The Online Coffee Community
By Brian Jones, Founder/Editor, Dear Coffee, I Love You offee is loved by many both for the intimate atmosphere it can create, and its’ ability to bring people together, in-person, over a cup. But for those working in the coffee industry, there is also a vibrant coffee community online who actively engage with each other …
Coffee People Who Need People
Navigating Relationships Within the World of Specialty Coffee Retail By Erin Meister, Customer Support, Counter Culture Coffee Of course we’re in the field of specialty coffee for the coffee, right? We breathe deeply over our mugs to capture that intoxicating aroma, and we relish the warming first sip from a cup of something that was …
Coffee Scientists From All Over the World Gather in Costa Rica
By Marino Petracco, Senior Research Scientist, illycaffè We humans are social animals. Actually, our ability to participate in teamwork is one of the main factors that allow humans to command the planet. A primordial example of joining forces to achieve greater purpose might be had by visualizing prehistoric hunters gathering to surround and capture a mammoth, …
Get it Together
By Christopher Schooley, Coffee Roaster, Coffee Shrub/Sweet Maria’s I remember very clearly what it felt like to walk into my first coffee event. I certainly went into it with some preconceived notions, but of course that all went up in smoke. There was so much tasting, lecture, discussion, and tinkering happening with the tools of …
How Symposium Fosters Leadership
By Peter Giuliano, Director of Symposium, Specialty Coffee Association of America When the occasion warranted, the ancient Greeks—the ones who invented science, philosophy, and the arts—used to get together for a symposium. The word literally meant “drinking together”, and it was a time for people to gather for discussion, music, or debate. The important thing …
World Coffee Research at Work
By Emma Sage, Coffee Science Manager, Specialty Coffee Association of America Update on the South Sudan C. arabica Conservation Project Back in April of 2012, World Coffee Research led an expedition trip to South Sudan, where we hunted for and collected samples from wild C. arabica accessions. This was a multi-purpose trip, partially to train …
The Power of a Trade Association
By Ric Rhinehart, Executive Director, Specialty Coffee Association of America Trade associations have a long and storied history in the world. The first trade associations were organized as guilds dating back to the Middle Ages. These groups organized to promote the interests of their members—ranging from craftsmen to students—and largely replaced the religious fraternities that …
90+ Profiles: Getting to Know David Griswold
Who are you and what do you do in coffee? My name is David Griswold and I’m the CEO of Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers. We sell green coffee to roasters in the US and Canada, and source certified (Fair Trade, Rainforest, etc.), organic, high-quality coffee from countries around the world. We pioneered the Relationship Coffee …
Portfolio | Issue No. 1 (2013) | Events
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and Barista Guild of America (BGA) are pleased to announce the dates and location for the upcoming Barista Camp, which will be held in Delavan, WI, June 2-5, 2013. This bi-annual event is for coffee professionals who seek to learn more about coffee, from lecture offerings on the …
Portfolio | Issue No. 1 (2013) | Equipment Certification
SCAA recognizes home brewing machines that meet our longstanding rigorous technical requirements, based generally on proper water temperature, brewing time, and ability to brew within the recommendations outlined by SCAA Golden Cup fundamentals. The SCAA Brewer Certification Program will run on a quarterly testing schedule. If a brewer passes all of the tests they will …
Portfolio | Issue No. 1 | Sustainability
The SCAA Green Guide, Module 1: Energy Use & Reduction Steps is now available. The Green Guide is a series of digital booklets, published in modules that will cover key strategies for café operators in energy conservation, waste reduction, water conservation, and toxics reduction. The first module of this guide is now available for iPad, …
Portfolio | Issue No. 1 | People
InterAmerican Coffee is pleased to announce the hire of a new Coffee Trader. Gerra Harrigan, who was most recently the VP of Sales and Marketing for New Harvest Coffee Roasters in Pawtucket, R.I., will bring a deep knowledge of the local community and a strong sales and service skill set to InterAmerican’s Massachusetts office. Gerra …