Liz Manriquez- Espresso Bueno

This week we welcomed Liz Manriquez into our classroom for a presentation. Our class was especially excited for her arrival, noting that she is the owner of the well-known coffee shop Espresso Bueno located in Barre, VT. In her presentation she explained her opinions and relationships in and about the coffee community. She taught us about her experiences with being a barista, and about the barista competitions she has participated in. Once asking her if she knew anything about fair trade, she explained its functions and responsibilities in the coffee industry. Lastly, the part that we all anticipated was the testing of her coffee, that had been brewed at Espresso Bueno, just minutes before. Mmmm.

The above right is a picture of the modern, yet comfortable cafe - Espresso Bueno.

Mane' and Aaron!

This week we had a very interesting guy visit us! He is the founder of Vermont Artisan Coffee and a world renound coffee taster, his name is Mane' Alvez. Mane' was such a treat, and so fun to listen to! He taught us three ways to brew coffee at home, each tasted incredibly different! Mane' was kind enough to share samples of coffee with each of us and share his extensive knowledge too! We also had the opportunity to meet one of Mane's employees named Aaron. He was a very nice guy as was Mane', and shared his knowledge of coffee with us at a basic level. Through meeting Aaron, we got to see what qualities Mane' looks for in his workers! We hope to soon visit the Vermont Artisan Factory to see what goes on behind the scenes with coffee!
Here is a picture the men themselves!

Juan Valdez!!

Last week, our group found out about a fictional character, Juan Valdez, that the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia created. He was created in 1959 to represent the Colombian coffee farmer. Over the years he has become an icon for Colombian coffee; people there think of Juan when they think of coffee. This character was to represent the beans that are only grown and harvested in Colombia.

Juan has found his way into modern pop culture, and his appearance is often mocked in television and movies.

Juan Valdez was an extremely smart marketing skill - it made the people of Colombia believe he was an actual person for a while, and if the coffee was good enough for Juan, it was good enough for the citizens of Colombia.

Juan Valdez vs. Starbucks:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=786896n

-Molly, Danielle, Maddy, Brooke

Some Pretty Interesting Info

So here's some random but interesting facts about Colombian coffee and its production!

• It is sold by grade rather than by market name or region. Supremo is the highest grade, and Extra is the second highest grade.



• There are many different levels of roasts for Colombian coffee including: Cinnamon Roast, American Roast, City Roast, Full City Roast, Vienna Roast, French Roast, Italian Roast, and Espresso Roast.



• The main diseases of the coffee plantations in Colombia are caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes.



• The Colombian coffee zone is over 3,000 acres.

Click to see an ad for Columbian coffee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHQAAfVvvOU

Enjoy!

Molly, Maddy, Danielle, Brooke

Colombian Coffee Rocks!!!

Hola! We are researching coffee from Colombia! Our names are Brooke Bova, Danielle Baroudi, Molly Taylor, and Madison Cowan. Enjoy!
Here is a lovely video for you to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCtmVErIf7k