Brazilian Cupping Night & the future of Specialty Coffee
On the 21st of February, Minas Hill Coffee organised its first Cupping Night of 2017 in Melbourne, showcasing the best of Brazilian Specialty coffee, including exclusive micro-lots. Amongst the 13 coffees on the table, there were 2 Cup of Excellence displays, participants of the most prestigious competition and award for high quality coffees.
The event was also an opportunity to discuss the future of Specialty Coffee and the role Brazil plays in the industry. Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer, accounting for almost 32% of all coffee produced in the world. It is also the largest producer of Specialty Grade coffee. The specialty coffee sector currently accounts for close to 12% of international coffee markets. On regards to the local customer, coffee is the second most consumed beverage in Brazil, loosing only for water, and specialty consumption is growing fast and consistently in the country.
Strong initiatives, as the foundation of BSCA (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association) in 1991, seek to disseminate and stimulate technological improvement in the production, commercialisation and industrialisation of specialty coffee beans in Brazil, improving the quality and envisioning commercial opportunities. BSCA also aims to promote the environmentally sustainable development of the industry, certifying lots and monitoring specialty coffee quality control seals.
The coffee nation has 16 different producing regions, and the combination of flavors makes Brazil unique, complete and deliciously attractive to be explored. “Every season, we bring the farmer’s stories and passion from Brazil to Australia, simply because we believe that a coffee without a story is just a meadow without flowers. It misses an important part. More than just coffee, we are about people. We build relationships with coffee-growing communities and empower them to work with us, not for us. Specialty grade coffee carries the passion and dedication from those who plough the soil, picked and processed the ripe cherries. Quality comes into bump expenses and a blessed sweat.” Said Marcelo Brussi from Minas Hill Coffee.
James, from Disciple Roasters, told about the experiences he had when visiting farms in Brazil last year. “Now, every time I roast a coffee from Bom Jesus farm, I remember of Flavia and Gabriel, how passionate about coffee they are and how hard they’ve worked to produce this wonderful coffee that we are lucky to have in Australia. It is also a motivation for myself, to treat those coffee beans with the same care and respect, aiming to extract the very best coffee I can.”
For the future of the Specialty Coffee industry, and they have all agreed, it is crucial to invest in education and awareness of responsible sourcing and production. At the end of the day, we all need to learn to value this little and affordable luxury item: an excellent cup of delicious coffee.