From Seed to Cup: The Idea Behind Third Wave Coffee

A quality cup of coffee means something different to everyone. From lightly sweetened and milky, to boldly dark and bitter, or fruity and light, everyone aims for that singularly delicious cup.

But what was the process that eventually ended with that cup of coffee in your hands?

For third wave coffee roasters, the emphasis is on the pursuit of quality coffee--striving to create delicious, complex coffee by focusing on the process from seed to cup. This begins with partnerships involving sustainable coffee producers and importers, and continues with careful and dedicated creative roasting practices, and finally innovative and precise brewing methods to perfectly extract the coffee.

Essentially, every step of the process is done to the highest ability to craft a quality cup of coffee.

Another tenet of third wave coffee roasters is to refrain from roasting the coffee too dark, like many of the large coffee roasters. A third wave roaster’s goal is to develop a roast  that allows interesting and complex flavors and varietals to shine through. There is definitely a roast spectrum within specialty coffee, and while some roast a lot lighter, we prefer to roast a more medium and traditional tasting coffee, with none of the bitterness.

The third wave also extends to the customers cafe experience.  In continuing with a focus on quality, the expectation is that baristas are knowledgeable about the seed to cup process, and are excited to share their knowledge with the inquiring customer.  Third wave coffee can be enjoyed for the stories behind the coffee, the labor that goes into pursuing the highest quality cup of coffee and for excellence in hospitality and intention that put that cup of coffee into your hands.

All of this is why we support the third wave coffee industry and hope you will too!