresso.com

Monin Gourmet Flavorings

855.FLAVOR1 (352.8671)

monin.com

Mountain Cider Co.

800.483.2416

mountaincider.com

Mr. Espresso

510.287.5200

mrespresso.com

Pacific Foods

503.692.9666

pacificfoods.com/foodservice

Sea Island Coffee

44.207.735.4473

seaislandcoffee.com

SelbySoft

800.454.4434

selbysoft.com

StixToGo

800.666.6655

royalpaper.com

Toddy

970.493.0788

toddycafe.com/schooling

Torani

800.775.1925

torani.com/foodservice

Vessel Drinkware

855.883.7735

vesseldrinkware.com

Your Brand Café

866.566.0390

yourbrandcafe.com

Zojirushi America

800.264.6270

zojirushi.com

October 2016 » Fresh Cup Magazine

37 3, 76

2, 17

9, 14