Coffee Talk

Hello, my name is Iris and here are some thoughts on the caffeine I consume. Weapon of choice: Hario V60 and some good Guatemalan. SJC/PVD.

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Inside the Coffee Renaissance in Colombia

The South American giant is starting to enjoy the fruits of its labor. A dispatch from the increasingly lively Colombian coffee scene.

Rare find of a long piece on the coffee culture in producer countries.

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Your Coffee Is Getting Fancier, But Is It Getting Better For The World?

Fair trade was left behind by our new, artisanal coffee shops. So now what's the best way to tell if your caffeine fix is also fixing the planet?

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Dear Blue Bottle, a break-up letter

Post-colonialism in Specialty Coffee

We met at Mint Plaza back in 2012. I remember because I specifically went out of my way that rainy winter morning and was unwittingly swept off my feet. I was still a high school senior, just dipping my toes into coffee, and at that time, it was hard not to fall in love with the pour-over, the coffeehouse atmosphere, and the clean, pristine lines the brand emphasizes in all its designs.

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I entered specialty coffee* for the ambiance, yet I stayed for the quality. I loved the science behind brewing and roasting but these days I’m finding myself interested in the global market as a result of years of veiled unease with the inequalities of the coffee trade. A few years of seriously following trends in coffee, especially as it is sold in the US, have culminated in a greater awareness of the role coffee companies and ultimately consumers play. One nagging question I’ve had is: “Why is it that the Western world continues to drive the coffee industry, influencing the way coffee is grown, processed, brewed, and marketed?"

Obviously, one reason for this is the origins of coffee are rooted in colonialism. After the Dutch smuggled beans into Java in the early 1600s, colonial powers dominated the global trade as they amassed land and labor: two integral ingredients for successful cultivation of the cash crop.1 The colonized fell into indentured servitude and slavery while the colonizers enjoyed the imported coffee. After colonialism was broken down and the colonies became free states (at least in name), many former colonies never recovered and were unable to break from the long histories of coffee cultivation.2 Countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia to this day still rely on coffee exports as a major source of foreign income and remain trapped in the trade in order to sustain their annual revenues.3 These inequalities were only exacerbated by global capitalism and the international corporations that were responsible for purchasing the majority of coffee which drove the lowest price points per pound of green coffee.*

The rise of specialty coffee brought along with it not only greater quality in every cup but also a heightened sense of social responsibility for importers.4 Roasters and others have invested immensely in elevating the quality of each brew and have given attention to every step of the supply chain including cultivation and production with the rise of direct trade, a sourcing practice in which roasters establish long-term relationships with individual farmers or cooperatives.5 These relationships not only shorten the supply chain, eliminating the need for middlemen and creating a larger profit margin for producers, but also create incentive for additional investment in the producer education and farm technologies.6

These improvements highlight the ideal practices roasters and corporations should strive for when establishing connections with producers, but this reality should not to be appropriated in their presentation to the public.

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Until recently, much of the supply chain had been hidden from public eye throughout the first- (re: Folgers and Nestle) and second-wave (re: Starbucks and Peet’s).* Third-wave coffee improves on this vastly by making efforts to educate consumers of the people, places, and processes involved from seed to cup.7 A quick glance at the blends and single origins offered by major stakeholders within the third-wave industry such as Stumptown, Counter Culture, and Verve reveals comprehensive overviews of the different coffees offered, including biographies of farmers integral in the cultivation process, but these portrayals leave something to be desired.

These narratives always hit on three main themes: labor, submissiveness, and cooperation; and this perpetuation of the imperial gaze solidifies a subject/object relationship between the viewer and the viewed.8 The observed are defined through the (privileged) lens of the observer, thereby creating a paternal bias in the narrative and effectively otherizing the producer. Instead of introducing cultivators as equals, a power dynamic based in colonial history develops again.9

Industry leaders argue that by crafting an experience of “having the world in your cup”, the public will perceive coffee as not just a source of caffeine, a regular cup-of-joe, but as an artisanal product. Clearly, the most-respected roasters buy coffee based on its quality, shying away from Fair Trade and other certifications* that simply employ a minimum floor price for every pound of coffee sold.10 But unfortunately in constructing the narrative of the producers and producing countries in this global trade for consumers, roasters fabricate a neat presentation of an exotic land filled with exotic people and conveniently leave out the exploitative structure of global capitalism and the colonial roots of the commodity.

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Fast forward four years and I’m here again at Mint Plaza. People change and places change much slower so believe me when I say it’s not you — it’s me. Being back feels less comforting than it once did. The branding no longer pulls me as strongly and the marketing feels like a scotosis-inducing cover-up.

A lot has happened in the industry in the past few years. Coffee consolidation and sell-outs have started to define the rise of corporation within the third-wave movement. Brewing and cafe standards continue to improve and the science behind the drink is constantly innovating. But little has changed in the paternalistic depiction of farmers and farm workers.

Of these grievances, Blue Bottle’s story of its namesake struck a chord. It’s a short paragraph explaining the introduction of coffee into central Europe after the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and while it’s a good story, it’s definitely not the whole story. In fact, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries laid the groundwork that cemented coffee as a profitable cash crop and its role in colonial states and countries as Europe expanded its influence around the world. But this inducement of scotosis is not unique to origins of Austrian coffee.11 Despite the harsh, inhumane conditions in the coffee farms, romantic origin stories of how coffee is initially imported never revolves around the truth of cultivation and the grim realities for farmers of color and instead focus on the daring espionage and the shrewd Europeans that took coffea arabica from one country to the next.12

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In such a consumer-facing industry, it’s hard to reconcile the beautiful craft and elevated experience associated with third-wave coffeehouses and the exploitative nature of the global trade. It’s uncomfortable to be sitting in Blue Bottle and be constantly reminded that you’re buying into a commodity that only benefits the lives of few workers. Even with direct trade and Fair Trade certifications in place, there are still large gaps in the market and disempowered farmers.13

And that’s something the industry and consumers alike must address instead of shying away and turning a blind eye because it’s upsetting. Through an emphasis on producer-driven initiatives (re: La Catracha) and continued investment in cooperatives and the community at-large (as opposed to individual farms and farmers), roasters and importers can provide greater support to the disadvantaged. Consumers, on the other hand, should be more discerning in their purchasing options and strive for conscious consumption. Finally, there should be more transparent knowledge on how the coffee trade began and how it affects people today; marketing should be geared towards inviting a critical dialogue between customers and professionals on social responsibility instead of merely painting an ideal situation.

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Iced Coffee

So this is a topic near and dear to my heart. Living in the South, one comes to appreciate things that keep us comfortable in the unbearable summer time from March to October. Recently, a small Twitter debate erupted sparked by Counter Culture Coffee’s Peter Giuliano. Peter brought up some great points that you can read here, some of which I’ll go into further down the page, but the best part about it was simply that it got me thinking. And as one can deduce from the Tweet-plosion that followed, it got a few others thinking as well.

Read More

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The Barista Doctrine

Since starting my first cafe in 2002, I’ve been able to observe a few major trends in the specialty coffee industry both here in the US, and worldwide. None, however, seems more significant than the focus on green (raw) coffee quality as the single most important factor in specialty coffee. Frankly, I believe this has been a problem.

Don’t get me wrong, green coffee is really important. Before the specialty coffee movement, coffee was indeed primarily a commodity good until industry pioneers (starting as early as the 60’s and 70’s) started to really push the idea of a quality-focused specialty product. Standing on the shoulders of those giants, specialty coffee roasters in the 2000’s and onward have been able to, together with enterprising coffee producers, exporters, and importers, pull back the shroud of commodification to reveal a deep and rich kaleidoscope of dimensions in coffee. 

For me, the green-coffee-centric paradigm is really capsulated by this idea: One cannot increase the quality of a coffee, one can only diminish or preserve the quality of coffee, and we can only hope to preserve the quality through the chain, all the way to the cup.

Image from GeorgeHowellCoffee.com. George is a champion (if not the author) of this doctrine.

Let’s call this “The Green Coffee Doctrine.” Another way to say this is that the inherent qualities to the coffee fruit will either be preserved through each step of the value chain (picking, processing, freight, roasting, brewing, etc.), or they will diminish in quality by flaws or mistakes at each and any step in the chain. What you cannot do, no matter where you are in the value chain, is make the coffee better than the quality was when you received it. Preserving quality is the best we can do, and it’s the best we can strive for. In fact, preserving that green coffee quality is our mission.

In case there’s any confusion, I believe that this is a great thought! I also think it’s highly problematic.

In any case, it’s become a very popular idea throughout the specialty coffee industry worldwide, and for very good reason. We need to approach coffee with humility, and with the heart of a steward. Coffee is not ours to mold to our whims, instead there are flavor and aroma experiences inherent to each coffee that the roaster and barista must be caretakers of, carefully coaxing the best of what the coffee has to offer. It’s the qualities when it is green, when it was fresh green, that are our duty to protect and reveal, never ruin with roasting mistakes or poor brewing.

In response to this call to action, roasting has gotten lighter and lighter as roasters appear to be afraid of ruining the coffee with the slightest hint of ‘roastiness’ (whatever that means), which in turn has affected brewing and extraction as baristas work to produce the best beverage they can out of the beans they’re given. So the focus is ultimately on the green coffee, and the qualities within. Everything else at times seems like a necessary evil.

Yes, this has become a very, very popular idea. But for a moment, set that idea aside, and let me present a different doctrine. Let’s call it “The Barista Doctrine,” and let me start with this idea: Green coffee is worthless.

Yes, even the finest, rarest green coffee. “Sacrilege!” you may think. But really, why is it worth anything? Is it a piece of art that you put on the wall? Is it valuable as a trophy, to carry around and show off to your friends? Do you swallow it and enjoy medicinal effects? Do you put it in storage and enjoy an increase in value over the course of many years? Of course not. Why is it of value? Because you or someone else has tasted the coffee and decided it was special enough to be of high monetary value.

But how did they taste it? Or more specifically, what form of the coffee did they taste? The green beans? The roasted beans? The ground coffee beans? Obviously the answer is: the extracted beverage from the ground, whole-bean roasted coffee beans. That beverage, is the thing that is of value.

"But with poor quality green coffee, you can never have a good beverage!" the apologists have argued. Yes, that’s true. That does not make green coffee quality a superior factor than brewing. It merely comes before.

And before it’s brewed, the practical value of that coffee exists in the form of potential value, and potential alone. Without brewing, that coffee is effectively worthless. Brewing is the point of transformation, when all of the potential is actualized. Brewing is where the value of any coffee is realized.

So who cares? Is this just a pedantic splitting of hairs? Green Coffee Doctrine vs. Barista Doctrine–I believe that which doctrine you subscribe to can have a significant impact on how you approach your particular role as a coffee professional, and how a roasting company approaches its work.

By the Green Coffee Doctrine, each step downstream from the newly dry-milled green coffee bean comes with the directive, “Don’t ruin it.” In roasting, roasters seek to exert as little of their own influence as possible. In brewing, baristas work to honor the work of everyone upstream by revealing the quality conveyed through that work. 

In my perspective, the perspective of the Barista Doctrine, every step in the value chain is about supporting the brewing in producing the most delicious beverage possible. Roasting is not about the green coffee, the roasting is about preparing the coffee for brewing, to maximize the potential for quality brewing. In fact, you could look at roasting as not actually being a separate process, rather the first stage of transformation into the beverage.

The green coffee too, does not enjoy value in its current form. A quality coffee beverage comes from green coffee that is best suited for transformation into a quality beverage. That is, best for roasting and brewing. The green coffee has no value until it’s brewed, therefore the most valuable green coffee should be that which can be best transformed into a delicious beverage.

In more practical terms, coffee professionals have been mostly focused on the idea of transforming solubles, when thinking about coffee flavor and quality. Roasting is about developing and transforming solubles in the green coffee. Brewing is about extracting those solubles from the roasted coffee. But as we know, about two-thirds of roasted coffee is insoluble cellulose, comprising the cell wall structure of the coffee (and the chaff). When we brew, efficient penetration of the cell structure by water is directly correlated with extraction rates. When we’re focused on protecting the green coffee’s qualities, we lean towards light roasting, to minimize too much caramelization and Maillardization, and preventing any carbonization. When we’re focused on the brewing, we realize that efficient brewing means a cell structure that promotes efficient diffusion and osmosis. 

In fact, when you pull that idea apart, the idea that a roaster does not and can not add value to the coffee is false humility. Roasting does more than change the solubles, it establishes the reality of the structure and chemistry that greets the water during brewing. The Green Coffee Doctrine adherents will argue, “But the roaster cannot add value… they cannot make the coffee more delicious than it is.” Really? More delicious than what? Than inedible, unbrewable green coffee? Can one roaster roast the coffee to a higher quality than another roaster can? Yes. Emphatically, yes. It’s not just about roast degree, it’s about temperature profiles over time, airflow, heat application, etc. It’s not that roasters don’t add value, it’s some people are choosing not to acknowledge the added value. I believe that this is counterproductive and is holding the craft of roasting back.

Once everything’s handed off to the barista, it’s indeed their job to tune the variables at their disposal to take the water and coffee and transform them into a delicious beverage. The better suited for brewing the roasting and green coffee are, the better the result can be. But put the focus on something else, like the idea that you should roast it as lightly as possible, leaving that barista to do what they can to eke something good out of those beans, and you’ve set everyone up for something less than you’re probably capable of. 

Green Coffee Doctrine vs. Barista Doctrine. Obviously neither of these doctrines is mutually exclusive, but I think it’s useful to contemplate a counterpoint to the prevailing paradigm. I love to say that so much of coffee is reflective of the human condition, and there are few absolute truths for either. Finding balance, wrestling with seemingly contradictory factors, and questioning everything, is how you get closer to truth.  

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The Shop

Simply named, The Shop is one of my favorite spots to talk and work in Providence this past semester. Because the windows face south, when the weather is sunny, the entire shop is illuminated and it feels like a cozy cabin. This is the only place nearby for miles that offers nitro cold brew on tap and Stumptown Coffee which is fantastic since it's only a mile from where I live. Check out their mention on Sprudge here.

This is also one of the first places the Brown-RISD Coffee Society reached out to once the club got approved by the Undergraduate Students Council which is exciting! I can't wait to see where this little coffee club goes and I'm just stoked in general to meet other people who love coffee.

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New Harvest Coffee & Spirits

Back to school also means back to New Harvest Coffee & Spirits. Despite all the newcomer cafes around town, NHCS holds a special place in my heart. They hosted a special Halloween latte art throwdown and all the newbies were placed together so I somehow got to the third round.

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Photos from summer '13.

(I worked a lot but I tried to make some time for myself and coffee.)

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Lingering photos from spring ‘13.

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Thinking Cup @ Boston Commons

The original flagship store of the Thinking Cup is one of my must-go places whenever I'm in Boston. The cafe's way too small for the number of customers they get usually and the line to order is always long, but they are one of the only (if not the only) places that serve Stumptown. They also have great desserts and pastries. My only complaint is that there's no wifi, but I guess that encourages conversation and shorter stay times.

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Dave's Coffee

Known for their coffee syrup (sweetened coffee concentrate) which is used to make coffee milk, the official beverage of Rhode Island, Dave's Coffee recently opened up a little cafe on College Hill.

While their menu is unique (signature drinks: honey latte, coffee milk latte, vanilla bourbon latte), the espresso is weak and I can't say that the baristas are the best. Their most popular drink, the honey latte, is a perfect fall drink though. For those who can't handle the over-sweetened holiday drinks from Starbucks, the honey latte is a great alternative. (Plus, you get to support a local business and shop small!) Aside from their espresso-based drinks, they also serve a full flight of slow-brew options (e.g., Chemex, Aeropress, V60). Dave's sources and roasts their own coffee too.

The cafe sports a bright orange Slayer and plenty of seats (that still manage to all get filled during peak times). Ideal for chats and informal meetings, the little wood-heavy shop is a nice place to stay on a rainy afternoon.

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Saint Frank Coffee

I stopped by with friends this past summer. Newer cafe around town with a nice specialty drink named cafe tonic (shot of espresso and tonic water). The tonic water brings out more of the acidic and fruity flavors and while it is an innovative drink, it certainly isn’t for everyone.

With large windows and high ceilings, the wood buildout is very inviting and bright when it isn’t foggy in the city. Furthermore, the bar set-up is unique in that the espresso machines are almost completely under the counter. Opting to go without a La Marzocco or Slayer, Saint Frank attempts to redefine the customer-barista relationship by keeping mechanical bulk out of the way.

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Blue Bottle @ Mint Plaza

Long time no update but school and life have been getting in the way. I’ve been to a lot of different places in these past couple of months but never got around to posting about them.

I spent the last two days in San Francisco, wandering around with friends and by myself. It’s a nice change of pace from school to be back on the West coast even if I miss people and places back in Providence.

I decided to stop by the Mint Plaza Blue Bottle on my way to see a friend and ended up taking a lot of pictures. It’s my first time getting a pour over in a damn long time but the Sumatra blend was delicious and goes so well with a dash of cream. Wish I had a little almond milk with it but the brew bar outside only had regular milk. Even though I arrived at an off-hour of 11AM on Friday, there was a line out the door in the actual Mint Plaza location so I ended up ordering at the outside tent. Almost makes me wish there were less people into good coffee.

If you haven’t bought gifts yet, Blue Bottle’s got you covered. From barista boxes (3 bags of coffee essentially) to brewing equipment, the location’s fully stocked with everything coffee aficionados would love. I have a cold-brew system on the wish list this year because I’m very lazy and have a spacious fridge in my dorm just waiting to chill coffee.

On a side note, I’m not sure if I can handle black coffee anymore which makes me upset. I got pretty used to drinking whatever’s on tap at The Shop with some almond milk.

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Todd Carmichael—the man who stuck a $15,000 coffee brewer in all of his cafes—comes at us with quite possibly the fussiest artisanal brewer ever.

What does that water on the outside do, exactly? What makes it better? What’s with the valves on the back? How do you clean the brew chamber? Breakage? Can this be mass manufactured, or are all these parts going to be handmade in production? Is this actually more fussy than a syphon brewer?!

So many unanswered questions, but the good news is Hario is going to be manufacturing it—so I hope they work out the industrial design side of things.

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So much respect for all the research going into making a brewer! Personally I'm wondering about a couple of different factors in the design. What is the effect of the water in the outer chamber? Is that added to the original siphon design to help increase heat insulation? Second, what are the advantages (or disadvantages) of the syringe mechanism? In the traditional siphon brewer, the removal of the heating device (e.g., halogen lamp, alcohol flame) creates the difference in temperature between the upper and lower chambers, causing the elimination of high vapor pressure and allowing the contents of the upper chamber to flow down. It seems like the syringe serves a similar purpose in decreasing pressure, without influencing the temperature. Third, what kind of advantages does the pourover-siphon mashup even give? It seems that by adding two brewing methods together one creates more variables to control.

Very cool though--looks like a science experiment straight out of orgo lab.

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Latte "Arf" Throwdown at New Harvest Coffee & Spirits (05/06)

Last night, NHCS closed early to host a latte art competition/fundraiser for the Providence Animal Rescue League. Included in the $5 entry is a free beer and raffle ticket for prizes from local places such as Jack's Snacks, Ellie's Bakery, and Cable Car. While many of the competitors worked as baristas in Providence, one actually came from Connecticut to join in on the fun. Great MC at the event--Jim's booming voice and snarky comments were had everyone laughing.

I competed for the first time today too! Though I had no idea what I was doing I managed to pour something that didn't look like a blob or marbled cake.

[craightonberman]

THIS IS NOT A COFFEE SHOP  A Pop-Up Coffeebar by Manual  at Rational Park Gallery—2557 W North Ave

You’re invited to come experience a demo of Manual Coffeemaker No.1, currently funding on Kickstarter. Come see the prototype brewer and chat with Craighton Berman, the designer of MCM and founder of Manual. Complimentary coffee & donuts will be provided. Coffee industry and enthusiasts are all welcome.

Friday April 4—  8am - 5pm  Walk-ins welcome.

Saturday April 5— 

11am - 3pm Good Beer Hunting studio event—samples of Solemn Oath’s new coffee milk stout, "Uppers & Downers" t-shirts for first 100 new Kickstarter backers, and complementary good vibes. RSVP requested, but not required.

(via Journal — Manual)

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Come have some coffee with me this week:

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Very exciting! Remember to support the campaign on Kickstarter.

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There’s two different coffee industries at work in America—”convenience coffee” & “craft coffee”. For most, coffee is a commodity. Whether it’s a burnt cup at a truck stop, dripped out of a Mr Coffee, or shot out of a hermetically sealed plastic cup, these people need coffee for the ritual of caffeine more than the flavor. But for the growing numbers of people interested in “craft coffee” they’re looking to treat coffee like artisanal food—something worth taking the time to do well. They operate in completely different spheres, and that’s ok. 

But the problem with Keurig is similar to the same issue I have with Starbucks—they’re trying to position themselves as “gourmet” when they’re not delivering a gourmet experience. Maxwell House and Folgers are positioned as work-a-day coffee. It gets the job done. But Keurig wants to equate “expensive machine” with “high quality”, and it’s simply not true. This kind of miseducation blurs the line between what’s ”convenience coffee” and what’s “craft coffee,” and I find it disingenuous. 

I’d love to see more blurring from the other way—craft coffee equipment producers who are interested in creating machines that have a few trade offs, but otherwise reach back towards the convenience coffee space with an honest attempt to make a quality product. One machine that brews by the cup, grinds per cup, uses the right temp water, and takes the proper amount of time to do it. It is possible? Sure. Would it be as easy as K-cups? Probably not. Would marketing a new coffee machine in the sea of coffee machines be difficult? Yes.

But we must.