Coffee For Bees is a World Bee Day initiative to help fund Food 4 Farmers, an NGO helping coffee producers supplement their farms with beekeeping. BY J. MARIE CARLAN BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Food 4 Farmers Small-scale producers walk a tight line financially. Unpredictable coffee prices and the high cost of farming supplies can lead to food insecurity for many coffee producers; it is often difficult for them to earn enough to feed their families a nutritious diet year-round. They may spend several months of the year dealing with hunger and food scarcity, or going into debt to ..read more

We talk to the longtime Roasters competitor about winning the national championship in Chicago. BY CHRIS RYAN BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Mayorga Coffee At the 2023 U.S. Roasters Championship in Portland, Ore., last April, Eduardo Choza wasn’t as prepared as he wanted to be for the annual competition, which includes green grading, planning a roast, and executing that roast. Roaster manufacturer Stronghold had recently taken over sponsorship of the event, and competitors would execute their roasts on Stronghold S7 machines. Eduardo, though, didn’t have time to practice using the ..read more

Osaka has something for everyone, and plenty of specialty-coffee shops and roasters. Here is a list of four cafés to visit during a long weekend in the city. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti It took me three trips to Japan to finally get a chance to visit Osaka, and what a surprise! It may not impress at first glance like Tokyo, and is less classically beautiful than Kyoto. But Osaka knows how to captivate those who choose to wander its streets for a long weekend. Cherry trees in full bloom, peaceful temples, and the splendid castle are just a few of Osaka’s ..read more

We explore the intricacies of ’direct trade’ in the coffee industry through insights from Nikola Sunko, green buyer and roaster at Bell Lane Coffee. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Bell Lane Coffee In the dynamic world of specialty coffee, one term that constantly reverberates is “direct trade.“ Yet, amidst the buzz, pinning down its exact definition has proven to be a perpetual challenge. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a thought-provoking talk by Nikola Sunko, green buyer and roaster at Bell Lane Coffee, where he delved into the enigmatic natur ..read more

Dionatan Almeida grew up playing on coffee farms in Três Pontas, Brazil, ”the world capital of coffee.” Here’s how he grew to become a champion. BY ISABELLE MANI SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo courtesy of BSCA The 2024 World Cup Tasters Champion Dionatan Almeida, 29, is the first Brazilian to win the title. Dionatan hails from Sul de Minas, one of Brazil’s main denominations of origin, and is a fourth-generation coffee producer. Before arriving in Chicago for his first international trip, Dionatan had only cupped Brazilian coffees, with few exceptions. Still, he finished the ..read more

We talk to the new U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Champion about tropical cocktails, coffee competitions, and more. Photos courtesy of Olympia Coffee Reyna Callejo is no stranger to the U.S. Coffee Championships stage—since the 2018-2019 season she has competed in Barista competitions, earning a semifinal berth in the U.S. Barista Championship (USBC) three times. Reyna, who works as the director of training and innovation at Olympia Coffee, decided to switch things up for competition this year, taking part in both the USBC and the U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, in which competitors mak ..read more

We explore the history behind one of the Western world’s favorite summertime treats. BY EMILY JOY MENESES BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo by Leon Contreras Marshmallows are synonymous with summertime—the sweet, sticky treat can be found at nearly every beach bonfire, and many coffeehouses are incorporating the ingredient into the increasingly popular s’mores latte. However, this food’s history may surprise you: In ancient times, the marshmallow plant was used in various places for medicinal purposes. In today’s installment of “Know Your Ingredients,“ we’ll explore the history of the mar ..read more

The K’Ho Coffee Farm and Roastery is an arabica coffee farm named after the local tribe that owns and operates it. We chat with co-founders Rolan and Josh about Vietnamese coffee, the tribe’s life, and more. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti During our weeks in Vietnam, we had the opportunity to visit many specialty-coffee shops and roasters throughout the country, trying signature drinks, locally grown robusta, and regional specialties. But as Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers in the world, we could not miss the opportunity to visit a coffee far ..read more

We chat with James Harper about creating his coffee podcasts, working with historian Jonathan Morris, and his favorite episode. BY J. MARIE CARLAN BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Featured photo courtesy of James Harper James Harper is an Italian Australian podcaster and documentary audio producer. Last spring, he and his collaborator Jonathan Morris released the second series of their podcast, “A History of Coffee.” Jonathan Morris is professor of Modern History at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, associate professor at the MUMAC Academy in Milan, and author of Coffee: A Global History. “A History ..read more

Elkin Guzman and his associates at El Mirador have embraced non-traditional coffee fermentation styles. BY EDDIE P. GOMEZ SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Elkin Guzman Elkin Guzman is an acclaimed coffee producer from Palestina, Huila, Colombia. Affable and down-to-earth, he is passionate about coffee and walks through life with a well-timed sense of humor. Along with his wife, Diana Devia, the 43-year-old university-trained agronomist oversees all facets of production at El Mirador, a farm that has been in his family for nearly 80 years. Elkin Guzman stands next to a bat ..read more