Indulging in specialty coffee isn’t just for hipsters, big cities, or tech companies anymore. Almost every city in the world has at least one specialty coffee shop. If you decide to trade your Starbucks caramel syrup flavored dessert for a pour over or a cortado you may find that the natural flavors of the coffee are actually a treat in and of themselves. When you become a regular you start to see that there’s a community of people who put extra care into their morning cup. There’s a community in fact and they’re actually pretty tight knit. One way to find connection with this community is to simply make yourself a regular and ask questions. Your baristas are usually very friendly and would love to educate people who are willing to learn.
Why Specialty Coffee
Ethically sourced
Many small batch roasters have relationships with the farms that grow the raw coffee beans. This results in more ethically sourced coffee. While every small batch roaster is different, this often means that they visit the farm, pay those farmers a fair rate, don’t tolerate child labor, and in some instances even contribute to education and social justice in those communities.
Better coffee
– Baristas at specialty shops take into account all sorts of variables before starting your brew. This includes things like water temperature, ratio of water to coffee, the grind size of the coffee, or even how humid it is outside. The science of a good cup of coffee shouldn’t be underestimated.
How to find specialty coffee
Go to the small shops in your area. You can often find a list on Google of coffee shops. I tend to just pick the one that looks the best designed, has the best pictures and has a rating greater than 4.5. If they put that much care into the space it’s a very telling indicator that they care about their coffee. Shops that serve hot food tend to not focus as much on the coffee, but there are exceptions to this.