The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

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 […]


Understanding the Process: Koji Fermentation

Continuing our series on coffee processing, we learn about koji fermentation, a unique process usually associated with the brewing of sake. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Forest Coffee If brewed properly, a cup of coffee can offer countless variations of flavor and aroma. The quality and complexity of these attributes depend on many different […]


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 […]


Cerrado Mineiro Green Coffee Auction Launching Online Jan. 29

From the heart of the Brazilian coffee lands, the Cerrado Miniero green coffee auction is for the first time happening globally online this year. Taking place Jan. 29-Feb. 3, the…

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

The Origin Story of Turtle Island Coffee in Vancouver, B.C.

A new Indigenous-owned coffee company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, called Turtle Island Coffee has launched with the goal of exposing more people to high quality specialty coffee and Indigenous…


Test Drive: The Linea Micra Espresso Machine from La Marzocco

Ready to find out how La Marzocco’s Linea Micra measures up? Read on for our full Test Drive review!  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Vasileia Fanarioti  The Linea Micra espresso machine by La Marzocco is the newest addition to their impressive line of home espresso machines. I was lucky to get my […]


From Malawi to Edinburgh: The MF Coffee Project

We take a trip from North Carolina to Northern Malawi to Edinburgh, exploring the roots, roasts, and impact of the MF Coffee Project. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of the MF Coffee Project In the quaint village of Manchewe, Northern Malawi, a story unfolded when Cameron Mcallister made the life-altering decision to relocate […]


The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

Unique Collection in Switzerland Offers a Look at Coffee’s Rich History

Anita Vietri’s Coffee Culture Collection chronicles the brew’s journey through 1,500 artifacts. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Anita Vietri In the rich tapestry of coffee culture, there exists a hidden gem—an extraordinary collection that chronicles the captivating history of our beloved brew. Today, we meet Anita Vietri, an ardent coffee enthusiast and […]


Bypass coffee brewing: How can it improve extraction?

There is a lot of science to brewing coffee. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we trigger – and try to control – an almost endless number of chemical reactions to achieve the perfect extraction. To do so, we have to tweak different variables – such as grind size, temperature, and coffee-to-water ratio – to get the […]


Playing Leaderboard, the Arcade-Inspired Coffee Game

We sat down to try the newest version of the game—a fun opportunity to learn more about coffee while vying for cool coffee prizes.  BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti I’ve never been much into video games, except for the classic arcade games of my youth.   Growing up in the ‘80s meant […]


Study Shines New Light on the Complex Arabica Coffee Genome

Researchers in Italy say they’ve shed new light on arabica coffee’s large and complex genome, which may ultimately help breeders seeking desirable traits such as high quality and disease resistance….

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

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...

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

The collective and the nonprofit Koffee with Keith will hold their second annual symposium in Houston on March 10-12.

BY J. MARIE CARLAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Photos courtesy of the Color of Coffee Collective

The Color of Coffee Collective (COCC) is an organization that seeks to promote equity and opportunity for people of color in the greater coffee community. This year, they will return with the COCC Coffee Symposium Experience in Houston.

COCC Founder Keith Hawkins has been working in coffee for over 24 years. While he loved working in the community, he quickly saw the lack of representation of BIPOC within it.

A crowd inside a warehouse area with metal storage crates and huge windows.
Last year’s COCC Coffee Symposium Experience drew a diverse and enthusiastic crowd.

The Story Behind COCC

“After walking into many coffee conferences, coffee shops, and coffee companies over the majority of my career, the one thing that was consistent in each space was that there was very limited or nonexistence of people of color,” Keith says in a press release. “I began COCC with the prime intentions of educating disenfranchised communities using our four-pillar approach for creating change, which are Coffee History Education, DE&I, Sustainability, and Cultivating Community.”

COCC seeks to empower BIPOC in coffee while increasing equity throughout the coffee supply chain.

Nonprofit Work

Koffee with Keith is the Color of Coffee Collective’s built-in nonprofit organization, which started out as a podcast, but has grown in scope. The nonprofit’s goal is to actively educate Houston’s youth in disenfranchised communities about the specialty-coffee industry. They do this by providing behind-the-bar and hospitality training. They also teach coffee history, bean-to-cup classes, and the ins and outs of the industry. After training, Koffee with Keith helps trainees with job placement. ”We believe change is achieved through listening, educating, and implementing a plan of action based on community needs,” says Keith in the press release.

Three panelists, all BIPOC, two women and one man, sit in front of an audience at the 2022 event.
The 2022 panels and discussions featured guest speakers, roasters, and producers.

Symposium 2022

Last year’s Color of Coffee Collective Coffee Symposium Experience took place in May and was a big success. Keynote speaker Phyllis Johnson spoke on buying and selling coffee; there were plenty of panels featuring local coffee entrepreneurs and a screening of Blxck to Africa, a documentary by CxffeeBlack. In addition to educational and conversational panels, a well-attended latte art throwdown was held at Segundo Coffee Lab.

An emcee with a black hat an mic stacks a bundle of cash on top of prize boxes--Fellow grinder and kettle--in the winner's arms while they laugh.
A prize winner made out like a bandit at the 2022 COCC Coffee Symposium Experience.

What to Expect for 2023

The 2023 COCC Coffee Symposium Experience will begin Friday, March 10, with a Ship Channel Tour at the Port of Houston. That evening, Segundo Coffee Lab will again host a barista throwdown.

Two baristas at work on an espresso machine at the throwdown. One is a young woman in glasses and a braid, the other a man with glasses and a baseball cap.
A barista throwdown will be hosted by Segundo Coffee lab on Friday night.

Saturday will begin with morning breakout sessions, followed by lunch, then a variety of panels. These will include an origin panel, a baristas and shop owners panel, and a seed to cup panel. An afterparty will then take place on Saturday evening at Tipping Point, followed by Coffee Church at Doshi House Sunday morning.

You can buy tickets or register to volunteer at the 2023 COCC Coffee Symposium Experience on COCC’s website. Stay tuned for a ”10 Minutes With Keith Hawkins” interview, coming soon to Barista Magazine Online.

COCC black and white logo with name and a large C with a coffee sup shaped O.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Marie Carlan (she/they) is the online editor for Barista Magazine. She’s been a barista for over a decade and writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. When she’s not behind the espresso bar or toiling over content, you can find her perusing record stores, collecting bric-a-brac, writing poetry, and trying to keep the plants alive in her Denver apartment. She occasionally updates her blog.

The post The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

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.

The Color of Coffee Collective Symposium Returns for Its Second Year

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