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COFFEE PREPARATION : THEORY AND FUNDAMENTALS (three day course)

Posted by Nick Cho on October 28, 2010 at 2:00pm

Now accepting registrations:

Title: COFFEE PREPARATION : THEORY AND FUNDAMENTALS (three days)
Dates: December 6-8, 2010 and February 7-9, 2011
Location: Vermont School of Coffee, Waterbury, Vermont
Class size: Limited to 10 students per class

How do you develop your skills and knowledge when you don't have the foundations to build on? From the chemistry of coffee to manual filter brewing to espresso, you will learn the relevant fundamentals as we then explore the variables and discover where real quality lies. At completion, you will understand those foundational concepts, have put them into practice, and know how to evaluate the final product. Instruction will follow a unique and specialized teaching method that builds technique and procedure on core fundamentals not taught by "barista trainers."

Who should attend? Anyone currently or planning to be preparing coffee and espresso beverages as a coffee professional: Baristas, coffee shop owners, roasters, barista trainers. All levels, from beginners to advanced, should attend.

To register or for more information, please go to the Coffee Lab International website.

Also available at Coffee Lab International: SCAA Cupping, Q-Grader, and Roasting classes.Click here for more information.

(NOTE: Dates for the second scheduled class has been changed to December 6-8, 2010 and February 7-9,2011. Thanks)

Theory of A Coffee Snob

Posted by Jennifer Vaaler on October 28, 2010 at 9:55am

The title "coffee snob" is thrown around so much I decided to write a post about my theory and personality crisis.

What do you think? Any and all comments are appreciated.

Barista Interview: Ryan Soeder

Posted by Jennifer Vaaler on October 28, 2010 at 9:49am

This month's barista interview with Ryan Soeder is up, here.

Do you know a great Barista who is making an impact on the coffee industry and you think I should feature them? Contact me to let me know why you nominate them to be the next Barista to be interviewed.

Regional Barista Champs

Posted by Dale Ledingham on October 18, 2010 at 10:11pm

Durban just completed regionals, well done to all competitors...great compo!!

Café Típica - Peru

Posted by John Hammond on October 16, 2010 at 3:32am

October 15, 2010 Coffee from Peru's coca-growing VRAE region wins national contest

By Mario Sandoval
LivinginPeru.com

VRAE coffee growers
In the VRAE region, the Peruvian government and USAID is promoting coffee as an alternative to growing coca.

Yesterday, Café Típica, a coffee produced by a farmer from the Apurimac river valley, won the first prize in Peru's most prestigious coffee competition.

Alfredo Yuccra, a member of an Apurimac river valley coffee farmers’ co-op was the winner of this year’s VI Concurso Nacional de Cafés de Calidad. The competition is organized by the National Coffee Board, the Ministry of Agriculture, USAID’s Alternative Development Program and the Peruvian Chamber of Coffee and Cacao Bean.

Coffees from 14 coffee-producing regions were entered in the contest. After 347 coffee samples were received and evaluated, 111 were qualified for the national stage. The selection process concluded with a grand finale in which a jury (consisting of five international and five national judges) chose the best Peruvian coffee production of this season, taking into account the acidity, aroma and body of the coffees served in cups.

Last year's winner of this competition, Wilson Sucaticona, went on to win the contest organized by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), in which his coffee, Café Tunki, was recognized as the world’s best.

Coffee as alternative to coca

The Alto Huallaga, the Ene and Apurimac River Valleys (VRAE region), are the main coca-growing regions in Peru.

According to El Comercio, Alfredo Yuccra’s success proves two things. First, that not everything in the VRAE region is related to the Shining Path, terrorism and drug trafficking. It also shows that alternative crops are a viable option for farmers.

Facts about Peruvian coffe:

* Coffee Tunki went on to cost from US $350 to US $1,000 per quintal in recent months.
* Peru's coffee regions are Jaén, San Ignacio, Rodríguez de Mendoza, Moyobamba, Tarapoto Lamas, Tocache, Tingo María, La Merced, Satipo, Villa Rica, Pichanaki, Apurimac River Valley, Quillabamba and San Juan del Oro.
* Brazil is the largest supplier of coffee in Latin America, with 60 million bags, followed by Colombia and Peru, with 17 million and 4 million bags each.
* Peru cultivates about 1,500 square miles of coffee.
* There are 110 companies and 37 organizations that produce and export coffee in Peru.
* Coffee export earnings in Peru amounted nearly US $600 million in 2009.
* The main destination of Peruvian coffee exports is Germany.
* 3,513 coffee-farming families in the San Martín, Huánuco and Ucayali regions take part of the USAID’s Alternative Development Program

6' Naked Barista pic!

Posted by MillRock on October 13, 2010 at 11:26am

Now that I have your attention! We see many projects where the specifications are vague and the drawings show little to no details for how to build a Barista Bar. I'll come back and update this in more detail and we will fully disclose our construction. It has taken me 7 years as MillRock CEO to evolve the MILLROCK Barista Construction to something we are proud will exceed all expectations for performance.

Stainless steel is already recycled and at the end of our days the bar will be recycled once again.

All too often we see the undercounter refrigerator supporting a collapsed bartop...or the UCR worse yet, is the Bar top!

We see operators with the espresso machine at eye level straining to apply any force to the tamp on their toes.

We see bars where the espresso machine has NO room in-front of it for a pitcher to be slammed.

Broken granite...stained corian cracking...plastic laminate chipped and peeling...The list goes on.

I promise I will come back and really make this a worth while blog post with relevant photos of our construction and what drives us to support your cafe, literally.

hmmm maybe our first Barista Mag ad campaign will be "Naked Barista" with a shot of you, on your Millrock bar, in your Cafe, NAKED! & Sara can do the Black Bar censoring...I think this crowd might be up for it!

Seriously, We need to communicate our construction and we want you to be successful; whether we build your cafe or shop your cafe.

Our Engineers will answer any construction questions...our Cafe Designers will answer any space planning questions & I'm still looking for a great double espresso 02379!

Ciao,

Shaun

El Salvador Ayutepeque

Posted by scott@herkimercoffee.com on October 7, 2010 at 7:51am

El Salvador Ayutepeque

Acid: Medium
Body: Full
Texture: mainly clean, juicy, natural process hints.
Flavor Profile: exceptionally balanced and easy drinking coffee.
The acid profile of juicy plum and hints of lemon stays linked with the
warm brown sugar syrup and tamarind flavors. Subtle cola and root
flavors as well. Simple and straightforward coffee with great consistency.
Grown at elevation of 6000 feet, bourbon and catuai cultivars.

Noteworthy: originally purchased as an experimental blend of 70% washed, 30% natural process
coffees from the same farm. Since then has sprung into a relationship with Emilio Lopez. Much
like our situation with Brazil, we will be involved prior to and during harvest to select our coffees
for years to come.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.