Over a delicious cup of Café au Lait the other morning, I sat down with Jimmy Lewis, the founder of Relevant Roasters, to talk about the evolution of the coffee industry.
“Wave one was Maxwell House and Yuban and similar producers putting coffee on everyone’s breakfast room table.”
“Wave two was Starbuck’s coming along and elevating it to the next level. Where the coffee was better, the scene was interesting, the product was consistent. You could go out of your house to get the coffee and it was even better than what you could make at home.”
One of the driving forces in the transition into the second wave was consumers’ desire for better tasting coffee as well a desire to know the origin and unique roasting styles of these “specialty coffee” beans. This knowledge added to the enjoyment of coffee as an experience, rather than just a beverage.
“At Relevant Roasters, we are an example of Third Wave coffee. It is an artisan coffee production, small batch, and what we are interested in is enlightening people to the nuance of coffee. To the subtlety of what’s inside of the bean.”
Third wave coffee roasters are elevating the production of high-quality coffee to an artisan level, treating the process with the same reverence as a maker of a fine wine or craft beer.
The product is taking center stage. “Third wave coffee is about the personality of different beans. Beans from Nicaragua may be buttery. Beans from Rwanda may be fruity.”
So next time you drink a cup of Joe, remember this. “Coffee is more than heat and caffeination. There is a book of sensory experience in every cup.”
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
Relevant Roasters is a Memphis-based artisan coffee roaster. In addition to at a tasting room at their roasting facilities in Binghampton, their coffees are available at markets and food shops around town. For more information, visit http://whatisrelevant.com/.
