What makes Specialty Coffee “Special”?

For some people, coffee is nothing more than a convenient way of getting your daily caffeine fix to start your days in a better and more energized way. For others it goes way beyond that. The same way connoisseurs may appreciate a fine wine or a craft beer, the specialty coffee industry has a term to describe a similarly gourmet approach to the world’s most popular drink. It’s called Specialty Coffee.
You may have come across this phrase if you’ve checked out some of the higher-end coffees available all over the country and the world. So what is “Specialty Coffee” and why does it matter for us, and also thousands of families worlwide?

DEFINITION OF SPECIALTY COFFEE

ACCORDING TO THE SCA (SPECIALTY COFFEE ASSOCIATION):

Specialty coffee can consistently exist through the dedication of the people who have made it their life’s work to continually make quality their highest priority. This is not the work of only one person in the lifecycle of a coffee bean; specialty can only occur when all of those involved in the coffee value chain work in harmony and maintain a keen focus on standards and excellence from start to finish.

This is no easy accomplishment, and yet because of these dedicated professionals, there are numerous specialty coffees available right now, across the globe, and likely right around the corner from you.

ACCORDING TO SOME EXPERTS

Specialty Coffee is a name used to describe premium coffee that’s genuinely quality-driven from start to finish. It’s directly related to Third Wave Coffee in which coffee is treated as an artisanal product as opposed to just a drink.

This name captures the entire process from farm to cup (trazability) using single origin coffee and also done in purpose blends. The roasting and brewing processes require skill, artistry, knowledge and are meticulously tailored to produce optimal flavor, and meet the higher standards.

The final result is a carefully refined cup of premium brewed coffee. Specialty Coffee also focuses on ethical sourcing. More and more specialty coffee roasters worldwide are now buying their beans directly from the farmers (direct trade), ensuring farmers receive a fair wage for their services. Removing the external links in the coffee supply chain guarantees more money and resources are returned to the coffee farmers and their communities. In this regard, specialty coffee roasters look to build lasting, fruitful relationships with their suppliers.

ACCORDING TO ALIGNED COFFEE

We firmly believe that Specialty Coffee is more than just a quality driven product. It is a lifestyle, it is waking up everyday with the excitement of having an amazing cup of coffee. It is the knowledge & understanding of the whole coffee value chain in order to develop better relationships that can make bigger impact in all the people involved. It is a form of gratitude for the hard working farmers, quality analysts, roasters, baristas and customers that genuinely care about all the process and the road that involves an outstanding coffee drink.

Specialty Coffee is our World.

ARE YOU READY TO BE PART OF THE SPECIALTY COFFEE COMMUNITY TOO?

Click in one of the options below to learn more: