Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

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Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

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Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

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Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

Josh Tarlo and Carlos Pola bring the refreshing taste of coffee leaf tea seltzer to market and unlock a new source of income for producers. 

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Photos courtesy of Carlos Pola & Josh Tarlo 

Coffee leaf tea seltzer is becoming increasingly popular among coffee enthusiasts, and it’s no surprise why. Combining carbonation with the health benefits of coffee leaves, this new drink promises an exciting light bubble effect. The goal is to give consumers a delightful and unique taste experience.  

Today we’ll explore how Josh Tarlo and Carlos Pola are using their expertise to bring this unique product to market. Read on for more information about the process and the potential benefits for producers around the world! 

A can of yuzu and ginger coffee leaf seltzer from headstand. It's yellow with a stylized drawing of a person holding a film camera, with a bob haircut and orange sunglasses. A can of the seltzer is also being poured into a rocks glass and is light orange in color.
The debut drink is low on calories, has no added sugar, and is enriched with ingredients like chamomile for calm, ginseng to boost the immune system, and L-theanine for focus. 

The Rise of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

Coffee leaf tea has been used for centuries in Ethiopia, Jamaica, and India, steeped in boiling water for around 30 minutes. It’s sweeter than green tea but contains less caffeine and is rich in antioxidants. In recent times, the coffee world has also embraced cascara, a tea made from the dried husks of coffee cherries. However, the idea of combining carbonation and coffee leaves is quite novel. The carbonation provides a light, refreshing bubble effect while providing the health benefits associated with drinking coffee leaf tea. 

Coffee leaf tea seltzer is gaining popularity thanks to Josh Tarlo, former U.K. Barista Champion and founder of seltzer company Headstand. He used coffee leaf tea as part of his signature drink at the 2018 World Barista Championship. “In 2016, I was speaking to Carlos Pola, whose coffee I was buying, and asked him about turning some leaves into tea so I could use it as part of a signature drink at the World Barista Championship. When I tasted the brew, I knew I needed to share it. It was delicious,” he says. 

It wasn’t until the pandemic forced people to stay home that Josh developed an interest in healthier drinks, and began making his own sodas. “I realized if we can make it delicious and easy to drink, we can develop a market for coffee leaf and in turn double the revenue a producer can make from every tree,” he says. 

Wooden platforms stand a few feet above the ground, covered in black plastic tarps. Underneath the tarps are coffee leaves. Hills and trees are visible in the distance.
The process of creating Headstand’s coffee leaf seltzer begins with vacuum-packing the leaves and cold-brewing them for 24 hours. 

Health Benefits and Product Diversification 

Headstand’s first coffee leaf seltzer contains natural ingredients such as yuzu, ginger, chamomile, and ginseng to create a low-calorie and sugar-free refreshment that is full of antioxidants. With more flavors in the works, Headstand aims to become a healthy alternative to energy drinks, sodas, and juices. The challenge for Josh lies in educating customers about the health benefits of the coffee leaf and showing them why it’s a good choice. 

”Because coffee leaf is so new, it means we need to educate the consumer on what it is, what it tastes like, why it’s good for you and the world. Everything is about how to make it easier to understand and enjoy,” he points out. 

A blue plastic basket full of dry coffee leaves. they look similar to yard leaves and are blue-green.
Coffee trees typically produce 2-4 kg of cherries, but when the leaves are also harvested, a producer can double their earnings per tree.  

Producer Carlos Pola believes the product has great potential. “This coffee leaf seltzer idea is a new and different challenge. It is a refreshing and healthy drink (and) it’s an alternative to coffee producers to diversify their revenues,” he says. 

Coffee leaf tea seltzer also has the potential to significantly increase the income of coffee producers around the world. According to Josh and Carlos, the process is simpler than trying to produce specialty-grade beans. Customers are enjoying the delicate flavor and subtle sweetness of coffee leaf tea seltzer.  

With support from the coffee industry, Headstand has been successfully launched in almost 100 shops across the U.K. and Ireland. This could be an important step toward improving the standard of living for coffee producers. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior online correspondent for Barista Magazine, and a freelance copywriter and editor with a primary focus on the coffee niche. She has also been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, providing content to help educate people about baristas and their work. You can follow her adventures at thewanderingbean.net.

The post Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer  appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Exploring the Potential of Coffee Leaf Tea Seltzer 

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