Ave Maria Living Magazine | Issue #3 | Nov. 2016

afundraising partner of:
GuadalupeGardens
GuadalupeRoastery
Specialty Coff eWithamission!
- Fresh, Locally Roast ed , Specialt y Cof fee
- Specialt y Grade Cof fee Beans = Except ional Flavor
- Each Bag is From a Single Origin
- All Proceeds Fund Mission Work
- Place an order in November and get ent ered for a chance t o w in a cof fee gift basket in December!
- Gift basket s w ill also be available for purchase
Order at : guadaluperoast ery.com
Ask for t he Guadalupe Roast ery DARK ROAST at The Bean Of Ave Maria and Support
t he Missions and Local Business!
What Makes Specialty Coffee Special?
In the quest
for the
perfect cup
of coffee, we
must start at
the source,
the cherry. Coffee trees produce
berries called "coffee cherries."
Inside each cherry are two green
coffee beans.
When the cherries are ripe, they
turn a bright red color. Ripe
cherries make for the best tasting
beans. But, in many cases, coffee
plantation workers will pick
cherries that are not yet ripe or
over-ripened because it is much
easier to strip each branch of the
berries than picking and choosing
the ripe ones.
Generally, coffee berry pickers
are paid by weight of their
harvest and are, therefore, not as
concerned about the quality of
the cherries they pick.
Coffee farms that produce
specialty grade coffee are
operated a bit differently.
Typically, the workers are paid a
By: Guadalupe Roastery
higher wage and are focused on
the quality of their harvest. rather
than the quantity. Specialty
coffees are usually produced in
ideal climates and on smaller
farms.
To promote and regulate the
industry, growers, exporters,
roasters, retailers, and equipment
suppliers have established trade
associations.
The standard for green coffee
bean classification provided by
the Specialty Coffee Association of
America is:
Specialty Grade Coffee - must
have no more than 5 total defects
with none of them being primary
defects. Must possess at least one
distinctive attribute in the body.
flavor, aroma, or acidity.
Premium Grade Coffee - must
have no more than 8 total defects
and primary defects are allowed.
Exchange Grade Coffee - must
have no more than 9-23 defects.
Below Standard Grade Coffee -
24-86 defects.
Off Grade Coffee - more than 86
defects.
Roasters who pay a premium for
specialty grade green coffee
beans generally take special care
to roast each batch to bring out
the coffee's best attributes.
When it comes to the preparation
of the coffee, there are a wide
variety of options. Many specialty
coffeehouses prefer the pour
over, but it is much more time
consuming than a typical brew.
While the roasting and
preparation are important, it is
the superior quality of the
specialty grade coffee bean itself
that produces a more vibrant cup
of coffee and a more enjoyable
coffee drinking experience.