Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Denver Qualifiers Reach New Heights

The next group of coffee champions moves on to nationals at the Denver qualifiers. BY KATE VAN PETTENSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos by Matthew Temple and courtesy of Specialty Coffee Association The high-flying world of U.S. CoffeeChamps competitions reached new heights as coffee professionals flocked to the Denver qualifiers for the 2023 season, hosted in […]


Sumatra Coffee Farmers See Gains Through Agroforestry and Organic Fertilizer

Farmers in Indonesia’s Lampung province are making their own organic fertilizer in order to lessen reliance on volatile external supply chains. They’ve also diversified the number of crops they grow,…


Torr Launches the Hive Cafe Countertop Coffee Concentrate System

Commercial cold coffee equipment company Torr Industries recently rolled out a countertop-friendly version of its signature Hive Brew cold coffee system, called the Hive Cafe. The northern California coffee company…


A Look at Digital Coffee Future’s Digital Origin Education Program

The new program connects coffee producers to one another, provides them with educational resources, and more. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of the Cocaerol, Comal & Amprocal cooperatives in Honduras Since 2021, Digital Coffee Future (DCF) has been working on a digital training program to address the needs of coffee producers. In September […]

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

An Unfiltered History of Vietnamese Coffee

We explore the history of coffee in Vietnam and how the industry’s perception of Vietnamese coffee is evolving.  BY EMILY MENESES BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo by frank mckenna via Unsplash What do you think of when you hear the term “Vietnamese coffee”? For Kim Dam, founder of Portland Cà Phê, it extends far beyond […]


Three Questions with IWCA Executive Director Blanca Castro

When International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) Executive Director began her job years ago at the Guatemalan coffee association Anacafé, she knew next to nothing about coffee.  “I just pretended that…


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Joven Coffee  For their first-of-its-kind bar, Joven Coffee and Atucún Chocolateria combined coffee beans, extracted cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. Committed to supporting young farmers […]


5 Cool Cafés Worth a Try in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, one of Thailand’s most fascinating cities, is home to a vibrant specialty-coffee scene, with many cafés and roasteriess often offering locally grown coffee. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tim Durgan via Unsplash With a population of 3 million, Chiang Mai is a little (by Asian standards) gem in northern […]

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

Why it’s easier for wealthier producers to grow specialty coffee

It takes money – and sometimes a lot – to grow specialty coffee. Producers not only need to continuously maintain and improve quality and yields, but they also have to invest back into their farms. Whether it’s replacing equipment and machinery or planting more resilient varieties, producers need to turn a profit to operate their […]


Is the World Barista Championship too exclusive & expensive for competitors?

There are a number of competitions in specialty coffee designed to test the skills and knowledge of industry professionals. However, many consider the World Barista Championship (WBC) to be one of the most esteemed and highly regarded events, acting as a platform to showcase excellence in the barista profession. There are many reasons to celebrate […]


How do you roast coffee for milk?

It’s impossible to deny just how popular milk-based coffee drinks (such as the flat white, latte, and cappuccino) are in coffee shops around the world. According to 2020 data from Project Café USA, the latte was the most ordered drink in the UK, and the third-most popular beverage in US coffee shops. In line with […]


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE…

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

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...

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

The February + March 2023 issue of Barista Magazine features New Zealand coffee & chef champion Sam Low on the cover. Also inside: a special section on branding, understanding trademark law, an interview with Laura Sommers, field reports from Kansas City, Indonesia, and Hong Kong, and much more.

BY KENNETH R. OLSON
BARISTA MAGAZINE

We’re excited to release the February + March 2023 issue of Barista Magazine! Our writers and editors did a tremendous job to create another issue packed with great informational articles. The February + March 2023 cover features Sam Low of New Zealand, who’s not just a champion barista but also the newly crowned winner of MasterChef New Zealand. Inside we’ve got a special section on branding and rebranding, an interview with longtime specialty coffee pro Laura Sommers, field reports from across the globe, and more.

Want a physical magazine to read and keep? Order a subscription or single copy today in our online store. Additionally, as always, everyone has access to the new issue for free online with our digital edition. 

Cover Feature: Sam Low

While the COVID-19 pandemic locked almost everyone away from the larger world, Sam Low used his time in isolation creatively, re-plating and Instagramming his meals while spending weeks in quarantine in a hotel, for example. The New Zealander had already made a name for himself as a coffee pro and barista champion, but Sam emerged from the pandemic with a new title: champion chef. Barista Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Allen, interviews Sam about his journey as a coffee expert but also a child of immigrants and a queer advocate.

(Re)Branding

Whether your business is expanding to new locations, acquiring an existing business, or is simply looking to freshen things up, a rebranding initiative can be costly and disruptive. Writer Josh Rank takes a look at what advice to take and which mistakes to avoid when creating an updated brand in “(Re)Branding: A Second First Impression.“

Special Branding Section

While we take a deep dive on rebranding in the February + March 2023 issue, we also pull back to the larger view of breaking down the basics of branding. In our special branding section, we talk to coffee professionals Julia Mayer of Dune Coffee, Sam Schroeder of Olympia Coffee, and Jess Steffy of Square One Coffee about their experiences building a brand. We also highlight common mistakes to avoid and successful steps to emulate when creating your brand.

Cashbox: Trademarking

A close companion to branding is trademarking. A trademark is not a brand but rather a piece of a brand. A trademark offers legal protections but can also come at a cost for your business. Barista Magazine’s longtime business columnist Tracy Allen of Brewed Behavior breaks down what goes into a trademark and whether or not your business should file for one in “Cashbox.“

’One on One: Laura Sommers’

Sure, she’s spent time dressed as a latte, waving customers into a café, but that just means Laura Sommers has devoted a lot of time to working in coffee. Ask her why, and she’ll say the answer is easy: the people. Since starting in specialty coffee in Seattle in the 1990s, Laura has been at the forefront of innovation and change in the industry. She talks about the growth she’s seen, her humble beginnings, and what she sees for the future of the coffee community in the February + March 2023 issue “One on One“ interview.

All of these stories and more are in our latest issue. Inside the February + March 2023 issue, you’ll also find field reports from Kansas City, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, while the “Foam“ section features articles on DIRT Coffee, trans joy, and what it’s like to work at the northernmost and southernmost cafés in the world.

Subscribe and More!

As always, you can read Barista Magazine in paper or digital format. Read the February + March 2023 issue for free with our digital edition. And for more than three years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.

You can order a hard copy of the magazine through our online store here, or start a subscription for one year or two.

The post Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

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.

Out Now: The February + March 2023 Issue

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