Countdown to CoffeeCON - Kevin Sinnott

CoffeeCON is the first, may be the only consumer coffee convention out there. Coffee lovers from all over gathered last year in Warrenville, IL for the first CoffeeCON, and now we are days away from the second annual event. Would you believe the idea for this incredible gathering of the coffee world actually was inspired by two very different events? More on those later. 

Kevin Sinnott, creator of CoffeeCON is well known in the coffee world. He has written two books: "Great Coffee" and "The Art & Craft of Coffee." He has produced a DVD on coffee brewing. He started writing reviews of coffee makers back in the 1990s as "The Coffee Companion." I spoke with Kevin about the upcoming CoffeeCON

1. How did CoffeeCON come about? 

Kevin says,  "Well this is a first for consumers. I had gone to specialty coffee trade shows. I had such a passion for coffee. You're not always welcome at trade shows. They are industry driven, and not at my level of coffee passion. They're trade driven.

Kevin found he liked being around the coffee industry, but the topics and demonstrations weren't always what he was looking for. Point of Sale machines wasn't his cup of coffee.

Granted, because he was "The Coffee Companion" he was able to meet people who were making the brewing machines and developing techniques. There was, though, another type of event, which really excited him - CamJam. 

"I have a passion for audio," Sinnott admits. CamJam is a place where audio aficionados gather and talk and live headphones. He continues, "This really appealed to me. I had a ball. I really enjoyed it. It was great to meet the people whose names I knew from the internet. It was so interesting to finally meet them"

Sinnott realized that there was no place for coffee people to meet, sample coffee, and just talk coffee. He wanted the coffee community to come together. "I did it for myself," Sinnott says, " We get to do next to each other what we like to do. It's like having a meal together." 

CoffeeCON came together after he applied for a micro grant from the city of Warrenville, to generate an event which would bring people into the town. "I went for broke," Sinnott says, " I invited only players, not the marketing folks in coffee. I'm not sure what they thought it would be like - poetry readings and music?" 

Sinnott knew he had something special when he invited specialty coffee pioneer George Howell to last year's event, and no one left the 2 1/2 hour talk. No one was bored. Kevin knows the people coming are true coffee lovers. "This attracts people who really want to come and be a part of something," he says, "Where else can you go where local coffee roasters can compare beans from different regions and brewing styles?" 

2. How should someone plan their day at CoffeeCON?

"Well," Sinnott admits," You can't see everything; you have to decide what you want to see." Other than George Howell, Kevin is looking forward to Christy Thorns of Allegro Coffee. Kevin says, "Christy has some of the best taste buds around. She knows coffee. She is extremely knowledgable about the coffee and their regions. Trust her to give you the skinny on issues, i.e. coffee rust. She's a real straight shooter. I respect her.

Whether you are sitting in on Howell's or Thorns, or Oren Bloostein's presentation, Kevin suggests,

"Attend a main presentation. Look at the various class schedules. We have made them open so people can wander in and out. Leave plenty of time to walk the exhibit floor. Check out each roaster. You may find some beans from the same region, maybe even the same kind of beans, and see how different roasters roast them. There will be food as well. Food Trucks will be outside for people to enjoy. "

On CoffeeCON's website is a list of all the classes and lectures. Kevin hinted though there is more, "Even on that day, we will add some people and classes I am still putting together," he says.

3. Who should come to CoffeeCON?

"This isn't just for hipsters," Kevin says, "What is hip is hipsters and non-hipsters together." In other words, if you love coffee, this is the place for you. Kevin adds, "The trade didn't think of it. This addresses the needs of people who love coffee." 

4. What are you looking forward to?

Kevin laughes, "That's a great question. I'm looking forward to tasting different brews from different brewing methods; comparing with someone else the brewing. We'll have almost all the different brewing methods, and I want to experience all of them. This is a great chance to introduce new brewers  to people, and they'll be excited about the different methods. I'll also get to meet other enthusiasts and that is exciting too." 

This is a labor of love for Sinnott. "I don't know why it hadn't happened before. If we aren't the first to do it, then we are practically first. 

As CoffeeCON grows closer, I will share more of my talk with Kevin Sinnott. If you haven't gotten your tickets for CoffeeCON 2013, what are you waiting for?

www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

Countdown to CoffeeCON - Home Roasters

Some use popcorn poppers, others use outdoor grills; whatever the method, home roasters of coffee have all kinds of ways to roast their particular coffees. This year at CoffeeCON several home roasters will be roasting away on the premises. What a terrific opportunity on a couple of fronts.

For the home roaster, this is a chance to meet with fellow roasters, compare notes, talk coffee, and of course roast some beans. For the consumer, this is a great opportunity to discover new coffees, as the roasters will be giving out samples all day long. The roastings won't be formal workshops or lectures. This will be something where you can approach the roasters, as they are roasting coffee. You can ask questions and sample some coffee. Who knows you may find that perfect blend you've been looking for.

CoffeeCON brings the experienced and the novices together for one day of coffee. Got to www.coffee-con.com to get your tickets.

Charlie

Countdown to CoffeeCON 2013 - Coffee Moment Contest Winners

Hello everyone....

My apologies for not posting in a while. Work(gotta work you know) got in the way. All is good, and I am so excited to begin the countdown to CoffeeCON 2013. As you know I had a contest asking people to tell me about their favorite coffee moments. CoffeeCON has generously offered tickets to this years events to the winners. 

I am pleased to announce the winners of my contest.



Venus B - 

My favorite coffee moment is when we get the office stockpile in at work. I'm like a babe opening a gift on Christmas morn.

Cheryl G - 

My favorite coffee moment! When I was a kid I would wake each morning to the aroma of fresh coffee being brewed. Could not have any, but I dreamed for the day to come. Finally at age 13 I was given my first cup. Have been in heaven ever since. 

Congratulations to these ladies. CoffeeCon will be emailing their tickets to them.

Charlie

Coffee Moment Deadline

Today is the last day to email me your favorite coffee moments, for a chance to win tickets to CoffeeCON 2013. CoffeeCON is May 4, in Warrenville, IL - just outside Chicago. Thousands of people will be there to learn about, sample and talk about coffee.

Exhibitors include: BUUN, Counter Culture Coffee, Metropolis Coffee, I Have a Bean Coffee, Cup of Excellence, Sowden, and many more.

All you have to do is write in 25 words or less, your favorite coffee moment. Throw in a picture, make it fun, make it serious.


Email your entries to - javarunner1962@gmail.com

For more info on the event,  go to....

http://www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

What is Cup of Excellence?

As I learn more about the specialty coffee world, one of the phrases which comes up over and over is Cup of Excellence. I remember first seeing this when I would venture into the local Intelligentsia, when I lived in Chicago. It seemed impressive, but I wasn't sure what it was. Now I read a great deal about it. Some of you know what it is, but for the rest of us, here is a primer.

The Cup of Excellence program is run by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence(ACE), a U.S. based non-profit organization. In conjunction with other coffee organizations around the world, ACE has developed cupping competitions and auctions of specialty coffee. Cup of Excellence competitions are held through out Africa, Central and South America. This program does two things for the coffee world: increases the amount of money coffee farmers get and encourages the development of better coffee for the consumer.

This idea makes sense. As we know coffee farmers are not paid well for the cultivation and development of coffee. ACE offers an opportunity through Cup of Excellence, for farmers to earn more money. The cupping competitions and auctions showcase the coffees produced. The better the coffee, the better the price for the coffee. In theory This program is rewarding farmers to develop better coffees, and this rewarding them for those efforts. For the consumer this means they will get better quality coffee. 

Specialty roasters use Cup of Excellence as a marketing tool to bring in consumers who want superior coffee. Cup of Excellence winning coffees are sold at a premium. If you purchase a bag of coffee at a roaster for $17-$19 a bag, you can expect to pay close to $30 a bag for some Cup of Excellence coffees? Is it worth it? To the a coffee drinker like you or I, we might not know the difference between the $17 a bag coffee and a $30 a bag coffee. To the more refined coffee folks - most definitely. 

With Cup of Excellence selling for such high prices to the consumer, are the farmers really getting better deals and as a result consistently producing better coffee? From everything I have been able to learn so far, those farmers who win the competitions(and they are fierce) do very well. The profile of their coffees is raised, and roasters and companies from all over the world vie to purchase some of their coffees. 

In time I will do more in-depth to look at how Cup of Excellence really translates at the farmer level. One thing is for sure, the coffee consumer benefits greatly from this program, with better coffee in their cup.

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee 4/12/2013

At the Copa...Copacabana...the hottest spot north of Havana.... or so goes the lyrics to the great Barry Manilow tune. When I was at Metropolis a couple weeks ago, I saw a coffee called Bolivia Copacabana. Well being the gay man I am, I thought, "Oooh if they can name it after a Manilow song, I should give it a try." Yes, I know, not the most coffee refined reason to try a coffee - so sue me. While the good folks at Metropolis have a great sense of humor, Copacabana refers to the town in Bolivia near Lake Titicaca(that will make my partner laugh, we have a joke about that lake).

I was curious about this coffee, so I looked into the history of it. Specialty coffee is recent to Bolivia. USAID introduced Cup of Excellence programs in the country in 2004. This coffee comes from Caranvai region, from various small farmers, using more traditional growing practices, in shade, and with no chemicals or pesticides. Metropolis feels this coffee is a "showgirl " coffee for the country.

Before I get into my review, as always I share what the coffee company has to say about it:

Flavor: Floral, orange, cinnamon
Body: Balanced
Acidity: Clean, bright, citric

This is not a heavy coffee. I agree that it is a bright coffee. With other Metropolis coffees, there is sometimes a woody sense to the coffee. That isn't evident here. That brightness, does lend itself to a citric taste. I am assuming this is a light to medium roast. It doesn't have the feel of a dark roast, or a fuller medium roast.

I do get a sense of the floral taste. When I had the Ethiopian coffee from I Have A Bean, I thought that one was so floral, it gave the coffee a tea like quality. This isn't that kind of floral. I don't get a tea sense with this coffee. As I finish the coffee, I do sense that hint of orange(see I am developing my coffee palette). No cinnamon, but there is a dash of spice in it.

Now on my face slapping scale, 0(is a tap) to 10(Cher slaps Nicolas Cage in "Moonstruck"), this is a 4. If I needed this coffee to really wake me up in the morning, it wouldn't. This is an ease into the day coffee. There is a mellowness about it, that I think would go well with a nice brunch.

Overall I enjoy this coffee. To be honest, I preferred Metropolis' Falstaff Blend I reviewed recently; however I would buy this coffee again. This is a very limited coffee. I hope Metropolis brings it back. Definitely worth it.

Charlie

Coffee Moment Entries - CoffeeCON Contest

Thanks to those who have submitted entries for my contest to win tickets to CoffeeCON 2013(on May 4). I have 10 tickets, courtesy of CoffeeCON, to give away. All you have to do is write in 25 words or less, your favorite coffee moment. Throw in a picture, make it fun, make it serious.

You have until April 15 to send me your entries. Email your entries to - javarunner1962@gmail.com

For more info on the event, who will be there go to....

http://www.coffee-con.com

Charlie