My welcome to Issue 6 of 25 is deservedly dominated by a note of celebration and sadness, paying respect to the extraordinary Erna Knutsen, a true innovator who passed recently.

ELIZABETH DOERR explores how the Dominican Republic’s largest coffee company seeks to change local coffee culture through baristas in Issue 06 of 25 Magazine.

HORTENSIA SOLIS interviewed three young Latin American coffee professionals from three different countries to better understand their perspective on the future of coffee production, the industry’s most pressing challenges, and the steps they’re taking to resolve or otherwise navigate them.

CARLOS HENRIQUE JORGE BRANDO traces the design changes that have brought water-saving demucilagers to the fore of a conversation about sustainability and coffee quality.

Coffee professionals are familiar with the importance of ratios: from brew ratios to espresso-to-milk ratios, we build our businesses around a series of proportions that help us achieve the best possible cup of coffee for our customers.

MARÍA ESTHER LÓPEZ-THOME shares her story in Issue 6 of 25 Magazine. All photos by Andres Anaya.

Despite Sicily’s profound traditional and cultural attachment to coffee, JENN RUGOLO has never harbored any expectation of finding the same concepts applied to coffee. An unexpected encounter – at a traditional bar in a tiny town in the south east of Sicily – made her question those expectations.

MICK WHEELER, past President and former Executive Director of SCAE, reflects on the early days of specialty coffee in Europe and the hurdles a nascent SCAE faced as it sought to build a community-focused organization across geographical and cultural borders.

HORTENSIA SOLIS ha entrevistado a tres jóvenes profesionales del café latinoamericanos de tres países diferentes para poder comprender un poco mejor su perspectiva sobre el futuro de la producción del café, los desafíos más apremiantes de la industria y los pasos que están dando para resolver o al menos afrontarlos.

It was with great sadness that we at the Specialty Coffee Association learned of the passing of Erna Knutsen.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is proud to announce the winners of the Best New Product Awards at the 2018 World of Coffee trade show in Amsterdam. The Best New Product Awards recognize new products judged on their quality and value to the specialty coffee and tea industry.

In Issue 5 of 25, SCA’s quarterly magazine, JANICE ANDERSON and DAN MCCLOSKEY used their extensive experience mapping the growth of specialty coffee across the US to offer their perspective on the state of the market. Here, in a Daily Edition exclusive, they focus on what current and aspiring coffee shop owners can do to stand out in a crowded market.

It’s been a year since 25 first debuted at World of Coffee in Budapest; I hope you are continuing to enjoy its stories and insights from our global specialty community.

At the April 2017 Re:co Symposium, an annual event hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association, a panel debated the question: are we in a coffee bubble? Panelists DAN MCCLOSKEY and JANICE ANDERSON, using their extensive experience mapping the growth of specialty coffee across the US, offer their perspective on the state of the market in Issue 05 of 25.

CARLA D. MARTIN, PhD explores the concepts of commodity, craft, and taste in specialty chocolate. All images courtesy Dandelion Chocolate.

JESPER ALSTRUP explores “body” and how roast profile modulations affect the sensory experience of brewed coffee through his research at the University of Copenhagen, supported in part by the Specialty Coffee Association, in Issue 5 of 25 Magazine.

There’s a subset of Mexican-American coffee shops that are quietly emerging in the working-class Latino enclaves of Los Angeles. Together, they are reimagining menus, infusing traditional flavors, and experimenting with ingredients to create single-origin Mexican-inspired coffee drinks rooted in culture.

Perhaps more than ever, coffee shops are putting a massive focus on design: the drive to distinguish a specialty café from the “Central Perk/coffeehouse” vibe of the 1990s is largely being achieved by way of brand, architecture, packaging, and signage.

As a South African fortunate to travel quite extensively, nothing gives me greater joy than coming back home. One of my favorite places to visit from my laid-back, coastal hometown of Durban is the city of Johannesburg.

Hay muchas tazas de té que resultan memorables. Para mí, las tazas más memorables son aquellas que cambian tu forma de ver el mundo, las tazas que incitan a la acción y dan forma y sentido a lo que hacemos. Hace más de una década desde que una taza de té verde Pu Erh pusiese en marcha un viaje de investigación en el que me propuse examinar los efectos del cambio climático en la calidad del café.