Crafting Signature Drinks for a Cause: A Student's IB Personal Project

By Abe Ryu Director of Crave

ForSFS sophomore Irina Kim, spending summers in France introduced her to Parisian cafe culture and sparked her interest in coffee and beverages. When it came time to select an area of interest for her IB Personal Project, she knew this was what she wanted to explore.

The IB Personal Project is a student-driven research project that is a requirement for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP). It allows students to explore a topic of their choice and develop skills in areas such as research, critical thinking, communication, and self-management. The project culminates in a final product or outcome, such as a written report, an artifact, or a performance, that demonstrates the student's learning and achievement.

Upon entering the main doors of the high school building, there are panoramic views of the Yeonhui cityscape to the left, and a bustling cafe to the right. Cafes have always been a hub for the exchange of information and ideas, and in today’s increasingly virtual world, the HS cafe is a place where students, faculty, parents, and alumni can gather, develop in person connections and build a stronger community. For Personal Project Coordinator Nathan Walker, this was the ideal starting point for Irina’s journey and he arranged for a close collaboration. The key element of the IB Personal Project is to create a product or outcome, and Irina’s goal was clear from the outset - a signature drink, all her own, that can be shared and served to the SFS community.

Irina’s first step would be to learn the basics - pulling espresso shots, steaming microfoam, and understanding the science that makes an outstanding cup of coffee possible. During her free time, she would stop by the HS cafe, learning and practicing with the baristas. After establishing a solid foundation, Irina had an opportunity to meet with BK Kim, CEO and co-founder of Fritz Coffee Company.

Fritz is known within the coffee community in Korea as the “Avengers of Coffee” as they were founded by a team of coffee professionals with a wide range of skill sets. Co-founder Geunha Park won the 2014 Korean National Barista Championship and he focuses more on operations while BK Kim is passionate about sourcing. BK travels the world, meeting independent specialty coffee farmers and seeking out the highest quality Direct Trade beans that are sustainably and ethically grown. The cafe is a collaboration between Fritz and Crave Catering, the catering company that operates the cafe and cafeteria at the high school. Abe Ryu of Crave comments, “Fritz was the obvious partner for us. The quality of their product combined with their commitment to values were a perfect match with everything that SFS represents - inspiring excellence, building character.”

Located in an alleyway tucked behind Gongdeok Station, amidst a backdrop of towering office buildings, lies a traditional hanok building, transformed into one of Seoul’s most iconic cafes. In this setting, Irina had an opportunity to speak with BK and hear about his journey from a human rights activist in college, to a part-time barista, and eventually, the CEO of a successful coffee company built from scratch. Irina also had an opportunity to sit down with the menu development team at Fritz to learn about their process for creating new drinks. She bounced off some ideas for her signature drink and received valuable feedback from experienced industry experts.

Irina’s approach to developing her signature drink started with a blank canvas and her fresh perspective enabled her to explore a variety of unique ingredients and flavors that may not be considered by experienced veterans that have already formed strong opinions. With the support of SFS’s extensive alumni network, Irina was able to schedule a meeting at Monin Studio to explore hundreds of different varieties of syrups, concentrates and mixes.

Andrew Chun attended SFS before finishing his studies in the US. Andrew and his wife Yilin Wang (SFS class of ‘03) own and operate Monin Korea. Monin is a leading syrup brand that uses natural ingredients of the highest quality and Monin Korea has a studio that showcases their entire product line. Irina was able to have a one on one meeting with Monin’s head mixologist who creates proprietary beverage and cocktail recipes for cafes, restaurants and bars. Together, they sampled different syrups and various combinations to learn how different flavors interact and complement each other.

After months of research and development, and a number of trials and tasting sessions, Irina decided on two signature drinks as her final product - a S'mores Latte and a Candy Cane Mocha Latte.

Shortly before Christmas, Irina’s signature drinks were unveiled at the HS cafe and served to the SFS community. Irina’s drinks generated 585,000 KRW of revenue and all proceeds were donated by Crave to support Nanumi’s mission to feed the homeless. With SFS parents and students volunteering their time and serving, hundreds of people were able to enjoy a hot meal at Nanumi’s soup kitchen near Seoul Station. 19 12