“You’re a coffee snob now, aren’t you?”
I started working in the coffee business in September 2018. I never imagined it would bring me to where I’m at now, and there’s still so much left to learn. I began this journey with no education in coffee, but I had a desire and willingness to learn. I’ve acquired a lot of new knowledge in such a short span of time, and it has been the coolest experience. I do have a better understanding of how coffee should and shouldn’t taste, but I definitely wouldn’t call myself a coffee “snob” or “connoisseur” (maybe a coffee-seur (I make horrible puns you’ll have to deal with)). I’m able to appreciate the coffee from different perspectives now. Similarly, I get to appreciate the perspective of a barista as opposed to a consumer.
On a daily basis, I have the opportunity to meet and hold conversations with all kinds of people: regulars who I grow to know well, remote workers, out-of-towners, retired medical examiners who talk a lot about all the heads they’ve opened (I’m serious), police officers, doctors, and so many more. There’s something about the atmosphere in our little shop that creates an open space for any conversation. I have the ability to serve others while also connecting with them. One of my favorite things to talk about with people is the coffee they’re drinking. This interaction is an integral part of “third wave coffee.”
Third Wave
When I started working at Social Grounds Coffee Company, I was asked the question of how I would personally define Third Wave Coffee, with which I answered: the “third wave” of coffee is everything I have been learning about coffee culture since I began to love it in the first place. It’s about the atmosphere which coffee–and the work that is put in from farm to cup–creates. It’s suddenly more than the consumer just getting a cup and leaving. It is how the consumer begins to understand the story behind that cup.
We’re talking about all the effort that has been put in so that the coffee could make its way to the cup that is in your hands. Aren’t you curious? Where did the coffee beans begin? What part of the world? Even further, who was the person who grew and harvested the beans?
“The third wave is all about making the consumer feel special. Part of that is customer service, but another part is sharing the story behind the cup. This story is one created by producers, importers, roasters, and baristas. It explains why a coffee is distinctive, why a consumer can taste certain notes, and why high-quality coffee takes so much work” (Valencia).
I didn’t always like coffee. As I continued to acquire a taste for it, I grew more fascinated by it. I wanted to know how a latte is different from a cappuccino, why espresso tastes so different than regular coffee, and what the heck is a pour-over or a chemex? I wasn’t satisfied just having a cup of coffee, I wanted to know what work has gone in and how its done to bring about such a detailed drink.
Now I get to tell people that, by buying a cup of coffee, they’re helping to support the farmers who produced the coffee, the person who roasted it, and the barista who made the drink for them. Moreover, they support the organizations with whom we partner. All of it goes into the community and the people who worked to make the coffee the absolute best it can be. Everything that happens to create a single cup of coffee is an incredible, uniting interaction. It’s more than a cheap cup of flavorless coffee.
The third wave is complemented by specialty coffee. You need a delicious cup of coffee to spark interest in hearing the story of where it came from. Ana Valencia from Perfect Daily Grind, an editorial about specialty coffee, writes, “Third wave coffee is an experience. Specialty coffee is what we serve in that experience.”
Traditional ways of brewing coffee are being tested. People are pushing the boundaries of methods and means used to brew coffee. From the time I began drinking coffee, I have seen so many new methods arise. I continue to find delicious coffee that is brewed in a different way than the usual drip coffee (I also find insanely good drip coffee). Specialty coffee opens people’s eyes to the understanding that coffee doesn’t have to be diluted to taste good.
The first pour-over I had, I was blown away by the sweetness of a BLACK coffee. What!? NO CREAM?? What a preposterous thought! It was hard for me to let go of my cream and sugar, but like I said, it’s a taste you acquire as you continuously try new coffees. Once you taste a single origin coffee that has been produced, processed, roasted, and brewed in a precise way, it’s hard to go back to cream and sugar. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a latte or a sugary drink occasionally; however, I far more enjoy the intriguing, distinct flavors of a coffee brewed well. I am eager to see what new methods will arise in the next few years. Even more, I am eager to carry on with spreading the appreciation and knowledge embodied in third wave coffee.
I encourage you to visit a local coffee shop that carries single origin coffee and ask one of the employees about the story behind the cup. Ask them where the beans were harvested and where they were roasted. Ask them about different brewing methods. Try a different drink than your usual. Appreciate all the effort it took to bring that coffee to you.
References Valencia, Ana. (2018, October 08). What Is “Third Wave Coffee”, & How Is It Different to Specialty? Retrieved from https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2017/04/third-wave-coffee-different-specialty/
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