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.

Ric always brings together a variety of indicators— economic data, industry insights, and years worth of experience and firsthand knowledge– and weaves it together in a powerful narrative on the risks threatening our industry and possible solutions to them.

This episode from Re:co Seattle in April 2018 features SCA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart. We have a little tradition at Re:co, when Ric gives an annual talk on the State of Specialty Coffee.

David Griswold moderates a panel with Lindsey Bolger, Phyllis Johnson, Teddy Esteve, Christine Condo Umuhoza, and Kent Bakke at Re:co Symposium in Seattle in April 2018.

In this first episode of the Re:co Podcast, David Griswold moderates a panel with Lindsey Bolger, Phyllis Johnson, Teddy Esteve, Christine Condo Umuhoza, and Kent Bakke.

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.

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is proud to announce the winners of the Best New Product Awards at the 2018 Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle

ANTONY WATSON delves into the findings of a new SCA Handbook which combines scientific research from the laboratory, sensory data from the field, and comment from the industry in Issue 4, 25 Magazine.

There are many memorable cups of tea. For me, the most memorable cups are those that change the way we look at the world, the cups that spur action and shape the direction of what we do. It has been more than a decade since a cup of green Pu-erh drove my research journey to examine the effects of climate change on tea quality.

Coffee is a Muslim beverage which originated in the Middle East. So what, in design terms, has the region bequeathed to global coffee culture? JONATHAN MORRIS takes us on a journey through the annals of coffee vessels in Issue 4 of 25 Magazine.

The Teams Competition has been an exciting evolution in the World Barista Championship. CERIANNE BURY talks to members of the 2017 winning team, Team Tamper, and learns how the competition has helped them grow as baristas in Issue 4 of 25 Magazine.

Ethiopia needs little introduction in terms of coffee. Often quoted as the birthplace of Arabica, and known for its wide range of unique flavor profiles, it regularly ranks among the favorite producing countries for baristas and coffee lovers. But how well do we know this large and diverse origin country? Not that well it turns out – until now.

Welcome to our fourth issue of 25, your SCA publication sharing specialty coffee insights, trends, and most importantly stories from our specialty community.