Redbird Coffee hosted their first cupping event. If you are not a coffee connoisseur, you may not understand what cupping coffee is. Think wine tasting, but with coffee. It is actually a tool used by roasters and those in the commercial coffee world to help find defects in coffee. It can also be a fun night out for coffee lovers! The Calhoun County Journal attended this exclusive event that was hosted by Gary and Laura Humphreys, JM Lee, and Jerod Snider of Called Coffee. Gary explained that all coffees have a smell profile. Coffee producers often process huge quantities, and the higher the quantity the check for quality sometimes degrades. What roasters do is grind the coffee to actually take the coffee as a full bean to very small fresh ground batches. They smell the beans whole and ground and then smell again. They then add water and repeat the process of smelling the coffee. After a set time has gone by, you remove the top coating off the coffee and smell it again. The tasting process is next. This is similar to wine tasting because you slurp the coffee to get it all over the front and back of you mouth.
This process was very new to most of the attendees so as everyone came in they were encouraged to relax and enjoy many coffee mocktails that were being served. JM spoke and wanted everyone to understand how the concept of Redbird came about. He laughed because he said in truth it started in a kitchen with a setup very similar to what everyone was looking at. It was all about cupping. Every coffee selection chosen to the served was decided upon after it passed this fun, but necessary step. He also wanted to explain that Redbird started a farmer named Gregario in Peru. Knowing the origins of the coffee isn’t just about a location it is truly knowing the man. It is seeing how the impact of doing business with a person can change their life and the life of those in his region. Faith is a large part of how Redbird and Called Coffee each run their businesses and they got to know Gregario through mission trips in Peru. JM also wanted to thank the other businesses that were involved with this event. Jerod with Called Coffee is the wholesale roaster for Redbird. Volt Coffee in Gadsden submitted a coffee for the event, Southern Girl Coffee in Oxford submitted coffee, and also Black and White Coffee in Raleigh, NC submitted a coffee for the cupping experience.
Jerod took over the next step which was joint cupping. All the participants were able to smell taste various coffees and start identifying them using the taste wheel provided. As the cupping commenced he was able to share his vision that this was more than just a coffee experience. Coffeehouses connect people. It encourages meeting people and realizing that we all have a lot in common. These cupping events also have that ability. He shared that he has seen the most professional of professionals slurp so loudly and laughingly explained this was an envied ability. Slurping technique is a skill! He also shared that a professional roaster described the taste of one coffee as “coffee.” Everyone laughed, but Jerod did have to admit it was a family generic sample and identifying specific smells and taste was in fact hard. That is the part he wants everyone to get excited about. It isn’t being right or wrong; it is about the experience. Talking about the different ideas and of course the reveal at the end is the final step of the experience.
If you are a coffee lover and perhaps looking for a different coffee experience, then you should consider the next Cupping Coffee event. You can support local businesses, meet other people, have a fun time, and know that every coffee purchased is helping make a difference in a specific farmer’s world!
