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
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
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
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
Monday, April 15, 2013
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
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
Sunday, April 14, 2013
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
Friday, April 12, 2013
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
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
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
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
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
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Baristas and Satisfaction
Yesterday it was reported in the coffee media that J.D. Power and Associates had released a new survey on specialty coffee businesses which stated friendly and a knowledgeable staff are a key component to customer satisfaction. In fact, the great service the barista gives is a driving force to returning business.
http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/04/08/quality-baristas-by-far-the-biggest-driver-of-customer-satisfaction/
This makes total sense. As I read the article, I thought about my coffee house experiences. A good coffee house will create not just a pleasant experience, but it will create a sense of community. Of course Starbucks is famous for creating the experience where you want to stay, sort of a destination.
I take that a step further, you want the coffee house to not only be a destination, but you want to feel like you a part of something.
Over the years, I have always felt comfortable when I have formed relationships with the baristas or staff. Prime example - back in college, I became friends with the owner of a coffee house across the street from my apartment. I went in everyday. The coffee was great, but I enjoyed to people. The more I came in, the more they knew me.
The owner was a woman who was not only friendly, but she had the knack of making you feel like part of the family. When times were tough for me financially, there were mornings she gave me breakfast. She didn't have to do this, but she wanted to be sure the starving student wasn't too hungry. In short she looked out for her neighbor.
My first job out of college was working for Southwest Airlines. One of the perks was free air travel. I wanted to repay the owner for her kindness during the lean times. I took her to New Orleans for lunch. We flew down from Chicago, had lunch, and flew home. She was thrilled, and I was happy to do something nice for a person who was now a friend.
Granted, not everyone has a special relationship with the coffee house folks. The point is on various levels, we want to feel like we are part of something when we go in. Yes, we want good coffee. Trust me if the coffee is bad, no smile, or happy person is going to get me to come back. I will go back though if coffee and the people make me feel at ease.
I believe the lessons from this survey can be carried through to a good many specialty type businesses. In my life as a professional running guy, I tell my staff over and over again, that anyone can buy a shoe somewhere, but if we do our job and form a good bond with the customer, and provide excellent service, we have a pretty regular customer for life. Seems simple, and yet so many businesses don't get it.
Charlie
http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/04/08/quality-baristas-by-far-the-biggest-driver-of-customer-satisfaction/
This makes total sense. As I read the article, I thought about my coffee house experiences. A good coffee house will create not just a pleasant experience, but it will create a sense of community. Of course Starbucks is famous for creating the experience where you want to stay, sort of a destination.
I take that a step further, you want the coffee house to not only be a destination, but you want to feel like you a part of something.
Over the years, I have always felt comfortable when I have formed relationships with the baristas or staff. Prime example - back in college, I became friends with the owner of a coffee house across the street from my apartment. I went in everyday. The coffee was great, but I enjoyed to people. The more I came in, the more they knew me.
The owner was a woman who was not only friendly, but she had the knack of making you feel like part of the family. When times were tough for me financially, there were mornings she gave me breakfast. She didn't have to do this, but she wanted to be sure the starving student wasn't too hungry. In short she looked out for her neighbor.
My first job out of college was working for Southwest Airlines. One of the perks was free air travel. I wanted to repay the owner for her kindness during the lean times. I took her to New Orleans for lunch. We flew down from Chicago, had lunch, and flew home. She was thrilled, and I was happy to do something nice for a person who was now a friend.
Granted, not everyone has a special relationship with the coffee house folks. The point is on various levels, we want to feel like we are part of something when we go in. Yes, we want good coffee. Trust me if the coffee is bad, no smile, or happy person is going to get me to come back. I will go back though if coffee and the people make me feel at ease.
I believe the lessons from this survey can be carried through to a good many specialty type businesses. In my life as a professional running guy, I tell my staff over and over again, that anyone can buy a shoe somewhere, but if we do our job and form a good bond with the customer, and provide excellent service, we have a pretty regular customer for life. Seems simple, and yet so many businesses don't get it.
Charlie
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