I’ve attended several coffee 101 and seminars of Starbucks in the past, and here I am again attending another round of coffee appreciation and education conducted by Starbucks Coffee Global Masters and Ambassadors, they are our local coffee experts, former baristas, and now assistant manager and also supervisors of a Starbucks branch here in the Philippines.
Its funny that before I received an invite last March 2016, I found myself using our coffee press at home in testing some coffee beans that are sitting on our shelves for long, so I tried to determine which beans are still good and which one are the bad.
My morning on one Sunday gave me almost an hour to get the right coffee flavor by using three kinds of method – using the espresso machine, by pourer and by coffee press.
I can tell that Im used to in using drip, machine and pourer, but I suck on using the coffee press, I don’t get the right way and watching videos on Youtube helped a bit but I need more practice.
Im glad that the Coffee College of Starbucks included a short course on how to use these methods.
Here’s our kit
The Starbucks Coffee College was held in one of their branch of Starbucks Reserve in Tomas Morato, QC.
It was our first time to meet Starbucks’ coffee masters and ambassadors.
These people lived their life behind the coffee machine and now they are crowned expert in the field of coffee tasting and also making the best coffee.
I wonder how I can get the the level of being a coffee expert.
Maybe if I applied as a barista, I may get the proper skills in making coffee and use these taste buds for the greater good…….of coffee.
The start of the class is about the history of the 1st coffee, where it was discovered and how espresso was invited.
Check out the slide --- Luigi Bezzera released the first commercial espresso machine on 1901.
Then on 1901, soluble coffee was invented, then on 1906, they started mass producing the soluble coffee and followed by instant coffees.
Starbucks Philippines introduces three kinds of coffee beans for our class
1. Columbia
2. Kenya
3. Sumatra
Each coffee beans are named based on their country of origin.
The three kind of beans are the Starbucks Single Origin Coffee, they are not a blend, and they stand as ease, pure and solid coffee beans.
Columbia is a fruity taste coffee beans, then the Kenya is a bit strong and dark roasted, then Sumatra, comes with earthly flavor.
Some info we learned
- Starbucks is sourcing, roasting and blending the highest grade of coffee in the world for 43 years
- Starbucks sells and serves the 3% of the world’s high quality Arabica coffee beans from more than 20 countries
- Starbucks sources for coffee is located in Latin America, Asia and Asia Pacific regions.
- Each coffee beans that are produced in different countries, with hot or cold weather, high altitude conditions gives the distinct taste of the coffee beans. The higher altitude the better.
- Climate change is affecting the growth of these coffee beans, esp. to those who are planted in high altitude.
And here’s the best part of our class.
Pairing our coffee with food.
SALADSTARBUCKS RESERVE® ETHIOPIA GUJI BILIDA BUKISA (CLOVER BREWED ICED COFFEE)
bright with subtle flavors of citrus, light-bodied and high acidity
GRILLED SHRIMP SALAD
grilled fresh water shrimps, mixed greens, edible flowers, micro greens, calamansi gelee, salted egg salsa and cherry tomatoes tossed in citrus dressing
ADOBO sa BALSAMIC
trio of chicken, pork and beef adobo, slow cooked in balsamic vinegar with garlic served over Kabute risotto omelette
STARBUCKS VIA® READY BREW COLOMBIA
balanced and nutty, instant and microground coffee
TURON sa HALO-HALO
crisp springroll filled with ube puree, banana, red mung beans and macapuno topped with Mantecado ice cream, tapiocca glazed with honey
Here’s a new way of enjoying a Starbucks VIA powdery coffee….. pour some to your ice cream and taste a coffee kick plus ice cold sweetness of your ice cream.
Its so effective….and its good. I will add this now in my ice cream habit.
After the food tasting, the Starbucks coffee masters taught us on how to use the coffee press.
In our table, I volunteered to make our own coffee using the press.
And my trial is a success
My table mates loved my coffee preparation. The taste and amount of coffee beans are added just right.
It was perfect as they say… wow!
As a joke, I served one coffee for my wife Lace and to myself… LOL
Starbucks barista always mistakes my name as “Raquel” and not my Starbucks name “Rael”
Then another coffee lecture was shared to us.
Making an ice cold coffee that can last for months.
The new method of making coffee was revealed to us, and here’s the final product after chilling it for days. Adding milk makes it more good.
Perfect drink for this summer.
After the class, they invited us to use their machine.
Their machine is so awesome, its much more different than the machine we use at home.
I heard the machine cost millions.
Here’s my wife getting some pointers on how to make a nice milky froth for her coffee
They shared also tips on how to make latte art.
Its not so easy..ahahaha.
The Starbucks Coffee College ended after a half a day.
And here’s my certificate! yay!
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