LOCAL FLAVOR
THIRD WAVE
GETTY IMAGES
GETTY IMAGES
The humble art & science of coffee
written by V. CRAIG CAMPBELL JR. SMALL-BATCH CRAFT COFFEE ROASTER, RIVER BOTTOM ROASTERS
Many years ago, I had an experience that rocked me to
The coffee community has categorized the evolution
my core. It wasn’t a revelation, an epiphany or out-of-body
of coffee from first to third waves. In a nutshell, the
experience, and I didn’t get abducted by aliens (which I
bitter canned coffee from Juan Valdez is the first wave.
think would be pretty cool).
Starbucks is the second wave, with its flavored syrups
It was a simple, freshly roasted, cup of black coffee. It was
and emergence of slightly less bitter roasting techniques.
smooth, balanced and finished with a lingering milk choco-
The third wave is an awakening of small craft/specialty
late flavor and hint of brown sugar. Yet, nothing was added
micro coffee roasters that highlight the natural nuances a
to it. And so, my coffee journey began.
coffee bean has to offer.
Immediately preceding that experience, I had the impres-
The third wave also enhanced brewing techniques to
sion that coffee was always bitter and needed French vanilla
maximize the extraction of those natural flavor nuances:
creamer and sugar. I mean, wasn’t all coffee already ground,
strict measurements of coffee grounds to water; water
in a can, from a guy named Juan Valdez in Colombia?
temperature; water quality; and grind size.
But that day, I met a coffee roaster who introduced me to
There is discussion of a fourth wave that would incor-
third-wave coffee. He poured me a cup and enlightened me
porate environmental consciousness and ethical sourcing
on the nuances.
of coffee from impoverished and war-torn areas of the
