Most of us are familiar with the white jasmine-scented flowers. In some rare cases, however, coffee plants produce pink flowers. There are a number of reasons for this striking difference, but what are they?

To find out, I spoke to Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho, a genetic and plant breeding expert at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Juan Diego de la Cerva, owner of Finca El Socorro, and Tommaso Bongini, head roaster at Gearbox Coffee Roasters.

You may also like our article exploring why coffee plants flower and what it means for producers.

The genetic diversity of coffee flowers

“As a general rule, coffee flowers are white,” Oliveiro says. “There are some genetic variations, including the number of petals and stamens, as well as the shape of the corolla tube.”

Sometimes, however, certain coffee species and varieties bear pink flowers. Oliveiro says that while this is relatively uncommon, it occurs because of two main reasons:

• The result of inherent, natural genetic variations. This is especially true for certain species and varieties, including Coffea racemosa and Aramosa
• The product of a spontaneous gene mutation known as “purpurascens”

“With purpurascens-afflicted coffee plants, young and adult leaves – as well as new stems and stipules – are purplish in colour,” Oliveiro explains. 

Comparatively, when coffee plants consistently reproduce purpurascens characteristics from one generation to the next, many producers classify and treat them as separate varieties. Botanists, meanwhile, classify them as cultivars. This is because they have been intentionally propagated to preserve their more unique characteristics.

“Purpurascens coffee flowers are pink because their gene expression affects the colour of the whole plant and not just the flowers, as opposed to the natural genetic make-up of coffee varieties that makes them produce pink flowers,” Oliveiro tells me. “For the latter, just the flowers are pink – not the leaves, stems, and stipules.”

What causes the purpurascens mutation?

Oliveiro explains how the mutation can occur in certain Coffea species – including arabica, robusta (or canephora), liberica, and racemosa.

“A gene can have several alleles,” he tells me. “The gene is a part of the DNA or RNA that controls a certain characteristic, such as the pink colour of flowers, while the allele is the specific variation of the gene, which will determine how this characteristic will be expressed.

“So the purpurascens phenotype is a genetic mutation in the chromosome DNA sequence of coffee plants,” he adds.

While this doesn’t prevent the normal formation of leaf tissue, it can be passed down to future generations – meaning it’s possible for more plants to produce pink flowers.

Throughout his studies, Oliveiro has noted that coffee plants with the purpurascens mutation have lower yields, but are just as susceptible to pests and diseases as non-affected coffee plants.

Which species & varieties typically produce pink flowers?

Over the years, producers and researchers have reported countless instances of coffee plants producing pink flowers. Oliveiro adds that in some former English colonies, these plants are known as “orange coffee”.

Additionally, in Indonesia, these plants are called Koppi wengue, while in Brazil, farmers typically refer to them as “purple coffee” or “café carangola”.

The first scientifically recorded purpurascens-mutated coffee was discovered in Java, Indonesia in the early 1900s, which was identified as a mutation of Typica.

Aramosa coffee

The Aramosa variety is a natural hybrid of the arabica and racemosa species, and typically has a low caffeine content. Originating from Mozambique, Coffea racemosa is one of the oldest species, and was first introduced to producers in Brazil in 1954. 

Aramosa plants are fairly robust and resistant, even to harsher weather conditions. When ripe, its fruits are purplish red, while the flowers are rose pink in colour.

The Finca El Socorro “Purpuracea” variety

When the mother originates from an arabica plant, it is easier to crossbreed spontaneous purpurascens varieties. However, the genes that determine the colour of the flowers are recessive – which means the dominant gene will express itself more.

One example is Purpuracea – a variety grown by Juan Diego de la Cerva, who is a Guatemalan producer and the owner of Finca El Socorro.

Juan Diego explains that in 2009, some of his Maracaturra seedlings had purple leaves, so he and his team decided to plant them on a separate lot.

“After a while, we noticed their morphology was very different, with lower yields compared to the Maracaturra mother,” he says. 

During an initial tasting, Juan Diego says the cup profile was excellent – and even consistently received over 90 points at various cuppings. He then decided to grow the Purpuracea variety on a commercial scale using rootstock grafting techniques. 

In 2007, 2011, and 2020, Finca El Socorro’s Purpuracea went on to win the Cup of Excellence Guatemala competition – a clear sign of quality.

“At the moment, we don’t intend to publicise the genetic make-up of these plants,” Juan Diego says. “This is something unique that we want to preserve as exclusive to our farm.”

What does Purpuracea coffee taste like?

Tommaso is also the head roaster at Gearbox Coffee Roasters in Florence, Italy. The company has sourced Juan Diego’s Purpuracea since 2019. 

“We have purchased fully-washed Purpuracea coffee, which has a tremendous and persistent acidity, good body, and complexity,” he explains. 

Following this, Tommaso asked Juan Diego to use natural processing methods.

“The result was way beyond expectation: a more enhanced body than the washed coffee, and a great acidity that went from citric to malic and acetic,” he adds. 

Common tasting notes for washed Purpuracea include blackcurrant, ripe plum, and lychee, while the natural processed coffee has notes of plum, cotton candy, poached pear, and green tea.

“It’s a unique coffee and therefore costs more,” Tommaso says. “But it’s worth it.”

Most producers have probably never seen pink flowers on coffee plants – and may never encounter them. While natural mutations can certainly occur, it’s very rare to come across pink flowers on coffee farms.

However, lesser-known coffees – like Juan Diego’s Purpuracea – show strong potential in the specialty coffee market, which increasingly values rare and unconventional species and varieties. 

And as producers and researchers continue to develop hybrid plants, there’s the chance that we could see more pink-flowering coffee varieties in future.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how specialty coffee producers can use coffee flowers.

Photo credits: IAC, Finca El Salvador

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It’s believed that the origins of mazagran coffee date back to 1840. It was during this time that France invaded and colonised Algeria – a north African country which borders Morocco and Tunisia. 

Along with a more rudimentary form of cold brew which was consumed by Japanese sailors in the 17th century, mazagran has been described as “the original iced coffee” by some historians.

Today, the cold coffee drink is popular during the warmer months in some countries, and contains a number of ingredients. 

To find out more about the history of mazagran coffee, as well as regional variations of the drink, I spoke to Tiago Marques, a manager at Café A Brasileira in Lisbon, Portugal. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on what qahwa coffee is & how you can prepare it.

What is mazagran coffee?

Although there are several ways to prepare mazagran coffee, the original recipe only included cold coffee and water. Since then, the drink has evolved to include other ingredients. These include lemon juice, cane sugar, mint, and different alcoholic spirits. However, in order to know more about mazagran coffee, we first need to look back at its history.

Where did it come from?

Many historians agree that the beverage was first invented in 1840 in Algeria, when the country was under French colonial rule (which ended in 1962). The term “mazagran” is believed to have originated from a fortress named Mazagran in the coastal town of Mostaganem in northwest Algeria. In 1837, French colonisers occupied the fortress for several years. 

To cope with hotter temperatures, it was said that French colonial soldiers would drink cold coffee with added water. Some troops, meanwhile, used sweetened coffee syrup or would add different types of spirits to the beverage – including cognac and rum – to stay awake during the night.

“French colonist soldiers added cognac to their coffee to prepare for battle,” Tiago tells me. “They then added water or ice to create a cold beverage.

“When these soldiers returned to Paris, they ordered their coffee drinks ‘mazagran style’ in coffee houses and bars, which made it become a more popular drink in France,” he adds. “It was served with ice and lemon in tall glasses, [and became known as ‘café mazagran’].”

However, while it’s clear that French colonisers invented mazagran coffee as we know it today, it’s important to note that Algeria’s history of coffee consumption dates back much further.

It’s believed that in the 15th century, Yemeni Sufi monk Ali bin Omar al Shadhili introduced coffee to Algeria. At the time, coffee was commonly roasted and consumed by Sufi Muslim people. In Algeria, coffee is commonly referred to as “shadiliyye” – a moniker which is believed to come from Ali bin Omar al Shadhili.

The cultural significance of the mazagran cup

Across many African and Middle Eastern countries (such as Ethiopia, Senegal, Lebanon, and Turkey), there are a number of traditional brewing methods and coffee beverages. As part of these coffee cultures, people also use traditional brewing equipment or drinkware, such as the mazagran cup.

The tall shape of the mazagran cup was inspired by traditional Algerian coffee drinking vessels. Mazagran cups are usually made of porcelain, terracotta, or glass, and are designed to have a “foot”. In some cases, mazagran cups may also have handles, but this isn’t common.

Historically, in France, mazagran coffee was served in “mazagrin” glasses, which closely resemble the traditional mazagran cup. In fact, the historic province of Berry in France – which is well known for its intricately-designed porcelain – is believed to have manufactured mazagran cups sometime in the 19th century. Vintage mazagrans are often purchased for significant amounts of money.

Regional recipe variations

Today, mazagran coffee is on the menus of coffee houses and bars in countries like Portugal, Spain, Austria, and France – with each country often having its own unique twist on the drink.

The mazagran is especially popular in Portugal, with some even describing it as “Portuguese iced coffee”. This is largely because of the long history between Portugal and some north African countries, including Morocco. 

In the 16th century, Portuguese colonisers established the Portuguese City of Mazagan – which is now part of the city of El Jadida – in Morocco. The former city is now also a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historically significant architecture. 

“For Portuguese people, the mazagran is a Portuguese drink and a national treasure, which we often consume with a pastel de nata or two,” Tiago says. 

Café A Brasileira, which first opened in 1905, is one of the oldest and most famous coffee shops in Lisbon. The café was first used to import Brazilian coffee to Portugal, and has since become a popular place to visit for both locals and tourists.

Tiago says that the Mazagran has been the only cold coffee beverage on Café A Brasileira’s menu for more than 115 years.

In Portugal, it’s common to prepare a mazagran with either a filter coffee concentrate or espresso, along with ice and lemon. You can also add rum or sugar syrup.

What about other countries?

Meanwhile, in parts of Spain (mainly Catalonia and Valencia), many cafés serve mazagran coffee with lemon peel, which locals refer to as “Café del temps” or “café del tiempo”. In Austria, however, the drink only contains ice and rum – and people often consume it in one swallow.

While mazagran coffee has remained popular in these particular countries for some time, it has yet to become a part of coffee shop menus elsewhere. In fact, in 1994, Starbucks and PepsiCo launched a “Mazagran Spice Blend” carbonated drink in California, but it didn’t prove to be popular among US consumers. 

Following this, Starbucks then used the coffee extract from its Mazagran Spice Blend in its ready-to-drink Frappuccino products, which quickly became a commercial success.

So, how do you make it?

Although there are many ways to prepare mazagran coffee, we have included two recipes below:

The classic Portuguese mazagran recipe

This recipe is from Felipe Caixinha, a bartender at Café A Brasileira.

Ingredients

• Two shots of espresso or 240ml of brewed coffee
• Two tablespoons of brown sugar
• Four to five tablespoons of fresh lemon (or lime) juice
• A few lemon (or lime) slices
• A handful of crushed ice
• A few mint leaves

Method

• Fill a cocktail shaker (or glass with a lid) with the crushed ice.
• Add the lemon juice, sugar, and coffee. Shake vigorously. 
• Serve in a tall glass and add mint leaves and lemon slices.

The “specialty” mazagran recipe

This recipe is from Mateus Maneschy, a barista at Thank You Mama in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Mateus notes that if you prefer a non-alcoholic version of the drink, substitute the rum for a larger volume of cold brew – he recommends between 120ml and 150ml.

Ingredients

• 80 ml cold brew
• 10 ml of brown sugar syrup (mix equal parts sugar with warm water)
• 15 ml of Sicilian lemon syrup (recipe below)
• 35 ml of lemon juice
• 45 ml of rum (Mateus uses one which has been aged for seven years)

Method

• Add all ingredients, along with large ice cubes, to a cocktail shaker.
• Shake vigorously and strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
• Serve in an old fashioned glass (a glass tumbler used for serving spirits) with ice.
• Garnish as desired – Mateus suggests thin slices of lemon sprinkled with ground coffee.

Mateus’ lemon syrup recipe

• In a sealable jar with a lid, place 30g of lemon peel with the pith removed.
• Add 300g white sugar and keep covered overnight at room temperature.
• The following day, add 300ml hot water and mix until the sugar completely dissolves. 
• Filter the mixture and store in the fridge for up to 25 days.

The popularity of mazagran coffee in countries like Portugal and Spain is undeniable, but it’s evident that it’s yet to spread to coffee shops in other parts of the world.

However, given the immense popularity of cold brew, iced coffee drinks, and coffee cocktails with consumers across the world, it is certainly possible that we could see mazagran coffee appear on menus more further afield in the near future.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on the origins of coffee in Africa.

Photo credits: Isabelle Mani, Mateus Maneschy, Ana Luiza Sanchez, Fil de Fer

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One of these brewing methods is Touba coffee (also known as Sufi coffee): a popular traditional coffee beverage largely consumed in Senegal. The drink was first introduced to the country in 1902 by religious leader Sheikh Amadou Bamba Mbacké.

Over the past few years, consumption of Touba coffee has become less linked to religion and more popular further afield, with many people across Senegal – and more recently in West African country Guinea-Bissau – enjoying the drink.

To find out more about this beverage, as well as how it is prepared, I spoke with two Touba coffee drinkers. Read on for their insight on the historical and cultural background of this beverage.

You may also like our article on qahwa coffee and how it’s prepared.

A brief history of Touba coffee

One of the reasons why Touba coffee is so popular in Senegal is because it’s believed that the drink originated from the country. In fact, the beverage is named after the city of Touba – the second-most populous city in Senegal.

Initially, Touba coffee was mostly consumed as part of religious ceremonies. In the early 20th century, the founder of the Islamic Mouride brotherhood, Sheikh Mbacké (also known as Serigne Touba), is said to have introduced the beverage to other Mouride Muslims. For the Islamic Mouride brotherhood, Touba is considered an important holy place.

This is largely because of Serigne, who is a significant cultural and religious figure in Senegalese history. The country had been under French colonial rule since 1659, and Serigne dedicated his life to promoting peaceful protest in the name of independence. He believed that through Sufism (a mystic body of religious practice within Islam), social equality and peace could be achieved for the Senegalese people. 

However, Christian French colonial powers accused the Sheikh of preaching Islamic teachings (which was deemed a crime during this period), and he was forced to spend 13 years in exile in the neighbouring countries of Gabon and Mauritania. He was also placed under a 15-year house arrest upon his return to Senegal. 

It was during his time in Gabon that Serigne came across the grains of Selim – the seed pods of the Xylopia aethiopica tree, which is native to Central Africa. The seeds (also known as Senegal pepper) have a musky flavour and are used in a similar way to black pepper in local cuisine.

Serigne believed that roasting coffee with grains of Selim produced a drink which helped the followers of the Islamic Mouride brotherhood obtain more spiritual insight during prayer. Ultimately, this led to the increase in popularity of Touba coffee.

However, it’s now more common for people of all religious and cultural backgrounds to drink Touba coffee across Senegal.

Ibra Sawarè is a diplomat at the Senegalese embassy in Portugal. He says that most Sengalese people drink the beverage on a daily basis – regardless of their faith, age, social status, or ethnic background.

How is it prepared?

As well as being popular in African cuisine and traditional medicine, grains of Selim (or djar in Wolof, a native language in Senegal) are also a key component of Touba coffee, which is typically made with robusta.

Traditionally, dried and ground grains of Selim are added towards the end of the roasting process because they roast much more quickly than coffee beans. Touba coffee is usually roasted to a dark profile.

Grains of Selim add spicy and slightly bitter flavours to the drink. Common tasting notes can include balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and cardamom. 

In order to combat the increased bitterness, some people add sugar – which can give the drink a slightly thicker mouthfeel.

To brew Touba coffee, most recipes use somewhere around 100g robusta beans, 10g grains of Selim, and 800ml water. The drink is usually prepared similarly to a pour over using a cloth filter.

Some variations of the recipe can include cloves or cardamom, which are crushed and added in with the ground coffee. 

In Senegal, restaurants and street food vendors known as tanganas often prepare large batches of Touba coffee, which they roast on a stove.

The drink can be boiled for up to a day before it is served to customers. Tanganas typically use 5l of water, 1kg of coffee, and half a kilogram of ground grains of Selim to prepare the beverage in a large pot. Sugar is also sometimes added.

However, it’s now becoming more common for Touba coffee to be sold in capsule or even single-serve coffee bag form.

Does the drink have health benefits?

Ibra explains that many people in Senegal drink Touba coffee because of the reported health benefits of grains of Selim seed pods – which can also be chewed or consumed as a paste.

“In West African traditional medicine, grains of Selim can supposedly be used to treat incurable diseases,” he says. “Because of this, religious leaders started to encourage people to drink it during prayer.”

Some studies have somewhat supported these claims, although more scientific research is required to validate these findings. One 2019 study found that the seeds contain compounds with “antiplasmodial” effects, which means they may be able to combat and improve resistance to malaria infection.

Other studies have shown that the seeds also have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties – however, there is no solid evidence that they can be used to treat incurable diseases.

Furthermore, the reported health benefits of grains of Selim are mostly linked to consuming them raw, as opposed to roasted and brewed in Touba coffee. In fact, one Senegalese scientist suggests that boiling Touba coffee for prolonged periods of time could release more acidic compounds and diterpenes, potentially irritating the digestive system. 

Is Touba coffee consumption changing?

Considering the historical and cultural significance of Touba coffee, is the consumption of this beverage changing as time goes on?

Ibra says the drink is prepared and consumed for a number of different occasions; he prepares it every day at home for his family.

“Some people drink Touba coffee while socialising with their friends and family,” he tells me. “It can be served to guests, or even as a part of a spiritual ceremony.

“People also believe the drink boosts energy levels and improves concentration,” he adds.

Magatte Faye is the sales manager of Dialibatou Coffee, a roaster and retailer in Dakar, Senegal. The company sells Touba coffee blends made with robusta and arabica beans sourced from neighbouring countries.

Magatte explains that consumption of the beverage has become much more popular thanks to tanganas, and can now be found in other West African countries.

In fact, Touba coffee became so popular that in 2007, Nescafé instant coffee sales reportedly decreased in Senegal as a result of rising consumption of the beverage. It is believed that in response to this growth, Nestlé launched its African coffee range – which includes different spices and flavours.

Ibra explains that the popularity of Touba coffee is beneficial for a number of reasons.

“Besides being less expensive than other types of coffee sold in the country, it also creates more business opportunities for young Senegalese people,” he says.

Potential markets for Touba coffee

Given its popularity in West Africa, is there potential for Touba coffee to be sold in other international markets?

Magatte tells me that outside of West Africa, Dialibatou mainly sells its products in France and Canada.

“These countries are our main buyers, but other markets include the US, Italy, and Spain,” he says. “Most countries which have larger populations of Senegalese migrants export more Touba coffee.”

Magatte also believes that Touba coffee products could be successfully marketed to more consumers who drink other traditional Middle Eastern and African coffee beverages, like Turkish coffee and qahwa. 

The popularity of Touba coffee in Senegal and other West African countries is undeniable. For over a century, consumption of the drink has grown beyond religious and medicinal significance to become an everyday coffee beverage for most people in the country.

So with more companies roasting and selling higher-quality Touba coffee, there is potential for the market to grow. Whether this will happen over the coming years, however, remains to be seen.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article exploring the relationship between coffee & khat.

Photo credits: Dialibatou Coffee

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When we talk about age in this context, we mean the natural, irreversible process which causes coffee quality to diminish. 

At the same time, however, we’re also seeing more and more “aged” coffees appear on the market. For instance, barrel-ageing is becoming more prominent across the industry.

As developments like these start to gather speed, it’s important to ask questions about their popularity and how we make distinctions. To learn more, I spoke to two coffee professionals. Read on to find out what they had to say.

You may also like our article on how ageing cold brew affects flavour.

Understanding how green coffee changes over time

Generally speaking, coffee’s freshness dictates how many of the flavours and aromas we can taste in a given cup. This means that fresher coffee is generally more vibrant and complex.

However, it’s important to note that green coffee stays fresh for much longer than roasted coffee. Most specialty roasters consider green coffee to be fresh for six to 12 months after it is harvested and processed.

Roasted coffee, meanwhile, loses freshness over a matter of days and weeks. This is because roasted beans are more volatile and less stable than green coffee, as the roasting process traps gases inside the beans. These gases (mainly carbon dioxide) help the roasted coffee stay fresh, but will gradually begin to diffuse out of the beans within days of the roast.

As coffee beans age, they begin to lose freshness – especially roasted coffee, as it is a much more unstable product. When this happens, the volatile compounds degrade to cause undesirable characteristics, such as flat or stale flavours.

Dr. Gerson Silva Giomo is the Specialty Coffee Head Researcher at the Agronomic Institute of Campinas in Brazil. 

“Unlike the ageing process used to make wine, the ageing of coffee is more associated with a loss in quality, rather than an increase,” he tells me.

He explains that as coffee beans age, the presence of water-insoluble compounds like lignin increases, which encourages further degradation.

“In the ageing process, flavour and aroma compounds are degraded by oxidation, and the intensity of ageing varies according to different environmental conditions,” he says. “This generates additional flavours that did not exist before [when the coffee was fresher].”

As roasted coffee gets older, more of the insoluble compounds, such as cellulose and hemicellulose, combine with the oxidised lipids and pass through cell membranes. This creates new flavours in the coffee which are undesirable, causing it to taste flat, musty, and even rancid.

Old green coffee, meanwhile, can taste baggy, papery, and woody. Furthermore, acidity diminishes over time, meaning that coffee is more likely to taste flat as it gets older.

Gerson also explains that for green coffee, appearance and colour can be used as a rough indicator of age. As green beans darken or take on brown or black colours, we can determine that they are older; conversely, fresher green coffee tends to be a green-grey colour.

How to identify old coffee

Gerson says that the flavours of old green coffee are usually distinctive and recognisable.

“In general, older or past crop coffee has less sweetness, less acidity, and less body than fresher coffee,” he explains. “Additionally, it can taste like jute bags, cardboard, or dry wood, depending on how old the coffee is and how it was stored.”

Prior to roasting, older green beans will increase more in size compared to fresher coffee. Furthermore, they will also be less dense than fresher coffee, which should be taken into account when roasting them.

Gerson also notes that roasted coffee becomes shinier over time, as more and more of the oils unlocked by roasting migrate to the surface.

How does coffee age?

Although old coffee – whether green or roasted – is likely to have lost its flavours and aromas, there are a number of distinctions between the two.

Green coffee

Fresh green coffee is generally defined as being from the current harvest season – though this depends somewhat on the country it is grown in.

Past crop coffee refers to coffee that is left over from the previous harvest, and is therefore older than coffee from current harvests. However, it’s important to note that past crop coffee can still be high-quality and have desirable attributes.

Roasted coffee

As roasted coffee gets older, it loses its freshness quickly. Most specialty roasters recommend brewing roasted coffee no later than a month past its roast date to experience the coffee’s full spectrum of flavours and aromas.

But what about “resting” coffee?

Once roasted, coffee requires a short rest period to release some of the carbon dioxide which is created during the roasting process. This is known as “degassing”.

Coffee can be considered too “fresh” if it is brewed too quickly after roasting, as the higher volumes of carbon dioxide can block the extraction of certain desirable volatile flavour and aroma compounds. As such, it must be left to degas.

Intentional ageing

When we talk about coffee ageing, we generally associate this with undesirable qualities. However, there are a number of processing techniques which rely on ageing to change or enhance flavours and aromas.

Many of these processing techniques have been used for centuries in countries like India and Sumatra. One of the most prominent examples is Monsoon Malabar, which exposes the harvested coffee to monsoon rain and winds along the coast of Malabar for between three and four months. 

Typically, this process results in more earthy and spicy flavours, with a much heavier body.

Trevor Jermasek is the Operations Manager and green coffee buyer for Water Avenue Coffee in Portland, Oregon. 

He emphasises how it’s important to be aware of these cultural differences around the term “aged coffee”, as it doesn’t always indicate a lower quality.

For the most part, however, roasted coffee beans cannot be intentionally aged, like with processing techniques or barrel-ageing. This is because roasted coffee is much more unstable than green coffee, and the coffee’s flavours have already been developed considerable during the process of roasting.

Ageing coffee for processing

Some of the most well-known coffee processing methods which involve intentional ageing are used in Java, Indonesia, and the Malabar region of India. One of the best-known examples of this is Monsoon Malabar processing.

As part of this processing method, the beans are exposed to monsoon rains and wind, and are continuously rotated in driers to release the moisture. After the ageing process is complete, they are sorted and graded before being rested again.

Although the ageing process usually lasts for a few months, some regions can age coffee for years at a time – this is particularly prominent in Sumatra. Gerson tells me this results in a much thicker mouthfeel with almost no acidity.

Each country often has its own denomination of origin (or geographical indication) for its respective aged coffees, which means they are defined by the region they are produced in. Ultimately, this means the flavours cannot be truly replicated in any other part of the world.

However, for many of these coffees, even though they are aged, they are generally still delivered in the same crop year. Because green coffee is non-volatile and considered stable, and it ages more slowly, it is only considered past crop when a new crop year comes around. 

This means that green coffee aged for several months can still comparatively be considered “fresh”.

Exploring barrel-aged coffee

More recently, we have seen another trend gathering speed: the practice of barrel-ageing coffee.

This involves placing green coffee inside of barrels which have been used to manufacture beverages such as whiskey, wine, rum, and other alcoholic drinks.

Trevor tells me that Water Avenue Coffee produces wine barrel-aged coffee.

“When we barrel-age coffee at the roastery, we place fresh green coffee beans in freshly emptied barrels which have been used to make wine,” he says.

As green coffee is highly susceptible to a number of environmental conditions, the wood of the barrel will influence the flavours in the coffee,

“In our barrel-ageing process, we intentionally manipulate the flavour of the beans,” he explains. “The coffee will absorb the intense aromas and residual wine moisture from inside the barrel.”

Naturally, this leads to more fruity and “funky” flavours once the coffee is roasted and brewed.

“The process results in coffee with a unique wine-like character that mimics the intense fruit-forward flavours experienced with natural processed coffee”, Trevor says. “We often get tasting notes like dark chocolate, cherry, port, oak, strawberry jam, or fig.

“To some extent, barrel-aged coffee is like high-end flavoured coffee,” he tells me. “It’s important to source distinct, high-quality coffees that can become the foundation for completely new and unique flavours that can only come from the ageing process.”

Trevor explains that the total length of time it takes to age the coffee depends on how much moisture is contained in the wood of the barrel. Generally speaking, the coffee will be roasted anywhere from two weeks to one month after ageing is complete.

“More and more roasters are experimenting with ageing coffee processes in a lot of different ways,” he concludes.

Although we might associate freshness with quality, aged and old coffee are not the same.

Ageing is an important part of exploring new flavours and mouthfeels in coffee, and does not always imply a coffee of lower quality. Old coffee, however, is more than likely to have lost the majority of its flavours and aromas – resulting in a dull, flat cup profile.

When it comes to ageing coffee, the more that is understood about the process, the more we can appreciate these coffees. While the flavours may not be for everyone, it can be a new experience for some consumers.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on Café L’Ambre, where coffee is aged for 23 years.

Photo credits: Embrapa Café, Water Avenue Coffee

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As a brewing method, qahwa has long since been an integral aspect of Arab culture, and it is symbolic of a number of cultural and religious principles that are commonplace in Middle Eastern countries.

I spoke with two local coffee professionals to explore the cultural background of qahwa, as well as how it should be used. Read on to find out what they told me.

You might also like our article on the origins of coffee in Africa.

A brief history of qahwa

Turki Alsagoor is the owner of Flat Wardo, a specialty coffee shop in Saudi Arabia. He explains that “qahwa” is the Arabic word for coffee.

“Usually when you order qahwa, you are asking for an Arabic coffee,” he says.

Qahwa is prepared and served similarly to Turkish coffee, but there are a number of differences between the two brewing methods.

Traditionally, qahwa is brewed in a dallah, which is a traditional Arabic coffee pot. The coffee is boiled for around 20 minutes, before it is poured into fenjals: small cups with no handles.

When pouring qahwa, a dallah is held high above a fenjal. Traditionally, the server should be standing while the guests are seated – usually on the floor.

“The host who prepares the ceremonial qahwa traditionally conducts the process very carefully,” Turki says. “This is because [it helps to make the guests feel more welcome].”

He also tells me that the process of pouring qahwa is particularly significant in Middle Eastern culture. The sound of the coffee being poured into a fenjal is an indication for the guests to relax.

Cultural significance

In 2015, UNESCO added qahwa to its Intangible Cultural World Heritage list. But why is this brewing method so culturally significant in Arab countries?

Khalid Al Mulla is the National Coordinator of the Specialty Coffee Association United Arab Emirates (UAE) Chapter, which is based in Dubai. He is also the curator of a coffee museum in the Al Fahidi historical district of Bur Dubai.

He explains that the qahwa ceremony is a sign of hospitality for people from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds in the Middle East.

“Even though [the person may not have anything of great value to offer their guests], they can still serve coffee,” he says. “It’s a sign that the guest is welcome in their house.”

During Islamic religious holidays, including Eid and Ramadan (except during daylight fasting hours for the latter), preparing and serving coffee can be a significant social aspect of celebrations. Arabic coffee is also served on special occasions, such as at weddings or to celebrate a birth.

Khalid adds that it is common to see qahwa being served by street vendors and other public places in Arab countries. “It is now being served in a variety of venues, from government offices, to five-star hotels, to airports,” he says.

However, Turki tells me that it is rare to find qahwa in coffee shops in the Middle East, even though most people prepare it at home.

He says that there are places called “mohaila” which serve Arabic coffee and tea, mainly as a “replication of at-home hospitality”.

The significance of the dallah

Since the 1970s, the dallah has been printed on Arabic currency, notably on the United Arab Emirates dirham coin.

Typically, a dallah is a rounded coffee pot which tapers in the middle. The handle is thin so that it can be comfortably picked up, and often the pot has a lid to keep the coffee hotter for longer.

The dallah is usually made from brass or stainless steel, but more expensive pots can either be gold-plated or even made from gold.

The design of the dallah can vary, but is largely dependent on where it was manufactured. Countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Qatar, Yemen, and Ethiopia all have their own unique designs of the traditional dallah coffee pot. 

Khalid tells me that over the years, he has collected more than 150 dallah from different countries, all of which are displayed at his museum. He adds that the design of a dallah is comparable to a coat of arms – seals and flags that were commonly used in Europe and North America to identify heritage and ancestry. 

In earlier times, dallah were generally designed to be bigger, and two or three pots would be brewed at one time. One dallah was used to brew concentrated coffee, while another would include a filter made from date palm leaves. This would be placed around the spout of the dallah to filter out any coffee grounds. 

Regional variations of qahwa preparation

It’s believed that coffee has been consumed for centuries in the Middle East. Since coffee was first introduced to the region, tribes such as the nomadic Bedouin people (Bedwai in Arabic) have chewed roasted beans as a form of consumption. Some Bedouin tribes still consume coffee in this way today.

Historians have largely concluded that coffee consumption in Arab countries began in the 7th century, but only on a small scale. It was not until the 1500s that coffee consumption became much more widespread in the Middle East.

There are a number of regional differences from country to country that must be noted when discussing qahwa. Adding spices or flavourings is common – including cardamom, rosewater, ginger, cloves, and saffron. However, as saffron can be expensive, it is usually only added on special occasions. 

Khalid explains that the addition of these spices and flavourings is generally down to individual preference and familial traditions.

Roast profile also plays an important role in qahwa, and can vary depending on the country.

In the UAE, the roast profile used for qahwa is known as “cinnamon roast” or “Saudi-style”. The beans are generally roasted until first crack takes place.

“In southeastern Arab countries, however, roast profiles are generally lighter and are roasted to just before first crack,” says Khalid. “Because of the lighter roast profile, it doesn’t taste like traditional Arabic coffee.”

Turki tells me about “mazboot”, which is a way of preparing qahwa from memory with no precise measurements – such as dose or yield.

“You cannot say what is right or wrong [when preparing qahwa],” Khalid says. “It always goes back to personal taste.”

How to prepare qahwa

Turki tells me about his qahwa brewing recipe.

Firstly, he suggests using a lighter roast profile, but also notes that it’s important to focus on having a good body.

To begin, Turki measures out one fenjal of coarsely-ground coffee. However, he adds that the final brew weight is down to personal taste. He suggests using around three cups of water for every two to three tablespoons of coffee, but emphasises that it’s important to experiment with ratios.

He then adds boiling water to the dallah and brings the mixture to a simmer. Typically, this should be done for about 20 minutes, depending on the brew temperature.

Once boiled, Turki adds spices to the qahwa. He tells me that he always adds crushed cardamom, but because it has a very strong flavour, it’s best to add a tablespoon at a time. Traditionally, similar amounts of ground coffee and cardamom are added to Arabic coffee, but this may not be to most peoples’ taste preferences.

Turki also suggests a pinch of saffron, a teaspoon of cloves, and one or two tablespoons of rosewater.

The coffee mixture is then transferred to another dallah, which is specifically used for pouring into a fenjal. He lets the coffee rest for about five minutes before serving. 

Qahwa is traditionally served with dates, figs, or other dried fruits, which can help to sweeten the coffee if it’s too bitter. Honey can also be added, too.

For people who don’t own a dallah, Arabic coffee can also be prepared in a pot on the stove. The coffee should then be filtered before pouring into a teapot or other server.

In Arab countries, qahwa represents much more than a brewing method. Its traditional significance has made it a staple of Middle Eastern culture.

But despite its deep roots, there is room for innovation and experimentation with this brewing method. Ultimately, this creates the potential for qahwa to theoretically become more popular around the world, and potentially play a role in wider coffee culture.

Enjoyed this? Then try our article exploring coffee culture in Iran.

Photo credits: Isabelle Mani SanMax

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Syrups are used, very simply, to add an artificial flavour to a coffee beverage, often sweetening it in the process. The exact flavour can vary wildly, from caramel and vanilla to strawberry or even florals like lavender.

To learn more about where the syrup market has come from and why it’s grown so massively, I spoke with two professionals who work in it. They told me more about the sheer range available on the market, and how the use of syrups impacts the coffee industry in general. Read on to find out what they said.

You might also like our article on how sweeteners affect the flavour of your coffee.

An overview of the syrups market

According to the National Coffee Association’s 2020 National Coffee Data Trends Report, some 80% of US coffee consumers “customise” their beverages in some way. Of these, around 7% use syrups. 

The global flavoured syrups market is expected to be worth some US $65.6 billion by 2025, growing on average by more than 5% a year. Within the market, there is an entire sub sector of syrups produced specifically for the coffee industry. This is known as the syrups-for-coffee segment.

Andrea Ramirez is a Consumer & Customer Market Insight Manager at Torani Syrups, a syrups manufacturer based in San Leandro, California. She says that syrups help to make coffee “approachable” for some consumers.

“They’re the item that lends indulgence and personalization to a drink, transforming it from a functional and routine beverage to one that’s a treat,” she explains.

Research shows that many people first start drinking coffee by trying it with milk or sugar, as this may be more palatable at a younger age. 

“You just don’t see someone starting out and opting for a double espresso as their first coffee drink,” says Andrea. “There’s often a bit of sweetness, maybe some dairy.”

Tamara Tato is a Sales Manager for the Iberian market at Kerry Group, owner of the DaVinci line of gourmet syrups. She says that global coffee chains with highly customisable menus have naturally played a major role in making syrups more popular.

“They were responsible for showing the consumer new ways of consumption in a lot of cases,” Tamara explains.

Tamara says that the syrup category developed for coffees has been on the market for just over three decades. In that time, demand has steadily increased. 

For example, DaVinci Gourmet was formed in 1989. Just 14 years later, in 2003, the Kerry Group spent US $62 million to acquire it. 

Meanwhile, Andrea tells me that many supplier agreements with major commercial roasters have evolved to offer more than coffee. These partnerships can cover everything from equipment to training. In addition, Andrea notes that many have started to supply coffee syrups, too.

A history of syrups for coffee

Commercial syrups were first produced to flavour a range of cold beverages, such as Italian sodas and different types of cocktails. 

The syrups-for-coffee segment, meanwhile, emerged at some point in the 1980s. Key to its emergence were efforts to develop a syrup with a specific consistency that would make it suitable for coffee.

According to Tamara, the first manufacturers needed to create a stable formula that meant it could be served “icy cold” or “steaming hot”. 

Syrups developed for cocktails usually have a higher concentration of sugar to balance out the spirits. However, when it comes to coffee syrups, the recipes are usually lower in high-sugar ingredients, to ensure that it complements the flavour of the coffee.

Tamara explains that this is why the syrup should have a formula that ensures a stable consistency at high temperatures, as hot coffee-based drinks are generally served above 60°C.

The next key turning point came in 1994, when Starbucks began to offer its customers coffee beverages with added syrups. Back then, there were only four syrup options. 

Fast forward more than 25 years, and Starbucks has dozens of flavours on offer through the course of the year, all of which are “naturally flavoured”. 

Growth in at-home syrup consumption

So while we know the out-of-home (OOH) syrups market has proliferated over the past couple of decades, what about at-home consumption?

At-home consumption has been growing steadily over the past few years thanks to the rise of ecommerce. 

Looking at Starbucks again, it’s easy to see that it historically sold its syrups exclusively in physical stores. However, it switched to offering them on its web store in the early 21st century, before shutting down its ecommerce platform and selling through authorised marketplaces (such as Amazon and Walmart) in 2017.

Syrup manufacturers have also started to operate direct-to-consumer, too. For instance, French gourmet syrups brand Monin in particular made a notable push in its email marketing for both B2C and B2B audiences in the latter half of the 2010s. 

However, Tamara notes that like many other similar market segments, the at-home coffee market saw an explosion during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Tamara says that the disruption caused by the pandemic pushed foodservice operators to innovate. Effectively, this meant that when consumers could no longer go to a coffee shop to have flavoured drinks, manufacturers instead offered syrups for consumers to use at home. 

“The home market is much smaller than the OOH market,” Andrea explains. “However, at-home coffee syrups grew rapidly during the pandemic.” 

She says that one of the contributing factors was the popularity of coffee related drinks on social media, which has acted as an accelerator for food and beverage trends in recent years.

What’s popular where? Looking at flavourings in different markets

Andrea says that in her experience, sweeter flavours such as caramel are principally popular in the US, which is a major consuming market. She explains that this is also the area where the greatest range of syrups is available.

She also notes that sweet syrups are prominent in other areas, such as the Philippines and Mexico. 

Meanwhile, in Europe, she tells me that there are far fewer syrup flavours available, and those that are popular are less sugary. For syrups manufacturers, she says the UK, France, Germany, and the Nordics are all established markets, while Spain and Italy are seen as growing areas with a lot of potential. 

Finally, she recognises that the Asia-Pacific is a prominent market for syrup manufacturers, especially South Korea and Vietnam. 

“Those markets place a high value on innovation and novelty, so we see amazing things in beverage presentation and unique flavours,” she explains.

Are syrups just for chains?

There’s clearly an association between large distributors, major coffee chains, and the use of coffee syrups. Starbucks, as mentioned before in this article, was an early advocate. But does this mean they’re “only” for chains?

Tamara tells me that “both global chains and independent operators play an important role” in the segment. 

She explains that big chains drive scalability from a global perspective, while independent coffee shops promote innovation and new product development.

On the manufacturer side, most syrup brands operate predominantly as B2B suppliers, and don’t exclusively work with the coffee sector. Tamara explains that DaVinci Gourmet, as an example, only reaches the final customer through distributors. 

“We collaborate with our customers providing a core syrups range,” she says. “After that, we support them with insights and expertise to advise on latest consumer trends, and how to capitalise on seasonal opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Andrea says Torani does not produce private label products, and says that roughly 85% of its product sales comprise the OOH market.

What’s next for the segment?

According to Tamara, syrups for coffee will expand in the future by offering a more tailored range of flavours to each market.

She says: “For example, in Latin America, we have a huge universe of tropical fruits to explore. We recently launched the jabuticaba flavour to speak directly with Brazilian consumers. 

“In markets where we are already present, I think there is more room to experiment,” she adds. “A line of syrups with smoked flavours could be a good example of that, for instance.”

According to both Tamara and Andrea, there is also a growing demand for natural and freshly prepared syrups made with real fruit.

In 2018, fruit-based syrups held the largest share of sales, comprising 35.3% of the syrup industry as a whole.

“Consumers are more and more concerned about the nutritional effects, in addition to the growing demand for traceability and transparency,” Andrea adds.

It’s clear that the syrups-for-coffee segment is growing at pace, with brands innovating across the sector. It’s still an emerging market, but one that is growing steadily and benefiting from the rising demand for at-home consumption.

“Anything designed for off-premises will likely keep growing,” Andrea concludes. “Those shifts in behaviour were taking place before the Covid-19 pandemic. It just accelerated them.”

Enjoyed this? Then try our article exploring the market for coffee flavourings.

Photo credits: Torani Syrups

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Blooming seasons across the globe vary due to climate, but the timely occurrence of rainfall is a key stage in the seasonal life cycle of the coffee plant. However, thanks to increasing temperatures, unpredictable droughts, and erratic rainfall patterns, predicting the flowering season is becoming more of a challenge for producers.

To learn more about the connection between flowering and coffee productivity, I spoke with two coffee researchers based in Brazil. Read on to find out what they said.

You may also like our article on how grafting arabica to robusta can improve coffee yields

Coffee flower blooming explained

Coffee trees start to flower an average of three to four years after planting, with the flowering phase lasting for approximately two to three months. Each flowering bud can develop up to four flowers, which grow in clusters along the axis (stem) of the leaves; when they bloom, they have a rich jasmine-like scent.

Understandably, the flowering phase is vastly different from species to species. For instance, while arabica plants can self-pollinate, robusta plants rely on cross-pollination in order to grow. Robusta flowers also tend to be bigger and grow in larger quantities (around eight to 20 per axis, compared to two to 12 for arabica).

For flowers to grow, the plants first need heavy rain. A couple of weeks after the first rains of the season, the buds along the trees will start to flower. In most cases, workers will leave the farms at this point, as flowering is a very delicate process and the plants should remain undisturbed for optimum growth.

About four weeks later, the scent of the flowers reaches its strongest in the “peak” of the flowering season. This is often considered something to celebrate among farming regions, as it only lasts for around three days before the flowers begin to fall to the ground. It is also a sign that the cherries are starting to develop. 

Some couples in coffee-producing communities even plan weddings at this time to capture the scarce beauty and rich aroma of the fields of white flowers.

After the flowers fall to the ground, they leave behind a small round nub known as a “carpel”, which then grows into a cherry over the next few months.

Sérgio Parreiras Pereira is a scientific researcher and Doctor of Agronomy at the Instituto Agronômico De Campinas (IAC). He says that the carpels expand until they reach maximum size. This is when the ripening process begins.

Coffee fruit is produced in the new tissue formed in these carpels, so the flowers themselves can actually be harvested without affecting the growth of the fruit. In some cases, farmers have even used coffee flowers to diversify their incomes, as they can be used to produce tea and other beverages, such as kombucha. 

Why is uniform blooming important?

“Uniform blossoms mean a uniform ripening will take place,” Sérgio explains. “This results in higher-quality cherries.” 

However, in order for uniform blooming to occur, rainfall must be consistent and predictable. At present, rainfall patterns in coffee-growing countries are becoming more erratic, largely because of climate change. 

Higher temperatures allow the Earth’s atmosphere to retain more moisture, which leads to heavier rainfall, but this rainfall isn’t evenly dispersed across the planet.

With more erratic rainfall, irregular blossoming patterns may occur. Flowers from the same trees or branches can be pollinated at different times, leading to varying levels of maturation. Consistently heavy rainfall or storm weather can even damage the plant.

Consistency on the same plant is important. If producers have ripe and unripe – or healthy and damaged – fruits on the same branch, they would need to harvest them at different times. The producer would have no option but to pick the cherries by hand, a process that requires more time and labour.

However, in some regions, hand picking coffee cherries has become synonymous with a focus on quality, as it has the potential to guarantee better consistency.

José Donizeti Alves is a professor of agronomic engineering and plant and molecular physiology of coffee at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA). He tells me that unfortunately, erratic rainfall patterns and temperature fluctuation will continue to happen in the future because of climate change, and will likely only become more damaging.

Just like rainfall, temperature is an essential factor for coffee plant growth. Scientists agree that mild temperatures between 19 and 24º C (68 to 75.2ºF) are perfect for initiating the flowering process, no matter the location of a coffee farm.

But with average global temperatures steadily increasing, the flowering phase may become less uniform and more difficult to predict. This makes harvests harder (and subsequently more expensive) to organise.

When temperatures become too hot for farmers to grow coffee, they often respond by “climbing” to higher altitudes with lower temperature ranges, but this also comes with its own set of issues. Higher altitudes typically mean steeper and more rugged terrain, which means there is less space to grow coffee and that it becomes more difficult to harvest it.

Irrigation & flowering

Natural rainfall in adequate quantities is the “preferred form of moisture” for coffee plants, according to Sérgio. Not only does it initiate the flowering process, it also allows the plant’s roots to absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil.

However, to ensure that coffee plants are suitably watered and nourished through the harvest season, no matter how consistent the rainfall is, many farmers have instead chosen to use irrigation.

Traditional irrigation methods

The “standard” water systems used to irrigate coffee usually use one of three methods: 

• Surface/”flood” irrigation: Where water is distributed across the surface of the soil using gravity (flowing from the top to the bottom of the farm, for instance)
• Localised irrigation: Applying water only to the soil directly surrounding each plant
• Sprinkler irrigation: Irrigating crops using rows of powered sprinklers that are placed above or among the crops 

Controlled water stress

In recent years, coffee producers have started to experiment with a newer irrigation method, known as “controlled water stress”.

The process involves restricting the irrigation of the plants to create more uniform flowering. The method has grown in popularity over the last decade.

By suspending irrigation for a long time (up to two months), farmers can control flowering when it resumes. In turn, this means that cherries develop in a more uniform manner, therefore increasing the consistency and quality of harvestable coffee.

According to research conducted by Embrapa, this irrigation process is effective when carried out properly, and can support producers to get the most consistent results from their trees.

Studies published by the institution show that coffee trees subjected to controlled water stress not only flowered and developed fruit in a more uniform manner, “but also presented themselves in better conditions for the next harvest”. The productivity index for some surveyed farms increased by as much as 15%.

Best practices for uniform farming

Ultimately, both José and Sérgio tell me that guaranteeing an even blooming phase is possible, even through unpredictable rainfall and extreme temperature fluctuations.

However, it’s also important for producers to realise that when the plants do receive water (by irrigation or rainfall) earlier in the season than they should, it can increase the likelihood of certain diseases.

José tells me: “Climatic circumstances must be favourable for fungi (such as coffee leaf rust) to attack plants. If rain arrives before scheduled, it has a higher chance of triggering them.”

However, he says that fungicides can be used to prevent these diseases, and certain climatic factors can even be used to help to fight them off – including farm temperature.

José says that among the international coffee science community, extreme care with macro and micronutrition, the control of pests, diseases, and weeds, and bioregulator use are currently recommended best practices for productive, uniform flowering. 

“[These] are normally compromised by drought and heat,” he says. “They can then inhibit the synthesis of growth inhibitors in the post-stress period.”

For more information on how to mitigate unpredictable rainfall patterns and how to use irrigation methods effectively, Sérgio recommends seeking advice from official agronomy projects and relevant coffee research organisations in your country.

Although the harvest itself might be the most profitable step for farmers, the blooming of coffee plants’ white, jasmine-scented flowers is an important milestone in the cycle of coffee production.

With the consequences of climate change already forcing farmers to develop more advanced methods of irrigation, an understanding of the relationship between uniform blooming and farm productivity is vital for coffee producers.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on a Brazilian roastery’s coffee flower kombucha.

Photo credits: Ibiporá Farm, Renata Silva

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For less experienced home brewers, it might be tempting to just add more water and coffee. But this can lead to uneven extraction and lower quality in that final cup.

To learn how to avoid this, I spoke to three baristas and coffee competition champions. They shared some recipes and best practices for brewing larger volumes of coffee at home. Read on to find out what they said.

You may also like our article on recreating a coffee shop cappuccino at home.

An overview

There are many ways to brew coffee, but as you increase the quantity you’re brewing, you need to change a number of variables.

The simplest way to do so is arguably to use a batch brew machine (also known as an automatic drip machine). In theory, however, any manual brew method can also be used to make larger batches of coffee.

When you do manual brew at large volumes, however, it’s important to adjust your brew variables. If not, simply adding more water and increasing your brew time means you run the risk of overextraction.

In addition, exposing ground coffee to high temperatures for longer periods of time can also diminish its more delicate flavours and aromas, as well as creating a thin or watery mouthfeel.

Changing these variables is also not as simple as just multiplying measurements (such as doubling the ratio of dose to yield). It often requires experimentation and finesse. Each individual brewing method should be treated differently, and the baseline recipes for each will need to be changed as such.

Daniel Horbat is the 2019 World Cup Tasters Champion and owner of Sumo Coffee Roasters in Dublin. He says that as well as helping him fine-tune extraction, his home brewing recipes for larger volumes of coffee help him save time.

“I created some recipes so I don’t have to waste time,” Daniel says. “I can do other things inside the house [while the coffee is brewing] and get really good results.”

Roosa Jalonen is the 2018 Finland Cup Tasting Champion, Q Grader and roaster, and Head of Production at The Gentlemen Baristas in London. “We all have different needs for the quantity and quality of the brew we want to achieve,” she explains.

Ultimately, she thinks the easiest way to brew larger quantities of coffee is to use a batch brewer or large French press, but notes that “it all depends on your personal preferences and needs”.

Some initial changes for all brewing methods

According to Roosa, the best way to start your recipe is by defining the ratio of coffee to water, as well as the total brew time. Generally, she uses between 60 and 75g of coffee per litre of water; however, the ratio can change according to the coffee you use, as darker roasts are more soluble.

However, no matter the brewing method you use, larger volumes will always benefit from a coarser grind than usual. This is to compensate for the extended extraction time.

Roosa says that finding a middle ground with grind size is important. “Too fine a grind may result in a very bitter cup,” she says. “If it’s too coarse, however, your coffee might taste weak and flavourless.”

Grind size tips

Firstly, Daniel says that no matter how much coffee you’re brewing, you should grind fresh. This is because coffee releases between 60 and 70% of its carbon dioxide within a few minutes of grinding. This leads to a significant loss of flavours and aromas. 

For his larger manual brews, Daniel uses a grind size close to granulated sugar (the coarser side of medium). The brew ratio for this, he says, should be around 60g of coffee to 1 litre of water. At higher volumes, however, you will want to go even coarser.

If you’re using a stepped electric grinder, you can check online for the best setting for your brew method, and then adjust the setting accordingly. It may take you a few attempts to dial in the best grind size, but you can then extrapolate that for larger or smaller volumes as necessary.

Daniel brews with a Kalita Wave, using FP102 white Kalita paper filters, and prewets his filters with cold water before brewing to remove the papery taste. His brewing water is heated to a temperature of 95°C.

While agitation is common practice for brewing pour over coffee, Daniel says that it isn’t always necessary to stir or swirl at larger volumes.

“This way you produce more turbulence, and you might overextract the coffee,” he says.

Tips for brewing larger quantities with manual brewers

While you can brew larger quantities with manual brewers like the French press, Chemex, or pour over drippers, it isn’t always easy. Achieving consistent, optimal results with these manual brewing methods can be challenging, especially if your brewer is smaller than you might need. 

Let’s take a look at a few popular manual brewing methods, and some tips for batch brewing with each.

Pour over drippers

First things first: know your brewer shape. Flat bottom brewers, such as the Kalita Wave, extract coffee differently to conical drippers like the V60.

The difference in shape ultimately affects how the brewer extracts flavours and aromas from the coffee: flat bottom drippers tend to highlight sweet and floral notes, while conical drippers enhance citrus and berry notes, as well as overall acidity.

Kaley Gann is the 2019 US Brewers Cup Champion, an ACE-certified trainer, and Retail Manager at Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Maryland. She tells me that using a coarser grind for conical brewers will bring out the best of sweeter coffees and medium or dark roasts. It will also help to prevent some of the more bitter flavours from being extracted. 

She agrees that flat bottom brewers are better at highlighting a coffee’s more complex and delicate tasting notes. This, she says, is because they have a better flow rate than conical brewers, so water can pass through more easily and extract more flavours from the cup.

“A finer grind [for flat bottom drippers] works well to maintain balance in the cup,” Kaley adds.

Daniel, however, doesn’t agree. He says that coarser grinds work better for flat bottom brewers. He also doubles up his filter papers for more clarity, sweetness, and balance.

Ultimately, he says that changing brewing variables for pour over coffee is a case of trial and error. Adjustments need to be made accordingly.

“[Start by] playing with the grind size,” Daniel says. “If you use 30g coffee to 500ml water, use a medium grind. For 60g to 1 litre, use a medium-coarse grind. For 120g to 2 litres, go even coarser.”

Keep in mind that with smaller pour over brewers like the V60, Kalita, and the small 3-cup Chemex, extracting larger quantities may be difficult. In many cases, these standard models often only accommodate around 30g of coffee. 

Larger pour-over brewers, such as the 6 to 10-cup Chemexes, are ideal for batch brewing. Kaley says that with the Chemex, you should start with a brew ratio somewhere between 1:14 and 1:17. 

“If you’re using a Chemex and scaling up the brew size, add more coffee to fit that ratio and then coarsen the grind,” she says.

Moka pot & AeroPress

For smaller moka pots and the AeroPress, brewing americano-style beverages can help to increase the volume of your brew. 

A good place to start is calculating the volume of water that your moka pot or AeroPress holds, and heating the same volume again to 70°C in a separate receptacle. Once the initial concentrated coffee is brewed, you can dilute it with the hot water in a separate receptacle. 

This technique is called “bypassing”, and can be used to control extraction and flavour profile when brewing larger batches of coffee.

French press

Kaley says that because the French press is an immersion brewing method, you don’t need to change the grind setting, even as your brew size increases. 

This is because immersion and percolation are two fundamentally different types of extraction, which yield different flavour profiles.

She recommends starting with a similar brew ratio to the Chemex (somewhere between 1:14 and 1:17) and dialling it in to taste.

What about batch brew machines?

Beyond manual brewing methods, some home consumers may choose to use batch brew machines. These are designed to brew (and often store) multiple cups of coffee.

However, Kaley notes that extraction quality varies from machine to machine.

“I like a machine that can replicate a good cup [of] drip coffee that I can get at my café,” Kaley says. “I use a Moccamaster. It’s a great drip machine that brews a larger batch quickly without sacrificing the complexity of the coffee.”

Some automatic filter brewing machines, like the Moccamaster, allow the user to change extraction variables for each new coffee. However, Kaley notes that not all drip brewers are created equal, and not all will have this functionality.

“The Moccamaster regulates temperature well, but every drip machine is different. Check with the manufacturer of your machine to confirm at what temperature it brews coffee and to see if you are able to manipulate it at all,” she advises.

Kaley’s go-to recipe for the Moccamaster is 70g to 80g of medium-coarse ground coffee for 10 cups. She says this is a good starting ratio that can be easily manipulated, depending on the roast profile. 

“For more developed or darker roasts, I start at around 80g; for lighter, brighter roasts I start at 70g,” she tells me. 

If the coffee tastes too bitter, she recommends grinding coarser to minimise overextraction. Alternatively, if the brew has an unbalanced or sour taste, grinding finer will help to extract more sweetness and bitterness, creating a more rounded coffee.

Brewing larger quantities of coffee at home can be difficult without the right equipment. Home coffee consumers shouldn’t assume it’s as simple as multiplying the numbers on their usual brew recipe. 

Figuring out which brew method you’re going to use is a good first step, but whether you go automated or manual, there are recipes and techniques that you can use.

While standard recipes for home batch brews provide general guidance on how to achieve good-quality results, these recipes will ultimately need to be tweaked. Experiment with different coffees, roast profiles, and grind sizes until you perfect that cup profile.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how to improve your batch brew coffee.

Photo credits: Hendrik Pretorius, Carlos Santana

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Look up how to clean any specific coffee brewing method online, and you’ll get a number of different results. In some cases (such as with the moka pot), people may even argue that they don’t need to be cleaned. But urban myths or misinformation can affect the flavour of your brew, the lifespan of your equipment, and even your health if you’re not careful.

So, to learn more and debunk some common cleaning myths, I spoke to two SCA-certified specialists. They told me more about the correct cleaning and maintenance practices for a range of different brewers. Read on to find out what they said.

You may also like our article on keeping your coffee shop clean and safe.

Misinformation & urban myths: Should you clean your moka pot?

There’s a long-held urban myth (supposedly Italian in origin) that states that you should never clean your moka pot. Some say that cleaning it ruins the flavour of the coffee, while others say that years’ worth of residue inside the brewer “improves” the flavour.

But most conventional moka pots are made of aluminium – which can become a health hazard if not cleaned correctly.

Davide Cobelli is a coffee consultant, SCAE official trainer, and the owner of Garage Coffee Bros and the Coffee Training Academy in Verona, Italy. According to him, these moka pot myths are widely ingrained.

In Italy, the moka pot is commonly used by homebrewers to make thick, intense coffee. Davide explains that the intense flavours and bitterness that Italian consumers associate with a “dirty moka” reflect the ideal characteristics of a Neapolitan roast. 

He says: “It is quite common in Italian households to find moka pots that haven’t been cleaned with anything but water for around 20 years.”

The old, residual coffee particles release their acids when exposed to hot water. When not properly cleaned, these particles can cause the aluminium to corrode over time and release metals into the coffee.

Edwin Harrison is the owner of Artisan Coffee and Artisan Coffee School in London. He agrees with Davide. “Seasoning a moka pot will create bitter and rancid coffee,” he says. “It should be cleaned as thoroughly as any other coffee brewing equipment.”

He says that because aluminum is porous, coffee compounds attach to these pores and become very difficult to remove. Corrosion then compounds this issue.

Cleaning different types of brewers

So, we know that your moka pot needs to be cleaned regularly, or else it can become a health hazard that only produces “rancid coffee”, as Edwin says. But the same is also true of many other different coffee brewing methods, from your AeroPress to your espresso machine.

To help, we’ve put together some guidance for how you should care for a few popular coffee brewers, starting with the moka pot.

Moka pot

David and Edwin agree that the best way to clean a moka pot is by using a neutral, fragrance-free dish soap and a soft sponge. 

Edin says that it’s important to dismantle the brewer first, before scrubbing it gently, both inside and out, and rinsing every part thoroughly to ensure there is no soap residue.

Edwin says: “All the pieces of the pot should be completely dry before reassembling them, to avoid a build-up of mildew or condensation.”

The moka pot gasket seal is also commonly overlooked in the maintenance process. This is the circular seal that sits between the two halves of the pot. Edwin says that it should be changed semi-regularly, particularly when you’re unable to get rid of any brownish stains. 

You can also change the aluminium filter basket, too. If this gets clogged over time, just replace it. They’re widely available online, as are replacement gasket seals.

What you definitely should not do, says David, is simply clean the moka pot with a damp cloth or rinse it with water. You should also avoid using a dishwasher or vinegar and lemon juice, as these can cause corrosion.

French press

Start by removing the coffee grounds using a spatula or add some water and swirl. Toss the grounds into the bin (or your compost heap) and clean out any loose grains.

Fill the jug halfway with warm water and a few drops of fragrance-free dish soap. Pump the plunger through the water several times several times to dislodge any stubborn grounds caught in the filter.

Clean the jug by hand, using hot water and a soft sponge or bottle brush. Rinse both parts well, making sure there is no soap residue. Dry immediately using a microfibre cloth.

For heavy users, it’s recommended that you clean the filter thoroughly at least once a month. For this, disassemble the filter (you can usually unscrew it by hand) and make a simple paste using baking soda and water. 

Scrub the filter mesh vigorously with a toothbrush or bottlebrush to remove any oils and residue, before rinsing and cleaning with soap and water.

Batch brew

Remove the server, pot (or urn), and filter basket. Clean both thoroughly with a sponge and some fragrance-free dish soap, then rinse well. Air dry or use a clean microfiber cloth.

While the remainder is drying, wipe the brewer head with a damp cloth to ensure there are no odd coffee grounds or stains. Only reassemble the brewer once every part is completely dry to avoid risk of mold.

AeroPress 

After brewing, press down on your puck over the sink to squeeze out any remaining liquid. After this, move to the bin (or compost heap) and unscrew the filter cap. Press the plunger down until the puck pops out.

After this, disassemble the brewer and wash each individual piece with hand using a soft sponge and fragrance-free dish soap. Air dry or use a clean microfibre cloth.

About once a month, you should remove the rubber seal from the plunger entirely to clean it. Scrub it inside and out to remove any oil buildup. 

Pour over drippers

Most pour over coffee drippers can be cleaned reasonably simply. Use a neutral dish soap and a sponge to scrub the inside and outside, rinse clean and dry.

How you clean your server (if you use one) will depend on the material. For glass or clear plastic servers, you may be able to use a dishwasher (check manufacturer guidance). If not, or if you’re using a metal server, you will need to be more thorough. 

Try using a cloth with some dish soap and warm water. You may not be able to fit your hand through the opening, so a brush may be easier.

Home espresso machine

To start with, Edwin suggests that you follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions thoroughly. Each machine has its own requirements, but simply using the auto-clean and descaling functions won’t be enough after a prolonged period of regular use.

He says: “After pulling a shot, remove the portafilter and immediately flush (purge) the group head for a couple of seconds. This will release any coffee that may have attached itself to the diffusion screen.

“For cleaning a steam arm after steaming milk, carefully wipe it with a damp cloth.  Then, activate the steamer’s jet for a few seconds to purge any left-over milk. 

“Finally, remove the portafilter basket [and rinse with hot water to] remove all the coffee oils and residues. Dry with a microfiber cloth.”

Next, he says, you need to turn on the pump and scrub the diffusion screen with a toothbrush or a Pallo brush. Backflush it using a blind portafilter and a quarter-teaspoon of an espresso machine cleaning powder of your choice. Allow the pump to flow for at least five seconds, then repeat several times.

Empty the water from the blind portafilter and repeat once with no powder to clear any remaining chemicals. Empty the drip tray, rinse with hot water, and dry it with a microfibre cloth. Finally, once everything is dry, reassemble all the pieces. 

For the exterior, Edwin’s pro tip is to use a glass cleaning product to keep the machine’s stainless steel surfaces “looking as good as new”.

Getting rid of limescale

Limescale is a sediment found in hard water (water with high levels of calcium and magnesium) that builds up in brewing equipment and kettles. It can cause damage to your brewer if left unchecked.

For kettles and batch brewers, Edwin says a solution of one part vinegar to one part water is enough to clean limescale. 

For a kettle, he says to let the solution soak overnight, then rinse the equipment thoroughly. Boil a full tank of water a couple of times afterwards just to clear it out.

For a batch brewer, he says to fill the tank with the solution and let the cycle run through two or three times. Then repeat the process with fresh water a few more times.

However, he also notes that prevention is better than the cure. Limescale can generally be prevented by brewing with filtered mineral water or distilled water.

He says: “Espresso machines have instructions on how to deal with limescale, but in this instance, prevention is by far the economic solution, because you might [eventually] need to pay a technician to descale your machine.”

Can improper cleaning be bad for you?

Correct cleaning procedures are vital for home brewing, but it’s not just about safeguarding the longevity of your equipment or compromising taste – improper cleaning can also be a serious health hazard.

According to Edwin, the biggest mistake people make is not cleaning devices soon enough.

He says: “A lot of people forget that coffee is a food product and, if the equipment is not properly looked after, it will eventually stop working properly and can make you seriously ill.”

For instance, he notes that letting spent grounds sit in the equipment until you are ready to make your next coffee is a really bad habit. The oils in coffee build up and create a “film”, which is then a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.

And while it’s widely believed that the acidity of roasted coffee is enough to kill most of these germs, it is not always enough on its own. Along with allergies and respiratory infections, the bacteria that form on this film can also affect your digestive health.

To put things in perspective, a 2011 study by NSF International found that an unclean coffee maker’s reservoir can host more bacteria than pet toys and the flush handle on your toilet. 

“There is no such thing as ‘self-cleaning’ coffee equipment,” Edwin concludes. Good cleaning practices for coffee brewers should ultimately not be taken lightly.

To make sure you remain healthy and get the best possible flavour from each cup of coffee you brew, make sure you’re cleaning your brewer properly. It will also maximise the lifespan of your equipment.

Enjoyed this? Then read this article on how and when to clean your coffee roaster.

Photo credits: Pixabay, Pexels

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The recent rise of microdistilling has opened the door to all-new unique and small batch liqueurs, many of which mix high-quality, complex coffees with spirits. Naturally, this change has quickly started to capture the interest of home coffee consumers as well.

To learn more about the world of coffee liqueurs and how you can make your own at home, I spoke with two Coffee in Good Spirits champions. Read on to find out what they told me.

You might also like our article on coffee liqueurs & spirits and how quality is changing.

A brief history of coffee liqueurs

While it’s believed that the first coffee liqueur can be traced back to the 1500s, most modern coffee liqueur brands today originated in the 20th century.

Many of these popular brands originated in coffee growing countries which also produced alcohol. Kahlúa, for instance, was developed in 1936 in Mexico, while Tia Maria can was originally manufactured in Jamaica.

Through the 20th century, coffee liqueurs became popular through a number of different pop culture references. The White Russian, for instance, was popularised by the protagonist of the 1998 Coen Brothers film, The Big Lebowski, while the legend behind the espresso martini is another matter entirely. 

In recent years, newer coffee cocktails (such as the coffee negroni) have started to appear, and people have increasingly started to make higher quality coffee liqueurs.

What’s the difference between liquor and liqueur?

Before we get into the details of making your own coffee liqueur, an important distinction must be made between liquors and liqueurs.

A liquor is a classic fermented spirit made from a raw material; sugar cane for rum and grains for whiskey or vodka, for instance. A liqueur, however, is a type of “base” liquor that has been sweetened and flavoured.

This gives it a specific flavour and a syrupy consistency, as sugary flavours are often added after distillation.

Liquors generally have a higher alcohol content than liqueurs. It’s also important to note that while sugar is an essential component of any fermentation process, liquors are often not sweet.

Coffee liqueurs vs. liquor coffees

In the world of mixology, the terms that describe coffee-related alcoholic drinks can be confusing. 

Liquor coffee refers to cocktails that contain brewed coffee, which is typically mixed with distilled alcoholic beverages (liquor/spirits) – such as Irish coffee.

Coffee liqueur, meanwhile, is a beverage all on its own which uses coffee as one of its main ingredients. They can be used in coffee cocktail recipes, or they can be enjoyed on their own.

Some coffee liqueurs are manufactured with soluble/instant coffee, while others are made with a coffee concentrate. 

Artisanal coffee liqueurs

Matthew Foster is the 2019 USA Coffee in Good Spirits Champion and manager of The Annex, a specialty coffee shop in St. Louis, Missouri. He believes that the best at-home cocktail recipe is the easiest one.

He says that a good artisanal coffee liqueur is an easy way to elevate almost any coffee cocktail, making them incredibly versatile.

He says: “Add it to some hot chocolate and you have what you could call a midnight mocha. Shake it with some cold brew coffee, cream, cane syrup, and mint, and you have a coffee mojito.”

One of the most difficult parts of creating quality coffee cocktails is balancing all the ingredients you use. According to Matthew, this is because brewed coffee is predominantly water – which means you dilute the cocktail right from the start.

In addition, if you use hot coffee as the base of a drink, you typically have to add ice, which further waters the drink down.

He says: “A coffee liqueur is a good option for bypassing this issue. By using one, you can achieve the desired coffee flavour and bring in that sweetness.

“This leaves more room for other ingredients and helps make your recipes and ratios more straightforward.” 

Emerson Nascimento won the Brazilian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in 2017 and 2020. He’s also a trainer and coffee consultant based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

He decided to make his own coffee liqueur because he believes that the products available on the market don’t use quality coffee.

He says: “To produce the highest quality liqueur, I use specialty coffee and high-quality vodka – my favorite spirit to use in this case.”

Why consistency and sweetness matter when making your liqueur

A liqueur can be used as the base for a variety of cocktails or it can simply be enjoyed on its own – it all depends on the consistency.

The White Russian and Black Russian, for example, use milk in their recipes. The syrupy consistency of Kahlúa is essential to the identity of the drink. Other drinks, like the espresso martini and coffee negroni, require thinner liquids that contain less sugar.

Emerson says that most artisanal or premium coffee liqueurs are not particularly thick. Instead, he says, they tend to be quite thin. He says it all depends on the texture of the caramel (or other sugar base) used in its production. 

There’s a wide assortment of coffee liqueurs on the market, and Matthew says each one has slightly different characteristics. Some are sweeter than others, and they all have different mouthfeels.

These variables can be altered to create the desired consistency. Emerson says that a versatile coffee liqueur should have a flavour profile that works with any number of “classic” coffee cocktails – meaning at least some sweetness.

“The amount of sweetness that each one has will directly influence the flavour of any drink that is prepared with it,” he explains. 

Because of this, Matthew says that when creating a coffee liqueur, you should already know what cocktail you’re planning to make. 

He says: “If I’m making an espresso martini, I create something drier. This helps to balance my other sweet ingredient – spiced vanilla syrup.”

Furthermore, the spirit base could be anything from rum to tequila – it doesn’t necessarily have to be vodka.

If the coffee liqueur is intended to be consumed exclusively as a digestif, spices like cinnamon and vanilla can also be added to give it a more complex flavour. However, if it’s going to be added to a cocktail, Emerson says you should skip the spices.

How does coffee quality affect the finished product?

Some coffee liqueur brands (often larger ones) tend to use commercial-grade or instant coffee to produce their beverages. This is then masked by the added caramels or sugars, which give it a sweet flavour and sticky mouthfeel. 

Despite this, newer products which use higher quality beans are emerging. Quality is rising up the consumer agenda and people are becoming more discerning. Mr Black, for instance, offers coffee liqueurs made with specialty-grade cold brew and “top-grade” wheat vodka.

By using higher-quality beans that have an inherently desirable flavour profile, you will naturally boost the complexity of your liqueur – meaning there will be less of a need to add sugar and artificial flavourings.

According to Matthew, any high-quality coffee can be used when making your own liqueur. Your only consideration should be the type of cocktail you want to use it in. 

For the recipe he shares, he tells me that he used a natural Ethiopian coffee, and said its floral notes and sweetness played “beautifully” into the drink.

Emerson’s coffee liqueur recipe

Ingredients

• Vodka
• Raw sugar 
• Cold brew
• Water

Method

• Mix one part vodka, one part cold brew, and one part caramel (see below) in an airtight container. 
• Place the container in the refrigerator and allow the liqueur to mature for at least 15 days.
• Once matured, keep refrigerated.

Note: To make the caramel, simmer two parts sugar with one part water until brown and caramelised. Allow to cool before adding to the other ingredients.

Matthew’s coffee liqueur recipe

Ingredients

• 30g coffee
• 175g water
• 50g raw sugar
• Vodka

Method

• Make a concentrated pour over using any filter brewing method. Use 30g of medium-fine ground coffee with 175g water boiled at 94C° (200F°). The brew should finish in 90 seconds.
• The yield should be about 100g of coffee concentrate. 
• Add 50g raw sugar to the coffee concentrate.
• Combine in equal parts with a vodka of choice. 

Sugary, thick, bitter, or sweet – making your own coffee liqueur gives you plenty of options. Whether you plan to use it in a cocktail or drink it over ice, you can tweak it to your liking using Matthew or Emerson’s base recipes.

So next time you reach for the Kahlúa or the Tia Maria – think twice. Consider making your own. Coffee and alcohol go perfectly well together – and making your own liqueur is yet another innovative use for the delicious beans you buy.

Enjoyed this? Check out these DIY coffee cocktails.

Photo credits: Emerson Nascimento, Matthew Foster, Pixabay, Unsplash

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