Sample hundreds of specialty coffees at the Beanstock Coffee Festival in Vancouver
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Beanstock Coffee Festival
When: August 20-21 from 8am Noon and 1-5pm
Location: Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
Tickets: $43-76, universe .com
Coffee is Adrian Griffin's life. As CEO of Toronto-based importer Mountain Coffee, the producer behind the Beanstock Coffee Festival, he spends a lot of time tasting. So how does he sleep at night?
"You sob and vomit a lot," he said. ``I don't get too nervous. Coffee alternatives are growing in popularity. Now in its fourth year and the third in Vancouver, the annual Beanstock Coffee Festival brings together importers, brewers, espresso machine vendors and coffee enthusiasts for a special coffee extravaganza.
The growth of this 'third wave' coffee movement is similar to that of craft breweries and brewing, albeit a bit slower to take hold.
"It was a little faster on the West Coast," he said. “The craft brew industry is changing now and then.
Beanstock helps raise awareness of the variety and quality available, he says.
“Sometimes we do cupping sessions where we put a commercial coffee next to a specialty coffee. People don't realize how good a specialty coffee is until they taste the two side by side. No. Many coffees need cream and sugar, but specialty coffees don't.It's not something you have just for the caffeine.I've experienced it myself.Like waking up.
Griffin, formerly the treasurer of CIBC Wood Gundy, became the owner of Mountain Coffee three years ago.
"I knew how to manage finances and people, and I'm a bit of a glutton," he said. "But I didn't know coffee to the depth I needed, so I became a real student." He says he took the course. He spent time on farms in Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala and became his sommelier for coffee, known as a Q grader.
Beanstock ticket holders get Black Gold Awakening plus unlimited samples of handcrafted specialty coffee, ceramic cups and two of his 100g sample bags of beans from the roaster of your choice. , you can expect the opportunity to watch barista competition. Participated in the Specialty Coffee Association's Canadian National Barista Championship.
"It's incredibly scientific," said Griffin. "I have no idea how much preparation they go through, how crazy their speeches and themes are. It's a 15 minute run-through. They offer multiple drinks, different types."
But , the real draw is the chance to taste some of the best beans in the world.
"For the first-timer, it's about knowing what the coffee actually tastes like. Some have fruity flavors, like peaches, lemons, blueberries, and strawberries." Then there are floral flavors, chocolate, nuts, etc. We will have sensory stations for people to experience these different flavors, and we will connect our favorite roasters with people who are familiar with specialty coffees.
One drawback is the high cost.
Difficult to produce, specialty coffee is more expensive than commercial coffee. "For the most part, farmers are the ones who get the benefits," says Griffin.
Already one of his drawbacks is that after tasting next-level coffee, it's hard to go back to that familiar burnt gym sock taste. Would Griffin be shocked if he took a sip of something at a popular chain or something?
"That's not very fair," he says, telling Chain.
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