What makes Specialty Coffee Special?

Coffee is the second most traded product in dollars in the world, surpassed only by petroleum. Our politics, culture and every day lives have been shaped by this mystical beverage, but what is that special something that makes a coffee “Specialty”. The current market is filled with a confusing mix of labels and marketing schemes that tempt us to pay an extra premium for our daily brew. Specialty, gourmet, single origin, organic, shade friendly, fair-trade, the list seems to be endless. Because coffee is so deeply embedded in our culture, there is no simple answer to this question. There is, however, one distinct difference between commercial coffee and coffees labeled “Specialty”. Commercial coffee is of lower quality on every level. The coffees that are used in the major grocery brands are primarily purchased on the coffee futures exchange in New York City and London. The coffee traded in New York is all Arabica Species and is referred to as C grade; the lowest certifiable grade in the industry. Coffee traded on the London market is Robusta Species. Robusta is the second most used species of coffee in the world. Found in the 1890’s in Central Africa, Robusta is now a large part of commercial coffee production. Robusta is easier to cultivate, is more resistant to insects and disease and has twice the caffeine of Arabica coffees; Robusta is also very cheap to purchase. Although Robusta does have a place in some espresso blends its major problem is a horrible taste profile. It is for this reason that Robusta is used as a blender to lower the price of commercial coffee products. Low prices equal bad taste on many levels.

Virtually all Specialty coffee roasters utilize top grade Arabica coffees for their blends, flavored and straight origin coffees. There are over 2000 independent coffee roasters in the United States and the majority of them are buying coffee on a farmers market rather than on the futures market. As roasters, we are paying a premium on the daily exchange benchmark for the highest grade coffees available. These coffees are primarily purchased through brokers who purchase direct from the farms and co-ops and then have the coffee stored for shipping in warehouses throughout the country. If a roaster is fortunate enough to have the means, many will buy direct from the farm or co-op and make visits to the origin to build a closer relationship with the farm. Many of the roasters and brokers that visit the countries of origin have made great strides over the last twenty years to insure the livelihood, culture, and heritage of the farms and co-ops by paying a fair price and insuring that the producers are provided with a good standard of living. As I have said before the truth is in the cup.

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Catch ya on the refill!