Differing Perspectives, Common Goals: Demystifying Specialty Coffee
By Lily Kubota, Communications Specialist, Specialty Coffee Association of America Specialty coffee is deeply rooted in a complex and intricate value chain, made up of individuals whose passion and dedication to quality is evident. The specialty coffee industry hopes to communicate this commitment to quality at each step in the supply chain, to distinguish specialty …
The Tasting Experience: Our Five Senses and Some of the Ways They Influence Each Other
By Emma Sage, Coffee Science Manager, Specialty Coffee Association of America Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the industry about specialty coffee as an experience rather than a product. In specialty coffee, we take a lot of care to preserve the quality of our product from seed to cup, but we have …
Is Coffee Just Like Wine?
By Trish Rothgeb, Owner / Roastmaster, Wrecking Ball Coffee It may be a bit unseasonal, but I recently found myself reminded of the words uttered at the end of that classic Jimmy Stewart movie we watch every Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life. Tiny Zuzu is nestled snugly in her father’s arms as the cast of characters …
Defining Specialty: An Origin Perspective
By Emilio Lopez Diaz, Coffee Producer, Cuatro M Single Origin Coffees Long gone are the days when coffee was just a commodity, when only big corporations would have access to coffee at origin, and when just a few exporters had access to roasters. There had to come a crash in the industry for many to …
Disruptive Innovation: Anticipating the Effects of the Single Serve Market
By James Hoffmann, Co-Owner of Square Mile Coffee Roasters Disruptive innovation is often defined as the kind of innovation that creates new markets. Single serve coffee has certainly been such an innovation—and since its creation, it has seen incredible uptake amongst consumers and, in some cases, has seen exponential growth. What is most interesting— and perhaps …
Hot Coffee: The Cult of Cool
By Julie Wolfson Discovering How Specialty Coffees Are Heating Up in the Foodie Frenzy How, I wondered, did I find myself standing with coffee growers from around the world watching Charles Babinski do a step-by-step demonstration of the process for making coffee in a siphon? The next day, I experienced my first attempt at cupping, …
90+ Profiles: Getting to Know Dan Cox
Who are you and what do you do in coffee? I’m Dan Cox, president of Coffee Enterprises and its affiliates: Coffee Analysts and Coffee Extracts and Ingredients. My job includes: setting the corporate culture; keeping the company profitable; sales and marketing; and functioning as a senior member of the sensory team. How and when did …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 | Global
3rd Moscow International Coffee Forum Date: September 17, 2012 Venue: Russia, Moscow, Convention Center, Swissotel Red Hills Moscow International Coffee Forum (MICF) is traditionally held every two years. Over the years, Forum has become a meeting point not only for coffee community from Russia and other CIS countries but from all over the world and …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 | People
Raul Rodas from Guatemala takes the position of World Barista Champion at the 2012 event, which took place at the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe’s World of Coffee Event in Vienna, Austria from June 12-15, 2012. In addition, World Coffee Events produced the World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters, Cezve/Ibrik Championship, and inaugural Coffee Roasting …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 (2012) | Coming Soon
The Green Guide SCAA, Green Cafe Network and the Food Service Technology Center are proud to announce a new and innovative project to guide and support café operators who want to run a greener business and reduce costs in the process. The Green Guide is a series of digital booklets, published in modules that will …
Portfolio | Issue No. 3 | Innovation
Meet the smart punchcard! Perka is a customer loyalty app for neighborhood merchants that’s as fast and familiar as an old-fashioned paper punch card. When customers make a purchase, merchants can award them stamps with a few quick taps on a Perka iPod near the cash register. Regular customers can earn increasingly better perks, so …
Anne’s Member Visit Trip from Seattle to Long Beach
By Anne Nylander, Membership Coordinator, SCAA While moving down the coast to SCAA headquarters in Long Beach, California from my home town in Seattle, Washington, I took a little extra time along the way to visit member shops. This is my report! My first stop on the tour was my last stop in Seattle. After …