We are proud to introduce our second issue of 25, your magazine connecting people from our specialty coffee community around the world through stories, research, and insights.

As the owner of a coffee roasting company, one of the most rewarding parts of my business is getting to consult with prospective customers and café owners.

Los hallazgos de un nuevo estudio sobre los consumidores de la SCA no solo han sido muy clarificadores, sino que también puede que permitan abrir el mercado.

As a talented taster, Q grader, barista trainer, sensory judge, soon-to-be roaster and tireless campaigner for gender equity, Mbula knows a thing or two about coffee. In a quick chat with 25, we asked her about her work in the industry throughout Africa and her outlook on the future of coffee on the continent.

Ahead of the World Barista Championship in November, SEO YOUNG YOUN brings 25 on a tour of Seoul’s most cutting-edge coffee spaces.

The findings of a major new consumer study commissioned by the SCA are not only eye-opening, but potentially market-opening also.

Many of the world’s coffee genebanks are underfunded and under threat, yet the future of coffee depends on protecting these precious genetic resources. So what would a better global conservation system look like in the future and how can the industry support it?

The journey to find this year’s coffee champions began in autumn 2016 when the first of more than 75 competitions was held in Mexico. 25 traces the steps that lead coffee’s top competitors to the world stages of Budapest, Seoul and Guangzhou. The world of competitive coffee is wide.

Within the beer industry, New Zealand is heralded as one of the great hop growing nations. The new world varieties of hop it produces are typically big in both flavor and aroma with most varieties grown in the Nelson region at the North of the South Island.

In 2017, the SCA will recognize two winners: one sustainable project (a category that will be familiar to those that have attended the Awards Ceremony in recent years) and one in the new category of sustainable business model.

As part of its mission, the SCA is actively involved in sustainability and looks to its members to take leadership roles in sustainable practices within the specialty coffee sector.

Over the past few decades, technology has changed the very nature of human interactions and relationships. Phone calls, letter writing, and in-person meetings have been complemented–and in many cases–replaced by social media posts, text messages, and video chats. Olam’s Rob Stephen and Hayden Kwast explore the impact of technology on the role of coffee trading.

The Coffee Tasters Flavor Wheel, a collaborative effort by the Specialty Coffee Association of America and World Coffee Research, is designed to be a tool for the coffee taster. As a tool, it is meant to be intuitive, enjoyable to use, and a benefit to those who seek to analyze and describe coffees. Here are a few tips on how to use the wheel properly.

In the popular parlance, the word “myth” is used to mean “incorrect information presented as fact.” That’s not the whole story. Myths, legends, and popular beliefs are more than just mistakes.