Tuesday, April 8, 2014

CoffeeCon Week: Master Classes

One way to think of CoffeeCon is to think of it as a series of master classes. For someone like me, this is Heaven. My goal as I get into coffee, is to learn as much as I can. CoffeeCon offers some of the masters of the profession, who we would ordinarily never get a chance to meet, and learn from them.

George Howell is often credited as the pioneer of the specialty coffee movement. He founded Coffee Connection in 1974 in Cambridge, MA. Coffee Connection was one of those rare places where care and craft went into making coffee. This wasn't diner coffee. This was fresh roasted and brewed coffee. Eventually he sold his business to Starbucks, but has kept on going.

Howell is a co-founder of the Cup of Excellence, which has helped countless farmers over the years not only develop superior coffee, but has assured prices paid for those coffees was at a premium. Today Howell runs George Howell Coffee. The company's Terrior line is single-estate coffee, focusing on various regions. His education has bettered our understanding of coffee, and how we appreciate it.

Oren Bloostein is another leader in the coffee world. Founding Oren's Daily Roast in 1986, Bloostein has spent the years honing his roasting skills, and searching for beans which are of the highest quality. He deals directly with growers. His company also sells equipment so you can explore and enjoy coffee at home.

These are two of the "teachers" in the master class called CoffeeCon. Others from the industry will be there to demonstrate various ways to brew coffee. Ever wonder how to brew Turkish Coffee? There you go. What's an AeroPress? Find out in one of the many classes.

CoffeeCon truly is more than about celebrating coffee, it's an educational opportunity. You can still purchase tickets online http://coffee-con.com/ticket-page/ Type "JavaRun" in the promo code, and you get $2 off your ticket price. That means an incredible day of learning can be had for as little as $18. Not sure where else you can that value.

Looking forward to learning and sharing.

Charlie

No comments:

Post a Comment