Why should the Sommelier study coffee?
Many restaurant guests will select some form of coffee as their last beverage before exiting the establishment, and an expertly brewed cup can seal a positive experience. Nonetheless, even at the highest level many restaurants continue to operate sub-par coffee programs, and many sommeliers, despite meticulous attention to detail in other areas of the beverage program, allow poor coffee preparation and service to persist. Coffee is a second-class citizen in many beverage programs: its costs and oversight are often relegated to kitchens, and the machinery of coffee production is geared too often toward ease and quantity rather than the simple preparation of a good cup of coffee. Specialized barista personnel in restaurants may be poorly trained if present at all, beans may be out of date, and coffees may be brewed too infrequently, in excessively large batches. Of course, the presence of caffeine, the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug, leads a majority of coffee-drinkers to consider coffee as a form of fuel, presumably ingested when one is tired, drunk, or otherwise in need of quick energy. Yet to suggest that coffee is only a vehicle for caffeine is like stating that wine is just a mechanism for the delivery of alcohol. The coffee bean, like the grape, experiences a complex series of processes from farm to cup, and falls within a spectrum of quality levels, developing distinctive characteristics in different growing regions throughout the world. Contrast the state of coffee in many of America’s restaurants with the revival of good specialty coffee shops and artisan roasters. Educated restaurant
Great info. I would also mention Vivace, here in Seattle, as a superior roaster. When the barista competitions are held in Seattle, most Baristas make a pilgrimage to see David's tweaked out machines and have a shot. Really a must stop in Seattle.
Can anyone confirm if in depth knowledge of coffee is included on the exam at the certified level???
Thank you, Matt, for this phenomenally helpful guide to coffee. There's just one aspect of the Guide I'd beg to differ with: Not everyone, particularly in Italy, shares the disdain noted in the Guide for robusta coffee --in fact, quite a few roasters in Italy (Illy being a notable exception) believe that having a little robusta in the espresso blend helps the barista achieve a better crema with espresso shots and a richer, fuller flavor.
I spoke with a roaster with Martin Diedrich's Kean Coffee --arguably one of the best roasters on the West Coast-- on this topic and was told that they cup robusta regularly for consideration in espresso roast coffee --they haven't found one they like sufficiently to include it yet, but are open to the possibility.
That being said, most of the finer coffees I've worked with are 100% arabica. And thick, rich, syrupy shots can certainly be pulled from 100% arabica.
coffeegeek.com/.../02-01-2006
www.lavazza.com/.../miscele.html
This is great!
This is beyond amazing. Thank you, Guild!
Coffee is such an integral part of beverage studies, and we should know the basic differences between Guatemalan, Ethiopian, and Indonesian beans and how roasting techniques affects flavor profiles. I'd encourage any sommelier to become friends with the twenty-something baristas (from independent roasters/coffeeshops) and attend a 'cupping', which is the coffee world's version of (sometimes blind) tasting. I've learned so much from cuppings, and this guide is such a great supplement!